APRIL30 This Day in History

Adolf Hitler commits suicide, 1945
American Revolution
Samuel Adams writes of hope for more battles, 1776
Automotive
Original Land Rover debuts at auto show, 1948
Civil War
Battle of Jenkin's Ferry, Arkansas, 1864
Cold War
Organization of American States established, 1948
Crime
The first federal prison for women opens, 1927
Disaster
Orange-sized hail reported in India, 1888
General Interest
The first presidential inauguration, 1789
Louisiana Purchase concluded, 1803
New York World's Fair opens, 1939
Hollywood
“Coming out” episode of Ellen, 1997
Literary
Annie Dillard is born, 1945
Music
Willie Nelson is born, 1933
Old West
Arizona Ranger Burton Mossman is born, 1867
Presidential
George Washington gives first presidential inaugural address, 1789
Sports
Tennis star Monica Seles stabbed, 1993
Vietnam War
South Vietnam surrenders, 1975
World War I
Battle of the Boot, 1917

This Day in History

World War II monument opens in Washington, D.C., 2004
American Revolution
Nathanael Greene takes command of Long Island, 1776
Automotive
The end of the road for Oldsmobile, 2004
Civil War
Union captures New Orleans, 1862
Cold War
American statesmen deny Lattimore's influence, 1950
Crime
Rodney King trial verdict announced, 1992
Disaster
Cyclone kills 135,000 in Bangladesh, 1991
General Interest
Joan of Arc relieves Orleans, 1429
First African-American college chartered, 1854
Dachau liberated, 1945
Riots erupt in Los Angeles, 1992
Hollywood
Daniel Day-Lewis born, 1957
Literary
Henry James' Transatlantic Sketches is published, 1875
Music
Hair premieres on Broadway, 1968
Old West
William Randolph Hearst is born, 1863
Presidential
Nixon announces release of White House Watergate tapes, 1974
Sports
Roger Clemens strikes out 20 batters in single game, 1986
Vietnam War
U.S.-South Vietnamese forces launch Cambodian "incursion", 1970
New casualty figures released., 1971
Operation Frequent Wind begins, 1975
World War I
British forces surrender at Kut, Mesopotamia, 1916
World War II
Adolf and Eva marry, 1945
International Military Tribunal indicts Hideki, 1946

The Dying Art of Proofing

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
No crap, really? Ya think?

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that's taking things a bit far!

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
What a guy!

Miners Refuse to Work after Death
No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial!

War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
Ya think?!

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!

Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?

Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge!

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Weren't they fat enough?!

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That's what he gets for eating those beans!

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken?

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!

And the winner is....
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Did I read that right?

DON'T MESS WITH LITTLE OLD LADIES!

A little old lady went to the grocery store and put the most expensive cat food in her basket. She then went to the check out counter where she told the check out girl,
"Nothing but the best for my little kitten."
The girl at the cash register said, "I'm sorry, but we cannot sell you cat food without proof that you have a cat. A lot of old people buy cat food to eat, and the management wants proof that you are buying the cat food for your cat."

The little old lady went home, picked up her cat and brought it back to the store. They sold her the cat food. The next day, the old lady went to the store and bought 12 of the most expensive dog cookies. The cashier this time demanded proof that she now had a dog, claiming that old people sometimes eat dog food.

Frustrated she went home, came back and brought in her dog. She was then given the dog cookies. The next day she brought in a box with a hole in the lid. The little old lady asked the cashier to stick her finger in the hole. The cashier said, "No, you might have a snake in there."
The little old lady assured her that there was nothing in the box that would bite her. So the cashier put her finger into the box and pulled it out and told the little old lady, "That smells like crap."
The little old lady grinned from ear to ear, "Now, my dear, can I please buy three rolls of toilet paper?"

Consultant

Once upon a time there was a shepherd looking after his sheep
on the side of a deserted road. Suddenly a brand new Porsche
screeches to a halt. The driver, a man dressed in an Armani
suit, Cerutti shoes, Ray-Ban sunglasses, TAG-Heuer wrist-watch,
and a Pierre Cardin tie, gets out and asks the shepherd: "If I
can tell you how many sheep you have, will you give me one of
them?"

The shepherd looks at the young man, and then looks at the
large flock of grazing sheep and replies: "Okay."

The young man parks the car, connects his laptop to the mobile-
fax, enters a NASA weather satellite, uploads the exact
location data using his GPS, opens a database and 60 Excel
tables filled with logarithms and pivot tables, then prints out
a 150-page report on his high-tech mini-printer. He turns to
the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1,586 sheep here."

The shepherd cheers, "That's correct, you can have your sheep."
The young man makes his pick and puts it in the back of his
Porsche.

The shepherd looks at him and asks: "If I guess your
profession, will you return my animal to me?"

The young man answers, "Yes, why not?"

The shepherd says, "You are a consultant."

"How did you know?" asks the young man.

"Very simple," answers the shepherd. "First, you came here
without being called. Second, you charged me a fee to tell me
something I already knew, and third, you don't understand
anything about my business... Now can I have my dog back?"

BOBBY RAY MURCER

A GREAT MAN

Date of Birth:20 May 1946, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA Date of Death:12 July 2008, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Bobby Ray Murcer was born May 20, 1946 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was the second of three children, all boys, born to Robert and Mae Belle Murcer. Robert owned a jewelry store. Bobby loved sports from the time he was a young boy. Although he was small, he was skilled enough to make the football, baseball, and basketball teams as a sophomore at Southeast High School. In his junior year, he made the all-district football team; at 145 pounds he was the second lightest player so honored.(1)

He also helped the Spartans to the conference championship in baseball, going three for three with a triple in the title game. (2) By the time he was a senior, he was probably the best high school athlete in the city, if not in all of Oklahoma. He made All-State in both football and baseball while he was All-City in basketball. Murcer was the leading scorer in the state in football and in the conference in basketball. While he was honored as a halfback, he also starred on the football team as a quarterback, linebacker, and punter. In baseball he mainly played shortstop while also pitching occasionally. He was a good enough running back to earn a football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma.

However, Bobby thought his future lay in baseball. As a sweet-swinging shortstop, he attracted the attention of many major league teams. Although the Dodgers offered him a much larger bonus, Bobby's favorite team was the New York Yankees. After the team brought him to Kansas City to work out with them for a day, he signed a contract with Yankees' scout Tom Greenwade for a $10,000 bonus in June 1964. He chose to invest most of it in his father's store, as well as his girlfriend's father's grocery. (3)

The Yankees assigned him to their Johnson City affiliate in the rookie level Appalachian League. Murcer adapted quickly to professional ball, with a .365 batting average to his credit by the beginning of August 1964. Unfortunately, he then suffered a knee injury that ended his season prematurely and led to his first trip to New York, to be checked by the Yankees' team doctor. This would prove to be his only serious injury, although he suffered from tendonitis in his right shoulder throughout his career. The knee healed in time to allow Murcer to play in the Florida Instructional League in September. His play that first year was impressive enough to earn him recognition on the post-season Appalachian League All-Star team at shortstop and to have the Yankees add him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the first year player draft. He returned to Oklahoma City over the winter and worked in his father's store, as he would do for several more years.

In 1965, Murcer attended spring training with the Yankees before they optioned him to Greensboro, in the Carolina League. There he continued to thrive (.322, 16 home runs), being voted the league's Most Valuable player and Topps Player of the Year, and was also on the Topps Class A (East) All-Star team. At the end of the 1965 season, the Yankees recalled him, and he got into eleven games for the club in September. His first Major League hit, in his second game, was a game-winning home run. He also played on Mickey Mantle Day on September 18 at Yankee Stadium. Mantle was his boyhood idol, and he would later describe playing alongside Mantle in that game as the greatest thrill of his career. (4)

The Yankees' shortstop, Tony Kubek, retired after the 1965 season, and the 19-year-old Murcer was a candidate to replace him. Ralph Houk, Yankees' general manager, called Murcer "one of the finest young players I've ever seen." (5) Bobby was making fans off the field, too, with his personality. One writer called him "instantly likeable" and predicted he would become one of the most popular Yankees "because his charm is irresistible." (6) Although the Yankees obtained veteran infielder Ruben Amaro to compete for the shortstop job, Murcer played well enough early in spring training to become the front runner. However, he slumped once it looked like he had the job locked up, and manager Johnny Keane decided to split the position between Murcer and Amaro. That plan had to be scrapped almost as soon as the season started, as Amaro suffered a severe knee injury and was unable to play again until September.

