The day I shook Jack Benny’s hand I also shook Bob Hope’s. Only time I did that with either; only time they ever shook mine.
My father was arriving at the Jacksonville Airport, spring 1972. He was commuting between North Carolina and Florida, making the trip home every other weekend. When my mother and I arrived at the airport to meet him we were surprised to see a crowd of people at the gate along with the Jacksonville University Pep Band. Someone was on the plane other than my dad.
As we got closer we could ready the welcome signs a number of students were holding: Welcome Jack Benny and Bob Hope.
The two were were appearing together at a fundraiser for Jacksonville University and had flown in on the same plane as my father.
On the commercial jets of the time, the exit was between first and second class. When boarding, first class turned left, coach was right. So it was easy for famous people to be in first class and completely segregated from the coachers. Such was the case when my dad stepped off to cheers and band music and came straight over to us and said “Who’s on my plane?”
As the last of the commoners deplaned, the band played louder in anticipation. Then the two famous ones stepped out into the gate area and stated making their way along the line of greeters. I pushed my way towards the front of the crowd, thrust my arm between two other people and got my hand out front just in time to get a couple of shakes with fame.
(Photo shows Bob Hope, Dr. Frances Kinne, Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Jacksonville University and Jack Benny at the fundraiser for the university.)