ITH the annual reorganiza- "When we finally did get our first con- tion ofWthe State Supreme Court this tract-that is, mommy and me," she con- month, a former student of the Univer tinued, "I thought I'd be in almost every Sooners sity becomes chief justice, and seven of scene for it seemed to me I was acting the nine positions on the court are filled before the camea all the time. That was by graduates or former students of O. U. only in the beginning, though . Before I Justice Earl Welch, '11, becomes chief got to know much about the way editors at Home justice this month. He has been a mem- cut the films. I guess I couldn't have ber of the court since 1933 and vice chief been much good because almost all of me justice for the last two years. was cut out. I didn't understand it at Abroad The other six Sooners on the court are first and Mommy used to say `don't worry, and Fletcher Riley, '17ba, oldest member of the Joan, there'll be more of you in the next court in point of service ; Monroe Osborn, picture.' And when there wasn't, it was '04; Wayne Bayless, '20law ; Thurman S. my turn to cheer her up." Hurst, '12law ; Denver N. Davison, '15law, Joan first gave evidence of her acting and Ben Arnold, '20ba, '25law . Judge ability when she was about three years loan Carroll (below), daughter Arnold, former district judge in Oklaho- old, reports her mother, who is her con- of two O. U. alumni, is the ma County, is a new member of the State stant companion. She used to combine current "talent surprise" of the Supreme Court. dancing and acting out fairy tales in a Broadway hit, "Panama Hattie" Justice Welch, of Chickasaw descent, is make-believe theatre of her own in Wash- the first enrolled member of an Indian ington, D. C., where Mr. Felt worked for tribe to sit on the court . He was born the government. In time the child en- near Wister, was educated in the public tertained at some of the better social soirees schools of Poteau and Talihina, attended at which political bigwigs were in at- Harley Institute at Tishomingo, the Uni- tendance. Their urging that Joan be versity of Arkansas, and the University taken to Hollywood, plus the fabulous of Oklahoma . stories about the success of Shirley Temple, Admitted to the bar in 1911, he engaged then in her prime, prompted the family in practice at Antlers until 1927, when he to make the trip West. became district judge. He also served as Here Joan was just another child, one mayor of Antlers, member of the board of of veritable hundreds who came from education and director of the Antlers every section of the country with the same Chamber of Commerce before being high hopes for a screen career. Except elected to the Supreme Court. that Joan was more fortunate in meeting up with Marjorie Gateson who thought Broadway Hit her cute and pretty . The actress in turn Joan Carroll, the film-actress daughter brought the child to Mary Pickford of two University of Oklahoma alumni, through whom she came to the attention is making a big hit in this season's suc- of B. P. Shulberg. He thought she had cessful Broadway show Panama Hattie, possibilities, signed her to a contract and at the 46th Street Theatre. then promptly left the Paramount lot. In a cast that includes such luminaries This left Joan without any prospects what- as Ethel Merman, James Dunn, and Phyl- soever. lis Brooks, eight-year-old Joan was called There began then the usual round of vis- the "talent surprise of the evening" in a its to the studios in the vain hope of win- review by Stage magazine . ning an interview with a casting director. Joan is the daughter of Wright L. Felt, Seldom, however, did she get past the '16eng, and Mrs. Felt (Freda Brown, '18) . office gate. Since age is an element in a Within the last few years the youngster budding starlet, the mother began to de- blossomed into important roles in moving spair of ever having her in a picture when pictures, and last fall was invited into the she was still young enough to be cute. cast of the Broadway show. Meantime, she continued studying danc- Panama Hattie is a musical produced by ing, singing, acting, roller skating, ice Buddy DeSylva, with songs by Cole skating-she figure skates beautifully- Porter . The story deals with frustrated and all the other necessary adjuncts to a love and the sinister doings of the fifth rounded histrionic career demanded from columnists in the Panama Canal area. juvenile players. Although already a success by the best An agent, Gene Mann, interceded at Broadway and Hollywood yardsticks, at this juncture-he also had considerable to the tender age of eight, Joan talks of her do with Shirley Temples's early start- past "disappointments" with the philos- and Joan finally got her first opportunity ophy of a veteran . with, of all firms, 20th Century-Fox, lit- "I just never did think I'd ever get tle Miss Temple's employers. As already started," she confessed to an interviewer noted, she acted a lot, but little got to the between scenes back stage. "Hollywood screen until about a year ago when under is just filled with children like myself RKO sponsorship she appeared in the and when we'd get to talking in the cast- screen version of Primrose Path. The ing offices almost everyone had the same critics and public liked her and thereupon story to tell, though we did go out and she was given another role in Anne of play marbles or skip rope when the wait- Windy Poplars. A third, Laddie, has ing for executives to see us got too monot- just been released. It's her first featured onous. plot.

