JOHN E. SPAHN
John Spahn '24
Lucky Bag
From the 1924 Lucky Bag:
JOHN EDWARD SPAHN
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
"Shorty"
NOW, girls, here's Adonis in the blonde, Dutch form. Just see him stand before the mirror and get that part on his gonk straight. He's a bit of a wise-cracker, too. So before you know it he'll have worked his way to your hearts. But don't take it too seriously, he fell for one back home.
He was once exposed to bilgitis; that's how he happens to be with us, but since then he has kept on the comfortable side of 2.5. Unfortunately his vest pocket wit is not of the variety that scores well in the Prof league. But he'll never be out of a job. He says that, should he bilge, he'll go to Lutherville and get a job at Maryland College as night-watchman.
"Hell and seven hundred dollars! Let's hold prayer meeting, one no trump!"
Class Basketball (3, 2); Choir (4, 3, 2).
JOHN EDWARD SPAHN
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
"Shorty"
NOW, girls, here's Adonis in the blonde, Dutch form. Just see him stand before the mirror and get that part on his gonk straight. He's a bit of a wise-cracker, too. So before you know it he'll have worked his way to your hearts. But don't take it too seriously, he fell for one back home.
He was once exposed to bilgitis; that's how he happens to be with us, but since then he has kept on the comfortable side of 2.5. Unfortunately his vest pocket wit is not of the variety that scores well in the Prof league. But he'll never be out of a job. He says that, should he bilge, he'll go to Lutherville and get a job at Maryland College as night-watchman.
"Hell and seven hundred dollars! Let's hold prayer meeting, one no trump!"
Class Basketball (3, 2); Choir (4, 3, 2).
Loss
John is listed in the Register of Alumni as a LCDR who died of some unspecified cause on July 18, 1944. He is listed in Memorial Hall as a CDR, USN, between two classmates implying a death between March and July 1944.
None of that information is correct, though: he died in 1970 in Ohio, a former naval officer who was dismissed from the service sometime in 1943 or 1944. In October 1944 — already described as "dismissed" — he was sued for divorce on the grounds of "excessive cruelty." In 1948 he was sentenced to a year in prison for passing counterfeit checks.
He is not included in the Shipmate list of alumni who died of any cause during the war years (September 1946 issue).
The February 1947 issue of Shipmate reports that his class ring had been found in a taxi in Baltimore, Maryland.
From My Heritage:
- John Edward Spahn, 1901 - 1970
- John Edward Spahn was born on month day 1901, at birth place, Pennsylvania, to William Henry Spahn and Emma S. Huoncker.
- John had 4 siblings: Henry W Spahn and 3 other siblings.
- John married Helen Margaret Johnson on month day 1927, at age 26 at marriage place, Rhode Island.
- They had one daughter: Katherine Anne Spahn.
- John lived in 1910, at address, Pennsylvania.
- John passed away on month day 1970, at age 69 at death place, Ohio.
- He was buried on month day 1970, at burial place, Ohio.
Year of birth lines up, as does place of birth and marriage information. He is buried in Ohio.
Memorial Hall Error
John does not meet the criteria for inclusion in Memorial Hall. It is totally unclear how this mistake happened: There is no evidence he was involved in any incident in July 1944 that could have been mistaken as causing his death. There is no contemporaneous reports in Shipmate; as of 1947 the Alumni Association clearly thought he was alive (and leaving his ring in a taxi). No classmate of his shares a similar name.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
