Who Was Inmate John Leibig? A Story of Death, Treason, and the Wild West

The mugshot photo of German immigrant John Leibig is unusual in that he is dressed in what looks like his best Sunday suit. This photograph was taken at Leavenworth Prison in Kansas in 1918 when John Leibig began a year-and-a-half sentence for violation of the Espionage Act. Allegedly, neighbors testified that Leibig spoke of being willing to pay money for the assassination of President Woodrow Wilson and for saying that Americans could never win a war against Germany among other things.

This photograph caught my attention since this is an image of an older man wearing an expensive suit. Leibig is 55 years old and his face shows the weather of being outdoors in hard weather. This is not a stereotypical mugshot of a rancher from the wild west of Wyoming. Who was inmate John Leibig and what was the whole story of his incarceration? Why did President Wilson commute or lessen his sentence from one and a half years to one year? It is a long and complicated tale with lots of missing information so hold on to your hats for the story that is a small piece of history of Wyoming, USA.

Aliens and Slackers: Loyalty, Sedition and Vigilante Justice in World War I Wyoming. This professional piece of research is the foundation for what is written here combined with the prison file of John Leibig from Leavenworth Prison now archived at the National Archives online. If you are intrigued by this story and want to know the nitty-gritty details, read Aliens and Slackers, and you will not be disappointed.


By the 1890s, John Leibig is ranching in Leo, Wyoming, and goes on to create a very successful business on a prime piece of land with permitted access to water, a key to success on the American frontier. By 1905, Leibig became an American citizen and continued to build his ranching business by acquiring more land, sheep, and cattle.

The US Declares War on Germany

In 1917, US President Woodrow Wilson declares war on the German Empire and so Germany becomes the enemy of the nation. As a nation of immigrants, German immigrants were soon national enemies as well in the United States.

In spring 1917 Leibig is middle-aged with plans to sell the ranch and move to the warmer climate of southern California. As the details of the sale were being organized, the US Attorney's Office in Cheyenne received an anonymous complaint of John Leibig making treasonous statements.

Quoting from Phil Roberts, Aliens and Slackers:

"The warrant for his arrest charged him with an 'attempt to obstruct the Recruiting and Enlistment Service of the U. S. Army.' Affidavits, presented at the preliminary hearing on the following Thursday, made by unidentified Leibig neighbors, stated that Leibig 'believes that Germany has acted perfectly right in all her dealings, even as regards the murder and torture of Belgian women and children.' Another swore that Leibig 'had disposed of all his holdings in this section" and he planned to go to California and then into Mexico, 'so that he can from there aid his native country.' Names of the affiants were not mentioned in the news article."

The Alleged Murder of Louis Senfton

While out of jail on bond, John Leibig has an argument with the man who represents a larger company that is buying his land, Louis Senfton. The two men were apparently living together at opposite ends of the ranch house as Leibig continued to liquidate his belongings preparing for his move to California and the property sale to Senfton and associates. There are conflicting testimonies about what happened on October 20, 1917, but the result left Louis Senfton dead from a shotgun at close range and John Leibig was charged with his murder.

It is only after the death of Senfton that news reports come out that he was the anonymous person who had reported that John Leibig was making treasonous statements. This raises several important questions. The sale of Leibig's ranch was still pending at the time that he was reported for treason and at the time of the death of Senfton. As Phil Roberts points out, it is highly unlikely that John Leibig would agree to sell his property to Senfton if he knew of this. Were Senfton and his partners trying to obtain John Leibig's property through nefarious channels by accusing him of treason? Did John Leibig kill Senfton out of rage? Did Louis Senfton accidentally kill himself as John Leibig reported? Unfortunately, many of these questions may remain unanswered.

John Leibig's attorney Hugo Donzelman defended him at the week-long trial. The jury deliberated for two hours and found Leibig not guilty of murdering Louis Senfton. Even though Leibig was released the treason charges were still pending in a federal court in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Espionage Act Violation and Threats Against the President

From Phil Roberts,

"Just before the case was to go to trial, Leibig changed his plea from "not guilty" to "guilty" on all counts. Given that he faced a possible 220 years' sentence in prison if found guilty, his decision to plead guilty likely came as the result of a plea bargain. Once the plea was entered, U. S. District Judge John Riner immediately sentenced him to 1 /1/2 years in the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. At that point, Leibig became only the second man in Wyoming sent to federal prison for violation of the Espionage and Sedition Acts."

Leibig is convicted of a violation of the Espionage Act and for making threats against the President. After the guilty verdict, John Leibig is taken into custody and transported to Leavenworth Prison in Kansas.

I think it is interesting to note that in Leibig's Trusty Prisoner's Agreement when asked to 'Give a full history of the crime for which you were sent here' the response is recorded as:

"It is alleged that I violated the Espionage Act and that I made threats against the President. I pleaded guilty." This is not an admission of guilt but clearly states the charges. We also learn that he plans to correspond with Charley Ellis of Difficulty, Wyoming, and John Schneider of Hanna, Wyoming.

Also included in John Leibig's inmate file is a copy of his sentence commutation from the Department of Justice. While not a full pardon, it lessens Leibig's sentence from 18 months to one year. It is signed by 'Pardon Attorney' James A. Finch. During this time period in American history, the only way to appeal a sentence was by requesting it from the President of the United States. I have to assume that the sentence of John Leibig was appealed by his lawyer, Donzelman and that the President's administration agreed to reduce his sentence by one-third.



While I previously speculated that John Leibig might have been something of a loner, the Correspondance List shows that he is in touch with attorneys, business contacts, and friends in Wyoming during his year at Leavenworth prison. The prison record shows that Leibig had no prison infractions and no prior convictions.




After his release in the Spring of 1919, John Leibig may be found in the 1920 US Census in Denver, Colorado living in a modest boarding house. It is interesting to note in the census document that John Leibig (age 57) lists a spouse, Diana Leibig (age 58). 

The census document lists John Leibig's immigration year of 1893 which gives me the information I need to find his actual immigration record for the same year. Leibig's previous residence in Germany is noted as Berg in Bavaria. His occupation is listed as a farmer. We also see that he has never visited the United States and that he paid his own way, $50, to travel to America. Leibig traveled on a ship called SS Pennsylvania from Antwerp, Holland to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.




SS Pennsylvania (1872) embarking on her trial trip, May 5 1873. The event was celebrated as a half-day holiday by the citizens of Philadelphia, about 50,000 of whom are said to have attended. Photo courtesy of wikimedia.