SOONER MAGAZINE 16

Panama Hattie, however, did more for Joan Carroll than any of the films she was in. Given assignments only in "13" pic- tures up to now, RKO is planning a series of "A" films for her when she winds up her stage career in the Cole Porter musical sometime in the distant future. "Strange," mused Joan's mother the other (Jay, "how it takes Broadway rec- ognition to get you really going in Holly- wood ." Guard Officers A check of the Oklahoma National Guard roster of commissioned officers as the 45th Division went into active duty in the United States Army at Fort Sill re- veals eighty-two graduates of the Univer- sity serving as officers . Some of those in the following list have probably received promotions in rank since induction into federal service. The list of Sooner graduates serving as O. U. alumni serving on the State Supreme Court: left to right, standing, Ben Ar- officers in the 45th Division includes: nold (just beginning his first term), Wayne Bayless, Sam Neg (just completing a Capt. Lee B. Thompson, '25ba, '27law, Okla- term he was appointed to fill out), and Fletcher Riley. Sitting, left to right, homa City. Osborn, Welch and Thurman Hurst First Lieut. Clark M. Cunningham, '16ba, Denver Davison, Monroe Earl '30rus.ed, Oklahoma City. Lieut. Col . Joe J. Miller, '22ma, Chickasha . First Lieut. William E. Harrison, '37law, Ok- Capt . Walter J. Arnote, '286a, '28law, Mc- Capt . Lewis C. Taylor, '356a, '366s, '38med, lahoma City. Alcster. Oklahoma City . Capt . Ira 1'. Bond, '27mcd, Norman . Second Lieut. William G. Johnson, '30bus, Mc- First Lieut. William 11. Webster, '33ba, Ada. First Lieut. John A. Pennington, '40m.cd, Alcstcr. Major James E. Ensey, '28bs, '28med, Altus. Waynoka. Major Lanson D. Mitchell, '19ba, Oklahoma Capt. Milatn F. McKinney, '34med, Oklahoma Second Lieut. Paul l). Cummings, '39law, City. City . Alva . Capt. Raymond W. Washam, '356a, Tulsa. Capt. Wayne A. Starkey, '34med, Altus. Capt. Bertrus Kemmerer, '25, Guthrie . First Lieut. John T. Cooper, Jr., '36ba, We- Capt . Joe A. Stamper, '33ba, '35law, Antlers. Second Lieut. Nevellc E. McKinney, '40pharm, woka. Guthrie . Capt. John Embry, '27law, Chandler . Heads Society Brig. Gen. Louis A. Ledbetter, '12law, Okla- Second Lieut. Albert R. Brown, '38law, Chand- Petroleum geologist J. Roy Seitz, '23 homa City. ler . geol, of the firm of Seitz, Cotnegys and ('ol . Murray F. Gibbons, '15, Oklahoma City. Capt . Boylston 13. Bass, '286us, Oklahoma City . Major Patrick H. Lawson, '29med, Marietta . Capt . Clarence G . Brown, '23ba, Norman . Seitz, Inc., of Wichita Falls, Texas, has Capt. l" lion W. LcHcw, '30med, Pawnee. Capt . William (1 . Dunnington, '321ned, Chero- been elected president of the North Texas Capt. James' O. Hood, '29med, Norman. kee. Geological Society. Lieut Col . Paul B. Bell, '37ms.cd, Oklahoma Capt. Lester P. Smith, '29med, Marlow. . Mr. Seitz, who has been in the oil bus- Major Edward F. Stephenson, '40m .ed, Okla- City. homa City. (:apt. Wesley 11 . Jones, '31, Oklahoma City . iness for more than fifteen years, form- Capt. Mace Spangler, "27ba, '37m.ed, Oklaho- First Lieut. Charles W. Cleverdon, '336us, Ok- erly was associated with the