USC Professor Babcock`s Latest Book Is His Best

S (^Biography
Saturday Rites
Babcock Wffl Be
Buried in Virginia
, suasive talents he enlisted the
help of students and everyone
else he could muster and the
TJAVTI \U RARrnrk'
volunteers laid the brick walks
nAVlLAri BAri^UUi\,
which remain a monument to sweat of his bfOW, made himself^!
the scholarly, talented man." an institution. While conducting!
Dr. Ilavilah Babcock
surviving are his widow, Mrs.! fascinating En^lish courses at";
Alice Hudson cheatham Bab- the Imiversity of South Carolina,
cock; a son and daughter-in-law, running the department and en-'i
USC Professor
Babcock's Latest
Book Is His Best
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ntifi »«&.
Aflfc ndviidii
H ziiFilQn DdunLR
R£ir\/*rt/*tf oamna ^"^ in
.\ir. ami
nthpr artivitips VIP 'i
Jr. (She is the former Coralee 1 &d'S ins In omer auivuieb, ne.^
Gilliam); a granddaughter. Miss turned OUt scintillating Stories of "i
Barbara Ann Babcock; a sister tne Great Open Spaces that"' JAYBIRDS GO TO HELL
Funeral services for Soulh
ON FRIDAY by Havilah Bab
.*.
.
-nCarolina writer, teacher and lication in 1947, and foreign Mrs. S. L. Murphy, Appomat-.v
ee brothers,
brothers Robert
Robert (brought
enjoyment, to
millions.
£fi cock. Holt, Rinehart and Wintox, and three
outdoorsman Havilah Babcock editions.
his books are "Talcs W. Babcock and Adelbert
66, will be at 11 a.m. Satui- of Among
He did most of his writing at"' ston, Inc. 149 Pages. $3.95.
Quails
and Such," "I Don't A. Babcock of Appomattox; and
day in Appomattox Methodist Want to Shoot
night, disparagingly remarking fJ Once again, the author with
an Elephant,"
Church, Appomattox, Va.
"The Education nf Pretty Boy," Thomas H. Babcock, Rustburg, that since he could not sleep he
the most amusing and intrigu
The Rev. F. 5. Wagoner will "According to Hoyle," and his
ing
book titles in the business
The Carolina children's Home | ma>' ™ well write. Many thereby . strides
[officiate. Interment will be in, newest, "Jaybirds Go to Hell on
again. Following up
| Babcock Cemetery.
Friday."
is suggested to those wishing to j gained.
^ such delightful titles of "I
Friends may call at the resi- Many of his works have been send memorials.
Don't Want to Shoot an Ele
His abilities were not confined ', phant"
I dence and Dunbar Funeral translated into foreign lan"My Health Is
to the out-of-doors. He was aV Better and
Home, Gervais Street Chapel, guages and twv, of his books
in November," Dr.
until 1 p.m. Friday.
Fave been made available to the
cogent commentator on public': Havilah Babcock's "Jaybirds
The former head of the de blind in Braille and recorded
Co to Hell on Friday" is his
affairs and at one time wrote a^ funniest
title and funniest
partment of English of the editions the only outdoor books
considerable number of articles * book.
University of South Carolina to earn these distinctions.
Dr. Babcock was born in Apdied at 12:30 a.m. Thursday
for THE STATE.
A collection of stories and
at his home, 3436 Devine St. pomattox County, Va., a son of
yarns,
spun on the loom of
Dr. Babcock was a charming .
the late H. C. and Blanche
The Virginia-born educate; Moore Babcock. He was a memthe outdoors with the woof of
conversationalist of many inter-? truth and the warp of im
Icame to the University in I32l~ her of Appomattox Memorial
Ion a year's leave of absence
ests. At times his activities in- rf agination, Dr. Babcock de
lights his legions of readers
eluded bee-keeping, which he ) with
through gallof
started, originally, as a means to,.' berriesrambles
'of English and head of the
and
lamp
eels.
relations at USC, wrote in par1.:
journalism school.
provide fish bait. He expertly,
In every chapter Dr. Bab
He "found the hunting and
grew flowers and scientifically- cock tucks bits of information
''In a world filled with medi
fishing so good here" that he
entertaining lines as
cultivated vegetables.
* between
| stayed on.
' ocrity, Havilah Babcock was
neatly as he can pop a quail
preoccupied
with
excellence.
In 1937 he became head of
Possessed of a broad and fer- I on the wing. And he's the
"Whatever he did had to be
| the USC Department of English
champion quail shoot
tile imagination and wit, Havilah $ world's
and held the position until the best.
er,
self-proclaimed,
but sel
"In the South Carolina woods
[June 30, 1964. when he stepped
Babcock
will
be
missed
by
le-_;|
dom
challenged.
down from administrative re and fields he loved, (he profes
gions of friends, known and un- * What fisherman could re
sponsibilities but remained a sor was the best shot in the bird
sist reading a chapter entitl
hunting parties.
known to him personally, for his ed.
professor in the department.
