1964–65 Volume 89 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

THE SCROLL of Phi Delta Theta for SEPTEMBER, 1964 15FRANCIS WELLS, Indiana '19Co-Author of Republican Song BookTurns to Music in Retirement YearsFrom the popular piano player of IndianaAlpha, to a successful life of service with theGovernment, back to a career in music duringhis retirement years is the life story of Francis"Hank" Wells (Indiana '19), whose latestachievement is being co-author with Fritz Purnellof the 1964 Republican Song Book, recentlypublished by the Bobbs-Merrill PublishingCompany.Leaving Indiana University in his junior yearto join the Army, "Hank" served some 18months in France and Germany with the famed42nd Rainbow Division, and followed this by atour of Germany with a six-piece band. Hethen joined the United States Department ofState and was sent to England as Vice Consulin Manchester, later changing to the Departmentof Commerce as a business analyst. Aftera long career in these two governmental agencies.Brother Wells has retired to his home inLake Bluff, Illinois, and is now, for the firsttime in his life, making a full-time job of bringinghis own music to the public.Among "students" of "Hank" WeUs duringhis Indiana University days was a lad namedHoagland Carmichael, the Hoagy Carmichaelof international music fame and in his recentbook. The Stardust Road, Hoagy declares"Hank played a lot of piano, and he andReggie Duval helped me gain my first conceptionof harmony and jazzl"Students of American jazz consider "Hank"W. S. HOUSEAL, Geoi^a Tech '44Wells one of the early developers in this area.His style was entirely new and original andwas called "sock," said to have been the firstnew name given to rhythm piano since "ragtime,"which is claimed to have predated thebeginnings of swing music by at least 20 years.The style has been described as "very cleancutand staccato in rhythm—not too many notes,but rich in melody and harmony."Music has always been a paramount factor inthe daily living of Brother Wells, playing andsinging popular tunes of the day, his own compositions,and scores of Wells-written parodieson hit songs. It is reported that one time, ona bet, he produced from memory the wordsand music to over a thousand songslThe Republican Song Book, recently published,contains seventeen songs, some parodieson well known hits, but many of them originalcompositions by Brother Wells and his coauthor,Fritz Pumell. As would be expected,the songs rib the Democrats:Alabama's Insurance DepartmentAdministered by W. S. HousealAdministering the state's insurance laws andsupervising the functioning of some 780 companiesoperating in the state of Alabama isWalter S. Houseal (Georgia Tech '44), superintendentof the Alabama Department of Insurance.Assisting Brother Houseal in his stateduties is a staff of 44 employees working underan annual budget of $284,770.