CLASS OF 1917
Following the general plan of the experimental round-up of Boston Seventeeners in April, Gene Towler collected fifteen New Yorkers in Keene's Chop House on May 24, for an informal luncheon and reunion. "That we had a good time", says Gene, "is evidenced by the fact that we remained nearly four hours." As a result of this successful and enthusiastic gathering, they plan to make it a monthly event, and the first Saturday of each month is the day set. Keene's will continue to be the concentration point, since the private room which was used, with its single long table and piano, was found to be admirably suited to the purpose. The men present were: Gene Towler, Bob Paine, Barney Thielscher, Slats Baxter, Don Brooks, Eddie Burns, Don O'Leary, Art Strout, Jack Saladine, Gil Swett, Ves Whiton, Bob Boynton, Rudie Miller, Len Reade, and Don Litchard. All were in favor of repeating the performance at regular intervals, and an even bigger attendance is looked for with the return of other New York men still in the service.
The past month has seen the return of more Seventeen men from France. The 301 st Field Signal Battalion, formerly a part of the 76th Division from Camp Devens, landed in Boston the latter part of May and went to its old training area for demobilization. Company B was recruited largely from among Dartmouth men, and came back with some of the original outfit that first waved the red and white flags back of Alumni Gym in the spring of 1917, among them Frank Reagan, McG'luke Rodenbach, and Ed Maynard. The battalion saw service near Pont-a-Mous-son with the 6th Corps Headquarters, and at the time the armistice was signed, was ready to take part in the big Lorraine offensive scheduled for three days later.
Captain. Arch Gile is back at Hanover after twenty-two months service in France. He commanded Ambulance Section 640, and the entire unit was cited for efficient service under the trying conditions of the Argonne fight.
Sunny Sanborn returned from France on May 2, was discharged at Devens on May 22, and is with the Massachusetts Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, 40 Central St., Boston. He served with the 49th Infantry after receiving his second lieutenancy at the second Plattsburg, and also with the Rents, Requisitions,, and Claims Service, Advance Section, S. O. S.
Among the men heard from recently who are still on the other side are Walt Sisson; Mort Rhoades, who, hopes for orders to return when G. H. Q. at Chaumont is abandoned; Hal Ingersoll; Bob Adams, topographer on duty with headquarters of the Third Army at Coblenz; Ray Mac Murray, athletic officer for the 804 th Pioneer Infantry; and Tom Cotton and Husk Merrill, last heard from in the vicinity of Archangel and hoping to be back by July.
Barney Thielscher has joined Gene Towler and Jack Saladine with the Western Electric Company in New York.
George Currier is advertising manager for the Charles A, Esty Paper Company, 18 Grafton St., Worcester.
Chuck Downer is general manager of the Lowell branch of the Winchester Laundry Company.
Professor Knowlton is teaching in the Roxbury School, Cheshire, Conn., where he is master in modern languages.
In spite of the fact that no effort was made to hold any sort of a formal reunion at Commencement, twenty Seventeeners were on hand for all or part of the traditional festivities. The slogan of "Wait till next year would best have fitted the attitude of the bunch, for everyone was keen on a big turnout for the triennial, and of the opinion that the present was none too soon to start planning. Accordingly, the executive committee has started things going, and should have material • progress to report by fall. Those on hand at Commencement this year were. Barney Thielscher, Gene Towler, Jack Saladine, Ves Whiton, Rowdy Clark, George Currier,' Rudy Miller, Perc Streeter, Sam White, Arch Gile, Curly Carr, Howard Shaffer, Jim Rubel Hal Weeks, Tommy (Willis) Thompson, Walt Kipp, Pete Olds, Fred Goodwin, Bob Stickney, and Bill Sewall.
Joe Hallett and Frank Huntress are the two latest reported venturers on the sea of matrimony. Joe was married on May 29 to Miss Ruth A. Howell, and is now living at 57 Elm Road, Newtonville, Mass. Frank was married to Miss Ruth Plain on June 4, and when heard from just before Commencement, was in Spofford, N. H.
Announcement has been made by Mrs. George Henry Chandler of Manchester, N. H., of the engagement of her daughter, Miss Mary Marigold Chandler, to Baron Salisbury Barnes. Duke has been living recently m Colorado Springs.
The second generation of Seventeeners is a young but growing aggregation, and as The Dartmouth might say, there is a wealth of material from which to pick the class baby. Final announcement of the favored youngster will be made as soon as it seems safe to conclude that all the possible candidates have been heard from. As yet there are some whose birthdays are not known to the secretary. It may even seem advisable to have a special committee appointed to determine the eligibility rules. The matter is receiving the attention of the executive committee, and a decision will be forthcoming as soon as possible. The newest daddy heard from is Don Green, who became the proud father of twins early in June.
Secretary, William Sewall, 200 Clifton St., Maiden, Mass.
