Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP20779
Date
1913 December 25
Description
Note by Cary T. Grayson about a Christmas vacation to Pass Christian, Mississippi, with President Woodrow Wilson.
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
PASS CHRISTIAN -- 1913
While at Pass Christian we attended one of the old school Presbyterian Churches, and I recall the preacher, an elderly man with white hair, before turning to the text, said: “I want to say to this congregation that this is the second proudest moment of my life, the other occasion being when President Grant attended services in the church when I preached.” Shortly after these services, the President expressed a wish for a copy of the Presbyterian Hymnal - the kind he used when he was a boy. Thereupon I called upon this Minister and he gave me a copy of the Hymnal, which was in good condition, except that one side of the back was gone. I turned it over to the President, and the first Sunday night following, he and Mrs. Wilson and the daughters sang these old hymns at a family reunion. I then first realized what a beautiful tenor voice the President has. Frequently after singing these he would sing a solo - “OLD NASSAU.”
While the President and I were returning from Gulfport to Pass Christian, where we had been playing golf on the Gulfport coast, a little boy about ten years of age stood in the middle of the road and waved the President’s car to a stop, handing the President a basket of oranges, with his name and address written on the handle of the basket. The President thanked him for the oranges, and the next day wrote him a nice letter of appreciation. A few days afterward while coming along this road the little boy waved us down again. He did not have a basket this time, but he told the President that he enjoyed his letter so much that he would like to have him (the President) write him every week after he got back to Washington. The President was very much pleased over this little incident.
While at Pass Christian we attended one of the old school Presbyterian Churches, and I recall the preacher, an elderly man with white hair, before turning to the text, said: “I want to say to this congregation that this is the second proudest moment of my life, the other occasion being when President Grant attended services in the church when I preached.” Shortly after these services, the President expressed a wish for a copy of the Presbyterian Hymnal - the kind he used when he was a boy. Thereupon I called upon this Minister and he gave me a copy of the Hymnal, which was in good condition, except that one side of the back was gone. I turned it over to the President, and the first Sunday night following, he and Mrs. Wilson and the daughters sang these old hymns at a family reunion. I then first realized what a beautiful tenor voice the President has. Frequently after singing these he would sing a solo - “OLD NASSAU.”
While the President and I were returning from Gulfport to Pass Christian, where we had been playing golf on the Gulfport coast, a little boy about ten years of age stood in the middle of the road and waved the President’s car to a stop, handing the President a basket of oranges, with his name and address written on the handle of the basket. The President thanked him for the oranges, and the next day wrote him a nice letter of appreciation. A few days afterward while coming along this road the little boy waved us down again. He did not have a basket this time, but he told the President that he enjoyed his letter so much that he would like to have him (the President) write him every week after he got back to Washington. The President was very much pleased over this little incident.
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1913 December 25, WWP20779, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.