And this is where the trail of John Leibig goes cold. I can find no record of him or his wife Diana in the 1930 US Census. There is no evidence that he ever received fair payment for a homestead in rural Wyoming that he spent nearly three decades building.

And this should be the end of the story but it is not.

In April 1922 a US Attorney began formal legal proceedings to strip John Leibig of his citizenship though by US law Leibig automatically lost his citizenship when he was convicted of a felony. By 1922 John Leibig is nowhere to be found.

From Aliens and Slackers,

U. S. Attorney Albert D. Walton, who replaced Wilson appointee Rigdon when Harding became President, wrote to the postmaster in Hanna, Wyoming, asking about Leibig's whereabouts, adding that he assumed Leibig was dead. The postmaster answered, "In reply to your letter of May 2 relative to the death of John Leibig, [I] will say that I have no direct proof." He wrote that a local man, John Dolling of Medicine Bow, had received a letter stating that Leibig had died in Mexico and asking him to "advise relatives in Germany of his death."

Like Wyoming historian Roberts I have to ask why the United States government would work so hard to perform a redundant legal act? Was this common practice? Much of the evidence suggests that this had to be performed as the ranch of John Leibig and his patents for land use had never been legally transferred and there was no record of the sale. In essence, this also shows evidence of a motive for various people claiming treasonous statements from Leibig. As a wealthy immigrant who worked hard to homestead and build a ranch, he would have been envied for his land, his cattle, his sheep, and his water rights. Did the company that was buying him out convince neighbors to make false statements? Did the neighbors testify against John Leibig in his treason trial because they thought he had gotten away with murder when found not guilty of the death of Louis Senfton? Was this a case of wild west justice?


More from Aliens and Slackers:

"This rationale for stripping Leibig's citizenship gains currency from a letter written by Carpenter's lawyer. Rawlins attorney A. McMicken wrote to the U. S. Attorney in May 1922, asking what the effect of the citizenship cancellation might have "on lands patented to Leibig and sold by him to another who has since died and his estate has been closed and settled in probate and the lands disposed of to a third party under order of sale in probate." McMicken said the "last purchaser desired me to make inquiry."

There is a tricky legal situation here. A substantial ranch was about to be transferred to a company in which the deceased had a partial share and was to receive a substantial payment. His estate is finally valued at about $6,000 and the person who was a witness at the murder trial eventually bought the ranch for less than $1,000. It doesn't sound like a fair deal.

Anti-German Sentiment in the US

We also know that this is during a time that German Americans who were citizens and had been in the United States for years were being targeted by others who viewed them as conspiring with their native countries or as remaining loyal to their native countries over their adopted homeland. The anti-German sentiment was felt all over the United States during World War I and again during World War II.




Also included in the inmate file of John Leibig is a letter received in June 1936 from a law firm representing the relatives of Leibig and asking the Warden if he had died in prison or been released. They are inquiring over "the disposition of his estate" as in, where is the money? In this letter, the lawyer states that his family believed that Leibig had handed over his estate to his lawyer Hugo Donzelman, also a German immigrant. (If you read his biography that is linked to his name in the previous sentence, Donzelman has a long and successful career as a lawyer in Wyoming.) Specifically, the lawyer is representing Leibig's sister and brother-in-law in Germany and their son John Richter who is at this time living in Chicago, Illinois.

The prison responds with basic information about John Leibig's sentence and shows the family that he was released 17 years prior to receiving the letter of inquiry. It does raise the question: Why did John Leibig never correspond with this family in Germany about where he went to after prison? Was Leibig embarrassed and ashamed over the prison sentence and the loss of his property and life's work? Did he feel guilty? In revisiting the correspondence list from his prison record, no one from Germany contacted him during his year-long prison sentence. Was John estranged from his sister? Germany has very rigid inheritance laws-- did the relatives of John Leibig think there was still property left to be distributed? I have to conclude that we will never know all of the answers here.

A final note: I have approached the story of John Leibig as an armchair researcher using and synthesizing information from online original documents. Hopefully, I have added a few more clues to the unusual life of John Leibig. I think one of my main goals was to build on the existing research by massaging a few extra observations from the original documents. I enjoy using the federal inmate records available at the National Archives to imagine what the life of another person would be like. I also want to help tell the stories of inmates whose stories are generally much more complicated and nuanced than they appear in newspapers or on television.

Overcrowded and Understaffed: US Prisons Are a Ticking Time Bomb

Photo courtesy lisasolonynko

As a former prison librarian, I was concerned to hear that West Virginia's Governor Jim Justice has declared a state of emergency and is bringing in more than 50 National Guard members to help staff the overcrowded and understaffed prisons and jails in the state. What are the effects of overcrowding in prisons in the United States?

Rural Prison Librarian

In the prison where I worked in West Virginia, the salaries were very low. As a prison librarian with a Master's degree in Information Science and with many years of library experience, I made less than $30k per year in 2015. Some of the correctional officers (COs) made much more than I did because of the overtime they worked. I knew several COs who worked 70+ hours per week and made six-figure salaries. When I worked there over five years ago I sometimes worked an extra security shift as well for the extra pay.

Because I worked in a prison, I went through a four-week training course along with the correctional officers and other new prison support staff. We learned self-defense, how to properly handcuff an inmate, and how to search an inmate's cell during a shakedown. I didn't think it was unusual since this was my first prison library job and I also really needed the stability of a full-time job with benefits. I also appreciated learning how to defend myself physically and how to avoid being manipulated by inmates. I learned a lot about people and life in a West Virginia prison. I also worked in an understaffed and overcrowded environment in every prison I have ever worked in Maryland and West Virginia.

National Guard as Prison Staff

I thought that calling in the National Guard to staff a prison or jail was extreme but this is also about to happen in Florida. In this news story from Florida, they place blame on the COVID-19 pandemic for short-staffed prisons but this is a problem that has been many years in the making. Most prison employees can expect lower wages with higher risk which is never a good combination. The low pay makes prison employees more vulnerable to being manipulated by inmates who will pay COs to smuggle in drugs. If prison is a business model, and it is, paying low and leaving employees vulnerable is a recipe for being permanently understaffed.

