The "Buiee"
Requiscent In Pace (RIP), Leo J. Smith, 1936 - 2005
Dad at work, 1957, Gubelman Inc., Newark, N.J.
There are those today who say this was a life of privilege. Dad started work in 1953 cleaning toilets, picking up trash, and delivering paper to the printing machines. Before taxes, he earned $32.00 a week, at 80 cents an hour, and my parents paid $65.00 a month rent.
Dad with the new car, 1957.
Dad learned how to run the machines by attending night school and earned a certificate so he could be a printing pressman while mom was a stay at home mom for my sister and I.
Life for Dad’s favorite car and my parent’s first new car, a 1957 Buick Special Riviera 46-R began in Wilmington, DE and was sold 25 May 1957 at Eddie Schwarz's of Honesdale, PA.
(http://www.eschwarz.com/). The payment was $90.90 a month for three years but my parents paid $180.00 a month for eighteen months and paid it off. The base price of the vehicle was $2,704. 64,425 of these models were built by Buick that year.
"Buiee," 2017
1957 Buick Special Model 46R 2dr Riviera Hardtop 8-cyl. 364cid/250hp 2bbl
Length: 208.5 inches; width 74.8 inches; or, 17 feet 4 1/2 inches X 6 feet 3 inches.
Dad and Baseball
Dad was a huge Brooklyn Dodgers fan and he played for numerous softball teams all throughout my childhood; eventually, he played at the Senior Softball All Star level.Gil Hodges was one of Dad's Brooklyn heroes; here is Gil's baseball card during his fifth season as skipper of the Washington Senators.
The 1957 Brooklyn Dodgers season was overshadowed by Walter O'Malley's threat to move the Dodgers out of Brooklyn if the city did not build him a new stadium in that borough. When the best the mayor could promise was a stadium in Queens, O'Malley made good on his threats and moved the team to Los Angeles after the season ended. The Dodgers final game at Ebbets Field was on September 24 as they finished their 68th and last NL season, and their 75th overall, in Brooklyn in third place with an 84–70 record, eleven games behind the NL and World Series Champion Milwaukee Braves.
This is a commemorative plate of my Dad's.
The Dodgers even played eight home games at Roosevelt Field in Jersey City and my dad had an opportunity to compete on that very field when I was a kid.
Dad as a five-year old in 1941.
The 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers won the National League Pennant: this is the 1966 Old Timers' Day Program when Dad took me to Yankee Stadium.
Dad on his company team, Nashua Corp., playing short stop during the 1960s. The old-style glove barely covers his hand; nonetheless, on the field and at bat he was like a gazelle, quick and agile.
Dad took me to the Dodgers vs. Yankees Old Timers' Day, 23 July 1966; he cheered for the Brooklyn Bums; I was a Yankee fan.
Buick Culture
It was during this context that my young parents added the Safety Group extras for $31.00. And, the car had a unique combination for the cars of that era. Hard to believe today but an automatic transmission was considered a luxury item. On the other hand, Dad must have insisted on being a young cool guy since my parents ordered a more hip two-door coupe although they had two kids at the time. A four-door automobile would have been more family friendly.
The traditional 1957 Buick Special spoke to a bygone era when new. Buick actively promoted its models in sales materials. The specifications of the model made it competitive in the market.
In addition, service was promoted by Buick dealers.
Since removed on YouTube (https://youtu.be/tP26T-0x5pE)
Compared to earlier years, the Buick Dealer Training Organization reduced their films to only nine. Buick sales decreased and 1957 was the beginning of difficult years for Buick. For example, a sales film presentation was given to Ford sales people at dealership meetings extolling the virtues of the 1957 Ford Fairlane over its competitors, e.g., the Buick Special.
1957 Buick Promotional Brochure
Some say that the 1957 was the best looking Buick built, and it certainly was the high water mark for the Harley Earl inspired designs that began with the early 50s. This was a very large car, with the Roadmaster weighing more than two tons, but the lines made the car look smaller.
In order to move the larger mass, Buick increased the V8's displacement from 322 cu. in. to 364 and touched the magical 300 HP mark for the first time. A hardtop station wagon debuted in the Special and Century line, with the Century's model touted more like a performance car than a people and parcel hauler. Roadmaster featured an upscale "Roadmaster 75" model with Cadillac-like interiors and a price that was over $4,000, almost twice the price of the lowly Special.
Mom and dad bought the Special with an owner service policy.
Mom and Dad, Owner Service Policy, 25 May 1957
Mom and Dad's Owner Identification Card, 5/25/57
Dad liked the car so much he told mom she could pick out the colors and she said the Mint Green and Hunter Green jumped out at her when she first saw it. My parents then had the red stripe applied as an aftermarket item from the dealer.
These may be original license plates for the "Buiee."
One of the unusual aspects of the 1957 Buick is the automatic starting system. The ignition is turned on but the car does not start until the gas pedal is depressed and then the engine turns over.
The car features a new, for the time, but unusual engine: the Nailhead.
An unusual aspect of the vehicle is the Buick V-8 "Nailhead" which was a radical departure from Buick's history of overhead valve straight-8 cylinder engines produced beginning in 1931. Thus, the Nailhead engine was an engineering breakthrough when it was delivered in 1953, in that it was narrow and relatively light compared to the Olds, Caddy, Lincoln - and even the small Ford 234 V-8.
The Nailhead's loopy head design and vertical valve orientation.
The Nailhead was an OHV/pushrod engine like the then new Oldsmobile "Rocket V8" engine. This engine became known as the "Nailhead" for the unusual vertical position of its small-sized valves, which were derisively compared to nails since their head diameter is smaller than other comparable displacement engines of the same era. In any case, the small-diameter intake runners allowed these engines to develop high torque, with many exceeding one foot-pound per cubic inch, which was exceptional for the day. It was considerably lighter and much more compact than the straight 8 it replaced, and developed almost 1.5 times the power for the same displacement. Despite its unusual design the power of the engine attracted some drag racers such as Tommy Ivo to use the power of the Nailhead.
Buick Racing Culture
Tommy Ivo, also known as "TV Tommy" and "Instant Ivo" is an actor and drag racer, who was active in the 1960s racing community. In the late 1950s, Ivo raced a twin (side by side) Buick nailhead-engined dragster which was the first gasoline-powered dragster to break the nine-second barrier.
Tommy Ivo pictured with his Buick Nailhead powered dragster.
