Evening star., 1961-01-31
VlPs Among tKorpin Bridge Students
Chief Justice Vnsons Check for so Cents Aided T
BY FRANCES LIDE
Star staff writer

lists could be q name-dropper
II he chose.
The Washington bridge
ace has taught q si2able
number Of the Capitals VIPs
In the past decade.
He's Just a. proud. though.
Of his classes ct the YWCA
(Which have included O good
many notahles, by the way)
a. he Is Of his students ct the
Sulgraye Club where he has
given o lecture series for five
years.
The one official Washing-
ton personality who had an
important influence on his
career never knew about it.
Mr.. Karpin. who had come
here as an economist with
the National Housing Agency
In the mid '40s, started o TV
program on bridge over
WTTG in 194S.
This was shortly after he
had written o booklet intro
ducing 0 new system, THE
Point-Co System Of Bid
ding in Contract Bridge"
Early in the series, the
cover was flashed on the
screen with the announce
ment that. 1t could be oh.
tained at so cents Q copy.
Within 10 days, $50 orders
were received.
TV was still in its infancy
at the time and the response
was considered extraordinary,
especially since Mr.. Karpin's
show was opposite Milton
Berle-then in his TV hey
day.
WTTG officials were i'm
pressed. But the clincher was
a request from Chief Justice
Fred Vinson, accompanied by
his personal check for so
cents.
Still Has che Check
"It was . sustaining pro-
gram, but they kept me on
for more than q year on the
basis Of that check. They
considered the program q
success II 1t attracted one
viewer Of the late Chief
Justices stature" Mr.. Kar-
pin recalls.
II never did cash the check
Il still have it," said the
bridge expert, who is some
thing Of q sentimentalist.
With hazel eyes that
twinkle under dark eyebrows
Contrasting with his graying
hair) and 0 small moustache
that adds further distinction,
Mr.. Karpin has o face that
would naturally appeal to a
cartoonist.
And, sure enough, his scrap
book includes an amusing
caricature in pencil, signed
m. g."
The initials are for Maur-
ice Stans. who was Budget Di-
rector In the recent Eisen-
hover administration.
Both Mr.. STAINS and his
wife have been his students,
the former for one YWCA
semester and Mrs. STAINS. off
and on at both the Y and the
Sulgrave, for . period Of sew
eral years.
Mr.. Karpin, o Life Master
Of the American Contract
Bridge League, has taught at
country clubs and also has
given private instruction to
many prominent Washing
ton residents.
He says he prefers to teach
In regular classes where he
can note the progress Of his
students.
Recalls . Gram" Session
He'll never forget q New
Years Day cram session,
about 10 years ago, with
Washington hostess, Mrs.
Morris Cafritz, however.
He received Q rush call the
day before, asking him to
come to her house at noon
New Years Day ito bring
her abreast Of current devel-
opments in bridge"
Mrs. Cafritz obviously was
preparing to 60 out when he
arrived at the appointed
hour. Servants were floating
In and out the drawing room,
he remembers; there were
numerous telephone calls
and. at one point. someone
came in to make a slight
alteration to her dress.
Despite the distractions,
she always returned to the
business at hand, firing
questions at him for an hour
until q butler announced
that her car was ready.
From her queries, MIR.
Karpin soon realized she
wanted to familiarize her
self with the Stayman Con-
vention- q technique for re-
spending to partners open
Ing no-trump bid. which was
a recent development at the
time.
Mrs. Cafritz's desire to
learn it was quite justified"
he noted. 1T has now been
adopted by the entire bridge
world"
Modest and unassuming,
Mr.. Karpin privately pub
lished his first two works