Hilliard Caldwell - Harold Foster and his leadership ability (clip)

Interviewer: Tell me when did you first get to know Harold Foster?

Hilliard Caldwell: I was a senior, and he was a freshman, I think. If I’m not mistaken, if I look at my high school newspaper for some reason it was either Harold or Mary Mason always had superlatives.

Interviewer: You always had what?

Hilliard Caldwell: What do you call it when you say something at the end of your senior year, and I said, “I want to leave to Harold Foster and Mary Mason my ability to lead the student body.” Superlatives? There’s a word.

Interviewer: I’m not sure what you call that. Is that a valedictory address?

Hilliard Caldwell: No, no. Each senior made a statement, and they left something…. I remember someone like Doug Clark would leave to some guy, “to play the drums like I can,” or “to play football like I can.”

Interviewer: It’s like a bequest, sort of.

Hilliard Caldwell: Yeah, and I remember in mine I said something, I either left to Mary Mason or to Harold Foster their ability, “to be a good Student President like I was.” I think Harold was a ninth grader because he might have been President of his class. A ninth-or-tenth grader, I can’t remember, but Harold had good leadership ability back in those days, very particularly. I knew he had a sister that was a year behind me, I knew her real well, Esphur, who is now in the law school.

Interviewer: He had another sister too didn’t he?</p.

Hilliard Caldwell: Esphur and Charley Mae

Interviewer: Do you know if R.D. Smith took Mary Mason or Harold Foster under his wing in any way?

The interview was interrupted by a knock at the door.