I popped into his Lawndale quarters in the summer of ’68, found him and Rollie Smith, another SJ scholastic, showing signs of being beaten up. One of the locals, whom they had befriended, had done it.
An older man, an ally, said he’d go home and get his “piece,” but Jack had said no. They had to stick by the assailant, a young man whom they had staying with them, Jack explained with a smile.
The assailant got over his outburst later. Jack and the others stayed with the work, needless to say.
Jim Bowman covered religion 1968-78 for the Chicago Daily News, since then has written books, articles, etc., mostly on corporate history but also on religion (Company Man: My Jesuit Life, 1950-1968), and more recently on politics (Illinois Blues: How the Ruling Party Talks to Voters, -- Lulu.com, Kindle). Longtime Oak Park, Illinois, resident, he lives now on Chicago's North Side, where four of his and Winnie's six children live close by.
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Blithe Spirit 