Local family sent book to president

The following was reported in today's issue of the Pottsville Republican and Herald:

George F. Halcovage and his wife, Barbara Marie, said Wednesday they were responsible for sending a copy of David Fleming’s book about the Pottsville Maroons 1925 championship to President Bush.

“It was actually via my wife, to my son-in-law, to the president’s aide and to the president,” said George, an insurance agent who resides in Pottsville.

On Tuesday, Fleming received a handwritten letter from Bush praising the book. And while the author recalled meeting someone from Pottsville in October who asked him to sign a book for Bush, he wasn’t sure who it was.

Fleming said support from the president might encourage more people to sign an online petition he started Oct. 16 at www.petitiononline.com/Maroons to encourage the NFL owners to return the 1925 championship to the legendary team. It’s received a total of 10,294 signatures as of 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Barbara said seeing the newspaper Wednesday and reading the president’s response to the book was “terrific.”

“I guess I wasn’t surprised. I see him as that kind of person, just real personable, to take the time to have done that. I thought it was great,” Barbara said.

She got the idea to send a copy of “Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship” to Bush on Oct. 12 while standing in line to have Fleming autograph six copies at Good-Will Christian Book Store, 310 N. Centre St.

It was a long line. In fact, the store’s owner, Roy W. Musser, said what was planned as a two-hour event lasted more than four hours.

“It was like a two-hour wait and a lot goes through your mind when you’re just standing there,” Barbara said.

In particular, she thought about the legendary team and the time Lasting Legacy of Pottsville tried to encourage the NFL owners to return the 1925 title.

On Dec. 6, 1925, the Maroons defeated the Chicago Cardinals 21-7 at Chicago for the National League Championship. But the NFL stripped the Maroons of the title because on Dec. 12, 1925, the Maroons defeated a non-NFL team, the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame, 9-7, in an exhibition game at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park, and the Philadelphia-based Frankford Yellow Jackets claimed the Maroons invaded their territory.

Even though Lasting Legacy mounted a campaign to secure the Maroons’ place in history, in October 2003, NFL owners voted 30-2 against discussing the reinstatement of the 1925 NFL championship.

“And I thought, ‘Hey, what can I do to help the cause here?’ ” Barbara said.

Since her son-in-law, Lt. Peter Dwyer, works at the White House — he’s a watch officer for the operations division of the White House Military Office, according to a spokesman from that office — Barbara thought perhaps she could get a copy of “Breaker Boys” to the commander-in-chief.

“I’ve heard he’s a great reader and a sports fan and I thought, heck, maybe he’ll read our book,” Barbara said.

However, when she got to the front of the line, all the store’s copies had sold out.

“I was like ‘oh, brother,’ And it kind of just bugged me all afternoon, because I knew (Fleming) was still in town,” she said.

Later that night, Barbara and her husband got a second opportunity to purchase a book and meet Fleming at Maroons Sports Bar & Grill, 556 N. Centre St.

Barbara said, “I heard he was going there after the Pottsville game and sure enough he came in. I said, ‘Oh my gosh, go down and see if you can buy a book, George.’ ”

When George asked Fleming to sign a copy for Bush, Fleming wasn’t sure what to think.

“I remember him trying to explain his connection to the White House. So, I mean, it sounded legit, but it’s one of those things,” Fleming said.

George told Fleming: “Tell him what you think about the community and put a plug in for us.”

Fleming went along and wrote: “To President Bush — As a sports buff I know you’ll enjoy this book. And when you finish it you’ll know what this great team and great town have meant to the NFL.” George and Barbara gave the book to Dwyer to deliver to the White House. Dwyer could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

And Bush responded, stating in a Dec. 12 letter to Fleming: “You were correct. I did enjoy the book. You are a fine writer. And your history of the Maroons was illuminating.”

Bush could not be reached for comment Tuesday or Wednesday.

“I think the fact the president read it is really shocking to me,” Fleming said.

Fleming said his daughters, Ally, 6, and Kate, 3, were so impressed, they told him to use a magnet to attach the president’s letter to the refrigerator at their Davidson, N.C., home, where the children post drawings and test papers with high marks.

“I made a copy and put it next to a picture of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and one of Ally’s tests. I think it’s hilarious,” Fleming said.