The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-07
Hoosier's Beautiful Script Graces All
Invitations to White House Functions
BY DANIEL NJ. KIDNEY
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w are among the fortunate
few 70 receive one Of those beau
tiful invitations to a White House
social function. think Of this-it
was written by a fellow Hoosier.
The whole thing looks as though
it we're printed from a fine steel
plate. Scan it closely. Your
name-which matches the printed
script perfectly-really was done
with an offset pen in the COM
petent hands Of Adrian Barclay
Tolley.
Mr.. FOLEY is a Howard County
1nd) boy whose penmanship has
kept him at the White House un-
der five Presidents.
Now Al. he long has been chief
Of the production department of
the Chief Executives social staff.
His years at the White House,
surrounded by the august dignity
of the place, have made Mr.. Toll
lev somewhat formal.
But behind this front there re-
mains something of that Hoosier
schoolboy. He is as proud of his
penmanship on a place card for
the latest great state dinner as
when he sold his first amateur
calling card at the Grant County
Fair
After the thaw-out. Mr.. Tolley
will tell you something of him
self.
He was born on a farm near
Converse and educated in the
nearby little red schoolhouse."
because his mother drew
II those beautiful doves and
other script figures of the Spen-
cerian era, Mn Tolley early de-
cided that with a pen he could
conquer the world.
His mother encouraged this
viewpoint and they found an ar
dent supporter in E. B. Wetherow,
principal Of Converse High School.
BY the time young Tolley entered
the normal school at Marion, Ind,
he could outshine all fellow stu
dents in plain and fancy penman-
ship and the making of fine Spen-
cerian figures.
His pride rose to great heights
when he won the competition of
1909 at the Grant County Fair.
He turned this to good account
by setting up one of those side
walk stands to write fancy cards
for fair-goers. They f1ocked to
buy them at a dime a throw. Re-
suit was that the enterprising Mr..
Tolley had sufficient funds to go
along with three fellow students
to take a civil service examination
in Indianapolis.
He passed that examination and
in 1911 was ordered to Washing
ton for a position in the Offices
of the Civil Service Commission
itself. They knew about his pen
manship.
While awaiting his appointment
he had been filling out diplomas
for schools throughout Indiana.
So the commission had him
prepare their exhibit for the Pan
ama-Pacific Exposition. His fame
spread. In 1915, he was trans
ferred to the Treasury Depart
ment and detailed to the White
House social staff. Budget changes
have placed him on the Postoff1ce
Department pay roll, but he has
remained at the White House I'M
der Presidents Wilson, Harding,
Coolidge, Hoover and Roosevelt.
The entire social staff is under
civil service.
NTHEN a great state dinner
w is in the offing, the social
office receives a chart from that
arbiter of international etiquette
james Clement Dunn.
Mr.. Dunn is special assistant to
the Secretary of State and Chief
of Protocol. His job is to seat
every one according to rank and
precedent and not get any gold
braid out of place.
In his beautiful script, Mr.. Toll
ley writes the place cards with
appropriate titles. He has writ
ten them for the rulers of the
world that have visited America
throughout the last 10 years.
Presidents, princes, kings, queens,
ambassadors, attaches, admirals.
generals, cabinet officers and quite
a few commoners have drawn
these cards from Mr.. Tolley's
hand
The official invitations, with the
gold crest. are printed by the Bu-
reau of Engraving. using the fine
plates from which paper money
is made. Mr.. Tolley fills in the
names and dates in the same
script and addresses the envelopes
in like manner.
Special messengers then are
dispatched 10 deliver them to the
important perSonages invited to
the White House and Mr.. Tolley
goes back to his business Of get
ting out the next batch.
1t takes time and it wouldn't be
fair to say that he "dashes them
off,"
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