Since the Yankees didn't believe Murcer was ready to play full-time for them, they moved third baseman Clete Boyer to shortstop, with Tom Tresh taking Boyer's spot at third base. After three weeks of mostly sitting on the bench, Murcer was optioned to Toledo of the International League, where he could play every day. He had another good season, playing in the All-Star game and hitting four consecutive home runs in a double header.

At 160 pounds, he wasn't really considered a slugger, but more a good line drive hitter. Murcer hit out of an extremely closed left-handed stance then, which he later abandoned for a less extreme stance and a slight crouch. He was recalled by the Yankees in September, and got into twenty games with them. He hit poorly in the American League, but the Yankees weren't worried about his bat. Murcer himself said that once he saw Major League pitching for a few games, he knew he could hit it. His fielding was another story. Although he had shown rapid improvement, raising his fielding average in two years from .775 to .939, his defense was clearly behind his offense. His Triple-A manager, Loren Babe, said that while Bobby had "excellent range and a good arm," he had problems on balls hit to his right and on charging grounders. Murcer himself felt his errors were a result of "stupid mistakes and relying too much on my arm." (7)

During the off-season, Bobby married his high-school sweetheart, 18-year-old Diana Kay Rhodes (known as Kay). He would later tell a story that his father told him to pick out any wedding rings in his store. After Bobby chose the most expensive rings in the inventory, his father surprised him by presenting him with a bill. His reasoning was that if Bobby was ready for marriage, he could pay for the ring. (8)

Murcer also attended Central Oklahoma State College, majoring in physical education. He went to Florida a week early in 1967 to take part in a golf tournament, and to get an early start on spring training. He expected to win the Yankees' shortstop job, but fate threw him a curve. On the day he reported to the Yankees' camp in Fort Lauderdale, Kay called to tell him that he had received his draft notice from the army. Bobby spent most of the next two years in the military, serving in the radio corps at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Kay was pregnant when he was drafted, and gave birth in the fall to their daughter Tori Keleighn Murcer.

Bobby had little opportunity to play baseball while in the army, but it did not seem to hurt him. While on leave in 1968, he played seven games in the fall Instructional League and slugged 1.000, before a wrist injury put him on the shelf. He played a couple of those games at third base, and after his discharge from the army, played third for Caguas in the Puerto Rico League. There he continued hitting, driving in eighteen runs in twenty-two games.

While Murcer was in the service, the Yankees regularly discussed moving him to another position. In the spring of 1969 they had him compete for the third base job with incumbent Bobby Cox. Murcer had gained 15 pounds in the military, mostly muscle in his upper body. He won the starting spot with a great spring, and headed into opening day wearing uniform number one, using what had been Mickey Mantle's locker (Mantle had retired that spring), and hitting third in the Yankees' lineup.

This would seem to be a lot of pressure to place on a twenty-two-year-old going into his first full Major League season, but if Murcer felt it, he didn't show that he did. He got off to a great start, hitting 5 homers and driving in 17 runs in the Yankees first nine games. Initially, his fielding was good, too, but after a few weeks, he suffered a jammed right thumb. It didn't affect his hitting, but he started making throwing errors.

On May 12, in Seattle, Murcer got into a fight with Pilots shortstop Ray Oyler, and both were ejected along with Houk, now the Yankees' manager. Tom Greenwade, the scout who had signed Murcer, said that Bobby had a bad temper in high school. (9) However, being in the army had matured him, and this was to be the only ejection of his big league career. (10) While they were in the clubhouse, Houk instructed Murcer to practice in right field before the next game and that if he felt comfortable there, it would be his new position. He did and it was.

Murcer continued his hitting, leading the major leagues in RBIs through Memorial Day. However, on that day he hurt his ankle running the bases, and had to sit out a few days. When he returned to the lineup, his timing was off, and he started chasing bad pitches. His hot bat turned ice cold through the next two months. He hit only two home runs with a .200 batting average during the months of June and July. On August 5, in a game he didn't start, he socked a game-winning three-run homer, and thereafter he refound his stroke. Over August and September, he slugged .530. He also fulfilled Arthur Daley's prediction, being voted Most Popular Yankee by the Catholic Youth Organization.

On defense, Murcer struggled initially after moving to right field (in his first game, he bobbled the only ball hit near him) but he improved enough by late August to start playing center field part time. After September 10, all of his starts were in a center. By the following year, he had learned the position well enough to lead the league in assists with fifteen (the first of four such titles) while only committing three errors.

The Yankees had a somewhat disappointing year in 1969, declining three wins from 1968 to 80, and Murcer's final numbers (.259, with 26 home runs and 82 RBIs) weren't what he was hoping for after his hot start, but he had established himself as a regular. He followed that with a busy off-season. For the only time in his career, he spent the winter in the New York City area, except for a few days in Miami serving as a baseball instructor at a country club (which he would return to several times) and an appearance on a World Series review telecast on an Oklahoma City station. He started training to become a stockbroker, but didn't like it, and instead took a job in the Yankees' public relations department. Also, Kay gave birth to a son, Bobby Todd Murcer (who goes by Todd.)

Bobby felt confident enough in his position to hold out for three days in the spring of 1970, before signing for an estimated $27,500. (11) This season would be a much better one for the Yankees, as they improved to 93 wins, although they still finished fifteen games behind the Baltimore Orioles. Murcer's hitting was hot and cold again, though, and his final figures (.251, with 23 home runs and 78 RBIs) were close to what he had produced in 1969, except that he increased his walks from 50 to 87. He was never hotter, though, than he was on June 24, when he tied a Major League record by hitting four consecutive home runs. He did it in a doubleheader against Cleveland, hitting a homer in the ninth inning of game one off Sam McDowell and then three in game two off two Indians' hurlers.

After the 1970 season ended, Murcer headed home to Oklahoma City, where he bought a part interest in a bookkeeping services business. He also made an appearance on the variety show Hee Haw, along with Mickey Mantle. Mostly what he did, though, was think. He was unsatisfied with his hitting, believing that he should be able to maintain a .300 batting average. To do that, he decided to stop trying to hit home runs, since he was never going to be a big slugger, and hit the ball where it was pitched instead. He also adopted a bat that was one ounce heavier than he had used before. In addition, Mickey Mantle worked with him the next spring to improve his bunting.

His new approach was an immediate success, as he led the Yankees in hits and RBIs in spring training. He said he was pleased with the number of hits he got to left and center fields. His hot hitting continued once the regular season began. After batting fourth the first two months, the Yankees switched him to the third spot to prevent opposing teams from pitching around him. Murcer was intentionally walked ten times in thirty-seven games hitting cleanup. With his new approach, he reduced his strikeouts by more than 40 percent, while walking more often, and he continued to hit for power. By the end of June, he had a .453 on base average and a .579 slugging average. In a poll of his peers, he was chosen for The Sporting News' mid-year All-Star team. Fan voting for the All-Star game had him fourth among AL outfielders, but an injury to Tony Oliva allowed Murcer to start the game in center.

He cooled off somewhat in the second half, but remained among the league's leading hitters. In September, he was briefly hospitalized with some small kidney stones, and soon after he returned to action he pulled a muscle and missed another week. These injuries didn't keep him from putting on a late season charge, and he ended up hitting .331 with 25 home runs and 94 RBI, while leading the league in on base average (.427) and OPS (.969). Despite his hitting, the Yankees struggled around .500 all season, ending with an 82-80 record. Murcer made the post-season TSN All-Star team as the AL's center fielder and was second in Player of the Year voting. Ted Williams called him the best young player in the league. (12)

After the season ended, he again returned to Oklahoma City, where he now owned a household chemical distribution company, and spent his spare time playing handball and golf, and lifting weights to keep in shape. Despite all the exercise, he reported to 1972 training camp five pounds overweight. Bobby was happy with that; he thought it would keep him from getting tired late in the season. The Yankees weren't as happy, especially when he struggled in exhibition games. Just as he started to hit, the players went out on strike. Bobby stayed in Florida and continued to work out, but once the season got under way, about a week late, he wasn't at the top of his game.
In May 1972 he only drove in two runs. He turned things around in June, but by mid-season, his numbers weren't close to the previous year, though the fans still voted him a starter for the All-Star game. Like Murcer, the Yankees started out the season slowly, but they caught fire at the end of June, and by August they were only two games out of first place. This was the first pennant race of Murcer's big league career, and he responded as the Yankees hoped he would, scoring and driving in twenty-seven runs in August. The team closed to within a half-game of first on September 12 before collapsing, going 5-12 to finish six and a half games out. Murcer ended up hitting a career-high 33 home runs and 96 RBI, while hitting .292 and leading the league with 102 runs scored. He also won the only Gold Glove of his career, being named one of three outfielders on the Rawlings All-Star Fielding team.

