Alexander Bannwart to Cary T. Grayson
Title
Alexander Bannwart to Cary T. Grayson
Creator
Bannwart, Alexander
Identifier
WWP16107
Date
1919 December 11
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
Alexander Bannwart,
#47 St. Botolph Street,
Boston, Mass.
Dear Dr. Grayson
I wrote a note of congratulation to President Wilson upon the occassion of his “Peace Without Victory” speech of January 22, 1917, ending in substance that if at some future time Science discovered a way to add to one man’s life by subtracting from anothers, please consider that I have the first claim on the privilege of offering my life to prolong yours.
This letter should have been referred to you but I presume it was not.
There will be no slip up this time. The President has probably recovered sufficiently to make this letter opportune. So, prompted by the enclosed lnewspaper clipping, the shameful way the Senate has acted, and the World’s need of a continuation of his leadership, I am taking the liberty of writing directly to y’ou.
I want to renew my offer without interpretations or reservations. I am ready at any time to put at your disposal, in any way that will help President Wilson, a healthy body of perhaps more than average strength and endurance, a body that has never been polluted by dissaipation. I am confident that I could bear to be operated upon regardless of pain and live for days, if by doing so I could provide healthy living parts, nerves or organs that could be grafted on your patient, so as to prolong his usefullness and restore him to health.
I am thus offering myself from purely selfish motives - my own happiness. If I may be permitted to do this I shall die the happiest of mortals. I’ i ve loved Woodrow since a Freshman in . I’ve always wanted to devote my life to upholding and strengthening and if possible helping him to carry out his ideals. This, circumstances have prevented. The chance of my approaching him in power and influence is so remote that my offer is sanely conservative to one whom nothing matters but a continuation of his kind of leadership. My one source of unhalppiness is the thought of not being near and dear to him.
I have no dependents and am wholly free to do this.
Please use me if you can.
Sincerely,
Alexander Bannwart
Rear-Admiral Carey Grayson
Washington, DC
#47 St. Botolph Street,
Boston, Mass.
Dear Dr. Grayson
I wrote a note of congratulation to President Wilson upon the occassion of his “Peace Without Victory” speech of January 22, 1917, ending in substance that if at some future time Science discovered a way to add to one man’s life by subtracting from anothers, please consider that I have the first claim on the privilege of offering my life to prolong yours.
This letter should have been referred to you but I presume it was not.
There will be no slip up this time. The President has probably recovered sufficiently to make this letter opportune. So, prompted by the enclosed lnewspaper clipping, the shameful way the Senate has acted, and the World’s need of a continuation of his leadership, I am taking the liberty of writing directly to y’ou.
I want to renew my offer without interpretations or reservations. I am ready at any time to put at your disposal, in any way that will help President Wilson, a healthy body of perhaps more than average strength and endurance, a body that has never been polluted by dissaipation. I am confident that I could bear to be operated upon regardless of pain and live for days, if by doing so I could provide healthy living parts, nerves or organs that could be grafted on your patient, so as to prolong his usefullness and restore him to health.
I am thus offering myself from purely selfish motives - my own happiness. If I may be permitted to do this I shall die the happiest of mortals. I’ i ve loved Woodrow since a Freshman in . I’ve always wanted to devote my life to upholding and strengthening and if possible helping him to carry out his ideals. This, circumstances have prevented. The chance of my approaching him in power and influence is so remote that my offer is sanely conservative to one whom nothing matters but a continuation of his kind of leadership. My one source of unhalppiness is the thought of not being near and dear to him.
I have no dependents and am wholly free to do this.
Please use me if you can.
Sincerely,
Alexander Bannwart
Rear-Admiral Carey Grayson
Washington, DC
Original Format
Letter
To
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Files
Collection
Citation
Bannwart, Alexander, “Alexander Bannwart to Cary T. Grayson,” 1919 December 11, WWP16107, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.