James Bertram
About eight years ago, James Bertram became a member of the Town Hall Club. After his long and devoted service to Mr. Carnegie as private secretary, his work shifted to the Carnegie Corporation and centered about the corporation's office. That meant for him the necessity of a new set of social contacts in this vicinity. He was introduced to the club a fellow member of the corporation, John A. Poynton, and from that time until the end of his life, Mr. Bertram's was one of the most familiar faces among the regular frequenters of the club. He was soon made a member of the most important of the standing committees, the finance committee, and continued without a break to serve the club in this capacity until he was taken from us. In the monthly meetings of the committee at luncheon, his counsel ^Tas always listened to with respect and was of value in shaping the policies of the club.
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What was especially charagjkj^'istid ($p Him was his unfailing sense /of humor. He relished a gocid stoiy\ w and ^tiier told by himself or someone 1 else, and no one could better b^injQedt its fine points, especial^if it neve Scotch. He was a strfkiiog illustration of the fact that "humor within the bounds oF good tas\e does not lose anything of .its'quality. He and I were bot^r appreciative readers of "Punch", and many a choice bit from its pag/s,which one of us hadfmissed,was passed on to the other.
There was in James Bertram en exceptional appreciation of the finer things in character and conduct. He said once, commenting on the fact that he was sitting alone at a club table, "I find it worth while to come here even when I do not have companionship at luncheon because the atmosphere is one of such refinement.11
Fellow members witlj)|y£iom he came i^--contact often differed from him in the discussion of J^pblic questions. It was interesting to note how he came to accep-tfj §^h differences as a statural, inevitable element in human int^cbi^ and se^J and and to restect opinion^ which he himself could not share, as^ ho^iMy/held and worthy of fair consideration. j No doubt it was a cert^n^gfeni^flity ±j£ his nature,which gradually founc| greater expression,thd$ won l^Lm the friendship of hip associates. He Ipipe^ himself to create th.4 feeling of fellowship which he found mo^e and more welcome and coi^enial as the years passjed. We all recognized that here was a true maiyof such basic integrity a.s to win and hold the respect and regard of all who knew him.
