The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-04
BY JACK sTINNETT

WASHINGTON, Feb 3-In a good many
years of batting around in the news game,
have found lot of people in the theater who
have no business there and darned Few VINO
should have been on the stage and aren't-but
George H. O'Connor certainly is one OF the
latter
From President Mckinley to Roosevelt II,
probably more people have called O'Connor
George than ever called all the nations
Pullman porters By that name. For the pur-
poses of this little story I'm going to join
the fond parade.
George is a portly gent, with whiting hair
and Muldoon map His fathers name was
Patrick and his mothers maiden name Mary
Mccarthy. Born thus in the shade of t h e
shamrock he held trumps to start with. He
has played them right and probably given
laughs to more Westinghouse than any other
native.
He is, by vocation, title insurance execu-
tive-but it is his avocation that has made
George O'Connor one of the greatest toast
masters and after-dinner entertainers that
your banquet-ridden capital ever has known.
George is the composer of a number of melo-
dies, including HE May Be Bavarian on
Broadway and He Amt No Relation OF
Nine" which was great favorite OF the late
President Taft. Add to that throaty baritone,
which wouldn't necessarily make Lawrence
personality which probably would and maybe
you are beginning to get picture Of George
H. OConnor.
Won Rogers Praise
Once George was spotlighted an a banquet
program with another native Washington boy,
who had done quite bit Of Wandering-Al
Jolson. Will Rogers was in the audience and
when the two finished their little number, Will
b. l VIZ ool>c
to me as if the wrong boy stayed home.''
Not SO long ago, George was in top form
at the White House correspondents annual
dinner. He sang Little Tommy Murphy" and
n1ournful ballad called Saloon When he
had finished, a waiter handed him a card. On
it was scribbled, Dear George-Like rare
old wine, you grow better with age" 1t was
signed, "F. D. R.
The story goes that George was one of the
few men-if not the only-Who could always
get a hearty laugh out of Calvin Coolidge
George first met President Coolidge at Mas
sachusetts State Society reception. The Presi-
dent looked little puzzled. Are you from
Massachusetts," he asked. mo, I've been
SICK" answered George that's what makes
me look this way The story has been kicked
around every vaudeville stage in the land in
half a dozen forms, but it was fresh enough
then to make the unsmiling Mr.. Coolidge guf
faW.
Numerous Stories
A few months later, at banquet Coolidge
attended, George sang his vitriolic lampoon,
Cohen Owes Me $97." AS the applause died
down, one recalcitrant guest ''boohed.' The
President turned to his dinner partner and
asked, Who's that? Cohen?"
Georges life is full of stories like that There
was the time at the Lambs club in New York,
when Wilton Lackaye, the actor, introduced
him this way: Gentlemen, you think you're
good. But I want to introduce you to man
who plays New York a one-night stand
Then there was the time the detected Presi-
dent Taft attended a party shortly after his
defeat by Woodrow Wilson. George got up,
took the notes in his teeth, and sang If
He's Going In, I'm Going Out" Some who
were there will insist today that Taft laughed
90 hard he cracked the dining room plaster.
Wilson Thanked Him
For President Wilson, just after he had
taken office, George sang my Cousin
Car,1se :" When he had finished, President Will
son came over and put his arm around O'Con-
nor,s shoulders, took him over to corner
,,u and thanked him profusely. 1t was three
months before George could fight his way out