Famous Childhoods

On one side of the family, Albert Schweitzer was the grandson of a pastor; on the other side, the grandson of an organist. His mother was the daughter of the pastor; his pastor father was the son of the organist. Schweitzer lived in a country that was sometimes French, sometimes German; the predominant religion was protestant (mostly Lutheran), whose pastors were forced by Louis XIV to share their church with catholics. The Alsation dialect was a practical mixture of German and French – whichever offered the shortest way of saying a particular thing. Like his country and his church, Schweitzer learned to blend opposite entities into one personality, however not always simultaneously: theology and music, philosophy and medicine, a comfortable life and one of chosen poverty, intellectual lifestyle and a life of service that allowed no time for organ playing and intellectual pursuits. These opposites were results of choices made as a boy and as a young man. These choices made him famous. The fame did not interfere with his humility, and Albert Schweitzer is still considered a man worthy of recognition and emulation. Most of us, however, apparently do not have the motivation or the self-control to emulate this great man!

Dec 5, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

Considered by many to be the greatest musician ever, Ludwig van Beethoven's early life was not so great. As an adult he was frequently ill; he began having periodic hearing problems when he was 28, and by the time he was 44 he was stone-deaf. He was embarrassed by his deafness, so kept himself socially confined; he never reconciled himself with the deafness. He had to quit directing an orchestra, and about the only musical avenue left open to him was composing. Because he could not perform his compositions he was not paid a great deal, and spent the last years of his life in poverty. He was often a quarrelsome man, at outs with family members and others, and this seemed to worsen in direct proportion to his growing deafness. It is amazing that someone who grew up in the home he did, who was personally slovenly, who was often angry and quarrelsome, could have ever written the beautiful compositions he did, even when he still had his hearing!

Nov 26, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

This month guest author Mark W. Swarthout, contributing editor of a North American Genealogical History site and I exchanged articles. Check out his site at http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/north_american_gene_history Mark writes about J.R.R. Tolkien, who created the fantasy world of Middle Earth. Populated with a memorable spectrum of imaginary characters, from the familiar elves and dwarves to his unique hobbits and orcs. His first book, The Hobbit, was published in 1937 and was eventually followed by The Lord of the Rings, a series of five books published in three volumes. Within these pages, Tolkien's love of trees is a key element, as is his fear of spiders. Since his death in 1973, his children have edited and published additional stories and volumes of his notes. The Fellowship of the Ring will hit the big screen this fall, the first of three films in an epic production of his books

Oct 12, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

After the initial shock of the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., and mingled with my tears and prayers for the victims of those tragedies and their loved ones, my thoughts turned to the people who perpetrated those atrocities–and to the one who allegedly is behind them, if not in planning, then in financing. What made him into the kind of person he is? And, because this is one of my "things," I began to wonder about his childhood. Although there is very little available about his childhood, I have gathered together all I could find for this article. This man is protected by the Afghanistan government. I thought the following site would give you some insight into what kind of government would protect that kind of man. http://www.echonyc.com/~onissues/su98goodwin.html Buried Alive: Afghan Women Under the Taliban

Sep 16, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

Forced to start buying all his own clothing at age 8, Jim Penney became a very young entrepreneur–until he had a disaster. What would he come up with next?

Sep 12, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

Business is commonly believed to be best advanced when one takes whatever advantages they can find, no matter whose toes they step on, whose reputations they ruin, or any other consequence to other folks and businesses. J. C. Penney founded his business on the Golden Rule and proved that business can prosper on honesty and concern for the welfare of others.

Sep 11, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

When he was but a small boy, Will Rogers began entertaining at his father's ranch–the ranch hands were the audience wherever Will was. As a man, Will continued to entertain as America's chief humorist. Using the news to find topics to poke fun at, he teased presidents, politicians, and ordinary folks. He made fun of anything and anybody. He was a down-to-earth sort of guy, and he became the horse-sense conscience of the country. When times were bad during the depression, his humor on the radio kept many a person going. He wrote a newspaper column, and acted in movies. He used his humor to promote good causes, such as the new-fangled airplanes. He loved to fly, and that finally proved to be his undoing. He died in a crash in Alaska. Although there was great mourning throughout the world, that lasted only for a time. But Will's humor, his philosophy ("I never met a man I didn't like"), live on.

Aug 1, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

A role model for Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi led India to self-rule through non-violent marches and demonstrations. When followers introduced violence on two occasions, Gandhi went on a hunger strike until the violence was stopped. When the British left India, they divided it into two countries: India for the Hindus, Pakistan for the Muslims. This was not acceptable to many of the people, and one man took his anger out by assassinating Gandhi. The parallels between King and Gandhi would make an interesting study.

