Michael Hodder and Q. David Bowers
Even now as I write, I seem to imagine (Irish feyness) some kind of numismatic angel on my shoulder, making certain I live up to the instructions Emery May Norweb gave me when I inherited her seat on the Council of the prestigious American Numismatic 'Society in New York.
She charged me with a challenge as she reminded me she was the first and only woman on the board, and as No.2, I must try harder. I have the letter in front of me. Skipping over what she termed "extolling my virtues; she said she was "bursting with pleasure" at my appointment.
"You are the type of person badly needed. You will bring knowledge, experience, a flexible mind, and an unwavering belief in the possibilities of the ANS. Both of us are so proud for you;' she wrote in 1979.
I consider her words, "flexible mind" and "unwavering belief" applicable to constructive thinking throughout numismatics. I try to adhere to them.
The Cleveland party given by the Norwebs honored two other numismatic immortals-Dr. V. Clain-Stefanelli and his wife, Elvira Clain-Stefanelli, curators of the national coin collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. The Norwebs had deep regard for the Clain-Stefanellis and their commitment as they built the national collection into its present-day significance.
The last gift the Norwebs gave to the Smithsonian's Division of Numismatics was both a sad and happy tribute. They presented a 52-piece collection of United States colonial coins in honor of R. Henry Norweb, Sr.s 32 years as a diplomat, and in memory of Dr. Clain-Stefanelli who died in 1982. An earlier Norweb addition to the national cabinet was the famous 1913 Liberty Head nickel to the Smithsonian in 1978. Each time I remember the pleasure expressed by the recipient's officials and the donor for the privilege.
Mrs. Norweb told me at the time of the colonials gift (after she had assembled the small selection of coins) she felt their place was with the American people, both because of interest and because of her loyalty to American numismatics.
"The Smithsonian was the answer;' she said. "I have adored coins and their collecting. I hope that others will find new additions and realize that each and everyone has its own history;' she wrote to me.
Again, hinting that time was scarce, she added a line to the bottom of the letter: "I hope we can meet and at least chat about coins;' telling me that writing about them was becoming more and more difficult.
Since Mrs. Norweb's collecting interests were so often esoteric, few collectors knew that she reached into her collection of Presbyterian Communion tokens and revived the practice of their distribution for the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Cleveland in observance of its 150th anniversary in June 1967.
She designed the modern-day token by using representative specimens from her collection as models. It is believed that Mrs. Norweb had introduced the first Communion token issued by an Episcopal parish in the United States.
As part of the anniversary celebration she spoke on "The History ofthe Communion Token" at a dinner which followed the Holy Communion service. She traced the history of the Presbyterian church, which used the tokens in Scotland to identify the faithful and eliminate the Church of England "spies!' Presbyterian zeal carried the tokens around the world in later years, in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other British countries, she said. She had researched the first token to be issued in the United States by the Rev. John Cusperson at Stony Ride, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania in 1792.
I know it was with a great sense of pride that Mrs. Norweb, Sr. saw her daughter-in-law, Libby, wife of R. Henry Norweb, Jr. build her own Communion token collection into thousands of specimens, quietly collecting without fanfare. It was another side of Emery MayNorweb (known to drive a devilishly hard bargain in a coin transaction),this spiritual side which saw her give freely of her time and meansfor the enrichment and beautification of the Cleveland Cathedral.
The art history of the family deserves a book in itself, and hopefully it will be written. She' and her family have given so much beauty to the world that it in itself borders on the spirituality.
Recently I thrilled anew during a visit with Mr. and Mrs. Henry Norweb, Jr. as they hosted a party for area members of the American Numismatic Society and its president, Harry W. Fowler.
A drive through the Holden Arboretum near Cleveland, a 2,800-acre preserve, a living museum of natural woodlands, horticultural collections, display gardens, ponds, fields, and ravines was breathtaking. The spring flowers were at their peak, the crabapples, sugarbushand budding lilacs were an incomparable tribute to the great community concern of the family in addition to its numismatic legacy. R. Henry Norweb, Jr. serves as director emeritus.
To continue to see the richness of the legacy of gentility of this grand family, one only has to walk into the lovely, protected "big house" built on the Arboretum grounds by the family in the 1920s. Here there are reminders of all the generations of Holdens and Norwebs. An example is the exquisite needlework of Emery May Norweb. The 14 petit point seats in the dining room are her work.
"Mother viewed our purchase of the table and chairs with approval," Henry Norweb said. "She promptly set to work to produce the heirloom seats. The classic six-foot, four-fold needlepoint screen in the same room is another example of her eye and execution for beauty and precision!' The lovely glint of Henry Norweb, Sr. French paperweights, now combined with those of Libby, the accommodations ready for visits from their grandchildren, and touches everywhere by the imaginative present occupants are touches that tell more about this unique family. Libby Norweb was president of the Garden Club of America, so one can imagine the creativity of her flower arrangements.
I remember how visible the Norwebs were-Junior and Senior-and how much they enjoyed the September 1973 International Numismatic Congress in New York at the American Numismatic Society and in Washington where it was hosted by the Smithsonian Institution. I believe Henry Norweb, Sr., the inveterate career diplomat, chatted animatedly with everyone of the delegates from the 33 countries represented. He especially drew out the guarded, somewhat dour representative of the Soviet Union. Frequently he brought out his new instant camera and presented pictures to his subject on the spot. He had great fun as he made his way through the crowds of numismatists as they gathered in the September sunshine on Audubon Terrace between numismatic lectures.
While Emery May Norweb was exchanging views with colleagues and preparing for her own learned presentation during the Congress, Henry Norweb, Jr. and his wife, Libby, enjoyed the company of the world scholars, and gained a different perspective, a new respect for the science which fascinated the Holden-Norweb family. And it would be but just a few short years before Henry Norweb, Jr. would inherit the family numismatic mantle of ANS governance. He would succeed his father as a member of the American Numismatic Society Council, moving to the vice-presidency, a post he holds today. He gives of his time, his resources and his managerial skills as generously as his parents before him. The senior Norwebs remained lifetime councillors at the Society after their retirement.