This is just a short post to introduce our email subscribers to the new FDR Suite Restoration Project blog. Rather than sending out email notices every so often, we thought this illustrated format might make much more interesting reading. So please, take a look around, peruse a bit, and if you like what you see, tell your friends! In general I will try to update the the blog several times a month (though there may be a burst of activity in the next few weeks as I attempt to get us up to speed) and hopefully our just installed and barely deciphered software will alert you by email when a new posting has been made. The idea here is to keep you up-to-date on our progress, as well as to share with you some of the fun of piecing together an immensely complicated historical puzzle. We think you’ll find the process quite interesting, but if for some reason you don’t – heaven forbid – a ready means to unsubscribe yourself is located in the upper right hand corner of your screen, under “Auto Email Notification.” Alternatively, you may prefer to subscribe to the RSS feed to automatically update your browser when new posts are made, rather than receiving emails. That button is located in the right-hand margin of your screen.
Either way, we look forward to sharing our stories with you!
Regards,
Michael Weishan, ’86
President, FDR Suite Foundation, Inc.
As I mentioned in an e-mail to you when the project was getting under way, I lived in the Suite in 1955-56 with Will Brady ’57 and Bob Haney ’56 (now deceased). I believe I told you of coming home one evening and finding Senator Joe McCarthy sitting in my chair. I wonder whether any thought has been given to collecting anecdotes and stories of the Suite such as that as part of the collection you are developing.
Also, it seems to me that there were built-in oak bookcases in the Suite, although I may have that memory crossed with that of my suites in Randolph House.
I found the sheet music and songs at the end of the blog an interesting trip down memory lane, as I knew and sang several of the songs in my younger days. Gordon MacRae had a radio show called “The Railroad hour” every Monday night at 9:00 PM for several years while I was in high school. Each week he put on an abbreviated version of either an operetta or a Broadway show, usually with a guest female opera star. Several of Victor Herbert’s operetta’s, including “Babes in Toyland,” were featured. The striking thing about my memory of the song,”Toyland.” is that it also served as the ad song for Luster Cream Shampoo (as in–Dream girl, dream girl, beautiful Luster Cream girl. You owe your sparkling glory to…your Luster Cream Shampoo.) Somehow, “Rose Marie” is a brighter memory of that series.
I look forward to reading (and hearing) future editions of the blog.
I remember your email well, and have saved it. We are indeed collecting reminiscences of previous undergrad inhabitants, and hope to pull those all together for reading in the Suite when it’s done.
The bookcases are part of your Randolph memories… In fact, we’re looking for three glass enclosed cases (and the donations to fund them) now. Currently we are caseless.
And finally, thanks again for the kind words about the blog. I apologize in being so late in getting these notices out – the usual problems of an underfunded all-volunteer organization – but hopefully things will flow more smoothly now that the House is open again after 3 months of repairs.