Jul 1, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

Probably everyone not in a third world country (and maybe a lot of them, too) has heard of Dr. Seuss and his books. But perhaps only a few of these people know that Dr. Seuss (whose real name was Theodor Geisel) and his wife pioneered the Beginner Books division of Random House Publishers, and that many of his books were written as better beginning reading books than the then current Dick and Jane series used by schools nationwide. These readers of Dr. Seuss' contained only the 223 words considered useable by beginning readers. Green Eggs and Ham includes only 50 words and was written when Bennett Cerf bet Ted $50 he couldn't write a book using only that number of words. Ted met the challenge, but then "complained" throughout his life that Cerf never paid him the $50.

Jun 1, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

Today's psychologists and sociologists would predict a likely unsuccessful adulthood for a woman whose mother was incarcerated and executed, whose father generally had little or nothing to do with her, who had multiple step-mothers, and whose physical needs of food and clothing were often minimally cared for. Such was the childhood of Elizabeth Tudor, who became the beloved and wise Queen Elizabeth I of England. Perhaps we should study her life to see what the real keys in her successful development were, to discover a model of how to insure a successful adulthood follows a bad childhood. Are education and a loving caretaker all that is required? Something to explore.

May 1, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

Richard Wagner wrote more than 200 articles and books which covered the range of political programs, including anti-Semitism, to theories of opera. Today he is known primarily for his 13 operas, which are famous for portraying "the German spirit" and for influencing our understanding of German history and culture. In his day he was a source of debate and controversy, becoming known as an anarchist and socialist, as a proto-fascist and nationalist, as an anti-Semite and a vegetarian. Wagner's name has been connected to most of the major trends in German history in the 19th and 20th centuries. His music, his beliefs and his life had great impact on one of his most ardent admirers, Adolf Hitler.

Apr 1, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

Cal Thomas wrote once from Oxford - "The measure of a great writer is not how many weeks his books spend on the best-seller lists, but how many years his books remain in print after his death. Keith Clack, a manager of Blackwell's bookstore, tells me that C. S. Lewis is one of the few writers whose entire literary output remains in print so many years following his death." In fact, at least in the early nineties–I didn't pay much attention since then–his Narnia series was still annually on the best seller lists of children's books. A don at Oxford, who wrote many deep philosophical/theological books, Lewis was also able to write delightful children's stories. These seem to be at the extremes of literary parameters, and only a virtuoso could successfully do both. Lewis was that virtuoso.

Mar 1, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

To introduce my article on the childhood of this famous gentleman, I want to quote from the web site"Benjamin Franklin, an Enlightened American" (see html at the end of this article): "What makes a leader? Intelligence, passion, strength, devotion, charisma, tenacity, perseverance, generosity, forgiveness. Franklin possessed all of these qualities and that is why he is considered to be one of the greatest American minds and a proud pillar of our national heritage. However, our affinity for Franklin extends deeper. He seems to embody and personify the American dream. Born the son of a candlemaker, few people would have surmised that Franklin would master so many disciplines. His story proves that with determination and dedication, success is within anyone's grasp. A leading American statesman, inventor, philanthropist, publisher, revolutionary, and thinker, Benjamin Franklin was truly the Enlightened American."

Feb 1, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

Through her aviation exploits and her husband's expert management skills, Amelia Earhart is fondly remembered even today, more than sixty years after her fatal flight around the world. Of a somewhat feminist mind even as a child, her flying career became, to a large degree, focused on proving the equality of women and attempting to open up new opportunities for them. Her parents encouraged this kind of independence and never discouraged her tomboyish tendencies in an age when the division of men and women's activities was most strict. In this way her childhood prepared the way for Amelia's fascinating, though fateful, career.

Jan 1, 2001 - Mary Lou Derksen

Hemingway was a happy child who grew into a tortured man who set the writing world aflame with his newspaper-based writing style. After four marriages, three children, a couple of dozen books, and numerous accidents, Hemingway copied his father and coped with life by ending it. But his books live on, and he is still well read, one of the few modern authors of classic books.

Dec 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

Although Thomas Edison's childhood is fascinating and fun to read about, I am sure that he was the bane of his mother. Today he might have been classified as hyperactive and given drugs to slow him down. Then, fortunately, he was allowed to develop into the inventor who, as an adult, won--on the average--a patent every two weeks.

Nov 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

Margaret Roberts planned on being a chemist. She studied for this, and practiced it for a time before the world of politics, instilled in her being throughout her childhood, finally won. She became the most famous and revered British leader since Winston Churchill. Notice the aspects of her upbringing that encouraged this development.

