Chapter 26. It All Caught up with Me as the Centennial Year Came to an End

On Friday, November 28, 1969, it all caught up with me! Around mid afternoon while at work at my desk, I felt nauseated, a numbness in my left arm, and a tingling sensation in my extremities. I began to perspire profusely, and felt as though I was having a severe bout of indigestion. I wanted to get home as quickly as possible. I telephoned Val Sopko the Library Chief Engineer. Fortunately he was in his office. I recall that Val wanted to take me to Fairview General Hospital which not too far from my home. Not realizing the seriousness Of my condition, I insisted that he drive me home. He got me home in record time. And again, Val, bless his soul (he has since passed away), stayed until Grace called Doctor Art. Well, you guessed it, he advised that I be taken to the hospital right away! Yes, I was having a coronary and did not know it or maybe I did not want to admit it. I kept saying to myself, I can’t be having a heart attack. It’s only indigestion. I was taken to Fairview General Hospital right away. The Doctors there after performing the required tests confirmed that I had had a heart attack.

My brothers, Doctor Art and Doctor Nick arrived later that day to check on me. After examining me and conferring with the hospital doctors, they gently chided me on having delayed getting to the hospital, telling me that I should have gone directly to the hospital from the Library as Val had advised in the first place.

I seemed to make enough of a recovery to be discharged from the hospital by the middle of December. I was told by my doctors to recuperate at home at least until after the first of the New Year before thinking of going back to work part-time.

It so happened that the first day of the Library’s hearings before the Board of Tax Appeals fell on December 17. There I was at home recuperating from a heart attack unable to participate. I found myself feeling guilty and fussing because I was not with my colleagues, testifying as I should be, and as I had done several years before in two previous successful tax appeals. Fern Long kept me posted as the hearings progressed during those two days. The record shows that the staff presented an inspired portrayal of the role played by the Cleveland Public Library, not only within the Cleveland city limits but also in the county, state and in the nation. According to the record, the Cleveland Library was also honored when two nationally known Library figures testified on behalf of the Library. Emerson Greenaway, retired Director of the Philadelphia Free Library, and Harry Peterson, Director of the Washington, D.C. Public Library took the witness stand and made a remarkable presentation of the Cleveland Public Library’s position in the nation as a great urban Library and the need to maintain it as a viable resource. I understood that they, the staff, and the Library’s attorneys did their best to win the case.

Even after all these years, on those occasions when my mind takes me back to those days in November and December of 1969, a feeling of deep sadness comes over me. I cannot help feeling that I was robbed of an important period of my career. In addition to Edna’s death at the age of fifty-two just before Thanksgiving, my being stricken with a heart attack shortly thereafter was the crowning blow because it not only placed me on the side lines at work at a vital time, but also succeeded in spoiling the family’s Christmas and the beginning of the New Year. It would not have been so traumatic if it had all ended with those two heartbreaking events. It did not!

On Friday, January 9, 1970, my doctors gave me permission to return to work part-time. They cautioned me not to overdo it in anyway. They indicated that they wanted to see me in ten days to see how I was faring. I returned to work on Monday, January 12. Try as I could to restrain myself I found myself unable to stick to a half-day schedule as the doctors had ordered. I soon found myself working a full day and once again taking a full brief case of paper work to do at home in the evening. By the time I had been back at work a week, I began having the beginnings of the symptoms I had had before. This time I recognized these as a warning and called the doctor’s office immediately. On January 19, I was back on the sick list again! This time my doctors reinforced by my two doctor brothers advised me that I must stop working. They were brutally frank, they said, “If you don’t give it up now, you’ll be digging your own gravel”

To me just the thought of giving up my work at the Library was anathema! The Cleveland Public Library had been my life since that day in 1927 when Miss Dorothy Tobin had hired me as her page at the Brownell Junior High School Library. I kept asking myself, how can I stop working now? I am only 57 years old! Ed our oldest son is about to enter the Dental School at Ohio State University, and young Paul also is scheduled to go on to Valparaiso University at summer’s end. I told my brothers, Doctor Art and Doctor Nick, that I just could not give up my work. They told me that I did not have a choice, that if I wanted to make a complete recovery, I had to! They told me that I had been burning the candle at both ends for too many years, that my body could not take it any more. When Grace added her voice to theirs, and urged me to take their advice, I asked, “how will we manage financially?” She responded, “we’ll have to use our savings, and I will go back to work until you have made a complete recovery.” With that I capitulated, and thought of father who was forced out of work by the Depression in the 1930’s and wondered how he would have advised me as I was being forced out of work at almost a similar age.

However, on January 20, 1970, although I was feeling weak and unwell, and against my doctors’ advice, I decided to drive from my home in the West Park area of the city of Cleveland to President Heard’s office at the Quincy Savings and Loan Company to tell him of my decision to end my career at the Cleveland Public Library. He was not only surprised to see me but also flabbergasted and said so, however, he understood and graciously accepted the news.