The 1973 season started poorly for Murcer. While in Puerto Rico to take part in the American Airlines Golf Classic, as he had the past two years, he tripped over his luggage and broke his right hand. He was in a cast for four weeks, and missed the beginning of spring training. The injury didn't hurt him in his salary negotiations. Murcer had made an estimated $70,000 in 1972, and now felt he was ready to join the $100,000 class. The Yankees didn't put up much of a fight, and Murcer became, at 26, the second youngest player to receive a six-figure salary. The only two Yankees before him to earn as much were also center fielders, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.

Being in the salary class of DiMaggio and Mantle must have seemed natural to Murcer. He was constantly being compared his two predecessors at his position. Those comparisons generally didn't bother him; he took them as a compliment. However, he naturally preferred to be recognized for what he had accomplished, and once said of his forerunners, "I just get tired of hearing about them. When a record gets warped, you have to throw it away." (13) The comparisons to Mantle seemed particularly apt, since both players were from Oklahoma, both were signed by Greenwade, and both had started as shortstops before moving to center field. Murcer didn't always fare second best in these comparisons, either. In his first four full years, he had hit more home runs than Mantle had. (Another way Murcer exceeded Mantle was on the golf course, where Bobby would consistently beat Mickey.)

His slugging continued in the first half of the 1973 season. After the second three-homer game of his career, July 13 against Kansas City, Murcer was tied for third in the AL with 19 home runs. Then, his power mysteriously vanished. He hit only 25 more homers the rest of the season and the next two. Also, his walks declined to fifty in 1973, down from ninety-one two years earlier.

Overall, Murcer had another good season, hitting .304 with 22 home runs and 95 RBIs, starting in his third straight All-Star game, and making The Sporting News' post-season All-Star team. He just missed winning another Gold Glove, finishing fourth among AL outfielders in the voting. The Yankees' season somewhat paralleled their star centerfielder's. The club surged in June, and was in first place as late as July 31. However, with Murcer's power slump, the team could manage only a 20-34 record the last two months.

Murcer had a running feud with Gaylord Perry, the AL Cy Young Award winner in 1972. Perry had held Murcer to 2 hits in 20 at bats that year, mainly (Bobby thought) by throwing a greaseball. Murcer had some fun with Gaylord; he once caught a fly for the last out of an inning and spit on the ball before tossing it to Perry. Another time he sent Perry a gallon of lard. Perry retaliated by having a mutual acquaintance cover his hand with grease before shaking hands with Murcer and saying "Gaylord says hello." Despite having better success with Perry in 1973 (nine hits in twenty-four at bats), Murcer's complaints about the greaseball got him into trouble in late June when he commented that neither AL President Joe Cronin nor Commissioner Bowie Kuhn had the guts to stop Perry from throwing the pitch. Kuhn then proved Murcer correct by fining Bobby for telling the truth while doing nothing to stop Perry from throwing his illegal pitch.

1974 would be a year of many changes for Bobby Murcer, who at $120,000 was now the highest-paid player in Yankee history. He became the Yankees' player representative in mid-May. Ralph Houk, his manager since late 1966, resigned, and Bill Virdon was hired to replace him. Bobby didn't get along with Virdon, who Murcer felt didn't treat him with the respect he'd earned as the team's star player. (14) Virdon's style was much colder than Houk's, who constantly puffed up his players.

Yankee Stadium began a two-year renovation, forcing the Yankees to play their home games in Shea Stadium for the 1974 and 1975 seasons. Bobby didn't find the new arena to his liking; the right field fence was thirty to forty feet deeper than the one at Yankee Stadium, and poor drainage in the outfield left him playing with wet feet much of the time. His power outage of late 1973 continued all season; he didn't homer at Shea until September 21. Other than homers, though, he hit even worse on the road. He may have been letting his unhappiness affect his play. Certainly he was capable of hitting home runs at Shea; he hit four in ninety-seven at bats as a visiting player there.

Virdon, who had been an excellent defensive center fielder as a player, felt that newcomer Elliot Maddox was a better fielder than Murcer, and on May 28 moved Bobby to right field and installed Maddox as the regular center fielder. The switch seemed to help the Yankees, as Murcer excelled in right field, where he threw out twelve baserunners in his first fifty-two games.

As they had the two previous years, the Yankees contended for first place. This time, however, they didn't fade at the end of the season. Murcer did his best to help the team win. On September 20, he tripled off nemesis Gaylord Perry to win the first game of a doubleheader, and the Yankees ended the day tied for first. His first Shea Stadium homer the next day tied the game as the Yankees came back from a seven to two deficit to win. Another round-tripper on the 22nd was the game winner and kept the Yankees one game ahead. If it hadn't been for a great surge by the Baltimore Orioles, who won 28 of their last 34 games, the Yankees would have won the division title. After the close of play on September 29, with two games remaining, the Yankees were only a half game out of first. However, Murcer tried to break up a fight between backup catchers Rick Dempsey and Bill Sudakis and got a broken finger in the scuffle. He had to sit out the remaining games, which the Yankees split while the red-hot Orioles continued to win, and the Yankees finished two games out. Murcer ended the season hitting .298 with just 10 home runs but 88 RBI.

The biggest change of the year came a few weeks later. Although Murcer had been assured by principal owner George Steinbrenner that he would be a Yankee as long as Steinbrenner owned the club, and was told by team president Gabe Paul a few days earlier that he wouldn't be traded, Bobby awoke on October 22 to find himself a member of the San Francisco Giants. The Yankees had traded his contract for that of Bobby Bonds, in the first ever exchange of $100,000 players.

The trade devastated Murcer. Since he was a boy, he'd wanted to be a Yankee. He'd achieved that dream, become the star of the team, and now he had to start all over, in a new league, clear across the country. From a pennant contender, he'd been sent to a team with a 72-90 record. His wife said later that he must have felt as though he'd been divorced. (15)

The Murcers found a house in Lafayette, northeast of Oakland, away from the cold winds that plagued Candlestick Park, where the Giants had their home games. Murcer hated playing there, and requested a trade as early as the summer of 1975. He called it the "worst place I've ever seen. It's summertime everywhere around the United States but here . . . I'm just glad I don't have to pay to get in." (16) Once he tried keeping his bats in the clubhouse sauna until it was time to hit; the experiment failed when the pine tar on the handle melted. Despite his dislike of the place, Murcer hit well at Candlestick, with a career on base average there of .400. He won the National League Player of the Week award twice in a three-week stretch in late May and early June and was named to his fifth straight All-Star team.

Although he may not have been comfortable on the field, he made himself comfortable in the clubhouse, sitting in the rocking chair that had followed him from New York. Bobby became notorious for his use of a rocking chair. He had five more at home, and would take a nap in one after day games. The one in the clubhouse was rather short because the day after his first Shea homer back in 1974, teammate Sparky Lyle had sawed through the legs. Lyle reset the rocker so that Bobby couldn't see it had been damaged, and everyone got a good laugh when he fell to the floor. The clubhouse staff was able to repair the chair, and it followed Bobby the rest of his career. The chair fit his easy-going attitude in the clubhouse, but it may have harmed his reputation, as some people thought he was too relaxed while playing, or that he didn't work hard enough. During his years in San Francisco, there may have been some truth to this since he was so unhappy. Murcer even said that he felt that he was just visiting the National League teams he played on; he'd always be a Yankee in his heart. (17) The fact that the Yankees started winning pennants without him made him feel even worse, especially since the Giants were under .500 in each of his two seasons with the club.

