Schine rarely ate in Adams, preferring Boston hotels, particularly the Statler. In his last two years he spent most of his weekends in New York, and, according to one roommate, had a room reserved at the Waldorf Astoria. Much of his activity on these weekends was reportedly devoted to either chasing or being chased by women, most of them show-girls. On one occasion he even chased as far as Hollywood, where he had some well-publicized flirtatious with one of Joan Bennett's daughters and starlet Piper Laurie.
With all this extra-curricular activity, Schine's academic work obviously suffered badly. G. David never took this side of life very seriously. His roommates say he was "quite intelligent but never used what he had." He started off majoring in Economics, because, according to one friend, "he was going to enter his father's business and wanted to have a background." While in Ec, he took Accounting, Money and Banking and Schumpeter's course in the Economics of Socialism, in addition to the full-year elementary course. Then, for some reason or other, Schine turned to Government and specialized in International Relations. In this field he took a course in International Law, an Introduction to International Relations, another in Internation Politics and one in American Foreign Policy since 1935, plus Government 1a and 1b. In addition he took Professor Karpovich's course in the History of Russia since 1800 and President Conant's General Education course in The Growth of Experimental Science.
Considerable Entertaining
One of the myths about Schine has been that he was an honors candidate and did his thesis on Psychological Warfare. This story was apparently originated when Schine was working on the investigation of the Voice of America. There appears to be absolutely no foundation for it. As far as is known he was never an honors candidate, and he never got an honors degree.
Another myth about Schine is that he was intensely interested in politics here. Most of his friends say they never heard him discuss politics. One girl who knew him said, "When his name came up as a consultant to the McCarthy committee, I was really amazed that he ended up in politics. When I knew him he was interested in music, art and literature. But I never heard him talk about politics." Schine never was a member of a student political organization.
This apparent lack of interest in politics during college is somewhat puzzling. For in 1952, only three years after he graduated, Schine wrote and circulated a pamphlet called "Definition of Communism" in which he warned of the menace and urged that "positive" counter steps be taken against Communism. Among these he listed the Marshall Plan, U.N. resistance in Korea, the North Atlantic Treaty and the Voice of America. This pamphlet was printed in large quantities and distributed on the bureaus of all his hotels.
Where exactly Schine's knowledge of Communism came from is an open question. His academic study of the subject here was restricted to the Russian history course and the course in the Economics of Socialism. He may have done reading on the subject, but his roommates say they rarely saw him studying, much less reading. He did read the newspapers, however, and Colley recalls that Schine studied for one exam in Government exclusively by reading news stories and editorials in Boston papers.
Schine's lack of participation in student political activity was part of a general lack of interest in extracurricular groups, the only significant exception being his sojourn in the band.
Two years ago at the Yale game, Peter Strauss '54 was warming the band up in front of Memorial Hall, when a "big, bruising guy came up to see me and said 'I feel like a proud papa seeing how the band has grown.'" Strauss asked him why, and Schine said, "Well I was responsible for getting the band started again after the war and it was I who persuaded Mal Holmes to start conducting it again."
As band members of that time remember it, Schine could validly make the first but not the second claim. He was largely responsible for starting the band after the war. But he was never official manager. His most exalted moment was the Yale game of '45 when he did conduct the band. But when he came to run for the official position of manager in the spring of '46 he was defeated by Tom Howard '47, even though he campaigned by promising the band all sorts of financial help. After his defeat he quit the band, petulantly refusing even to play the cymbais which was his instrument.
Schine's interest in the band was part of a real interest in music. While he was here he wrote songs and published at least two, "All of My Loves" and "Please Say Yes, or its Goodbye."
Schine is reported to have made frequent trips to New York during which he attempted to persuade band leaders to play his songs. Several did, particularly those who played in his father's hotels.
His social life here was rather strange. He didn't date many Radcliffe girls, apparently preferring visiting celebrities, starlets, showgirls, models. According to the Adams House superintendent who knew him well, Schine got many telephone calls and telegrams from different girls. He reports Schine had a particular preference for airline stewardesses. Others say Schine loved to be seen with beautiful women. Schine's father was always afraid that he would get married while at college, but one girl who went out with him dismisses this possibility. "Dave certainly wasn't the type to get involved with a girl."
Few Liked Him
Schine did considerable entertaining himself at a suite in the Statler, but his Boston social life was somewhat limited. At the beginning he was invited to many socially prominent homes, but according to one person who knew him, Schine alienated many of his hosts by pulling his "telephone trick." This consisted of phoning from his car and saying "This is G. David Schine, I'm now driving through Copley Square, could you direct me a little further" and then later "This is G. David Schine, I'm now at Kenmore Square. Could you give me more directions please."
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