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Chapter - 12

How To Remember Names And Faces

The lack of a reliable memory for names and faces is extremely annoying. A person whose memory for faces deserts him is often unpopular, for everyone is hurt at not being recognized. Not only will he be mortified and find himself in an awkward position, but he may even suffer financially as well.

The doctor, for instance, who fails to recognize a person on her second visit will perhaps lose her as a patient because she interprets his poor memory for faces as a lack of interest in her case. This is equally true of the merchant who fails to recognize a customer who has patronized his store several times.

It is not altogether unreasonable for people to confuse a poor memory for names and faces with a lack of interest, for, as we have shown in the foregoing chapters, interest in a thing is one of the most important factors of memory. Nor is it a coincidence that many great men of history and literature were famous for their excellent memory for faces. That faculty, indeed, helps to explain how they attained their prominence.

It is said that Themistocles knew the 21,000 citizens of Athens by sight and by name. That this was no idle game of his is apparent when one realizes how important it would be in a little democratic city-state such as Athens for each individual citizen to know he was personally acknowledged and recognized on every occasion by the leading statesman.

A similar story is told about Napoleon. He is said to have known by name most of the soldiers in his army and to have been acquainted with their personal histories.

With the fine discernment of the literary artist, Schiller described the importance of a good memory for faces in the case of a statesman and general. In The Death of Wallenstein, Act III, Scene 15, Schiller points out in a dramatic way the value of a reliable memory:

Wallenstein

(after scanning them briefly, to the Lance-Corporal) I know thee well. Thou art from Bruges in Flanders: Thy name is Mercy.

Lance-Corporal

Henri Mercy, Prince.

Wallenstein

Upon the march thou wast cut off—surrounded

By Hessians; and fought'st thy way through them—

A hundred and eighty through a thousand men.

Lance-Corporal

Such is the fact, General.

Wallenstein

And what reward

Did'st thou receive for this most gallant deed?

Lance-Corporal

The honor, General, that I requested—

To serve in this corps—in the Pappenheimers.

Wallenstein

(turning to another cuirassier)

Thou wast among the volunteers I called for

At Altenburg to take the Swedish battery.

Second Cuirassier

It is so, General.

Wallenstein

I ne'er forget

A man with whom I once have words exchanged. . . .

Now state your business with me.

In these few words Schiller has shown the overwhelming importance of a good memory for faces, for names, and for facts connected with both.

But we need not go back into history in order to find proof of the extraordinary importance of a well-trained memory. Some time ago Reader's Digest carried the following story about General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army:

General Marshall was holding a press conference at the St. George Hotel in Algiers. About sixty war correspondents were present, and Marshall opened the conference with these words: "To save time, I am going to ask each of you what question you have in mind." Every correspondent present asked his question, and then Marshall began a talk which lasted about forty minutes. During this interview he answered every single question which had been asked. But the most astounding fact was that whenever he answered a question he looked at the correspondent who had asked it, indicating that he remembered not only the question itself but also the man who had put it to him. Frederick C. Painton, who related the story, concludes by saying: "All agreed on one thing: 'That's the most brilliant interview I ever attended in my life.' "

By coincidence another story on General Marshall, written by Lincoln Barnett, appeared in Life about the same time. In describing General Marshall's appearance before a Congressional committee, Barnett wrote: "When testifying he (Marshall) speaks informally, in quick, pleasant tones, employing no notes, relying simply on a prodigious memory, which is the envy of his associates."

In this connection it is interesting to note that General Marshall was sixty-three years old at the time of these interviews. I emphasize the fact because there are so many elderly people who think old age in itself an excuse for a failing memory.

Even more famous than General Marshall's memory, however, is James A. Farley's. Farley remembers not only people's faces but their names as well. Indeed, it is generally believed that his ability to remember every person he meets and to call him by name contributed in no small degree to the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as President of the United States in 1932. Farley managed Mr. Roosevelt's campaign and made various trips through the United States. Whenever he met a voter for the second time, he recognized his face and called him by name. No doubt the miner in a copper camp in Arizona and the owner of a small farm in Vermont were equally flattered when Farley greeted them by their first names upon meeting them on the street or in their homes.

