Letterhead from the Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, Fairfield Chemicals Division.
At this point, Walter was still working for FMC in a consulting capacity, but he’d been out for awhile on sick leave after a cancer diagnosis. Remember those cigars he’s always smoking in photos?
February 27, 1961
These two photos have no information attached. I believe the man on the left in the first photo is Merritt Sarles, one of Walter’s graduate school classmates at Hopkins and later a co-worker at US Industrial Chemicals. Walter is on the right. The second photo shows Walter standing in front of the USI lab.
It is difficult to find photos of Walter without a cigar.
Walter with Colleagues, ca. 1950
Walter at US Industrial Chemicals, ca. 1950.
Stationery from the Hotel Urmey, Miami, FL.
Tuesday PM.
My dear Ina & Boys,
This is the second day of the meetings here and my paper comes just before noon tomorrow. The title evidently sounds interesting because I had an AP man to look me up tonight. I am not sure that he will give a good write up because I work for a commercial firm. He did get a pretty complete story and I am to phone him at ten tonight to see if he has any other questions. There are no papers by Bureau men, but I note that FCB, Travis and Doernier are here. I expect some remark from FC for giving the paper here instead of the entomological meetings. Think I’ll tell him that there is a lot to the story and that I think we will pass it around to all the meetings where papers of this kind are in order.
November 5, 1946
I am stopping at a residence near one of my customers. I spent this forenoon with him, also a while yesterday. He typed my speech for me and he did a very good job. Had a draft typed at New Orleans. I think it is now in pretty good shape. I hope I can make them understand me tomorrow. There is no address system. Now something about where I have been and where I am going from here. I am not satisfied with my arrangements for tests and I think I’ll stop at Ford Lauderdale to see Mr. Morton. I saw him in New Orleans but it was not very satisfactory. I want to get some tests on animals for horse flies. I plan to go to Orlando briefly and see Dr. Miller who works independently there. I want to see a state entomologist at Lake Alfred which is near Orlando, but I may have to go to Gainesville to see him. Think I should go to Gainesville anyway, then to Savannah. Simmons & 3 of his men are here & they had some good papers.
At New Orleans I had a room at the Roosevelt. Dr. Zink left a note for me and he came with Mrs. Zink the next day. They used his brother’s apartment and he made my room his headquarters during the meetings. She is very nice and I am sure that you will like her. They want you and me to eat dinner with them before long & let Tommy play with their little girl. The day after the N.O. meetings they insisted on taking me to Roxie, but I told him that if he had that much time I’d rather take him to see the regional laboratory at New Orleans & then to Gulfport. So we saw Fred Smith & the regional lab, then Mr. Padgets equipment at Gulfport, and then the termite lab at Gulfport.
They put me on a bus at Gulfport on Thursday noon and I arrived at Roxie Thursday night about 6:30. Marshall got there about 15 minutes ahead of me. Ethel and the two younger boys were with him. Marshall & the boys hunted squirrels part of Friday & caught fish in La. on Saturday. Dunbar finished the church painting on Friday & on Sat. AM he went with Revah to Roxie. Ethel & Mama went with me to Hamburg & the Williams Cemetery on Friday PM. Sat. PM Revah and I walked over the back part of th eplace, also a small tract of land that adjoins the place, about 80 acres that you and I are interested in. Some of it is pasture and some in woods. The location is very good and I hope we get it OK.
At New Orleans I had my pictures in 2 papers. Dr. Zink sent them to N.Y. I gave one to Mother Dove so I do not have any extra copies. You know what I look like anyway (no wisecracks from Walter White and Lewis). One PM at N.O. Dr. Zink and I went to the USI plant and it is a beautiful one. They make alcohols and dry ice from molasses and I found it extremely interesting. The manager & his wife ate dinner with the Zinks and me at Antoine’s. We also had other guests for USI and D&O. A real French dinner of the best they had to offer.
This letter gives some account of my activities, and if you want to reach me during the next few days please try the Hotel Fort Gatlin at Orlando.
With love,
Walter.
1024 N. Oregon St.,
El Paso, Texas,
Feb. 22, 1945.
Dear Walter:
After so long a time I thought I would drop you a line. Probably I am doing the wrong thing in writing a personal letter as there might be some Departmental regulations forbidding a superior writing an inferior or vice versa.
February 22, 1945
It was with the thought in mind that probably cigars were hard to obtain in Washington and the knowledge that you enjoyed cigars that prompted my sending you some last Fall. At that time I wrote you. Both the cigars and my letter had my return address on same, and, in-as-much as neither were returned and no word from you, I surmised that it might have occurred that I had some ulterior reason for sending the cigars. If such should be the case same was not received in the spirit in which they were sent.
There is a goodly supply of Mexican cigars to be had in Juarez. One brand in particular selling at 8¢ is a very good cigar. Before the war they sold for 6¢.
Very much to my surprise Dr. Laake showed up at the bridge this afternoon. From the New Orleans meeting he went to the Pacific Northwest and has visited practically all of the western states. He leaves tomorrow night for Dallas.
Robert Spencer, formerly in the movies but now in the Air Corps passed through El Paso this past week. He phoned me but we were unable to see him as he had but a 15 minute stopover. He was en route to Hollywood with his newly acquired bride. He is due to return via El Paso next week and plans to stop over for possibly a one day visit. His father is Mrs. Bishopp’s brother. They lived in Dallas some years ago.
Mrs. Pettit went to Dallas from Austin for the wedding which was last Saturday. She wrote that all of the country from Austin to Dallas was covered with water. Everything else considered there should be some good crops in that part of the country this year.
