A two-page letter from James A. Summers to Hanford M. Burr, date unknown. In this letter, Summers tells Burr how much he appreciates the college and his experiences during the war. Born in Australia, James S. Summers first heard of Springfield College (then known as International YMCA Training School) while life-guarding as a young man in Honolulu, Hawaii. Impressed by his swimming prowess, Dr. Hand, then the physical education director of the Y.M.C.A, advised Summers to study physical education at Springfield College. He began his studies the same year and graduated in 1911. He then performed Y.M.C.A. work with the Canadian and British armies during World War I, ultimately earning an honorary Captaincy in the British Army. After the war, he established the Physical Department of the Y.M.C.A school in Midmay, London. Eventually, Summers moved to Uruguay, where he founded the Montevideo YMCA (1909) and dedicated more than twenty-five years to serving the country as a Y.M.C.A. secretary.
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