If we wish to strengthen our memory for names and faces, we must first learn the prerequisite for recognizing a person and then apply the rules of memory training in general, which we have discussed in earlier chapters.

If we search for the cause of our own lack of memory in this special field, we find one or more factors to account for it: (1) perhaps we do not remember ever having met the person, thus proving we have a bad memory for faces; or (2) we do remember having met him but do not recall his name. This would indicate either a poor memory for names or the failure to establish a good mental association between his name and his person.

Therefore, whether we like it or not, we are forced to admit that the ability to recognize a person is based on three requirements, all of which are of equal importance and any of which may be difficult for us to meet. These three requirements are:

(1) the ability to remember a face

(2) the ability to recall a name

(3) the ability properly to connect the name with the face.

Fortunately, the lack of any one of these abilities should not prove discouraging, since the means for improvement are available to us. Suppose we do not recognize faces easily. For instance, a lady whom we have seen or to whom we have spoken on one occasion may seem a complete stranger when we see her again wearing a different dress or, in contrast to our first meeting, with or without a hat. In such a case, what are we to do to improve our memory?

How To Remember Faces

If we wish to recognize a person when we meet him again we must be able to form a mental image of him and by so doing bring his face accurately before our mind’s eye whenever we choose. The easiest way to do this would be to make a drawing of his face. But most of us cannot draw a face accurately; and for the few who can, it is unnecessary, for an individual talented in drawing faces naturally has a good memory for them.
If it is necessary, therefore, to find a substitute for the drawings, the next best thing is to write a description of the person’s face, not merely limiting ourselves to the color of his eyes and hair but giving, rather, a description which includes all possible details, such as the shape of his nose, mouth, and ears. The way he wears his hair, the shape of his shoulders, and his approximate weight and height should also be noted. To those who have a keen faculty of observation this may seem easy, while for others who lack this faculty it may prove more difficult. These latter may be helped by taking the following steps:

(1) Observe a person with the express purpose of writing a detailed description of him.

(2) Choose a close friend or a relative you know very well.

(3) Do not allow too much time to elapse between meeting him and writing a description of him.

All three steps may be made gradually more difficult: (1) by choosing some person you remember having met at a time when you had no intention of writing a description of him; (2) by choosing for the purpose a mere nodding acquaintance or a person you have met only once; and (3) by allowing a longer period of time to elapse between meeting him and writing the description of him.

And now, what is to be done when we have finished our description? Surely our task is not yet completed.

Before taking the next step in this exercise for developing our memory for faces, it is important to note that thus far we have followed the line of procedure suggested for general memory training in Chapter III. This procedure may be summarized as follows: Look at a display of merchandise in a store window, making a careful mental note of everything you observe. Leave the store window and write down on a sheet of paper every object you saw in it. Then return to the window and compare what you have written with the actual articles on display. Finally, as I have emphasized, do not correct your written notes while you are making the comparison. Rather, impress upon your mind any errors you have made and correct them later at a distance from the window.

Accordingly, then, the next step in training the memory for faces is to make an effort to see again, and as soon as possible, the person selected for your practice, in order to compare him with the description you have written. Just as in the matter of the store window, it is not advisable, while in the presence of this person, to correct any mistakes you may have made. In fact, it is much better for our purposes to impress these mistakes upon your mind and make corrections later, when you are alone.

There are two important advantages to be gained by using this plan of writing descriptions and comparing them later. First, we are forced to pay more attention to a person's face if we plan to describe it later on. Second, as a result of focusing conscious attention on people's faces, we begin to find ourselves studying them unconsciously and with no special effort—just as in the case of athletic games, which we are at first obliged to practice carefully and consciously but are later able to play automatically.