Murcer's request for a trade was finally honored on February 11, 1977, when he was sent to the Cubs in a multi-player deal that brought Bill Madlock to the Giants. The Cubs didn't want to pay Madlock up to $200,000 per year over several years, but Murcer was crafty enough to realize that he had the Cubs over a barrel. They couldn't afford not to sign him after trading Madlock's contract for his, so Bobby negotiated his first multi-year deal, calling for $1,600,000 over five season. The pact made him the highest paid Cub player in history. He used some of the money to drill for oil and gas in Oklahoma City.

Even better, Murcer's power stroke, which had returned in June 1976, came with him from San Francisco. With his help, the Cubs, who were 75-87 in 1976, had a great first half and led the league by seven and a half games by June 30. They were in first place for two months until August 6, but faded badly to finish at 81-81. Murcer was among the RBI leaders most of the season, but a poor September left him with disappointing final numbers (27 home runs, 89 RBI and a .265 batting average, all enhanced by playing in hitter-friendly Wrigley Field).

Despite his late fade, he was generally well regarded by the fans and the press. Bill Rigney, who managed Giants in 1976, said Murcer "gripes and moans, especially when he's in a slump," but he always hustles and has good baseball sense. (18) Writers often referred to him as a real professional, someone who did everything well, even if he didn't excel in any one area or have the best natural ability. In his first year with the Giants, he set a San Francisco Giants record with twelve sacrifice flies. In 1976, he had pushed a bunt past a charging Cubs third baseman for a double which helped turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory. On September 7, 1977, he alertly scored when home was left uncovered during a rundown.

That same 1977 season, he inadvertently became involved in a controversy even while he did a good deed. He spoke to a young, sick fan on the telephone before a game, and then hit two home runs that night. Keith Jackson, announcing the game for ABC-TV, reported that Murcer had promised a boy dying of cancer that he would try to hit a home run for him. However, the boy hadn't known he was dying until that moment. The child passed away two weeks later.

The next year began auspiciously for Bobby, as he won the American Airlines Golf Classic, teaming with football player Bob Tucker. However, things didn't go so well on the baseball field, as he slumped the first three months. His hitting picked up in mid-season, as his return to a closed stance propelled him to a .317 batting average for the final three months. His home run power disappeared again, and he hit only nine all season. The Cubs teased their fans once more with a pennant run; they were only two and a half games out of first on August 27, but they again collapsed to finish at 79 and 83. Murcer as usual returned to Oklahoma City for the winter, where he opened a chain of jewelry stores.

In 1979, he came under increasing criticism due to his lackluster play. Many people felt the only reason he was still playing regularly was his large contract. Cubs' general manager Bob Kennedy had called Murcer's fielding minor league quality in 1978, and when he missed a couple of routine fly balls in a spring training game, things got worse. In response, his teammates showed their support by voting Murcer team captain. This was an odd position for Murcer, who had always denied an interest in being a team leader, believing he didn't have the right personality to take on such a responsibility. He tried to do a good job, instituting a "kangaroo court" in the clubhouse, fining players for minor infractions. In May, he was able to get the fans back on his side with a hot streak at bat, but when that ended, trade rumors swirled. Talks with San Diego and Los Angeles came to nothing. Murcer had a no-trade clause in his contract, so his approval was needed before he could be sent to another club. Finally, on the morning of June 26, Kennedy said the Yankees were interested in obtaining him, and wanted to know if Murcer would okay a deal. Bobby quickly said that he would, and a few hours later a trade for a minor league pitcher and a little cash made him a Yankee again. After telling reporters he felt like he was going home and had never been happier, he flew to Toronto and was in the starting lineup that same night.

His improved state of mind didn't do anything for his hitting, however. He played fairly regularly for the Yankees, but by August 1, his slugging average was only .250. His fielding in center field also left a lot to be desired. There were fears that he was washed up. That day, the Yankees wrapped up a series in Chicago. Bobby stayed at the suburban home he was still renting with his close friends Lou Piniella and Thurman Munson. The next day the Yankees were off, and Munson returned home to Canton, Ohio, where he tragically died when he crashed his new jet plane while practicing takeoffs and landings.

Bobby and Kay flew to Canton, and spent the night comforting Thurman's widow, Diane, and their children. Four days later, Bobby returned there for the funeral, and delivered one of the eulogies. He and his teammates went back to New York for a game that evening, and although he was tired, Bobby insisted on playing. With the Yankees trailing 4-0 in the seventh, Murcer hit a three-run homer, then came to bat in the ninth with runners on second and third and singled down the left field line for a 5-4 victory. It was his first home run since returning to the Yankees. Bobby put the bat he used in that game aside, and later gave it to Diane Munson. (19) The game seemed to serve as a catalyst for Murcer, who slugged over .500 from that day through the end of the season.

His hot hitting should have put him in a good position with the team heading into the 1980 season. However, he had to compete for playing time with several other left handed hitting outfielders such as Reggie Jackson, Oscar Gamble, and Ruppert Jones, the team's new center fielder. In the first twenty-six games, he had only ten plate appearances. He spent more time complaining than he did playing. Bobby felt that he could still be a productive player, and feared that his career would come to an end without him having a chance to show what he could do. (20) He went around in such a funk that his teammates took to calling him "Black Cloud." (His previous nickname, dating back to 1969, was "Lemon," due to the shape of his head.)

He finally got a chance to play regularly against right-handed pitchers in late May, and from then until the end of July he drove in thirty-three runs in 122 at bats. This hot streak was sadly interrupted in June, when his father passed away. Bobby continued to hit fairly well the last two months, but in subsequent years his playing time steadily decreased. After the 1980 season, he went to the Florida Instructional League to learn to play first base, but he would never play there or or any other position in a regular season game the rest of his career. Following that, he traveled to Japan with an American League "All-Star" team. When he returned to the states, he ran a baseball school.

In 1981, it didn't look like the Yankees would have a spot for Murcer on their team, but an injury to Reggie Jackson at the end of spring training saved his job. Bobby hit a pinch-hit grand slam home run on opening day in the Bronx, and received a huge ovation from the crowd. He stayed with the team the rest of the year, except of course that he went out on strike with the other players for two months. When the 1981 season ended, so did the big five-year contract he had signed with the Cubs.

He went back to Oklahoma, where he served as chairman of the board of an oil company, and waited to see if any team was interested in his services. He wasn't picked in the free agent re-entry draft, but he had contract talks with Milwaukee, Texas, and a Japanese team. However, Bobby really wasn't interested in changing teams, and accepted an offer to come to spring training with the Yankees without a contract. Reggie Jackson was gone now, and the team needed some left-handed power. Late in the spring, he was invited to the "Welcome Home Yankees" dinner. Bobby said "I think it's a good sign that I officially got invited to the dinner, but they haven't told me yet whether I'll be sitting on the dais or waiting on tables." (21) It turned out to be the former, as he signed a three-year, $1,125,000 contract with the Yankees. Some of the money he invested in race horses.

In 1982, Murcer continued to hit well off the bench, but only received 141 at bats, just five in the last two months. The following year, he once again had to worry about a roster spot. The Yankees put him on their AAA Columbus farm team's roster over the winter, bringing him to spring training as a non-roster player. He quickly won a job by hitting safely in his first seven at bats in exhibition games. However, once the regular season started, he found himself in his familiar spot on the bench, occasionally pinch-hitting.

He found some time that spring to record two country songs, "Skoal Dipping Man" and "Bad Whiskey", which were written for him by an acquaintance. The record was produced by Phil Ramone, and the Hudson Brothers sang backup. (22) Released by Columbia Records, it had some success, and Bobby even got to sing with Willie Nelson in a concert. However, he didn't come near to the success enjoyed by his uncle (by marriage) Johnny Bond, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. (23)

Soon after the record was released, George Steinbrenner told Bobby that the Yankees needed his roster spot so that they could recall Don Mattingly. Murcer was just 4-22 in limited playing time that season. His playing career was now over. Steinbrenner offered Bobby a spot in the television broadcast booth, and Bobby accepted. He started that night on WPIX. He would continue with the station through the 1984 season. On August 7, 1983, the Yankees honored him with a "Bobby Murcer Day" at Yankee Stadium.

