1879

The sixtieth anniversary reunion of '79 was celebrated by four octogenarians, June 17, 18, without much noise or display. Bailey and Smith from Vermont and Norton from California were on hand Saturday. On account of the rain, only Class Marshall Bailey appeared in the alumni parade, but Smith and Norton joined him at the luncheon in the Gymnasium.

College Treasurer Halsey C. Edgerton '06, son of our classmate the late C. A. Edgerton, and his wife kindly invited us to have our class dinner Sunday as their guests at their home, 6 Occom Ridge. The house is the one built by President Tucker after his retirement and occupied by him until his death. Darling from Vermont joined us there. Much to our regret, Gage was confined at his home in Ascutney, Vt., by a severe cold.

As befitted men of our age, each was accompanied by an attendant, Bailey by his wife, Darling by his daughter Mrs. Ransom, Norton by Miss Leah Thomas of Ascutney, and Smith by his son H. V. Smith '10 and wife. Also present were Mr. Edgerton's brothers, Malcom '06 and Alson '17 and Mrs. Alson Edgerton, a very pleasant company of fourteen, of whom eight were Dartmouth alumni.

After a fine dinner and the taking of group snapshots in the yard, we all went to the west front of Baker Memorial Library where an elm tree was dedicated to the memory of our classmate Judge William N. Cohen LL.D., who died February 27, 1938. The tree, one of the largest ever moved by the College, stands on the lawn between the Library and the sidewalk, directly in front of the Treasure Room, which was furnished by '79 in memory of our classmate the late Judge Charles M. Hough LL.D. The class has paid the estimated cost of the tree's transplanting done about ten years ago.

At brief dedication exercises Secretary Smith read the last letter received from Judge Cohen six weeks before his sudden death, in which he expressed his interest in the coming reunion; and then gave a list of his many gifts to the College, including those to the Alumni Fund, the Memorial Field, the new Gymnasium, Webster Hall, the Treasure Room, the annual gift in the name of the class for Music, Drama and Belles Lettres. Mention was also made of his bequest to the College of a large amount not yet announced.

President Hopkins then spoke briefly of some prominent members of the class, particularly of Judge Cohen, who, he said, had been one of the College's most interested and generous sons. The Secretary then said, "We dedicate this tree to the memory of our classmate, Judge William N. Cohen." The tree, which is to have a marker at its base, is to be known as the COHEN ELM.

After the dedication we adjourned to the Treasure Room, where our secret cabinet was opened, showing class documents of interest, the Class Album on the table was examined, and letters were read from Closson, Graves, Mclntire, Newell, Swasey and Tebbetts, also from relatives of several deceased members.

This was the twelfth and probably the last official reunion of '79. The first was held in 1883, the rest at the regular quinquennial periods, beginning with 1889. There is no record of the attendance at the earlier ones, but beginning with 1904, Smith has been present at all, Bailey, Closson, Cohen and Gage at all except one. Norton has been present only at this last one.

Closson, "the Duke of Holderness," has spent the summer as for many years past at his beautiful cottage on Lake Squam, N. H Graves has been kept at home all summer by the illness of his wife and the death of his sister, Mrs. Woodruff, who had lived with them many years Norton broke up his home at Pasadena, Calif., after the death of his wife in April, and came to his son's in New York. During the class reunion he was the guest of Gage at Ascutney, and since then has been visiting relatives in the East In August Smith called on Swasey, who was with us fresh- man year and is now living at the beautiful I.O.O.F. Home in Concord, N. H. Swasey is now the oldest living member of the class.

Secretary, 72 South St., Proctor, Vt.