June 16th, 1941

Miss Ruth Baker
Lakeview Consolidated Schools
Battle Creek, Michigan

Dear Ruth:

I am answering your epistle of the ord instant and |
I'm glad to know you have signed your contract with the two hundred
dollar raise. That's a lot of money, but I'm afraid Uncle Sem will
get about one-half of it; for a very good cause, however.

i Bert DeGroot left for Sierra Madre, California, to be
Civilian Director of Physical Education in the Flying Field. He is
on a Civil Service appointwent and his salry is thirty eight hundred
‘dollars a year. He was getting twenty four hundred here. Jim Raport
went to Alabama Polytechnic at Auburn. And, Gordon Gray who was taking
graduate work and our freshman basketball coach, went to Curtis Pield--
Civil Service job at twenty six hundred dollars.

We previously had hired Uenry Shenk who is doing gud
job at Junction City. I received a letter from Doctor Samel F.

waking inquiry for the position here but our budget committee was lopped
off twenty percent for next year, anticipating twenty percent drop in
student, enrollment. So, since we had hired. Mir. Shenk and our out being
mandatory, precluded the possibility of our engaging Boctor’ Harby. I

would like very much to have him with us. I'm wondering if you, confiden-
tially, could tell me about what we could have hired him, had we the money.
I would like to mow. Our — seale is very .low and I regret that

such is the case.

We have a young man doing graduate work named John Gress
who is the finest gymmast I have seen in many months. By the way,
he just merried Dorothy Gerhart who graduated here this June. She was
a Fine Arts student, but much interested in Physical Education. Cress
belonged to the National Championship Gymnastic Team in the University
of Illinois. ‘e was on the team that won the championship three years
in succession.| He has done much vaudeville work and is the best thét .
have ever seen. The army may get him soon but he's ea dendy.

. Thank you for your interest concerning ovr Department and I
will thank you if you will always pass along the friendly tips for that
helps immensely. I'm happy that you're looking forward te N.Y.U. games
with much enthusiasm and expectation. That .A. Degree will not only
‘help your morale but help that pocket book. Lots of good luck to you