One Day in May, 1932 - Mahon Lemen

Mahlon Lemen (HC 1933)

In 1932, this date (May 22) was a Sunday. We know from the Triangle, Hanover's student newspaper, that Mahlon Lemen had helped organize his fraternity's spring dance the night before. So perhaps he slept late that Sunday morning. Saturday's dance must have been quite an event. His fraternity (now Lambda Chi Alpha) was expecting dozens of out-of-town guests, and they'd hired "Lou Perry and His Footwarmers" to play. The Footwarmers were advertised as "Hanover's Favorite Orchestra," and they usually played "late, late" into the night.

Lou Perry and the Footwarmers

Fortunately, Lou Perry's friends and family saved primary sources that give us a sense of what the weekend must have been like for Mahlon Lemen and others at the dance. Lou Perry was the vocalist for his band, and he also played drums, as seen in this photo. People remembered that he had a "whisky baritone," and that his band played both "hot" jazz and romantic ballads. Mahlon likely had a good time at the dance. One of his fraternity brothers, a few year's earlier, had been enthusiastic about Lou Perry's band, challenging anyone who doubted that the Footwarmers were "pretty 'warm,'" to "just come around and find out!"

The Footwarmers closed every performance with a signature song, "Good Night, Little Girl, Good Night." And people remembered those lyrics decades later. "Your kisses were fine, with each glass of wine, I thought you were single" Lou Perry crooned; but "that ring on your finger tells me not to linger, so good night, little girl, good night." Did Mahlon Lemen woke up Sunday morning with "Good Night, Little Girl" still playing in his head?

Evalyn LaGrange was also a Hanover student that May. We don't know what she was thinking on Sunday morning or even if she had been at the dance the night before. But she and Mahlon likely fell in love sometime during the 1931-1932 school year. She didn't return to Hanover the next year, but they were married shortly after Mahlon's 1933 graduation.

Evalyn LaGrange (at Hanover 1931-1932)

Primary sources can give us this window into everyday life at Hanover in 1932, but even with good luck and careful research, there's always much more we'd like to know! What was the tune for "Good Night, Little Girl, Good Night"? How did the out-of-town guests travel to Hanover, and did they stay over somewhere before returning home on Sunday? Did Mahlon and Evalyn wake up thinking about each other? Had romance blossomed during the dance? Or could the Footwarmers' music have been the romantic soundtrack for a wedding proposal?

Sources:

Cole, Phil, "'Footwarmers' Were Hottest Group Around," Madison [Indiana] Courier, Aug. 17, 2001, available online.
Cole, Phil, "Remember When Scribe Answers Questions,"Madison [Indiana] Courier, Sept. 14, 2001, available online.
Garriot, Ray E., "Indiana Alpha," Theta News, Winter 1928, p. 146.
Hanover College, Revonah (1932 yearbook), 26, 27, 32, 105.
Hanover College, Revonah (1933 yearbook), n.p., s.v. Mahlon Lemen (HC 1933).
"Janet Evalyn LaGrange," Alumni File, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.).
"LaGrange-Lemon Marriage Announced," Franklin [Indiana] Evening Star, June 15, 1933, 6.
Madison Main Street Program, "128-130 East Main Street, Madison, IN, USA" PocketSights, https://pocketsights.com/tours/place/128-130-East-Main-Street-Madison-IN-USA-84525:8597.
"Theta Kappa Nu Entertain Sat.," Hanover College Triangle, May 20, 1932, 1.

Photos from 1932 Revonah and Madison Main Street Program.