Wednesday, November 29, 1922

Bright, mild and damp. Arose 5:45 A.M. Studied. Breakfast. Studied etc. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Packed up. H.H. & I on 1 P.M. train for Sch'dy. Arrived 8 P.M. Talked, visited etc. To bed 12:30 Thankful for health, friends, education, opportunities, etc.

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Ah, Thanksgiving weekend has arrived! Stanford is homeward bound!

Tuesday, November 28, 1922

Cool & damp. 1 or 2 inches of snow. Arose 7 A.M. Breakfast. Studied. To class 9:30 to 10:30. Studied. Dinner. Worked 12 M to 2 P.M. Classes and chapel 2:15 to 4:45 P.M. To supper with Steinkrause. Exercised in gym. Shower. To Prayer meeting. Dean Beebe spoke. Studied. To bed --

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I'm not sure who Steinkraus(e) is as yet.

Monday, November 27, 1922

Overcast, cool, damp & breezy. Arose 8 A.M. Breakfast. Studied. Wrote letters. Dinner. Worked 12 M -2 P.M. Studied. No Psy. of Rel. To Church History. Test -- 30. Talked. Supper. Read & studied. To bed 12 P.M. Thankful for health, friends, education & opportunities.

**********

Sunday, November 26, 1922

Fair, clear, cool and windy.Arose 8:30 A.M. Breakfast. H.H. & I to Appleton Chapel, Harvard. Bishop Lawrence spoke. To dinner with Mr. & Mrs. Kent & Mr. & Mrs. Norton. Nice visit. Walked around. To "72." Talked. H.H. & I to Park Street. Supper. Talked. To bed 11:30 A.M.

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Below is a picture of Appleton Chapel's interior as it appeared in 2011 during a memorial service for Rev. Peter Gomes, the church's minister for 35 years.

from the Harvard Crimson

The actual chapel--where Hanford and Stanford went this day--was built in 1858 and torn down in 1931 to make way for the new church, Harvard Memorial, that would be a suitable size for both morning prayer service and Sunday services and also stand as a war memorial for WWI. Below is a photo of the original chapel, taken after 1917 by Leslie Jones, a Boston newspaper photographer.

Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.

Saturday, November 25, 1922

Beautiful, bright, cool & breezy. Arose 8 A.M. Breakfast. Read & studied. Dinner. Worked 12-2 P.M. H.H., Ken. Leary & I for walk to So. Boston etc about 6 miles. Old FORT etc. Took nap. Supper. Haircut. Read. To bed 11 P.M. Thank God for strength.

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Old Fort is Fort Independence, I believe. Below is a picture of the fort.

Fort Independence By Victor Grigas

Friday, November 24, 1922

Bright and cool. Very slight flurries of snow. Arose 7:30 A.M. Washed. Breakfast. Classes 9:30 to 11:30 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 to 2. Talked. Played basketball etc. Shower. Out for lunch with Gamer. Nap, studied & read. To bed 11:30 P.M. Thankful for friends, education &  opportunities.

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A new name to wonder about: Gamer. Perhaps he will show up again. I wonder where Stanford played basketball and with whom?

Thursday, November 23, 1922

Beautiful, bright, cool & clear. Arose 7:15 A.M. Breakfast in room. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 M to 2 P.M. Classes 2:15 to 4:45 P.M. Down town. Supper. Studied. Birthday spread at 11 P.M. Great time. To bed 1 A.M. Thankful for health, friends, good parents.

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So, Stanford's 22nd birthday was spent presumably with friends, although he doesn't say who they were.

This day would have been Thanksgiving if they were following the tradition we have now, where Thanksgiving takes place on the fourth Thursday in November. But in 1922, Thanksgiving was still on the last Thursday in November, as it had been since Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday in 1863. Before that, November 26th had been set as a national day of thanksgiving by George Washington in 1789.

In 1939, Thanksgiving Day was changed to the fourth Thursday in November by FDR. He wanted to provide a boost to the Christmas season by starting it a week earlier.

The above information was taken from KTVZ.com, a Bend, Oregon TV station website.

Wednesday, November 22, 1922

Beautiful, bright & cool. Arose 7:30 A.M. Breakfast. Swept room. Classes 7:30 to 11:30 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 M to 2 P.M. Classes & chapel 2:15 to 4:45 P.M. Supper. Letter home. To Auburndale with H.H. as guests of Elizabeth Frick and Sylvia Starr. Musicale of French songs. Eats etc. Enjoyable evening. To bed 12 P.M.

**********
It's not clear how Stanford and Hanford got to Auburndale. I'm not sure if Hanford had a car. Or maybe the two women picked the two gents up. I'm not sure how they know the twins, but perhaps that information will be provided later.

