Class of 1929
The copy for the December class letter had just been sent along to the Class Notes editor when up from Washington came a telegram dated November 12 bearing news so vital that in spite of our reluctance to mention the name Swope in successive numbers of the MAGAZINE, it must be recorded herewith as received:
"Check Gerard the Third in at eightpounds and tell Coles that I am no sissie.Jerry"
There's merit in the way that man does things. Now if the rest of you would announce your achievements in the same manner, it would be better for the MAGAZINE, better for the class record file and better for the class, because we all like babies, and we either ought to have more of them or hear more about them.
The other day there was a wedding in Cambridge. It was held on Saturday afternoon, December 1, in the Appleton Memorial Chapel at Harvard. The bridegroom was William Magenau of Concord, N. H. The bride was Mary Stubbs, daughter of Mrs. John Wiley Stubbs, of Cambridge. The best man was Eugen Magenau. The ushers were Warren French, Robert Lyle, Dudley Orr, and Maugo Ferrini. Bill and his bride will set up housekeeping in Chicago, where Bill will represent a New Hampshire manufactory for which he has been working for some time. Now the really unusual and interesting thing we noticed about those four '29 men participating in the ceremony was that but for certain minor and superficial exceptions none of them had suffered or enjoyed material change in appearance. True, Stonewall Lyle appeared to have grown a bit closer to the ground, but no double chin marred his profile. And he was all the way up from Washington for the occasion. Orr's hair is still long and silky, but kept under better control. That's the way of all heads of hair as experienced in the arts of ushering as the Orr foliage. For that man has gone professional in manner and accomplishment if not in reward. Four sets of wedding guests has he escorted in, bowed into pew, and escorted out again. All in the short space of an autumn's passing. Mike is fulfilling the promise of his earlier manhood, and is developing a higher forehead which classically merges into a gently curved dome. It's very effective. And the groom? Well, a man's wedding is no place to critically appraise him. But, Bill's trance was very becoming; and he seemed very happy to be there.
Another wedding has recently been announced: Joe O'Leary married Marguerite Virginia Mudd of Salem, N. H., on Sunday the fourth of November.
And a week ago last Sunday the Boston papers carried the announcement of the engagement of Virginia-Lee Davis of Newton Center to Nelson Hartstone. Nel practices law with his father, winters in Newton, summers in Duxbury, gets off now and then to do some hunting or fishing in appropriate seasons, is oftentimes seen in the Suffolk registry of deeds and the probate court here in Boston.
Speaking of courts, the other day when we were in the Essex County Court in Salem we saw Bart Stoodley, who practices out of Boston, and Dick Clark, who is associated with his father's offices in Gloucester and Salem. Bart still lives in Arlington, but Dick has taken his bride to live in Annisquam, a cool spot on the northwest shore of Cape Ann.
Johnny Laffey as secretary of the St. Louis Dartmouth Club and one time member of our class writes under date of November 30 to say that in St. Louis., in addition to Russ Holbrook, there is Charlie Jackson, a Proctor & Gamble man, regular attendant at the Club's "Saturday luncheons.
Not long ago we were wishing wTe could collect some New York news from a New Yorker. We thought of all the New York men back for reunion. We remembered a dinner at the Outing Club, a jesting fellow parading the length of the hall chanting the story of how the news was passed from vessel to vessel at sea off the Grand Banks. So we commissioned that jester to gather in some news for and on our account and to pass it along in whatever style he chose. He did, and here it is:
"So for the moment I am chief newsgatherer for Greater New York. As you repeat that title, it resounds through theroom and makes me feel like a big shot. Inthe first place, and last place, I have oftenwondered what news for alumni magazinesreally is. Of course, I am mildly interestedto learn that Bill Jones has been transferredfrom the New Rochelle branch of X and PCompany to the Union City branch of theD and A Company. It is always very satisfying to know that Bill still has a fob, a bed,three meals, a roof he can sleep under, andperhaps a wife. However, I'd like to knowsomething a little more personal abouthim. Is he bald? How did he look betweenthe halves at New Haven? In short, was hethe guy that did what, at where, when?
"My task has its risks. Purely by coincidence brick-bats, yes even lead slugs, maybe directed at the Blair frame. Please remember, boys, it's all in fun, so hold yourhats and let's slide down the alley together.
"'A' stands for Alexander, William, thehandsome. Here is cause for worry. Bill ishaving trouble with the fur on the upperstory. Mind you there is still some fur there,especially around the ears, but Bill hasbeen molting out of season. This fact in itself is no great cause for worry, but a'specialist' gave Bill a sales talk. The resulthas been most appalling. Bill gets a treatment every Tuesday, the treatment consisting of the application of a 'composition'from which emanates a foul odor faintlyreminiscent of little paths behind, countryhouses. I haven't seen Bill in the last coupleof months. Maybe he's escaped the clutchesof his 'specialist.'
