Henebry Roll of Honor Award to John Cronin
News Division
of SLA Awards
Banquet
Columbia Club
Indianapolis, IN
June 8, 1998
Presenter: Barbara Semonche
[Note: Acknowledge other News Division Awards winners, Linda and John Mark Paschal, and Lany McDonald. Acknowledge also the fine work of the Indianapolis librarians and conference planning team.]
Good evening to you all. And an especially warm welcome to John and Carol Cronin.
This is a very special evening on several counts, but I’d like to take a few moments to credit Miss Agnes Henebry. It somehow seems appropriate even now, 16 years after her death.
Miss Henebry is remembered with great respect and affection by all those who knew her. There are not many of us left now who have had the direct pleasure of meeting and working with her.
Nevertheless we credit our profession’s vitality and intensity to Miss Henebry’s near-missionary zeal in transcending the highest standards of news library management and research. Truth to tell, there are some of us who still believe that Miss Henebry can indeed walk on water, travel at the speed of light, leap tall buildings in a single bound, or at the very least levitate a little. To her students, friends and colleagues she was our cheerleader, our coach and star player, our advocate who taught, inspired, encouraged us all.
The News Division is nearing the 50th anniversary of Miss Henebry’s tenure as chair. A 1949 Newspaper Division Conference photo of her touring the Los Angeles Times library shows a calm, attractive blond young woman quite at ease surrounded by several of the Division’s founding luminaries. You can see this along with a list of 51 previous recipients of the Henebry Roll of Honor Award at a specially prepared web site.
[Would all the Henebry Award recipients here this evening please stand and be recognized?]
On this, the 20th anniversary of the award established in her name, John Cronin will be the 52nd recipient of the Henebry Roll of Honor Award.
John is a well-recognized and respected figure in the News Division and certainly in his native Boston. However, there is at least one person who, perhaps, needs a fuller accounting on John’s accomplishments and why he is worthy of this particular honor.
I refer to Miss Agnes Henebry herself. Make no mistake she follows closely Division activities from her lofty position as chief celestial Tribune indexer and cataloger.
To address these legitimate concerns, I composed and forwarded this message via cyber-celestial mail to Miss Henebry. Her response came by some as yet unknown technology.
I began thus.
Dear Miss Agnes:
It is that time of year again. The News Division is gathering in Indianapolis for its 20th anniversary Awards Banquet. It is a perfectly grand affair with many of your former colleagues and friends in attendance.
Part of this celebration will be the presentation of the award named for you, to John Cronin. I’m not certain, Miss Agnes, if you’ve every had the pleasure of meeting him. Besides his many professional qualifications as a news librarian, John is an urbane, witty, kind, and an altogether charming gentleman.
Nevertheless, as a peerless researcher yourself, I’m aware that you require complete disclosure on prospective Roll of Honor recipients before you confer your blessings.
So, I’m off to gather the requisite deep background information on John R. Cronin.
Obviously, Miss Henebry, I needed help on this assignment. I turned to a famous Boston private investigator recommended by noted author Robert Parker.
Sincerely yours,
Barbara Semonche
Arriving in Boston, I headed directly to the private investigator’s office. I recognized him from Mr. Parker’s description.
"Good to meet you, Mr. Spenser." There was a pause. Finally he said,
"It’s Spenser, just Spenser . . . with an S." I nodded understanding.
"What can I do for you?"
"I need help in finding deep background on a librarian."
Spenser paused, then said. "We don’t get much call to investigate . . . librarians."
"Oh, he’s a news librarian," I said.
Spenser smiled and said, "That explains it."
There was a slight movement in the corner. Spenser turned and introduced me to Hawk.
"Hello, Mr. Hawk," I greeted.
A look passed between them.
Hawk said quietly, "It’s Hawk, just Hawk . . . without an E."
They waited. Suddenly, it dawned on me.
"Oh, my name is Semonche, eight letters, three syllables, with the accent on the middle."
They nodded.
Spenser spoke. "What is the name of this news librarian?"
"It’s Cronin, with a C."
Spenser continued. "What more can you tell me about him."
"Well, quite a lot, really, but yet not as much as we’d like. That’s why we’d like to hire you, and Hawk, too, of course, to dig as deep and go as high as need be to verify that he has the sterling character required of all Henebry Roll of Honor recipients."
Spenser asked, "We need specific information such as a description of him, where he works, his educational background, what kind of car he drives, all known associates."
"Yes, of course. Here are the facts.
Cronin is the Chief Librarian for The Boston Herald. Has been since 1976.
He is also a visiting lecturer at Simmons College School of Library and Information Science.
He is a member of Beta Phi Mu, the library scholastic fraternity.
He holds degrees from St. John's Seminary and Catholic University of America.
In his 22-year association with the News Division of the Special Libraries Association, Cronin has held every elective office.
He’s a published author of articles and a book chapter and has delivered speeches about news librarianship at conferences and workshops.
Further, he has been an unofficial ambassador for the Division, welcoming neophyte news librarians into the field.
In Boston he continues to mentor news librarians and students by phone or through his frequent contributions to NewsLib.
Sorry, I don’t know what kind of a car Cronin drives. "
Spenser asked, "Any aliases?"
I paused, then replied, "Well he does have a Nom d’ listserv = Cronin of Boston
AKA: Big John
(Because of his size? No, Stature, I believe it’s because of his big heart and generous nature.)
