--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've written about Powers Hapgood. He was…" description: "\"I've written about Powers Hapgood. He was a Harvard graduate, son of a wealthy family who owned a cannery out there. After leaving Harvard, he went to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/kurt-vonnegut-41_cio_i-ve-written-about-powers-hapgood-he-was_267528.jpg" --- # I've written about Powers Hapgood. He was a Harvard… ![“I've written about Powers Hapgood. He was a Harvard graduate, son of a wealthy family who owned a cannery out there. After leaving Harvard, he went to work in coal mines and then was a CIO executive when I met him there, in Indianapolis.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/kurt-vonnegut-41_cio_i-ve-written-about-powers-hapgood-he-was_267528.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/kurt-vonnegut-41_cio_i-ve-written-about-powers-hapgood-he-was_267528.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/kurt-vonnegut-41_cio_i-ve-written-about-powers-hapgood-he-was_267528.jpg) > “I've written about Powers Hapgood. He was a Harvard graduate, son of a wealthy family who owned a cannery out there. After leaving Harvard, he went to work in coal mines and then was a CIO executive when I met him there, in Indianapolis.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A Harvard-educated heir chose manual labor and union leadership, highlighting personal values over wealth. **In simple terms:** Wealthy background, chose hard work and activism. Key Takeaway Consider aligning career with values, not just status. Themes social mobility labor activism class personal choice Mood reflective inspirational Type biographical motivational When to use this quote - career counseling - union organizing - personal development - social justice advocacy Key Concepts unionism class consciousness career ethics Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to pursue work contrary to your background? - How can others support similar value‑driven career shifts? A Different Perspective May overlook systemic barriers that limit such transitions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cio/) [Executives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executives/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Graduates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduates/) [Indianapolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indianapolis/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) ## Related quotes > [I never like the TV or movie Harvard characters. The fact of the matter is that most people who go to Harvard went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-never-like-the-tv-or-movie-harvard-characters-the-fact-of-the/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [I was completely unqualified to get into Harvard. 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Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/the-head-of-the-afl-cio-endorsed-john-kerry-saying-the-time-has-come/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [The AFL-CIO is a structure that divides workers' strength by allowing each union to organize in any industry, then bargain on its own, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stern/the-afl-cio-is-a-structure-that-divides-workers-strength-by-allowing/) [Andy Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stern/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. 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