 

The USA is the Largest Prison Nation

The United States is the largest prison nation on the planet. You could call the USA an Incarceration Nation. The next in line prison nations are El Salvador, Rwanda, Brazil, and Russia. According to The Sentencing Project, "There are 2 million people in the nation’s prisons and jails—a 500% increase over the last 40 years." This enormous increase is due to harsher sentencing laws and mandatory minimum sentencing. For example, in Germany, a life sentence is 15 years. In Alabama, a life sentence can be anywhere from 10-99 years and five states in the United States have no chance of parole for a life sentence. Recently, Mississippi became the number one place in the world for its incarceration rate with 18,080 incarcerated individuals.

In the USA prison system, it's not just the sheer number of inmates in the United States that is concerning. It is the disproportionate number of African American and Latino inmates that shows strong evidence of discrimination in arrests, convictions, and incarceration. To quote The Sentencing Project, "Black men are six times as likely to be incarcerated as white men and Latinos are 2.5 times as likely. For Black men in their thirties, about 1 in every 12 is in prison or jail on any given day."

Photo courtesy Negative Space

Overcrowded American Prisons Are Stressful for All

As a prison librarian, I felt the pinch of overcrowding and understaffing regularly. All employees were strongly encouraged to work extra security shifts. Many times I was guarded by a camera instead of having a CO in the library with me. In addition to the added stress of overcrowding, working in a prison is very stressful because of the nature of the work.

Prisons and jails can be dark, humorless places with very few benefits. The reality is that many correctional officers and prison employees experience violence regularly and this is not good for anyone's mental health. A recent study published in Criminal Justice and Behavior reports,

"We find strong associations between violence and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide risk, as well as symptoms of depression, alcohol abuse, anxiety, and sleep disorder. Importantly, we also find a potentially protective role of institutional factors, such as the quality of perceived management and supervision. In line with the perceived organizational support (POS) model, our findings make clear that organizational support can moderate the deleterious effects of prison work."

This paragraph hints at the root of the problem that exists at the heart of many prisons, a lack of support, leadership, and team building in prisons from the top down. Every single prison in the United States works under a different Warden who wields a lot of power and sets the tone for every prison workplace just like a CEO. 

Good Warden, Bad Warden

For example, in one prison, I worked under a very supportive Warden who brought a college program to the prison funded by Pell grants for felons resurrected by President Obama. I saw the prison library transform from a place of gang meetings to a place of homework conversations. The men in this prison were excited to be learning and it improved the quality of prison life for many including myself. It should be noted that I was directly employed by the state prison agency and reported directly to the Warden. Since prisons are quasi-military institutions, the chain of command meant that I was protected by the power of a supportive Warden and was treated respectfully by prison staff and correctional officers. A prison with a good warden creates a space where people want to come to work every day and feel supported by their supervisors.

In another prison, the Warden was not supportive of the library, the librarian, or the teachers. The library was only open a few hours a week even though I was in the library full time. I was watched very closely and treated with suspicion by the prison administration. One of the reasons for this uncomfortable relationship is that I was an employee of an external state agency and not employed by the prison agency. This lack of status in the chain of command alone was one reason I was treated lesser than others. A prison with a bad warden creates chaos, trauma, conflict, and dysfunction.

The bottom line is-- Every prison and jail is its own private kingdom in many ways and each may operate very differently depending on the infrastructure and leadership. Without consistent oversight and professional leadership, many prisons become dysfunctional and dangerous.

The combined danger and discomfort of working in a prison and then also facing overcrowding and understaffing adds to the layers of stress for prison employees. Why would anyone want to work in a prison for very modest wages and benefits? Many correctional officers have been quitting due to feeling this stress and of course, the COVID-19 pandemic which hit prisons hard.

Photo Courtesy Wikimedia

Prison Should Not Create Trauma

The overcrowded and understaffed prisons are also failing America's prisoners. In one Maryland prison, I heard there were no GEDs awarded for an entire year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers and librarians were teleworking but inmates did not have access to the internet and there was no process set up for them to participate remotely.

Additionally, when a prison is overcrowded and understaffed more lockdowns occur. These are the times when inmates are locked into their cells for days at a time and they only come out for recreation time and a shower. All meals are brought to inmates' cells three times a day by correctional officers. It is very similar to being in segregation or solitary confinement and feels like a punishment.

Inmates are already being punished for their crimes by being separated from family, friends, income, and their full pursuit of happiness. They should not have to suffer additional punishments from an institution that alleges to correct or remodel their behavior. Some might argue that excessive lockdowns constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Imagine being one person in a six-man cell with one toilet and having no privacy for 22 hours a day. What hope may there be for someone's moral and ethical reform if they are treated so inhumanely by the state?

Photo by Mary Rayme

Prison is an extremely stressful environment by nature. It can be violent, dangerous, and mind-numbingly boring. It is this way for the inmates and for the correctional officers and the prison staff as well. A recent editorial in West Virginia's Logan Banner says it all, If West Virginia Wants More Corrections Officers It Must Pay For Them. The editorial also says that at the end of June 2022 there were almost 1,000 vacancies in West Virginia prisons and jails which is why they are bringing in the WV National Guard.

Compassionate Release From Prison

I know that many states increased compassionate release during the COVID-19 pandemic, in part to alleviate the overcrowding and understaffing of American prisons. What is compassionate release? According to this resource,

"Compassionate release is a process by which inmates in criminal justice systems may be eligible for immediate early release on grounds of "particularly extraordinary or compelling circumstances which could not reasonably have been foreseen by the court at the time of sentencing".

I understand that compassionate care release is usually reserved for older inmates who have served most of their sentence and have critical health issues but if there are not enough prison employees to staff a prison compassionate release is another option that needs to be considered.

Photo courtesy Wikimedia.

The Future of Prisons in the United States

Perhaps a foreshadowing of things to come, Mississippi experienced 120 prison deaths in 2020 in what they called gang warfare and prison riots. Though the article referenced here doesn't say that overcrowding and understaffing contributed to the violence it is almost certainly so.

The bottom line is that the USA is facing an even larger crisis because the way they are currently operating is unsustainable and incredibly dangerous for prison staff and for inmates. By bringing in the National Guard and asking prison staff to work overtime states such as West Virginia and Florida are treating the symptom of the problem and not considering the root causes of prison overcrowding and understaffing. Even if they paid prison employees more money, they are still treating a symptom of a larger problem.

