Class of 1932
Not two days after the copy for last month's issue of the MAGAZINE had gone to the printer's the mailman began bringing packages of mail to your Secretary that made the ordinary run of Wilkin's and Boncutter's social notices look very meager indeed. Since that time, however, the inflow has dried to less than a trickle, so the news this month will be a little more out of date than usual. Again for the purpose of helping all those who are itching to write in despatches concerning '32 men but are not just sure when would be the most convenient time for me to read and edit them—this copy goes to press on the tenth of the month preceding publication. Due to a habit prevalent in our college days (at least among English majors writing weekly papers) I usually finish my stint a few days in advance, but late material will be accepted with no points off.
This month the biggest blast comes from the Middle West, the first breeze issuing from Charlie Doerr, who had been down to the Chicago game:
"Harry Litzenberger was on with theteam. With Johnny Sheldon as host thethree of us had a class agents' meetingafter a well presented statement of thegeneral condition of the financial standings of most of the members of our class,our general agent—Dutch—announced thatour efforts again this year would be directed toward keeping as many members ofthe class participating with their smallcontributions as possible. No pressure—allwe shall ask is continued evidence of loyalsupport.
Tom Curtis and Ned Johnson drove upfiom St. Louis for the week-end. Those ironmen from that town always pull somethingstrange in the way of transportation. ThisI'ine it was a jaunt in an open car, leavingLouis at five in the morning.
Saw Jim Hanna and Ev Hokanson, whocame down from Milwaukee.
Jack Hamel atid his bride were on handlor the game—said that Jeffery was 100 busytaking care of the baby to be able to getto the game from Detroit.
"Fred Matson went up from Indianapolis.
"Then a few odd bits that come to mind:"Jerk Elliot came through Minneapolisa month or so ago and was kind enough tophone me. When a man from Montana cantravel it shows that the rest of the countryshould be mighty prosperous very soon.
"Cap Ireys whipped home across thecountry from Buffalo, where he is trying tofind out how they mill flour in Buffalo. Ofcourse this town (Minneapolis) is so full ofmills that there is scarcely room for anything else—but Cap thinks that the Easterners are beginning to steal our marketsand so wants to discover their tricks.
"Ev Mead has a job with the Readingroad in Reading, Pa.
"Leon Warner has been in Chicago during the last week, trying to prove to hardware jobbers and retailers that there is noneed for a wholesaler in their business—toobad that he has to uphold such a ridiculousposition (say I, a wholesaler)."
Charley adds that with his Sunday morning cleaning up experience at a well-known institution on West Wheelock St., and the resulting knowledge of bottles and labels, he landed a job of studying a system of liquor distribution.
Later on in December, the aist to be exact, Wilkin received the following note from another Minneapolis boy, Jack Hollern—to be exact:
"Just a note to tell you that Saturdaynight, Polly and I are announcing our engagement. Now don't you feel that youmust go ahead and get me a new Ford oranything for a present, because I will sendit right back. That's too big a thing fortimes like these. A fur coat is certainly agreat plenty (and I will break your arm ifyou send me that old thing of yours)." Jack's fiancee is Miss Polly Brooks of Minneapolis.
Johnny Sheldon finally made good on a two-year-old promise of a letter, beginning in an apologetic tone with,"I could havewritten you a very newsy letter in the fall,which might have contained much materialyou could have used in your column, butnow most of the news is old."
O.K. John, we'll overlook it just this once. Continue:
"Art Mayes is with the Lamborn Hutchings brokerage firm. We have lunch aboutonce a week, but he is about the only fellow in the class I see very often.
"Steve Harwood works for the GoodyearRubber Cos.
"Sam Moore works for a brokerage firmand goes to the John Marshall Law Schoolin the evenings.
"Bunny Rich is going to South Bend totake a job in the near future.
"Bud Dyche, Jack Munn, Tom Kiddoo,Frank Jaburek, and several others I can'tthink of go to Northwestern Law School.
"Harry Wilson worked for Stein (ParisGarters) for several years as a travelingsalesman in Arkansas and Oklahoma afterheleft school. He is now home and is goingto work for his father after the first of theyear.
"Bill Sauer is working in the city, but Ican't remember just what he said he was
doing."Don Simpson was in town for the game.He is working in Cedar Rapids for Sears,Roebuck.
"Ray Brookby works for Sears or one ofthose chain outfits. I think he has a storeup in northern Michigan.
"Homer Tiffany is teaching school insome small town in Illinois.
