The guardian., 1953-08-22

RETIRES FROM STATE
HOUSE POSITION = The Rec
Coach Grill was the scene o.
. a lovely dinner party Wednes
day evening, August 5, in hon
I or of Mrs. Rowena e. Taylor
lust retired from her Sta b
House position after S112 years
service. Friends and associates
who gathered to do her this
honor. including her sister and
others representing various
state departments, were Ber-
tha H. Wormley and Pauline
Averett Schalk, Department OF
Civil Service and Registration:
Edna v. Jones, Alberta C. VAL
entine and Gladys ]. Gray, De-
partment of Labor and Indus
tries: Hilda A. Wiltshire and
Doris E. Jackson, Department
of commission on Administra-
ton and Finance; Emily B.
Bennett, Department Of Cor
poration and Taxation; Vera E.
Riddick, Department of Public
! Health; Ethel Lane, Office of
the Secretary of state; Flos-
sic Shelton White, Industrial
Accident Board; Claudia E.
williams and Geraldine Barker,
Registry of Motor Vehicles. A
glowing tribute was paid the
honoree by Mrs. Alberta C. VAL
entine, who also presented her
with a beautiful corsage and
Phinney Walker travelling
alarm clock. Previous to this
festivity, employees of Mrs.
Taylor's department gave a
cocktail party in her honor on
July 80, at the Lincolnshire
Hotel. followed by a dinner at
the Longchamps New French
Restaurant on Beacon Hill,
when theyy presented her with
an orchid and a gift certificate
from C. Crawford Hollidge.
Mrs. Taylor was retiring from
her position as principal clerk
in the Massachusetts Depart
ment of Mental Health, a posi-
ton to which she was ap-
pointed five years ago. Her pro-
gram was supported by Fed
eral funds for the improvement
of mental health through re-
search education and preventive
treatment. Born in Cambridge,
the former Rowena Esterling
was graduated from Cambridge
High and Latin School, at
tended Ethel Downes Business
School, was graduated from
Portia Law School and after
wards studied at the Staley
College of the Spoken Word.
She was admitted to practice
before the Massachusetts, Bar
in 1882 and to the Federal Bar
in 1912. She is a member of
the Massachusetts, Association
of Women Lawyers, the Cam
bridge Bar Association, Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority and the
Aristo Club. Mrs. Taylor will
now devote full time to the
practice of law.
Rumaging among old papers
in an antique desk 1 found
tattered program of meeting
held exactly seventy years ago
as a memorial to Robert Morris,
famous Boston attorney. The
scheduled exercises on that oc-
casion excitedly intrigued me
because Of tn prominence of
the participants. The master of
ceremonies was Lawyer George
L. Ruffln who in the fall of the
same year, 1888, was appointed
Massachusetts Judge. Edwin
G. Walker, another distinguish
ed lawyer, delivered the eulogy.
A poem, composed by Elijah w.
Smith, noted person of that
era was read by James M
Trotter, father of our editor
Madame Nellie Brown Mitchell
Boston's most famous singer OF
that period, was soloist. She
sang a warmly beloved num-
ber, Angels Ever Bright and
Fair" by Handel. The scene
was old historic Charles Street
Church. The pastor, the Rev
John J. Jenifer, D. D. gave the
opening prayer. There was an
organ voluntary by Prof. Fred
eric P. White Vocal selec-
tions were rendered by the
Walker Quintet; william H
Walker, James Scott, William
S. Skeene, ]. Patterson Rollins
and ]. McGlenny. A solo. Sui
livan's "The Last Chord" was
sung by Louis A. Fisher. A
note on the program. recalled
that it was Crispus Attuck.
Day.
GOTHAM NOTES