No end to learning
Posted: October 31, 2013 Filed under: Clubs, history Leave a commentStarted out reading about the Hotel Nacional in Havana.
In 1933, after Fulgencio Batista’s coup against the transitional government, it was the residence of Sumner Welles, a special envoy sent by U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to mediate the crisis, and was the site of a bloody siege that pitted the officers of the Cuban army… against the non-commissioned officers and other ranks of the Cuban army, who supported Batista.
Sumner Welles:
A New York Times profile described him at the time he joined the foreign service: “Tall, slender, blond, and always correctly tailored, he concealed a natural shyness under an appearance of dignified firmness. Although intolerant of inefficiency, he brought to bear unusual tact and a self-imposed patience.”
He lived in this mansion, which is now the Cosmos Club:
The Cosmos Club is a private social club, incorporated in Washington, D.C. in 1878 by men distinguished in science, literature and the arts. In June, 1988 the Club voted to welcome women as members.
Since its founding, the Club has elected as members individuals in virtually every profession that has anything to do with scholarship, creative genius or intellectual distinction.
Among its members, over the years, have been three Presidents, two Vice Presidents, a dozen Supreme Court justices, 32 Nobel Prize winners, 56 Pulitzer Prize winners and 45 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
(yes, Carl Sagan is a member of the Cosmos Club)
Let’s not get distracted though. Sumner Welles went on to be Under Secretary of State from 1937-1943.
And then what happened?
In September 1940, Welles accompanied Roosevelt to the funeral of former Speaker of the HouseWilliam B. Bankhead in Huntsville, Alabama. While returning to Washington by train, Welles solicited sex from two African-American Pullman car porters.
Hard to imagine when he had Mrs. Welles at home:
He resigned.
In 1956, Confidential, a scandal magazine, published a report of the 1940 Pullman incident and linked it to his resignation from the State Department, along with additional instances of inappropriate sexual behavior or drunkenness. Welles’ explained the 1940 incident to his family as nothing more than drunken conversation with the train staff
About that top headline
About Frank Sinatra as Tarzan of the boudoir I have no further info.
Pick your motto!
Posted: July 25, 2012 Filed under: Clubs, London Leave a commentWikipedia helpfully provides a list of London’s livery companies and their mottos:
The Livery Companies are listed in alphabetical order, rather than by precedence. Note that most are double entendres or puns about their Company’s purpose.
- Worshipful Society of Apothecaries: Opiferque Per Orbem Dicor (I Am Called a Bringer of Help Throughout the World)
- Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers: We Are One
- Worshipful Company of Bakers: Praise God For All
- Worshipful Company of Barbers: De Praescientia Dei (From the Foreknowledge of God)
- Worshipful Company of Basketmakers: Let Us Love One Another
- Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths: By Hammer and Hand All Arts Do Stand
- Worshipful Company of Bowyers: Crécy, Poitiers, Agincourt
- Worshipful Company of Brewers: In God Is All Our Trust
- Worshipful Company of Broderers: Omnia De Super (All From Above)
- Worshipful Company of Butchers: Omnia Subiecisti Sub Pedibus, Oves Et Boves (Thou Hast Put All Things Under Man’s Feet, All Sheep and Oxen)
- Worshipful Company of Carmen: Scite, Cite, Certo (Skilfully, Swiftly, Surely)
- Worshipful Company of Carpenters: Honour God
- Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales: True and Fair
- Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators: Service with Integrity
- Worshipful Company of Clockmakers: Tempus Rerum Imperatur (Time is the Commander of All Things)
- Worshipful Company of Clothworkers: My Trust Is in God Alone
- Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers: Surgit Post Nubila Phoebus (The Sun Rises After The Clouds)
- Worshipful Company of Cooks: Vulnerati Non Victi (Wounded Not Conquered)
- Worshipful Company of Coopers: Love as Brethren
- Worshipful Company of Cordwainers: Corio et Arte (Leather and Art)
- Worshipful Company of Curriers: Spes Nostra Deus (Our Hope is in God)
- Worshipful Company of Cutlers: Pour Parvenir A Bonne Foy (To Succeed Through Good Faith)
- Worshipful Company of Distillers: Drop as Rain, Distil as Dew.
