The People Behind The Lower Forty Characters

Judge Parker

The reflective, philosophical member of the Lower Forty Club was drawn from Parker Merrow '25. In addition to being a judge and attorney, Merrow, now deceased, was also the editor and publisher of the Carroll County Democrat and The Granite State News.

Cousin Sid

THE LATE Sidney Hayward '26, long-time secretary of the College and the editor of the Alumni Magazine from 1930 to 1943, provided the inspiration for the likable but unfortunate Cousin Sid. The character not the real person provides a foil for other members of the club and always manages to get stuck with the dishes on their hunting trips.

Col. Cobb

JIM COBB '53 was the first of an eventual 30 or 40 undergraduates to be taken in by Ford to live at 1 North Balch. An outstanding basketball player at Dartmouth and currently a successful businessman in Baltimore, Cobb says, "Corey just liked the way 'Colonel Cobb', sounded—he only used my name."

Doc Hall

The pipesmoking family man with a love of English setters in Corey Ford's hunting stories was based in part on James Hall '55, whom Ford called "Doc Hall" even as an undergraduate. Hall actually did become a doctor; he now practices internal medicine in Oregon. "That character had my competitiveness, too," says the real Doc Hall.

Uncle Perk

JIM PERKINS '55 met Corey Ford through Delta Kappa Epsilon, where ford was an advisor. The general stores Perkins grew up around in Franconia and Littleton, New Hampshire, provided Ford with the idea for Perkins Sporting Goods Store, where the club held its meetings. "Uncle Perk" is now the CEO of a communications company in Greenwich, Connecticut.