"Monofilament Hates Peo
"His trout fly would sail far
Recipient of the first
words
have
traveled
far,
and
will
ple"?
And every liar in the
"Distinguished Professorship" ther, drop more lightly on the
audience will pay particular
live
on.
most"
neremhpr
11,
1961
awarded by the University if * water, and offer the
attention to the opening chap
South Carolina Educational tempting lure to the biggest
ter,
"Liars Should Have Good
STATE-WemW 11, 196i Memories."
Foundations, Dr. Babcock cre fish.
because they, too,
"Bird dogs responded to him 1
ated one of the best-known
have had their dog's day.
His nin-t
'! ' li.l bivk
courses in higher education, as though they had read his
He advocates some rather
"My Health I.s B,,-Uer lu Xr>a vocabulary building course books and articles about them.
starling
procedures in helping
"His writings simply had to
vember." wan published In 1947..
Identified as "English 129."
the
South's
Bob White pop
Other br»ok* ho wrote in
He wrote the textbook fuv be as perfect as he could make
cluded "TTnc Education of Pret
the course, "I Want a Word," them, and he wrote and re
ty Boy," "According to Hovlp,"
\
COLUMBIA,
K.
C..
Dec.
11
and his lectures in English U9 wrote, refined and refined again ;author ami educator, died, and his latest, "Jaybirds Go tn
invariably have filled the class 5.0 the words were exactly the
yesterday at home. He was 66' Hell on Friday."
room to overcrowding.
years old. .
'
^ r - Babcnrk is survived
right ones, laid lovingly in pre
Dr. Babcock had been headfhis widow. Mr*. Allre C. Bal>-j
Dr. Babcock achieved inter cisely correct succession.
nf the English department atU'ock, and a sun, Havilah Bab-1
national reputation as an author
"At the University of South
thp University of Soulh Caro-l cot'k Jr after he joined the University
Una hfre for 27 years and had[
of South Carolina faculty. For Carolina, where he taught and
written
novels and articles!
headed
the
English
depart
the most part, the subjects of
about
hunting
and fishing.
'**- NEW YUKR. JiMES,
his writings have come from the ment for many jears. he was
HP had headfd the English
South Carolina fields, thickets, a senior statesman of higher
department at Klon College in
DECEMBER 12, 1964.
woods, streams and the sky education with great behindNorth Carolina and here while
the-scenes influence in the ad
on a year's InJivp from the Col-]
above them.
lOf,"- of Wijjtam and Mary.
A keen, sensitive observer and ministrations of a succession
br. Babco' k romainert and oran active participant in every of presidents.
' nine rlop.-irl mrnt rhairman In]
thing that interested him, Dr.j «. It was Dr. Babcock who
I0:;7. Ill hrallh fnivcd his
Babcock
produced
several literally took the universlty out
tirmient from artniinistrativel
books
and about « 150
essays
and>!il Ul
nf lilt?
fhp JmilH
y
work on June no.
,.»
i- i
«
'
iHLHl.
short stories published in na
Hi* was accorded the only
"Only the old-timers remem-| j tinguished profr«snrship cvcrl
tional magazines and anthnlo[awarded by thp university. His
her, but the dirt paths around
Ifies.
course,
His most successful book. the campus were soggy in wet f'l*j| v.orabuiary "
"I W'
Want a Word," WAS
titled "T
"My Health Is Better in No weather and dusty in dry spells?^-* one
of the school's most popu-|
vember," Is still selling strong when Havilah Babcock decided!
lar.
after a doten printings in the to do something about them.]
United States since first pub With his not inconsiderable per-!
HAVILAH BABCOCK,
TEACHER AND WRITER
ulation grow in "What's Hap
pening to Bob White."
Dr. Babcock is at his best,
though, when recalling his
boyhood and the thousand and
one delights he strings vividly
on the page.
For 25 years head of the
English Department at the
University of South Carolina
until he stepped down for
health reasons. Dr. Babcock
has wstablished a reputation
as a "must" teacher for eve
ry student to enter the Uni
versity.
His'English 109 course has
not only helped build strong
and forceful vocabularies among men and women of Car
olina, it has given these stu
dents a thing most people
miss along the higher educa
tion way
a sterling silver
educator who will never leave
their memory.
Some call this type of In
dividual a "character" or an
"eccentric or codger," but in
Dr. Babcock, these descrip
tive words are not enough.
Eccentric? Sure. A character?
By all means.
'But above all, he has been
the sort of professor who can
move that certain something
within his students that makes
them strive to do the best
they can in his course.
You can understand Dr.
Babcock's charm after only
a few pages into his latest,
book, "Jaybirds Go to Hell
on Friday." And you'll find a
lot more every page you read.
B. T.
C
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