xt7jh98zct60_35 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7jh98zct60/data/mets.xml https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7jh98zct60/data/2015ms086.dao.xml Bevins, Martha 0.05 Cubic Feet 55 items archival material 2015ms086 English University of Kentucky The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Martha Bevins letters to Tom McCarthy Radio broadcasting. Agriculture -- Kentucky. Birds Women air pilots. Edward J. Hunter letter to Tom McCarthy text Edward J. Hunter letter to Tom McCarthy 2016 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7jh98zct60/data/2015ms086/Box_ms_42/Folder_1/Item_35/1957_11_20_Edward_J_Hunter_letter_to_T_McCarthy_p1.pdf 1957 November 20 1957 1957 November 20 section false xt7jh98zct60_35 xt7jh98zct60 WW ~~ w: x up“ « . ..,. w . .. W, WM _, “I
\ :r. N i; . BataVia, O.
7 20th Nov. '57
Dear Tom, \
. I heard your remarks concerning the conditions prevailing in
this country with regard to scholastic endeavor and the problems
thereof.
Whatever ' ism ’ upon which you place the blame, my contention'
is, that it is unadulterated ' Americanizm ' of ' laisses faire"
which has been prevalent for the past thirty—seven years, to my
knowledge. I was quick to notice such a state of affairs when I first
set foot in New York when on a Western Hemisphere contract in 1920. '
Rudeness was very evident amongst the 'teen—agers 1 and little
notice taken by them of the admonitions of their parents in which case,
I was witness to tantrums of this description by the twelve year old ‘
son of a friend of my uncle who lived in Brooklyn.
The father of the boy had a very prominent position as Assistant
Manager of the Standard Oil Refinery of Queens County, Long Island and
he had occasion to chastise the lad for playing truant ( hockey ) from
school for two weeks. »
After the chastisement, the boy said that he would fetch a ' cop‘
and when the police-officer arrived, he said to the father," This boy
' reports to me that you have been beating him up.“ This police-officer
was a big burly Irishman from the ' Owld Sod ' and when the father told
him why he chastised him, the Old—country Irishman said, " Oh, is that
right,now?£l" He then told the fathen to give the boy another ‘ pasteing '
for being rude to his parents and thevxhe said, " IGLL give him one or ‘
two whacks, mesilflfor getting me climbing this long flight of stairs."
The trouble with the young people today is, that tiey will not
do their homework because they want to look at television up untillthe .
time they go to bed. Upon arriving at the school the next morning, the
teacher finds that there has been no homework done. It is very unfortunate
that a great many of the parents are indifferent as to whether their
children are educated or not but take the attitude that the world owes
their children a living even if they were unqualified to take any kind
of a position outside of pushing a hand-truck inside a factory. They did
not realise that schooling was the greatest thing in their lives and
that an education was a prerequisite to acquiring a good livelihood
when they ultimately left school and where they would have to compete
in the market for jobs that were worthwhile.
It seems to me that there is too much emphasis placed on sports
. such as basket-ball, baseball football in place of academics. This
would tend to produce a nation of men with plenty of brawn but no brains.
You mention about the twenty 'musts ‘ with respect to the schooling