To be proactive about this nationwide prison and jail crisis:

• Consider changing sentencing guidelines and mandatory minimums
• Explore how education and support early in life may mitigate later-life incarceration
• Research the European model of prison that California is utilizing
• Consider providing continuing education for prison administrators to be better trained in business skills such as management and team building to better hire and retain prison staff. 

Let's be clear here. This is a big mountain to move in terms of making progress in downsizing mass incarceration in America. After all, the US prison system is a multibillion-dollar operation and seems unmotivated to improve the system.

And as the Logan Banner editorial points out, this is not a sudden emergency, this is a slow creeping crisis that may be reaching a toxic boiling point. Violence inside US prisons is on the rise and many prisons and jails operate without sufficient oversight. Overcrowded prisons that are short-staffed are a ticking time bomb that is not being discussed enough in the mainstream media and can only end badly for inmates and prison staff. In the words of writer and former inmate Fyodor Dostoevsky, “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” 

Who Was Artist Chaim Soutine?

While some call Chaim Soutine a French artist, he was actually a Jewish artist born in present-day Belarus who spent his formative years painting in France. I have also seen him referred to as Lithuanian which is not the case. Soutine studied art in Lithuania but was born in a region of Russia that is now Belarus.

There is not a lot of background material on the Russian artist and Expressionist Chaim Soutine. He was born Chaim-Iche Solomonovich Sutine in Smilavichyi, a Jewish shtetl in the Russian Empire in 1893, and was one of eleven children. From 1910-1913, he studied in Vilnius, an art town in Lithuania at the Vilna Academy of Art.

Like a good detective, the film Chaim Soutine: 20th Century Expressionist Artist (2008) starts at the beginning of Soutine’s life by looking at his file from when he immigrated from Russia to France. Chaim Soutine: 20th Century Expressionist Artist is a fast and enjoyable documentary film suitable for high school students, college students, artists, and art lovers.

Self-portrait, Chaim Soutine, 1918. Courtesy of Wikimedia.

From Russia to Paris

In 1912, Soutine arrived in Paris and lived at the same address as another famous Russian artist Marc Chagall who was also Jewish and born in current-day Belarus. Soutine took painting classes at the Fine Arts Academy in Paris, the École des Beaux-Arts, and studied under Fernand Corman. What is interesting to note about Soutine is that looking at the paintings of Corman, he would have studied very classical painting and art. But the somewhat skewed and unique paintings by Chaim Soutine are not at all classical.

This film draws on an archival film interview with Michel Kikoine, an artist and longtime friend of Soutine. A current interview with the daughter of Kikoine, Claire Maratier, provides wonderful insight into the life of Soutine. Sadly, Maratier remembers Soutine as the proverbial starving artist. Another friend of Soutine’s recalled that he had thrown out all of his furniture because it was filled with bedbugs. Yuck!

Portrait of Chaim Soutine by Amadeo Modigliani (1917)

Soutine and Modigliani

In 1914, Soutine volunteered to join a trench-digging corps of soldiers preparing for WWI, but poor health demanded that he leave his labor after a few months. Later in Paris, France, Soutine was introduced to artist Amadeo Modigliani by another artist, Jacques Lipschitz. Soutine and Modigliani later shared an apartment together. Modigliani and Soutine were both enamored with each other’s artwork and the older artist, Modigliani, introduced Soutine to his art dealer Leopold Zborowski.

It makes sense that artists Chaim Soutine and Amadeo Modigliani would become friends. They are both living and working artists in France from another country. They both have very unique painting styles that challenge the status quo of classical art. They also both liked to drink alcohol. Both Modigliani and Soutine were Jewish and lived in a time and place where Jews were discriminated against. As artists and Jews living during World War I, Soutine and Modigliani would have many shared interests.

While the art dealer Zborowski put Soutine on a retainer of five francs per day, he also sent him away to paint in Céret in southern France as Zborowski’s wife allegedly could not stand the foreign and gruff Soutine.

Portrait of Leopold Zborowski by Amadeo Modigliani

Soutine Subject Matter

Soutine became interested in painting the flayed animals that were hung out to sell by the local butchers in Céret. So taken with this meaty subject matter, Soutine would sneak into slaughterhouses to paint. Animal carcasses remained a recurring theme for most of Soutine's working life as did landscapes and portraiture.

One of the best parts of this film is that much of the scenery painted by Soutine still exists. The filmmakers excel at melding actual landscapes with the paintings of Soutine to show the similarity but also to reveal the exaggeration that Soutine used that often turned into extreme Expressionism. This film also shows the vigorous and almost manic brushwork that characterizes a Soutine painting.

When Soutine’s dealer and patron Leopold Zborowski comes to visit the artist in Céret, he is unhappy with the new paintings. In a fit of frustration, Soutine burns many canvases.

Le Petit Patissier 1922-23 by Chaim Soutine

Dr. Barnes Discovers Soutine

When American art collector Dr. Albert Barnes comes to Paris, he buys up many of Soutine’s paintings. It is thrilling to hear the tale of Soutine’s overnight success from an eyewitness, art dealer Paul Guillaume. While in the studio of Modigliani, Guillaume spied a painting in the corner which caused him great excitement. The painting was a portrait of a pastry chef from Céret with an exaggerated ear. Guillaume bought the painting and hung it in his gallery. When Dr. Barnes saw the painting he is reported to have said, “That’s a peach of a painting.”

However, a letter from Dr. Barnes tells a different story. Barnes claims that he first saw a painting by Soutine when he was with Paul Guillaume at a café in 1922 in Montparnasse, France, and then went and bought 52 paintings from Leopold Zborowski. Barnes writes in a letter, 

“The main reason I bought so many of the paintings was that they were a surprise, if not a shock, and I wanted to find out how he got that way. Besides, I felt he was making creative use of certain traits of the work of Bosch, Tintoretto, Van Gogh, Daumier, and Cézanne, and was getting new effects with color.”

In 1923, Zborowski sends Soutine to paint in the French Rivera. By this time, Soutine’s allowance was raised to 25 francs and he was enjoying the fruits of his artistic labor, as was Zborowski. As a painter and artist whose work was selling, this was a win-win for the artist and the art dealer.

Carcass of Beef, 1925, by Chaim Soutine

Who Influenced Soutine?

