Class of 1907
Interesting news from Bob Stokes as follows:
"Miriam Stokes, a junior at Holyoke-Barbara Stokes, a freshman at Swarthmore—Robert P. Stokes, Dartmouth five yearshence."
Very interesting and highly commendable, but we all like to hear about the father too.
Our basketball captain hasn't lost the knack of hitting the basket. "Greb" has just been re-elected to the Newton board of aldermen. Perhaps he will tell us in the next MAGAZINE how he does it!
Sam Barnes came East last September with his daughter, who is a junior at Mt. Holyoke. He spent a few days in Boston and went on to Washington in the interest of the Rainier National Park. Sam expects that his second daughter, now a senior in high school, will enter Mt. Holyoke next year.
From Akron, Ohio, comes a welcome note from Clarence Langley. I am sorry that he doesn't tell us more about himself but it's fine to have him express the opinion that "things at least are turning a little for thebetter."
El wood Richardson reports a very serious illness last spring and a complete recovery last summer. Not a word about his family nor his business, but that will follow later.
Here is a word of inspiration from a classmate intentionally anonymous:
"Back in the early twenties I took overthe reorganization and management of agroup of five large plants. Too much work,not enough play, a breakdown, three hospital operations. Two years later the option of loafing a lifetime or starting all overin some outdoor work. Picked real estate.Signed up with a large firm. Soon vicepresident. Got ambitious again. Bought asub division in 1928. Bought another big oneearly 1929. Just got the roads in and a couple of houses started when the crash came.Didn't—wouldn't believe it. Gave up partnership and carried on alone. Tried newideas, bought and sold every year duringdepression. Black March came. Fired broadsides of plans and ideas at Washington.Thought I would work out one minuteangle of recovery here as a sample to proveit can be done. Result:—six fine, big, stonehomes now going up on my tract. Newroads; new gas and water lines; new underground electric and telephone lines; theplace swarming with happy workmen!Banks coming to me offering easy firstmortgage money, because it looks so soundto them!
"The building business was just aboutas hard hit as any industry—hardest perhaps—but I wanted to prove that any business can go ahead if the men in back of itget out and hustle (after a little sound, safe,calm thinking and planning). God knowsthe restricted, exclusive, high-grade suburban home business was shot full of holesby the 1929 bust-up. But all of my competitors (and similar developers all overthe country, perhaps) are sitting around ontheir tails, cultivating permanent wavesover the eyebrows, waiting for recovery tocatch up with them—only thinking aboutnew business in the old-fashioned style-Mother Hubbard vintage!
"This letter is not for publication, Dick." —but it was too stimulating not to publish.
Secretary, 80 Federal St., Boston