As you probably know, my wife is a registered nurse and has been on active duty for several months. My work hours shift weekly and she is able to get hours of duty to coincide with mine — so we are together as much as when she wasn’t nursing. She does general duty at the Southwestern General Hospital and does not have to enter private homes.
I have now had some 13 years on the Mexican Border and I would welcome a change back New Orleans way. Our work is pretty much the same old hum-drum and it becomes very monotonous. I believe there are more drunks pass our inspection booth than any other one place in the state of Texas.
Kind regards to you and your family from
Your friend,
A.K. [Pettit]
P.S. Once heard the remark if you live in El Paso for 10 years 95% of everyone you know will pass by. A.K.
Army V-Mail.
Major R.A. Roberts
Med Sec, HQ Fifth Army
APO 464 New York, N.Y.
January 20, 1945
In Italy
Dr Doctor and Mrs. Dove:
How nice of you to remember me with a box of real chocolates for Christmas. I assure you we rarely see anything like this over here and nothing coudl be appreciated more. I think so often of both of you and of the boys. Quarterman writes that he has seen you and that the boys are almost grown up – at least most of them.
January 20, 1945
I see Dr. Dove’s name often on reports from Washington and you will be interested to know that I adapt my field work to many of the recommendations made. I am having many interesting experiences with DDT and I hope some of my results come to your attention. I am busy all year and no sooner than one program is finished, I am ready to start another. The Orlando Station has done a fine job and I expect to hear good reports from the new station at Savannah.
My best regards to all,
R.A. Roberts
Army V-Mail.
Lt. Col. Emory C. Cushing
Office Chief Surgeon
APO 887 c/o Postmaster
New York N.Y.
Dec. 26, 1944
Dear Walter:
Many thanks for the box of delicious candy you remembered me with on Xmas. We don’t get much of that kind over here and it will be a big help in keeping up the calories during the cold days.
Dec. 26, 1944
How is the Division faring these days? It seems like a lot of organizations want to get on the DDT band wagon and I am concerned about what might happen to the Division’s work during the post-war period with so many chiselers at large. What about the entomologist the SGO wants on its insect committee? For heaven’s sake help them to get someone that’s got his feet on the ground and with lots of common sense. They have needed one for a long time. While I may not be able to furnish the above qualifications, I would certainly like to have that job. Could you put in a plug for me?
Give my love to Ina and the boys. I hope you all had a Merry Xmas and that the prospects for the New Year come to full fruition.
Sincerely,
Emory
Postmarked Chicago.
Tuesday AM.
Had a conference and lunch with Dr. Riggs yesterday noon and at dinner last night I met Schwartz. Did not see him on the train. We went to Berghoff’s at the same time for dinner and accidentally met there. We visited last night & had breakfast together this morning. We go to Sioux Falls on different trains & will meet there Wed. A.M. for the conference. The booklet looks fine but needs a few minor changes which I hope to correct today.
Walter.
August 10, 1943
February 27, 1943
Hon. Will Leach
Judges Chambers
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Dear Will:
I hope you will pardon my delay in answering your good letter of January 6. I can assure you that I was very pleased to hear from you and to learn of your recent successes. The results of the polls in 1927 up to the present time have certainly been a tribute to your ability and it is a real pleasure to learn that one who can survive the battle of Valdahon could return to his native city and pick up where he left off prior to the last World War.
February 27, 1943
I recall very clearly your interest in entomology with Lt. Cliff, but your test did not seem to warrant any suggestions from me. You will probably also remember when Alphabet Fields and someone else returned from leave with infestations of cooties. The clothing was removed and placed under the cover of a motor box where it was fumigated with a cyanimide gas. Fortunately Artin had some sodium cyanimide and sulfuric acid in the shop – just exactly what we needed for fumigation of the clothing. At the time I knew of no tests with this fumigant on cooties, but we did observe that all stages including the eggs sere killed and that there was no further infestation in Flight C. I have since had an opportunity to check on such fumigations and found that they are very effective. They are not recommended for use in the Army because of the extreme danger of hydrocyanic acid gas. We have developed one which we think is much better, and we hope that the soldiers in this conflict will have the same opinion.
The article which you saw in the Country Gentleman might lead you to believe that my interest is entirely in cooties. As a matter of fact, we are making studies and experiments on a number of pests that affect combat troops. We have made some recommendations which are already in use, and we are striving for even better materials in order to prevent typhus, malaria and the annoyance caused by the pests.
I hope that you will come to Washington in the near future and that you will have time for a good visit. We have three sons in our family ranging from two to thirteen and Mrs. Dove does a good job in looking after their wishes. If possible let me know a day or two before you come to Washington so that we can make definite plans.
It was mighty fine of you to write to me as soon as you had my address, and I also appreciate your mention of our interest to the Hon. John W. Murphy who has succeeded Congressman Boland.
With very best wishes, and looking forward to seeing you at some early date, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Walter
I’m not going to transcribe this lengthy exchange verbatim, but it’s an interesting discussion. Walter received a letter from George Decker, with whom he’d worked on grasshopper control in the 1930s. Decker is now working on chinch bugs in the midwest, and has heard rumors that the USDA is desperately seeking entomologists with field experience for the war effort. He asks Walter if he should offer his services. Walter writes back to describe the Army’s current recruiting efforts for science officers, and to point out that those working on domestic crop production are already considered critical to the war effort and therefore unlikely to be allowed to transfer.
January 20, 1943
Postcard
From
Capt R.A. Roberts – O-231739
H.Q. Western Task Force
A.P.O. No. 758, New York, N.Y.
Somewhere in Africa
December, 1942.
Best wishes to you and family for a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Am well and busy.
January 7, 1943