Oct 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

When I was in junior high school we heard that Einstein had failed math in school. I am sure this was told in order to give us hope that if we had a hard time with a subject it didn't need to precede lifetime failure in that area. But the example was false. Einstein had a hard time in school, but it wasn't because he didn't know his math. White and Gribbin [see bibliography] address this same phenomenon in their preface: "...Writers have made allegations about Albert Einstein's life and character which do not so much suggest that the idol has feet of clay, but imply that it is entirely made of clay. This is surprising, not least because those allegations were made largely on the basis of the same documentary material available to us while we were writing our biography, and we found no evidence for such an extreme view. It has been claimed, for example, that Einstein...treated his children badly, and that he was solely to blame for the divorce from his first wife, who ought to have been given credit for helping him to develop the special theory of relativity. "All of these stories contain an element of truth.... But the suggestions that these aspects of his character dominated Einstein's entire life...if absurd. Yes, Einstein...was a distant father who did not have a close relationship with his children' yes, but putting his work first he did precipitate the divorce (but gave his ex-wife, Mileva, the financial proceeds of his Nobel Prize, on which she could live securely); yes, Mileva did help develop the special theory of relativity, but only by checking Albert's arithmetic. "...The most attractive aspect of the man is that he was not a cold, inhuman figure bent over a mass of scribbled calculations--there were many other facets to his personality. He was a man greatly preoccupied with politics, religion, philosophy, and the human condition. He was musical, widely read, and interested in all aspects of life."

Sep 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

Jackie Robinson is famous for mainly two things: being the first black baseball player in the major leagues, and the outstanding career he had. One of my favorite "sports" stories about Jackie (who is still the only one to earn letters in four sports at UCLA) was around 1933 when he played ping-pong for the first time in his life and won the city championship. As the only black adult in the world of white professional sports, Jackie took jeers and jibes, hate and contempt without fighting back. Because of this he was able to make firm the place of blacks in major sports. Is this a lesson for all of us? What kind of childhood prepared this man for such success in such a difficult situation (and I am speaking of his success of his behavior, not the success of his baseball prowess)?

Aug 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

Isabella became Sojourner Truth as an adult, when she ran away at age 24. Her master had promised to let her go a year ahead of the mandatory, according to New York law, 25. When he didn't, she left on her own. As an adult, she campaigned throughout the country for freedom for black people, and for women. She had the privilege of meeting President Lincoln, and he, reciprocally, found it a privilege to meet her. She was moved by the great sadness of his face and the obvious heavy burden that sagged his shoulders, so she decided to make the conversation a light one. "I never heard of you until folks started talking about you for president," she said. Lincoln smiled and responded, "Well, I heard of you for years before I even thought about being president. Your name was well known where I came from." Sojourner asked him to sign her "Book of Life" a scrapbook and autograph book about great people she'd met and esteemed. Lincoln wrote: For Aunty Sojourner Truth A. Lincoln October 29, 1864 The regard Lincoln had for her was representative of what all folks who were against slavery also had. A tall, outspoken woman who gave her life, body and soul, to try to better the condition of her people and her sex.

Jul 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

Although Tom Sawyer was not Samuel Clemens, their personalities are much alike. And some of the things that Tom did, Sam had done before him.

Jun 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

This month I tell the story of someone probably less well-known than any I have done before. But this article follows the one on Adolf Hitler for a reason. Hitler chose to "elevate" himself by pushing others down. Dave Pelzer, whose childhood abuse was so much worse than any Hitler experienced, has chosen to humble himself while elevating others. In so doing, others elevate him. Dave shows that the right attitude--determination to live no matter what, determination to "make it" and do something positive with his life, finding humor to help move through difficult moments, and forgiveness of the most unforgivable wrongs--makes the difference between a Hitler and a Pelzer, a loser and a winner. The following information is copied from Dave's website (see URL at end of the article). Some of Dave's distinctive accomplishments have been recognized through a number of awards, as well as personal commendations from Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. In 1990, he was the recipient of the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award, making him the California Volunteer of the Year. In 1993, Dave was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans. He joins a distinguished group of alumni which includes: John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Anne Bancroft, Orson Welles, Walt Disney, and Nelson Rockefeller. In 1994, Dave was the only American to be honored as one of The Outstanding Young Persons of the World. He also carried the coveted Centennial flame for the 1996 Olympics. Dave is one of the only authors to have three books simultaneously on the New York Times Best Sellers List and the first author to have two books simultaneously on this list in trade paperback. All three books are highly acclaimed throughout the world.

