Odds and Ends

There were three additional loose photographs in the album when I found it. They are all from the 1960's, long after Dad's time in the Navy. I am including them because he put them in there, although he had lots of other places to store photos from that newer time. Two are political, one is religious, and only one of the three has identifying information on the back.

The back of the picture: Democratic Dinner at Colonial Terrace, Saturday, 9:30 p.m.
Left to R, Frank Duffey, Ellen Rehmann (possibly misspelled, handwriting is hard to read), Martin R. Parker
Compliments A.A.G.

The picture was undoubtedly taken after 1960 when we were living in Croton, New York. My dad was active in Democratic Party politics at the time, and worked for various candidates. I have no memory of these people, but I was very young at the time, and generally not involved in my dad's political affairs. I have no idea who A.A.G. could be.

From the back: The Frank Reel for Congress Committee, 122 Main Street, Tarrytown, New York
Photographer Anthony Hyde, Jr.
Compliments of Croton-Cortland News

No one is identified in the picture, but my dad is on the far right. The picture was taken on the Hudson River. Note the mothballed Navy ships in the upper left corner.

St. Bonaventure Retreat House

My dad was very involved with the Catholic Church for his whole life and went on retreats at various times. There is no notation on the back of the picture, but my dad is in the middle of the first row, bald, wearing a dark blazer. I do not recognize any of the people in the picture. Given my dad's appearance the picture was taken after 1960.

These are the last of the items in my dad's scrapbook. After leaving the Navy, he went on to graduate from Marquette University, become a journalist, then work in advertising, and eventually become a video producer for the March of Dimes. He had his ups and downs, but had a superb sense of humor throughout his life. He is missed to this day.

Event Programs, 1946

These are scans of the front pages of programs of various events Dad attended. If you would like scans of an entire document, just let me know!

The Original Don Cossack Chorus, Serge Jaroff, Conductor, February 13, 1946.
Presented by the University of Kansas Concert Course.
The program lists fourteen musical arrangements consisting of Russian folk songs, religious works, and Tchaikovsky.

Program from The Cathedral, Kansas City, Missouri.
The program details the services on the Second Sunday in Lent, Feast of St. Patrick, March 17, 1946.

This is the Official Program of the basketball Playoff Game between Kansas and Oklahoma A &M. on March 18, 1946 at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.
The program contains advertisements for local businesses, pictures of the teams, a synopsis of the season, and other interesting basketball information.

James Melton, Leading Tenor, Metropolitan Opera Association, May 7, 1946.
Presented by the University of Kansas Concert Course.
The program lists seventeen musical selections ranging from classical opera arias to folk songs.

Small Loose Pictures

All of these pictures were loose in the scrapbook, but appear to date to the time of the album.

This appears to be a marching/backpacking exercise. There are three pictures, all with the same developing marks, that form a group. The trees are bare, so this could be Fall of 1945 at Gustavus Adolphus.

Part of the set of three. A sailor working, pulling something with a rope.

A picture of my dad, Francis N. Duffey, taken during the march. Could be a self-portrait.

This is a picture of my grandfather, William R. Duffey I. Unknown date.

This is a picture of my dad, Franicis N. Duffey and an unknown older man. Professor? Uncle?

The Last Page

This is the last page of Dad's scrapbook. There are only three items on it, and they certainly do not appear to be related.

This is a little card with the lyrics to all the "Fight Songs" that were in use at K.U. in 1946. The songs on the front and back of the card include: "Crimson and the Blue," "Rock Chalk," "I'm a Jayhawk," "Onward Kansas" (Jack Laffer and Allen Crafton), "Stand Up and Cheer," and "March Song of Kansas U" ( George "Dumpy" Bowles).

Elizabeth Myers, Oak Hill

This is the first of two bathing beauty pictures. This girl is identified on the back as Elizabeth Myers, Oak Hill

Cropped picture of an unidentified girl. Taken in a rural area, note the water pump behind her.

That marks the last of the pictures placed in the scrapbook on pages, but there were miscellaneous items enclosed in the scrapbook that I will post in the next section.

Siamese Twins!

This is the last full page in Dad's scrapbook. The photos seem to be unrelated.

A picture of Dad reading a magazine. Perhaps he is doing research on local entertainment.

And what was the local entertainment scene like?
Text of the poster:
"THE QUEEN OF THE 'TORSO-TWISTERS'
BABY DUMPLIN'
AND HER BIG REVUE
'RARIN' TO GO'
WITH
BENNY 'WOP' MOORE
BILLY WALLACE ~ TED BLAIR
ARLENE MOODY ~ PEGGY BOND
ZEB & MANDY HILLBILLY NOVELTY

Special ATTRACTION!
THE WORLD FAMOUS
SIAMESE TWINS
DAISY & VIOLET HILTON
THE SENSATION OF THE YEAR!"

