HINDSIGHT: Journal of Optometry History 71

THERE’S GOLD IN THEM THAR BOXES
Irving Bennett, OD
irvbennett23@gmail.com

My century-old optometric 
friend Morey X. Powell, formerly 
of Middletown, PA, and now from 
Lantana, FL, called the other day, 
saying that he had finally decided to 
open up the last few boxes of “junk” 
that he and his late wife, Dot, had 
brought with them when they moved 
into their current retirement home. Of 
course, the move had been made a 
couple of years ago but neither of the 
Powells had much curiosity to unpack 
the “stuff,” until now, that is.

A cursory glance at the contents was 
unremarkable. Old papers, old letters, 
old booklets, all kinds of “worthless” 
memorabilia. Morey decided to close 
up the box and check it out another 
day. Of course, that would have been 
the end of the story if he did not 
inadvertently spill a glass of something 
on the contents as he was closing the 
box. Now he had to clean up the mess. 
He wisely decided that at the same 
time he could take a look at what had 
been packed.

Surprise! Surprise! On the bottom 
of the pile was a Promissory Note 
for $2,900 from the Pennsylvania 
Optometric Association (POA) to 
Morey X. Powell. It was dated February 
1, 1960 and carried an interest 
requirement of 6%. The signatures 
on the note were those of Melvin D. 
Wolfberg, then President of the POA 
and later AOA President, and Shay P. 
Millis, then secretary of the POA. Both 
of those two association officers have 
long been deceased.

The grey memory cells in Dr. Powell’s 
head began to work. He recalled 
that in 1960, the POA was in a deep 
financial dilemma. The dues collected 

were insufficient to cover the rent and 
the salaries of the executive director 
and his staff. It was three months 
before the next state convention 
would be held; it was then that the 
membership dues could be increased. 
The wolves were at the door and, for 
non-payment of rent, the association 
was going to be evicted from its office 
quarters.

The 1950s were good investment 
years for Morey and Dot Powell. And 
their optometric practice had done 
well. By standards of that day, they 
were “affluent.” Of course, Morey 
volunteered to lend his association 
the $2,900 it needed to get out of the 
financial hole it was in. Over the next 
few years, the Association repeatedly 
asked for an extension on paying back 
the loan. As it turns out, the note was 
never cashed. And now there is some 
doubt if it would even be cashable. 
Nonetheless, Morey Powell does not 
intend to find out. He actually finds the 
experience amusing!

For readers to understand this story 
fully, $2,900 in 1960 is, because of 
inflation, equivalent to more than 
$32,000 in 2016 dollars. And the 6% 
interest, compounded yearly over 
the 56 years that the note remained 
outstanding, would make it payable to 
about $ 75,775. I feel sure the current 
POA leadership would not like to face 
that obligation! Perhaps now is the 
time for the association to say thanks 
to its oldest life member.

Oh, yes, there was another find in 
that box: 32, two-dollar bills! Those 
Morey Powell smilingly has spent. You 
never know what one finds in those 
old cartons. 

Morey X. Powell

Morey X. Powell & Gordon C. Shivas (1966)

Morey X. Powell

ARTICLE IRVING BENNETT, OD