After reigning over seven years as world heavyweight boxing champion, Jack Dempsey stepped into the ring against contender Gene Tunney in September of 1926. Brother Dempsey, Kenwood Lodge 800, Chicago, was the heavy favorite in the fight, but the younger, quicker Tunney won in a decision, after a brutal contest. Back in his dressing room, Dempsey's wife, actress Estelle Taylor, was worried about her battered husband's condition, but the bruised boxer eased her concerns with a quick quip that made the papers the next day.
Years later, President Ronald Reagan, an honorary member of the Scottish Rite and Shrine, became the only president in office to be wounded and survive an assassination attempt. Having been rushed to the hospital, Reagan's wife, former actress Nancy Davis, was similarly worried about her husband's condition. Reagan eased her concerns by quoting Brother Dempsey, with the same disarming quip he had used over a half century earlier:
"Honey, I forgot to duck."
No comments:
Post a Comment