In discussing the animal carcass paintings of Soutine, it is noted that he drew inspiration from other artists who had painted the same subject matter including Rembrandt’s Slaughtered Ox (1655) and Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, The Ray (1728). The weird and wiggly painting of Chaim Soutine has much in common with Belgian artist James Ensor (1860-1949), who also painted carcasses. Soutine visited the Louvre in Paris often and admired the works of Corot and Courbet. The work of Soutine influenced other artists who came after him including Francis Bacon, Jackson Pollack, and Willem de Kooning.

When art dealer Leopold Zborowski loses all of his money in the stock market crash of 1929 and later passes away, two new art collectors, Madeline and Marcellin Castaing fall in love with the artwork of Chaim Soutine. The artist has his own bedroom in their country estate in Leves near Chartres, and Soutine visits often to paint the beautiful countryside.

During World War II Chaim Soutine is placed under house arrest along with his wife as he is a Russian Jew and she is German. Short of cash, Soutine tries to pay for milk and eggs with paintings, but the villagers regard his artwork as too strange to even trade for-- if they only knew the current value of the artist's work!

As a Jew, Soutine was forced to register with the French government, and then he moved many times to escape detection. In 1943 Soutine dies of a recurring stomach ulcer which could only have caused excruciating pain and agony for the artist, another victim of the Nazis.

Eva, 1928, painting by Chaim Soutine

The Legacy of Chaim Soutine

While Chaim Soutine dies at age of 50 his artwork continues to be admired and revered in ways that the artist could not have ever imagined. For example, a painting by Soutine entitled Le Bœuf Écorché, 1924, sold at auction in 2006 for $13.8 million. The artist's paintings have been recognized for their painterliness and avant-garde subject matter-- Soutine was ahead of the art curve.

Another of Soutine's paintings became a rallying point for Belarussian independence and fair elections in 2020. The town where Chaim Soutine was born is in current-day Belarus. You can read more about it in this opinion piece by Belarus professor Almira Ousmanova. The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC has a great brief bio of the artist attached to the portrait of Soutine painted by his friend Amadeo Modigliani.

Who Was Eden Ahbez: Origin of Jazz Standard Nature Boy

The lyrics to Nature Boy are brief, about an unusual boy who reveals, “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return.” ‘Wow,’ I thought, ‘Those lyrics are very new age and hippie for a jazz song.’ What is the story behind this quirky song with a wistful melody? It turns out the story and artist behind the song are fascinating, and perhaps worthy of a feature film.

Who Is Nature Boy?

"Nature Boy" was written by a strange and unusual character named George Alexander Aberle (1908-1995). Born in New York City, he was later adopted by a family in Kansas in 1917, and his name was changed to George McGrew. In the 1930s, McGrew lived in Kansas City and worked as a pianist and dance bandleader. Sadly, much of the early life of McGrew seems to be unknown.

McGrew moved to Los Angeles, California in the early 1940s and played music at a health food store owned by German immigrants who were part of the Wandervogel movement in Germany. The followers of this German back-to-nature movement were known as Nature Boys. It was around this time that McGrew changed his name to eden ahbez, not capitalizing the names as he believed only God and Infinity were worthy of this honor.

Nat King Cole, photo courtesy the LOC

In 1947, ahbez gave the lyrics of "Nature Boy" to musician Nat King Cole’s manager and Cole began performing the song to audiences regularly and to great acclaim. Before Cole could release the song on record, ahbez had to be tracked down so that proper rights could be attributed and paid. Allegedly, ahbez was found living underneath the Hollywood sign, under the first 'L'.

Nature Boy is a Hit

"Nature Boy" went on to be a hit for Nat King Cole in 1948 and stayed at #1 on the Billboard charts for eight weeks. The success of the song made ahbez into a temporary celebrity who was featured in articles in Life, Time, and Newsweek magazines. There is a 1948 television clip of ahbez on YouTube that shows the long-haired and bearded songwriter coming on stage with a bicycle and sitting cross-legged on the floor for his interview. Clearly, eden ahbez was a man who lived life on his own terms and without a publicist.

But the story doesn’t end there. It turns out the melody for "Nature Boy" was perhaps in part taken from a Yiddish song called “Shvag, Mayn Hartz” (Hush, My Heart). Ahbez later settled out of court with song owner Herman Yablokoff for $25,000. Also, the first two measures of Nature Boy are taken from Antonin Dvorak’s Piano Quintet No. 2 in A, Op. 81 (1887).

Why is "Nature Boy" so popular and resonating as a song even today? Maybe it’s because the older melodies in "Nature Boy" are planted in our collective unconscious; a classical tune and a folk tune are cobbled together to create something new that sounds old. The contemporary lyrics cement the song as successful. The emotional payoff of the song is that we don’t have to cure cancer, leap tall buildings, or find a clean and perpetual energy source. We don’t have to find peace in the Middle East or find the Grand Unification Theory of the universe. We merely have to love and be loved to live life successfully. A simple and satisfying message is conveyed to us in a song sung by a child. Sigh.

Nat King Cole (center) photo courtesy NYPL

"Nature Boy" — the song based on German hippies, classical music, and a Hebrew melody — goes on to be recorded by musicians such as Natalie Cole, James Brown, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye, Engelbert Humperdinck, Aaron Neville, Sarah Vaughan, David Bowie, Celine Dion, Sun Ra, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, and many others.

A final note about a possible influence: It should be noted that the French writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin (1804-1876), also known as George Sand, has a quote: "There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved." Perhaps this is another inspiration for eden ahbez' great jazz standard song, "Nature Boy"?

The Birth Certificate of Eden Ahbe, George Alexander Aberle

Consider this a sidebar to the previous article. 

I became so interested in American musician Eden Ahbez that I requested a copy of his birth certificate from New York. I also enjoy doing research using original documents. It was fun to see this document with George crossed out and Eden Ahbe at the top. It is an administrative declaration of independence. The birth certificate of eden ahbez, also known as Ahbe, George Alexander Aberle, and George McGrew, reveals a few tidbits about this unique American’s early life.

Parents of Eden Ahbe

George Alexander Aberle was born on April 15, 1908, to George Philip Aberle (bookbinder) and Mary Ann Mason Aberle of 263 Nassau Street in Brooklyn, New York. Eden’s father is listed as born in New York, while his mother’s birthplace is England. Mary Ann Aberle is 34, while George Aberle is 37.

At the top of the birth certificate, the name of George Alexander Aberle is crossed out and Eden Ahbe is written, in block letters. (No, there is no ‘Z’.) It looks like the name change was approved by the court on November 17, 1943, and approved by the Commissioner of Health on March 8, 1951.

