Extras / History / Webster Union Free School

At the time of his graduation from the Webster Union Free School in 1899, few could have imagined the remarkable life that was before Asa Kent Jennings. After all, Asa was not in the best of health and his ambition was to become a methodist minister. Most would probably imagine him preaching to a small congregation in a sleepy little town somewhere in upstate New York. For a time, that destiny may have been true, however events half a world away would eventually alter Asa's path.

World War I erupted and drew the United States into the frey. Asa joined the Red Cross and served in France until the close of the war. His experiences with the Red Cross led him to a position with the YMCA.

Even after World War I drew to a close, much of the world was still in chaos. Asa Jennings was sent to Smyrna which at the time was largely a christian city on the western coast of Asia-Minor. Only 14 days after Asa and his family arrived in Smyrna, The Turkish army invaded the city. The il-equipped Greek army quickly withdrew. Most foreigners in the city quickly left, but 350,000 Greek, Armenian and Jewish refugees were trapped with no way out. The sea was to the west and the approaching Turkish army to their east. Homes were looted and set ablaze, many were raped, tortured and killed. Scores drowned trying to reach foreign vessels anchored near by. American and British warships were stationed off the coast to observe the situation but as neutral parties stayed clear of any involvement.

Asa had sent his family home but had remained behind to see how he could assist with the situation. He arranged for food supplies to be brought in to feed the refugees. Determined to prevent the impending massacre, Asa, at great risk to his personal safety traveled through combat and managed to arrange a meeting with Ataturk, the imposing and much feared Turkish leader. Amazingly, Ataturk agreed to allow the refugees to leave and gave Asa 11 days to find them safe passage out of the country.

Asa contacted the Greek Government to encourage them to provide ships to pick up the refugees. The Greek government showed little enthusiasm for Asa's request and were quite puzzled as to who he was. As Asa appeared to be the only American left in Smyrna, it wasn't much of a stretch for Asa to identify himself as the top American official in Smyrna. After much persistence and threats to expose the Greek governments inaction, the Greek government cabled that they were putting Asa in charge of 26 of their ships. Asa directed the ships into port under American flags and picked up the refugees within the 11 day window.

Word of Asa's deeds reached other ports along the coast. Radio requests were made from those ports for their refugees to be helped. Asa spent much of the next year directing an expanded fleet of 55 ships to ports from the Black Sea to Syria. Over that year, Asa and his crews retrieved over 1.2 million refugees, many of whom would have faced certain death if they remained in Turkey.

Asa gained the respect of both the Greek and Turkish governments, so after completing his time at sea both governments used Asa to help negotiate prisoner exchanges between the two countries.

Asa stayed in Turkey following the conflict and helped to establish an organization similar to the YMCA (without the "C"), called "The Friends of Turkey".

Surprisingly, time has not been fair to Asa Jennings memory. The story of his remarkable feats have largely been forgotten, especially here in the United States.

If any town in America should be proudly encouraging his story to be told, it should be Webster. For it was in Webster that Asa K. Jennings grew into the man he became, the town where he was educated and developed the skills necessary to negotiate with world leaders.

Pictured on the left is Roger Jennings, Asa Jennings grandson. Roger Jennings can be seen discussing his grandfather on the trailer for an upcoming movie about Asa Jennings life. Please visit the website to learn more about the movie and Asa Jennings.

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Lula Harris Bergh
George P. Baker Yale Graduate

George P. Baker
Lewis Jennings
W. Howard Middleton
Myra M. Wiser

Grace Smith
Christian A. Meyer Principal, Syracuse, N.Y.
L.J. Van Alstyle Webster Village Clerk

Maurice P. McKay
M.C. Nivison
William Mandeville moved to Minnesota
Frances Cory Bodman moved to Bement, Illinois
Lizzie Martin Nixon

Miller P. Allen class valedictorian
Thomas E. Wright
Grace S. Harrington (mn. Aldridge)
Frank T. Dayton
Glenn T. Shaw Edith L. Harris
Jessie M. Harris
Alva F. Maine
Nelson A. Hallauer
Harriet E. Middleton
Edith Ann Wright

Jim Mandeville
Charles Kircher
Florence O'Dell

Herbert Thayer
Lula Burnett
Marie Hecker
Lawrence Farrell
Ray Smith
Mabel Hawley (mn. Mason)

Jessie Cook
Lizzie Mandeville
Kenneth Howard
Perry Dunn
Myrtle Mather Mary Gaston
Alice Collins
Peter Smith
Winona Schrader Baker
Asa K. Jennings

Edith Jennings
Daisy Foster (mn. Wright) Nov. 24, 1881 - Oct. 7, 1959
Margaret Herman (mn. Smith)
Everett L. Baker

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