DIY History | Transcribe | Nile Kinnick Collection | Nile Kinnick and Nile Kinnick Sr. letters to William C. Stuart, 1941-1983

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Nile Kinnick and Nile Kinnick Sr. letters to William C. Stuart, 1941-1983

1989: Page 09

that time either!!  Hold the phone!!!.
"I am wondering if you have made up your mind.  I do not
want to influence you in any way--particularly if your folks are
against it--because four years is a long time & it isn't apt to
be a picnic throughout.  However, if you are interested I
believe you could get by ok because they didn't give me any test
for hay fever. Of course when they asked I said truthfully that
I wasn't bothered with it.  I am not suggesting you lie to them
but I bet they would let you go anyhow--they didn't even ask in
the preliminary exam & not in the exam at K. City until I had
passed everything else.  I told the commander in K. City I might
be able to get some others so I think he would let us go in
together (I hope).  Let me know if you are interested- or at
least what your plans are.  Yours Nile
"May leave for Adel this weekend so write me there in care
of Mrs. G. W. Clarke"
My parents were not at all happy that I was giving
consideration to leaving law school.  My dad had always counted
on me being the fourth generation of Stuarts to practice in
Chariton.  I wrote Nile that I had decided to return to law
school that fall and that I hoped we could arrange to room
together while he was coaching.  He was given permission to live
in the law commons. That fall was a repetition of the preceeding
fall, except that Nile with much more time on his hands really
enjoyed himself.  He dated more frequently.  He liked to dance
and go to the movies.  Bibba Charlton was a frequent companion.
After the football season, he went home to get ready to report.
On December 4,1941, three days before Pearl Harbor, he reported
for active duty.
Our correspondence was sporadic after that.  Nile was a
great letter writer, but I must confess that I didn't hold up my
end.  Nile progressed through the naval air training course.  In
July of 1942, I enlisted in the Naval Air Corp.  I am sure that
my desire to follow Nile was the deciding factor.  The Navy
agreed to let me finish law school.
That fall Nile returned to the campus as a U. S. Naval
Officer.  It was a great to see him.  He had not changed.  He
saw all of his old friends left on   campus.  It was the last time
that I saw him.
Just before I reported for active duty in January 1943, I
received the following letter from Nile.
Dear Will:  Your letter written on November 29th just today
reached me.  It was correctly addressed and should have reached
me before I left Jax, but for some reason or another, it didn't.

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that time either!! Hold the phone!!!. "I am wondering if you have made up your mind. I do not want to influence you in any way--particularly if your folks are against it--because four years is a long time & it isn't apt to be a picnic throughout. However, if you are interested I believe you could get by ok because they didn't give me any test for hay fever. Of course when they asked I said truthfully that I wasn't bothered with it. I am not suggesting you lie to them but I bet they would let you go anyhow--they didn't even ask in the preliminary exam & not in the exam at K. City until I had passed everything else. I told the commander in K. City I might be able to get some others so I think he would let us go in together (I hope). Let me know if you are interested- or at least what your plans are. Yours Nile "May leave for Adel this weekend so write me there in care of Mrs. G. W. Clarke" My parents were not at all happy that I was giving consideration to leaving law school. My dad had always counted on me being the fourth generation of Stuarts to practice in Chariton. I wrote Nile that I had decided to return to law school that fall and that I hoped we could arrange to room together while he was coaching. He was given permission to live in the law commons. That fall was a repetition of the preceeding fall, except that Nile with much more time on his hands really enjoyed himself. He dated more frequently. He liked to dance and go to the movies. Bibba Charlton was a frequent companion. After the football season, he went home to get ready to report. On December 4,1941, three days before Pearl Harbor, he reported for active duty. Our correspondence was sporadic after that. Nile was a great letter writer, but I must confess that I didn't hold up my end. Nile progressed through the naval air training course. In July of 1942, I enlisted in the Naval Air Corp. I am sure that my desire to follow Nile was the deciding factor. The Navy agreed to let me finish law school. That fall Nile returned to the campus as a U. S. Naval Officer. It was a great to see him. He had not changed. He saw all of his old friends left on campus. It was the last time that I saw him. Just before I reported for active duty in January 1943, I received the following letter from Nile. Dear Will: Your letter written on November 29th just today reached me. It was correctly addressed and should have reached me before I left Jax, but for some reason or another, it didn't.