Auburndale is a village in Newton, Massachusetts. It was first settled in 1678. The oldest house remaining from the colonial period is the old Whittemore Tavern, built around 1724. Here is a photo of it:

Tuesday, November 21, 1922

Lynnfield Center. Fair and cool. Arose 6:30 A.M. Breakfast. To Boston. Studied. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 m -2 P.M. Classes and chapel 2:15-4:45 P.M. Supper. Played volley ball. Shower. To Prayer Meeting. Studied. To bed 11 P.M. Thank God for strength.

**********
So it looks like Stanford stayed overnight at the Stewarts' house. I wonder what happened to the two women, Mary Leah and Lois? Did they stay overnight too? Seems unlikely, since Stanford doesn't mention the two women coming back with him, although he also didn't say how he got to Stewarts' in the first place.

Monday, November 20, 1922

Rainy, wet, nasty & damp. Arose 9 A.M. Wrote letters, studied. Dinner. Worked 12-2, classes 2:15-4:45 P.M. Shaved. To Convention Hall to Boston Methodist Social Union banquet. Fine time. Dean Sperry spoke. Timmerman, Lois Hoffman, M.L.Y. & I out to Stewarts. Talked etc. To bed 1 A.M. Thankful.

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Well, another double date with Mary Leah and Tim and Lois! I guess he had a good time, if we can judge by his conclusion: "Thankful."

Dean Willard L. Sperry (taken from PrairieMary)

Willard L. Sperry, D.D., was the Dean of Harvard Divinity School from 1922 to 1953. Interestingly, he started his education at Olivet College in Michigan, where he lived with his parents at the time. He was born in Peabody, MA in 1882.

Olivet College Museum 1900

Sunday, November 19, 1922

Most beautiful, bright & mild. Arose 8:30 A.M. Breakfast. Bath, shave etc. To Trinity Episcopal Church with H.H. in A.M. Dinner at Dorm. Read, talked, studied. Short nap. To Medford. Leary, Wampler & I spoke at evening service. Profitable evening. To bed 12:30 P.M.

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Trinity Episcopal is another historic church in Boston. It was built in 1876 and continues today as an important Boston church. Below are some pictures of the church as it is today, including one of its beautiful stained glass windows. Stanford is certainly taking advantage of historical sites!

Trinity Episcopal from Wikipedia

Trinity Episcopal interior

Stained glass window from Trinity Episcopal

Saturday, November 18, 1922

Overcast, mild and dry. Arose 8 A.M. Breakfast. Studied. Pressed suit. Dinner. Worked 12 to 2. For walk with Kenneth Leary to see Majestic etc. Nap. Out for supper. To market etc. Studied. To bed 12 P.M. Thankful for health, friends, education & opportunities.

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I'm not sure what "Majestic" is here. Maybe I'll find out later . . . 

Friday, November 17, 1922

Fair, bright, cool day. Arose 7 A.M. Breakfast in room. Studied. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 M to 2 P.M. Walked about town. To Wilbur Theatre to see "JOB." Good. Supper. Played volley ball. Studied. To bed 11 P.M.

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The Wilbur Theater is a historic theater that presents live plays and other acts. It was built in 1914, only six years before Stanford went there to see the play by Stuart Walker, Book of Job. Below is an inside and outside view of the theater as it looks today.

Thursday, November 16, 1922

Fair, bright, cool and clean. Arose 7 A.M. Washed. Breakfast. Studied. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 M - 2 P.M. Classes & chapel 2:15 to 4:45 P.M. Supper. Walked about town with H.H. Studied. To bed 10 P.M. Thankful for health, education and friends.

**********

Wednesday, November 15, 1922

Beautiful, bright, clear day. Arose 7 A.M. Breakfast with H.H. in W-7. Classes 9:30 to 11:30 A.M. Dinner. Worked at Ginters 12 M to 2 P.M. Classes 2:15 to 4:45 P.M. Supper. To Xn Science Church with M.L.Y. Tim with L.E.H. Pleasant Call, like etc. Studied. To bed 12:15 P.M.

**********
So, this is Stanford and Mary Leah's first date! It was a double date, apparently, with Tim and Lois. We see an inkling of Stanford's interest in Mary Leah with his very subtle comment: "like etc."

It is certainly not surprising that they would go to a church on their first date, but what a church! The Christian Science Church Stanford refers to is what is called the Mother Church, built in 1894 and then extended (massively) in 1906. It's quite a monumental building--very impressive. Below is a picture of the structure. The tiny part in front is the original church; the bulbous growth behind is the "extension."