Time often spent in day-dreaming can be put to good use in this way: While riding in a bus or on a train, cultivate the habit of studying the face of some person sitting opposite you. Then, upon closing your eyes or looking away from him, make a mental description of his face. You can do this more easily if you pretend that a friend is anxious to meet this fellow-passenger at a certain place and that, never having seen him, the friend is relying upon you for a perfect description in order to recognize the person at sight.

In making a description remember never to include such things as suits or dresses, because apparel is often changed. Rather, confine your attention to face and stature, in short, to those characteristics which always remain the same.

Studying faces in public conveyances offers an excellent opportunity for comparing our mental pictures with the originals, since we have only to open our eyes and look at the person we have in mind.

A more difficult but also more instructive procedure is to compare several faces with one another. Over here, for instance, are brother and sister; and over there, parents and child. In what respect are their features similar, and in what ways do they differ? Which features of the child are like the mother's and which resemble those of the father, and so on? Here, again, we must not be satisfied with the usual vague observation that there is "some similarity," but, on the contrary, we must go into as minute detail as we can.

Still better is the following exercise: Look through a biography or album which contains pictures of a person at different ages, observing in detail which of his features have changed through the years and which have not.

This exercise is extremely difficult, as such pictures are usually taken from different angles and, as a result, some present full-face poses and others show the face in right or left profile. But these differences make the task not only more difficult but also more effective. .
Another method of remembering faces in general is the use of the principles of physiognomy. These are based upon the theory that the contour of the head and each feature of the face are indicative of a certain character trait. For instance:

A fat face                                             Love of comfort and ease
Forehead prominent at the brows
and slanting back as it rises                   Powers of quick decision
Forehead prominent at the top
and flat at the brows                             Slowness of decision
Long, protruding chin                            Slowness of action
Deeply etched lines running up
and down between the eyebrows          Masterfulness
High-bridged nose                                Argumentativeness
Deep-set eyes                                      Qualities of a good listener

In order to apply the principles of physiognomy as a means of developing memory, it is not necessary for us to believe in them. It will suffice if we assume the attitude of one who wishes to find out whether they are true. In order to decide, we must necessarily observe a face much more carefully than usual, and this close scrutiny will enable us to detect some outstanding features hitherto overlooked. One thing is sure: If we have once studied a face according to the exacting rules of any theory of physiognomy, we will not forget it for many years to come.

Of all the exercises given on the preceding pages, you may take your choice and practice those you like best. Each and every one of them will help to improve your memory for faces in general. Thus, you will be encouraged to apply your newly acquired ability when you meet a person whose face you particularly wish to remember.

How To Remember Names

To be able to recognize people's faces is not enough. Remembering their names is equally important. However, it is more difficult for most of us to recall the name of a new acquaintance than to remember his face. The reason is simple.

In Chapter III, I explained the distinction between eye-minded and ear-minded people. As you will remember, the former retain impressions received through the eye more readily, while the latter remember more clearly what they hear. About three-fourths of all human beings, it is known, are eye-minded, and only one-fourth are ear-minded. This is one reason why a face, being seen, is remembered more easily than a name, which is heard.
Another reason lies in the fact that in speaking to a person we look at him continually and thus establish a constant repetition of the visual image. On the other hand, his name is usually heard only once, and so the very important element of repetition is lacking.

There are, however, several rules which will help you to overcome these disadvantages. First, get the name correctly. We cannot remember a name if we fail to catch it, as is apt to occur if the new acquaintance is presented with a mumbled rather than a clearly pronounced introduction. If the name has not been enunciated clearly and correctly, let us not hesitate to ask to have it repeated. No one will take offense at such a request, because it pleases people to know that you are deeply enough interested in them to want to be sure of their names.

After we have understood the name correctly, let us not merely say, "How do you do!" Rather, let us extend it to "How do you do, Mr. Palma," "Glad to know you, Mrs. Bartel," or the like. If possible, let us go a step farther and ask a question: "I knew a Mr. Palma in Columbus, Ohio. Do you know him?" Or, "Are you related to Mr. Bartel in Chicago?" These, or similar, questions are a considerable help in impressing the name on our minds. Then let us use the name as soon and as often as possible in conversation with our new acquaintance, for repetition is always one of the foundation stones upon which memorizing is built.

