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Nile Kinnick's correspondence with his family, January-June 1939
1939-02-09: Front
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[Feb. 9, 1939] Thursday Feb 1939 Dear Family: You didn't mention in your last letter your reaction to my possible decision to return to camp again this summer. Perhaps if I tell you what kind of stationery I want you in turn will indicate what you think of the change in heart. (Just some simple single sheet stationery with only my name at the top will do the job quite adequately I am sure.) Since I wrote my last letter I have received a reply from Bob Stacy on the possibility of getting a job with the Highway Commission as a rodman. Such a job would keep me out door and pretty good shape all summer and allow me to stay in Adel and get alot of reading done. I shall inclose his letter which is pretty much selfexplanatory and which expresses very well my own sentiments for wanting to stay in Adel this summer if it can so be arranged. The possibility of getting such a job is quite remote but it won't hurt one way or the other to have several irons in the fire until I definitely make up my mind. From Bobs letter I would gather that the matter of transportation might enter in. In the event that it looks as if I might get it would there be any possibility of my having the little coupe for the summer? Unless it looks as if we are going to need the money quite urgently I would like to see us hang on to the coupe for awhile anyhow. I am going to send in the application that Bob mentions in his letter just to sec what will happen; then if it looks as if that is the thing I will have something definitely started. If we are going to try to get a new house this spring and summer it might be well if I were somewhere in Iowa to kind of run down and look things over now and then. Please don't answer in the negative without trying to see my viewpoint first. I believe the thing that I want to try to get done this summer more than any thing else even business experience is to get a great deal of reading done. TodayMr. Maruth of the Registration office called me in and said some things that I felt were highly flattering and perhaps the forerunner of a good opportunity. He said that the personnel director of International Business Machine Co. was going to be interviewing seniors on Friday.That in talking over likely prospects he mentioned my name and reuputation such as it is. The personnel director expressed a desire to interview me which I am planning to do tomorrow. Maruth went on to say that he thought the opportunities in this organization were just as good or better than any outfit in the United States. That the depression hadn't phased it; that they took only topnotch men and he mentioned some of the few fellows that have gotten on with them from Iowa and the fine succes they have had. He was very enthused and I found it quite infectious. He showed me the machines that the University were using such as posting and sorting machines etc. , the whole thing looked quite miraculous to me and when he mentioned that the very complicated machine in front of me listed at thirty thousand I about passed out. However, he mentioned that such machines were usually rented and nout bought. This company is looking for men to sell I gathered. Hot penny ante stuff but big deals. They start you off at a 100 bucks or so while you are going to their school for awhile then they send you out with some experienced fellows and then drag you back for some more schooling and then out on your own. He, Maruth continually impressed onme the fine company that it is and the wonderful opportunities for a wide awake young man. He asked me to drop in and see Dean
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[Feb. 9, 1939] Thursday Feb 1939 Dear Family: You didn't mention in your last letter your reaction to my possible decision to return to camp again this summer. Perhaps if I tell you what kind of stationery I want you in turn will indicate what you think of the change in heart. (Just some simple single sheet stationery with only my name at the top will do the job quite adequately I am sure.) Since I wrote my last letter I have received a reply from Bob Stacy on the possibility of getting a job with the Highway Commission as a rodman. Such a job would keep me out door and pretty good shape all summer and allow me to stay in Adel and get alot of reading done. I shall inclose his letter which is pretty much selfexplanatory and which expresses very well my own sentiments for wanting to stay in Adel this summer if it can so be arranged. The possibility of getting such a job is quite remote but it won't hurt one way or the other to have several irons in the fire until I definitely make up my mind. From Bobs letter I would gather that the matter of transportation might enter in. In the event that it looks as if I might get it would there be any possibility of my having the little coupe for the summer? Unless it looks as if we are going to need the money quite urgently I would like to see us hang on to the coupe for awhile anyhow. I am going to send in the application that Bob mentions in his letter just to sec what will happen; then if it looks as if that is the thing I will have something definitely started. If we are going to try to get a new house this spring and summer it might be well if I were somewhere in Iowa to kind of run down and look things over now and then. Please don't answer in the negative without trying to see my viewpoint first. I believe the thing that I want to try to get done this summer more than any thing else even business experience is to get a great deal of reading done. TodayMr. Maruth of the Registration office called me in and said some things that I felt were highly flattering and perhaps the forerunner of a good opportunity. He said that the personnel director of International Business Machine Co. was going to be interviewing seniors on Friday.That in talking over likely prospects he mentioned my name and reuputation such as it is. The personnel director expressed a desire to interview me which I am planning to do tomorrow. Maruth went on to say that he thought the opportunities in this organization were just as good or better than any outfit in the United States. That the depression hadn't phased it; that they took only topnotch men and he mentioned some of the few fellows that have gotten on with them from Iowa and the fine succes they have had. He was very enthused and I found it quite infectious. He showed me the machines that the University were using such as posting and sorting machines etc. , the whole thing looked quite miraculous to me and when he mentioned that the very complicated machine in front of me listed at thirty thousand I about passed out. However, he mentioned that such machines were usually rented and nout bought. This company is looking for men to sell I gathered. Hot penny ante stuff but big deals. They start you off at a 100 bucks or so while you are going to their school for awhile then they send you out with some experienced fellows and then drag you back for some more schooling and then out on your own. He, Maruth continually impressed onme the fine company that it is and the wonderful opportunities for a wide awake young man. He asked me to drop in and see Dean
Nile Kinnick Collection
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