Class of 1902
Seems to me we need to stage some sort of celebration about this time. I don't remember much about it, but back in the cobwebs lurks a shadow of something, a combination of April Fool's Day, St. Patrick's Day (I mean South Boston Day), Fast Day, and some others. Probably it was some remnant of an Indian festival on the arrival of spring. Anyway it's a great idea to have something of the sort, and this letter ought to be written in the spirit of the times.
Actually the spirit is given in numerous letters, some recent and some dated last fall, but all of which are, to me at least, of special interest because the writers took the trouble to be more than monosyllabic. For example, George Hubbard speaks quite proudly of his daughter-in-law (wife of John C. '29) and includes in her qualifications a Vassar Phi Beta Kappa key. Both John and Geo. M. Jr. '32, are in business with their father, the firm of Hubbard, Westervelt, and Mothlay, Inc., real estate mortgages, 18 East 41st St., N. Y. City. George's daughter is a junior at Wellesley.
"Incidentally, I think Fitzgerald did avery businesslike job, with the class AlumniFund, and somewhere along the line shouldbe given credit for it."
I know a lot of us felt as George did, and I also know that Fitzy would realize our appreciation if we do the best we can to help him put the percentage of contributors up just as high as possible. Right now especially a class agent can't be over hopeful about the total sum he can get, but to know that everyone is supporting his effort to the best of his ability is real cheer.
Arthur V. Ruggles, from his secretarial job at the American Water Works Association, always seems to find time to do us many good turns. A note or a clipping now and then add a good bit to my joy of life. His summer vacation at Plymouth, N. H., seems at this time to be pretty much a thing of the past, but if I mention it here he'll perhaps be reminded that the next one is on its way. Thanks, Arthur, for the "Cheerio"; even an optimist needs it at times.
Howard Harris gives me several opening for attack, but because I enjoyed his letter so much I'll let him off easy, even though his document was postmarked at the metropolis known as Westville, N. H. Among other activities Howard is secretary of the local Fish and Game Club, and by superhuman activity succeeds in getting out to meetings sometimes as high as 5 to to per cent of the membership. You don't know how comforting that is, for I thought I was low man on percentage.
"I am back here in the ancestral hillswaiting for that New Deal squall to blowitself out. When sorely tired I go fishingand sometimes on other occasions."
There's some good philosophy in that, and since we aren't all where the opportunity lies, I for one say, "Next time you'reout, Howard, take along an extra hook anddrown a worm for me."
Shorty Sanborn's youngest son, Philip, entered Dartmouth last fall, and I suppose you recognized the likeness to the father in the picture which appeared in the November number. William is a senior at Renssalaer, and Norman is in the food broker- age business. Shorty himself is even now figuring on making the reunion in '37. I'm glad you mentioned that matter, Shorty, because a lot of the rest of us ought to be figuring on it, too.
Tom Barnes says he is having a grand good time in life, and I believe it. If you don't see how it is, I'll tell you, for he doesn't explain it very well. He gets a lot out of it because he puts so much in. Tom's granddaughter, Margaret L. Clapp, born April 23, 1935, is said to have a large and soothing grin, probably one of self-satisfaction in choosing her grandparents. And again I laugh about the way these fellows give me the low-down on their jobs. Mr. Thomas L. Barnes is supposed to be the principal of the Lincoln School in East Orange, N. J., but to us Tom says "Oh!I just sit around in the office and have agood time." Tom reports a nice call on the Goodells in their beautiful home in Maple- wood.
Phil Fox has recently sent in a very interesting story, part of it occasioned by the remark which Davis, C. W., made about his parents. Phil says that his mother died in 1931, approaching her eighty-eighth birthday,
"but my father is still living, now in hisninety-fifth year. You probably knew thathis sister was the mother of Ernest FoxNichols, your one-time teacher of physicsand later president of the College.
"For myself I am going along in the samejob. In April I went out to California toassist in the final stages of preparation forthe opening of the Griffith Observatory andPlanetarium, and stayed on there for amonth or so lecturing. I met a few Dartmouth men, Worthen several times. He isdoing a fine job in the Park System of LosA ngeles.
"I was East the week before Christmas toattend the marriage of my son Bertrand,who married Miss Mary Fiegler in WestNewton. Bert is now assistant professor ofeconomics, in Williams. My oldest sonStephen, is living in Cleveland, districtmanager of the Williamsport Wire RopeCompany. He, by the way, has conferred onme the title of grandfather. He has a youngson called William. My daughter, the thirdof my children, is in her third year of theMedical School at Chicago; and my young-est Robert, graduates this year fromNorthwestern University, specializing inmathematical subjects. The three sons arefollowing their dad's footsteps in a militaryway. The two older ones are first-lieuten-ants in the reserve corps, and the youngesthas a certificate of capacity and will becommissioned when he reaches twenty-one."
Phil also sent a reprint of his article in a recent issue of the Astrophysical Journal, a biographical note on our old friend and teacher, Eddie Frost. I wish all of you could read it.
I hate to bother some of you who seem to be pen-bound, but you see I haven't heard from anywhere all of you, though I am delighted to have passed the forty mark some time ago. The real point is, that if you read this it will be about the third of April, and my last letter of the year has to leave me about May first, so if you are intending to qualify for the Secretary's annual blessing you will have to get very busy.
And here's to a glorious spring to all of you, those of 1902 and those friends of 1902 who sometimes stray to these columns.
Secretary, 130 Woodridge Place, Leonia, N. J.
