Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to Mrs. Eli Pitman, Elmira, New York, September 24, 1926
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to Mrs. Eli Pitman, Elmira, New York, September 24, 1926
Subject
Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to Mrs. Eli Pitman, Elmira, New York, September 24, 1926
Transcription
My dear Mrs. Pitman:
I have your letter of September 21 and am sorry beyond words for all the trouble you have been caused over the uncertainly [sic] in regard to Mary Sun's rooming arrangement at Elmira. I, myself, have been tremendously disturbed by the whole affair which has had, seemingly, endless complications.
Mr. Robinson, to whom you refer, is secretary of the Y.M.C.A in Tientsin, Mary's home, and is a personal friend of her father. He happens to be in this country this summer and, when he heard of the college arrangements made for Mary, expressed the view that Mary's father wished her to room for the first year, at least, in some good Christian home. He volunteered to find such a home, if he could, and I, of course, accepted gladly this offer. In the meantime, Mary had signed up for a dormitory room in the college, and the interchange of a number of telegrams left us both somewhat uncertain as to what the final outcome would and should be.
Mr. Robinson later wrote me that he had asked his sister, who lived in Cortland, to go to Elmira to complete the arrangements, and I wired Mary Sun, who had mildly protested against the change of plan, that she must accept this new arrangement and cancel the college room contract at once. I assumed that there would still be time for the college to fill the vacancy thus created. In the meantime, it appears that the college authorities had strongly advised Mary not to live outside the college buildings. When Mr. Robinson’s sister appeared at Elmira, she received the same urgent advice and wired me that under the circumstances she felt that the dormitory arrangement should hold. A letter from the Registrar of Elmira College, received by me the next day, contained also the same advice couched in very strong language. and in view of these facts I felt that the only thing I could properly do was to wire Mary to stand by the original dormitory plan. I assumed, of course, that Miss Robinson would explain the situation fully to you, and I am sorry if she did not do so at the time.
Trusting that the above explanation will make the situation perfectly clear and will show you, too, that all of us tried to the best of our ability to act in good faith to all concerned, believe me
Very sincerely yours,
I have your letter of September 21 and am sorry beyond words for all the trouble you have been caused over the uncertainly [sic] in regard to Mary Sun's rooming arrangement at Elmira. I, myself, have been tremendously disturbed by the whole affair which has had, seemingly, endless complications.
Mr. Robinson, to whom you refer, is secretary of the Y.M.C.A in Tientsin, Mary's home, and is a personal friend of her father. He happens to be in this country this summer and, when he heard of the college arrangements made for Mary, expressed the view that Mary's father wished her to room for the first year, at least, in some good Christian home. He volunteered to find such a home, if he could, and I, of course, accepted gladly this offer. In the meantime, Mary had signed up for a dormitory room in the college, and the interchange of a number of telegrams left us both somewhat uncertain as to what the final outcome would and should be.
Mr. Robinson later wrote me that he had asked his sister, who lived in Cortland, to go to Elmira to complete the arrangements, and I wired Mary Sun, who had mildly protested against the change of plan, that she must accept this new arrangement and cancel the college room contract at once. I assumed that there would still be time for the college to fill the vacancy thus created. In the meantime, it appears that the college authorities had strongly advised Mary not to live outside the college buildings. When Mr. Robinson’s sister appeared at Elmira, she received the same urgent advice and wired me that under the circumstances she felt that the dormitory arrangement should hold. A letter from the Registrar of Elmira College, received by me the next day, contained also the same advice couched in very strong language. and in view of these facts I felt that the only thing I could properly do was to wire Mary to stand by the original dormitory plan. I assumed, of course, that Miss Robinson would explain the situation fully to you, and I am sorry if she did not do so at the time.
Trusting that the above explanation will make the situation perfectly clear and will show you, too, that all of us tried to the best of our ability to act in good faith to all concerned, believe me
Very sincerely yours,
Creator
Alfred E. Stearns
Publisher
Phillips Academy
Date
September 24, 1926
Rights
All Rights Reserved by Phillips Academy
Language
English
Type
Correspondence