...It Was a Time of Survival; It Was a Time of Revival
My Negotiations with the Government
“At this time, World War II was starting in Europe, and the
stained glass craft was confronted not only with scarcity of
materials but finally with prohibiting the use of lead and
other materials altogether. Karl Lamb and I were delegated to see what could be done about
releasing the scarce materials to
our stained glass craft. After a number of false starts and trips, I finally got to the head man. He was very
unbending and difficult and could
see no need in releasing scarce
materials to anything as useless in
fighting a war as stained glass. We
ought to close down and do things
for the war effort. I tried to explain
to him that the majority of the workers were then too old for the war
and temperamentally unsuited, but
all to no avail. In my frustration, I
burst out that I failed to see how it
was fair for the United States to
have to ship these same scarce
materials to Great Britain while the
stained glass studios in England
were not only being allowed to continue to make stained glass, but
were making windows in competition with us which were being
shipped to the United States. At that he went into a rage and
ended up by saying if what I told him was true either the
English studios would be closed or we would get our scarce
materials. We got them.
“That was the first lucky break that made me look smarter
than I was. The second was a government directive that was
issued that covered stained glass contracts. It required that
when we got a contract we had to get it approved by the
local War Production Board. The headquarters were in
New York City in the Empire State Building. When studios
were turned down on their applications, I was delegated to
go to New York City to Headquarters. I went over cold to
find Headquarters consisted of a whole floor of desks, one
after another, certainly over 200 of them, with the visitor’s
chair beside each. There were about four receptionists. You
waited for what seemed an interminable time. I was just
about decided this was going to be a waste of effort when a
young lady called, “Mr. Willet, follow me.” I was plunked
down beside a short athletic looking gentleman who proved
to be a genial Irishman. I noticed on his desk a picture of
four boys (his) with boxing gloves. We started talking. He
had a varied career starting in vaudeville and ending in the construction
business. Between times he taught
boxing at West Point Military
Academy. When he found out we were
the ones who did the windows in the
Cadet Chapel, we became fast friends.
Lady Luck smiled again. Out of that
sea of desks he ended up as the top
man. Some of you may remember that
I got him