On March 1st… Watson Was A Woman!

At the annual dinner gathering of the Baker Street Irregulars in 1941, Rex Stout delivered a paper with a shocking premise to the members of what was at that time a men-only organization.

On March 1, 1941, the paper was published for general consumption in The Saturday Review of Literature:

WATSON WAS A WOMAN

It created a huge stir amongst the members of the BSI. (Legend says the assembled membership carried Stout out of the building and dumped him in the snow!) Stout concluded both his speech and paper with a promise to produce results of future research study in a two volume study. It never materialized.

Source
Information came from the volume A Curious Collection of Dates, by Leah Guinn (JHWS “Amber”) and Jaime N Mahoney (JHWS “Tressa”)

Posted by The Dynamic Duo Co-columnists Ron (JHWS “Chips”) and Beth (JHWS “Selena”).

Congratulations to Four Society Members Receiving BSI Honours

The Society extends congratulations to Jacquelynn Morris “Daphne,” Harrison Hunt “Dash” and Christopher Music “Russell” on their investitures into the Baker Street Irregulars at last evening’s Annual Dinner in New York.  “Daphne” now adds  BSI “The Lion’s Mane” to her biography, “Dash” adds BSI “The Something Hunt” and Christopher adds BSI “Wagner Night at Covent Garden” to his.

The Society also congratulates Randall Stock “Brandy” on his great honour of having the Two Shilling Award bestowed upon him for his notable achievements.

All of the members of the Society join in extending our congratulations on this distinctive honour for all of you.

Robert Katz, MD, JHWS “Willow,” BSI “Dr Ainstree” to be the Society’s “Unofficial Ambassador” to the BSI Weekend

The Society is honoured to report that Robert Katz, MD, JHWS “Willow” has graciously volunteered to represent the Society as our “Unoffical Ambassador” (in true Holmesian and Watsonian “irregular unofficialness”) during the Baker Street Irregulars Annual Weekend in New York City. He will endeavor to inform BSI members and others of the worthy pursuits of The John H Watson Society and to encourage interest in our activities and collegiality.

Dr Katz is a renowned Sherlockian with a special interest in reaching out to young people with enthusiasm for the Canon. He has distributed copies of The Watsonian to young readers and encourages them to submit articles to our journal.

“Willow” has a highly distinguished Sherlockian and Watsonian history and will be a most able, qualified and enthusiastic Ambassador of our Society.

His biography follows:

“I have been a Sherlockian since my early teens, but John Watson has always seemed to be the focal point of my interests. I received my BA from Haverford College (alma mater of all three Morley brothers) and then received my MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. I trained and worked in a variety of places before settling in Morristown, NJ, in 1987, and recently retired after 35 years of practicing Pathology. In 1983, I received the Titular Investiture of “Dr. Ainstree” from The Baker Street Irregulars and in 1995 I received the Two-Shilling Award. I founded The Epilogues of Sherlock Holmes, in New Jersey, in 1990. I am also the current Headmastiff of The Sons of the Copper Beeches in Philadelphia. My ASH investiture is “Dr. Jackson”. In addition, I have served as both Commissionaire and Gasogene of The Six Napoleons of Baltimore and am a member of The Five Orange Pips.  I am an active member of most of the scion societies in the New York area (including Mrs. Hudson’s Cliffdwellers and The Montague Street Lodgers).

I have had the pleasure and honor of speaking at many scion society meetings, the John Bennett Shaw workshop in Williamsburg, and at several of the Annual Dinners of The Baker Street Irregulars.

I have been published in The Baker Street Journal, The Baker Street Miscellanea, The Serpentine Muse, and various scion society publications. Most recently, I co-edited with Andrew Solberg (also a Charter Member of this group), the latest volume in the BSI Manuscript Series, entitled The Wrong Passage. Andy and I are currently working on another volume in this series.

Perhaps because of our mutual profession, perhaps because I admire his personality so much, Watson has always fascinated me. I am pleased and proud to be joining an organization devoted to his remarkable life and admirable works.”

Transatlantic Introductions

The boy in buttons has been sent around to introduce the Society to the Baker Street Irregulars, The Sherlock Holmes Society of London, the Friends of Dr. Watson, and The Watsonians, all venerable organizations in the U.K. and the U.S. with acute interest in John H Watson, M. D.

Notes were delivered to Mr. Roger Johnson, Editor of “The Sherlock Holmes Journal,” Mr. Steven Rothman, Editor of “The Baker Street Journal,” Ms. Susan Diamond, President of The Watsonians, and Mr. Nino Cirone, President of The Friends of Dr. Watson, providing full particulars on the John H Watson Society founding and extending the courtesies of the Society to its fellow Watsonian organisations.

Having completed his rounds, the boy in buttons is to be found at his usual perch outside the Consulting Rooms awaiting replies and further instructions whilst lunching on a meat pasty and a pint.