Professor Hamilton's Diary: Oct. 8, 1935

Gwennie has her first piano lesson; extortion plot against actress Mae West foiled

After teaching and making arrangements for an Albright College chapter of the American Association of University Professors meeting, Professor Hamilton took Gwennie to her first piano lesson with Miss Richards — their guest Sunday evening. “She enjoyed it very much,” he wrote.

Along with more stories about the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, the Reading Times that morning carried a wire story about a foiled extortion plot against the actress Mae West. Paid subscribers can read on about this popular and controversial woman.

This publicity photo of Mae West was released in 1936, accessed via Wikimedia Commons.