Untold Story of the legend of Ol Nassau

To those outside of the H-Y-P inner circle, this is Hobey Baker. His portrait haunts the halls of his former dining club, Ivy, on the campus of Princeton University.  His legend never fades in Ol' Nassau; for the uninitiated, Hobey's athletic exploits at Princeton earned him spots in three different Halls of Fame.  He was the ultimate gentleman as well, shaking hands with every rogue who cheap-shotted him on the muddy gridiron and in icy corners.  He died like Icarus immediately following WWI, flying too close to the sun and crashing in front of his teary mates.  It's a tidy little legend, still perpetuated annually with the Hobey Baker Award, Hockey's Heisman trophy.

Except it's a bit too tidy. Hobey suffered from terrible insecurity, couldn't hold a job, and as America's most eligible bachelor for nearly a decade, managed but a single romantic relationship, which failed miserably. A compelling case could be made that Hobey took his own life in December 1918, offing himself rather than returning to a new world that had no place for him.

Wealthy Trophy Hunter Percy Pyne

In reality, Hobey had two noteworthy personal relationships, one with a man, Percy Pyne, and one with a woman, Mimi Scott.  Both Pyne and Scott were big game hunters, seeing Hobey as the ultimate trophy to bolster their social aura. Pyne was a fabulously wealthy Manhattan bachelor, offering his "dubious" hospitality to Hobey. Baker roomed at Pyne's Madison Avenue mansion for two years following graduation. A fellow Princeton alum 10 years his elder, Pyne took Hobey under his wing and introduced him to polo, tennis, golf and auto racing at his various clubs on Long Island.  When Hobey was in WWI France, Pyne sent him frequent gifts including a silver cigarette case and Brooks Brothers underwear by the dozen.

Mimi Scott (L) Hobey's Femme Fatale

Newport mansion heiress and famed socialite Mimi Scott was Hobey's Femme Fatale. She joined the Red Cross to get to France and rendezvous with Baker during the Great War. A short engagement was terminated prematurely after Scott abruptly dismissed Baker, leaving Hobey dazed and confused. She married an embassy man in France a month later, the day Baker died in his infamous crash. Some say Baker never recovered from the abandonment.

There is a fascinating story about the life and death of Hobey Baker, much more interesting than the polished version that endures today. Princeton University archives house a cache of letters that are quite revealing: an extensive eyewitness report of Hobey's clearly avoidable crash; this startling quote from Hobey after graduation: "I realize my life is finished. No matter how long I live, I will never equal the excitement of playing on the football fields;" syrupy war time notes between Hobey and Percy; and a defense of Hobey's manhood from his closest hockey teammate. That teammate, Wendell Kuhn, was terribly disapproving of Hobey's relationship with Pyne. These are some of the letters that help connect the dots of a complex and tragic life.

Television Special 
With the proper host, the untold story of Hobey Baker would make important viewing. Due to the abundance of timeless architecture at Princeton and the lack of moving pictures, talent on-camera spots will be vital to generate quality visual content. The host needs to be familiar with the Princeton campus in order to take the viewer on this Ivy League paper chase, an energetic personality to help reveal the oft-times tormented life of the gilded Baker.

Story Arc 
The story-line arc of the TV special will flow as follows: 
I: Establish the legendary sports persona of Hobey, essentially a preppy Jim Thorpe. His amazing sportsmanship, grace and innocence made him a favorite character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's fiction. Fitzgerald hero-worshipped Baker when they were both undergraduates at Princeton.
II: Reveal Hobey's emotional frailty through his letters, how he was scared of dating girls, felt worthless away from the playing fields, and had some kind of death complex when he arrived in France for WWI. Hobey's letters from France convey a strong fraternal love for Pyne, confusion regarding Mimi Scott and trepidation regarding his return to pedestrian life.
III: Conclusion, which will feature two primary documents: 1) A letter from Hobey's Princeton advisor Donald Herring who witnessed his fiery death in France. In the letter Herring fiercely contests the issue of suicide, stating emphatically that Hobey died heroically attempting to save himself; and 2) Wendell Kuhn's passionate defense of Hobey's masculinity.

Conclusion 
In summary, we will learn how Hobey led a life with much more angst than one would expect of a beautiful sports hero, national champion, All-American and Hall-of-Famer in two wildly popular sports. We will learn that Hobey's life arc as a physical deity had a limited run, and how he apparently knew that. Regarding the two lingering questions that are still whispered about today, primary sources will be introduced to help illuminate the issues of both his death and his sexuality. All of this information will be driven by a recognizable on-camera host, as they pursues this paper chase amidst the iconic gothic architecture of Princeton University.

Video 
Below are examples of talent on/camera locations and their content.

The fifth camera location is at Hobey's former off-campus home in Princeton, 1 mile from campus.