When he was fired from his television job, the Yankees hired him as an assistant vice president for 1985. One of his first responsibilities was supervising new Yankee Rickey Henderson's injury rehabilitation in Fort Lauderdale after the team went north. While watching Henderson take batting practice, Murcer decided to take some too, and was swinging the bat well enough to contemplate a comeback. The Yankees allowed him to play four games for their Class A Fort Lauderdale affiliate, but a sore shoulder quickly ended any more thoughts of playing. Working in the front office for Steinbrenner didn't suit Bobby, and the next year he was rehired as a broadcaster, working both on tv and radio.

In 1987, he was only part of the television crew as the season opened, and at the end of May found himself in uniform again, this time serving as a hitting coach for the Yankees. Oddly, since they were over the limit on coaches, during games Bobby had to wear "civilian" clothes and watch the games from the press box. Odder still, he only coached left-handed hitters, with full-time coach Jay Ward continuing to work with the right-handers. This arrangement lasted the rest of the season, and then Bobby returned to broadcasting. Except for 1990, he has been doing that ever since. He even passed up a coaching job with the Seattle Mariners when Lou Piniella managed them because he wanted to stay with the Yankees.

He has also continued his business career. In 1989, he purchased a part-interest in the Oklahoma City 89ers, a Triple-A team, and served as club president for several years. He started a telecommunications company in 1993. Along the way, he has found plenty of time to devote to his favorite recreation, golf, even joining two celebrity golf tours. In 1988, he took up running and entered the New York City Marathon. Although it took him more than five hours, he managed to finish the race. (24) Even with all these other activities, Bobby has been able to donate much of his time and effort to helping others. He headed a campaign to promote eye protection equipment for kids playing baseball. For charity, he has taken part in such activities as conducting the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra and a celebrity rodeo. He started a company to make baseball cards that charities could use to raise funds. Along with Kay, he has hosted parties to introduce the work of local artists to the community.

Two causes have been particularly dear to him. He serves as the chairman of the board of the Baseball Assistance Team, which grants money to former players and other baseball figures who are in need. In this capacity, he visits Major League teams during spring training, explaining the mission of the charity and soliciting funds. Bobby has called this work "probably the most important thing I've done in my professional life." (25)

The other important calling he has found has been his fight against cancer. In 1989, his older brother DeWayne died of lung cancer at forty-seven, and in 1995 his mother also succumbed to the effects of the disease. Both deaths were related to smoking. Bobby himself started smoking at the age of fourteen, later switching to smokeless tobacco, and appeared in ads for Skoal brand tobacco. To try to keep others from making the same mistakes, Bobby helped push through the Oklahoma legislature the Bobby Murcer Tobacco Addiction Prevention Bill, which increased fines for anyone selling tobacco products to minors. (26) In 1990 he began an annual golf tournament which has raised more than $1,000,000. (27) Much of the proceeds has been given to the American Cancer Society; some have been used to help fund an endowed chair for pediatric cancer research at the University of Oklahoma. For his good works, he has received several citizenship awards, and has also been honored by being inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In late 2006, his battle against cancer became even more personal, as he had a malignant tumor removed from his brain. Through summer 2007, he continued to receive treatment, and reported that he was doing well. He credited the prayers and well wishes of his many fans with helping him through this difficult period.

Bobby Murcer has led a good life. He realized his childhood dream of playing for the Yankees, and even became one of the top players in the game. His wife noted that he was never single-minded in his pursuit of baseball fame, which suited her. She said, "If Bobby had pursued his career with the vengeance that some of them do ... our marriage probably wouldn't have lasted. I'm happy for the success he had because he got it and still remained a good father and husband." (28) Even more, in 2003, he became a grandfather, as his daughter gave birth to a girl, Sophie. And he has been a good citizen, trying to help others less fortunate than he.

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

One the greatest and unhappiest of American poets, a master of the horror tale, and the patron saint of the detective story. Edgar Allan Poe first gained critical acclaim in France and England. His reputation in America was relatively slight until the French-influenced writers like Ambroce Bierce, Robert W. Chambers, and representatives of the Lovecraft school created interest in his work.

"The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends and where the other begins?" (from The Premature Burial, 1844)
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents who were itinerant actors. His father David Poe Jr. died probably in 1810. Elizabeth Hopkins Poe died in 1811, leaving three children. Edgar was taken into the home of a Richmond merchant John Allan. The remaining children were cared for by others. Poe's brother William died young and sister Rosalie become later insane. At the age of five Poe could recite passages of English poetry. Later one of his teachers in Richmond said: "While the other boys wrote mere mechanical verses, Poe wrote genuine poetry; the boy was a born poet."

Poe was brought up partly in England (1815-20), where he attended Manor School at Stoke Newington. Later it become the setting for his story 'William Wilson'. Never legally adopted, Poe took Allan's name for his middle name. Poe attended the University of Virginia (1826-27), but was expelled for not paying his gambling debts. This led to quarrel with Allan, who refused to pay the debts. Allan later disowned him. In 1826 Poe became engaged to Elmira Royster, but her parents broke off the engagement. During his stay at the university, Poe composed some tales, but little is known of his apprentice works. In 1827 Poe joined the U.S. Army as a common soldier under assumed name, Edgar A. Perry. He was sent to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, which provided settings for 'The Gold Bug' (1843) and 'The Balloon Hoax' (1844). Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), which Poe published at his own expense, sold poorly. It has become one of the rarest volumes in American literary history. In 1830 Poe entered West Point. He was dishonorably discharged next year, for intentional neglect of his duties – apparently as a result of his own determination to be released.

In 1833 Poe lived in Baltimore with his father's sister Mrs. Maria Clemm. After winning a prize of $50 for the short story 'MS Found in a Bottle,' he started career as a staff member of various magazines, among others the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond (1835-37), Burton's Gentleman's Magazine in Philadelphia (1839-40), and Graham's Magazine (1842-43). During these years he wrote some of his best-known stories. Southern Literary Messenger he had to leave partly due to his alcoholism.

In 1836 Poe married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm. She bust a blood vessel in 1842, and remained a virtual invalid until her death from tuberculosis five years later. When the cemetary where she was buried was destroyed, William Fearing Gill, one of Poe's earliest biographers, rescued her remains and stored them in New York in a box under his bed. Her remains were reburied in 1885.

After the death of his wife, Poe began to lose his struggle with drinking and drugs. He had several romances, including an affair with the poet Sarah Helen Whitman, who said: "His proud reserve, his profound melancholy, his unworldliness – may we not say his unearthliness of nature – made his character one very difficult of comprehension to the casual observer." In 1849 Poe become again engaged to Elmira Royster, who was at that time Mrs. Shelton. To Virginia he addressed the famous poem 'Annabel Lee' (1849) – its subject, Poe's favorite, is the death of a beautiful woman.

...
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-time, I lie down by the side
Of my darling - my darling - my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
(from 'Annabel Lee', 1849)

Poe's first collection, Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, appeared in 1840. It contained one of his most famous work, 'The Fall of the House of Usher.' In the story the narrator visits the crumbling mansion of his friend, Roderick Usher, and tries to dispel Roderick's gloom. Although his twin sister, Madeline, has been placed in the family vault dead, Roderick is convinced she lives. Madeline arises in trance, and carries her brother to death. The house itself splits asunder and sinks into the tarn. The tale has inspired several film adaptations. Roger Corman's version from 1960, starring Mark Damon, Harry Ellerbe, Myrna Fahey, and Vincent Price, was the first of the director's Poe movies. The Raven (1963) collected old stars of the horror genre, Vincent Price, Peter, Lorre, and Boris Karloff. According to the director, Price and Lorre "drove Boris a little crazy" – the actor was not used to improvised dialogue. Corman filmed the picture in fifteen days, using revamped portions of his previous Poe sets.

In Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (1838), Poe's longest tale, the secret theme is the terror of whiteness. Poe invented tribes that live near the Antarctic Circle. The strange bestial humans are black, even down to their teeth. They have been exposed to the terrible visitations of men and white storms. These are mixed together, and they slaughter the crew of Pym's vessel. The Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges has assumed that Poe chose the color intuitively, or for the same reasons as in Melville explained in the chapter 'The Whiteness of the Whale' in his Moby-Dick. Later the 'lost world' idea was developed by Edgar Rice Burroughs in The Land That Time Forgot (1924) and other works.

During the early 1840s, Poe's best-selling work was curiously The Conchologist's First Book (1839). It was based on Thomas Wyatt's work, which sold poorly because of its high prize. Wyatt was Poe's friend and asked him to abridge the book and put his own name on its title page – the publisher had strongly opposed any idea of producing a cheaper edition. The Conchologist's First Book was a success. Its first edition was sold out in two months and other editions followed.

The dark poem of lost love, 'The Raven,' brought Poe national fame, when it appeared in 1845. "With me poetry has been not a purpose, but a passion; and the passions should be held in reverence: they must not – they cannot at will be excited, with an eye to the paltry compensations, or the more paltry commendations, of mankind." (from The Raven and Other Poems, preface, 1845) In a lecture in Boston the author said that the two most effective letters in the English language were o and r – this inspired the expression "nevermore" in 'The Raven', and because a parrot is unworthy of the dignity of poetry, a raven could well repeat the word at the end of each stanza. Lenore rhymed with "nevermore." The poems has inspired a number of artists. Perhaps the most renowed are Gustave Doré's (1832-1883) melancholic illustrations.

Poe suffered from bouts of depression and madness, and he attempted suicide in 1848. In September the following year he disappeared for three days after a drink at a birthday party and on his way to visit his new fiancée in Richmond, Virginia. On September 26 or 27, Poe left Richmond on his way to New York. He had asked his mother-in-law to send him a letter in Philadelphia addressed to the pseudonym E.S.T. Grey. Poe never reached New York. He was found in delirious condition at Ryan's inn and taverna in Baltimore. Poe died in a hospital on October 7, 1849. He was buried at the Westminster Presbyterian burial yard. Four mourners attended the funeral, conducted by Reverend William T.D. Clemm: Poe's relatives Neilson Poe and Henry Herring, his colleague Dr. Joseph Snodgrass, and his former classmate Z. Collins Lee.

Poe's work and his theory of "pure poetry" was early recognized especially in France, where he inspired Jules Verne, Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), Paul Valéry (1871-1945) and Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898). "In Edgar Poe," wrote Baudelaire, "there is no tiresome snivelling; but everywhere and at all times an indefatigable enthusiasm in seeking the ideal." In America Emerson called him "the jingle man." Poe's influence is seen in many other modern writers, as in Junichiro Tanizaki's early stories and Kobo Abe's novels, or more clearly in the development of the19th century detective novel. J.L. Borges, R.L. Stevenson, and a vast general readership, have been impressed by the stories which feature Poe's detective Dupin ('The Murders in the Rue Morgue', 1841; 'The Purloined Letter,' 1845) and the morbid metaphysical speculation of 'The Facts in the Case of M. Waldermar' (1845). Thomas M. Disch has argued in his The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of (1998) that it was actually Poe who was the originator of the modern science fiction. One of his tales, 'Mellonta Taunta' (1840) describes a future society, an anti-Utopia, in which Poe satirizes his own times. Another tales in this vein are 'The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Sceherazade' and 'A Descent into the Maelstrom'. However, Poe was not concerned with any specific scientific concept but mostly explored different realities, one of the central concerns of science fiction ever since.

In his supernatural fiction Poe usually dealt with paranoia rooted in personal psychology, physical or mental enfeeblement, obsessions, the damnation of death, feverish fantasies, the cosmos as source of horror and inspiration, without bothering himself with such supernatural beings as ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and so on. Some of his short stories are humorous, among them 'The Devil in the Belfry,' 'The Duc de l'Omelette,' 'Bon-Bon' and 'Never Bet the Devil Your Head,' all of which employ the Devil as an ironic figure of fun. – Poe was also one of the most prolific literary journalists in American history, one whose extensive body of reviews and criticism has yet to be collected fully. James Russell Lowell (1819-91) once wrote about Poe: "Three fifths of him genius and two fifths sheer fudge."

Helen Keller Biography

Helen Adams Keller was born a healthy child in Tuscumbia, Alabama, U.S. on June 27, 1880 in a white, frame cottage called "Ivy Green." On her father's side she was descended from Alexander Spottswood, a colonial governor of Virginia, who was connected with the Lees and other Southern families. On her mother's side, she was related to a number of prominent New England families, including the Hales, the Everetts, and the Adamses. Her father, Captain Arthur Keller, was the editor of a newspaper, the North Alabamian. Captain Keller also had a strong interest in public life and was an influential figure in his own community. In 1885, under the Cleveland administration, he was appointed Marshal of North Alabama.

The illness that struck the infant Helen Keller, and left her deaf and blind before she learned to speak, was diagnosed as brain fever at the time; perhaps it was scarlet fever. As Helen Keller grew from infancy into childhood she was wild and unruly, and had little real understanding of the world around her.

Helen Keller's new life began on a March day in 1887 when she was a few months short of seven years old. On that day, which Miss Keller was always to call "The most important day I can remember in my life," Anne Mansfield Sullivan came to Tuscumbia to be her teacher. Miss Sullivan, a 20-year-old graduate of the Perkins School for the Blind, who had regained useful sight through a series of operations, had come to the Kellers through the sympathetic interest of Alexander Graham Bell. From that fateful day, the two—teacher and pupil—were inseparable until the death of the former in 1936.

How Miss Sullivan turned the uncontrolled child into a responsible human being and succeeded in awakening and stimulating her marvelous mind is familiar to millions, most notably through William Gibson's play and film, The Miracle Worker, Miss Keller's autobiography of her early years, The Story of My Life, and Joseph Lash's Helen and Teacher.

Miss Sullivan began her task with a doll that the children at Perkins had made for her to take to Helen. By spelling "d-o-l-l" into the child's hand, she hoped to teach her to connect objects with letters. Helen quickly learned to form the letters correctly and in the correct order, but did not know she was spelling a word, or even that words existed. In the days that followed she learned to spell a great many more words in this uncomprehending way.

One day she and "Teacher"—as Helen always called her—went to the outdoor pump. Miss Sullivan started to draw water and put Helen's hand under the spout. As the cool water gushed over one hand, she spelled into the other hand the word "w-a-t-e-r" first slowly, then rapidly. Suddenly, the signals had meaning in Helen's mind. She knew that "water" meant the wonderful cool substance flowing over her hand. Quickly, she stopped and touched the earth and demanded its letter name and by nightfall she had learned 30 words.

Thus began Helen Keller's education. She proceeded quickly to master the alphabet, both manual and in raised print for blind readers, and gained facility in reading and writing. In 1890, when she was just 10, she expressed a desire to learn to speak. Somehow she had found out that a little deaf-blind girl in Norway had acquired that ability. Miss Sarah Fuller of the Horace Mann School was her first speech teacher.

Even when she was a little girl, Helen Keller said, "Someday I shall go to college." And go to college she did. In 1898 she entered the Cambridge School for Young Ladies to prepare for Radcliffe College. She entered Radcliffe in the fall of 1900 and received her bachelor of arts degree cum laude in 1904. Throughout these years and until her own death in 1936, Anne Sullivan was always by Helen's side, laboriously spelling book after book and lecture after lecture, into her pupil's hand.

Helen Keller's formal schooling ended when she received her B.A. degree, but throughout her life she continued to study and stay informed on all matters of importance to modern people. In recognition of her wide knowledge and many scholarly achievements, she received honorary doctoral degrees from Temple University and Harvard University and from the Universities of Glasgow, Scotland; Berlin, Germany; Delhi, India; and Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was also an Honorary Fellow of the Educational Institute of Scotland.

Anne Sullivan's marriage, in 1905, to John Macy, an eminent critic and prominent socialist, caused no change in the teacher-pupil relationship. Helen went to live with the Macys and both husband and wife unstintingly gave their time to help her with her studies and other activities.

