Class of 1908

It only comes once in a lifetime. We mean the 25th class reunion. That's why 73 of the 'OB clan showed up in Hanover in June, with a minimum of urging and a total absence of the high-pressure effort that is usually associated with reunion committees' duties.

Seventy-three classmates, almost 50 per cent of the class; and the accompanying wives brought the total to 125. We doubt if anybody expected such a large group. Certainly the reunion committee didn't, for they had some misgivings in placing an order for 100 badges, the only official costume of this tax-exempt Twenty-Fifth.

Reunion headquarters were in Russell Sage Hall. It wasn't big enough. Never yet has 'OB had a dormitory with enough rooms. Perry Fairfield just won't believe there'll be any more than send in advance reservations, though we've told him for years that if there's one thing an 'OB man hates worse than losing to Brown it's promising in advance to attend any class gathering. However, there was no wailing from the classmates who came unannounced and got themselves parked in dormitories assigned to other classes that couldn't fill 'em up. We mean fill up the dormitories. Some of the visiting 'oBers were filled up, we heard.

Officially the three-day program wasn't heavy. It wasn't meant to be. But if any 'OB man found time hanging on his hands he was one of those who was not in Hanover June 16 to 19.

Friday afternoon brought the first of the returning group, and some of the sprightly ones are believed to have been seen at Hanover dances during the evening. Most, however, could be found in the environs of Sage Hall, where Mort Hull's guitar and the silver-throated chorus were in action long and late.

Saturday morning the golf courses drew many of the 'OB men. Others visited the new buildings and took rides on roads now hard-surfaced but once deep in dust, yet still familiar. Always one could find a good-sized group of old friends clustered about the doorway of Sage Hall, where chairs under the trees provided comfort and classmates were tireless in tossing around the well-known bull. 'OB yields precedence to none in beefing.

Everybody got in line for the march to the ball game, though Mike Stearns and Art Soule gave the parade such a long start that they barely caught it near the finish. Dartmouth's victory over Cornell wasn't painful.

The class dinner Saturday night was one of the best of all 'OB gatherings. At the lovely new home of the Dartmouth Outing Club 71 classmates made merry with delicious food. Songs and stories were also delicious, some of them. Wink Fiske, still repentant from the 10th reunion dinner, was serious. There were other touching episodes.

Sunday it rained. Now you'd naturally think a rainy day would be a great disappointment. Somehow it wasn't. It's one of those curious things about reunions that can't be explained, at least not to people who weren't there and haven't the "feel" of the party. Gatherings in rooms, excursions to the various Hanover eating places, all with that good fellowship that means so much—what was a little rain?

At noon the class picture was taken. That's always an ordeal. Always some are missing who should have been in it. Then the class meeting was held, with reports on the finances (nothing to shout about and nothing to be ashamed of. Ted Barnes' report of the total 'OB contributions to the Alumni Fund surprised many). Effort was made to enlist more interest and support for the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. Disposition of the class fund received much discussion, with final decision to leave it where it is, in custody of Treasurer Barnes.

Later the class enjoyed a showing of the Dartmouth College films, interesting pictures of Dartmouth as it is today. Monday the exodus was well under way, and comparatively few of the class remained, after the ball game, for the Alumni Luncheon at the Gym. One table was filled where three had been reserved for the class. One highlight of the luncheon was announcement that 'OB was second in percent of reuning members. The cup was won by '9B.

All through the reunion the art gallery in Sage Hall was a place of interest. In this room Bob Marsden had hung pictures in every available spot. About 100 large new portraits of classmates, and hundreds of old pictures and snapshots, in all a small trunkful accumulated during 25 years for the class archives. Here too was the original class history and class prophecy. The latter, delivered in June, 1908, was repeated at the class dinner last June by its author, Gordon Blanchard. All agreed that he had been an excellent prophet, in spots.

General Knox, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, won the cup for the alumnus coming farthest to the reunion. He's still looking for the cup.

A feature which seemed to please the classmates was the total absence of a class tax. The only income the reunion committee had was when they upped the dinner charge 25 cents a plate. This produced enough to pay the $l5 bill for the badges, and all but a dollar of the cost of the movies. Somebody, we don't know who, must have paid that dollar.

Several classmates were there who hadn't been back since 1908. Jeff DeAngelis, Utica judge, was one everybody was glad to see.

A committee was organized to collect more class news for the MAGAZINE. Larry Griswold heads it, with John Hinman, Art Lewis, and some others who have agreed to dig up and write gossip about 'OB doings.

That, in brief, is the outline of 'o8's 25th. Any written story is pitifully inadequate. To those who were there it can only recall some of the highlights. To the absent ones it can give no picture of the fun and the fellowship, the hilarity and the serious memories which were climaxed in Rev. Bill English's short memorial service, when each member of the class who had died was spoken of and called to the minds of those who knew and loved him.

There appears to be no official list of all the classmates who checked in at the reunion (due, we suspect, to the no-tax system, which made everybody glad to see everybody else without any interest in his check book). From memory we can assure you that the following were there, and some others we have for the moment forgotten:

Anderson, Badger, Barnes, Blake, Blakely, Blanchard, Chesley, J. A. Clark, Corcoran, Cowee, R. Currier, DeAngelis, Detlefsen, Donahue, Eberly, Emery, W. F. English, Farrington, Fiske, Flanders, Furman, Gleason, Griswold, Hale, Harriman, Hinman, Hobart, Hull, Joyce, Knight, Knox, A. L. Lewis, Lincoln, Lynde, McCarty, Mann, Marion, Marsden, Melville, O'Shea, Prentice, Rogers, Rotch, Ruggles, Safford, Sanborn, Schilling, R. H. Sherburne, R. W. Sherburne, Stickney, Soule, Speare, Squier, Stearns, Stone, Symmes, J. W. Thompson, Thorpe, Thwing, Treadway, Vaitses, Walker, Woodridge.

By A. B. Rotch