COLUMNS

Readers remember John Hanlon

Alan Rosenberg
arosenbe@providencejournal.com
John Hanlon [The Providence Journal, file]

I always knew how popular John Hanlon was, back in the day. He was one of the stars of our staff, and I overlapped with him toward the end of his tenure, which stretched from 1949 to 1982.

But until I wrote about him a few weeks ago, celebrating both his service on D-Day and his decades of columns, I didn’t realize how much his popularity had endured.

I heard from a number of readers who remembered his writing fondly, and from some colleagues who recalled him as a nice guy and a true pro.

“He and I had several talks while he was coming in and out of the building while he was working on the compilation of his columns,” recalled Gerry Goldstein, a former Journal columnist himself, as well as South County editor. “Whenever I read one, I felt I had read something written by a grownup.”

But what makes it really worthwhile to write about John again so soon are a pair of reminiscences by those touched directly by John’s work: the people he wrote about.

“I was class of ‘60 at Brown and played football,” remembered Paul Choquette Jr., now vice chairman of the construction firm Gilbane Inc. “He wrote a mini column once for Sports Illustrated and described me as ‘a Catholic who liked to run over people.’ (I played fullback.)

“He could have written the usual corny stuff, but took pride in the writing itself.”

Bob Hall, too, was a football player at Brown. And he recalled meeting John “under difficult conditions.”

“In 1963, at Princeton, I broke my leg badly. I was 19, a sophomore, and a starting quarterback.

“We had just upset Yale, 13-7,” writes Hall, now president of Hall Capital Management, an investment firm based in Barrington. “We were 4-1 at the time. In the locker room, I was told I might never play sports again — tough words for a 19-year-old.

“Most of the Princeton players, including its president and his wife (and even Bill Bradley!) visited me. Many have become lifelong friends. They helped inspire me to get better and to never give up hope.

“After one week in the Princeton infirmary, I flew back to Providence and spent another week in Brown's infirmary. That first day back, my parents were by my bed. A man asked if he could come in to see me. He said his name was John Hanlon.

“He said he was a sportswriter for the Providence Evening Bulletin. He told me he was sorry about the accident and predicted I would still play again. The man said I had a good future ahead and he was rooting for my recovery. He also told me to never give up.

“Fast forward, my parents saved and later sent me various articles that Mr. Hanlon wrote about the Brown team. He was often complimentary of my contribution.

“As quarterback my senior year at Princeton — two years after my accident when I was told I might never play again — I broke Dick Kazmaier's total offense record. During the 2½ years after Mr. Hanlon's visit, I broke 15 Brown and 5 Ivy League records.

“Your recent article brought me back to 1963, when Mr. Hanlon's thoughtfulness helped inspire me. I will always be grateful — and now more so — after reading your piece.

“I did not know on that October day in the Brown infirmary that Mr. Hanlon was a World War II paratrooper, a lieutenant colonel who fought behind enemy lines. I did not know 56 years ago that standing at the head of my bed, with my broken leg extended high above, and this man barely visible through my tears, was a true hero.

“Until your article, I did not know that the person who had risked his life to secure freedom for me and for our country — took the time to help lift a young boy's spirit.”

So that’s John all over — a fine writer, and even finer person.

Even he probably didn’t know his impact on the people he met and wrote about.

But now — thanks to Gerry Goldstein, Paul Choquette Jr. and Bob Hall — we know the rest of the story.

— Alan Rosenberg is The Journal’s executive editor.

(401) 277-7409

arosenberg@providencejournal.com

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