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«A. 2 . w
in Russia and what is required of the pupils. This is a photostat of
the rules that we had to follow in Britain. We had to sit with our
arms folded when the master was lecturing and then, if we desired to '
question the master, we had to raise our hands ( right hand ) but the
children in this Country shout out to the teacher without a ‘ by your
leave ' attitude. There is no such a thing as leaving the desk and
walking around the classroom. If the children raise their hands, it is
not to seek knowledge in the schools in this country. ‘
We had hard study in Britain and were at our homework from after ,
supper until we retired for the night. It had to be complete by the
time we arrived at school the next morning. We had pleasure in accomplish-
ing these tasks and we used our week-ends for recreation such as foot-
ball and cricket or to go for long walks or cycle-riding.
We had two hours of Grammar each morning, ( we do not call it
' English ' as it taken for granted that the language of the country
is such ) and this included Latin prefixes which we had to learn by
memory and which we in turn had to recite. There were also the suffixes
and Latin ' roots.‘ I took French at ten years of age and Latin and
Greek at twelve to fourteen. Calculus was also taught at that age
together with geometry. There were Escays to write.beside compositions
and correct pronunciation of words and clear diction. ( the children
in this country, for the most part, do not speak grammatically nor
do they have the powers of enunciation but are well advanced in the
habit of using double negatives such as " I ain't got nothing." ) .
. how, with respect to politeness; A grocery Corporation of
Cincinnati announced over the radio last week that if their clerks
did not say ' thank you: " when you paid for your purchase, they
. would have to pay forfeit with a bag of coffee. This week, I was
informed, does not apply as that was for last week only. This kind
of action is making a mockery of courtesy and good manners. I recall
the time when I first visited New York and called in at the United
Cigar Stores on Broadway to purchase a package of cigarettes and
on receiving my change, I said to the clerk, " fhanks,very much: " He
said " Hangs: " I then repeated, " Thanks,very much: " He gave me
a dirty look and looking over his shoulder whilst he walked away, he
said " Oh, yeah}: " I recounted this episode to an acquaintence who
held a very responsible position at the Brooklyn Edison Corp. and he
said to me, " You have'nt been saying ‘ thank you " to some one in
Sew York, have youflz! " I admitted to him that I had been guilty of
doing just that. He said, " You must not do thatagain, you will get
nurderediz " He was originally from Liverpool, England very many
years prior to the time that I met him.I still take a chance even
today after all these years to say " thank you " to people even if
they do not reciprocate with a like courtesy as I am used to it by
- now. I did get a very pleasant surprise at the First Eational Bank
in Brighton on one occasion when I went in there to cash a check.
I happened to use that expression of courtesy and the Teller.
a middle—aged man looked startled and with a surprised look on his
face, he said ” Thank YOU}: "I think that there are people who
would be polite but due to the custom of the country, politeness lies
dormant. The most you would expect to receive is, " O.K::—"

 F “or, . ‘ _ m , ?
.:\ 3° (
Getting back to the topic of education; if there is not a change of
format in the methods used in the schools together with a greater
concern of the parents for education instead of obstructing the
school faculty in the pursuance of carrying out strict Acadenic
Education, I cannot percétve what this naaion will be'like by the
time that the youngsters of today are grown to the status of adults.

Something must be done in the teaching of the three " R's "
together with a very intensive course of ' physics ' which will be
greatly needed in the future if this country is to survive. It is a
good country but which has been sadly neglected by ' soft—belly '
living and so-called ' good times ' embracing no responsibility.

Instead of the ' burl-throwing'that has been the custom, people
must learn to be sincere. If all the 'bull ‘ that has been ' shot '
over these many years, had been concentfiated in one place, there

;_ would have been enough propulsion to send a ballistic missile to
Ears.

\ ' Very cordially yours,

aim/Va Dam
P.S. What I an. bout to tell you is‘confidengial/;;;/;trictly not
for Broadcast. was a physicist for the/ ureau of Aeronautics
Wright Field, Day .,and was the only Person holding Certification
ms for ! top-secret ' w at a Cincijgati Corporation for Radiology

'“ N on component parts for a yertain ty e of bonb. I was a radiologist V

, in metallurgy. That was my econd, major ' in college for advanced
physics but did not further owlcdge due to the fact that there
was very little call for that ' s of work at that time. I had to
take a strict ' refresher ' ours nd examination for Wright Field
before obtaining my Certif cation. I etired in 1955 at the age of
sixty-three years and a alt when the rporation moved back to
California and I turne down the offer t 0 out there as I felt
that l was near the e of retirement, a . Q I an ROW 55 )

. You will remember that I followed the pro scion
of music f my livlihood until I gave it up tw ty-one
years ago ,
/ '