"Frank the Mank" on Historical Research

[Linda Anderson]

I've been trying to think of a way to reconcile wpbinzel and Anita's posts and the only thing that makes sense to me is that friends indeed called Mankiwitz "Frank the Mank" (it was Ted Kennedy who mentioned that in the 2004 roast), and that Ben knew it but he was joking that he didn't so as to bring fond laughter into his memories of his father.

What's even worse about repeating wrong information is when researchers ignore excellent sources. For example, I've read in some books that Fanny Seward made a mistake when she opened the door to her father's bedroom thereby letting Powell know where Seward's bedroom was located. Besides what Fanny wrote in her diary, both George Robinson and William H. Bell testified that it was Fred Seward who first opened the door to Seward's bedroom.

It matters to me because it makes Fanny the scapegoat for Powell finding Seward when it was really Fred who was responsible (if Powell didn't know where the room was already).