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Horace Kephart Back to search results
WCU - Horace Kephart

Leonard Kephart to Laura Kephart, October 23, 1949, page 1

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wcu_kephart-2430.jpg

Leonard Kephart to Laura Kephart, October 23, 1949, page 1

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Item 2 - Leonard Kephart to Laura Kephart, October 23, 1949, page 2
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Leonard Kephart to Laura Kephart, October 23, 1949, page 2

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Item 3 - Leonard Kephart to Laura Kephart, October 23, 1949
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Leonard Kephart to Laura Kephart, October 23, 1949

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Item 4 - Leonard Kephart to Laura Kephart, October 23, 1949
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Leonard Kephart to Laura Kephart, October 23, 1949

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Item’s are ‘child’ level descriptions to ‘parent’ objects, (e.g. one page of a whole book).

  • Dear Mama, As usual I dont know how far back I am on correspondence but its too much. Neither do I know how far back I am on my checks to you as I dont know what Frances has done about it while I’ve been gone. I’ve been away most of the time since early summer, some long trips and some short but always on the jump. This last four years has been something fierce for ever since 2, 4-D was discovered I have been at the center of a tornado. Everyone and all his relations has been after us for help and since I have been alone in the office a good part of the time that means that they have been after me. In any case I enclose a check for at least part of what I owe you and will send the rest as soon as I find out what it is. Once more I hope that it has not meant hardship for you. Its time, as I well know, that you should not have to worry about that sort of thing. Thats no excuse however for my evident neglect. Two items of importance have happened lately. The first is bad news. J. Sidney Cates died suddenly last Thursday. Its been a bad shock. He had a bad base of pneumonia last spring and while we knew that his heart had been affected slightly no one thought it was serious. Thursday he was at dinner with Theo, Elizabeth and Dr. and Mrs. Roy Adams. He and Adams were discussing the world’s affairs when Caty said, “I still believe in the destiny of the American people - Oh, I’m terribly sick.” And before the Doctor could even grasp his hand he was gone. Its hard to believe. He was a great Caty and one of the very best friends that I ever had. He never failed to ask about you when I saw him and never ceased to take a real interest in all the Kepharts. He was a great guy and I, like all his friends, will never know another like him. The other item is that I am retiring from the Government service October 31. I had been thinking of it for a long time and only waiting a chance at some other job that would bring in some income and still not be too strenuous. I’ve had several offers from commercial concerns, two of which I was weighing seriously, when the World Bank asked me about ten days ago if I would like to come with them as Agricultural Advisor (I guess that’s the title). My connection with them began about six months ago when the phone rang and someone asked if I knew anything about the eradication of “kans grass” in India. I said no. “Well” this voice said, “This is the World Bank and we have been asked for a loan of $10,000,000 to the govern- ment of India to help them get rid of kans grass so that they can grow wheat. They want to buy 350 very large American tractors and plow this grass 18 inches deep and kill it.” I expressed some skepticism [sic] that that kind of plowing was economical or even necessary. To make a long story short we had several conferences about it and the Bank finally approved the loan but with the proviso that the Bank would send an “expert” to India to supervise the job. Immediately they offered me the job but I turned it down because I said that I did not want to live in India or even to go there for any length of time. At last they revised their ideas rather radically and the deal now is that I will be a general advisor to the Bank on requests for loans that involve agricultural matters and will make quick trips from time to time to look into the situation and come back and report. It might be anywhere in the world. That sounded pretty good so I accepted. So, I’m retiring from the Dept. of Agriculture a week from Monday and the very next day go back to work as a banker. Did you
Object
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).

  • In this letter of October 23, 1949, Leonard Kephart (1892-1988) writes his mother, Laura Kephart to send her money and give an update of his work and family. His job has been very busy the last four years, ever since the discovery of 2, 4-D weed killer, and he has been travelling most of the summer. He mentions that J. Sidney Cates died suddenly at a dinner with friends. He tells her that he is retiring October 31 as he has been offered a job as Agricultural Advisor with the World Bank. He will be working for Lt. General R. A. Wheeler and will be travelling right away to Siam (Thailand) and then India. Jane is in Palo Alto where her husband Ralph is in school, Buddy and his wife Mary Ann are building a house and his hardware store is opening another branch, and Barbara is living at home and working for Buddy’s brother-in-law in the cement business. He visited with Cornelia’s family and they are doing well. His wife Frances is retiring February 1.

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Horace Kephart

Background and Early Career Horace Kephart was born in 1862 in Pennsylvania, but spent much of his youth in Iowa. He went on to achieve success in two careers. Trained as a...

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