"Howdy Pierpont was in Chicago for awhile with the Equitable Life, but by thetime I had got around to calling him up,they had moved him to New York, so Isuppose you know all about him."
Right. He is living at the Dartmouth Club on E. 38th St.
Handy Auten also writes from Chicago, duplicating some of the stuff that newshound Sheldon had sent in a day earlier. He adds that Joe Bennett is apparently busy at the University of Chicago Medical School Miley Hulbert, Gene Fitch, and Ned Disque were at the dance after the game. "If you'd been there you wouldunderstand why it didn't occur to me toask them what they were doing. But theyseemed to be having a good time."
On the back of a Christmas card which incorporates with its greetings a pleasant picture of the Jobildunk ski trail, Ben Drew notes, "Two years out—in that timeI've 'gone back to the farm'—i.e. Father's200-acre apple orchard, where we growsome 30,000 bushels of fancy fruit per year—with production climbing rapidly.
"On the side: evening course in law atSuffolk Law School, D. O. C. of Boston, andoccasional visits to Hanover.
"Am heading for Jobildunk with Kirbyand Knight December 26."
There is a legend, I am told, current in the Harvard Yard, of a man who gets up at dawn and, attired in little more than a pair of boots, rushes about Cambridge on a pair of skis (when there is snow, of course—although he may not even need this) and startles the inhabitants with a species of yodeling never dreamed of outside Alpine valleys. Do you have to be told who it is? Anyone who was on the senior Washington trip won't have to guess twice before deciding on Pete Knight. And this, to the best of our knowledge, is the man. Ski-heil, Pete!
Red Drake is employed by the Gulf Refining Cos. After a year at Harvard Business School he spent most of the summer in Chicago working in his company's exhibit at the Fair. Then he was moved into the sales promotion department at the main office in Pittsburgh, from which place he wrote on December 17: "Bo Daniels andwife Peggy were up (to Chicago) for a fewdays from Marion, Ohio, where Bo is earnestly working for International Harvester.Everything was mighty fine with that littlefamily, and they sure made an old bachlike myself envious. Freddie Matson camethrough one day telling me that he wassoon to become a roving reporter on THEIndianapolis paper. An in thelikeness of Bish Ivins came down one dayfrom his insurance duties in Milwaukee tobat a few cheerful moments about some ofthe Indians and squaws he had lost trackof. Several others came through withrumors about this and that, but I am verysorry to say I cannot recall their names atthis time. One of the most persistentrumors was that Sterling Treat Apthorphad a job in Cleveland with the StandardOil Cos.
"I had a letter from Cal Geary in Bostona short while ago, and with his permission(thanks) I'll pass on a few words from hischeerful message. Geary is working for avery reputable brokerage house in theHub, likes his work and thinks he can keephis job, which is enough said for a '32er inthe language of '55. Such personages as RedPorter, Phil Burleigh, Johnny Whitcon]b,Burns, Frank Carleton, Bob Morrison, andothers seems to be met every so often andalthough busily occupied find time to stopand talk over things. I understand BobBuckley is still over at the Law School andwas quite the efficient organizer of a bigpow-wow after the Harvard-Dartmouthgame. A rather general survey of the Boston clan seemed to show that all were doing quite well in the 'fish district,' andeven Johnny Fish retains his position aslord of Canton Manor. I trust I have hurtno one's feelings in Boston by sending inthis news from the Smoky City, and if Ihave, Chuck, I hope they report it to youin the form of writing, as I should like tohear more about the boys up that way.
"I expect to be traveling for the nextthree months down in the sunny South,touching New Orleans and the whole stateof Texas."
Thanks for all the news, Red. You are forthwith made a star reporter for this journal.
My sincere apologies go to Bill Van Doren, who submitted a report of a Princet on-Dartmouth meeting in Ridgewood after the football game. This report was mislaid until the present writing, and is being sent to Hanover to the permanent records office. Bill wrote the discouraging news that he has been laid up in bed ("some polio germs and I had an argument") for the last couple years, and only recently has been able to get up for short auto rides and occasional trips to the movies.
I was out to visit John Clark a few weekends ago with Bob Ryan, who was making a slight tour of the East. Clark spent New Years on Moosilauke, skiing on the new trail.
This column, about which the criticism has been made that it contains nothing but the latest reports of Ferry and Hosmer and a few New Yorkers, must nevertheless record that F. and H. have returned from a jaunt to South America, working aboard one of the Munson boats. Details upon request.
Secretary, 2 Beekman Place, New York
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