Family Life
During the same era, Mom and Dad were both born in 1936 in Honesdale where Grandpa Smith had a trucking company, A.J. Smith and Sons in the 1950s and 1960s. Grandpa liked the two-tone, Mint Green and Hunter green, combination so much he had his trucks painted the same way as the new "Buiee" when starting his company in the late 1950s. If you look closely at the front bumper of the trucks you will see each of the sons had his wife's name painted there: Jimmy and Florence, Eugene and Ingrid, and Wayne and Dorothy. Uncle Alex, the youngest, also became a truck driver but Grandpa had sold the company by then and Aunt Kathleen would not have driven truck in those days. Grandma and Grandpa also owned a Buick: a 1955 Buick Special. I wonder if Mom and Dad were competing with Grandma and Grandpa?A.J. Smith and Sons, Honesdale, PA, 1960s
Dad was the "black sheep" of the sons when he left town for New Jersey to work for Gubelman's printing. I have a trucking jacket with his name on it though he never was a regular driver. The Gubelman company was later bought out by Nashua, Corp.
Across town in Honesdale, PA Mom was raised by "Poppa," Grandpa Grambs, who was a 'cutter' by trade for T.B. Clark Cut Glass Company. Later in life he was a security guard where my mom would ride her bike at lunch to sit with him.
A.J. Smith and Sons, Honesdale, PA
Dad's jacket with his name embroidered on the front.
Cutters at Clark Glass
Here are the cut glasses that my grandfather created.
The individual pictures highlight the detailing in these cut glass pieces.
Uncle “Sonny” Francis Fitzsimmons, Mom’s brother, and "Poppa," Great-Grandpa Grambs, the glass cutter, about the time "Sonny" was in Korean War service. Grandpa raised mom and her brother.
Uncle “Sonny” Francis Fitzsimmons, Mom’s brother, and his bride, Anita, chose Dad to be best man for their 26 October 1957 wedding.
In an era before cell phones my sister and I could sit at "Poppa" Grambs' house across the valley in Honesdale and watch the other hill. When Dad pulled the "Buiee" out of my Grandparent Smith's driveway we alerted Mom that Dad was coming to pick us up for church.
Mom and Dad, 1960, Grandparent Smith's driveway, Honesdale, PA
My parents had moved to Newark, N.J. for work where Dad lovingly kept my parent's first new car in a garage to protect it from the elements. He waxed it every chance he got. Dad worked in a factory as a printing pressman for high quality recording instrument charts. Uncle Leonard “Butchie” Bayly (RIP, 2023), mom's brother, told me he was one of the few who Dad allowed to watch him change the oil since Dad didn’t let anyone touch his beloved “Buiee” if he could help it.
Two of Dad's brothers: Uncle Alex (long before he was driving truck), and Uncle Eugene (RIP, 12 September 2023: maybe before he went to Germany in the Air Force), Dad: Newark, N.J. This may be the late 1950s but I am not sure of the year.
My Great Aunt Helen and "Poppa," Great-Grandpa Grambs, raised my mom. Mom, Dad, and Aunt Helen are pictured in Grandparent Smith's driveway with a Ford in 1959. I have not been able to find out whose car it is. Neither Aunt Helen or Grandpa Grambs ever had a license or a car.
1953 Willys
Mom learned out to drive with this stick shift car in Harrison, N.J.; my sister and I hung on for dear life in the backseat.
1961 Ford Anglia 105E two-door sedan
Mom never drove the "Buiee" but these second cars were hers for running errands and using during the day.
Leaving Newark, N.J. meant leaving our close-knit, ethnic communities (although we were not African-American, or Italian) and no longer having everything we needed within walking distance. Volpe's Market was across the street, the park was down the street, the school was across the street, and the church was in walking distance. To makes ends meet mom and dad didn't get ice cream when they walked us to the park. My sister and I got the treat; ten cents each for an ice cream cone. I didn't know about this until years later.
Mom and Dad depicted sometime in the early 1960s with the "Buiee" in the background. Mom and dad were just kids when they had my sister and I. Here my dad was pulling mom around on the sled on my Grandparent Smith's backyard hill. Dad smoked Kent cigarettes until one day in the late 1960s he stopped cold turkey without telling any of us he stopped. We kept telling him with each cigarette that is another nail in his coffin.
My sister Sue and I shared many miles separated by and often fighting over the imaginary but territorial line between us in the backseat. As a family we went to Washington, D.C., Gettysburg, PA, Cape Canaveral, FL, Cooperstown, N.Y. (the Baseball Hall of Fame), Niagra Falls, Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and Mystic Seaport, CT. One unfortunate incident occurred right after my parent's originally bought the Buick. The Buick fell victim to a hit and run in the parking lot at the Olympic Park in Newark, N.J. (Cf. Olympic amusement park New Jersey 1950s, http://lostamusementparks.
Family travel resulted from the new Federal-Aid Highway Act which passed in June 1956. The law authorized the construction of a 41,000-mile network of interstate highways that would span the nation. It also allocated $26 billion to pay for them. Under the terms of the law, the federal government would pay 90 percent of the cost of expressway construction. The money helped us a family since my parents wanted to travel and highways conveniently were coming into existence. Thank you, Ike!
Dad used the Buick during the 1960s for his daily work commute and the dinner time signal was the rumbling dual exhaust of Dad coming into the garage.
Another important stage for our family included when Dad was transferred to California in 1969.
Dad got a promotion once his company opened up a new factory in Compton, CA. We moved cross country to Lakewood, CA by traveling in the "Buiee" in 1969. On the way West, we stopped in Alamogordo, N.M., visiting a former Carteret family that had already re-located, headed by the father who was a combat fighter pilot and Captain, deployed three times to Vietnam. We also visited Carlsbad Caverns on the way.
Most importantly, Dad always drove and once along the way to California while resting he enjoyed over looking the quaint little town of Prescott, AZ; at the time, Dad said that would a nice town to come back to.
Dad was probably making $15-18,000 a year and my parents paid $25,000 for their first house in California, in Lakewood, at 5306 Kirtland in February 1969. They sold that home in 1974 for $39,500. Then my parents bought another house in Bellflower, CA 9843 Crestbrook.
To provide a point of contrast of salaries the well known anchor Tom Brokaw also moved to California at about the same time. During his rising journalistic career he bought his first home in California in 1968. He was a local anchor and network correspondent for the NBC station in Los Angeles. The house was a 40-year-old home in Studio City, CA with three bedrooms and one bath with a spare bedroom and another bath at the far end. It was in the 1400 hundred foot range and the house cost $42,500, just slightly more than his annual salary.
