It is hard to imagine that anything nearly as bold as this would ever happen again, and, as far as the newspaper is concerned, it never did.

Nevertheless, the project went ahead, and we are indebted to President Frank Davis and to  the “Morning News" staff, A. M. Howard, Homer Price, and Mr. Corti for their persistence in obtaining the photographs for the paper and recording the responses thereto four days later, in the February 26, 1922 edition.

Here are some of the more hilarious responses of the group, and comments by the photographer taking the pictures:

 

“Frank Davis was in such a good humor that his picture looked pleasant, whether it looked natural or not.”

 

"Riley Boon had to have a second setting because his soft collar was wrinkled. He had to leave to have it changed.”

 

"Will Caven declared his first picture even uglier than he, and had another picture made, hoping for a better result."

 

"Horace Blalock, worried because he looked so old, had to bring in his girl to comfort him by telling him he was still young and good looking."

 

"Watt Barry declared that he had never had a good picture made.  Mr. Corti comforted him by telling him that good looking people seldom take good pictures."

 

"Senator Davidson told the photographer the he had only one handsome picture made of himself and added that he wanted another one just like it for the Rotary edition."

 

Clarence Hall said, “I submit myself to your mercy and hope for the best"

 

E. M Anderson said: “You are a great photographer, if you can make a good-looking picture of me.”

 

“'Pep' Hays was true to his name and came in full of pep and happy over having his picture made."

 

Lansing Irvin said: “Make me as young as possible.”

 

"It took 24 telephone calls to Bryan Blaylock, and three days to get him there.  It took four mules and six automobiles to take him down.  He had just gotten in a car-load of buggies and couldn’t stop looking at them."

 

Joe Lake said, “I want some pictures, provided you can make me good-looking.” "The photographers shook their heads gravely at this."

 

"R. P. Littlejohn trotted down promptly to obey the call, but it took several sittings to secure a picture suited to his masculine vanity.”

 

They had to send Joe Pressler out to bring in E. K. Scott “by force”.

 

J. P. Glasgow was surprised by his own “handsomeness”.

 

A. M. Howard, a professional photographer himself, said “Oh Boy! “I have to make a good picture.”

 

To be sure, a few of them took the whole process seriously: John Keiffer got in at the eleventh hour and rushed down the minute he got back, and R. S. Smith got lost in Dallas, and almost did not make it back in time, and Harry McGee and Dr. Cocke took their families with then to see that their tie was straight and that there were no wrinkles in their clothes.

 

Finally, Ike Hochwald was the most patient of the lot, "He worked for over an hour trying to select a suitable pose."

 

Mr. Corti, the photographer, who had spent a large part of his life in the picture-taking business, said. “this was the first time I have ever succeeded in photographing such a large organization in its entirety.”

 

The is little article in its entirety, will be on display, and forever embedded, in the archives of the Rotary Club of Marshall Texas, to remember Mr. Corti and Mr. Howard and all of those intrepid Rotarians who allowed themselves to be photographed and lampooned that fateful week in the history of our club, when we “Celebrate a Century of Changing Lives in Marshall – and Beyond”, August 24, 2019, at the Marshall Convention Center.