With the ten-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks this week, I wanted to bring some stories, first published in 2006, about another event on Sept. 11: the birth of Jay Hormel.

Sept. 11 was a day to remember in the Hormel household long before the terrorist attacks in 2001. Jay Catherwood Hormel was born on Sept. 11, 1892, making this year the 119th anniversary of his birth.

I found this description of Jay in an obituary printed in the Princeton Alumni Weekly: ‘Jay was constantly seeking and developing new products not only to benefit his company but to increase employment…He was respected by fellow manufacturers for his pioneering in many processes and products to the advantage of the industry.’

Did you know Jay also started a business while he was away at college? This is the story, taken from ‘In Quest of Quality’ by Richard Dougherty.

‘Jay seemed to like Princeton, but during his junior year Mr. Hormel was puzzled by requests from him for rather sizable sums of money, unaccompanied by the young man’s usual, clear explanation of need. On a hunch, Mr. Hormel wrote to the dean of the college and routinely asked about his son’s progress. The dean, who apparently had a sense of humor, responded by saying that if Jay continued as he was, he’d end his four years with a poor scholastic record, but he’d have a fine laundry!

The dean went on to say that Jay had taken over management of the college laundry, and that it was taking up most of his time and energy, of course at the expense of his studies. That made clear to Mr. Hormel the requests for money. He was furious. He boarded the first train for Princeton, where the two argued vehemently, each highly impatient and irritated with the other. When it was over, Mr. Hormel was convinced that further college for Jay was pointless. As for Jay, he was more than ever sure about his deep-seated interest in the packinghouse. However, he completed the year’s school work before returning home.’”

Monday: Ladies Floral Club, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 14: Tour from Wilmar, 10 a.m.

Coming soon

Tuesday, September 20: Social Concerns: Do You Remember? Can You Guess? Trivia and Fun Facts About Austin and  Mower County by Cheryl Corey of the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau at 10 a.m. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to the HHH office at 433-4243 by 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 19.