Professor Hamilton's Diary: Jan. 14, 1935

His students cut class; FDR's former law partner spends night at the White House

It was a windy and cold January Monday and four of the five students in his 9 a.m. class didn’t show up. He doesn’t seem to have taken it personally. The afternoon was devoted to faculty meetings, including one regarding a chapter of the American Association of University Professors. He spent the afternoon and evening working at home, including doing some typing. He underlined the word “typing,” perhaps suggesting it was quite an ordeal.

At the White House, President Roosevelt welcomed as an overnight guest Basil O’Connor, a key figure in his professional, political and philanthropic life. Paid subscribers can read on about this remarkable and multi-talented man who can take much of the credit for the successful vanquishing of polio in the United States and the world.