1912
If, in desperation, you finally put the ax to your radio because on every station to which you tuned you heard the nasal singsong, "Johnny-got-a-zero, Johnny-got-a-zero, Johnny-got-a-zero today," blame A 1 Eiseman, for he claims authorship of that so-called popular number. As told by the New York Sun:
" 'Johnny Zero' is scheduled to have its day in the Supreme Court tomorrow when Alfred Eiseman and Howard E. Steiner, who contend that they originated the title and theme of the popular air about the flyer whose academic ability as a youth in getting zeros in school has now been matched by his knack at knocking down those Jap planes of the same name, will sue Mack David and Vee Lawnhurst, lyricist and composer of the piece, respectively, for infringement of copyright.
"It is generally reported that hundreds of thousands of copies and a comparable number of recordings of the song have been sold. The suit will thereby involve thousands of dollars.
"It is the contention of Mr. Eiseman of 21 East 87th Street and Mr. Steiner of the Hotel Wellington that they turned over music and words of 'Johnny Zero' to Dave Dreyer, general professional manager of Irving Berlin, Inc., music publishers, who, in turn, gave this material to Mr. David for 'brushing up.' It is their contention that Mr. David appropriated the title, theme and words and added them to music written by the co-defendant. Mr. Dreyer will be among the witnesses for the plaintiffs.
"According to Mr. Steiner, who is a member of the American Society.of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Mr. Eiseman received the idea for the song while listening to an Eddie Cantor radio broadcast in January, 1943. At that time, Mr. Steiner states, Cantor told a joke about a nettled father who reported his son had always gotten zeros in school and was still getting zeros in the Pacific.
"Mr. Eiseman and Mr. Steiner had collaborated on other earlier songs and shortly after the broadcast took their new piece to Mr. Dreyer who, Mr. Steiner adds, pronounced it 'a great song' and called in Mr. David to 'touch it up.' The rest is on sale at any music store or record shop."
At the annual meeting of the Cigar Manufacturers' Association of America, Alvy Garcia, founder and for seven years president of the association, announced his intention to retire as head of that organization. That does not terminate his activities on behalf of the cigar industry, however, because he has just been appointed by OPA as a member of the Cigar Manufacturers Industry Advisory Committee, which will represent the interests of some 3,254 cigar manufacturers who are affected by OPA maximum price regulations.
As co-ordinator of the Engineering Cadet Training Program of the Curtiss-Wright Airplane Division, Warren Bruner writes in the December issue of the Curtiss Fly .Leaf of the training of young women to assume primary engineering positions with that company. Nearly 700 girls were selected from 5,000 applicants to receive an intensive tenmonth course at seven leading engineering schools. So successful has the program proved to be that an additional 400 girls will be trained this year. In his travels in supervising the selection of trainees, Warren had dinner and spent an evening with Chick McElwain at Louisville, and had a visit with Windy Gale at Buffalo's celebration of Dartmouth Night last fall.
Barrow Lyons recently became head of the Washington Bureau of the Western Newspaper Union, a newspaper service for about 9,000 country newspapers—the biggest outfit of its kind.
Under date of January 25, Syd Clark writes from Mexico City that in a month he will be back in Massachusetts after a most rewarding visit to almost every part of Mexico, where he is gathering material for the book on Mexico that he has contracted to write. When he is in Mexico City he sees Bud Hoban almost every day and they frequently have breakfast together. "I think, sincerely, that Bud is one of the most effective 'good neighbors' the United States has 'exported' to Mexico, and 'l2 may well be proud of him. His boys idolize him here and he has taught them a lot more than football."
We know that Red Whitney is not in his second childhood, but Bea writes from their temporary home in Duluth: "Ralph left the Monday before Thanksgiving to attend a synthetic rubber conference in Akron and evidently it was too much for him as he came down with chickenpox—of all things. When he was ready to come home Christmas morning he developed pneumonia. By December 30 he was allowed to sit up, and finally left the hospital ten days later and stayed at the University Club in Akron until strong enough to embark for Duluth."
Husky DeMerritt is president of the Dartmouth Club of Hawaii and reports that it is going strong after being brought back to life. "We had a grilled steak dinner at my place a few weeks ago, but I was the only 'l2 man present."
In addition to the promotion of Shorty Tyler to a Majority, we have notice of the title, Major Edward A. Richmond, Camp Detrick, Frederick, Maryland.
Sons and Daughters Bush Mensel's oldest son went into the Army Air Force some years ago and is now a captain stationed at Columbus, Miss., in charge of one of the flights. The next son Arthur is a sergeant at the Air Force Classification Center in San Antonio, Texas. After enlisting, originally, as an Aviation Cadet it was determined that his hearing was not quite good enough and he was assigned to ground duty Ole Ahlswede's daughter Gretchen is with the American Red Cross in Italy, "doing what she can to bring cheer to the returning flyers and to give encouragement to the ones that are being evacuated." Jack Ahlswede is in the Signal Corps in the Pacific area. .... Ralph Whitney's daughter Charlotte entered Middlebury College last October Dr. and Mrs. Stan Weld announce the marriage of their daughter, Barbara, to Lt. (jg) William McGuire USNR on February 5 at Hartford, Conn Henry Van Dyne's son Edward is the author of an article in the January 15 issue of the Saturday Evening Post, entitled, "No Other Gal Like Axis Sal," telling of the reaction of overseas soldiers to a broadcast of jazz music from Berlin by "Axis Sally." "That's all boys," she coos at the end of each broadcast—"and a sweet kiss from Sally." The article ends, "Well, Sally, we'll be in Berlin soon—with a great big kiss for you—if you have any kisser left." Corp. Van Dyne has been overseas since September, 1942, as a weather observer for the Army Air Force, serving in England, North Africa, Sicily and, since Salerno, in Italy.
At the Boston Alumni Dinner on February 3rd were gathered the following members of the class: Lyme Armes, Hal Fuller, Pud Pond, Mike Norton, Bill Shapleigh, Ben Hunt, Caesar Young, Ray Cabot, Ralph Baker, Pett Pettingell, Wallie Wallburg, Andy Anderson, Eddie Luitwieler, Doc Viets, Fletcher Clark, Vern Parmenter, Rollie Linscott, Gee Bullard, Ben Adams and his son, Bud Adams. Chubbie Hitchcock's son was there looking hale and hearty after eighteen months in and around Iceland. Bill Shapleigh came all the way from Portland, Maine, for the dinner.
Acting Secretary, 120 Broadway, New York, N. Y. Acting Treasurer, Court House, Dedham, Mass.
