Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2726

Penned letter from R. Andrew MacKie, Butler Hall, 88 Morningside Drive, New York 27, NY

December 3, 1957

 

 

 

Dear Professor Heath,

It was fine of you to call me when you were in Washington.

As I said, I was late getting to my train when I went to New York. So I tried to reach you “long distance,” hoping you would hold my class till I reached Baltimore.

     My next subjects are –

 

American Nationalism(1816-1832)

Western Expansion (1763-1850)

Sectional Antagonism (1832-1848)

 To change the subject: I want to express my deep gratitude for your unexcelled hospitality two weeks ago. I never met a finer person, and now after all these years, you have made your mark as an unusual author with a theme and a message. You should let nothing stand in your way as a thinker and scholar of superior qualities. You are able to deal with any subject in the field of sociology and economics in a cogent and masterful manner. While you always speak truthfully and accurately, you invariably clothe your ideas in a broad field of work which has no technical method of expression and no peculiar phraseology. Like Ralph W. Emerson you ought to form a group of interested people. You could call your society: “Professor Heath and His Friends.” I am sure that you know that you should include at least one “Ph.D.” among the social group and one of your daughters.

 

Cordially and respectfully,

 

(signed) R. A. M.

 R. Andrew MacKie

 

 

/Editorial note: this letter is a bit obscure. I presume he was coming from New York on the train after having made his trip up there. Deleting the phrase “of work” from the ninth line of the main paragraph may make that sentence more intelligible. The “Ph.D.” to at the end presumably was a reference to himself.  – S. MacCallum/