Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection

Benjamin Kartman (1901-1991) oral history

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Track 5, Transcript p. 15-20: Track 5, Transcript p. 15-20
Transcription: TRACK 5 BK: Some of the schools don't. here again Marie Murphy, for example, -- I talked up there a year ago. A little more than a year ago I talked to the two fifth grade classes, two sessions of each class. This was in an assembly situation. RA: Um hum. BK: One of the teachers said to me, "Would you like to see some of the things that my students have written in my class? There were two different classes and she had the children bring some of the things with them. One by one they brought them up. They were good. RA: Um hum. Ben Kartman, cont. 16 BK: And they were well written. I complimented children. I made a few grammatical changes -- corrections. I made sure they understood about everything and I was so impressed by the fact that she said they would do some writing in her classroom every day.... RA: Oh, yes. BK: ....and this is how they learn. RA: Marie Murphy herself would be most gratified to know that.... BK: Well, this was really an eye opener to me. And anyway when this thing was all over, this was shortly before -- I had to work there last year -- this was really around November -- I was 80 years old -- and through the coordinator, one of the volunteer coordinators, the teachers got wind of my birthday so the day before my birthday, which was on a Sunday, in the Saturday mail I got a big manila envelope containing 24 handmade birthday cards from the children. RA: For goodness sakes. BK: I still have them in my desk drawer. RA: Oh, marvelous. BK: From the children in one of the classes, a couple of weeks later I got another envelope from the other teacher's class with 24 thank you notes. Ben Kartman, cont. 17 RA: Oh, for goodness sakes. (Laughter) BK: And this is.... RA: This is meaningful. BK: This is where I get my kicks. RA: Yes. BK: And now, of course, for the second year I've been teaching the basics of reading, writing and tutoring fifth graders at Central School. RA: Oh, yes. BK: And I have seven on Monday mornings and seven on Wednesday morning. They come for about an hour. I give each group four weeks. Then I pick on two more groups and so by the end of the school year I will have tutored every fifth grade child in the four fifth grade classrooms at Central School in writing. RA: Wonderful. BK: And I'm enjoying it thoroughly and it fits in very (indistinct) and I feel the time to get them is right then.... RA: That's right. BK: Before they make bad habits, before they fall behind. RA: It is so true but, you know, uh one of our neighbors over here on Laurel, uh, Mrs. Smith --, uh, Jean Reeder Smith. Kartman, cont 18 Oh, I know her -- Lucia Smith Sure, uh, who teaches at Northwestern University and along with helping him do his typing and everything, she teaches at Northwestern and began by teaching people deficient in English and deficient in writing. Uh huh. And when you have to get that far before it gets caught, it seems so sad! BK: I actually, I was supposed to do this -- my original idea was to tutor on a one--to--one basis and I thought I'd get some more Wilmette people who were qualified to do the tutoring too. I did get one, Marge flerguth Perkins. She's the wife of Bob Perkins who has a column in the Chicago Sun Times. RA: Oh, yes. BK: ....and Marge was a feature writer for the Hollister newspaper? RA: Oh, yes. BK: When I was Editorial Consultant. RA: I see. BK: While I was still working for Family Weekly.... RA: For Hollister's people or Pioneer? BK: For six years I was editorial consultant for the Hollister newspaper and they hired Marge as a feature writer. I knew Marge when she was Marge Silsbie, in Ben Kartman, cont. 19 those days. PA: Oh, yes. BK: You see I knew she was a very talented writer and I had dealt with her for Family Weekly and she accepted the job on condition that nobody but I would handle her copy. RA: Oh, yes. BK: So for about two and a half years I had to read everything she wrote for the Hollister paper. RA: Oh yes. BK: And, incidentally, I want to say that I retired from Hollister newspapers after six years as editorial consultant. Much to my surprise a farewell luncheon party at the Villa Moderne, and it was a very nice affair with the entire editorial staff there.... RA: Um hum. BK: ....and they presented me with a lot of gag gifts and a mock--up of the Evanston Review with my picture on the cover and things like this -- a funny story inside and then there was a poem about Boo -- Ben -- Adam and so forth and I got some very nice gifts, too, and I got a plaque which I still have in my living room which reads, "To Ben Kartman who did so much to help an editorial staff into a national prize winner from Ben Kartman, cont. 20 1960 to 1966, our deepest gratitude for your dedicated willingness to share your wealth of experience and talents with us" from the Hollister newspaper editorial staff and I treasure that. RA: Well, you should treasure it. I think the Hollister press is to be congratulated in having Ben Kartman as well as Ben Kartman for having contributed because Hollister Press and Pioneer Press was unique. BK: I suppose. RA: And Pioneer Press could use, if I may be so bold as to say, another Ben Kartman. BK: (Laughter) Well, that's another story. I happen to. RA: Well, the turnover is so great there.
Creators: Kartman, Benjamin, 1901-1991, Interviewee; Adler, Rhea Saul
, Interviewer
Media Type: Audio; Image; Text
Item Type: Audiocassettes
Description: Interview with Ben Kartman by Rhea Saul Adler on March 4, 1982 at 208 Golf Terrace, Wilmette, Illinois.

ABSTRACT:
Early years in Wilmette — three residences
Two sons — University of Iowa — University of Illinois
Years at University of Illinois — Editor of Illinois Daily
— preceded by (“Scotty”) James Reston He was followed by Jack Mabley who later joined him on staff of
Chicago Daily News
Volunteered for Chicago Metropolitan YMCA many years; on Board seven years; Board of Directors of Association for Family Living
Transferred his allegiance to Wilmette Volunteer Pool — 16 years
Volunteered in various schools — basic composition,
reading
Editorial consultant to Hollister Press for 6 years — Joanne Prime Shade
United Fund; Volunteer Pool; swim teacher to retarded
Experience with blind — taught swimming — Tommy Sullivan
Discussion of “volunteering”
Types needed as volunteers in today’s community
Place of Publication: Wilmette, Illinois
Date of Original: 4 March 1982
Subject(s): Oral histories
Wilmette (Ill.) -- Residents
Personal Name(s): Kartman, Benjamin
Local identifier: R977.31 KA
Language of Item: English
Copyright Statement: Protected by copyright: Uses other than research or private study require the permission of the rightsholder(s). Responsibility for obtaining permissions and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Copyright Holder: Wilmette Public Library
Copyright Holder Contact Information: 1242 Wilmette Ave.
Wilmette, Il 60091
U.S.A.
Recommended Citation: Kartman, Benjamin, and Rhea Saul Adler. Benjamin Kartman. Wilmette, Ill: Wilmette Public Library District, 1982.
Contact: Wilmette Public Library
Email:refdesk@wilmettelibrary.info
Website:
https://www.wilmettelibrary.info/

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