01/22/2025
As you know, we've been working through the vast collection of Edwin Sherman's belongings. Analyzing the array of clippings, photographs, and letters, he was undoubtedly a man of far-reaching influence; he had powerful connections and friends everywhere. This is evidenced even in small items such as this invitation to an exclusive reception to President William Taft, who visited the shores of Oakland's Lake Merritt for a special presentation to the student body of UC Berkeley. (For details of the event: https://localwiki.org/oakland/Presidential_Visits_to_Oakland).
There is an additional invitation—this time from US Navy Rear Admiral Bowman H. McCalla inviting Sherman to the famous St. Peter's Chapel on Mare Island in Vallejo for a 1904 unveiling of a plaque honoring the sailors who perished during the First Samoan Civil War in 1898. According to his Wikipedia biography, McCalla was "noted for his roles during the Spanish-American War and putting down the Boxer Rebellion." (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowman_H._McCalla)
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