CCH's Diamond Jubilee August 1

[Judy Patsch]

This Sunday August 1 will mark the 75th birthday of Clarke Campbell Hawley. He will be celebrating it in his customary fashion by having dinner at Galatoire's, washing the French cuisine down with a Sazerac or two. Of course his day will include something he's done for 59 years now: playing a calliope concert. He plays the 10:45AM gig on Sundays as Debbie is a church organist. So while Doc doesn't use a computer, I'm sure his ears will be burning with posted wishes from his river friends. As much as he hates to hear it, he basically IS Old Man River now, but just as the river rolls on, so does Doc, and with a vitality many of us younger can't match. While parsimonious might be the way he describes his relationship with his wallet, he has certainly enriched so many of us with his sheer presence, his knowledge and wit, his steamboating experiences, and his generous sharing of his river artifacts. Who would have thought that back on that summer day in 1951 when I was listening to the AVALON's calliope concert, that 59 years later I'd be sending that young player 75th birthday greetings?
HAPPY 75TH BIRTHDAY DOC!

1) the Master of the new NATCHEZ IX April 1975
2) on DQ wingbridge May 1997 race - last trip as Master
3) May 1993 in Dubuque after he received the National Rivers Hall of Fame Achievement Award

[Tom Schiffer]

Judy et al: Yes, the Rabbit Hash Shipyard, Dry Dock, Marina, Ship Chandelry and Swat Team join you in this celebration and greeting. The yard, as you know, is closed tightly to all but cash customers on Sunday but we will observe the day in our busy schedule by a loooooong and too shorts on the factory whistle. The engineering staff are working overtime on tuning our one-whistle calliope for a rousing rendition of OLD MAN RIVER for you. Cap'n Walnut

[Judy Patsch]

Wow..

Wait until Doc finds out an entire town shut down on his natal day!

[Wesley Paulson]

Hah.

And wait until Doc finds out it was Rabbit Hash that closed in his honor. ;-)

[Shipyard Sam]

HBD CCH

Looking back over more than half a century that Captain Hawley and I have known each other is like watching a movie on 'fast-forward' and everything is a blurr without stopping the film and examining each frame seperately, so I will not make the attempt now.... there is just too much territory to cover in so small a format.

So I'll just shout:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOC!!

[Lexie Palmore]

Do you have a recent picture of Doc? I wonder if he still looks young enough to be carded.

[Judy Patsch]

Recent picture

Yes, here's one from my last patio party at the BK House. He and Debbie are cutting a birthday cake for the NATCHEZ while my neighbor Ott watches. I think he wouldn't be carded now, but he still looks disgustingly younger than his age. I used to watch him get by with all sorts of stuff on the NATCHEZ when he wasn't wearing his Captain's hat. People thought he was just some young guy who didn't know any better!

[John Fryant]

Congratulations Doc! I'm only three years behind you. I forget when we first met but is was a lo o o o ng time ago.

[David Tschiggfrie]

And yet another greeting from one more of Capt. Hawley's many river friends. A very Happy 75th Doc, from Mile 580 on the Upper Mississippi. And this view of the birthday boy was snapped on the 4th of July, 50 years ago!

[Keith Norrington]

I had a lengthy phone chat with Doc last evening and he much appreciates the good wishes from his many friends along the rivers. We had a good time laughing about the many adventures we've shared during our friendship of the past 43 years, which have rapidly rolled by like the ol' river.

A delightfully offkey rendition of HAPPY BIRTHDAY and a long and two shorts of the whistle to Capt. Clarke Campbell Hawley on this milestone day. May he keep rollin' on the river for many years to come!

Images:
(1) Doc and model he built of the AVALON, using paint from the actual boat - 1958
(2) Doc at the calliope of the Str. AVALON - Alton, Illinois - July, 1956
(3) Doc & Keith as guest calliopists on the BELLE of LOUISVILLE - 1996