February 24, 2009

Happy 92nd birthday to my dad

That's our old trailer.

And here's one from his mid-fifties:


My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations.

What's his secret to living long and staying sharp?

- Fred

Anonymous said...

Good for him. I lost my dad last month, aged just 71, and I miss him.

Anonymous said...

Many years to Papa Sailer!

--Senor Doug

Anonymous said...

Send him regards from your faithful readers.

Anonymous said...

Handsome, rugged guy. Don't see too many of that type around anymore.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!
Are you the sweet little boy?

I was trying to find a post you did recently where you talked about where your dad's family was from. Aren't they near the German border? My dad's family is mostly on the German side of the border with some being in Switzerland and they even look alike: the long face!

Anonymous said...

That's great. I hope he's got plenty more birthdays to come.

Anonymous said...

Hail to the chief!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Mr. Sailer on 92 years. You're very lucky Steve. Like Robert's Dad, mine died last month aged 68. You take Pop's presence for granted until he's not there.

-Vanilla Thunder

Anonymous said...

He must have good genes, but Steve would know that better than I would.

Ray Sawhill said...

Congrats indeed.

Anonymous said...

He's very good looking.

Truth said...

Now that's a Norman Rockwell just waiting to happen if there ever was one. You couldn't have taken that picture if you were brought up in Norway Stevie-Boy!

Your a Great A-Mur-ick-un my friend.

Anonymous said...

Is that a wee Steve in the first pic, apparently sawing Dad's foot off?

Anonymous said...

Being a generation younger than you, it still surprises me to see pictures like this, which I've always just assumed were manufactured by later generations for either nostalgic purposes or to eventually undermine the period. You certainly were a tow-headed little boy! Wish your dad the best, and try to wrangle some stories of his own youth out of him for your own kids to hear; they'll appreciate them someday.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to the senior Sailer. Those (Swiss) German genes pay off. My Germanic papa is 91 now, and I can say that other than a few good habits he picked up in the Army, his longevity is entirely due to his genes.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday to your father, Mr.sailer.

Razib Khan said...

congrats!

jack strocchi said...

Mr Sailer (Snr)

From the shots you appeared to be travellin' fine in the great outdoors. May you keep having many Happy Trails...

Anonymous said...

92, wow! Happy Birthday!

Anonymous said...

92, pretty good. I'm not sure I could handle another 20 years of my father, though he's still in decent shape so I'll probably have to.

I had a similarly big head sitting on a slight frame as a boy (similar skull shape, too), probably more exaggerated in my case since I was undernourished, being such a reluctant eater. I heard a radio interview you recently did. I never would have imagined you had such a deep voice -- that was galaxies away from the "physics nerd" accent I was expecting (ie something excitedly whiny like Tim Wise's).

Anonymous said...

God bless him, and God bless the man he sired.

Anonymous said...

Congrats, Papa Sailer. Here's to another 92 more.

Frank said...

Happy Birthday! I'm guessing the pics were taken about 1960?

Steve Sailer said...

Top one about 1965 (age 48), bottom one looks like about 1975 (age 58) from the gray at the temples. My father looks 10-15 years younger than he is in most of these old photos.

Anonymous said...

Congrats!

Anonymous said...

Has the look of 'old wierd America' , and I mean that in the best possible way!

Many more returns.

Anonymous said...

Congrats Steve, and those are some very nice photos taken with a real eye for beauty.

John Craig said...

Congratulations.

There's something about those pictures, whether it's the obvious innocence of the young boy with the saw, the old-fashioned dress, the apparent paternal fondness, the blueness of the sky in the background of the second shot, or just the fact that your father looks like my father, that's just heartbreaking.

Guys like that seem to be dying out, and the people replacing them are....the ones you write about.

Anonymous said...

As far as all the genes talk, I think Steve's adopted. Am I correct?

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Steve's dad! :-D

Hope you inherited those longevity genes, Steve. (My, what a large cranium you had there!)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!

Anonymous said...

Steve,
When you showed your book picture, I guessed that you were Germanic/Celtic with your father probably being Germanic and mom Celtic if only because that is the way it usually is. Also, you're uncommonly smart as is your dad from other things you've said...
Just had to be an in family adoption.

Your father seems to be a truly great man. I lost my grandfather two months ago and he adopted my mother after her real father took off. He wasn't smart at all, frankly, but was one of the most moral men I ever knew and we owe our lives to him. He was well taken care of in his old age by the smart children he raised.

Anonymous said...

Nice father and son picture.

Anonymous said...

Congrats to your father on #92 - I hope his health is holding up.

Congrats to you for growing into that big head of your childhood!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Steve. I hope your father is in fine health, and that you yourself enjoy similar longevity.

Anonymous said...

Steve,

Are you originally from a prole background or middle or upper-middle?

I am just wondering because of the trailer. I was not sure if it was the main residence or a vocational tool.

Anonymous said...

Steve,

You used to be blond? What happened? ;-P

jack strocchi said...

He looks like the kind of guy who fixes up a Gran Torino, cradles a shot gun on his porch and yells "Get off my lawn!" to young punks making a public nuisance.

Kinda like my old man in his day.

Anonymous said...

The Trailer of Sailer.
(Couldn't resist.)

Tell your father,
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

--Anonymous Man No. 3

M. M. said...

So I'm late. Congratulations anyway.