The "Buiee's" last New Jersey inspection sticker: 31 May 1969.
Most importantly, Dad always drove and once along the way to California while resting he enjoyed over looking the quaint little town of Prescott, AZ; at the time, Dad said that would a nice town to come back to.
Dad was probably making $15-18,000 a year and my parents paid $25,000 for their first house in California, in Lakewood, at 5306 Kirtland in February 1969. They sold that home in 1974 for $39,500. Then my parents bought another house in Bellflower, CA 9843 Crestbrook.
To provide a point of contrast of salaries the well known anchor Tom Brokaw also moved to California at about the same time. During his rising journalistic career he bought his first home in California in 1968. He was a local anchor and network correspondent for the NBC station in Los Angeles. The house was a 40-year-old home in Studio City, CA with three bedrooms and one bath with a spare bedroom and another bath at the far end. It was in the 1400 hundred foot range and the house cost $42,500, just slightly more than his annual salary.
Dad's business card as General Supervisor for the new factory in Compton, CA.
The times were a'changin' and it was harder to find proper parts: note that the original wide side walls were no longer sold.
Mom and Dad, c. 1971, Lakewood, CA
Mr. McConnell, Dad's best friend and fellow Nashua employee, with Dad, Edison, NJ, 1972, visiting back East with our 1969 Ford Fairlane in the background.
This Ford Fairlane 500 is not exactly the same car or color but I tracked down advertisements that are similar to what cars my parents bought.
Into the 1970s Dad continued to drive the "Buiee" for his daily commute, although he built a hoist himself to work on the car (with Mom!) until he relegated it to a safe place in the garage when we moved to Bellflower, CA in 1974. Sometime around 1990 he did not drive the "Buiee" anymore and it was garaged thereafter in Bellflower, and in La Mirada, CA, with my sister, and the last time mom and dad moved.
Closeup of the CA vanity plate that my dad ordered.
Mom and Dad, c. 1974, Bellflower, CA
By 1989, the daily use long in the past the "Buiee" was confined to storage as a retirement project for Dad as he and Mom moved to, of all places, Prescott, AZ, the same place they enjoyed when moving to California. Under wraps until Dad retired he planned to get it running again as a retirement project aided by his brother, my favorite Uncle, Alex.
The "Buiee" never saw the light of day again when Dad went too soon to his heavenly reward in 2005.
Storage
The "Buiee" sat covered in my parent's garage from 1989-2016. Dad was a Senior Softball All-Star and he proudly displayed his caps in the garage.
The "Buiee" never saw the light of day again when Dad went too soon to his heavenly reward in 2005.
However, the "Buiee" resurrected during Christmas 2016 and ran again thanks to Affordable Wrench, Prescott, AZ.
Christmas, 2016, Prescott, AZ
After repair the "Buiee" was loaded in Prescott, AZ for transport to Pennsylvania.
On 28 July 2017 the "Buiee" was transported from Arizona and arrived in Pennsylvania.
The "Buiee" as it was unloaded.
I hope for a few moments you enjoy the “Buiee” as much as my family has for all these years.
The "Buiee," 1957 Buick Rivera 46-R in 2017
The "Buiee," 1957 Buick Rivera 46-R in 2017
Interior of the "Buiee,: note some of the original factory plastic remains on the seat.
Rear view
Front view
View from the top featuring the unusual three back windows.
Front side view
Rear side view
In July of 2019 the "Buiee" was readied for the transport back out West.
My property manager's mother modeled the move to help out.
My property manager's mother modeled the move to help out.
The Buiee bouncing on the road.
Bulldog Rod & Custom did the work.
My car model inspected the vehicle before it was shipped Westward.
The Buick was re-located to the Silicon Valley: Buicks NorCal.
In September, 2019, the Buick arrived.
In September, 2019, the Buick arrived.
1 April 2023, Silicon Valley
Prescott, Arizona, 3 April 2023
22 April 2023
29 April 2023
What Was Life Like in 1957?
Urban to Suburban
We lived in Newark, N.J. when my parents first got the Buick and we would not get to the suburbs, Carteret, N.J., until 1961, but America was re-locating as well. Typical houses of the time were being built in places such as Levittown in 1957.
The influx of people to the suburbs that began after World War II continued unabated throughout the 1950s. Meanwhile, population growth slowed in cities and decreased in rural areas, and by 1960, nearly 40 percent of all Americans lived in suburbia. The growth of these “bedroom” communities, where residents lived on the outskirts of town and commuted to work, meant that the automobile became more important than ever before. As the number of cars increased, so did the demand for gasoline and better roads. Although people were willing to drive or take public transportation to work, they were not willing to go to the city to shop. Consequently, shopping centers became a distinctive feature on the suburban landscape during the decade, and cities' central business districts showed signs of decline.
Car Culture
1957 saw the continued growth of bigger taller tail fins on new cars and more lights, bigger with more powerful engines and an average car sold for $2,749. Ad men invented the future and post-war artists sold us a vision of a luxurious, automated suburban lifestyle.
Getty Images
More Than 30 Million Households Owned a Car
With so many Americans moving to the suburbs in the ’50s, more and more families depended on a car to get around. In 1954, most U.S. households (64%) owned one car. Between 1954 and 1960, the number of one-car families rose from 30.1 million households to 32.4 million. Multicar ownership wasn’t popular — a little more than 8% of households owned two cars in 1954, and only 0.9% had three or more cars. (Owning two cars became slightly more common by the end of the decade.) Just how much did a car set you back during the 1950s? Two popular family cars, the Cadillac DeVille and the Oldsmobile 88 Fiesta, cost around $3,523 and $3,541, respectively, which would be around $37,000 today.
Champion spark plugs advertisement, 1957
One of the best descriptions of the 1950s has been written by David Halberstam:
“The fifties were captured in black-and-white, most often by still photographers; by contrast, the decade that followed was, more often than not, caught in living color on tape or film. Not surprisingly, in retrospect the pace of the fifties seems slower, almost languid. Social ferment, however, was beginning just beneath this placid surface. It was during the fifties, for example, that the basic research in the development of the birth control pill took place; but it was not until the decade later that this technological advance had a profound effect upon society. Then, apparently overnight—rather conservative—indeed cautious sexual practices were giving way to what commentators would speak of as the sexual revolution. It was in the fifties that the nation became wired for television, a new medium experimented with by various politicians and social groups. Ten years later television had begun to alter the political and social fabric of the country, with stunning consequences (The Fifties, ix-x).“
1957 Chevy by the Dam Club Restaurant
1960’s
Our family took the city life to the suburbs as we were able to; people in Carteret, N.J., walked at night, waved and chatted with the neighbors until it got darker and the mosquitos drove us inside. The city trucks would come on with their fog machines to try and drain the swamp of the pests but of course it never worked. Kids would ride their bikes in the fog but mom would never have allowed us to do so.
