More Great Moments in Letter Writing: James N Bailey

Previous great moments in letter writing have included the famous Pullman bedbug letter:

http://bytesdaily.blogspot.com/2010/05/pullman-bedbug-letter.html

and the Sir Archibald Clark Kerr “It takes a Turk to do that” letter:

http://bytesdaily.blogspot.com/2010/09/sir-archibald-clark-kerr.html

This time, let me bring to your attention another great moment dating from 1974. That was the year that one Dale O Cox, a principal of the Akron law firm Roetzel & Andress, sent a letter on his firm’s letterhead to the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Stadium. Cox, a Browns supporter, was disturbed by the practice of fans turning their programmes into paper aeroplanes and sailing them downwards, much as happens at the Sydney Entertainment Centre

(Click on the images to enlarge).

A few days later Mr Cox received a letter from James N Bailey, General Counsel for the Browns:

There has been speculation as to whether the letters are a hoax or legitimate, but legitimacy was established by Michael Heaton of the Cleveland Plain Dealer who contacted both persons in late 2010.

James Bailey is now aged 66 and lives in San Diego. He blames the letter on youthful indiscretion: “I was all of 28 years old when I wrote that letter. I should have been more cautious. I’m just glad my mother’s not around to see that letter.”

As noted at the bottom of the letter, Bailey copied in Arthur Modell, the team owner, on the sending of the letter. Bailey has revealed that he was chewed out for it.

Cox is aged 72 and still practises law in Idaho. He advised Heaton that he is still a Browns supporter and, rather than being offended by Bailey’s response, he has himself used the letter a number of times himself.