Class of 1935
An impressive-looking envelope, covered with German hieroglyphics and air mail stamps, arrived the other day via the Hindenburg. Enclosed was a request from our wandering secretary to edit the "visitor's month" column for November. Since everyone around New York was arguing violently concerning the respective merits of the Yanks and Giants at that time, my mind was far from class notes. In the interval, however, I have gathered a collection of news that I hope will be of general interest, so here goes.
William Wyville's comments on his own doings through the summer seemed all too few. In his letter to me he was equally sparing in details, but volunteered this: "Thefamily came over in the end of June andwe took a flying trip through Norway andSweden, coming down through Denmarkto Berlin in time for the Olympics Mother and Dad left soon afterwards. Wedrove across Europe from Berlin to Paris,spent four days there and then I left themat Cherbourg and came back alone toMunich." By the time Bill returns home an account of his travels would sound like Richard Haliburton.
Among the other travelers of the class come Bill Lingley and Ted Steele. Bill also spent the summer touring Europe with his mother, and he says that the most distinctive thing about the trip was their failure to see the Olympic games. Ted, on the other hand, just sailed for England on the lie de France yesterday morning, having spent the summer touring through the West. He is heading back to Oxford for his second year.
Returning to New York City, the greatest center for '35 seems to be 30 Fifth Avenue, where Bud Fraser and Carl Funke are keeping house with Dave Hedges and Dick Gruen '34, and Ted Wachs ex-'36. Among the steady visitors are Bob Sellmer, Tom Lane, and Mac McCarty. Bob gave up his self-styled "hack writing" for a time to take an editing job on a new "mag," but something went wrong with the backers, so he is a free-lance once more. His latest effort is a ghost writing job for Albie Booth entitled "My Fan Mail." He and McCarty were seriously considering a vagabond tour through Mexico and South America, but Mac had to fly back to Texas due to his mother's illness, so all plans are in abeyance for the time being.
Tom, who was haunting night police courts all last year for the Herald Tribune, is now working on some special features, including a radio column and a high school essay contest.
Among other New Yorkers, Dick Hube Company (the Company consisting of Don Cameron, Bud Hinman, and Dick Turner) are still living in Jackson Heights, Queens, and report "conditions unchanged." Bob Hage and Duke Lansberry are living at the Dartmouth College Club. Bob has settled down in New York now after spending a year on the road for Vicks. When asked what he is doing, he says, "Vicks," and puts on an exceptionally good pantomine of a man with a very bad cold.
Harry Ackerman is doing a fine job for Young and Rubicam, being in charge of all auditions for their radio programs. "Swanee" Dawson is an investment counsellor for Brown Bros., Harriman, investigating "municipalities." (This came from one of the boys in "the Street." You never know about their jargon, but I presume he means municipal bonds.)
Contradicting last month's column, Dick Meyers is no longer on the "steenty-steenth" floor of the Empire State Building, having found himself a better job with some celephane outfit.
The gang out here in Jersey is steadily growing. I met Jack Shelmire on a commuter's train the other day heading for work in New York, where he is a pillar of strength for B.V.D. I meant to ask him what B.V.D. stood for. Personally I've never found anyone who knew. Ralph Specht has been transferred to the New York office of the United Shoe Machinery Co., and his brother Frank has a new job as Store Manager for Firestone in their Bronx store. Herb VanDoorn, who is living on the same street with us here, is assistant buyer in Bamberger's lamp department down in Newark. A few blocks away lives Bob Neill, who is in the insurance business in New York. Bob played quite a bit of tennis for the East Orange Tennis Club during the summer. One more, and the latest addition to our colony, is Bob Kugler, who is living in Maplewood and working for the South American Development Company in New York. It seems that they own gold mines down there, and Bob keeps busy buying supplies for them.
Leaving New York and moving out into the hinterland, first mention goes to our president, Don Hagerman. After a year of punching doorbells for the New England Telephone Company, Don has accepted a post at Deerfield Academy. He says, "Mywork consists of being master in a corridorof B boys, teaching two French courses(and incidentally learning a great deal myself), and coaching football—or rather,helping." I surmise that Deerfield will be very good at the "points after" this fall.
Going through Boston on my vacation, I ran into Sel Hannah, taking a day off from his duties at the Hanover Inn, where he helped Ford and Peggy Sayre all summer. On the same trip I saw Randy Stowell who is now in the timber business for himself. He said that life in the big city didn't agree with him, so now he is back on his native heath, and thoroughly happy.
The clan assembled pretty well for the Norwich game this fall. Riv Jordan was there, girding himself for another struggle at Harvard Law, as was Bud O'Brien. Ken Kurzon was in town and nearly beside himself with worry. One of his theatres had burned in Brandon, Vt., and he was trying to settle the insurance claims on that in time to resign some contracts expiring the following day in Bangor. San Brown bobbed up, still continuing his studies in Hanover, along with Herb Stearns. Walt Petke, roaming around the Field House, reported that he was in the real estate business in Bristol, Conn. And while we are in Connecticut, Jack Eagan and Fitz Donnell are working for the Yale Lock Company in Stamford. Fitz, however, manages to spend all his week-ends in New York. In Naugatuck, Bob Lowell, as Personnel Manager for the U. S. Rubber plant there, is doing quite well. He says that he's getting to be an expert on income taxes from making out returns for the employees.
Link Washburn blew in the other day from Alaska, where he has been exploring all summer. Being uncommunicative as usual, it was hard to find out just what was accomplished, but they seem to have found a new mountain, and taken aerial photographs of Mt. McKinley, flying at a height of 21,000 feet, which required constant use of oxygen tanks. Link and his wife are both going to Columbia this winter.
Two of our former metropolitan friends have just been heard from—Bud Childs and Earl Arthurs. Bud is starting Buffalo Med this fall, and according to Fraser, will welcome any and all visitors—but only on Saturday night, because he is going to study during the rest of the week.
Earl was in town not long since on his way to Detroit for a sales convention. He was the youngest man at the convention, which seems to indicate that he is doing very well. Socially he is a tremendous success down in Charlotte, N. C., where he has his headquarters. Report has it that he is a member of numerous country clubs, and is in great demand for all social functions.
I think mention should be made of the death of Bob Ayer, who, although he didn't graduate, due to poor health, was constantly loyal to the college and class, and a very good friend to many of us.
Changing key rather sharply, news comes of three more weddings. The first, Bob Ferry's to Louise Butts, confirms the rumor circulated in last month's column. Mink Hawley was married to Rachel Roberts late in July up in Baldwinsville, Mass., and more recently Bill Crouse was married out in Cleveland.
Thus ends the news, and so with many thanks for the opportunity of handling the column, I turn it back to Bill.
Secretary, Trinity College, Cambridge, England
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