Oh, and there is some reference to John as Rhett, dahlin’ by a genteel Southern news librarian. From Winston-Salem, North Carolina, I believe."
Spenser continued his questions. "Anything else I should know?"
"Well, there is his research assistant at the Boston Herald. His name is Thibeault, with two Ts, fore and aft. He should be very helpful."
Spenser replied. "We’ll take it from here."
I gave him my card and suggested that he could in touch with me by email. There was a sound from Hawk. He said softly, "We . . . don’t . . . do . . . E – MAIL."
Spenser said that he’d contact me as soon as he found something useful.
I returned to North Carolina.
Miss Agnes, it wasn’t long before I got Spenser’s report. Here are the results.
FROM: SPENSER, PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS.
DATE: May 1998
TO: Barbara Semonche
RE: Special Report on
John Cronin
Interviewed the Archbishop of Boston. He confirmed that Cronin was an alter boy and a seminarian. His excellency expressed surprise that Cronin left the Church to become a morgue caretaker, but the Archbishop also added that Cronin was welcome back anytime.
Next, sought out the Boston garage of Tom and Ray Magliozzi, AKA, Click and Clack the Tappit Brothers, with NPR. When asked, Tom and Ray admitted to knowing Cronin around the neighborhood. They differed as to how long, but agreed that they had worked on his car until recently. It was a Toyota. Suspected that Cronin was now traveling on the MTA or by bike. Tom and Ray reported that they miss Cronin and his stories. There were no outstanding unpaid bills.
Tracked down a news librarian in Denver who remembered Cronin’s speech at an SLA conference there. She was mystified by Cronin’s speech title, "Ah Cain’t Say No!" Never did discover the why he couldn’t say no. Seems there was weather interference. Cronin was interrupted as five tornadoes exploded through Denver. His audience scattered and sought shelter. No copy of the speech exists.
Traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina on the trail of Miz Scarlett, Discovered Ginny Hauswald as the notorious "Miz Scarlett." She was eager to talk about her relationship with Cronin. Her commentary follows.
"John Cronin, oh fiddle dee dee, it's always much more interesting when it's all about me. Well, if I must. It was a dark and stormy night in San Francisco when I first met The Cronin. At that time he herded me, along with entirely too many others, onto a boat docked on the bay. As the winds came up and white caps decorated our route, I was terrified but I couldn't let *him* know. I shall never, ever, ever forget that cruise.But, it was in Atlanta where the Rhett that Melanie, dear Ashley and I have come to know so well first truly appeared to us. Let's see, through the years I've described him many ways: sarcastic and shrewd, a rascal, a gentleman, a scoundrel, a scholar, a gambler, a dandy, a man fast with a dollar, quick to hit upon a truth, kind and most clever."
Spenser’s Investigations Final Report:
Name: Cronin, John R. Rating: C for Cleared
**************************************
So, Miss Agnes, there it is. The story behind John Cronin. I await your decision.
Respectfully,
Barbara Semonche
One recent morning I entered my library and discovered a note propped on my computer keyboard. The brief message, written in a graceful, Spenserian hand, in blue ink on pale blue notepaper, read:
|
John Cronin . . . with an A . .
. for Approved.
Affectionately, Miss Agnes |
John, come up and get your report card.
John Cronin with Barbara Semonche
From left: Barbara Semonche, John Cronin,
Carol Cronin, and John "Jack" Semonche
Al Thibeault, Assistant Chief Librarian, The Boston Herald
1. John has the world's messiest desk (probably). We constantly kid him about it. It is usually piled several inches deep with loose paper and such "unimportant" things as invoices, royalty checks, information requests from local influential politicians and business people etc. Before he goes away on a trip/vacation, he "cleans" it off. This means that he takes the bulk of it and places it on top of a file cabinet in the back of the library. He then crows about what a marvelous job he did of cleaning his work area, inviting all to look and praise his work which we do with patronizing gusto and sarcasm (we know, of course, that the mess will find its way back to the top of his desk within minutes of his return). Come to think of it, "work area" is probably misleading. In actuality, he cannot work at his desk because of the clutter. On those rare occasions where he does work, he has to sit at somebody else's desk. On these occasions, he invariably leaves more of his clutter behind on that person's desk. I recently found a pile of 18-year-old "desk cleaning residue" he left behind in the "old library." It was like an archaeological find: it contained bills, royalty checks, requests for information, photos of his children (cherished keepsakes, no doubt as his college-age children were toddlers in them and they had been untouched in years), as well as photos of a 70's-era Cronin of Boston complete with polyester disco clothes and a nearly full head of hair.
2. Any member of the fairer sex who has called John at work should be all-too-familiar with his standard telephone greeting: "Ahhh, madam's mellifluous tones come wafting through the wire bringing joy and contentment to all who hear....."
3. As the extremely cultured sophisticate that he is, John's standard term of derision is to suggest someone "go fecundate his/her self."
4. On a more serious note; I've often heard John referred to by my peers (both past and present) as "a great boss." In reality, he is more than that. He has mentored many, given several their first news library job, and has helped many more find their first news library job. He has encouraged many to go to library school offering encouragement and assistance during their studies, hearty congratulations at their commencements. He is a great librarian, wonderful boss, loyal friend and even better man. The News Division should consider themselves lucky to have him, I know we at the Herald are.