While still a student at Radcliffe, Helen Keller began a writing career that was to continue on and off for 50 years. In 1903, The Story of My Life, which had first appeared in serial form in the Ladies Home Journal, appeared in book form. This was always to be the most popular of her works and today is available in more than 50 languages, including Marathi, Pushtu, Tagalog, and Vedu. It is also available in several paperback editions in the United States.

Miss Keller's other published works include Optimism, an essay; The World I Live In; The Song of the Stone Wall; Out of the Dark; My Religion; Midstream—My Later Life; Peace at Eventide; Helen Keller in Scotland; Helen Keller's Journal; Let Us Have Faith; Teacher, Anne Sullivan Macy; and The Open Door.

In addition, she was a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers, writing most frequently on blindness, deafness, socialism, social issues, and women's rights. She used a braille typewriter to prepare her manuscripts and then copied them on a regular typewriter.

During her lifetime, Helen Keller received awards of great distinction too numerous to recount fully here. An entire room, called the Helen Keller Archives at the American Foundation for the Blind in New York City, is devoted to their preservation. These awards include Brazil's Order of the Southern Cross; Japan's Sacred Treasure; the Philippines' Golden Heart; Lebanon's Gold Medal of Merit; and her own country's highest honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Most of these awards were bestowed on her in recognition of the stimulation her example and presence gave to work for the blind in those countries. In 1933 she was elected to membership in the National Institute of Arts and Letters. During the Louis Braille Centennial Commemoration in 1952, Miss Keller was made a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor at a ceremony in the Sorbonne.

On the 50th anniversary of her graduation, Radcliffe College granted her its Alumnae Achievement Award. Her Alma Mater also showed its pride in her by dedicating the Helen Keller Garden in her honor and by naming a fountain in the garden for Anne Sullivan Macy.

Miss Keller also received the Americas Award for Inter-American Unity, the Gold Medal Award from the National Institute of Social Sciences, the National Humanitarian Award from Variety Clubs International, and many others. She held honorary memberships in scientific societies and philanthropic organizations throughout the world.

Yet another honor came to Helen Keller in 1954 when her birthplace, "Ivy Green," in Tuscumbia, was made a permanent shrine. It was dedicated on May 7, 1954 with officials of the American Foundation for the Blind and many other agencies and organizations present. In conjunction with this event, the premiere of Miss Keller's film biography, "The Unconquered," produced by Nancy Hamilton and narrated by Katharine Cornell, was held in the nearby city of Birmingham. The film was later renamed "Helen Keller in Her Story" and in 1955 won an "Oscar"—the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award as the best feature-length documentary film of the year.

Miss Keller was indirectly responsible for two other "Oscars" a few years later when Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke won them for their portrayals of Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller in the film version of "The Miracle Worker."

More rewarding to her than the many honors she received were the acquaintances and friendships Helen Keller made with most of the leading personalities of her time. She met many world figures, from Grover Cleveland to Charlie Chaplin, Nehru, and John F. Kennedy. Among those she met, she counted many personal friends including Katharine Cornell, Van Wyck Brooks, Alexander Graham Bell, and Jo Davidson. Two friends from her early youth, Mark Twain and William James, expressed beautifully what most of her friends felt about her. Mark Twain said, "The two most interesting characters of the 19th century are Napoleon and Helen Keller." William James wrote, "But whatever you were or are, you're a blessing!"

As broad and wide ranging as her interests were, Helen Keller never lost sight of the needs of other blind and deaf-blind individuals. From her youth, she was always willing to help them by appearing before legislatures, giving lectures, writing articles, and above all, by her own example of what a severely disabled person could accomplish. When the American Foundation for the Blind, the national clearinghouse for information on blindness, was established in 1921, she at last had an effective national outlet for her efforts. From 1924 until her death she was a member of the Foundation staff, serving as counselor on national and international relations. It was also in 1924 that Miss Keller began her campaign to raise the "Helen Keller Endowment Fund" for the Foundation. Until her retirement from public life, she was tireless in her efforts to make the Fund adequate for the Foundation's needs.

Of all her contributions to the Foundation, Miss Keller was perhaps most proud of her assistance in the formation in 1946 of its special service for deaf-blind persons. She was, of course, deeply concerned for this group of people and was always searching for ways to help those "less fortunate than myself."

Helen Keller was as interested in the welfare of blind persons in other countries as she was for those in her own country; conditions in the underdeveloped and war-ravaged nations were of particular concern. Her active participation in this area of work for the blind began as early as 1915 when the Permanent Blind War Relief Fund, later called the American Braille Press, was founded. She was a member of its first board of directors.

When the American Braille Press became the American Foundation for Overseas Blind (now Helen Keller International) in 1946, Miss Keller was appointed counselor on international relations. It was then that she began the globe-circling tours on behalf of the blind for which she was so well known during her later years. During seven trips between 1946 and 1957 she visited 35 countries on five continents. In 1955, when she was 75 years old, she embarked on one of her longest and most grueling journeys, a 40,000-mile, five-month-long tour through Asia. Wherever she traveled, she brought encouragement to millions of blind people, and many of the efforts to improve conditions among blind people outside the U.S. can be traced directly to her visits.

During her lifetime, Helen Keller lived in many different places—Tuscumbia, Alabama; Cambridge and Wrentham, Massachusetts; Forest Hills, New York, but perhaps her favorite residence was her last, the house in Easton, Connecticut she called "Arcan Ridge." She moved to this white, frame house surrounded by mementos of her rich and busy life after her beloved "Teacher's" death in 1936. And it was Arcan Ridge she called home for the rest of her life. "Teacher's" death, although it left her with a heavy heart, did not leave Helen alone. Polly Thomson, a Scotswoman who joined the Keller household in 1914, assumed the task of assisting Helen with her work. After Miss Thomson's death in 1960, a devoted nurse-companion, Mrs. Winifred Corbally, assisted her until her last day.

Helen Keller made her last major public appearance in 1961 at a Washington, DC, Lions Clubs Meeting. At that meeting she received the Lions Humanitarian Award for her lifetime of service to humanity and for providing the inspiration for the adoption by Lions International of their sight conservation and aid to blind programs. During that visit to Washington, she also called on President Kennedy at the White House. After that White House visit, a reporter asked her how many of our presidents she had met. She replied that she did not know how many, but that she had met all of them since Grover Cleveland!

After 1961, Helen Keller lived quietly at Arcan Ridge. She saw her family, close friends, and associates from the American Foundation for the Blind and the American Foundation for Overseas Blind, and spent much time reading. Her favorite books were the Bible and volumes of poetry and philosophy.

Despite her retirement from public life, Helen Keller was not forgotten. In 1964 she received the previously mentioned Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1965, she was one of 20 elected to the Women's Hall of Fame at the New York World's Fair. Miss Keller and Eleanor Roosevelt received the most votes among the 100 nominees. Helen Keller is now honored in The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field.

Helen Keller died on June 1, 1968, at Arcan Ridge, a few weeks short of her 88th birthday. Her ashes were placed next to her beloved companions, Anne Sullivan Macy and Polly Thomson, in the St. Joseph's Chapel of Washington Cathedral. On that occasion a public memorial service was held in the Cathedral. It was attended by her family and friends, government officials, prominent persons from all walks of life, and delegations from most of the organizations for the blind and deaf.

In his eulogy, Senator Lister Hill of Alabama expressed the feelings of the whole world when he said of Helen Keller, "She will live on, one of the few, the immortal names not born to die. Her spirit will endure as long as man can read and stories can be told of the woman who showed the world there are no boundaries to courage and faith."

From The Associated Press: Dog Bumps Car Into Neutral, Causing Fender-bender

MIDDLETON, Wis. – Wisconsin police said a dog caused a fender-bender in a
parking lot when it knocked a parked car's gear shift into neutral.
Middleton police said the car's owner had stopped for lunch Thursday and
left his dog in the car.

Officer Jeff Winer said the dog somehow bumped the car into neutral. He said
the car rolled out of its parking spot and into a pickup truck across the
lot. Police said the damage to each vehicle could run in the thousands of
dollars.

Winer said it's the first time in his 27-year career he's seen a dog at
fault in a collision. He told WISC-TV when he first heard what happened he
thought it was an April Fools' joke.

On This Day April 2

1513 - Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sighted Florida. The next day he went ashore.