I’ve often wished I could pick up my kids and take them back to the 60s for a day, just so they could see what it was like.
- We dressed up on Saturdays to go shopping. There was always a G-rated movie to see.
- Store clerks were grown-up professionals who actually made enough to live on and really knew their products. Big department stores had elevator men with wearing uniforms with big gold braid who cheerfully did their job of getting you where you wanted to go.
- You could go out in public all day and never hear a cuss word.
- Ladies wore hats and gloves to church. Ladies even dressed up to come over to play cards with my grandmother.
- Men wore hats and knew when it was proper to take them off, when to touch them, etc.
- It was quite common to have homes and cars unlocked all day.
- Moms were home in the daytime. Neighborhoods were not deserted during the day as they are now. Big groups of children in my neighborhood played outside together every day. There was no air conditioning, so it was unthinkable to play in the house on a sunny day.
- It was rare for women to drive and it was very common to see older ladies rolling their groceries home in a cart. Lots of men didn’t drive, either, as we lived on a bus route.
- Parents in the neighborhood watched out for everyone’s kids. If one of the kids misbehaved his or her mother knew all about before he or she even got home.
- Dogs and cats roamed the neighborhood. It was common to see several dogs sitting outside the grocery store waiting on their owners.
- People were friendly and polite. Always. At least in public.
- On Saturdays everyone in the neighborhood ran errands and did their yard work. Ladies went to the beauty shop to have their hair done for church the next day. Men went to a barbershop and they most certainly never set foot in a beauty parlor. You had to make sure you had everything you needed for Sunday because all the stores would close by Saturday afternoon.
- On Sundays most people went to church. Even if they didn’t, the neighborhood was completely quiet. Sunday was a day of rest and stores were closed. There was never a lawn mower running or any activity going on outside. Most people visited with family and had a big family dinner.
- It was normal for people to have big front porches and go from house to house visiting.
- There were only three TV channels and they all signed off at 11 p.m. with the national anthem.
- It was common for neighbors to listen in on your telephone conversations because everyone was on a party line.
- You couldn’t wash clothes last minute because nobody had a dryer. If it were raining it took forever for your clothes to dry in the house. Clothes also had to be ironed, so you really had to plan ahead.
I was surprised by some of the comments. I was born in 1963, so I am writing from the perspective of a little girl and focusing on what was most different from today. I grew up in a lower middle class neighborhood in a small southern city. It was definitely not Mayberry and I most certainly did not have an idyllic childhood.
- My parents were divorced and I lived with my mom, my grandmother, and an uncle. I had a babysitter with two grown daughters. My father was in prison.
- My house was just down the street from the Catholic church and there were dozens of big Catholic families on our street. I never met another child with divorced parents until 1974.
- I heard about Vietnam and body bags in hushed tones but I didn’t understand what was going on. I did have an uncle there, so I did recognize the fear that gripped my mother and grandmother every time they watched the news.
- I vaguely understood there was racial unrest but I didn’t understand why. I attended the Catholic school through the fourth grade and was told Jesus loves everyone equally. From what I remember, grown-ups would agree with that thought, but believed there would be no trouble between races if they simply didn’t interact. It wasn’t until the 70s when things got violent. It became common to hear gunshots at night and we moved to a “better” neighborhood in 1974. In the 70s We endured forced busing for a few years, which was a huge waste of time and money and caused more racial upheaval. For the first time, there were fights every day in school.
- I never realized we were poor until we moved to the “better” neighborhood and all the girls in my class had pierced ears, wore designer clothes, and had long ago given up playing with toys, in the fifth grade.
While there are things I remember fondly from the 1960s, I certainly wouldn’t want to live there. I do, however, really miss beautiful manners and beautiful clothes.
Optimistic 1950s
“The private beach house of the future” with hovering cars, helicopter cars and a new word ‘airphibious cars.’ Ford brochure, 1957.
 |
In the 1950s rebellion was just under the surface but for the ordinary American they did not experience it; in the 1960s though things were changing which towards the latter part of the decade and certainly by the 1970s had begun to infect all Americans. The Buick had always been with us but while mom was at home dad would come home from work and the rumbling of the V-8 coming into the garage was the signal that family dinner was nigh. |
Movie Era
A Movie Theater Ticket Cost Less Than 50 Cents
Getty Images
Although the golden age of Hollywood was nearing its end in the 1950s, cinemas were still as popular as ever, and fortunately for moviegoers, this pastime didn’t cost a fortune. In 1950, one theater ticket cost 46 cents, which was less than the price of a dozen eggs (60 cents). A family of four could go to the movies for the price of around two gallons of milk (one gallon cost 83 cents) — a feat that is not likely accomplished today.
Families flocked to theaters to see Disney’s Cinderella, the top-grossing film of 1950. Released on February 15, the film grossed more than $52 million that year and sold nearly 99 million tickets. Other top-grossing films of 1950 included King Solomon’s Mines, Father of the Bride, and All About Eve.
At the time, the biggest movie stars of the 1950s were Marlon Brando and James Dean.“Above all, television threatened the movie business. By 1951, cities with only one television station reported drops in movie attendance of 20 to 40%, and wherever television appeared, movie theaters began to close; in New York City, Eric Barnouw noted, 55 theaters closed by 1951 and in Southern California, 134 (Halberstam, 185).”
Movies included "Twelve Angry Men" and "The Bridge Over the River Kwai.”
Popular Films
The Ten Commandments
Around the World in Eighty Days
12 Angry Men
Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Three Faces of Eve
Sophia Loren checks out Jane Mansfield’s assets in 1957.
Popular Books
The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss
From Russia with Love - Ian Fleming
The Guns of Navarone - Alistair MacLean
On the Road, Jack Kerouac, was first published in 1957. The book’s second line is: “I had just gotten over a serious illness that I won’t bother to talk about.” This is a reference to the 1957 flu which was about the same in seriousness as the Chinese flu of 2020; however, the response was totally different.