Also, knowing that my doctors, my brothers and my wife would not approve, I advised Mr. Heard that I was planning to work until the end of the business day on January 31, 19 70 in order to complete paper work on projects in progress and in order to leave my office in proper order for a successor. I also advised him that since I had enough accumulated vacation time that was legally due me, my effective date of resignation would then be March 18, 19 70, that I would submit my letter of resignation for the record a few days before the end of January. I asked if this was alright with him. He graciously agreed.

It was around noon when I left Mr. Heard’s office on January 20. Instead of going home, I went downtown to my office in the Main Library Building. I recall how surprised Mrs. Addis and the rest of the staff were to see me arrive so unexpectedly. I also recall calling Grace to tell her what I had arranged with Mr. Heard, that I was at work, etc. She was not happy, however, knowing me, spoke her piece and let it go at that. She concluded by saying, “don’t stay too late!”

Being a meticulous and organized person, I wanted to leave my office in the kind of shape and order that would make it easy for whoever succeeded me to pickup where I had left off. I had done that throughout my career in the Library each time I left the various offices I had held over the years. So until January 31, I devoted myself to that task. I accomplished that work over those last days with a heart that was heavy and broken.

I submitted my letter of resignation to Mr. Heard on the morning of January 28, 1970. He telephoned the other Board members, immediately scheduling a special meeting of the Library Board. It was held on the next day, Thursday January 29 at 11:40 A.M. It was to be my last Board meeting. In addition to President Heard, the following Board members were present: Robert Merritt, Murray Davidson, George Livingston, and Gloria Battisti, who had been recently appointed to the Board. John Gardner was absent. Since the meeting had been called without the usual required notice by letter. Mr. Heard opened the meeting by stating that he had in his hand the required signed Waivers of Notice from the five Library Board Members present, dated and signed that morning. He then said he had the painful responsibility of presenting a letter of resignation dated January 28, 19 70. He then read my letter.

Mr. Davidson made the following statement: “This comes as quite a shock to all of us. The responsibility a man feels to himself is one of the most critical that he must face–one I most recently faced. It is unthinkable that we have to face the loss of the distinguished services of the Director and regret that his health has been so seriously impaired that he has to make this decision. The Board could not presume on his personal decision and while saying that he will be missed, we salute his decision. Certainly family and health come first. We wish him the very best of health and good luck.”

I had expected the kind of remarks that had been voiced by Mr. Davidson because I had been told that he also had been faced with the need to make a similar decision earlier. I had also thought that like remarks would be made by one or another of the Board members, and then my resignation would be formally accepted and that it would all be over with. However, that is not what happened. I did not expect and was totally surprised by what followed.

When Mr. Davidson had completed his statement, Mr. Livingston then spoke as follows:

Mr. Davidson seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

President Heard then said, “The Director has heard the expressions of two Board members. I would find it impossible in an adequate way to thank you, Mr. D’Alessandro, for giving me the pleasure of having been associated with you. I don’t believe that anyone else has risen from page boy through the system to Director. This is truly an ’Horatio Alger’ story. We are going to have a difficult time finding a Director of your sterling qualities and experience and who will be able to carry on with the achievements that you have so ably started. I personally will miss you and I want to shake the hand of a man.”

I had experienced other meetings over the years that had left me drained emotionally. This one topped them all! If by some magic I could have vanished from that Board Room on that morning, I would have done so. The Lord must have given me strength. I was able to maintain my composure throughout the meeting and for the aftermath when I was surrounded by members of the media and then by members of the staff who were present, all of whom had been taken by surprise totally by my announced leaving. It was around two o’clock in the afternoon, when I was finally able to walk across the street to The Old Arcade to George Jacob’s restaurant that was located across the way from Gollamer’s Cigar Stand, where I was able to relax and regain my composure as I had a late lunch.

The rest of the day as I expected was spent receiving a parade of staff members who having heard the news, came to my office to wish me well. I am not ashamed to say that I shared a few tears with many of them who had been my co-workers and friends for four decades.

On January 30, 1970, President Heard created a surprise of his own by submitting his resignation from the Library Board effective immediately! This was another bombshell for the city and the library community. It came as a complete surprise to the Library and School Boards, and to me and the Library staff!

I soon learned that although Mr. Heard was bringing to an end his civic service on the Library Board, however he was at the same time assuming a new civic duty with the Civil Service Commission.