But most important of all is the necessity of giving some thought to the new name. In order to do this effectively, we must bear the following vital facts in mind:

All names, no matter in what language they are, may be divided into two categories:

1. Names which have a meaning in themselves, such as Baker, Fisher, Salmon, Gold, Baer, Wood, Rose, Brown, Strong, Cooper, Smith, and the like.

Also in this category belong those names which, while having in themselves no meaning, nevertheless serve to convey a meaning through a natural association of ideas. For instance, should your new acquaintance have a name such as Grant, Gillette, or Chrysler, it will bring to mind a well-known person, thus making it easier for you to remember it. Or the new name may be that of one of your friends; if it is, an association between the two is, of course, easily made.

2. Names which in themselves have no meaning. In such instances, it is necessary to substitute a word which comes as close as possible in sound to the name of the person whose name is to be remembered.
We are accustomed to finding such substitutes. In Chapter X, you will remember, we found substitutes for the names of the forty-eight states, and in Chapter XI we found substitutes for the names of the Presidents of the United States.

Whether we are trying to remember the name of the State of Colorado or the name of a Mr. Colorado makes no difference, since in both instances we can use as substitutes words given in Chapter X, such as color, college, colleague, collect, collision, colossus, colonist, etc. It goes without saying that it is easier to remember a substitute word which has a meaning than a name having no meaning in itself. It remains only to decide, when the actual need arises, which of the many available words to choose as a substitute for a name that is difficult to remember.

Associating The Person With His Name

The third and last step, therefore, is to form a mental link between the person and his name. This will not prove difficult for persons who are in the habit of forming associations. And it will be easy for those who have put into practice the exercises suggested in the preceding chapters, for, as they will discover, there is very little difference between the methods indicated in the foregoing chapter for making associations and those I shall now give for connecting a person's name with the person himself.

To relate an individual with his name, we may choose some aspect of his appearance, manner, business or profession, and so on. Naturally, the more we know about the person, the more easily we can make the association. This is because the connection itself, and also the choice of a substitute word, should it be necessary, depend mainly upon the characteristics of the person we have in mind.

Assuming that the use of a substitute word is necessary, I shall return to Mr. Colorado, for whose name I should choose the following substitutes:

Color, if Mr. Colorado has a conspicuously ruddy face or red  hair.

Colonial, if his ancestors came over in the Mayflower.

Colossus, if he is a very large or stout man.

Needless to state, we will not have to use a substitute word if we can find some direct relation between Mr. Colorado and the State of Colorado; if, for instance, he comes from Denver, the largest city in Colorado; if he has relatives living there; or, in fact, if there is any natural association of similar kind.
To get away from the name of a state, let us suppose we meet a man whose name is Lyon. The name "Lyon" is a variant of lion and identical in sound. Therefore, we may use the animal so named as a substitute for the name of our new acquaintance. We could do the same with such names as Leon, Leonard, or Lionel. Such an association is made more easily if the man has performed some heroic act during the war or in private life. And it is still better if he happens to be hardy and gallant in appearance.

By a sort of reverse process, our association is made just as readily if the man suggests the exact opposite in appearance, or if he bears a reputation for cowardice. We have previously found that an association of ideas may be based upon contrasts as well as similarities.

If this man has traveled extensively in foreign countries, it may prove helpful to picture him shooting a lion. In fact, countless possibilities will occur to us upon a little thought. However, if we cannot find a logical association, we must try to picture this man with a lion or in a lion's cage, for even completely illogical images, originating solely in our fancy, will help us to remember the name whenever we meet the person again.

If the new name lacks both a meaning in itself and the possibilities for a natural association of ideas, we shall have to substitute a word which resembles it as closely as possible in sound.