“For those who grew up in the 1930s and 1940s, there was
nothing unusual about finding yourself threatened by
contagious disease. Mumps, measles, chicken pox, and German
measles swept through entire schools and towns; I had all four.
Polio took a heavy annual toll, leaving thousands of people
(mostly children) paralyzed or dead. There were no vaccines.
Growing up meant running an unavoidable gauntlet of
infectious disease. For college students in 1957, the Asian flu
was a familiar hurdle on the road to adulthood.”—Clark
Whelton, “Say Your Prayers and Take Your Chances: Remembering the 1957 Asian Flu Pandemic,” City Journal,
March 13, 2020.
Television
Over 4 Million Families Had TVs at Home
Around 4.4 million homes had television sets by 1950. This might sound like a lot for the era, but it was only 9% of households. By the end of the decade, the figure spiked to 90% of households, marking a transformational decade for entertainment. Television programming, especially the American sitcom, became a staple of family life. These shows epitomized the stereotypical American family unit, from the Cleavers of Leave It to Beaver to the Warrens of Father Knows Best.
Getty Images
TV showed "Perry Mason" and "Maverick" for the first time.
“Nothing showed the power of this new medium to soften the edge between real life and fantasy better than the coming of Lucille Ball (Halberstam 196).”
The final new episode of the classic television comedy “I Love Lucy” aired on CBS on May 6th 1957. The episode was titled “The Ricardos dedicate a Statue.” Throughout the series’ 181 episode run, viewers watched Lucy’s crazy antics unfold with the help of her landlords Fred and Ethel, often to the dismay of her husband Ricky. The show had been nominated for several Prime Time Emmy Awards and won four. It starred real-life couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz who went on to continue the show in a different format from the end of the year to 1960 as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.”
“Nothing showed the power of this new medium to soften the edge between real life and fantasy better than the coming of Lucille Ball (Halberstam 196).”
The final new episode of the classic television comedy “I Love Lucy” aired on CBS on May 6th 1957. The episode was titled “The Ricardos dedicate a Statue.” Throughout the series’ 181 episode run, viewers watched Lucy’s crazy antics unfold with the help of her landlords Fred and Ethel, often to the dismay of her husband Ricky. The show had been nominated for several Prime Time Emmy Awards and won four. It starred real-life couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz who went on to continue the show in a different format from the end of the year to 1960 as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.”
The year 1957 was a landmark year for television, with several iconic shows making their debut. Here are some of the most notable ones:
Classic Dramas:
- Perry Mason: This courtroom drama, based on the popular series of novels, featured Raymond Burr as the brilliant and charismatic defense attorney Perry Mason. The show ran for nine seasons and spawned numerous TV movies and spin-offs.
- Have Gun - Will Travel: This Western series starred Richard Boone as Paladin, a gunfighter who only worked for $5,000 per job. The show was known for its gritty realism and philosophical themes.
- Tales of Wells Fargo: This Western anthology series followed the adventures of different characters involved with the famous Wells Fargo stagecoach company. The show featured a star-studded cast, including Dale Robertson, Jack Palance, and Fess Parker.
Family Sitcoms:
- Leave It to Beaver: This heartwarming sitcom depicted the everyday lives of the Cleaver family in idyllic Mayfield, USA. The show tackled relatable themes of family, friendship, and growing up, and remains a cherished part of American television history.
- Bachelor Father: This sitcom starred Bachelor Father (played by John Forsythe) as a man raising his young niece and nephew after their parents' death. The show was known for its witty dialogue and charming characters.
- The Real McCoys was a popular American sitcom that began in 1957 (and ran until 1963). It focused on the lives of the McCoy family, originally from the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, who relocate to California to run a farm they inherited. This style of country humor seemed to anticipate the later show, The Beverley Hillbillies.
Late-Night Talk Shows:
- The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar: This iconic late-night talk show introduced a new era of late-night television with its freewheeling style and controversial guests. Jack Paar's hosting tenure from 1957 to 1962 helped shape the future of the genre.
These are just a few of the many great TV shows that began in 1957. This year was truly a golden age for television, and these shows continue to be enjoyed by audiences today.
Shopping
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRRkh9eKY7M
The first TV advertisement for the Dove beauty bar encouraged the viewer to compare Dove soap to ordinary soap. As the ad says, “Every bar of new Dove is one-quarter cleansing cream. Ordinary soap dries your skin, but Dove creams your skin while you wash.” Similar to “Try All THREE!” it is inviting the viewer to make the comparison themselves and determine which is better without directly naming a competitor.
From Lever House in New York City come the greatest skin care discovery of our time. Its name is Dove. This amazing new bath and toilet bar is actually one quarter cleansing cream. Every bar of new Dove is one quarter cleansing cream. Ordinary soap dries your skin, but Dove creams your skin while you wash.
Make this simple test. Wash one half of your face with soap, any soap. Rinse thoroughly and then notice how dry your skin feels after using soap. Now wash the other half of your face with amazing new Dove. No after feeling of dryness now. Your skin has a velvety, just creamed feeling. That's because Dove creams your skin while you wash. Lever Brothers guarantees that Dove is better for your skin than any soap or your money back. Dove creams your skin while you wash.
Where would you go to find all these wonderful products? Shoppers would go to Sears of course. This is a picture of a Sears parking lot in 1957. Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in 1892 and reincorporated by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald in 1906. It began as a mail ordering catalog company, and mom shopped from the catalog and in physical stores as well.
In 1957, depicted in the well-known catalog, are sample pages from the JC Whitney collection. Whitney is a retailer of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories. Whitney began in 1915 as The Warshawsky Company, a scrap metal yard on the South Side of Chicago. The company's founder was Lithuanian immigrant Israel Warshawsky. Throughout World War I, Warshawsky bought failed auto manufacturers and added new parts to his inventory. The Warshawky Company continued to grow, even during the Great Depression. Israel's son Roy joined his father at the company and proposed expanding with a nationwide catalog and placed an ad in Popular Mechanics for sixty dollars. The ad offered readers a "giant auto parts catalog" for 25¢. Response to the ad was huge. As kids we pored over this catalog like it was the Bible.
Rock 'n' Roll
In 1957 rock ‘n’ roll artists such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly were hitting the charts.https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTFzQlK7fWk9eHTH69gnKbu9zlRjd4SBK
Elvis Presley purchased a mansion in Memphis, Tennessee and called it ”Graceland;” Elvis premiered the film “Jailhouse Rock.”
