The leave secured, the whole family was caught up in enthusiasm. We would be pioneers in California a century after the gold rush of 1849. To our joy and surprise, there was a contagion of this spirit among many of our friends on and off campus. The Council of Churches in Washington hosted a farewell testimonial dinner on the eve of our departure. The dinner committee was chaired by our close friend Coleman Jennings, a lay reader of the Episcopal Church. The major address was given by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, who, as it turned out, was one of the first national associate members of the church.
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