Suppose we are introduced to a Mr. Delawy, whose name is pronounced with the accent on the first syllable. We may substitute any of the following words: delegate, delicate, delicacy, Delaware, deluge, and so on. From among these words, all of which are similar in sound to "Delawy," we shall choose for our substitute word the one that will be easiest to associate with him. For instance, if we met him at a convention to which he was a delegate, we would try to remember his name by associating it with the word delegate. If we met him at a dinner party, the association delicacy might be better. Therefore, our choice would depend entirely on the man's personality, the circumstances under which we met him, in short, on everything connected in our minds with Mr. Delawy.

Preparing For Future Meetings With A New Acquaintance

Each new person with whom we become acquainted affords us an opportunity for further exercises. All that is required of us is that we apply the rules given above to the persons we wish to remember. Suppose we were to meet the forementioned Mr. Colorado on a nice spring morning. Our procedure during the evening of the same day should be as follows: We try to draw an actual picture of Mr. Colorado. Should this prove too difficult a task, we form a mental image of him, recalling his stature, height, face, appearance, voice, and so forth as accurately as we can. In doing so, we should emphasize and even exaggerate the feature which seemed to us most noticeable as we looked at him. This will help us to recall the association we made between person and name, somewhat in this way: This morning I met the man whose picture I have just drawn in my mind. I determined never to forget his name.

He had red hair (or a red face). The red reminds me of color ... his name is Colorado.

He told me that one of his ancestors came over on the Mayflower. The ship reminds me of colonist ... his name is Colorado.

He was a big fat man. He reminded me of a colossus... his name is Colorado.

When we have formed these associations mentally, we must be sure to write down the name. Writing it down helps for several reasons. It obliges us to think of the spelling, which, in turn, helps us to concentrate more fully on the name. Also, we use our eyes while writing, and we have already learned how important visual impressions are for our memories.

After we have done all this, we can enjoy a good night's sleep and follow the same procedure on the next day. There are no general rules as to how often this should be done, since there is a considerable variation among individuals in functioning of memory. However, the following will prove a safe rule for all to heed: Repeat the procedure until you feel sure you will remember Mr. Colorado's face and his name whenever and wherever you may happen to meet him again. Lyon expresses this thought very well by saying: "Here again we find that if one is unable to take a good snapshot, he must fall back upon the old reliable method of time exposure."

How To Remember Many People At One Time

For most people the real difficulty arises when they meet at one time, not one person, but a dozen or more, whether it be at a convention, a large business meeting, or a private party. Needless to say, the general rules given above are not to be changed but simply applied more vigorously, for, when we meet many new persons on a particular occasion, our attention has a tendency to become more divided than when we meet only one person. Usually we find ourselves in an unfamiliar room. We are surrounded by many people, most of them strangers to us. Furthermore, a multitude of strange new impressions are forcing themselves upon us. Therefore our most important task is to prevent any diversion of our attention and to focus it under all circumstances on the person to whom we are being introduced, especially on his name. Here are the other rules.

1. Try to limit the number of strangers you will meet at one time by arriving early at the meeting or party. Those who attend will arrive one by one, or, at the most, by two's and three's, and you will find it much easier to impress twenty new names upon your mind if they are given at intervals of from twenty to thirty minutes rather than if you hear them all at once.

2. Prevent the person who introduces you from mumbling the names and pronouncing them too rapidly. You can do so in a polite way by repeating the name of each person to whom you are being introduced. "How do you do, Miss Neal!" "I am glad to meet you, Mr. Hindle!" I have mentioned this method previously in connection with meeting a single person, but obviously it is still more important if you are introduced to many people at the same time. Repeating the name will give you the time needed for making your association and prevent the person who is making the introductions from giving the names faster than you can mentally assimilate them.

3. As soon as you can find an opportunity, look for a quiet spot and see whether you can remember the various associations you have made and whether, with their aid, you can recall the names of the persons who are present. If you find that the names of any persons have escaped you, get them again by asking either your host or somebody else who knows them. Repeat the same procedure as often as necessary in order to fix all the names in your mind.

