“Frank was a pretty good shot” by Olivia Alison

There were three necessary ingredients for successful field work with Frank and Brad: beer, ice cream, and homemade cookies.  As a MESDA field rep in the Valley of Virginia in the late 1970’s, I quickly learned the locations of all the dairy bars and dry counties. An afternoon sundae and a beer with supper could salvage a disappointing day in the field. The cookies were in a tin on the seat of the station wagon. I usually made oatmeal, but my fellow field reps were partial to chocolate chip. Frank booked trips to the Valley back to back, since field rep Mary Witten Neal was up in Fredrick, MD and I was in the lower Valley. If the cookies she sent down had gotten hard, we took turns throwing them at stop signs. Frank was a pretty good shot.

Olivia Alison, Alabama
Field Representative in the Valley of Virginia
MESDA Summer Institute, 1978

 

Celebrating Frank L. Horton’s 100th Birthday