- Worshipful Company of Drapers: Unto God Only Be Honour and Glory
- Worshipful Company of Dyers: Da Gloriam Deo (Give Glory to God)
- Worshipful Company of Engineers: Certare Ingenio (Use Skills to the Best of One’s Abilities)
- Worshipful Company of Fanmakers: Arts and Trade United
- Worshipful Company of Farriers: Vi et Virtute (By Strength and by Virtue)
- Worshipful Company of Feltmakers: Decus et Tutamen (An Ornament and a Safeguard)
- Worshipful Company of Fishmongers: Al Worship Be To God Only (‘Al’ is spelt with one ‘l’)
- Worshipful Company of Fletchers: True and Sure
- Worshipful Company of Founders: God, The Only Founder
- Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters: Speed, Strength and Truth United
- Worshipful Company of Fruiterers: Deus Dat Incrementum (God Gives the Increase)
- Worshipful Company of Gardeners: In The Sweat Of Thy Brows Shalt Thou Eate Thy Bread
- Worshipful Company of Girdlers: Give Thanks To God
- Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers: Discordia Frangimur (Discord Weakens)
- Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass: Lucem Tuam Da Nobis Deo (O God, Give Us Your Light)
- Worshipful Company of Glovers: True Hands and Warm Hearts
- Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers: Amicitiam Trahit Amor (Love Draws Friendship)
- Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths: Justitia Virtutem Regina (Justice and Virtue are Queen)
- Worshipful Company of Grocers: God Grant Grace
- Worshipful Company of Haberdashers: Serve and Obey
- Worshipful Company of Horners: (no motto known of)
- Worshipful Company of Information Technologists: Cito (swiftly)
- Worshipful Company of Innholders: Hinc Spes Affulget (Hence Hope Shines Forth)
- Worshipful Company of Ironmongers: God Is Our Strength
- Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers: Join Loyalty With Liberty
- Worshipful Company of Leathersellers: Soli Deo Honor et Gloria (Honour and Glory to God Alone)
- Worshipful Company of Loriners: (Note – this Company has no motto)
- Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards: Corde Recto Elati Omnes (With an Upright Heart All Are Exalted)
- Worshipful Company of Management Consultants: Change through Wisdom
- Worshipful Company of Masons: God is our Guide
- Worshipful Company of Mercers: Honor Deo (Honour God)
- Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors: Concordia Parvae Res Crescunt (In Harmony Small Things Grow)
- Worshipful Company of Musicians: Preserve Harmony
- Worshipful Company of Needlemakers: They Sewed Fig Leaves Together And Made Themselves Aprons
- Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers: Amor Queat Obedientiam (Love Can Compel Obedience)
- Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers: Recipiunt Foeminae Sustentacula Nobis (Women Receive Support From Us)
- Worshipful Company of Paviors: God Can Raise To Abraham Children of Stone
- Worshipful Company of Pewterers: In God is all my Trust
- Worshipful Company of Plaisterers: Let Brotherly Love Continue
- Worshipful Company of Plumbers: Justicia Et Pax (Justice and Peace)
- Worshipful Company of Poulters: Remember Your Oath
- Worshipful Company of Saddlers: Hold Fast, Sit Sure; Our Trust Is In God
- Worshipful Company of Salters: Sal Sapit Omnia (“Salt seasons everything”; implies that “Wit improves discourse”)
- Worshipful Company of Scriveners: Littera Scripta Manet (The Written Word Remains)
- Worshipful Company of Shipwrights: Within the Ark Safe Forever
- Worshipful Company of Skinners: To God Only Be All Glory
- Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers: A Blessing to the Aged
- Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers: Verbum Domini Manet in Eternum (The Word of the Lord Endures Forever)
- Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers: Ecce Agnus Dei Qui Tollit Peccata Mundi (Behold the Lamb of God, Who Takes Away the Sins of the World)
- Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers: Amore Sitis Uniti (Be United In Love)
- Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders: Producat Terra (Out of the Earth)
- Worshipful Company of Turners: By Faith I Obteigne
- Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers: In God Is All Our Trust
- Worshipful Company of Upholders: Sustine Bona (Uphold the Good)
- Worshipful Company of Vintners: Vinum Exhilarat Animum (Wine Cheers the Mind)
- Worshipful Company of Water Conservators : Nulla vita sine aqua (No life without water)
- Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers: Truth is the Light
- Worshipful Company of Weavers: Weave Truth With Trust
- Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights: God Grant Unity
- Worshipful Company of Woolmen: Lana Spes Nostra (Wool Is Our Hope)
- Worshipful Company of World Traders: Commerce and honest friendship with all
h/t our Chestnut Hill office, which got us started with an article about Doggett’s Badge & Coat. Good detail:
While anything remotely related to sports is being smothered with news coverage these days in Olympics-saturated London, there were very few here in the way of news media and spectators. This was just as well, as the young victor of the six-man rowing race, a 23-year-old named Merlin Dwan, was a bit far along in his celebration.
“You’re way too late,” a friend warned a reporter, as the sole camera crew on site attempted fruitlessly to conduct an interview.
Picture above is of Fishmongers’ Hall.