"Of course while we're on this generalsubject we'll skip down the alphabet andtackle E. K. Walsh, the can man. Don't misunderstand me, boys in the back row, Edworks for the American Can Company andlives with Alexander. Ed is rapidly developing into the executive type. This worriedme a little. I wondered if the old wheelswere going around in that good old manner. However, I found that they are all intop-notch order, well oiled and alwaysready to go. Ed and I hopped out to Scarsdale last Thanksgiving eve to a Bachelors'Catillion or Gallop or something like that.We both were feeling quite young beforethe evening was over. It's quite surprisinghow we old guys (OH! yes, we were old atthis party) can get into action once you getthe wheels working at proper pitch andspeed. One girl asked me what year I was atYale (had to get this in some place). Mustbe strong tea they serve out there in Scarsdale.
"Oh, no, I can't leave this neighborhoodyet. We must now consider the case of thatman Purse, still as handsome as ever andstill with that million-dollar smile. Cliff isa hard man to write about. He's one ofthose under-cover guys. You phone himand invariably find him 'out for the evening.' Furthermore, I have confidential advice from Walsh that he has no definitelocus on these expeditions. You almost forget that he exists, and then suddenly whenyou happen to be at the Weylin Bar, ParkLane, or some such place, up pops thedevil—with a million-dollar smile. Oh!well. We single guys must get here andthere to see what goes on. Verification:Cliff was at the St. Regis on the night ofNovember 28.
"One night not loog ago I dropped intothe lobby of the Barbizon just to see whattime it was. One guess. Tom Stokes, seemingly in good health and feeling rather oldat the moment, and so was I. After all, youcan only feel young on occasions such asthe Yale game.
"Ah! I am arriving at a dangerous subject. 'Where is the last shred of finesse leftin the system Blair? We readers haven'tnoticed any yet.' Wollison and I went tothe game. Perhaps I better stop here. Anyway, I must dwell on Fox Wollison for themoment. He claims to 'live' in New York,although I know lots of people who claimhe really 'lives' in Scarsdale. Regardless ofwhere he 'lives,' he can still cut one whichwill rattle the pictures on the wall. Helives across the street from me in the Shelton, and I swear I've heard him getting upon several occasions. Some won't believethis, but 1 know that Fred Ingraham will.So will Owsley. The Fox is a bad actoraround taxis. He got a little annoyed onenight, and practically threw one door of ataxi through the other with much tinklingof glass. I don't blame him for not payingeither, do you? A flash—back-to-times-ofyore. Note: Not long ago the Fox broughtme a bowling ball he had picked up insome alley. Wasn't that nice of him? I justwanted you to know that he is still in shape.
"Well, Wollison and I went to the Yalegame. We were feeling quite young, thankyou. Eddie Ellinger and Dick Johnson weresitting in front of us. I think they were behaving, although I won't swear to it, because I was feeling rather infantile. Youknow how those feelings will come overone. Simply overwhelming, and I had atoothache, too. I did see Jack Ackley between the halves. Yes, we went to the Yalegame.
"I went to the Princeton game minusWollison. He took a last minute leap andmade it, but tells me that for this reason hearrived feeling kind of old.
"I hear Gus Wiedenmayer has gone capitalist. He went down to Princeton in aspecial car, taking some of our boys withhim. This sounds like an interesting possibility for news of the right sort. I will contact my New Jersey man and see what canbe done about it. Not only is Gus a capitalist but the husband of one of our most attractive wives. Some guys have all the luck.All I have is my freedom and that getspretty boring at times.
"After the Princeton game I went to theDartmouth party at Essex County, Orange,N. J. I am sorry to report that I saw practically none of our classmates, due to thefact that I was detained by the boys in therear room. Feeling rather young, I decidedto risk a fiver in the game. The boys soonhad me down to my shirt. It was only aftermost painstaking and diligent effort spreadover a four-hour period that I was able toleave the room minus thirty dollars—andgentlemen, to me $3O is THIRTY DOLLARS. Did see Ed Walsh and Cliff Purselong enough to borrow ten ducats fromthem. Sad to relate, that was my only appearance in the front room.
"Well, I have dished out quite a lot oftripe, and as I look back I haven't coveredmany individuals. Perhaps my trouble is apropensity to dwell too long on one person.Whatever the cause, I am growing wearyand have a feeling that my readers are too.I will sign off for the time being, but willtry to have some real valuable informationnext month. I haven't had time to contactsome of my best informers, such as JimHodge. Rest assured, this will be done inthe near future.
"O-K., boys, the breeze is over. Sincerelythough, no malice intended.
"JACK BLAIR"
We have located Richard Rogers. Business address: Care of Proctor & Gamble, Gwynne Bldg., Cincinnati, Ohio; home: Apt. E3, Hyde Park Manor, 3805 Madison Road, Cincinnati. Duties: advertising dept.
Jim Clarkson is a Fellow, doing graduate work at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton.
Ham Bates is with Babson Statistical Organization, Portland, Ore.
George McGarrett is the West Coast program director of the Columbia Broadcasting System, at Station KHJ, Los Angeles, living in Beverly Hills.
Jim Loeb is teaching in Paris this year, preparing for his Ph.D., living at 12 Rue Sarette, Care of Mme. Leblanc, Paris, 14e.
Carl Norden has been transferred to the London branch of the National City Bank, 36 Bishopsgate, London, E. C. a.
By the time you read this it will be too late to wish you Merry Christmas, but not too far along to hope that it will be a Happy New Year.
Mary Margaret Phelan
Secretary, 89 Pleasant St., Newton Center, Mass.