Fain-McGaha ma City. lahoma City . Oil Corporation in Wichita Falls. Capt . Quentin M. Spradling, '28ba, '32bus, Second Lieut. loseph 1). Anderson, '34ba, '34 '40m .bus, Norman . law, Oklahoma City . Insurance Branch Manager First Lieut. Harry W. Hughes, '296a, Norman . Capt . Henry (* . White, '16ba, Chickasha . Lieut. Col . Joseph I). Garrison, '29bs, '36rn.ed, Second Lieut. Victor H. Powers, Jr., '40bus, Charles A. Fair, '24ba, has been made Norman . Chickasha . manager of the Empire State Branch of Capt . Curtis 1.. Williams, '36law, Stillwater . Lieut. ('01 . Allan Falkenstine, '17, Watonga . the Travelers Insurance Company, with Capt . O. H. Douglas, '25ba, Okioulgcc . First Lieut. Webster Wilder, Jr., '33ba, '33law, offices in the Empire Capt . Cherokee . State Building, New Albert E. Bonnell, Jr., '25, Muskogec. York City. Capt . Carson L. Oglesbec, '37med, Muskogec. First Lieut. George W. Slentmcr, '326a, '39ms, He was with the company Second Lieut. Robert G. Cates, '39phann, Coal- Blackwell . in Dallas and in Dayton, Ohio, before be- gate. First Lieut. Carl J. Sallee, '30, Cherokee . ing sent to New York to build up that First Lieut. Hezzie S. Bates, '3lms.ed, Durant . First Lieut. Howard P. Rice, '40m .ed, Roff. division. Second Lieut. Raymond S. McLain, Jr., '366s, Capt. Owen Black, '17, Muskogee. Oklahoma City. Major Richard H. Cloyd, '196a, '28law, Nor- Although his branch is one of the Capt . Hugh A. Neal, '276s, Bartlesville . man . youngest and has comparatively few First Lieut. William B. McFadycn, '33ba, '35 Capt . William C. Lindstrom, '32bs, '34med, agents, it ranked fifteenth in the com- law, Anadarko . Oklahoma City. pany's Leap Year accident insurance cam- Howard Capt, Harlan E. Chase, '27eng, Ponca City . A. Way, '32ed, Lawton. paign. First Lieut. Bryan L. Rakestraw, '33ba, '35 Col . Rex G. Bolcnd, '08, Oklahoma City . law, Oklahoma City. Major Nesbitt L. Miller, '256s, '27mcd, Okla- First Lieut. John C. Niehaus, '30bus, Chick- homa City . Advertising Manager asha . Major Wallace N. Davidson, '19med, Cushing. The Oklahoma Natural Gas Company First Lieut. William O. Breedlove, Jr., '38law, Capt . Francis P. Mulky, '206a, Oklahoma City. has announced appointment of Alden Cof- Kingfisher. Major Daniel L. Perry, '246s, '26med, Cushing . fey, Jr., '32, as merchandise sales and ad- Second Lieut. William G . Riddle, '36ba, King- Major Walter H. Miles, '16bs, '18med, Okla- fisher . homa City. vertising manager of the firm. He and Capt . John E. Weiler, '32eng, Duncan. Capt . Glen W. McDonald, '32bs, '34med, Ada . Mrs. Cofley (Ann Lynn Cook, '31ba) First Lieut. Paul E. Seheefcrs, '33eng, Duncan. Capt . Orville H. Tackctt, '37bs, '39med, Okla- moved to Tulsa last month from Plain- Second Lieut. James T. Wilcoxson, '35bus, ltoma City . view, Texas, where Mr. Duncan. Major Fenton A. Sanger, '246s, '26tncd, Okla- Coffey has been Capt . James C. Todd, '31law, Tulsa. homa City. sales promotion and advertising manager First Lieut. Oran N. McCain, '31law, Tulsa. Capt . James H. Hammond, '37med, Tulsa. for the Texas-New Mexico Utilities Com- First Lieut. Joseph R. Boosa, '296a, Wewoka. Capt . Gilbert W. Tracy, '37bs, '38med, Erick. pany.

JANUARY, 1941 17