George McManus.

The first time I remember reading the name George McManus was in a book about the 1920’s. This George McManus was a NY gambler involved with the underworld and ultimately the prime suspect in the murder of Arnold Rothstein (also known as “Mr. Big” or “The Big Bankroll” who was accused of fixing the 1919 Baseball World Series) who was shot November 4, 1928.

”Hump” McManus beat the murder rap and “died a natural death in Sea Girt, NJ in 1940” (Mr. New York autobiography of Grover Whalen, Police Commissioner of NY). If you put George McManus in an internet search engine you eventually come up with a number of notable people including a Michigan Senator and a baseball manager born in 1846. The George McManus that comes up most often on the search is a comic strip artist who was just as or possibly more famous in his time as Peanuts’ Charles Schultz.

 This George McManus was born January 23, 1884 “to Irish parents” in St. Louis. He dropped out of school at 15 and started a life working with newspapers mostly as a cartoonist. In 1904 he won some money and moved to NY City. George created several comic strips before drawing “Bringing Up Father” which premiered January 2, 1913. This became the leading Hearst syndicate strip until McManus’ death in 1954, almost 42 years!

“Bringing Up Father” centered around Jiggs, a former bricklayer who wins a sweepstakes. His social climbing wife and daughter try to “raise” him to a new social position while Jiggs just wants to hang out with the boys from his old neighborhood and eat corned beef and cabbage. Irish-Americans identified with this comic for decades, written by a man whose name bears Scottish origin from the lands of Clan Colquhoun!

Flowers Of The Forest:

We regret to announce the passing of Robert Martin “Andy” Andrews, II of Opelika, AL. Andy was a past office holder of the Society. He died Monday March 15, 2004 and was 31 years old. Andy’s uncle, The Reverend James Calhoun, officiated at his funeral. Andy had worked for the past several years at Bill Heard Chevrolet in Columbus, GA. Survivors include his two children and his mother and stepfather, Betty and Joe Robertson.

New T Shirts: We finally have a new T Shirt design to offer. Produced by Caber Dancer (home of Clan MacBubba) and drawn by Tom Freeman, the first design features the Keep of “Old Rossdhu 15^th Century” “on the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond” on the back and an exclusive crest design at pocket level on the front. This shirt is Hunter Green (dark) which goes very well with our tartan. The second design is of “Sir Iain Chief Of The Colquhouns” and lists several of his accomplishments screened on a Navy shirt. The cost is $20 plus $5 postage per shirt. The available sizes are Large and XL. Other sizes can be special ordered for the next run of shirts. 

Sir Iain--------QTY_______XL______L @ $20_______

Old Rossdhu QTY_______XL______L @ $20_______

                           Postage $5 per shirt x_____ =_______

                                                                  Total:________

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