May 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

The thinking in most psychologic and psychiatric circles is that our childhood molds our character and our future. In recent years, however, there has also been more focus on folks needing to be responsible for their own choices, in spite of their past. Adolf Hitler is one of those who first comes to my mind when I think along these lines. Because of the vastness of this topic, I have departed from starting with his childhood, and I have continued until he began his political career in earnest.

Apr 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

Martin Luther, noted for beginning the religious Reformation which is the foundation for most of Protestantism today, was a complex man. He could be gentle and refined, he could be rough and coarse. He could write theology; he could write children’s songs. He could expound his views with vehemence; he could minister compassion or joy. Perhaps his one major fault was his view of the Jews. When his attempts at converting a number of Jews to Christianity failed, he made a list of steps that should be taken against them--steps that were followed hundreds of years later by a German despot named Hitler. But the life of the child, Martin Luther, gives no apparent predisposition of the life of the man.

Mar 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

Mother Teresa was born in a part of the world that seems to always have been a center of controversy in modern history. Because of these controversies, Mother Teresa never saw her mother or her sister again after she had left to become a nun. Even at the height of her renown, she was not permitted to visit Serbia to visit them. She truly desired to love God more than anyone or anything else. She sought to find her life, in the way the Bible teaches, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Matthew 10: 37-39)

Jan 20, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

Winston Churchill presented a unique idea regarding the effects of childhood on an individual's adulthood. He wrote in his "Life of Marlborough," that "famous men are usually the product of an unhappy childhood. The stern compression of circumstances, the twinges of adversity, the spur of slights and taunts in early years, are needed to evoke that ruthless fixity of purpose and tenacious mother-wit without which great actions are seldom accomplished." In 1898 he wrote of Mohammed: "Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong; and a boy deprived of a father's care often develops, if he escapes the perils of youth, an independence and vigour of thought which may restore in after life the heavy loss of early days." These reflections proved true in the case of Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill.

Jan 1, 2000 - Mary Lou Derksen

As December is a month for gift-giving, it is a suitable time to look at Marie Curie whose research resulted in gifts of knowledge that continue to impact the whole world. Madame Curie, as she is most frequently called, was a self-effacing woman who lived for her research and her family. She was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize (1903 in Physics for the discovery of radioactivity), and only one of four individuals to have ever received two Nobel Prizes (the second in 1911 in Chemistry for the discovery of radium and polonium and for the chemical isolation of pure radium). Marie's discovery of radium gave birth to understanding of the structure of the atom. Her methods of research pioneered a meticulous pursuit of knowledge that immensely improved the image of science. Her research, which has led to radiation treatment to help cancer patients, caused her own death by "radiation poisoning"--doctors labeled it "aplastic pernicious anemia of rapid, feverish development." Actually, it had not been a rapid development, and the anemia was likely a form of leukemia caused by years of unprotected contact with radioactivity.

Dec 1, 1999 - Mary Lou Derksen

Jesse James is noted for his outlawry. It was probably not his childhood, family wise anyway, the caused him to become an outlaw. And even when he was practicing this trade, he considered himself a sort of Robin Hood, he read the Bible before going on a raid, and he never cussed. Here is the story of how that all started.

Nov 1, 1999 - Mary Lou Derksen

All of us who look back on our childhoods have imperfect memories of them. Eleanor Roosevelt was no exception. The difference from most of us is that Eleanor published her memories, which are the only source of information available about her childhood. As James Kearney points out in his book, Eleanor makes contradictory statements about her childhood. "I was lonely as a little girl," vs. "I can never remember being lonely." "...The rigidity of my early bringing up," contrasted with "no one disturbed me [if] I...forgot to appear at meals." The contradiction of books that strangely disappeared when she started reading them and the statement, "I was brought up in a home that did not believe in censorship." And there are others. However, none of these contradictions detract from the main facts of the sad childhood of this fascinating lady--a lady whose life proved that a difficult childhood doesn't require a person to become a difficult adult.

Oct 1, 1999 - Mary Lou Derksen

Winston Churchill wrote to Harry Truman, "I must confess, sir. . . I loathed your taking the place of Franklin Roosevelt. I misjudged you badly. Since that time, you, more than any other man, have saved Western Civilization." The fact that many--even those who disagreed with Truman's politics--came to have similar admiration of Truman may be a result of his straighlaced childhood.

Sep 1, 1999 - Mary Lou Derksen

One of Prussia's most loved, although war like, kings was abused by his father, and encouraged by his mother to make his father angry.

Jul 16, 1999 - Mary Lou Derksen