Evening star., 1939-06-25
800 Will Gather at $5-o-PIote Dinner
To Honor Hozen, in D. c. Service so Years
Demand for Tickets
To Celebration
Exceed Supply
BY DON 8. WARREN,


toast the man who for five and q
half years has headed the corpora
ton which is spending nearly
$50, 900 900 Of the taxpayers money
each year. And the demand for
tickets exceeds the supply.
They 60 to pay their respects to
the long, lean, gray-thatched Mel
vim Colvin Hazen, president of the
Board Of Commissioners, the occa-
sion being the celebration Of the
so years he has spent In District
service.
Past II years of age, he's still
going strong, for this septuagena-
rian can dance longer, especially
at those Birthday Ball Gold Plate"
breakfast parties, than many of his
younger compatriots, and still get
to work on time.
Mel" Hazen had served in the
municipal government A years
before he realized an ambition ne
had nursed more or less secretly
for some time-to round out his
long District career as a Commis-
sioner. He did better than that.
He was elected president of the
board and twice received the ap-
pointment from President Roose-
welt, with confirmation by the
Senate.
Survives Patronage Storm.
He was immensely pleased, for he
has all the human instincts, but
there have been times when he
wished he never had won that first
appointment. There was one occa-
sion when competing politicians
were demanding appointment of
different persons to one District
job-and he couldn't please both of
them.
But he survived the early patron
age storm when it seemed most
every hungry and deserving" Dem
ocrat in the country wanted place
at the District Building. He may
have bent a little under the pres
sure, as did the smiling George E.
Allen, co-Commissioner, but he
didn't break. He learned to culti-
vate his sense of humor.
Any such story as this Of Mel
would not be complete without ref
erence to horses. They have served
as his background, and sometimes
they have come galloping to the
center of the stage of his career.
In fact, 1t was his love Of horses
that incidentally led him to the
Commissioner chair.
His father was farmer and stock
breeder and Mel" early developed
love of the turf. More than 80
years ago he struck up an acquaint-
ance with another horse lover, the
late Admiral Cary T. Grayson, who,
in 1888. sponsored the Hazen ap-
pointment when President Roosevelt
was casting about for suitable can
rdidates. Admiral Grayson had
served as personal physician to for
mer President Wilson and as chair
man of the Roosevelt Inaugural
Committee.
Takes Lot Of Ribbing.
Commissioner Hazen has taken a
lot of joshing about his horses. He
has been chided for opposing legali-
zation of racing in the District
while following the sport at Charles
Town or Laurel This never bothered
him much. however. for he holds
that, as to the District. he believes
he is speaking the sentiments of the
majority of Washington residents.
AS to Charles Town and Laurel
well, Mr.. Hazen just loves the horses
The president of the Board of
Commissioners is one of the most
photographed men in the National
Capital. He has never been known
to refuse a pose. If Eleanor Powell
is IN the picture, here for the Birth
day Ball, so much the better. He
has been photographed with Cherry
Blossom queens, Azalea queens
Apple Blossom queens and just plain,
or rather, just pretty queens.
He is exceedingly proud. also, OF
that picture taken of him, in the
colorful habiliments of master of
fox hounds, with two of his fine
dogs at his side. He is not only an
M. F. H., but also was made an
honorary Sioux chief, during q visit
to the District Building of a band
Of that tribe, and was officially
classed and treated as Lord Mayor
of Washington" during the visit here
Of British admiral, when the Navy
assigned a be-medaled major to
serve as his aide for the occasion.
Commissioner Hazen also is q
traffic doctor" of some note, hav-
ing personally planned the use of
Thirteenth street for one-way rush.
hour travel and similar arrange
ments. Drawing on his Is years OF
experience as District surveyor, he
frequently is found planning i'm
provements in the Districts system
of highways. s.,. ~,
Mel" was born in Prince william
County, Va, and studied civil en-
gineering at the University of Mary
land at time when the institu-
ton was all under one roof, except
the athletic field, and that was in
the middle of what Is now the
campus. He was captain Of the first
university baseball team to take
part in intercollegiate play. His
team won the State championship
in 1888.
Commissioner Allen ribbed MEL
q good bit about this, for George
had his need of joshing about his
college football efforts, and the re-
suit was a softball contest between
Mr.. Hazen's policemen and firemen
against Mr.. Aliens team of play
ground directors. Capt. Hazen won
6 to l. Both Commissioners per-
formed.
Young Hazen had started out to
be q school teacher, but got into
the practice Of coming to Washing
ton because he was courting girl
here. After = year of teaching he
came here to take q $70-a-month
job as a transitman in the Street
Extension Division. He was pro-
NOTED from time to time and was
made surveyor in July of 1908.
One may wonder how a man could
win a term as Commissioner unless