Welcome Nora Titone

[L Verge]

I should also add that Nora endeared herself to me shortly before the death of James O. Hall. We were talking, and I told her how serious his condition was - he was completely bedridden and so exhausted that his words were mainly guttural because he did not have enough air in his lungs to push out the thoughts.

In a few days, I received a note from Nora asking me to give him her regards and to read to him a message that told him how much Doris Kearns Goodwin had enjoyed working with him while writing Team of Rivals and that she had changed her approach to the subject of Edwin McMasters Stanton after working with him. Nora herself had become interested in the Booths while assisting with that book.

As I read this to him over the phone, I could hear little "gulps," and I know it meant the world to him to know at the last that his research and knowledge meant something to somebody. He died shortly thereafter.

Many of you know that Mr. Hall was my mentor and one of my dearest friends. We talked each and every day, and I learned so much from him. He has been dead for about five years now, and I still want to pick up the phone and ask him a question.

Betty O was very close to him also, and I know she joins me in saying how much he enjoyed helping others and sharing his research. I asked him one day why he was so generous with giving out information that he had spent a great deal of time and money tracking down. His response was that his acts of kindness always earned rewards with other people sharing information back that helped him fill in missing pieces of the puzzle. He was like many of the old school of culture - and I wish we could go back to those days.