Craig,
Boy would Tom and I like to find a photo and more info on Howard Toomey. I even cold-called all the Toomeys in the Main Line and Philly phone books to see if there are any relatives out there. Struck out more than Dave Kingman and came up empty. I believe Piper had died before Manor opened, maybe in 1925, but perhaps one of the men is Oakley. I gave a file of Oakley and Piper to Tom Paul that has the death write-ups in the Green Section journal, maybe he can let me know when the Oakley article was written so that I can go back and find it and send you his picture.
Flynn, Wilson, and Toomey often went to Washington DC to meet with Piper and Oakley as well as checking out the Arlington turf farm, Washington GCC (Flynn), Columbia (1922 redesign by Flynn of holes 1 and 2), Friendship (Flynn redesign), Chevy Chase, and Burning Tree (perhaps a Flynn construction with redesign work).
Wilson, Flynn, and maybe Valentine had an experimental grass station at Merion (on the West course I believe). Flynn and Toomey had a turf farm where they tested various grasses. Flynn tested upwards of 50 strains of grasses on farmland opposite Mill Road Farm in Lake Forest, IL.
The advancement in understanding of turf grasses was greatly due to Piper, Oakley, Wilson, Flynn, Toomey, Valentine, and others. These advancements were sought out by Colt and others around the golf world.
Craig, the film you found is very interesting and Flynn's daughter was thrilled to see it. We are trying to locate an opening day film from Rolling Green that was shown regularly at Springhaven Club on Springhaven Day. If anyone knows anything about this film, maybe we'll see clips of Flynn, Toomey, members of their staff, and some of the high profile golfers of that age.