Class of 1929
There are letters from a musician in South America, from a world-traveled journalist, from a Yankee lawyer, and a scholar, but otherwise the October mail slot gathered in nothing but cobwebs. Perhaps with the destiny of America settled for another four years some of you lads will begin using the postal service again in the interests of that good but simple virtue . . . . fellowship. We used to sing a song about it.
A trip to Hanover for the Holy Cross game rewarded us with a stirring afternoon of football, but the weather and the crowd conspired against all efforts to locate all but a few classmates. Overlooking Dick Johnson, who is no news, the only ones we had a chance to say hello to were Trapper Bryant, Harry Enders, Panos Georgopulo, and Paul Woodbridge. Perhaps we would have seen more people to visit with if Brother Orr had not made us blaze a new trail through the wilderness to the Hanoover Plain. He turned a two-hour drive from Concord into a four-hour picnic excursion in the rain. They say, however, that he is doing very well at his regular work.
That fellow Johnson met Eddie Ellinger and Mrs. Ellinger at New Haven, and brought back word that Eddie is just recently married to the former Sally Singer of radio fame. Also encountered were Eddie Walsh, Clif Purse, Chris Born, Ellie Cavanagh, Phil Fitzpatrick, Lloyd Kent, and Jack Gunther. Being a very excitable creature, Johnson is unable to recollect others who were undoubtedly present. Can't someone else undertake to be the special correspondent at the Yale game hereafter?
Russ Goudey is the South American musician above referred to. He wrote from the city of Buenos Aires in the Argentine, where he has settled down after constant trotting about from one capital city to the next. His English grammar, however, is still expressive:
"At present I am doing rather well asthe director of dance programs for LR4,Radio Splandid, of this city, one of themost important stations in South America.As for what I have been doing all this timeaway from home, I'm reserving that for anillustrated lecture, to my intimates, over abarrel of beer in Hanover, June 1939.Sorry, but nothing could possibly be doneabout it in a letter. It is possible that youmay hear better news from me beforethen."
Shep Stone is the journalist. It seems that there is little change in Shep's appearance except for the continued thinning of his hair. At present he is in New York, in the Sunday department of the New York Times, as an assistant to the Sunday editor. Once a week he speaks over a nationwide hookup of the Columbia Broadcasting System on current affairs. Further, he reports:
"Briefly, I spent a few years abroad studying at Berlin, Heidelberg, etc., and re-ceived my PH.D. in history at Berlin. Itraveled quite a bit, talking to statesmen,street cleaners, policemen, innkeepers, trying to find out what was going on. In 1933I returned to this country, wrote articleson international affairs for the Times, went abroad again, married Charlotte Hasenclever of Berlin, returned.
"If you are ever in New York I hopeyou will come over for lunch. I should liketo see you. There are quite a few Dartmouth people, ranging from the class of1900 to 1935. We are a tight little community. By the way, just this minute theSunday editor paid me two dollars. He isa Columbia man and was foolish enough tobet on his team."
The scholar is Bill Davenport, and if he is dissatisfied with life he should be ashamed of himself. He tells his own story:
"The only '29 man I see around here is Karl Michael, who is still coaching the divers on Yale's swimming team, and who also doubles in squash or golf or whatnot for the aspiring undergraduates who pay $2O a year for the privilege of using Mr. Whitney's gym. Karl has been married for some time and has two or three children.
"I'm puttering along trying to compromise between being a scholar and a Philistine, and not succeeding very well, but having lots of fun. I taught at Tufts for two years, then four years at Carnegie Tech I'm more or less on leave of absence from there. I did a year's graduate work here last year on top of my M.A., and should be getting a Ph.D. in English next June, but I won't, because instead of studying for my orals last summer, I drank beer and enjoyed life in Munich, Germany. That's the way it's been lately. I've made three trips to South America and the Caribbean since 1934, so you can see one reason why I am not married and not one of the wealthiest '29ers.
"If any news comes along, I'll let you know. Nothing catastrophic has happened since roommate Ruff got married last winter."
Jake Jaquith is the Yankee lawyer. But that is an insufficient description. He is a householder (meaning a window washer, leaves-raker, screen-painter and harassed parent); all of which capacities make him a busy man; all of which make the following letter more appreciated:
"The major event in our household was the arrival of Peter Comey Jaquith on June 27 of this year. During the four months of his residence he has gradually divested his sister Mary—now two and a half—of many of her hitherto inalienable rights. Her tub, her carriage, her play pen, and finally her crib have yielded to his power of -eminent domain. I will not attempt any description other than to say his lung power is adequate, his appetite enormous, and he has an uncanny ability to spot a clean suit or a new tie or any other article of wearing apparel which comes within his range.
"My contacts with other members of the class have been pretty well limited by the exigencies of the rural practice. I got into Boston for one of the American Bar Association's meetings and ran into John Dickey and Beedie Brisbin. Beedie could not be persuaded to stop long in our company, however, as he was on his way to the ball game. The meeting with John was a forerunner to the pleasure of an enjoyable dinner at the Dickey home in Winchester and an introduction to the Washington additions to the family, Sylvia and Christina. The former is a lively young lady of not quite two, who promises to bear a striking resemblance to her paternal ancestor. The latter, aged six months or thereabouts, has not yet reached an age where a mere man can make predictions.
"In September we spent a week of our vacation in New York, where we were royally entertained by the Allen Gordon Millers. What with Helen as guide by day and Allen at night, the country cousins had their eyes opened and their necks crimped before they left for home. I was more than duly impressed with the New York courts and law offices. The spectacle of seeing six murderers arraigned in less than half an hour in a criminal court room emphasized the large scale on which the New Yorkers do business. I discovered that it is a small city, after all, though, when I met Frank Middleton in an elevator and Larry Lougee in a restaurant on the same day.
"Last Monday we received the announcement from Ed Coddington of the arrival of Louise Quarles Coddington on Saturday. Ed is doing graduate work at Clark University, and is well on his way to his Ph.D. in history. He has been awarded numerous honors in his two years there, and about ten days ago passed his oral examinations without difficulty. The presence of Professor Jordan on the staff at Clark had a lot to do in influencing Ed in coming to Clark, and it must be a source of satisfaction to Professor Jordan to see a former student doing so well.
"I have bumped into Squeek Redding twice recently. Once in the Worcester courthouse, where he was busily engaged in searching a title for what I hope was a grateful and not impecunious client, and the second time on the Cambridge subway bound for the Harvard-Dartmouth game. I certainly hand it to Squeek and to our other distinguished barrister classmate, Gus Herbert, for having the courage to tackle Boston practice on their own. They are thoroughly deserving of the success which I hear they are obtaining.
"My own practice has been increasing particularly during the past year, but it is a constant struggle climbing the hillside above the poorhouse. Last winter I made a new connection in Worcester, forming a partnership with Edward F. Mann, Esq., of that city for the purpose of examining titles and clearing up encumbrances. We each carry on practice in other branches of the profession outside of the partnership. I am clerk of a newly organized cooperative bank and I do some of its legal work. I have; also been serving as clerk of the District Court at times. Last spring I came to the conclusion that business and politics do not mix and retired from the Republican town committee: In the future I expect to take my politics from the newspapers and exercise the rights of criticism belonging to that part of the electorate who confine their activities to the voting booth."
Larry Lougee has had another article published in the Public Utilities Fortnightly, his second to come to our notice. This one, entitled "Private Offerings and Sales of Utility Securities" appears in the October 22, 1936, issue. The editors' introduction of the author states that Mr. Lougee is of the legal staff of the Long Island Lighting Company and subsidiary companies.
Secretary, 75 Federal St., Boston
