Interview with Charles Hamilton

Partial Transcript: ... Manchester, Connecticut, he decided on being an anesthesiologist, and also was director of respiratory...

Segment Synopsis: Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton talk with Dr. Ellis about various topics before the interview, speaking about careers and their marriage.

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Partial Transcript: What did you do when you first started?

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Hamilton reflects on his first position at the varnish company at 17, as well as hist first impression of P.H. Callahan. Mrs. Hamilton and Mr. Casala discuss a few notable employees as well.

Keywords: figline; canning; diet

Subjects: Patrick H. Callahan Beverly Hall prohibition

Partial Transcript: What year did you start as a salesman?

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Hamilton discusses hist first job as a salesman for the company and the main cities he traveled to, as well as the relations of the Louisville Varnish Company with other businesses around the country.

Keywords: industrial; bonds; hardware

Subjects: Fix-All prohibition

Partial Transcript: Where were some of those meetings, do you remember?

Segment Synopsis: The Hamiltons and Calasa discuss Callahan's prohibitionist activities, as well as some of his peculiar habits. They later talk about more notable employees at the home office, including some of Callahan's secretaries.

Keywords: varnish; railroads

Subjects: Brooklyn Academy of Music prohibition Elmer Hancock Frank Casala

Partial Transcript: What were some other large accounts that you had in New England?

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Hamilton discusses some of the varnish company's partners and the types of products the company mostly worked on.

Keywords: radio cabinets; profiteering

Subjects: Nichols & Stone Heywood-Wakefield National Casket Company Prescott Company General Electric Grigsby-Grunow Dupont Unions

Partial Transcript: All during the depression, now we had four children, and they were little kids, but Mr. Callahan never laid one person off...

Segment Synopsis: The Hamilton's and Casala reflect on Callahan's sons, Jack and Robert, who took over the company after his death. They later detail Callahan's love for baseball and some of the games they played.

Keywords: salary; sales; baseball

Subjects: Great Depression Patrick H. Callahan Jack Callahan Robert Callahan Cleveland Spiders Louisville Colonels Billy Sunday

Partial Transcript: When we go back there, I mean there's no one left, none of the old people left at all...

Segment Synopsis: The Hamilton's and Casala discuss some of the notable employees at the varnish company and recall some of their best moments.

Keywords: supervisor; secretary; travel; salesmen

Subjects: Edith Callahan Fred Scheler John Callahan Jack Callahan Elmer Hancock Tom Mcgruire

Partial Transcript: How did the depression affect his, you were in New York at that time, Garden City, how did that affect him?

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Hamilton and Casala reflect on the 1937 flood and fire that devastated the varnish company while Mr. Hamilton was away at New Haven, CT, for a business trip.

Keywords: insurance; varnish; fire

Subjects: 1937 Louisville Flood Shaeffer Oil

Partial Transcript: How were you paid, salary or commission?

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Hamilton explains how he got paid as salesman and how the profit-sharing system worked.

Keywords: profiteering; earnings; stock; industrial; trade

Subjects: profit-sharing

Partial Transcript: How long did you work for the company after he died?

Segment Synopsis: The Hamilton's and Casala recall the company after Patrick Callahan's death in the 1940s and the fate of the company soon after.

Keywords: tobacco; liquidation

Subjects: Jack Callahan Mark Edwards Edith Callahan Robert Callahan

Partial Transcript: Did they have a box at the derby?

Segment Synopsis: The Hamilton's recall their experience at the Kentucky Derby, and how one race caused a minor scandal with P.H. Callahan.

Keywords: gambling; betting; politics

Subjects: Kentucky Derby Venetian Way Bill Hartack Sam Boldrick Anti-Parimutuel Betting Courier-Journal

Partial Transcript: Well, Mr. Ellis has written a very nice article, now I'll get you a copy if I can get a couple copies, and the Filson club, and it's about Uncle Cal...

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Casala talks about Dr. Ellis's book, published as Patrick Henry Callahan 1886-1940: Progressive Catholic Layman in the American South, and asks for more details for the book.

Keywords: retirement; sales; industrial; furniture; business; manager

Subjects: Fix-all Jimmy Miller Tony Carter