Prelude: A short letter from Bob to Miss Frances Fairfield. This letter was written a month later than the last one I posted. Bob is graduating from the Pratt Institute located in Brooklyn, NY. and he includes an invitation to his commencement in this letter to Fran.

The Commencement Invitation reads: “The Trustees of Pratt Institute request the honour of your presence at the commencement Exercises on Thursday, June the ninth nineteen hundred and thirty eight at half past two o’clock, in the Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York.  (and yes, the word “honor” is spelled like above in the invitation)

THE LETTER:

Dearest Fran,

Sorry that I haven’t written to you befor now but I’ve been very busy—School was over last Friday but we’ve had baccaulaurate or however you spell it, anyway we had it Sunday and we have a faculty reception tomorrow night—Sorry, that you couldn’t get down as I’d have like to have taken you—but as it is I’m going with a gal—aren’t you jealous—Well, anyway I thought that I’d rather take someone than go alone and not have anyone to talk to, but I’ll be good so there—My mother is coming down Thursday and my sister is driving down from Binghamton Wednesday—I’ll be home the latter part of next week—So get ready—I went in to see about a jobs today at the school and they said that there probably wouldn’t be anything more doing now until the last of August, but if there was they would let me know—So get me any Electrolux sample kit ready gal—I thought that maybe you’d like to have one of these invitations to the exercises for your scrap book so I’ll send it—When do you graduate,, I’m going down and be a witness, can I? Well I can’t think of anything more to say and so I’ll close—So long for now darling and I love you…

Bob

COMMENTARY: Each letter gives us a little more insight into the lives of Bob and Fran.  It’s kind of interesting that he is taking some gal to the faculty reception but, I have a feeling it was the thing to do back in 1938. Bob seems very excited to get home to Fran as he tells her to “Get Ready.”  We know where they eventually end up from the previous letters I’ve posted but it’s really fun to look back at their beginning and see the ups and downs of this young relationship.