The Aberle Family

In researching the origins of eden ahbez, I looked up his dad George Philip Aberle in the 1910 US Census. The Aberle family lives in Brooklyn Ward 11, Kings, New York. The older Mr. Aberle lists his father and mother as being born in Germany. Eden’s mom is named Margaret (she is listed as Annie in other census reports) and the children living in the house are: Elizabeth C. (age 16), Grace G. (age 13), Walter P. (age 11), Irene L. (age 9), William L. (age 8), Edna M. (age 6), Lester P. (age 4), Anna M. (age 3), Adatha B. (age 2), and then there is George A. Aberle, age 2. On seeing the two kids the same age one wonders if George and Adatha were twins, though perhaps they were just born in the same year.

Perhaps the most significant detail here is that the young George Alexander Aberle is the tenth child to be born to his mother. Maybe George goes to Kansas to be raised by the McGrew family because there are too many kids for the parents to care for.

And what caused George Alexander Aberle to change his name to Eden Ahbez formally? Was there a psychological disconnect from his biological family of origin, or was ahbez merely practicing the fine art of reinventing himself? Was George inspired to choose the name 'eden' from his sister named Edna? Sadly, we may never know. What we do know is that Eden gave us one amazing song that is beloved by many all over the planet.

American Artist and Illustrator Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell (ca. 1920), via the Library of Congress

Who is the American artist and illustrator Norman Rockwell? What is the significance of the artwork of this American master of visual storytelling? It has taken me many years to break down and overcome a serious snobbery towards the artwork of Norman Rockwell. As a student of the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, I was taught in a classical art environment and art history started with the Venus of Willendorf and concluded with Abstract Expressionism. Not one of my professors ever included the artwork of Norman Rockwell in an art history lesson or slide show– it is almost as if he never existed. Now I have a different view of this underrated American painter, illustrator, and storyteller.

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) is one of those lucky and driven individuals who always knew he wanted to be an artist. Beginning at a young age, Rockwell studied in New York City at the New York School of Art, the National Academy of Design, and the Art Students League. At the Art Students League Rockwell joined the likes of Georgia O'Keeffe, Thomas Hart Benton, Jackson Pollock, Cy Twombly, Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Bontecou, Robert Rauschenberg, Al Held, and Roy Lichtenstein who also attended this esteemed New York City art institution.

The Early Career of Norman Rockwell

In 1913, 19-year-old, Norman Rockwell was hired to be the art director for Boys’ Life magazine, where he began his career in painting magazine covers. Rockwell created magazine covers for the Saturday Evening Post, The Country Gentleman, Leslie’s Weekly, Life Magazine, and Look.

Rockwell moved from New York to a small town in Vermont and later in 1953 to Stockbridge, Massachusetts another small, quaint New England town. (Population in 2020 was 2,018) There is no doubt that small-town life influenced his artwork significantly.

Norman Rockwell’s body of work reveals a prolific artist who created over 4,000 original artworks. Art schools are notoriously snobby about the work of Norman Rockwell which for some art critics has been judged as being too sappy and sentimental. Perhaps it is another stroke against Rockwell’s artistic reputation that his artwork has been reproduced commercially onto tea towels, key chains, postcards, and plates ad infinitum. It is interesting to note that in 1999 the New Yorker art critic Peter Schjeldahl wrote in ArtNews, “Rockwell is terrific. It’s become too tedious to pretend he isn’t.” I feel like I finally have permission to appreciate Norman Rockwell.

Freedom From Want, 1942 courtesy the National Archives

Rockwell As Social Commentarian

In the later artwork of Norman Rockwell, he tackles the serious subjects of racism, war, poverty, and the freedoms of the United States constitution. The context of some of Rockwell’s artwork elevates him from an illustrator to an artist of social commentary. Perhaps the best part of Norman Rockwell’s artwork is his unique ability to tell a story with his pictures, to capture humanity in one take, and the sense of love, care, and humor he imbues into his images. 'Beloved' is often an adjective attached to all things Norman Rockwell, and while it is cliche it is also true. Norman Rockwell tugs on our heartstrings effectively through his paintings.

A case in point is the iconic painting Freedom From Want which shows an American family at the Thanksgiving table. Everyone smiles as the grandmotherly figure sets the giant roast turkey onto a fresh white tablecloth. In the lower right, a pair of warm male eyes gaze back into the viewers making it feel like a snapshot of this special holiday moment. Most people refer to this well-known work of art as The Thanksgiving Picture. This important series of paintings was inspired by a speech given by Franklin Delano Roosevelt on January 6, 1941, referred to as the Four Freedoms speech. Rockwell went on to create paintings that represent Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, and Freedom From Fear.

Freedom of Speech, Photo Courtesy Wikimedia.

The Painting Style of Rockwell

Perhaps another strike against the art of Norman Rockwell is that it is somewhat outdated. He is an illustrator who earned his bread and butter in the now-defunct art of magazine cover illustration, a task that has been taken over by photography. (Unless you are The New Yorker, of course.) As an illustrator, the style of Rockwell's artwork might be dubbed painterly realism. We can see the brushstrokes in his paintings yet they are also quite realistic and have a photo-realism quality. While there are few Norman Rockwell illustrator imitators today, it is a testament to his skill and classical painting background that his style and ability to illustrate are hard to duplicate. Rockwell’s artwork is unique, expert, and difficult to copy.

Photo courtesy Wikimedia.

Boy With Baby Carriage, 1917

In this classic Norman Rockwell painting, a well-dressed young man is furiously pushing a fancy old-fashioned baby carriage while two young men of the same age pass him and make faces at him. I love the touches of red in this painting-- the baby's shoe, the boys' shirts, and the carriage pushers carnation. Are the boys related? Are they on the same baseball team? Are they total strangers? The story in my head goes something like this. The boys are on the same baseball team and the ones in uniform just came from a winning game. The carriage pusher is also on the baseball team but is unable to join because he has to take care of his baby sister-- the pink trim on the clothing and the baby bottle in the breast pocket are the two big visual clues here.

Maybe it's more of a class war? The well-dressed young man pushing the baby carriage seems as if he could be from a very upper-crust family while the two baseball boys are posturing in sarcastic politeness as if to emphasize that they were able to play while the posh boy had to work. Rockwell doesn't help us out with the title, Boy With Baby Carriage, so the viewer will have to have some leeway as to how they envision the meaning of the painting.

