The Red Cross Rainmaker: The Memoirs of Howard Bonham Sr., Vice Chair of the American Red Cross for Public Relations and Fundraising

The Red Cross Rainmaker, Howard Bonham, is a story of a Native American lad who grows up in the Cherokee "Badlands," as the area becomes part of Oklahoma. Despite his exposure to allegations of injustices done to his forebearers by the government, he takes the high road, leading to an exciting career in journalism and executive positions with the American Red Cross. His journey includes early years as a reporter, when he learns people skills in interviewing celebrities like Will Rogers, Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Clark Gable, Van Johnson, and Sonja Heine. Those lessons enable him later to relate to disaster victims and recruit movie, radio, and political stars like Bob Hope, Madeleine Carroll, Helen Hayes, Charles Laughton , Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall to help in Red Cross fundraising. As a Red Cross PI officer in the Great Depression, he covers major natural disasters in America. Becoming a Vice Chair in Washington, DC, he writes four speeches for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's, including his last address to the nation, and speeches for Presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. He interviews President John F. Kennedy in one of the President's final public appearances. Becoming dissatisfied with the politics of success, this compassionate American's wheel comes full circle. He returns to the "Hills of Home," where he publishes grassroots newspapers and continues his service to disadvantaged people. Besides telling the personal story of a dynamic American, the book gives readers insights into the history and culture of the United States from the Great Depression through post WW II years.