John A. Schlee Completes Fifty Years With Wahr's

WITH BOOK SHOP 50 YEARS: John A. Schlee, manager of Wahr's campus bookstore, who has served three generations of Michigan students, yesterday observed his 50th anniversary with the store by working as usual. On the job as usual, John A. Schlee yesterday finished his 50th year as manager of Wahr's campus bookstore at 316 S. State St. with no thoughts of retiring. One of the oldest active merchants on the campus, Mr. Schlee at 71 is only six years younger than his also active employer, George Wahr, with whom he has been associated almost since the establishment of the bookshop. Yet the anniversary passed without fanfare or special attention by Mr. Schlee. Since Mr. Schlee joined Mr. Wahr as manager of the campus bookshop in 1888, the store has been moved from its original quarters to its present and much larger quarters, several doors south. Keeping pace with the growth of the University itself, the store's stock of books has multiplied several times. Knows Many Students During those eventful 50 years Mr. Schlee has seen thousands of Michigan students come and go, and has sold and bought books from most of them. Friendly and yet dignified, he has known many of the students personally and always gets a "kick" out of calling them by name when they return to Ann Arbor many years afterward as alumni. Now dealing with the third generation of students since he joined the bookstore, Mr. Schlee is looking forward to helping a fourth. His knowledge of books probably exceeded only by his love for them, Mr. Schlee has known almost every one of the tens of thousands of volumes by their first names. Born Near Geddes One of 11 children of the late Mr. and Mrs. Adam Schlee, and born on the old Schlee farm near Geddes station Jan. 16, 1867, Mr. Schlee took a commercial course in the high school here and then went to work in a relative's shoe store. A short time later, however, he quit to begin his long association with Mr. Wahr. Forty-two years ago on Sept. 10, Mr. Schlee married Gertrude May Judson, of Ann Arbor. They live at 1605 Brooklyn Ave. and have one son, Herbert, in Washington D. C. There also are two grandchildren, Joan, 12, and John, 9 years old, in Washington.