I'm thinking that the operative word in that poster is sensation, and I'm sure that sailors in attendance were hoping to experience a few of them.

After the show, Dad came home to his desk and bathing beauty poster.

A picture of Francis N. Duffey outdoors.

Ross

This is the only redacted picture in the scrapbook. It is not Dad! On the back it says, "Ross." There were two V-5's with the last name of Ross, Charles Ross and Bob Ross. I have the unredacted photo under lock and key in a safe in a Funk and Wagnall's Dictionary under the letter V. If you want it, let me know! Please note the presence of the palm tree in the corner. Unless that is a picture or decoration of some sort, I'm not seeing this as a picture taken in Kansas.

The picture of this pensive sailor seems to be better placed with the previous page of thoughtful pictures. However, given the nature of the content of this page, perhaps it is apropos to take his lead and ponder just what went on in Kansas!

Election Results

This is one of the few pages detailing life at the University of Kansas that has any specific information. Class election results are posted. It also shows that the pictures in the scrapbook are not necessarily in order by date.

K.U., Mar. 46

Text of the results:
1. The following are the results of the election for V-5 Class Officers:
President: BURGESS, W. P., PT-6 (Bill Burgess)
Vice President: MC ILVAINE, W.R., PT-7 (Bill McIlvaine)
Sec-Treasurer: DE LAPP, J.K. PT-6 (Joe Delapp)

Boys will be boys, and the spooky flashlight picture is always fun.

A picture of Francis N. Duffey looking at something in his hand. He also appears to be having a bad hair day.

Here is a picture of two sailors in their "skivvies," one sitting on my dad's desk, the other standing next to it. Note the bathing beauty on the wall.

Appears to be Joe Delapp, newly elected Secretary-Treasurer.

Unidentified sailor.

I think this is a bit of trickery on Dad's part. It appears to be a double exposure of the same sailor.

Time to Reflect...

Dad captures moments of introspection...

All of the pictures on this page are capturing quiet, more pensive moments. The interior shots of the residence are interesting. I don't know if this was a house that was rented for the sailors, purchased for the sailors, or a rooming house operated by a private individual. What is clear is that this was a family home before all the sailors moved in. This is clearly evidenced by the wallpaper (in this case, a western horse and cowboy theme) that appears in many of the pictures. I can't help but think that this must have crossed the minds of these young men as they wondered about the children that had grown up in these rooms.
Unidentified sailor at a desk. K.U. 1946

Unidentified sailor at a desk. K.U. 1946

Two unidentified sailors at the residence. Note the non-ship-shape appearance of the dresser. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Sometimes excessive thoughtfulness causes drowsiness which leads to a nap. I don't think this is Dad, although he was world class napper. My guess is that he was admiring another's superb napping skills.

Sometimes we reflect upon the nature of the universe, shirtless. Or, maybe it was just hot.

Of course, it is possible to ponder the future, fully clothed.

The book is open, but the mind is definitely not engaged, for this pipe smoking sailor. Note the bottle on the dresser. Could that be the culprit?

Not to be left out, here is Francis N. Duffey in a thoughtful pose. The time on his watch says 9:15, and my guess is that it is p.m.

Given the lighting, this picture of a sailor writing was probably a time exposure.

Sunbathing

It was a different time. No one worried about skin cancer, so, why not sunbathe on the metal stairwell outside of class?

Notice the T-shirt used as a pillow... measures must be taken to preserve comfort.

Smile! Someday, we might find out who you are and send this picture to your great-granddaughter!

Of course the tan should be even.

Here's Dad, with the sunbather hiding behind him! (Francis N. Duffey)

I think this is the same sailor that was sunbathing in the previous pictures. In his spare time he visited the "Dean James Woods Green Memorial" built to honor "Uncle Jimmy" Green in 1946. The statue stands in front of Lippincott Hall.

Elsewhere on campus, a tall sailor dwarfs a short officer. KU 1946

 Close-up of an unidentified sailor.

An unidentified event at the stadium. KU 1946

Another picture of my dad's residence while attending University of Kansas, 1946.

A Stroll Across Campus, K.U. 1946

When sailors walk across campus they notice pretty girls... and...statues!

Two unidentified sailors goofing around.

Two pretty girls.

She seems to be dozing. If Dad's taking the picture he better do something to wake her up...

Dad must have startled her, because now she seems awake, but also falling off the edge of the table!

This seems to be a sailor's dream, surrounded by college girls...

A close-up of the girl on the left in the picture of two pretty girls.

An unidentified sailor strolling on the K.U. campus, 1946.

Two sailors with textbooks strolling on the K.U. campus, 1946.

Three sailors hanging out on the K.U. campus, 1946.

A sailor assisting "The Pioneer" (by Frederick C. Hibbard, 1904) in his work. Could be titled "Working Hard or Hardly Working."