Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-08-06
MANCUM BOY Of
IS IS READY To
ENTER COLLEGE
Early Experience With His
Fathers Typewriter Gave
Him His Start in ACqtir-
ing an Education.
(By The Associated Press.)

Mangum, Okla, Aug. 5, (By the
Associated Press. )-Eleven years
ago Mrs. Willmoore Kendall gave
her two-year-old son a typewriter
to play with while she read from
text books to her blind husband,
student in the Northwestern Uni
versity, Evanston, Ill. The boy dis
carded his other toys and sat by
the hour picking at the keys with
his chubby fingers.
Today, at the age of 10, Will
moore Kendall, Jr., is preparing
to enter college. His mother de-
clares the early experience with
his fathers typewriter gave him
his start in acquiring his educa-
tion--a start that swept him into
school at the age of four after he
had read such books as 1.-THE Lit
tie Lame Prince"~and Little Lord
Fauntleroy."
Graduated in June.
Willmoore graduated in June
from the Mangum high school. His
father is pastor of the First Meth
odist church of this city. The boy
intends to enter Northwestern as
freshman if rules of the univers-
ity can be suspended to admit him.
Otherwise, he will matriculate
with some other institution.
Regarding the boys early train
ing, Mrs. Kendall said:
at was a matter of necessity, /
suppose, which made us without
design place him in a position to
acquire an early knowledge of let
ters. When Willmoore was in his
second year, his father was study
ing in Northwestern university.
Since Mr.. Kendall was entirely
blind, ] did all his reading for him
and Willmoore often disturbed us
by crying to be amused. It occur.
red to us to give him his fathers
typewriter.
"Pecking away at the keys of
the machine, Willmoore gradually
learned the entire alphabet and
almost before we knew it, he was
putting letters together into words
and joining words into sentences.
am sure there was never any
consciousness of tiresome mental
effort in his early training. 1t was
all a matter of play for the boy
and 1t kept him so amused that
his father and I were left free to
go on with our reading, stopping
only at first to tell him q new let
ter and later the spelling of
words"
Willmoore's entry into the pub
lie schools at the age of four came
as result of chance call of the
city school superintendent at Hart
shorne, Okla, where the Rev. Mr..
Kendall was stationed. The lad
was reading aloud from "Haw-
thorne's "Tanglewood Tales" when
the teacher entered the room. The
visitor was attracted by his rapid
and expressive pronunciation.
What grade will you be in this
year." he asked the child.
Starts to School.
Mrs. Kendall explained that her
son was but four years old and
had not entered school. Upon the
insistence Of the superintendent
the boy started his school work
the following fall.
Willmoore has not sacrificed his
physical welfare for his studies.
Five feet, three inches tall, he
weighs ITO pounds, and takes keen
delight in all the open air sports
enjoyed by boy Of 10. He is an
expert swimmer, and INDUCES
regularly in boxing, baseball and
other athletic competition.
| lie Is a member of the local boy
scout troop and is greatly interest
| ed In all activities of the local troop.
Last summer, while encamped
with the troop in the mountains
near here, he rescued a boy of IL
who had been seized with cramps
while swimming,
| Fond of Reading.
! Young Kendall Is still fond of
reading, Dickens, Scott and Stew
enson being among his favorite an
thors. He also reads much current
literature and history. Science and
mathematics he finds extremely
dlfficult. He is enthusiastic about
music, and although he has never
nad regular instruction, plays the
Ilute well. taking part in his
Iather's church orchestra each
Sunday.
| Willmoore admits that he ia too
light to try for the freshman foot
ball team when he enters college
put declares he will go in for de-
Dating. He was member of the
Mangum nigh school debating
team. always assuming the task OF
reputtal over the older members
Of the team. y