The Phone Call

By 2003 I was well into my superintendency in Britton-Macon.   It was the right place at the right time for me.  When I was hired twelve years prior, the Board wanted me to move into the district within the first year.   That move never took place. The Board said  my oldest son, David, could continue to attend Addison for his senior year, but expected  Elizabeth and Michael to join Ruth and me in Britton.   We looked at a couple of houses, but as the year progressed, Ruth and I decided the we didn’t wish to split our children’s school experience apart.   I offered to resign in early May, but by then I had proven myself and the Board allowed me to stay without making the move.  One of the Board members offered the final words on the subject.  “If we wave the residency requirement, the issue is over and we won’t discuss this again.”   All seven concurred.  I think they understood I was doing my best to help the district.  I didn’t need to live there in order for that to happen.

My drive down M-50 took me by a local garage that serviced trucks for Tecumseh Products.  I noticed a “for sale sign” that spring.  The site fronted M-50 and was adjacent to the twenty-three acres  we’d previously purchased.  Having the land would provide us with direct access to the major road running through town.  I contemplated making the phone call for a couple of days before actually dialing the number.  I didn’t speak to anyone in Britton until I had information worth sharing.

When I called the number  I heard,  “This is Florence McNett.  How may I help you?”  I introduced myself, said I was calling about the Britton garage, explained the reason for my interest in the property, and asked the  price.  Her reply stopped me in my tracks.  She explained that she was the former secretary for a man named Max Larsen.  Max, a single business man,  had passed and the property was a portion of his estate.  His estate was left in a trust to be dispersed for the benefit of children.  Florence  was his executor.  Then she asked, “How would you like it as a gift?”

It was a simple ten minute conversation that would change the town of Britton forever.

We scheduled a date to meet in person at the school to discuss the potential gift.   I told Florence  I’d have the school board president with me, and she told me she’d have her attorney.  She’d never been to Britton, was coming from Coldwater, and looked forward to meeting me.  Not nearly as much as I looked forward to meeting her.

The meeting of the four of us took place one day after school.  We met over coffee and cookies to discuss the largest gift we’d ever received.  The attorney asked if we preferred a gift of the property or the proceeds from its sale.  That was a surprise.  I was expecting a  property  transfer and now cash might be an option.  My response was simple, “We’re happy to accept the gift in any form you deem appropriate.”

“How would you use the property?”

“We’d open it up so  we had another access to the school site.”

“How would you use the money?”

“I really haven’t thought about that option, but given my choice, I’d build a track.”  The Board president concurred.

Britton Schools were founded over a hundred years prior to our meeting, and although we had a track team dating back several decades, we didn’t have a track.  All of our meets were held “away”.  Sprinters practiced by running up and down College Avenue, and long distance runners circled tires placed outside the football field.  It was said that during the 60s Britton sprinters were so fast they could move the single team hurdle forward so hurdlers could clear it without breaking stride.  That’s fast.

There was a hitch to the gift.  It had to be passed from the trust to a foundation.  We didn’t have one, but we could establish one.  We agreed to form proper passageway, and they’d consider how best to proceed from their end.

Our exchange provided us with additional information regarding Max Larsen.  In addition to the garage, he owned a Ford dealership in Coldwater, and several other investments.  He never married.  His estate built the Max Larsen Elementary School in Coldwater, and  his two sisters who lived in Greenville were working with the Greenville Schools to provide similar gifts.  He was determined to have a lasting impact upon children where he had business ties.

We also learned that Max was one of Ken Herrick’s best friends. Ken was the president of Tecumseh Products and  Chairman of the Herrick Foundation. Max provided Ken with a new Lincoln each year, and the two were poker buddies.  Britton had received a couple of generous gifts from the Herrick Foundation, and I hoped  we might garner another through Max’s ties to Ken.

During my tenure in Addison I helped establish a foundation.  It took over a year to form, and I wanted to expedite the process.  I contacted the Lenawee  Community Foundation and we formed the Britton-Macon Educational Foundation under its umbrella.   We recruited a board of  twelve carefully chosen school supporters.  We had everything in place to accept the gift.

After careful consideration, the Larsen Trust sold the property and awarded our newly formed group $200,000.  The Foundation Board established its first named scholarship in honor of Max Larsen and set aside the remaining balance for the development of an  eight-lane, all weather track.  We developed a master plan for the twenty-three acres to include a new lighted football field, baseball and softball fields, dugouts, fencing, scoreboards, parking, and a support building for storage, concessions, a press box, and restrooms.

Our plan looked great on paper.  We had our first $200,000 of working capital.  All we had to do was come up with another $480,000 and we’d be good to go.  One of the Foundation’s trustees, Merlyn Downing, helped me develop a plan to meet with Mr. Herrick to see if he was willing to help.

Merlyn suggested I contact Mr. Herrick’s attorney to schedule a meeting. I reached out and he was very helpful.  He agreed to help arrange the meeting and offered this advice.

“He’ll want to meet at the Tecumseh Country Club for lunch.  If you’re not a member, make arrangements with one to pick up the tab.  Mr. Herrick will call you on a day of his choosing, so be ready.  He’ll be fifteen minutes early and order two manhattans.  You should arrive twenty-minutes early.  That way he’ll know you’re serious.”

A couple of weeks later I received an invitation for lunch on that very day.  I was ready.  I arrived twenty five minutes early.  Mr. Herrick was already there.  I noticed two things.  He had two manhattans sitting on the table, and we were wearing the same suit.

TBC