Arts and Letter(head)s, Part VI

Previously, I featured this correspondence on team letterhead from former team president Lee Joannes to staff members working on the Packers' third stock drive:

Wisconsin Historical Society

DEAR FELLOW WORKER:

     As you know I am layed up and haven't been able to get around as much as I would like to follow through on the Packer Drive, following the kick-off of our group at the Beaumont Hotel.

     You have undoubtedly seen the score board that we have on the Court House lawn, and, of course, we want to keep old No. 14 moving up. In order to do that it is necessary that you complete your pledges and turn them into the Packer Ticket Office.

     I sincerely hope that the "Special Commitee" will be able to complete its calls this week and have them all turned in so that when the general committee has their report meeting next Monday night we will be able to report that the Special Committee has completed their work. I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. If you have any problems you would like to discuss with me call my home De Pere 554.

Very truly yours,

Lee Joannes, Chairman
Packer Stock Drive

LJ:M.C.

At the time, I found it interesting that Joannes was using old stationary (as indicated by the "Five Times World's Champions" banner, placing this post-1939 and pre-1944). Recently, I've come across two more letters Joannes wrote during this period, and the story they tell together is an interesting one.

The first of the new letters is dated nearly one month earlier, a boilerplate invitation to a meeting about that same stock drive, then in its planning stages:

Wisconsin Historical Society

March 15, 1950

     I would appreciate very much if you would attend a little get-together dinner meeting of the businessmen of this community at 6:00 P. M., Wednesday, March 22nd, at the Beaumont Hotel.

     The purpose of this get-together is to explain to you fully the aims and purposes of the stock drive of the Packers. ALSO, to get some help and advice from you as to the most expedient way of handling the sale of Packer stock. The purpose of the meeting is not to sell Packer stock, but to get the feelings of the leaders of our community on this matter.

Sincerely yours,

Lee Johannes, Chairman
Packer Stock Drive

LJ:M.C.

P.S.:

Because the Packer organization is trying to cut corners in all ways in their "economy program" this will be a Dutch treat affair ------- okay?

This letterhead style was used by the team in the period immediately after the departure of founder/head coach Curly Lambeau. It's the same style from the last several years of his tenure, with a solid line obscuring the space where Lambeau's name used to appear.

The next letter, also boilerplate, is written on a new style of letterhead. It was written after that March 22nd get-together, and Joannes comes armed with a plan:

Wisconsin Historical Society

March 30, 1950

     I would appreciate very much if you would consent to assist me in making the solicitation next week of the larger companies in Green Bay. We have set this group up as a special department of the drive and we hope that it will be possible to complete this drive prior to the start of the general canvas. I am calling a meeting to be held at the Beaumont Hotel, Monday, April 3rd, at 6:00 P. M..

     I know you fully realize the importance of our getting together to work out these plans and I sincerely hope you will make every effort to be with me.

Sincerely yours,

Lee Johannes, Chairman
Packer Stock Drive

LJ:M.C.

That April 3rd meeting must also have been productive, because nine days after that Joannes wrote our original letter to his "fellow workers" on the drive, with public sales in full swing.

So there you have it. Three letters, written by the same man in the span of about a month, all about the same project but all on different letterhead.

The first letter is on altered Lambeau-era (but Lambeau-less) letterhead. Curly's colors, with big bold graphics across the top and at the bottom.

I've never seen the second one before. It could be an example of the new style for 1950. That would fit; not only is the single-color ink appropriate for a suddenly-thrify franchise, it reflects the team color change made by new head coach Gene Ronzani. Out with the old blue and gold, in with the green. Lots and lots of green. Although the ticket office—319 E. Walnut—is for the first time listed on the letterhead, the head coach is not, indicating that the Packers might not have expected Ronzani to have the extensive tenure of his predecessor.

The final letter is clearly old stock. The first two were external correspondence, hat-in-hand outreach to Green Bay's business community, and represented the best face the Packers could put forward. Internal communications don't have the same needs, and so Joannes could be excused for re-using old letterhead he might have had lying around. The Packers were, as he said, in an "economy program".

Sixty-two years later, the letters tell us a story. Even if it's not quite the one Mr. Joannes intended when he wrote them.