CLASS of 1923
Another year, another typewriter ribbon! In apologizing for the 100% absence of '23 news in the preceding two issues, your correspondent is reminded of poor Roy Riegels, the West Coast footballer, who ran the wrong way and scored a brilliant touchdown for the enemy, a year or so ago, winning the winceproductive title of "Goat." (You're quite right, the point IS rather obscure.) But this is it, anyway: The following year this bird Riegels positively shone, so hard did he apply himself to recapturing his right to walk in the world with his chest out and his chin uplifted. (NOW do you see?)
The summer brought some bad news. Sid Hayward wrote me on May 19 as follows: "We have received word of the death of Robert P. Merridith, a non-graduate member of your class, and I am passing the information along to you in case you have not already received it. Mr. Merridith died in April, but I cannot give you the exact date."
And just a few days ago more sad news. A newspaper clipping and a note from Jim Landauer giving news of the tragic death of Howie Walker. Howie was found one night in the Bronx, shot to death. I have asked the MAGAZINE to print the complete newspaper clipping in the Necrology section of this issue. Jim went to the funeral, and wrote Howie's folks the following note and sent a wreath from the class: "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Walker: On behalf of Howard's classmates let me extend our heartfelt sympathy. The sudden shock of Howard's death has affected me greatly, and all the members of his class share in the same deep feeling of personal loss. We want you and Howard's sister and brothers to accept our most sincere and sympathetic thoughts at this most trying time."
Your correspondent and his bride of six years were proud to welcome many times last summer into the bosom of their snappy Spanish bungalow, "The Alamo," none other than Don Moore, the only president this class ever had with a dimple in his chin. Don was in Chicago looking into the employment situation, and left to take on a job in Indianapolis. He is still well remembered in our family by the small sons, who delighted in the tricks he taught them to do. In fact, their father has been hard pressed to maintain athletic relations with said sons on the same grand scale established by D. Robinson. However, we unhesitatingly recommend him to any household, either with or without young hopefuls. He left the following news items behind him:
"Go" Bliss reports the birth of a son last April 11.
Paul McKown is making good in the insurance business in Milwaukee.
Walt Martin married Helen Hickans in June in Oklahoma. They're living in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Reinhold Hertzberg finds practice brisk but collections poor in Stamford, Conn.
Owen Smith, selling insurance in New York city, got married this fall.
Bill Corrigan is still secretary of the firm of William Morrow and Company, publishers, and lives in Mount Vernon, N. Y.
Roy Height, Bloomfield, N. J., who commenced his honeymoon at our Fifth Reunion, reports a new child.
Heinie Barrett reports Heinie the Third. The old man practices law in White Plains, N. Y.
Don Monroe's still at West Hartford, Conn.
Babe Miner's second year of medicine in Brooklyn just rolled round.
Frank Smith, the guy who flipped a coin to decide whether he would marry his sister or her double, is still living with one or the other of the girls in Waterbury, Conn. He's in the lumber business.
Win Wadleigh is now assistant attorney general of the state of New Hampshire, oflicing at Concord.
Ed Stocker lives in Cleveland.
Address Cap Palmer: Palmer Clay Products Co., Somerville, Mass.
Larry Eager is at Hanover. We think he's an assistant prof.
Jack Booth practices medicine at Lake Kushaqua, N. Y.
Jim Landauer is with Douglas Elliman and Cos., New York city, specialists in the construction of those big apartment buildings you see opposite Central Park.
Dick Udall: Lakewood Terrace, Gardner, Mass.
Jim Doyle, Dartmouth and Columbia, is with the Johns-Mansville Cos., 292 Madison Ave., New York.
Ralph Noble teaches at People's Academy, Morrisville, Vt.
Pete Hurd is New England manager of the American Architect, a Hearst publication, Statler Building, Boston. These's a new Hurd boy at his house.
Hugh Schaaf is with the Sweeney and James Cos., advertising agency, 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio.
The Animal Hospital of Joe Millars's at Asbury Park, N. J., is doing well.
A letter from Len Bronner follows, with only a little P.S. about the Noble Experiment deleted. Let 'er go!:
Dear Metz: I have postponed writing you for almost a year until I could do so with a clear conscience. I am no longer prosecuting prohibition cases, but have at last succeeded in getting myself transferred to the criminal division of the United States attorney's office.
So far, I have been assigned chiefly cases involving narcotic violations. In this state, if a convict is convicted of four felonies, he is sent up the river for life, so that after three convictions they usually start in violating the federal laws, robbing the mails, breaking narcotic laws, etc., in order that they may escape going up for life, even if they are convicted.
It seems peculiar that the few murderers I have interviewed are quiet, soft-spoken gentlemen, whereas the violators of the bankruptcy laws are fierce fellows who howl, rave, yell, and expostulate in our room.
I am sure we are going to beat Yale next year. I have a couple of Catholic friends who always try to drag me to church, knowing that I hate to go inside of one of any denomination. Finally, they agreed with me that if we lose to Yale next year, I am free of church for life, but if we win, I must go once a year as long as I live. If that doesn't win for us, I don't think anything will. (Ed. note: Did Len go to church November I—or1—or did he?)
I see a lot of the fellows in different places around New York. Hank Bjorkman is always much spruced up, no matter where you meet him. Jack Davis '25 has not changed much, even though he was married. He doesn't take life especially serious, that is, he only takes the less serious things of life seriously. I have a ease against a member of our class, whose name I do not wish to mention as he might sue me for libeling his clients. He represents a syndicate of effeminate gentlemen who have been using the United States mails to defraud.