These rules should not be difficult for persons accustomed to forming mental associations. Most of my students have confirmed the fact that this method works after a short period of training.

At a lecture which I gave under the sponsorship of the Dale Carnegie Alumni Association at the Advertising Club in New York City, one of my students, Mrs. Fay Fleetman, performed the following feat of memory, surprising everyone in the audience except my own students:

Mrs. Fleetman asked some thirty persons for their names, real or fictitious, and for a short remark or phrase which she might associate in her mind with the name. For example, "My name is Miss Majer. I just memorized the current issue of Life magazine." "My name is Churchill. I am on my way to Berlin." "My name is Dr. Ansbar. I just paid a visit to a patient of mine." Of course, she knew none of these people, and each one made his remark in a casual manner, regardless of its truth. After Mrs. Fleetman had heard these names and remarks once, she was able to repeat not only the names but also the facts she had associated with the name and person. And this girl had joined my class because she was dissatisfied with her memory!
At a dinner of the "Dr. Furst Memory Club" Mr. Samuel Ebenstein, a New York lawyer and chairman for the evening, repeated the exact first and second names of forty persons who were guests of club members and whom he had never met before they entered the ballroom of the hotel and were introduced to him as they entered.

To associate not only the name but also certain facts with the new acquaintance is a rule I always stress in my classes. How to do it will be discussed later on in this book. Every good salesman knows how helpful it is to know as much as he can about the family, health, and hobbies of a customer. And even in social contacts, such information proves definitely advantageous.

Wendell White, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, makes the following statement in his The Psychology of Dealing with People: "Appreciation for another (person) is often reflected in the information possessed regarding him. Almost every person is aware of this, and so when an individual finds that things about him are known and remembered, he feels highly complimented. Realizing this fact, many persons make it a point to familiarize themselves with another's name, birthday, children, golf score, or triumphs in business adventures. Such circuitous methods of acknowledging another's worth are effective because they tend to keep him from questioning one's sincerity."

Unfortunately, just the opposite can be said of many salespeople, regardless of how well trained they may be in their respective fields. This is as true of clerks behind the counter as of salesmen on the road. John D. Rockefeller once said about traveling salesmen: "First, I'm surprised at how little they know about me before they come to see me; and, after I've seen them, I'm equally surprised at how little they know about the things they offer me."

Very often we can prepare ourselves in advance for an important meeting. For instance, the chairman of a convention usually knows beforehand the names of the delegates, or at least the greater part of them. Thus, a person who is interested in getting the names correctly may be able to obtain them through the chairman or his secretary. We know that the process of remembering a person's name actually comprises three steps: remembering the face, remembering the name, and finally linking the face with the name. Knowing the names beforehand, then, will enable us to prepare the second step in advance—that is, familiarize ourselves with the names and think of various substitutes for them. In short, we can master this second step before the actual meeting and thereby reduce our task by about one-third.

On one occasion, I was traveling from New York to Washington with a friend of mine, Mr. Don Critchfield of Lincoln, Nebraska. We were both visiting the convention of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association where I was scheduled to deliver a lecture. Mr. Critchfield was in possession of a list of the delegates to the convention, and I took the opportunity to impress upon my mind the names of the delegates, connecting each with some fact about him which my companion was kind enough to give me. Later, when Mr. X, one of the delegates, was introduced to me, he was very much surprised when I asked him how he liked the new offices to which his corporation had recently moved. And another delegate was astonished when I asked him, immediately following our introduction, whether his small son had fully recovered from his recent illness.

And you could do the same. Prepare for each meeting you attend by making yourself familiar with the names of the persons who will be present. This will give you more help than will any other kind of preparation.

Preparing For Future Meetings With Many Persons We Have Met At One Time

It is important, after we have met many people at a party or other function, not to relax in our efforts. On the contrary, now is the very time to apply our general rules of memory training to the specific problem of making sure that we will recognize all the people we have met when we see them again.