Taken from Wikipedia

Tuesday, November 14, 1922

Beautiful, bright, mild day. Breakfast. Studied. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Dinner. Worked at Ginters 12 to 2. Classes and chapel 2:15-4:45 P.M. Class meeting. Supper. Played Volley ball. Shower. Prayer meeting. Talked. Studied. To bed 11 P.M. Thankful for health.

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I'm not sure when the word volleyball became one word instead of two, but as this book cover shows, it was definitely split in 1922.

Taken from Amazon.com

Monday, November 13, 1922

Beautiful, bright and breezy. Arose 8 A.M. Breakfast. Read. Wrote letter home etc. Worked 12-2 at Ginters. Classes and chapel 2:15-4:45 PM. Supper. Shower. Studied. To bed 10:15 P.M. Thankful for health, strength and prayer.

**********

Sunday, November 12, 1922

Most beautiful, bright, mild day. Arose 6:30 A.M. Breakfast etc.Took 8 A.M. train to Wakefield. Walked to Lynnfield Centre. To Church & S.S. Dinner. Helped with dishes. Out for walk. To Wakefield to Church. To Lynnfield Center to evening service. Talked. Lunch. Alex. brought me & Miss King to Wakefield. Took train. To bed 12 P.M.

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I wonder who Miss King is?

Saturday, November 11, 1922

Beautiful, bright & mild. Arose 7:30 A.M. Breakfast. Pressed clothes. Studied. Worked 12-2 at Ginters. Nap. Studied. Out to supper. Studied in library. Cocoa and conversation with Count & H.H. To bed 12:45 P.M. Thankful for friend, & good parents.

**********
Okay. I thought Stanford got fired from his restaurant job. Now he's back at it? Hmmm. Whatever happened, he's not telling.

And who is Count? Not enough information to make a search yet.

Below is a 1922 magazine ad for Baker's cocoa, the brand they may have been drinking that day. The illustrator, Norman Price, was apparently well known. You can see he's got the little girl wearing glasses on the tip of her nose, like a schoolteacher.

Taken from Attic Paper

I'm surprised Stanford doesn't mention Armistice Day. But below is a picture of Woodrow Wilson, former president, in front of his home in Washington DC on November 11, 1922. Also pictured is his home (now a museum) the way it looks now.

Taken from old-picture.com

from Woodrow Wilson House

Friday, November 10, 1922

Beautiful, bright, cool and clear. Arose 7 A.M. To Breakfast. Studied. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Conference with Daddy Butters. To dinner with Alex. Stewart. Looked at books. Played volley ball. Shower. Read. Supper & P.O. Studied. To see the BAT. Wrote in diary. To bed 11:30 P.M.

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Well, I have failed to determine who is Daddy Butters and what is the BAT. Maybe more clarification will arrive later.

Thursday, November 9, 1922

Fair, bright, cool and clear. Arose 7 A.M. Washed. To breakfast. Studied. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Dinner. Studied. Classes & chapel 2:15-4:45 P.M. Wrote letter to Ruth. Supper, P.O. etc. To Church History lecture. Studied. To bed 12:30 P.M. Thank God for education.

**********

Wednesday, November 8, 1922

Dark, damp and mild. Arose 7:30 A.M. Breakfast. Studied. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Swept out room. Dinner. Read. Classes & chapel 2:15 to 4:45 P.M. Church Hist test. Read. Out to supper. Back. Studied. To bed 10 Post Meridian. Thankful for health & friends.

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Well, Stanford's settling into a routine that includes a lot more studying, it seems, than when he was at Union. 

Tuesday, November 7, 1922

Overcast, wet and cool. Arose 7:45 A.M. Breakfast in room. Classes 9:30 to 11:30 A.M. Fired from rest. job. Studied. Class 2:15-3:15 P.M. Studied Church History. Supper. Studied. Out for walk with H.H. & Tim. Election returns. Lunch. To bed 12:30 P.M.

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Uh-oh. I wonder what Stanford did to get fired? Hmmm. He's not telling.

Monday, November 6, 1922

Overcast & cool. Some rain. Arose 7:30 A.M. Washed. Out to breakfast. Studied etc. Dinner. Worked 12 M. to 2 P.M. Class 2:15 to 3:15 P.M. Chapel 3:15-3:45 P.M. Wrote letter to Grace Cornell. Supper. Back to 72. Studied. To bed 11 P.M. Thank God for health, strength, education, good family etc.