1792 - The U.S. Congress passed the Coinage Act to regulate the coins of the United States. The act authorized $10 Eagle, $5 half-Eagle & 2.50 quarter-Eagle gold coins & silver dollar, dollar, quarter, dime & half-dime to be minted.

1801 - During the Napoleonic Wars, the Danish fleet was destroyed by the British at the Battle of Copenhagen.

1860 - The first Italian Parliament met in Turin.

1865 - Confederate President Davis and most of his Cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, VA.

1872 - G.B. Brayton received a patent for the gas-powered streetcar.

1877 - The first Egg Roll was held on the grounds of the White House in Washington, DC.

1889 - Charles Hall patented aluminum.

1902 - The first motion picture theatre opened in Los Angeles with the name Electric Theatre.

1905 - The Simplon rail tunnel officially opened. The tunnel went under the Alps and linked Switzerland and Italy.

1910 - Karl Harris perfected the process for the artificial synthesis of rubber.

1914 - The U.S. Federal Reserve Board announced plans to divide the country into 12 districts.

1917 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson presented a declaration of war against Germany to the U.S. Congress.

1932 - A $50,000 ransom was paid for the infant son of Charles and Anna Lindbergh. He child was not returned and was found dead the next month.

1935 - Sir Watson-Watt was granted a patent for RADAR.

1944 - The Soviet Union announced that its troops had crossed the Prut River and entered Romania.

1947 - "The Big Story" debuted on NBC radio. It was on the air for eight years.

1947 - The U.N. Security Council voted to appoint the U.S. as trustee for former Japanese-held Pacific Islands.

1951 - U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower assumed command of all allied forces in the Western Mediterranean area and Europe.

1956 - "The Edge of Night" and "As the World Turns" debuted on CBS-TV.

1958 - The National Advisory Council on Aeronautics was renamed NASA.

1960 - France signed an agreement with Madagascar that proclaimed the country an independent state within the French community.

1963 - Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King began the first non-violent campaign in Birmingham, AL.

1966 - South Vietnamese troops joined in demonstrations at Hue and Da Nang for an end to military rule.

1967 - In Peking, hundreds of thousands demonstrated against Mao foe Liu Shao-chi.

1972 - Burt Reynolds appeared nude in "Cosmopolitan" magazine.

1978 - The first episode of "Dallas" aired on CBS.

1981 - In Lebanon, thirty-seven people were reported killed during fighting in the cities of Beirut and Zahle. It was the worst violence since the 1976 cease fire.

1982 - Argentina invaded the British-owned Falkland Islands. The following June Britain took the islands back.

1983 - The New Jersey Transit strike that began on March 1 came to an end.

1984 - John Thompson became the first black coach to lead his team to the NCAA college basketball championship.

1984 - In Jerusalem, three Arab gunmen wounded 48 people when they opened fire into a crowd of shoppers.

1985 - The NCAA Rules Committee adopted the 45-second shot clock for men’s basketball to begin in the 1986 season.

1986 - On a TWA airliner flying from Rome to Athens a bomb exploded under a seat killing four Americans.

1987 - The speed limit on U.S. interstate highways was increased to 65 miles per hour in limited areas.

1988 - U.S. Special Prosecutor James McKay declined to indict Attorney General Edwin Meese for criminal wrongdoing.

1989 - An editorial in the "New York Times" declared that the Cold War was over.

1989 - General Prosper Avril, Haiti's military leader, survived a coup attempt. The attempt was apparently provoked by Avril's U.S.-backed efforts to fight drug trafficking.

1990 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein threatened to incinerate half of Israel with chemical weapons if Israel joined a conspiracy against Iraq.

1992 - Mob boss John Gotti was convicted in New York of murder and racketeering. He was later sentenced to life in prison.

1995 - The costliest strike in professional sports history ended when baseball owners agreed to let players play without a contract.

1996 - Russia and Belarus signed a treaty that created a political and economic alliance in an effort to reunite the two former Soviet republics.

1996 - Lech Walesa resumed his old job as an electrician at the Gdansk shipyard. He was the former Solidarity union leader who became Poland's first post-war democratic president.

2002 - Israeli troops surrounded the Church of the Nativity. More than 200 Palestinians had taken refuge at the church when Israel invaded Bethlehem.

Birthdays

Giovanni Casanova 1725 - Writer, philanderer

Hans Christian Andersen 1805 - Author ("The Ugly Duckling")

Frederic Bartholdi 1834

Emile Zola 1840 - Novelist

Walter Chrysler 1875 - Auto manufacturer (Chrysler Corporation)

Max Ernst 1891 - Sculptor and painter

Buddy Ebsen 1908 - Actor ("The Beverly Hillbillies", "Barnaby Jones")

Herbert Mills 1912 - Singer (The Mills Brothers)

Sir Alec Guinness (Alec Guinness de Cuffe) 1914 - Actor ("Bridge Over River Kwai", "A Passage to India", "The Empire Strikes Back", "Star Wars")

Lou Monte 1917 - Singer

Dabbs Greer 1917

Charles White 1918 - Artist

Jack Webb (John Randolf) 1920 - Director, actor

Sir Jack Brabham - Auto racer

Bobby (Roberto Francisco Gonzales) Avila 1924 - Baseball player

Carmen Basilio 1927 - Boxer

Rita Gam 1928 - Actress ("The Thief", "Midnight")

Sharon Acker 1935

Warner Mack 1938 - Country singer

Marvin Gaye, Jr. 1939 - Singer ("I Heard It Through The Grapevine")

Leon Russel 1942 - Singer, songwriter

Larry Coryell 1943

Glen Dale 1943 - Musician (The Fortunes)

Marlene Floyd 1944 - Golfer, golf commentator

Linda Hunt 1945 - Actress ("Kindergarten Cop")

Reggie (Carl Reginald) Smith 1945 - Baseball player

Don Sutton 1945 - Baseball pitcher

Emmylou Harris 1947 - Singer

Leon Wilkerson 1952 - Musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Lynyrd Skynyrd Official Store

Pamela Reed 1953 - Actress

Debralee Scott 1953 - Actress ("Police Academy")

Ron "Horshack" Palillo 1954

Christopher Meloni 1961 - Actor ("Law and Order: Special Victims Unit")

Keren Woodward 1961 - Singer (Bananarama)

Clark Gregg 1962 - Actor

Billy Dean 1962

Bill ROmanowski 1966 - Football player

Roselyn Sanchez 1973 - Actress ("Without a Trace")

Jeremy Garrett 1976

Jesse Plemons 1988 - Actor ("Friday Night Lights")

Music History for

April 2

1739 - Handel's "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale" was performed for the first time.

1800 - Beethoven's "Opus 21: Symphony No. 1 in C major" was first performed for Baron von Swieten.

1803 - Composer Franz Lachner was born.

1942 - Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded "American Patrol."

1963 - "Best Foot Forward" with Liza Minnelli opened in New York City.

1964 - The Beach Boys recorded "I Get Around."

1965 - Freddie & the Dreamers recorded "Do The Freddie."

1967 - Steve Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group to form Traffic.

1967 - The Beatles finished recording the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
John Lennon Merchandise - Today in Beatles History - Beatles apparel and gear

1972 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono held a news conference in New York to discuss their appeal of the Immigration Department's decision to deport John.

1974 - The British pirate radio station Piccadilly Radio went on the air.

1977 - Stevie Wonder’s tribute to Duke Ellington, "Sir Duke," was released.

1987 - The Prince album "Sign O' The Times" was released worldwide.

1993 - Roberta Flack appeared on the ABC-TV soap opera "Loving."

1997 - Joni Mitchell was reunited with Kilauren Gibb. Gibb was the daughter that Mitchell had given up for adoption 32 years before.

1998 - Rob Pilatus (Milli Vanilli) died in a hotel room in Frankfurt, Germany.

1998 - A new wing opened at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Cleveland, OH.

1999 - The Black Crowes performed in Knoxvilled, TN. One of the concergoers later sued the band for $385,000 in a claim that he had suffered significant hearing loss at the show.

2002 - Lee Anderson Minnelli sued her stepdaughter Liza Minnelli for elder abuse and breach of contract. The claim was filed based on the will of Vincente Minnelli.