Remembering Saville Davis
Regarding the editorial "Saville Davis," Oct. 7: My memories of Saville R. Davis, who held many significant editorships during almost four decades with the Monitor, are totally heartwarming.As a teenager visiting Boston back in the 1940s, I had a keen interest in looking at the place where the Monitor was published. Somehow I was directed to Mr. Davis's desk. He took time out to take me around the newsroom and show me the people behind the bylines that were so familiar. After college, I remembered the warmth of his hospitality as I applied for a job at the Monitor - a job that would last 37 years. Mr. Davis was tall and lanky, and his stride was always purposeful, whether heading for an important conference or for lunch alone. What I remember most was his enthusiasm - for life, for journalism, and for the Monitor. He relished being part of a team of true professionals engaged in enlightening the world. Frederick H. Guidry, Ashland, Mass.
Legions of "copy kids" through the years were blessed by having the good fortune to serve on the Monitor with Saville Davis. Ask any of us! We all remember his long-legged gait between the managing editor's desk and the wire room and the composing room. We remember his grace and elegance and his wonderful kindness when we would ask a question or seek advice. Talk about eyes lighting up - his eyes had a radiance that took in worlds we could not see. One of the great perks that sounded through a copy kid's rather mundane daily duties in the news room was the opportunity to associate with an array of mentors who helped us and guided us and encouraged us as we took our first faltering steps into the wide world of journalism. He was an outstanding mentor. We loved him! Ann Bradshaw Jenkins, Orinda, Calif.
Saville Davis was swift afoot, at the very edge of professional judgment and truth. He was coordinate with spiritual cause impelled through the mainstream and the demands of human events. Of immense value was his marvelous quality of making one feel a part of the team. He was a mentor to many young professionals in journalism. How he brought the country and the world to readers through correspondents and stringers. He was so awake, exciting, and focused. How that newsroom hummed, his piercing eyes reflecting instantaneous reasoning in a timeless competence. I give thanks for his being there with such professionalism and grace. Don Stirling Raymond, New York
Aerospace trade and competition Regarding the editorial "Fiscal Realism at NASA," Oct. 1: The aerospace industry, having surpassed agriculture, is presently the No. 1 contributor to a favorable balance of trace, but if aerospace goes the way of electronics, our trade-deficit problems will be greatly increased. The space station, in addition to being a national laboratory, is also the platform for our international partners to use as a location for their space science labs. If we drop the ball, our partners will continue without us and turn out to be our competitors in technological advancement. So is it worth the cost? Should the space station be scrapped? Aren't we glad that someone back in the 1400s was able to look beyond the costs of a distant voyage? We have to look beyond the now and see what's best for the future. Kent G. Green, St. Peters, Mo.