Where to Find Rockwell's Artwork

You can find original paintings and artwork by Norman Rockwell at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas, the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum in California, the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., just to name a few.

Finally, if an artist is to be judged by how influential he is, Norman Rockwell is one of the greats. Filmmakers are devotees of Rockwell’s lighting and composition as is evidenced in the references made in such films as Empire of the Sun, Forrest Gump, The Polar Express, and American Gangster. It is time to celebrate the important artwork of Norman Rockwell not only as one of the most popular American artists and illustrators of the twentieth century but also as one of the most influential.

Read more about Norman Rockwell and his 4-painting series of Freedoms, beginning with one of the artist's most famous works, Freedom From Want.

Going to an Art Museum May Be Good for your Mental Health

                            

Photo by Mary Rayme

When we think about good health, we often think of good nutrition, sufficient sleep, and plenty of physical activity. While healthy food and regular workouts are essential to good physical and mental health, what we choose to look at and experience also greatly impacts our day-to-day health. To nourish your soul and psyche, I recommend a visit to an art museum. I realize that not everyone has access to a great art museum but if you do and have never visited an art museum, this article is meant to be a good place to start.

Find a Museum Near You
Hopefully, you don’t have to go very far to find an art museum near you, most larger cities have one or two. Not all art museums are created equal. Do your research and determine whether the time, travel, and possible entrance fee is likely to be a positive experience. If modern art is not appealing to you, seek out a museum such as the Walters Art Museum, also in Baltimore. They have some 20th-century artworks but they also have a collection of antiquities such as reliquaries, illuminated manuscripts, Egyptian artwork, and Greek vases. Also for consideration, while many art museums have no admission fee they may charge for parking. Remember to set yourself up for a great visit to a museum.

Find an Artwork Friend
Find a painting, sculpture, drawing, or photograph that you feel deserves or needs more looking time. I know that when I walk through an art museum, not all artworks get careful scrutiny. My eye and body tend to linger in front of works that pull me in for one reason or another. Perhaps I am intrigued with the color, the way the brush strokes are applied, or the overall mood of a work. Let the art grab your attention and keep you longer.

Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi, 1611-12

Read the Label, or Not

Because I am an art history addict I read most of the labels for several reasons. First, I want to confirm or disprove that this is the work of the artist who I identified by style. Finally, titles can often provide clues as to the subject matter of the painting. For example, if you see a very realistic painting of a woman cutting off the head of a man with a large sword you may be puzzled by this. When you look at the label and see “Judith Slaying Holofernes” you can remind yourself that this is a depiction of a scene that is in the Book of Judith. Putting some subject matter in context is very helpful.

Mont Sainte-Victoire by Paul Cézanne, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When I visit the Baltimore Museum of Art I have a favorite painting of Mount Saint-Victoire by the French artist Paul Cezanne that I have to visit every time. Even though I have seen dozens of paintings by Cezanne on this subject matter, this painting never fails to pull me in for a good long look. This sustained observation of a beautiful work of art is for me both meditation and inspiration. My mind goes blank as my eye drifts slowly around this wonderful canvas, and I take in those powerful and brief brushstrokes as well as the blank white spaces that Cezanne chose to keep paintless. My breathing slows and I can feel my blood pressure lowering almost immediately, no prescription drugs are necessary. I am transported in time as well and try to imagine the cranky master, Paul Cezanne, outside painting this mountain in France in all kinds of weather.

Photo By Mary Rayme, 2022

You may want to perform an art museum recon mission of walking through an entire floor quickly, and then deciding where you want to spend your quality looking and seeing time. Better yet, get a map or ask at the information desk about the floor plan of the museum. On a recent visit to the Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart, we were greeted by a very knowledgeable docent who asked us what we wanted to see. I knew that I was in a large world-class museum and knew that I did not want to fast walk through the whole museum to cram all its art goodies down my throat in a couple of hours. I was more interested in seeing more contemporary art than old art so the docent pointed us in the direction of 20th-century art. We did have a map but having an actual conversation with a real person was so much more pleasant than trying to read a map. The next time I return, I will see the older artwork and then return to the highlights of the contemporary art collection.

Below are some tips to help you make the most of your museum experience:

• Wear comfortable shoes when you go to an art museum, as these buildings tend to have floors that are made of cement and marble. Do not wear flip-flops. Do have arch support. The physical activity of walking from gallery to gallery and perhaps up and down stairs is part of the journey through the art museum– physical activity adds points to your mental health too.

• If you have accessibility issues I recommend calling ahead to figure out what your options are and how much of the museum is wheelchair accessible and/or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. I would also ask if disability parking spaces are available to museum visitors.

• If you have wiggle room in your schedule, I recommend that you choose a time to visit the museum that is less crowded on a weekday morning perhaps.

• If at all possible, travel lightly. Many art museums have lockers where you may stash your stuff, but this requires an extra step. On a recent art museum visit, I accidentally tried to carry in a water bottle and was told I needed to get a locker downstairs which was just fine– I am willing to sacrifice the comfort of my water bottle for security. Museums have rules. They also have amazing art. To enter and look you need to abide by the rules.

• You are not required to like or respond to everything you see in an art museum. I would challenge any art museum visitor to at least question why they like or dislike a work of art. Even better, have a conversation about it with your museum buddy.
• Get a museum buddy! I love going to an art museum alone but I also love going with another devotee of art history. Get lunch with your museum buddy while you are there and catch up only each others life.
• Many museums these days are free, offer significant discounts to students and senior citizens, or have cost-saving membership packages. 

• Don’t touch the artwork! Seriously. If every visitor touched artworks they would fall apart from skin oils alone. 

• Be observant of any barriers in front of works of art. There art some large canvases at the National Museum of Art in Washington DC at the Smithsonian that have alarms that go off if you get too close. This is to protect the artwork. 

• If there is no barrier, it is acceptable to get up fairly close to a painting or sculpture to observe and appreciate finer details. Many art museum-goers may perform an observational dance of looking at a painting from far away and then diving in to get a closer look. Be aware of others who may be doing the same dance to avoid crowding others or bumping elbows.

• Be sensitive to what you see and what brings you pleasure or fulfillment. If good art is good for you, bad art can also have a detrimental effect. (You know that feeling you get when you watch too much TV or eat too much junk food? Same deal.)

