Mr. Monroney, his Studebaker, his price stickers and me (A little long)
A few weeks ago I received my latest issue of The Packard Cormorant a quarterly publication of Packard Automobile Classics (Spring 2017). I was surprised to find a interesting two page article by Fred C. Othman entitled “Lazy Typist Big Mistake” which had a minor Studebaker connection. The story is about how an abbreviation used in an invoice to a Studebaker dealer in Oklahoma back in the mid 1950s lead, perhaps in a small way, to the window price stickers that have been mandatory on all new passenger cars since 1959. I am including that article below.
As many know Michael Monroney (D. Okla) is generally credited with the legislation that made the window price sticker a reality. Of particular note is the line in the bottom of column one, “Mr. Monroney said he owns a 1946 Studebaker and there is only one trouble with it. It was made so well that it just won’t wear out.”
As to the specifics of the article and the “Lazy Typist” theory I can tell you that the girls in the steno department that typed up the invoices and later the window price stickers had a standard set of abbreviations that were to be used and they were generally quite consistent so in reality there was really no “lazy typist” involved that lead to James Nance’s summons to the Senate investigating committee.
Doing some reading on Mr. Monroney I find that once his political career ended in 1969 he did not return to his native Oklahoma but remained in the Washington D.C. area until his death in 1980. In his retirement years he volunteered as a guide in The National Cathedral a church that he attended regularly (and is therein interred). During my 30 teaching career I lead groups of students to D.C. for 17 of those years and one of our regular stops was at the National Cathedral. In one of those trips in the early 1970s our guide was an older gentleman who was introduced as a former U.S. Congressman. At the time I was not aware of his involvement in that legislation and his name did not ring any bells with me. Now that I have read about his legislation, his life and times I am fairly confident that my guide was Mr. Monroney himself. Had I been a little more knowledgeable we could have had a nice conversation about his ’46 Studebaker and the legislation that he is still remembered for to this day, nearly 60 years later.
As a brief addendum to the above it is reported that Mr. Monroney was liked and respected by members on both sides of the aisle and nearly devoid of ego. He was voted “The nicest Senator” by the senate pages. Sounds like a good candidate for a Studebaker club member!!
On top of that he was a Democrat serving during the Eisenhower administration but "Ike" signed "his" bill anyway. Can you imagine that happening today??
A few weeks ago I received my latest issue of The Packard Cormorant a quarterly publication of Packard Automobile Classics (Spring 2017). I was surprised to find a interesting two page article by Fred C. Othman entitled “Lazy Typist Big Mistake” which had a minor Studebaker connection. The story is about how an abbreviation used in an invoice to a Studebaker dealer in Oklahoma back in the mid 1950s lead, perhaps in a small way, to the window price stickers that have been mandatory on all new passenger cars since 1959. I am including that article below.
As many know Michael Monroney (D. Okla) is generally credited with the legislation that made the window price sticker a reality. Of particular note is the line in the bottom of column one, “Mr. Monroney said he owns a 1946 Studebaker and there is only one trouble with it. It was made so well that it just won’t wear out.”
As to the specifics of the article and the “Lazy Typist” theory I can tell you that the girls in the steno department that typed up the invoices and later the window price stickers had a standard set of abbreviations that were to be used and they were generally quite consistent so in reality there was really no “lazy typist” involved that lead to James Nance’s summons to the Senate investigating committee.
Doing some reading on Mr. Monroney I find that once his political career ended in 1969 he did not return to his native Oklahoma but remained in the Washington D.C. area until his death in 1980. In his retirement years he volunteered as a guide in The National Cathedral a church that he attended regularly (and is therein interred). During my 30 teaching career I lead groups of students to D.C. for 17 of those years and one of our regular stops was at the National Cathedral. In one of those trips in the early 1970s our guide was an older gentleman who was introduced as a former U.S. Congressman. At the time I was not aware of his involvement in that legislation and his name did not ring any bells with me. Now that I have read about his legislation, his life and times I am fairly confident that my guide was Mr. Monroney himself. Had I been a little more knowledgeable we could have had a nice conversation about his ’46 Studebaker and the legislation that he is still remembered for to this day, nearly 60 years later.
As a brief addendum to the above it is reported that Mr. Monroney was liked and respected by members on both sides of the aisle and nearly devoid of ego. He was voted “The nicest Senator” by the senate pages. Sounds like a good candidate for a Studebaker club member!!
On top of that he was a Democrat serving during the Eisenhower administration but "Ike" signed "his" bill anyway. Can you imagine that happening today??
You really need to belong to The Packard Club, Bill. Each issue has something at least that important and interesting. 
BP
We've got to quit saying, 
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