A Happy Chance Meeting - by Gospatric Home
I had just given my name to the receptionist when a voice from my right asked “Did you say Gospatric Home?” I found myself looking directly at a Home tartan waistcoat for my inquisitor was considerably taller than me. “Yes indeed” I responded wondering what was coming next. "Jamie. C. Humes” was the simple and direct answer as we shook hands. A few minutes later we were sitting drinking tea with his wife Dianne, who is also of Scottish descent, in the drawing room of our mutual London Club, and that was a further coincidence as my wife is Diana and she also has Scottish ancestors. As I had to go to a dinner party we arranged to talk again the following morning over a leisurely breakfast and that is how I learned so much more about this remarkable Scottish American member of the family and his charming wife.
My first question to Jamie as I boldly tried to impress him by ordering porridge was “Why the” S “on the end of Hume?” “Ah” he replied, “that dates back to when one of my ancestors took exception to some of the views of the great philosopher David Hume.”
The Humes who trace their line back to the Humes of Marchmont and Polwarth settled in America in the 18th century and have served their country as Generals, Sportsmen, Ambassadors, Merchants and Clergymen. Jamie has written a history of the family entitled “The House of Humes – The pilgrimage of a family”. For Jamie who started his career as the youngest ever State Legislator has had a fascinating career which has included being the speechwriter to no less than five Presidents including Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan, the writing of many books on William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, President Eisenhower and most recently a highly popular anthology on the Wit and wisdom of Ronald Reagan, part of a series which has included Abraham Lincoln, Roosevelt and Churchill.
In his retirement Jamie specialises in lecturing and giving humorous anecdotal after dinner talks. He was awarded the O.B.E for his literary output , a rare honour for any American. He first met Churchill as a schoolboy when he was a visiting ESU Scholar at Stowe.
Jamie and Dianne celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at Wedderburn where he first met our Convenor Dr. Ian Maitland Hume. As a result of our meeting and their subsequent visit to our home Jamie and his wife are hoping to join the CHA and come to the Gathering in August. Jamie is the proud owner of an ancient key to Hume Castle given to him by Lord Home of the Hirsel. Dare I suggest to him that this key would one day grace our hoped for Visitor Centre as an important historical exhibit?
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If you would like to arrange for Dr. Humes to speak for your organization, please contact Ms. Jane Muller at UCCS (719)-262-4093, or email her at jmuller@uccs.edu.
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Fabulous Idea! I would say more pictures, would be outstanding if he would allow. I first met Professor Humes as a student, and I took a class with him called Language of Leadership, it was a small 600 level Hasan School of Business elective. Other students had warned me not to take his class bc he was "mean." HARDLY. There were many international students in the class, and I was waiting to see how they would perform giving a speech in English. Professor Humes was not only informative, but quite effective at communicating the general and specifics of delivering a polished speech. I kept wondering when his "mean" side was going to show. Maybe what the student was referring to are times when he invited the class to his house and he and his wife hosted a memorable evening with cultural exchanges through stories and perspectives that included so many stories he had not written. It is truly a once in a lifetime experience to hear historcal events unfolding from his unique perspective. After that evening, events in history seemed a little less distant. Our nation's history is preserved with words, treasures, and traditions that endure long after their time. What you have made is a tribute to a living national treasure. I am glad you did this, because his character is not one to boast of himself. He is by my account and interactions with him, an honorable man.
ReplyDeleteS.M. Bailey
seth@smb45.org
ps-thank you for not demanding a facebook, twitter, or other sign-in. I choose not to collaborate with websites engaging in those practices.