**********

Sunday, November 5, 1922

Overcast and cool. Arose 9 A.M. Shave, shower & breakfast. To Old South Church. Rev. Gordon preached. Communion Service. Dinner. Walked with H.H. to Charlestown etc. Nap. Letter home. To Old South Church. Hampton Institute. NIGHT. GOOD. To P.O. etc. Lunch. To bed 11:15 P.M.

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Reverend Gordon was a well-known Congregational Minister. Here is a brief bio of the man:

1853-1929. Congregational minister and writer. Scottish-born, he graduated from Bangor Theological Seminary and Harvard University, proving himself a brilliant student of philosophy. A preacher of great power, during a long and influential pastorate at the Old South Church in Boston (1884-1927), and through numerous books, and lectures in all the leading American universities, he was a leader in introducing liberalism into Congregationalism. He called Calvinism “the ultimate blasphemy of thought” and held that moral progress was the key to history. He nevertheless, with other liberals, rejected the contemporary drift toward a merely human view of Jesus. His works include Ultimate Conceptions of Faith (1903), Religion and Miracle (1909), Through Man to God (1906), and Aspects of the Infinite Mystery (1916).

Interestingly, Rev. Gordon graduated from the Bangor Theological Seminary, whose majestic buildings we would pass by on our way to downtown when we lived in Bangor, Maine. Below is a postcard of the grounds as they looked in the early 1900s.

Taken from Wikipedia

Saturday, November 4, 1922

Beautiful, bright and mild. Arose 7:30 A.M. Breakfast. Cleaned room. Studied. Dinner. Worked at Ginters 12-2 P.M. Kenneth Leary & I out in P.M. To Lynn via ferry & narrow gauge. Walked around. Got ride back to Boston. Supper. To market. Hair cut. Studied & talked. To bed 11:30 P.M.

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Stanford doesn't say what he does at Ginters Restaurant, but he probably washed dishes. Below is a photo of Ginters' kitchen where Stanford might have toiled.

Taken from HistoricNewEngland.org

The picture was taken in 1920.

Friday, November 3, 1922

Fair, bright, clear & mild. Arose 7 A.M. Out to breakfast. Studied. To classes 9:30 to 11:30 A.M. To Ginters with Arno Wallschlaeger. Worked from 12 M to 2 P.M. Took nap. Down to supper & P.O. Played volley ball. Read. Talked with fellows. To bed 12 P.M.

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Stanford is probably referring to Arno Henry Wallschlaeger, who later became a Methodist minister, starting in Boston. Below is his picture.

Arno was from Wisconsin originally. He was two years older than Stanford. They evidently met at Boston University, but Arno ended up as a minister in Flint, Michigan, where he lived in 1930. By then he was married and he and his wife Jeannette had a one year old child. He died in 1981 in Delta, Michigan. The way his and Stanford's paths crossed, I'm guessing they kept in touch.

Arno was also in the Navy during WWI, although he seems to have stayed in the U.S. Here is his Navy photo:

Thursday, November 2, 1922

Mary Leah Yant at Boston University

Fair, bright clear & cool. Arose 6:15 A.M. Study and breakfast. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Dinner. Nap, shaved & bath. Classes & chapel 3:15-4:45 P.M. To Alex Stewart's for birthday chicken dinner. SWENSON, TIMMERMAN, MR. & MRS. KENT, MISSES YANT & HOFFMAN, JONES, MIERS, H.H. & I. To prayer meeting. Fine evening of fellowship. Back to B on 9:25 train. To bed 10:30 P.M. Thankful for friends.

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So, there it is. A school pal's birthday, some chicken, and Stanford's "fine evening of fellowship" begins what will become one of the great romances of the 20th century. A historic evening indeed!

Wednesday, November 1, 1922

APPLE DAY

Beautiful, bright and mild. Arose 6:15 A.M. Studied. Breakfast. Classes 9:30-11:30 A.M. Dinner with Steinkraus. Studied. Wrote letter to R.E.N. [Russell Norris]. To classes and chapel 2:15-4:45 P.M. Studied & talked. To bed 12 P.M. Thankful for privilege of prayer.

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When I looked up Apple Day, there were several different days chosen for the celebration, October 21 being one of them. But I did find a little article in the August 1922 edition of the National Cooper's Journal, which was a professional journal for barrel makers. Naturally, they would have had a keen interest in the apple crop, especially at this time of year. The article refers to the man who founded National Apple Day and Apple Week, which started on Halloween. Below is the little piece:

The song follows. It's not too bad, although he needed to do a bit more work on the rhythm, I think.

I haven't been able to find out who Steinkraus is without a first name. Maybe later . . .?

Tomorrow's the big day! A party at Alex Stewart's house changed forever the lives of Stanford and Mary Leah (and all those who followed). Stay tuned . . .