Paul O'Day, 1935 - 2017

With sadness we note the death, June 1, 2017, at age 82, of Paul O'Day. Paul was a Director of the Robert Benchley Society and active in the Washington, D.C., "Lost Locomotive" Chapter of the Society. Many members will recall meeting Paul and his wife Nancy at RBS Annual Gatherings in Washington, Los Angles, and Boston. In the photograph above, Paul is giving "Laugh-In" comedian Arte Johnson the RBS Medal at the 2012 RBS Annual Awards dinner at the Jonathan Beach Club, Santa Monica, California.

His obituary can be found here HERE.

Thomas Saunders, 1952-2016

Saunders, Thomas 3/25/1952 - 11/15/2016 Whitmore Lake, Michigan.

Tom was a great fan of books, telling stories, playing and enjoying music and a great corned beef sandwich; as well as all of the people who shared those things with him. Tom's battle against metastatic cancer ended peacefully, Tuesday November 15, in the presence of family. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, November 20 at 1pm at Phillips Funeral Home, 122 W. Lake Street, South Lyon, MI 48178. Visitation for family and friends will take place from 11am-1pm, followed by a memorial service. A wake will be held after, to laugh, cry, tell stories and toast Tom, 3pm-7pm at the Dexter Knights of Columbus, 8265 Dexter-Chelsea Rd, #1, Dexter, MI 48130. In lieu of flowers, please direct any donations to Lost Voices.org, a group that brings music therapy to at-risk and incarcerated youth, of which Tom was a proud supporter. www.phillipsfuneral.com.

Tom was the President of the Ann Arbor, Michigan, "Moderate State of Preservation" Chapter of the RBS and the publisher of The Athletic Benchley.

Kevin Fitzpatrick Publishes Seventh Book

NEWS -- Kevin Fitzpatrick, President of the New York City "Fascinating Crimes" Chapter of the RBS has just completed his seventh book, World War I New York: A Guide to the City’s Enduring Ties to the Great War (Globe Pequot). It comes out 3/1/2017 and is a guidebook to what was happening in the city during the war and where memorials are located today. For more information about the book CLICK HERE.

Can You Help this Man?

The Robert Benchley Society was recently contacted by someone searching for a:

"...a short piece by Mr. Benchley in which he wrote case profiles of suspected criminals in a pseudo-sociological voice. He ended one of his assessments of a degenerate criminal with the notation, 'Can whistle.'"

Can anyone assist?

Here's all I was able to find for him:

The essay “First—Catch Your Criminal” is along the lines you describe, but with no short clinical note about whistling. It can be found in No Poems, Or Around the World Backwards and Sideways (1932), beginning on page 54, and in the Benchley Round-up (1954), beginning on page 183.

There also an essay “Psychical Tic,” found in After 1903--What (1938), beginning on page 33. However I do not have a copy of that book handy to check it for you.

Anyone have an more ideas what work the inquirer may have in mind? Send your answers to david@robertbenchley.org.

No Benchley Humor Writing Competition this Year

I regret to inform you that the Robert Benchley Society Annual Humor Writing Competition will not be held in 2016. Watch this blog for further announcements about Society activities.

Nat Benchley and Mary DiZazzo-Trumbull at the Harvard Club, May 19th

Benchley to Appear in Person, Don't Miss this Special Event

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society will hold its monthly Roundup at the Downtown Harvard Club, high above Boston town on the 38th floor of One Federal Street, in the Financial District. Mr. Benchley's grandson Nat, the star of a one-man play about his grandfather, will be our special guest. We'll gather at the Crimson Pub on Thursday, March 19th, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Dress code is informal or business casual. For more information, contact David Trumbull at david@robertbenchley.org.