His letter, brief, cryptic in style, simply read as follows:

Mr. Heard’s resignation coming so quickly, on the heels of my resignation, happening as it did in the waning days of the Library’s centennial year gave me pause for thought. I was struck with the realization that the 100’ anniversary year along with its excitement and many happy events had brought other events that were to have a serious and long term impact on the city’s library. During the year, we had lost the gentlemanly leadership of President Lockwood Thompson who had been a dependable and solid member the Library Board for so many years when the School Board chose not to reappoint him. We “had also lost considerate, gentle, thoughtful Mrs. Florence Graham, first through her long illness and then her untimely death. Long term Board member Stanley Klonowski’s resignation followed, leaving the Library Board minus a questioning conscience. These were not only sad but very serious losses. Dedicated old time staff members who lived through that period of the Library’s history realized that as the centennial year was coming to a close, they had witnessed a traumatic time in the history of their beloved library.

January 30 and 31 being my last two days at work were long days for me. They had to be because I had to finish what I had set out to do, that is, to leave a well organized office. I had to clear my personal effects from my desk, personal books and family pictures that had graced the top and shelves of the bookcase behind my desk, etc. While so engaged as my last day was coming to an end, Mrs. Addis my secretary and other members of my official staff came in to bid me farewell. Again there were tears. By 6:00 P.M. all were gone.

I packed my belongings in a .couple of cartons, carried them down to the car, making two trips to my parking space at the back of the Main Library Building. As I did that, the full effect of what was happening finally hit me. It was all really coming to an end! I went back to the office because there was one final official act of memo writing that had to be done. There were some last minute thoughts about pending business and ongoing projects that I felt that I must convey to my lieutenants. I wrote pen and ink memos to Acting Deputy Director Fern Long, Clerk-Treasurer Dorothy Fechter, Chief Engineer Val Sopko, and Superintendent of Buildings Kenneth Eynon about items in their areas of responsibility. I recall finishing the memos, sealing them in envelopes, addressing them to each of my long-time co-workers, dropping them on Mrs. Addis’ desk for delivery the next day.

It was 8:30 P.M. when I finally turned out the lights and left the office for the last time on that sad cold night of January 31, 1970. Except for the better part of three years in military service during World War II, the Cleveland Public Library had filled my life for forty years. I drove home that night feeling empty and depressed.

I was now homebound knowing that I had to regain my- health. The doctors had ordered me to make a complete change in life style. I had been placed on a strict heart diet, I had been instructed to start aerobic walking for exercise, to lose weight, etc., etc. That was to be my life for the next several months!

Through that entire period, through the ordeal of my heart attack, hospitalization, aborted comeback to my job, and through the eventual trauma of leaving the Cleveland Public Library, Grace and my sons were my support and salvation. I know I would not have survived without the unflagging care, love and understanding they provided day after day. I know I was hard to live with for quite some time before I finally came around to accepting what had happened to me. With God’s help, I was able to come to grips with the fact that I was not going to be able to be the family bread winner for a while, that my job for the time being, was to work at getting well and strong again.

Early during this period of recuperation and physical rebuilding, my friends at the Library had contacted me to tell me that they wanted to arrange for a special reception in my honor since they had not been able to do it before I left. This pleased me very much, however, I explained that I was not up to it physically, and that I preferred just to continue having their good wishes and prayers. They did not let it go at that. One day during the spring of the year, Adeline Corrigan who was Assistant Librarian for Children’s Services and Fern Long, then Acting Director came to visit me at my home in West Park. I recall that it was an unusual beautiful, sunny day for that time of the year. Grace and I were enjoying the sunshine in the back yard when they arrived. We had lemonade and cookies and chatted for about an hour. Before they left, Fern took a large and a small envelope from her purse, and first handed me the small envelope with a greeting card which contained a money gift of four hundred dollars given by the staff. Miss Corrigan explained that the staff had done this as a spontaneous act because they felt bad because they had not been able to give me a party. Well, both Grace and I were speechless for a moment and accepted the gift in the spirit with which it had been offered. That is an act that not only touched me deeply then but has continued to do so whenever I have thought about it over the years. Fern then gave me the large envelope, from which I drew an 8 X 10 document. Reading it, it was impossible to keep the tears from flowing. She told me that it had been presented in a special meeting of The Library Board held on February 2, 1970, that it expressed the sincere feelings of the Library Board of Trustees and of the entire staff of the Cleveland Public Library, that the Board had passed it unanimously.

This document had been filed away in my files containing my career memorabilia. It surfaced when I retrieved the files to start writing this book two and a half years ago. I had forgotten that the document existed! I include it here because it is a document that I treasure and should be a part of this memoir.

The delivery of that document on that day in the spring of 1970 made my day. After Adeline and Fern left, I turned to Grace, with a big grin on my face, and said, “This resolution, is a helluva lot better than the usual pocket watch given to a retiree!” Grace’s face lit up with a big smile and she said, “The old you is back, this is the first humorous thing you have said since your heart attack. You are going to make it!”