MY FAVORITE TEACHER BY WOODY WEBB ’64
‘ALWAYS COME PREPARED’: JACK HUMASON H’48
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T H E L AW R E N T I A N
I
left Lawrenceville in June of 1964 but Lawrenceville never really left me, primarily because of teachers like John D. “Jack” Humason H’48. Employing Strunk and White’s Elements of Style methodology, which Jack subscribed to, I will attempt to make this tribute as short and succinct as possible. In his earlier career Jack had worked at the National Broadcasting Company, or NBC, handling program guests, which gave him the type of private-sector work experience and the connections to celebrities that distinguished him from other teachers and impressed those of us fortunate enough to be in his English classes. I recall him casually mentioning one day how the Broadway production of Saroyan’s The Time of Your Life had given his friend Gene Kelly his start in show business – yes, that Gene Kelly, the famous dancer and showman. Jack had also served as an aide to the celebrated conductor Arturo Toscanini when he presided over the NBC Symphony, and, of course, we were regaled with stories of the various quirks of the maestro during a lecture on how artists, writers, and musicians were different from the rest of us and how that transitioned into their work. Did you know that The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” is in iambic pentameter? Well, this out-of-the-blue comment
from Jack certainly got our attention during our poetry studies. On one occasion when we were charged with comparing and contrasting some drama in which Katherine Hepburn had starred on the screen or on Broadway, Jack “let it slip” that he was a family friend of Ms. Hepburn and her sister in Farmington, Conn. Not that it mattered, but it sure impressed us. So, was Jack an inveterate name dropper? You bet he was. Look up the words “suave” and “debonair” and there you will see a photograph of Dean Martin. No, I’m just kidding; you will actually see Jack Humason in his houndstooth jacket – no doubt with a cocktail in his hand. Throw in the fact that he could play almost any show tune on the piano and … you get the idea. It was not going to be easy to distinguish yourself in the eyes of this worldly, cultured teacher who was so well connected. But I sure gave it my best shot when I wrote a term paper laughably positing the case that one of Shakespeare’s plays was really nothing more than a sex story. This must have brought a smile to Jack’s face, and so we became friends. To say that Jack went out of his way to improve my communication skills, written and verbal, would be a gross understatement. In my mind his greatest contribution to my communication skills was encapsulated in his tireless efforts to ensure that my speech at the end of my Fourth Form year, accepting the mantle of
leadership as president of the student body during – the Mantle Speech – would be delivered as effectively and fluidly as possible. He made me listen to President Roosevelt’s speeches over and over to demonstrate how tempo works. We studied Churchill’s articulation methods. Although we actually rehearsed together, he encouraged me to practice on my own. By the time of the speech I could have done it without notes – just like Jack would have done. “Always come prepared,” was his mantra, and over the years I have spoken often to large and small audiences – mostly judges – with that in mind. My advice to younger attorneys and individuals in leadership positions is to anticipate being asked to speak, so always be ready. You may not have to speak, but if you are prepared, if you are ready, you will be able to “pull it off,” as Jack would say. And, in these days, it is my view that communication skills will distinguish you. Jack would be appalled at the shorthand version of verbal interaction today. That may not place me in good stead with young people, but believe me that in the long run, if you can communicate with style, with humor, and with effectiveness, that will pay dividends. Thank you, Jack Humason.
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A former special deputy attorney general in North Carolina, Woody Webb ’64 has been in private law since 1982 with the Edmiston & Webb Law Firm in Chapel Hill.
