The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1925-07-30

EXCURSIONS IN
CORRESPONDENCE
BY THOMAS ARKLE CLARK
Dean of Men, University Of Illinois.
Letters of Recommendation

Letters of Recommendation
a LMOST every mail brings me re-
"A quests for letters of recommends
ton Of men who have given my name
as reference to some Individual, or
firm to whom they have applied for a
position. In only a very small num-
Der of cases have these men asked me
for permission to do this, or do they
often acknowledge the courtesy after
1t has been done. The least thing that
n can do, if he gives your name as
reference, Is to advise you of that fact,
or If possible to ask your permission
beforehand to do so. When you ask
a man to take the trouble to write you
q letter Of recommendation (not a
recommend" by the way, good man
ners require that you, at least, thank
him for doing so.
A letter Of recommendation Is the
easiest sort to get from almost any
one, and the people who should be
most careful as to what they say
teachers, preachers, and public men In
prominent positions-are often the
1CodJ " WlltC lCtlClo VI lCtOlh-
mendation Of people whom they do not
know personally, or who, at least, they
know very slightly. Letters are
brought to me every September by
young men just entering college, writ
ten by men with whom they have no
acquaintance, and with whom they
have no connection, excepting that the
roo, u,hD xrrffon ~ Iot+n~ Itroc II, fha
same congressional district, as the
uncle or the father Of the boy, who
presents 1t to me. Such a letter Is sell
dom worth a great deal as evidence.
The letter that Is carried by the per-
Son recommended to the one to whom
1t is written, Is Of far less value than
the one that is mailed directly. You
are likely to know the contents of a
letter that is in your pocket, even II 1t
is sealed, and If you do know, 1t Is
quite certain that the writer will have
hesitated to make any statements that
are not complimentary. If the letter
Is mailed directly, the writer may be
frank; he may touch on the weak
nesses, as well as sing the praises Of
the man of whom he Is writing, and so
give a more convincing and truthful
estimate of him.
There are those who hold that If you
are writing a letter Of recommended
ton, you are under obligation to say
only good Of the man concerned, or to
keep silent altogether. I had a very
argument with a young fellow
q few years g into whose hands had
fallen a letter which I had written
about him, in which communication, l
had pointed out certain weaknesses Of
his. He held that, having agreed to
write a letter Of recommendation for
him, I was, by that agreement, under
obligation to speak only Of his good
qualities. There is no greater non
sense than this. A letter Of recon-
should attempt to give as
faithful and correct an estimate Of a
mans qualifications as possible, and
this, to be fair, should include, also,
his weak points. One does not engage
a man to fill any position because one
links him perfect, but because the
gum Of his personal, and intellectual
characteristics seems to be such as to
it him satisfactorily to fill the position
n question. To know his weaknesses,
unless he Is something more than
human, he has them, is more often
han otherwise an advantage.
1t ought, perhaps, also to be borne
n mind that a letter of recommends
ion is the property, not of the n
bout whom 1t is written, but of the
me to whom 1t is written. If such let
ers are to be of any value, they must
generally be confidential, and it is a
reach of confidence to give them to
he man recommended, or even to let
i'm know of their contents, without
he consent Of the writer.
A letter of recommendation should,
rdinarily, indicate the opportunities
Which the writer has had to become
cquainted with the person in ques-
ion, and the length Of time he has /.
nown him. 1t should give something
f his training, his experience, and :
hould, especially, dwell upon his I'M /.
sual, or outstanding characteristics. .
z he has any qualities which fit him +,
specially for the position for which +.
e has applied, these should be men :
oned. Integrity, trustworthiness, :,
illingness to work, and ability to get !
n with people comfortably, are all :
worth mentioning. :
Every one will, at one time or an '
Their, be asked to recommend a man :
" a position for which neither his :
laracter, nor his training fit him. The !
lly reasonable thing to do in such a {
Use is to say frankly to the mar who
SKIS for the letter, that you cannot :
rite it. In such a case it would be =
lfair, both to the applicant, and to :
Iose who might employ him, to help