Evening star., 1934-11-10
NEWBERY PRIZE
WINNERS FETED
Prominent AssembIage at
Banquet of Torch Club
of Wilson College.

Four winners of the John Newbery
Prize, offered annually by the Amer
lean Library Association, gathered
with a goodly portion OF the hterati Of
Washington last night in the May
flower Hotel for banquet given by
the Torch Club of Wilson Teachers
College.
The prize is awarded to the author
of the outstanding contribution dur
ing the year in the field of children's
literature The last winner, Cornelia
Meigs, was unable to attend.
Winners at the dinner were Mrs.
Elizabeth Foreman Lewis, 1882 win
ner; Mrs Laura Adams Armer, who
received the prize in 1881; Eric P.
Kelly, medalist for 1928, and Arthur
Bowie Chrisman, 1925 winner. All
spoke.
Wilmer Bennett ToastmaSter.
John Fletcher, president of the
Torch Club, which is library organ
ization, opened the ceremonies and
introduced Wilmer Bennett, toast
master, who in turn presented Herzell
Goodman, last years club president.
Goodman lauded Mrs. Dorothy De-
Muth Watson, librarian at Wilson
Teachers College, and then introduced
Herman H. B. Meyer, former national
president of the American Library
Association, who spoke of John New
berry. The man for whom the prize
was named, he said, was London
book store owner of the middle of
the eighteenth century, who published
one of the first series of children's
books.
Robert Botkin, member of the Ban
quet Committee, read messages of
regrets from Mrs. Franklin D. Roose-
welt. Miss Meigs, Miss Rachel Field,
Hugh Lofting and Charles j. Finger.
The last three persons named are
Newbery medalists.
Mrs. Ickes Speaks.
Ann Sakolsky, chairman of the
Program Committee, then introduced
Mrs. Harold L. IckeS, wife of the Sec
retary of the Interior. who spoke in
appreciation of Mrs Armers Water
less Mountain
The Chinese Minister, Alfred Sao-Ke
SEE, discussed "Shen of the Sea-"
written by Mr.. Chrisman, and Young
Flu of the Upper Yangtze," which
came from the pen of Mrs. Lewis.
He was introduced by Mary Fletcher.
secretary of the Women's Club of
the college.
Mr.. Kelly's THE Trumpeter of
Krakow" was reviewed by Wladislaw
Sokolowski, counselor of the Polish
Embassy, who was presented to the
meeting by Francis Kady, treasurer
OF the Torch Club.
Joseph Auslander, noted poet.
translator and professor at Columbia
University, spoke in appreciation of
juvenile writer's.
Story telling will be the educational
method of the future, Mr.. Chrisman
declared. Mrs. Lewis expressed the
hope that youth writer's may come to
stress appeals to the finer feelings
rather than material things. Mr..
Kelly said children are the most criti-
cal audience in the world and the
books on which they put their stamp
OF approval are those that live through
the ages
Startles Audience.
Assigned the topic Character
Building in Children" Mrs. Armer
startled her audience with the state
ment, Il don't think any book or anv
thousand books can influence charac-
ter in the least The children I know
best, the little Navajos, have never
read book, and they have character"
The banquet ended with a benedic-
tion by DR.. Edgar c. Higbie, president
of the college.
Students, other than those named,
who introduced speakers, included
Anne Morrison, president of the
Women's Club; Elsie Johnson, secre-
tary of the Torch Club last year:
Kathleen Crowley, club vice president;
Dorothy Dean. committee member,
and Lorraine Craig.
Those seated at the speakers table
included Stanwood Cobb, former ma
tional president of the Progressive
Education Association; J. w. Crab
tree, secretary of the National Edu-
cation Association; Mrs. Richard
Hogue, chairman Of the Education
Committee of the American Associa-
ton OF University Women; Edwin
Bateman Morris and Edwin Price
Porter. both architects; DR.. William
Carl Ruediger, dean of the School of
Education at George Washington
University; Rev DR.. Joseph R. Sizoo,
pastor of the New York Avenue Pres
byterian Church; Frank B. Steele of
the Sons Of the American Revolution,
and Mrs. Virginia Faber Stevenson,
national president of the League of