Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-01
Robert Lincoln O'Brien

I was on my way to spend
Thanksgiving at Dartmouth
College, which gave an homo
rary degree to Robert Lincoln
O'Brien and to which he was
devoted, when I read in The
Star Of his death. ! should like
to pay a slight tribute to q
man whom all who knew came
not only to esteem, but to love
Tor he himself had a warm
Irish heart which flowed out
constantly in all his human
contacts.
Robert Lincoln O'Brien--
while he was president OF it.
and that was for quite a few
years-was the life Of the
Harvard Club. Famous as he
was for his wit and good cheer
as a chairman. Mr.. O'Brien
exhibited these qualities par
excellence" when he presided
over the Harvard Club weekly
Saturday lunch forums. It was
amazing, at each meeting, how
swiftly he could cut through
all red tape and establish this
forum on q basis Of good fel-
lowship and cheer. His wit was
unsurpassed IN Washington.
and In all the years ] have
seen him preside ct this and
other clubs, he never essayed
a witticisfn that did not 60
over. resulting In ripples Or
waves of laughter from his au-
dience. This Is q very rare
success and gift. one that can
not be ascribed to all who
attempt witticisEns from the
platform. It was his habit to
extol our weekly speaker to
the skies. The superlatives
which he used in his genial
introductions, extravagant as
they were, never seemed unreal
or artificial. because they
sprang from a kindly heart
and q sincere desire to bring
speaker and audience together
In an atmosphere OF good
fellowship. Robert Lincoln
O'Brien always succeeded in
establishing such an atnos-
phere-and this. ] think. is
the chief and highest gift Of q
chairman. to create an atmos-
phere.
Mr.. O'Brien was elected
again and again to the presi-
dency OF the Harvard Club.
After this had gone on for
some time. he, said to me one
spring. before the annual elec-
tions. II do not want to be
president again. It isn't fair
to other members who are
capable and worthy Of this
Office" Don't Refused" ! re-
piled. "Others may be capable.
but we love to have you as
chairman, because you give us
such an atmosphere of warmth
and good fellowship" And he
did indeed continue to be
president of the club until i'll
health prevented And even
after his retirement from this
Office. the Influence Of his
genial and fortnight person.
ality still remained. He had
created a legend which sue
ceeding chairmen did their
best to live up to.
The only time I ever saw
Mr.. O'Brien fiustered was
when he suddenly met Robert
Frost for the second time IN
80 years. It happened that I
was conducting Mr.. Frost to
a dinner Of the Washington
Authors Club at the Cosmos
Club, where he was due to
speak and read his poems. AS
we passed through the lounge
room Of the old club on Lafa-
yette Square. I saw Mr..
O,Brien seated near our path.
and brought Mr.. Frost to his
chair for q brief introduce
ton. Mr.. O'Brien Immediately
launched into a conversation
which seemed to be in the
nature Of an apology.
What was that all about?"
I asked Mr. Frost as we pro-
ceeded to, the room where the
dinner was to be held. Mr..
Frost then told me the follow
ing incident, dramatically IL
Illustrative of why he had felt
the need Of selling his farm
in New Hampshire and ventur-
ing to England with a wife and
three children In search OF his
literary fortune. 1t seems that
Mr.. Frost, as a Young man
teaching on the staff of Exeter
Academy. had by his poems
attracted the attention Of
the local clergyman. AS Mr..
O'Brien was scheduled to give
the commencement address,
this clergyman who was
scheduled to give the invoca-
ton and who would thus be
sitting on the platform beside
the noted Boston Transcript
editor-decided that this would
be o 0od-sent opportunity TO
interest the Transcript In Mr..