I could go on at great length telling you about all the fellows in the class that I meet here, none of whom seem to have changed very much other than having lost hair, teeth, youthful appearance, and having gained big stomachs, wives, and children. But their spirits seem the same.
I lead a quiet bachelor's life and amuse myself chiefly by trying to write verse for children.
LEN
(Note: Len, subsequent to this letter, an- nounced his resignation from the U. S. at- torney's office, to resume the general practice of law at the Woolworth Building, New York city.)
And here's a good letter from Bob Buckley, the Shell Sheik, with news of himself and others:
Dear Metz: I am still treating my friends to hotel stationery and Pullman towels. Besides, I am unable to find my writing materials during the absence of friend wife, and the spirit moved me to write a long promised letter.
After leaving college I worked for various and sundry concerns such as brokerage, General Electric Refrigerators, etc. Three years ago I started with the old New England Oil Company from below the ground up (down in a hole with a pick and shovel). lam assistant district manager of service stations in New England, after having traveled the entire territory for Rip, stopping for periods of two to eight months in Washington, Baltimore, Burlington, N. C., Lynchburg, Va., and Providence, R. I. I think I am settled for a while now, as I have graduated from field work as a supervisor, which is the same job Red Ilein had in New York state the last I heard.
I see Jack Griffin occasionally. He is married since last year to Rose Johnson, who used to visit him at carnivals, etc., in Hanover. He is quite the broker now, being pretty well connected with the firm of T. P. Gagen in Boston.
Got a letter from Bert Teagle, who, you probably know, is married (one daughter), and is back in Europe with the Standard of New Jersey. He was with them for a couple of years in Trieste, Italy. Last winter he toured the East, Middle West, and Southern sections of the United States, visiting refineries and relations.
Going back to Jack Griffin, if you can get him to write to you, enough material will be available to complete all issues of the '23 newspaper. He has developed into a walking encyclopedia of facts and figures of all '23 men in New England. (How about it, Jack?)
60 Whitmarsh St.,Providence, R. I. Yours,
808 BUCKLEY
Willard C. Cousins, a Hartford insurance man, lives at 171 Washington St., in that city.
Richard D. O'Connell left Hanover and graduated from Yale. He's a lawyer and lives at 59 Burnside Ave., East Hartford, Conn.
We have no information about the following men except their addresses:
Charles C. Coffin, 32 Prospect St., Manchester, N. H.
Norman S. Gordon, 7011 Dante Ave., Chicago, Ill.
Dwight L. Granger, Central St., Randolph, Vt.
Les Richwagen writes nothing about himself, but sends these snappy paragraphs about his confreres in Barre:
Dear Truman: Since coming to Barre, I have gotten into contact with quite a few of the boys who ply their trades about these parts of the woods. I will list briefly what I know about the erring sons whose names you asked about:
Doc Wilmer W. Angell is "sawboning" in his native town of Randolph, Vt. He is in the game with his father, also a doctor, and between the two of them they have created pretty much of a monopoly on business in those parts. Doc is married and has a couple of youngsters. With the increase of his practice he has taken on dignity, but when off duty he's just the same gazook he always was.
The last we heard of George Francis (Red) Collins he was writing snappy heads for the Boston Herald. The Herald has noticeably improved in the past few years, and Red's personal friends ascribe this to him. He may have gotten married recently, but the last time we saw him he was with George McKee, enjoying Hanover life as only a man outside the bonds of matrimony can enjoy it. Red lives at 112 Marblehead St., North Andover, Mass.
Wendell H. Drown of Barre is the proprietor and chief salesman of the Drown Motor company, and will be willing to sell you a Chevrolet if you come to Barre. He is married and has one youngster. 9 Walnut St.
William M. (Bill) Lyons is a modest violet who doesn't like the blare of publicity. He is with the Rock of Ages Granite Company in Barre, doing accounting work. He recently passed his C. P. A. examinations, and now intends to go after law. Les Ladd '24 and myself have tried diligently all winter to get him out on skis, but without success. Bill detests exercise because, he says, it keeps him awake. He is married and has a cute daughter Anne.
John (Jake) Molla of Barre is a politician in the making. He is an alderman of the city and champions the working man. He is in the law office of former Vermont Attorney General J. Ward Carver in Barre. He is married.
The last we heard from Ralph Totman he was submaster in Brookline High School and summering in Walpole, N. H. Tot's hobby is collecting antique furniture and fixing it up. He has a house in Walpole full of rare old pieces. He wasn't married up to last summer, but when he does his wife will have to be an antique-furniture fan. Barre, Vt.
Don Moore and your servant had quite a conference about the right and the wrong way to disseminate class news. I told him I thought the cheapest way both from the standpoint of the individual and the class as a whole was through the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. This method, the one that has been followed, calls for no expense to the class whatsoever. It saves bills for postage, for paper, for printing. It provides news eight times a year (if the Secretary is on his toes) along with complete news of the College, at a cost of two dollars a year to ALUMNI MAGAZINE subscribers. And that last sentence contains the catch, as Don so astutely pointed out to me, the point being that not half the class have ever subscribed to the MAGAZINE, and that the non-subscribers get no news at all. Well, do you subscribers want to pay the bill? Do you want to go further than your annual two bucks, to insure that the news gets to everyone? Write and tell me about your views. (Frank Doten please note.)
23 HOOPER DOOPER
Secretary, 328 North Sheridan Road, Highland Park, Ill.