The popular Philadelphia television show “American Bandstand” made its national television debut in August. The show aired on ABC and featured groups of teenagers dancing to the most popular songs of the week. Often, one of the featured musical acts would appear on the show to perform a lip-synced version of their hit song. The show was hosted by Dick Clark.
The popular Philadelphia television show “American Bandstand” made its national television debut in August. The show aired on ABC and featured groups of teenagers dancing to the most popular songs of the week. Often, one of the featured musical acts would appear on the show to perform a lip-synced version of their hit song. The show was hosted by Dick Clark.
1957 also saw the outbreak of one of the biggest pandemics of the modern era. Not coincidentally, another hit of that year was "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" by Huey "Piano" Smith (no relation) & the Clowns. People enjoyed this song about the pandemic of 1957; the single sold over one million copies, achieving gold disc status, and got to #52 on the Billboard chart.
The "Asian flu--as it was then uncontroversial to call a contagious disease that originated in Asia--was a novel strain (H2N2) of influenza A. It was first reported in Hong Kong in April 1957, having originated in mainland China two months before, and--like Covid-19 in 2020--it swiftly went global. The global mortality rate starting in 1957, continuing until 1959, influenza pandemic was approximately 10-fold greater than that of the 2020 pandemic. Worldwide this flu killed around 1.1 million people.
Dad never took a day off, schools were never closed, and mom told me when I asked her about it she was unconcerned even with two small children under five years old. Some of the highest excess death rates were among children under five years. However, life went on normally.
Four mop tops in England were just forming at the time and they didn't have a permanent drummer yet.
Jimi Hendrix at age 15 with his first electric guitar, 1957.
In December 1957, Frankie Lymon appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” to sing “Goody Goody,” nearly two years after “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” was a hit debut single.
Teen Culture
Teenagers were embracing early rock 'n' roll in both America and in Great Britain while enjoying music despite the fact that during the 1957 flu teenagers had the highest relative excess death rate. In fact, teenage life was one big super spreader event.
Boy Scout sub-camp at the 1957 Jamboree at Valley Forge
1957 Boy Scouts Jamboree Valley Forge PA
Safety and health was a concern but worse dangers were closer to home. In May 1957, after hurtling at 90 miles an hour along Route 202 teenagers crashed and were killed. Their ‘57 Buick crashed car was then displayed as a warning to students at the Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School in Ambler, PA.
High school students in Washington, D.C., September 1957 Photo: Everett Collection
Speaking of schools 1957 was the first year that Merriam-Webster was the official dictionary for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Popular toys were Slinkys and Hula Hoops as well as the first Frisbees.
1957: Endsville
The most popular slang word of the year was Endsville.
Politics
In 1957 Americans were optimistic although the era was not without its share of concerns. In 1957, three Air Force Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses became the first jets to circle the world non-stop, proving the U.S. could drop a hydrogen bomb anywhere. The flights took 45 hours and 19 minutes.
Operation Power Flite used in-flight refueling to stay aloft. The mission was intended to demonstrate that the United States had the ability to drop a hydrogen bomb anywhere in the world.[1]
On October 4th the USSR launched the first artificial satellite Sputnik 1. The United States attempted to launch its first satellite, the Vanguard TV3 rocket, but it failed.
http://www.touchcast
The Sputnik moment concerned many Americans at just this time.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GhJnt3xW2Fc
“No one in the Eisenhower administration, despite all the warnings, was prepared. Even worse, and this was surely generational, none of the senior men even saw at first what a psychological victory it was for the Soviets (p. 624).”
At the very least 1957 America was a very different country from today.
Eisenhower did promote highways and my parents took advantage of the opportunity to travel as much as possible. America’s interstate highway system began with Eisenhower’s initiative.
In June 1956, Congress approved the Federal-Aid Highway Act, which called for the construction of 41,000 miles of interstate highways throughout the country. It was the largest public works project to date, and helped boost an economy that had already started to rebound in 1955. Construction on some spans of highway began almost immediately, with segments opening as early as the following autumn. The new roads provided increased access to suburban areas, which, combined with government programs and other socioeconomic factors, spurred the rise of the suburbs.
Part of the revenue stream for the new highway system was a gas tax increase, which rose from 2 cents per gallon to 3 cents per gallon. In response, the price of gas fluctuated between a 1-cent and 2-cent increase for the rest of the 1950s. In 1956, the national average was $0.30 per gallon, or around $3.47 today; in 1959, it was $0.31, the equivalent of $3.34 today.
The 1957 influenza pandemic, also known as Asian flu, was a global pandemic of influenza A virus subtype H2N2 which originated in Guizhou, China and killed at least 2 million people worldwide. The first wave peaked in October (among children who returned to school) and the second wave, in January and February 1958 among elderly people, which was more fatal. The schools remained open although children died, my sister and I were young and not in school yet, but the interesting thing to note in contrast to the 2020 pandemic is that life went on normally. No one panicked. Over the world, the pandemic caused a range of 1 to 4 million deaths and as many as 116,000 people died in the United States.
Competition to Buick included many other 1957 models.
In the background (look behind the ladies, really, look!) there is a Woody and a Studebaker.
1957 DeSoto (wonder why Mom didn't want Dad to purchase this one?)
1957 Nash Ad
1957 Rambler
The 1957 Rebel and/or the 1955 Rambler were both being great examples of what AMC was capable of on an always tight budget. The Rebel was one of, if not the first, American car with a large-block V-8 in a mid-size car which would become the thing to do seven to 10 years later for everyone else, it was capable of 0–60 speeds in under 8 seconds which would be considered quick even 30 years later. Arguments can be made that it was the first “muscle car” and included many features considered “de rigueur” for later performance cars.
1957 Plymouth Ad
1957 Oldsmobile Ad
Studebaker’s most powerful and prestigious model at the time, the Golden Hawk debuted in 1956 with 352 cubic inches of Packard V-8 power, showing the fruits of the brand’s merger with Packard two years prior. For 1957, a Studebaker 289 replaced the larger Packard mill, but the output was the same 275 horsepower as before thanks to a centrifugal supercharger. These luxurious winged coupes are a rare treat, and because a 1956 model participated in the famed Mille Miglia.
1957 Pontiac Ad
1957 Dodge and a F-86D Sabre
1957 Chevrolet Lineup
This one-of-a-kind car toured the auto show circuit in 1957 to introduce the continuous-flow Ramjet fuel injection system developed by GM's Rochester carburetor division. Its cut-down Plexiglas windscreen is the most obvious clue to its pedigree, and a closer look reveals a custom tachometer, unique wood-rimmed steering wheel, and custom gas, brake, and clutch pedals. Even the tires--the original U.S. Royal XP-140 whitewalls--are remarkable, ostensibly the only set of five still existing.
