My father would be 90 years old today, if he had lived this long. He was born in Davis Hospital in Pine Bluff, which was built in 1908 and torn down a couple of years ago. My brother Steven was also born in that hospital in 1956. Brothers Greg and Arch were born in the newer Jefferson Regional Medical Center (just called Jefferson Hospital when it opened in 1960). My older brother Jeff and I were born in the George Washington University Medical Center.
The former site of Davis hospital, on the west side of Cherry Street between 11th and 12th avenues, is only three blocks from where I live now. It's a grass-covered vacant lot, belonging to the city of Pine Bluff. Eventually the lot will be put to good use I expect. Anyway, it's significant to me somehow that I currently live three blocks from where my father was born.
Among the books I kept from my parents' small library when the house was finally sold in 2007 (the house is also on Cherry Street, between 40th and 41st) was a small group of books that sat by itself on the highest shelf of one of the two built-in bookshelves. I don't recall taking a good look at these books until the house was being sold. They are a mixture of old textbooks that Daddy used at Columbia University (he was in graduate school there in 1949-51 studying international relations, then went to work for the U.S. State Department for four years), and maybe also the economics text he used at Hendrix College, plus some others from the 1950's and early sixties, a couple of which were gifts from my mother.
In July of this year I wrote down the titles of the books, year of publication, and inscription if there was one. Here's the list, photocopied from my current journal:
The former site of Davis hospital, on the west side of Cherry Street between 11th and 12th avenues, is only three blocks from where I live now. It's a grass-covered vacant lot, belonging to the city of Pine Bluff. Eventually the lot will be put to good use I expect. Anyway, it's significant to me somehow that I currently live three blocks from where my father was born.
Among the books I kept from my parents' small library when the house was finally sold in 2007 (the house is also on Cherry Street, between 40th and 41st) was a small group of books that sat by itself on the highest shelf of one of the two built-in bookshelves. I don't recall taking a good look at these books until the house was being sold. They are a mixture of old textbooks that Daddy used at Columbia University (he was in graduate school there in 1949-51 studying international relations, then went to work for the U.S. State Department for four years), and maybe also the economics text he used at Hendrix College, plus some others from the 1950's and early sixties, a couple of which were gifts from my mother.
In July of this year I wrote down the titles of the books, year of publication, and inscription if there was one. Here's the list, photocopied from my current journal:
And here are two photos from what I think is Christmas 1959 (could be '58). Steven is in the Indian suit (back to camera in both photos), I'm in the cowboy vest and chaps, and Jeff (back to camera in second photo) is also in cowboy clothes.
