Sad News - Passing of William Hanchett

[L Verge]

I loved those pictures also, Betty. The first one reminded me of how far Surratt House has come. Betty and Bill are in an upstairs room at the historic house. Today, it is furnished as the travelers' bedroom as it would have been in the Surratt period when gentlemen travelers could sleep there for 25 cents a night (sometimes three to a bed). In this photo, however, the room shows the original library of the museum -- one room of about 12x12 - filled with stuff. Today, we have an entire building in the complex devoted to our James O. Hall Research Center.

The second photo was great for me because it showed my ten-year-old daughter seated with three of the finest men I ever knew -- both intellectually and personality-wise. And, they were kind enough to include her in conversations, etc. My ten-year-old is now a lovely 43-year-old mother and educator.

Bill Hanchett did not travel much in his later years, so he never met my now-16 grandson, and Mr. Brennan passed on before Aaron was born. However, Mr. Hall did have several visits with Aaron, sent him a "trinket box" - because all little boys need something to hide their treasures in - and spent more time playing with Aaron and Cate (daughter of Richard Willing) who were four-year-olds when some of us threw Mr. Hall a birthday party in June of 2004, than he did with the grown-ups.

Great memories of great people. I'm not sure that some of the younger scholars in history realize that kindness is a major ingredient of getting youths interested in our field. You have to talk with them - not at them.