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Nile Kinnick correspondence, January-May 1940

1940-04-09: Front

Nile C. Kinnick
Iowa City, Iowa
Tuesday [ca April 9, 1940]
Dear Family:
I am enclosing my last letter from Baum the tone of which
pretty well dampens my hopes in that direction --and possibly for
the best.  Incidentally, I asked you to return that other letter
which as yet you have not done.  I would appreciate it very much
if you would return both of these when you have finished looking at them.
Thanks so much for remembering towels --I really needed
them.
The talk in Adel and Des Moines went off quite well and of
course I enjoyed visiting with the folks in Adel once again. Last 
nite I was in Waverly, Thurs. nite I am to be in Charles City, Mon.
nite in Bennett, May 6 in Rock Island and tentatively in Keokuk
on May Second.
Now I have been doing some thinking again this week--perhaps 
too much.  But I am passing it on to you for whatever you may think 
it is worth.  I am not asking you to make any decisions for me nor
do I want you to.  However, I think you might be interested 
in my possible future plans and certainly any advice you care to give
will be received and appreciated.
I am wondering if it might not be more to my liking and for
the best for me to look into Joe Weaver's proposition once again.
As you know I have never professed any great desire to actually 
practise law and have a kind of I ought to more than anything else--thinking it a kind of requisite if I should desire to go into
politics at a later date.  Also I have no desire whatsoever to go
into politics--never really have--just have felt an obligation of
some kind.  You have heard me mention that before but have never
been able to analyze or explain it. Certainly I don't think it would
be any fun or that I would enjoy it.  Most of all I guess I have
a sort of feeling that I should do something for somebody--just in 
what way I don't know for sure. But in thinking it over there
are many ways that this can be done besides in government work.
You have heard me mention the farmers which is a real interest as
you know but how I can be of any use to them I don't know the whole
feeling is rarh rather vague but quite sincere I believe.  I am
quite sure I would enjoy associating with them in some way or another
but whether Joe's business would give this opportunity or not I don't
know.  It would come a lot closer than being a lawyer I fancy.  Heretofore I have sort of felt I would be shirking my obligation 
to society if I should go into anything that I would enjoy--it almost
amounted to that inasmuch as about the only real lreason I wanted to
take law was the feeling of necessity if I should want to go into
politics or rather if I should feel obligated to.  Now I don't think 
it would be necessary or possibly even feasible in my case.  As long 
as I am being rather idealistic in the ultimate good I might be able 
to do in government I might as well point out that one of the things 
this country needs more than anything else is an enlightened business
leadership--not that I would be one of such but the possibility is there
in the ultimate.  Big business in the east doesn't appeal to me but
a small growing business here in the Midwest looks good to me.  I
think probably the opportunity would be very good from what Joes says

Saving...

Nile C. Kinnick Iowa City, Iowa Tuesday [ca April 9, 1940] Dear Family: I am enclosing my last letter from Baum the tone of which pretty well dampens my hopes in that direction --and possibly for the best. Incidentally, I asked you to return that other letter which as yet you have not done. I would appreciate it very much if you would return both of these when you have finished looking at them. Thanks so much for remembering towels --I really needed them. The talk in Adel and Des Moines went off quite well and of course I enjoyed visiting with the folks in Adel once again. Last nite I was in Waverly, Thurs. nite I am to be in Charles City, Mon. nite in Bennett, May 6 in Rock Island and tentatively in Keokuk on May Second. Now I have been doing some thinking again this week--perhaps too much. But I am passing it on to you for whatever you may think it is worth. I am not asking you to make any decisions for me nor do I want you to. However, I think you might be interested in my possible future plans and certainly any advice you care to give will be received and appreciated. I am wondering if it might not be more to my liking and for the best for me to look into Joe Weaver's proposition once again. As you know I have never professed any great desire to actually practise law and have a kind of I ought to more than anything else--thinking it a kind of requisite if I should desire to go into politics at a later date. Also I have no desire whatsoever to go into politics--never really have--just have felt an obligation of some kind. You have heard me mention that before but have never been able to analyze or explain it. Certainly I don't think it would be any fun or that I would enjoy it. Most of all I guess I have a sort of feeling that I should do something for somebody--just in what way I don't know for sure. But in thinking it over there are many ways that this can be done besides in government work. You have heard me mention the farmers which is a real interest as you know but how I can be of any use to them I don't know the whole feeling is rarh rather vague but quite sincere I believe. I am quite sure I would enjoy associating with them in some way or another but whether Joe's business would give this opportunity or not I don't know. It would come a lot closer than being a lawyer I fancy. Heretofore I have sort of felt I would be shirking my obligation to society if I should go into anything that I would enjoy--it almost amounted to that inasmuch as about the only real lreason I wanted to take law was the feeling of necessity if I should want to go into politics or rather if I should feel obligated to. Now I don't think it would be necessary or possibly even feasible in my case. As long as I am being rather idealistic in the ultimate good I might be able to do in government I might as well point out that one of the things this country needs more than anything else is an enlightened business leadership--not that I would be one of such but the possibility is there in the ultimate. Big business in the east doesn't appeal to me but a small growing business here in the Midwest looks good to me. I think probably the opportunity would be very good from what Joes says