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Nile Kinnick correspondence, January-December 1941

1941-06-13: Page 01

Friday 6-13-'41
Dear Ben:
A letter from mother tells me that you are home for the summer once again
and that you have already gone to work for the Nebraska Power and Light Co.
It sounds to me like vour job for this summer is going to more enjoyable than
any you have had for quite some time. You have been so extremely busy both during the summer and winter for the past two or three years that I hesitate to
tell you how leisurely I am taking it at the present time.  I am staying on the
third floor of the Phi Psi house and have the whole fraternity to myself except
for two families living on the lower floors. They are young couples living
here during the summer while the men get their Master's. I am completely free
from responsibility and obligation.  I go to bed when I please and I get up
when I want to.  1 go to a show, play golf, or road just as I choose without
any other duty pressing me for time or effort.  It is absolutely heavenly.
However, I do not feel that I am completely wasting my time.  I am doing a little
extra reading that I have been wanting to do for some time, and I, also, am trying
to learn shorthand.  I have just started so as yet I haven't made much progress,
but if I lend effort to my resolve I should soon move along quite rapidly.
And I might add that I am improving my golf game which may or may not be of
any importance. Wednesday Smitty, who runs Smith's cafe, and I went up to Cedar
Rapids and played Bob Hogan and Clair Marshall out at the Country Club.  I had
the best score I have ever had over a tough course. But it certainly was a
strange round I must say. Listen to this. I had a 76 on a par 70 course.
My score at the end of the first nine holes was 33 which is one under par.
On the second nine it follows that I had a 43. But here is the peculiar
story of the round.  I had 13 one putt greesn out of 18; I had a ball in the
creek which I could not find on number 11; I had three balls in the river on
number 15, and I took four putts on number 17. Number 15 was a long par 5 running parallel with the Cedar River. My woods which had had a slight "tail"
all afternoon suddenly began to slice abruptly, hence, a catastrophic 8 followed.
Yesterday I drove up to Independence for Charlie Brady's wedding. On the way
back I stopped to see Clarke at his office and learned that next week Mary is
going to be in Clear Lake with her folks so I think that I will plan to stay
a few days with Clarke beginning next Tuesday. Now that I have given you a bit
of the news I shall come to the main purpose of this letter.
For some time now I have been distressed with my ability to read and write.
It is not because that I am poor at either that I feel this way but rather because I am at best only mediocre.  I am disappointed in my reading thus far because I don't seem to read to remember; I don't read closely enough, nor with
a keen and alert perception.  This faculty I can only develop by myself.  However,
when it comes to writing a man must have some opportunity to practice in order
to improve. None of my courses seem to provide a satisfactory outlet for the
practice I need.  I want to learn to set down my ideas clearly and plainly and
withal develop some beauty and power of expression. Thus far the best that I do
is to record what disorderly comes to ay mind. Now I have intimated that I believe reading and writing and speaking  be the verv essence of  an education.
(Figgring or computation should be included also) I believe this because an effort
to excel in each of these develops a disciplined mind and demands orderly thought
and expression. Now it has occurred to me that through writing periodically to
George and you I can got the practice in setting down my ideas that I desire.
I have already written to George a quite lengthy letter containing counsel and
adive that I thought might be of interest and value to him. I am hoping that the
idea will appeal enough to you, and George, so that you will want to reciprocate
with letters of your own containing your ideas on different subjects. If we all
three entered wholeheartedly into the idea we would benefit much, I am sure. Not
only would the exchange of ideas be beneficial but the practice in written ex-

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Friday 6-13-'41 Dear Ben: A letter from mother tells me that you are home for the summer once again and that you have already gone to work for the Nebraska Power and Light Co. It sounds to me like vour job for this summer is going to more enjoyable than any you have had for quite some time. You have been so extremely busy both during the summer and winter for the past two or three years that I hesitate to tell you how leisurely I am taking it at the present time. I am staying on the third floor of the Phi Psi house and have the whole fraternity to myself except for two families living on the lower floors. They are young couples living here during the summer while the men get their Master's. I am completely free from responsibility and obligation. I go to bed when I please and I get up when I want to. 1 go to a show, play golf, or road just as I choose without any other duty pressing me for time or effort. It is absolutely heavenly. However, I do not feel that I am completely wasting my time. I am doing a little extra reading that I have been wanting to do for some time, and I, also, am trying to learn shorthand. I have just started so as yet I haven't made much progress, but if I lend effort to my resolve I should soon move along quite rapidly. And I might add that I am improving my golf game which may or may not be of any importance. Wednesday Smitty, who runs Smith's cafe, and I went up to Cedar Rapids and played Bob Hogan and Clair Marshall out at the Country Club. I had the best score I have ever had over a tough course. But it certainly was a strange round I must say. Listen to this. I had a 76 on a par 70 course. My score at the end of the first nine holes was 33 which is one under par. On the second nine it follows that I had a 43. But here is the peculiar story of the round. I had 13 one putt greesn out of 18; I had a ball in the creek which I could not find on number 11; I had three balls in the river on number 15, and I took four putts on number 17. Number 15 was a long par 5 running parallel with the Cedar River. My woods which had had a slight "tail" all afternoon suddenly began to slice abruptly, hence, a catastrophic 8 followed. Yesterday I drove up to Independence for Charlie Brady's wedding. On the way back I stopped to see Clarke at his office and learned that next week Mary is going to be in Clear Lake with her folks so I think that I will plan to stay a few days with Clarke beginning next Tuesday. Now that I have given you a bit of the news I shall come to the main purpose of this letter. For some time now I have been distressed with my ability to read and write. It is not because that I am poor at either that I feel this way but rather because I am at best only mediocre. I am disappointed in my reading thus far because I don't seem to read to remember; I don't read closely enough, nor with a keen and alert perception. This faculty I can only develop by myself. However, when it comes to writing a man must have some opportunity to practice in order to improve. None of my courses seem to provide a satisfactory outlet for the practice I need. I want to learn to set down my ideas clearly and plainly and withal develop some beauty and power of expression. Thus far the best that I do is to record what disorderly comes to ay mind. Now I have intimated that I believe reading and writing and speaking be the verv essence of an education. (Figgring or computation should be included also) I believe this because an effort to excel in each of these develops a disciplined mind and demands orderly thought and expression. Now it has occurred to me that through writing periodically to George and you I can got the practice in setting down my ideas that I desire. I have already written to George a quite lengthy letter containing counsel and adive that I thought might be of interest and value to him. I am hoping that the idea will appeal enough to you, and George, so that you will want to reciprocate with letters of your own containing your ideas on different subjects. If we all three entered wholeheartedly into the idea we would benefit much, I am sure. Not only would the exchange of ideas be beneficial but the practice in written ex-