Advice on writing first draft of one's own letter of rec

[marvin100]

To those pining for some imaginary past:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/10/10/getting-in

The difficult part, however, was coming up with a way of keeping Jews out, because as a group they were academically superior to everyone else.
[…]
[Harvard’s A. Lawrence] Lowell told his admissions officers to elicit information about the “character” of candidates from “persons who know the applicants well,” and so the letter of reference became mandatory.

Ah the good ol’ days.