|
We’d like to introduce you to Bernie Loehr, who has volunteered at the Given Tufts Bookshop since August of 2021. Originally from Wisconsin and a Marquette University graduate, Bernie taught accounting at Ohio State and Duke, spent five years in the Navy in Puerto Rico, 11 years as Director of the Rules of Golf with the United States Golf Association (USGA), and 25 years with Kodak in various financial roles. He also helped to revise the Rules of Golf, a book compiled cooperatively by the USGA and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
When he finally retired, Bernie chose Pinehurst with fond memories of his trips here for meetings with the USGA and the 2014 U.S. Open. While with the USGA, he was in charge of scoring at the 18th hole for the U.S. Open from 2008 to 2015, which he enjoyed very much. Part of his duties were to make sure the score cards were signed by the players and that their numbers were legible. He had the opportunity to witness firsthand how the greatest players in the world deal with various types of emotions, such as his experience as a rules official at the 2008 U.S. Open playoff between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines in California.
He has fallen into book repair for special books that need a little love. Guided by YouTube how-to videos, he has successfully saved numerous literary works with careful attention to separating corners or detached bindings. It was a natural segue from assisting with pricing the books when he stepped in to assist the bookshop manager, whom he said was swamped at the time. In doing so, he noticed the deteriorating and unsellable condition of some books, so he attempted to repair them. His ingenuity led to a homemade book press using paint stirrers, and he continues to figure out tips & tricks on a case-by-case basis.
Bernie has been amazed by the wide variety of books that come into the shop. Continue reading to see what he has come across, and to find out why he loves working at the bookshop!
| 