Chrysler timed Imperial pronouncement to coincide with the company’s full-line redesign that had been nearly five years in the making after newly-minted company president Lester Colbert hired Virgil Exner following his successful stint at Studebaker in the late 1940s. Together, the pair created the Advanced Styling Group, which produced a series of show-stealing concept cars while building up to what became known as the “Forward Look,” Chrysler’s new corporate visage.
1957 Plymouth
1957 Plymouth Wagon with Trailer
1957 Plymouth Fury
1957 Chrysler "Forward Look"
Designer Virgil Exner, said, “Let’s try giving the quarter panel this treatment.” And he waved his hand through the air in an up-swinging arc. With that, Chrysler’s so-called Forward Look was born. It hit the showrooms for the 1957 model year as a brace of lower and longer cars with elegant towering fins sweeping off the rear. All of Chrysler’s divisions, including Dodge, Plymouth, De Soto, and Imperial got a unique version, and the public went wild. Chrysler’s share of the U.S. market rose from 15–19 percent, market leader GM was forced to scrap its plans and respond, and Exner—his underlings called him “Ex”—would become a legend.
1957 Chrysler Advertisement
1957 Chrysler Road Test
1957 Oldsmobile
1957 Oldsmobile Wagon
1957 Studebaker
1957 Chevrolet
1957 Pontiac Ad
1957 Pontiac Star Chief Convertible from The Ferguson Collection
1957 Pontiac Star Chief near a cold motel
1957 Dodge
1957 Dodge Ad
1957 Dodge Ad
1957 Rambler
1957 Dodge Coronet towing a boat
1957 Dodge and a F-86D Sabre
1957 Dodge Mayfair Convertible (Canadian)
1957 Daytona
1957 Dodge
1957 Dodge w/friends
1957 Dodge Pickup
1957 GMC Pickup and Traveleze
1957 Chevrolet Lineup
1957 Corvette Test Article
1957 Corvette "Big Brake" Airbox
This highly optioned racing coupe was in reach of the average Joe, not my parents, but those who could afford it. It has the highly desired "big brake" package and the coveted Airbox intake system, unique to the 283/283 small-block with its solid-lifter cam and Rochester fuel injection. It had heavy-duty racing suspension, a Positraction rear end, 5.5-inch-wide wheels, and both a radio and a heater. It is one mean street machine.
1957 Corvette Super Sport show car
1957 Chevrolet Showroom
1957 Chevy, the hoodlums are extra.
1957 Chevy with Hydroplane
1957 Chevrolet on the street
Typical Street scene, 1957 Chevrolet
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible
1957 Chevrolet Convertible Ad
'57 Chevy's figure even when Canadian firefighters sunk one in Lake Superior.
1957 Ford Advertisement
MidTown Motors 1957 Ford Ad
1957 Ford Custom 300 Police Car
1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner Retractable Hardtop
Ford Ranchero
Ford Ranchero Brochure
 |
Ford was the first automaker to build a hybrid pickup. Ranchero Ad  |
AMT model 1957 Ford
1957 Ford Convertible
1957 Ford Convertible (driver and passenger not included)
1957 Ford with Trophy Winner and the latest skimpy bathing suits.
1957 Ford Thunderbirds with hardtop and top off.
1957 Mercury Ad
1957 Mercury and 1950s neighborhood
1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser Four-Door Hardtop
1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
With Ford and Chrysler nipping at Cadillac’s heels, every successive model needed to be fresh with innovation and for 1957 this was certainly true! The Eldorado lineup was entirely redesigned with a lower stance. As in years past, the Eldorado possessed 325 horsepower versus 300 horses for other Cadillacs. The Eldorado Biarritz Convertible retailed at princely $7,286 and as one of the more expensive models in the Cadillac lineup supply was limited with approximately 1,800 sold that year.
1957 Cadillac assembly line
1957 Cadillac at gas station
Cadillac had a good year, with 146,841 sold in 1957, ninth in the industry sales rankings. The Fleetwood Sixty Special four-door hardtop was the finest “owner-driven” Cadillac you could buy, with a 133-inch wheelbase and overall length of 224.4 inches. MSRP was $5539 ($60,142 today), curb weight 4755 pounds, and exactly 24,000 were built for the year. Under the hood of all new 1957 Cadillacs was a 365-cubic-inch V-8. In all models except the Eldorado, which had a slight horsepower bump compared to the others, the 365 was capable of 300 horsepower at 4800 rpm, breathing through a four-barrel Rochester carburetor. The Eldorados had 325 horses, thanks to twin four-barrel carbs.
1957 Crown Imperial below has two dual filament 7-inch sealed beam headlamps rather than four headlamps. In 1957 in some states it was illegal to have four lights illuminated at one time. Thus, Imperial sold both two and four light versions that year.
1957 Imperial: note the “Sparrow Strainer” tail lights.
In the higher end market the Imperial and the Cadillac battled it out.
The Imperial was always known as “an Engineer’s Car” or “a Driver’s Car”. Although the Cadillac had a great V8 and an excellent HydraMatic transmission, and Cadillacs could be driven fast, those terms were never used to describe Cadillacs.
The reason for that was that the chassis of the Imperial was substantially different from that of the Cadillac. Unlike the Cadillac which used a conventional coil spring front suspension, the Imperial employed a torsion bar design. This seriously reduced both squat under acceleration and dive when braking. But it more importantly reduced body roll and lean in turns. The handling of the Imperial was further enhanced by its wider track. The Imperials could be driven faster than comparable Cadillac models with more confidence and safety.
Both cars were powerful and fast, but in that era the Imperials could easily out accelerate the Cadillacs. The Cadillac had a powerful V8 that produced 380 pound-feet of torque; but the Imperial beat that with a whopping 430 pound-feet! The 0 to 60 time of the Imperial was 9.2 seconds. That of the Cadillac was a much longer 11.3 seconds. The top speed of the Imperial was 4 miles per hour faster. The Imperial also had substantially bigger brakes than the Cadillac and shorter stopping distances.
This dealer film comparing the road behavior of a Chrysler’s torsion bar suspension to that of a 1957 Cadillac 62 illustrating these differences.