In order to do this, we shall have to recall every person we met on the particular occasion. The simplest way to do so is to follow a certain order. If we met these people at a private party, we should try to remember the order in which they were seated in relation to ourselves; or, if they were introduced to us at a convention or business meeting, the order in which the delegates from the various states or the representatives of the different business firms were seated. In fact, any order is permissible if it enables us, beyond a doubt, to recall every person who was present. From this point we again follow the now familiar rules: try to draw a mental picture of each person, recalling his appearance, face, voice, and particularly the things we heard him say. We should recall, also, the associations we made in connection with him, and through them make sure that his name remains in our minds.

Never postpone this work to the following day. Do it immediately after the meeting, for that is the time when all impressions are still clear in our minds. A hunting dog will follow a fresh scent more readily than an old one.
Students in my classes, which consist of from thirty to fifty members, are invariably amazed when I call each by name at the second session. And this in spite of the fact that

I seldom have the opportunity of meeting any of them personally before the first session.

No secret is involved. It is merely a matter of applying the rules which I have given above. I prepare for the first session by memorizing carefully the names of those who have already enrolled, thus making it easier to form the desired association when they answer the roll call in class. Following the meeting, I study the names and recall the particular place where each sat. This procedure helps immensely, for even though the students are not apt to take the same places at the next session, it helps me to recall each person's appearance. I repeat this procedure before the second session and, having done so, I am fairly certain of recognizing everyone.

Besides the opportunity for pleasant contacts with my students, each new class in this way affords an opportunity for training my own memory. For these two reasons I earnestly recommend this procedure to all presidents and chairmen whose responsibility it is to conduct large meetings; also to all business executives and anyone who desires to progress in his business or social life. The ability to recognize people is rightly called the first important rung on the ladder of success!

How To Remember First Names

As we all know, people are interested not only in their last names but also in their first, or given, names. If proof of this were needed, it is furnished by an interesting advertising campaign conducted by the Ethyl Corporation.

To point up the fact in each advertisement that "Ethyl" is a trade name, the firm offered gratis an attractive booklet entitled "What's in a Name." This booklet deals with given names and reveals, for instance, that Charlotte means "strong and valiant"; Sylvia means "of the forest"; Harold means "leader of an army"; and Philip means "lover of horses."

Most interesting for our purpose is the fact that over two million copies of the booklet had been requested by the public within one year after publication. "There is no indication that the interest of the public is diminishing to any great extent," the Ethyl Corporation wrote in reply to a question I addressed to them about it.

Since we are convinced of the importance of remembering given names, we must find a way of recalling them. Obviously, this method cannot be the same as the one we use for surnames. However, I have three possibilities to offer:

1. You can use the correct meaning of the given name if you know the meaning or if you have the time and facilities for looking it up. In most cases, connecting this meaning with the person in question will suffice. For instance, if my friend Sylvia lives near a woods, or if I met her in the woods, the connection is easy. And the same holds true if Harold, whose name I wish to remember, happens to be an officer in the army or is on his way to a commission.

2. If you do not know the meaning of the name, you may try associating it with somebody else you know who has the same first name. Since everybody knows a hundred times as many people as there are common first names, such a connection usually causes little difficulty.

3. The third possibility is concerned with initials. Let us suppose you wish to keep in mind two initials instead of two given names, as is often the case in dealing with business acquaintances to whom you write more frequently than speak. In this instance, I suggest that you expand the initials into two adjectives starting with the initials. They will give you a simple connection with the person in question or with his last name. I quote as examples the names of two of my students:

Mr. J. L. Warren                      The substitute for Warren is war.
                                                I think of a just but long war.
Mr. W. A. Ayres                      The substitute for Ayres is air.
                                                Think of wonderful autumn air.

Now you are in possession of all the ways for remembering surnames and first names. Try them out and let me know how they work and whether you have found any suggestions which may prove still more effective.

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