• Consider having a coffee, snack, or meal in the art museum restaurant to break up the walking and to have a small rest. If you are with a family or group, consider starting a discussion by asking everyone to name their favorite artwork that they have seen so far and why. 

• Check out the gift shop. Really. I really love browsing a good art museum gift shop and have sometimes purchased items such as art postcards, jewelry, or art supplies. The Baltimore Museum of Art gift shop is outstanding and I just adore their selection of items that give it a local, Baltimore feel. In many museums, you do not have to pay an entrance fee to shop at the gift shop.

• Many art museums have photography restrictions. If you plan on photographing any of the artworks in the museum you need to observe the photo restrictions. Most museums do not allow flash photography as the light degrades the artwork.

The Sorrowing Soul between Doubt and Faith by

Elihu Vedder at the BMA, photo by the author

• Be respectful of the museum guards-- they work hard to keep the art safe and to answer directional and wayfinding questions. The last time I visited the Baltimore Museum of Art, a security guard lead me to a painting that I have to visit every time, The Sorrowing Soul Between Doubt and Faith by Elihu Vedder. I like the idea of the responsibility of the museum guards overlapping with the docents. Don’t look too long at art. Just as too much good food can make you ill, looking at art for longer than two hours or so is visually exhausting, so don’t overdo it. I personally am visually exhausted, overstimulated, and a bit giddy at the end of a good museum visit.

I am often left inspired and uplifted by a visit to an art museum. Each work of art is a message from a fellow human left just for me, the viewer. I like to write down the names of artists I have never heard of but would like to know more about. The artists and paintings I am familiar with already greet me like old friends. If you need proof that a museum visit is good for your health you can read about several studies that provide evidence that this may be true. So get up, go out and visit an art museum and see if this experience has a positive impact on your mental health.

The Great Textbook War, 1974, Kanawha County, West Virginia

Photo courtesy West Virginia Humanities

This is an older blog post but given the current abundance of book banning in the United States, I thought there was a need to bring back this article about a great radio production from American RadioWorks about The Great Textbook War of 1974 in Kanawha County, West Virginia.

West Virginia Demographic Information

For some context about West Virginia in 1974, the racial makeup of the state was 95.6% white. In comparing that to current statistics, West Virginia has about the same population as it did in 1974 and the racial makeup of the state is 93.5%, according to the United State Census Bureau. In other words, West Virginia remains one of the whitest states in the USA. (For context, my home state of Maryland is about 58.5% white.)

Civil Rights Movement Encouraged a Different Point of View

There was a huge explosion in the promotion of multiculturalism in education during the Civil Rights Movement in America, which many still consider a work in progress. In 1974, the country was at war in Vietnam and Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States over the Watergate scandal. Public school textbooks that had previously only taught the history from the point of view of white colonists were encouraged to present the history of multiple ethnicities and cultures. I think it is also worth mentioning that in 1972, President Richard Nixon visited China and opened up diplomatic relations, another step in expanding multiculturalism in the US.

Kanawha County in West Virginia houses the state capital of Charleston but also encompasses farmlands and hollows that are quite rural. This clash of cultures and shift in thinking led to the Great Textbook War of Kanawha County, West Virginia in 1974.

For more context, as a young white girl growing up in Baltimore City, the African American population was about 46% in 1970. And yet, my first textbooks featured two white children Dick and Jane who were growing up in the suburbs with a nuclear family. Many places in the United States were re-writing history books to include the presence and accomplishments of African Americans and women.

Conservative Values in West Virginia

In part, the divide between the Kanawha County Board of Education was cultural. A conservative Kanawha County Board of Education member Alice Moore had campaigned to become elected to the school board by protesting sex education being taught in schools. At first, her disagreement was over allowing students to use colloquialisms in school rather than formally accepted standards of the King’s English. Later these parents’ concerns spread to the content of the textbooks including disagreeing about the writings of people like Eldridge Cleaver and Malcolm X included in the curriculum. 

So in part, the divide in Kanawha County that led to violence and discord was racial. While urban Charleston may have had a small percentage of blacks and minorities, rural Charleston had almost none. Many rural West Virginians resented the idea of outsiders coming in and telling them what they had to teach their children. 

Photo courtesy WV Encyclopedia/Charleston Newspapers

Fundamental Christian Values in WV

The other part of the cultural divide between rural and urban was religious. In urban Charleston, most of the citizens went to traditional denominations of Christian churches such as Episcopal, Methodist, and Catholic. Rural Kanawha County residents tended to belong to nondenominational churches and more conservative Christian denominations such as Baptist. An example in a proposed textbook included an Aesop fable that compares itself to a Bible story. Some took this as an implication that the Bible was merely a myth or fairy tale undermining the traditional Christian values of rural Kanawha County, West Virginia.

The disagreement and protest became so bitter over the textbooks that a school strike was begun. Estimates are between 20-50 percent of the Kanawha County school children stayed home as part of the school strike. Even coal miners went on strike to show solidarity with the textbook protest. While some protested the textbook, students at George Washington High School walked out of school protesting the censorship of the books. 

KKK Supports Textbook Banning

Even the Ku Klux Klan showed up to support those protesting the textbooks adding further fuel to the fire that this was a race-based protest. Cars were set on fire and fifteen sticks of dynamite were detonated near a Board of Education office just after a meeting let out. At one point in the Textbook Wars, a fistfight breaks out at a Board of Education meeting. Midway Elementary School at Campbell’s Creek was dynamited one night in protest of the textbooks.  

So who won the Great Textbook War? The fallout from the textbook wars was perhaps mixed. Textbook protesters claimed victory as many of the books were never used in the county. Textbook supporters claimed victory that the books were in some of the schools even though some teachers were afraid to use the books.

The award-winning radio show concludes with a quote by teacher and textbook selection committee member Nell Wood who says,

“I think it is necessary for us to grow up and recognize that it’s a big, wide, wonderful, scary, ugly, beautiful world. There’s everything in it and we have to learn to look at it and not fall apart.” 

These are great words to remember as we plod forward to the current culture wars that are apparent in the United States of America.

Listen to The Great Textbook War by Trey Kay, Deborah George, and Stan Bumgardner on American RadioWorks at the American Public Media. 

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/textbooks/

• 52 minutes

• 2010 Peabody Award Recipient

You can read more about this chapter in American history in the online West Virginia Encyclopedia here where they very politely refer to it as the Kanawha County Textbook Controversy.