1957 Imperial
Howard Hughes' Imperial Convertible: National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images
1957 Imperial Ad
January 1, 1957. Facel Vega Excellence presented during the 44th Car Show in Paris. Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images; France’s Facel Vega produced hugely expensive and exclusive hand-made grand tourers that were usually powered by Chrysler V-8s.
There were concept cars suggested during 1957.
1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400
Mechanix Illustrated introduced its own version of what a land-nautical vehicle might look like in its April 1957 edition; and this same issue tested the 1957 Buick.
1957 Ford X2000
The X2000 was the successor to Ford’s X-1000 concept car, having all the jet-age styling wishes, but with a cab-forward design allowing for a more Jetsons family-style approach to the era’s obsession with air and space travel. The X2000 was only built as a scale model and never became a 1:1 concept car, much less a production vehicle. Yet just like the Ford 24.7 concept above, it foretold of a future where technology outshadows traditional automotive design. It could be a modern autonomous driving pod, except with a sense of style that would get more people on board. (Literally!)
There were also foreign car options that were not popular this side of the pond; however, in the 1960s mom and dad did get a Ford Anglia (like the one featured in Harry Potter).
I'm sure mom and dad never saw this option: 1957 Heinkel Katinenroller
The Heinkel was built in Germany from 1956-58 and under license in Britain, Ireland, and Argentina during the '60s.
1957 Ferrari 250GTZ
There have been several Zagato-bodied Ferraris, from the sublime to the bizarre and all things in between. The 250-series GTZ for 1957 belonged firmly in the former camp. It represented a styling masterclass, the outline having been retrospectively attributed to Fabio Luigi Rapi who is perhaps better known for shaping Fiat’s own-brand 8V coupé. It remains a favorite of third-generation studio principal, Andrea Zagato, too.
Never an option and practically every one in the family rode bikes but dad was never a bike guy. 1957 Harley-Davidson XL Sportster
1957 MG MGA
1957 Jaguar 3.4 liter "Mk1," and pioneered the compact sports saloon in 955.
1957 Lotus 1100 Spider fitted with Coupé roof
Vauxhall Victor F-type, 1957
Vauxhall’s mighty General Motors overlords in Detroit decided to shake up its sleepy British outpost in the 1950s. Its aim was to create a new compact sedan that it might also be able to sell across the U.S. and Canada, as demand for compact models was soaring. To do this, they insisted on the trendy design theme of the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air as a starting point. However, the design was notoriously rust prone and importing came to an abrupt end when Pontiac and Oldsmobile dealers refused to take any more. The few that survive today, mind you, do look pretty cool.
West Germany had the Volkswagen Beetle; East Germany had the Trabant. The latter was built by state-owned VEB Sachsenring Automobilewerke Zwickau in a former Auto Union factory that had once built Horch luxury models. It was introduced in 1957.
Okamura Mikasa 1957
Yoshiwara Kenjiro, founder of Okamura. Known nowadays for its furniture, it survived World War II by producing anything that could be made in its engineering works. Pots, pans, kettles, and garden furniture all helped keep the lights on.
Vespa 400 1957
Makers of the famous Vespa, a small car made plenty of sense, especially in the crowded Italian streets full of families desperate to keep mobile.
1957 Reliant Regal MkIII
A Daimler limo may have been fit for a queen, but the only thing regal about this Reliant is its name. Built by Reliant, the company best known for its budget three-wheeled Robin and nifty Scimitar sports estate, the Regal was one of the company’s first postwar models. It was also the follow-up to the similarly ironically named “Regent” and “Prince Regent.” Available as a saloon, van, estate or pickup, Regals also came with various engines, all of them tiny. To drive one, all you needed was a motorcycle license, which in Britain was a significantly cheaper way of motoring. As a Mark III, this one has an ash-framed fiberglass body and a 747-cc side-valve four-cylinder churning out 16 eager horsepower. According to Bonhams there is currently no soft-top included with this tripod, but can you imagine driving it in the rain?
Using a streamliner first raced at Bonneville in 1957, Team Vesco driver Eric Ritter set a new electric-vehicle speed record with a 353-mph average in 2021.
1957 Tesla
24 November 2023
29 December 2023
My epitaph for my father at his funeral:
"Life's Lessons from Baseball, or What I Learned from My Father"
14 April 2005
First, I want to thank everyone who came today. I appreciate everyone who took time to honor my Dad. I want to take this opportunity to say a few brief words about my father.
If there is a consistent theme, it would be something like "Life's Lesson Learned from Baseball, or What I learned from My Father." From my Dad I learned that baseball is more than just a little boy's game.
I learned what it means to be a man; I learned what it means to be a father.
Sometimes people have nice things to say about how I am a father, which I appreciate, but if you knew my Dad you would realize that fatherhood just comes as second nature to me.
My Dad must have been learning some good lessons for life as he grew up since My Dad learned to play ball on the same field that future Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson played on in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.
When my Dad showed me where he learned to play ball, he told me it didn't matter if the score was 100-1, or 1-100, you must play your best all the time. For example his high school basketball team lost every game during four years but to my Dad that didn't matter as much as playing hard and fair and trying to win.
What I learned is that a man is consistent, faithful, and hard working. These are lessons that My Dad applied to the real world. A man supports his family, he does not complain that the job is too tough or that it can't be done. A man figures out how the job should be done; and then he does it. I learned that while others will fall by the wayside during tough times, by second effort and hard work and hustle, you will come out ahead.
I saw my father go off to work year after year without complaining, and without shirking his duties and responsibilities. But I admire his courage in facing up to difficult times for years and for working so hard to support our family.
Before my Dad was twenty years old, he was married with two kids to feed but he never gave up. I think he learned persistence from playing ball and he passed this onto me. Because he applied himself so well my family could benefit from his hard work and hustle.
The hustle my Dad got from his boyhood hero, Leo Durocher, manager of the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers. Durocher was well-known from his famous line about, "Nice guys finish last," by which he meant you always have to hustle.
In Little League my Dad taught me to stop trying to hit the ball over the fence and to just connect with the ball.
The life lesson in this is that it will happen if you let it happen. Dad had a great strategy for life. You have to do the ordinary, extraordinarily, well.
You don't have to be flashy, or a "big mouth" to get the job done. You just have to figure out a way for your team, or your family, to win.
As for me and in closing, I now know where my Dad is. He is imitating the legendary base stealer Jackie Robinson from Dad's beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. And just like Jackie who played with so much hustle, Dad is taking a big lead off third base and--just a bit ahead of the rest of us--Dad is a'stealin' home.
Posts
