James Wade of Winston-Salem Suggests a Museum of Major Religions of the World, 1957

From Eleanor Roosevelt’s “My Day” column, published in various newspapers on June 5, 1957. She wrote about a letter from James Wade of Winston-Salem in this column.

NEW YORK—Starting my day on Monday by appearing on Dave Garroway's early morning program gave me plenty of time, I found, to do just a little more than I had counted on doing.

I lunched at Sardi's Restaurant for the first time in a long while. I used to have lunch there almost every other week with the late John Golden, and it was a strange feeling to find myself sitting with my hostess, Miss Eleanor Harris, at the table where I had been so often with Mr. Golden.

It is curious how some personalities remain so vividly in one's memory. Mr. Golden enjoyed life so much—in fact, everything he did—so I still think of him as he sat in Sardi's, telling stories of the theatre and of the people he entertained at the table. The day will never come, I think, when those who knew him well will cease missing him.

I was glad that the feeling I had which kept me from going to Sardi's was dispelled at last, for I like this restaurant very much, and one should keep going to a place associated with pleasant memories, even though it may evoke regrets over certain things which never can be quite the same.

In the afternoon I went for the first time to the annual Metropolitan Museum garden party at the Cloisters. It was a beautiful afternoon, and I was happy to have finally achieved this bit of sightseeing which every New Yorker should experience frequently.

I wrote only yesterday of my visit to the Bible Gardens of Israel in New Jersey and, curiously enough, I have just received a letter from James Wade of Winston-Salem, N.C., expressing the desire for a museum which would present an overall picture of the major religions of the world. Apparently there is no such museum in the United States.

Mr. Wade's idea seems to be that the nine major religions he lists have certain things in common. Followers of these religions believe in the brotherhood of man, the fatherhood of God, the dignity of the human individual, and all have some form of the Golden Rule. So he proposes to put over the door of the museum this inscription: "When man understands, he no longer fears; when he no longer fears, he loves; when he loves, there is peace."

He thinks this museum could be established for a relatively small sum of money, which he would like to be raised by public subscription. However, he would be happy for grants from foundations or individuals in larger amounts.

Being a resident of North Carolina, I am sure Mr. Wade would like to see the museum in his own state, but he is willing to leave the question of the site to those who take leadership in the project.

On the whole, the idea seems to be a rather good one.

E.R.

(Copyright, 1957, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)