Class of 1880
June 14, 1935, brought together at Hanover six of the few surviving members of the class of '80 for their 55th Reunion. Letters from all the rest brought hearty greetings and best wishes for a successful gathering, and so it was, although greatly missed were classmates whom we had expected to be present. We much regretted the absence of our class president, Tom Flint of Hollister, Calif., as well as others whom illness, distance, and other considerations prevented from participating in our long anticipated "round-up."
The fortunate six were—Dr. Samuel T. King of Brooklyn, Warren French of Woodstock, George M. Davison of Chicago, Jesse B. Twiss of Somerville, George A. Dickey of Manchester, our class secretary, and Samuel S. Perry of Boston.
No one who has attended his class reunions in his later years will ever forget the emotions and recollections that surge within him as he clasps the hands and looks into the faces of old chums and classmates, a little changed, perhaps, through the wear of years, but still to us the old familiar faces of our college days.
The old town never looked more beautiful and inviting. The east side of the campus remains the same but, looking from the piazza of the Hanover Inn, the old Han»ver of our college days is gone. The replacement of the old College Church, destroyed by fire, with a more modern structure of a different type left little to remind us of those early days. We rode around the town, visited many old familiar scenes and talked and reuned among our- selves.
We attended the President's reception, the alumni dinner, greatly enjoyed by all —had a class picture taken of our little group, and cheered with the greatest satisfaction the well-earned victory of our baseball team over Cornell, the last of the series which brought to Alma Mater the well-earned championship of the Eastern Intercollegiate League. Our class supper, planned for Saturday evening, was changed to a luncheon at College Hall, Sunday, at 1 P. M., in order that one of our number, who otherwise could not be with us, might attend. Ten classmates and guests sat down with us in the "card room" as at previous reunions.
Our feast was graced with the presence of the wife and, daughter of one of our members. Also the daughter's husband, a lieutenant in the U. S. Navy, and his guest, also a lieutenant in the U. S. Naval Service. After a very enjoyable meal, Class Secretary Dickey read with his accompany- ing tribute to each, the list of the boys (10 in number) who had passed to the great beyond since our last reunion, and also read the letters received from classmates unable to attend. Those so greatly missed were Will Service, Tom Flint, Cap Warner, Will Smith, Pete Dame, Charles Dutton, and Clarence Pike. And so the hours passed all too quickly in genial good fellowship till the time came to bid each other "Auf wiedersehen" and our happy reunion ended.
Would that our story could end here. Little did we think, as we listened to the reports and to the witty and vivacious comments and reminiscences of our Class Secretary Dickey, that but a few short days would pass when he too would join the long list of departed classmates. It is so hard to realize that he has left us so quickly after the good time we had together. On July 8, only 22 days after our farewells were spoken, while returning to his home in Manchester from a visit to a relative in western Massachusetts, he had stopped for a short while in Keene, N. H., to transact some business with one of his insurance companies, when he was suddenly stricken with a cerebral hemorrhage and died next morning (Sunday) in the Keene Hospital. His age was 78. And so passed our much beloved "Dick" after a well-spent life. His college fraternity was Psi Upsilon.
He had been for many years the New Hampshire general agent for the Provident Mutual Life Insurance Company. He was a successful business man, greatly liked and highly respected by all who knew him for his genial and kindly disposition, his high ideals and sterling qualities of mind and heart. He had been a resident of Manchester for 30 years—a former member of the school committee from Ward 1; was senior deacon of the Franklin St. Congre- gational church, a prominent Mason and past master of his home lodge of South Berwick, Me. His funeral in the chapel of the Franklin St. Congregational church was largely attended by leaders in many walks of life, including many insurance men and members of Masonic lodges, who bore witness to the high esteem in which he was held by his fellow citizens. To those who knew him well his passing will long be felt as a great personal sorrow. He leaves surviving his widow, a son and daughter, two sisters, and two grandchildren.
And now there are but twelve left of our good old class of 'Bo—may all be present at the next reunion.
The writer has been appointed by our class president to fill the vacancy of class secretary. All news items of interest to the class should be forwarded to the above address.
Secretary, 20 Kilby St., Boston
