1931

The presenting of this column for the first issue of the MAGAZINE gives me a real satisfaction and pleasure because for the first time in a number of years the ALUMNIMAGAZINE will now go to every member of the Class of 1931. With every member of the Class receiving the MAGAZINE I hope that each and every one will in his turn take an interest in helping to make this column one of pleasure for everybody. We will welcome as usual every bit of news and information that we can get and are looking forward to hearing from everybody before" the year is up.

Back in June, when the tenth of the month rolled around, your Secretary was found frantically picking away on the typewriter at one o'clock in the morning in order to get his script in for the July issue. The notes were mailed post-haste and we settled back with a feeling of great accomplishment only to have the same notes returned to us with a rather curt note from the editor of the MAGAZINE saying, "There is to be no July issue, so here are the notes which you forwarded to us. If you would care to, we will keep them here and use them in the fall." By the time the fall would have rolled around, of course most of the material in these notes would no longer have been news and hence they were destroyed.

However, there were a few items which are worth repeating at this time—one of which concerns a recent change in address, which continues to indicate the far-reaching influence of 1931, when we learned that Billy Alton, of the Standard Oil Producing Department, is now located in Cairo, Egypt, with the title of Assistant Manager.

There was also a grand long letter from former Secretary Ed Gruen in which Ed says, "Being headquartered in Warren G. Harding's sometime home (which has now gone back to grass for the most part) I still haven't had a chance to look up many of the '31ers. Did, however, catch up with John Lentz yesterday down at Marysville, his old home. At the local beanery, talking at the top of our lungs, there being a High School Girl Reserves banquet in the same room, I managed to learn that John left Fisher Brass a year ago to learn all about raw and evaporated milk at Nestle's huge Marysville plant. The milk "factory," and it looks it from the outside (they wouldn't let me in) has now the largest raw milk intake of any in these United States—(aren't you underestimating, Ed, the infant factor in these here United States?)—and only one plant in Wisconsin turns out more canned evaporated milk. John, single and non-committal, dodged pretty skillfully when I quizzed him about the beautiful blonde that tapped him on the shoulder as she went out. I made several trips to Dayton over week-ends and on one of them saw Bob Oelman in between his jumps from the San Francisco Fair and the New York World's Fair where he did work in supervising his company's (National Cash Register) exhibit."

Ed himself is now covering the principal towns of Marion, Bucyrus and Delaware, Ohio.

The cares of bachelorhood continue to slip gracefully from the shoulders of our remaining independents as we look over a fistful of wedding invitations and announcements. First of these comes from Cohasset, Massachusetts, from which we learn that Virginia Randolph Poole, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Dana Poole, was married to Jim Rick on June 13.

From Chicago we learn of the marriage of Mabel Jane Parker, the daughter of Mrs. Harry J. Parker, on the 24th of June to William Browne Swift.

Art Seepe was married on the 8th of August in New York City to Virginia Moulton Swallow, the daughter of Mrs. W. Shelton Swallow. Art and Virginia are making their home at 31 Pleasant Street, Waterville, Maine.

Here's one from Jim Lyall which tells of his marriage to Harriett Grace McKay on the 28th of August in White Plains. Mrs. Lyall is the daughter of Mr. Charles Henry McKay of White Plains.

To all of youse guys and youse gals, our most sincere congratulations and best wishes for years of happiness—and to the girls, welcome to the Class of 1931.

In the new arrival department we find a boy at the house of Reno—John Findley Reno—born on the 15th of June. From what Dick Fisher tells us on his most recent trip to the Cape for his vacation with his family, the Reno's are a proud and happy family. Henk is continuing to do extremely well with the Equitable there in Peoria and has built himself a beautiful new home.

It was a boy too—Douglas Paul Warwick-on May 20th at the home of Nini and Jack. Congratulations, both of you, and we are glad to see someone coming along that will be able to give "Snooky" Warwick a run for his money—this will keep you stepping now, Jack.

Can't you just see all these kids in about three or four more years?—" Bet you my old man can lick your old man." "Oh, yeah! He can not!" "He can so' 1" Wham!!!

In the century of progress along the business route we find that Shep Wolff has just received a nice promotion with the Brooklyn Union Gas Company, now retaining the title of Domestic Sales Manager.

And Frankie Hodson is now a member of the Board of Directors of Eppens-Smith and is continuing his rapid progress upward.

There are three interesting changes in address—one for Don Crane, Supervisor for the A & P Wine and Liquor Stores in Millburn, New Jersey. His new residence address is 27 Maple Avenue, Madison, New Jersey. Don, you will be drafted for the liquor committee at the Tenth and it will be a real pleasure to visualize a gathering of the clan where we don't have to spike the near beer with alcohol the way we did at the '31 picnic—shades of Bill St. Louis and Dick Holbrook. Or maybe we shouldn't mention that liquor in the same breath with your wine and liquor department, Don.

Another jump for Nels Greenlund, now with the title of Assistant Regional Merchandiser with Montgomery Ward in Kansas City. Some day, Nels, I am going to ask you to write a book on your travels through the Southwest. And a final change for Charles E. Decker, M.D. to the Montreal General Hospital in Montreal, Canada. Looks like you will have to dust off that old Buick, Ed, if you are going to make Davenport in thirty hours the way you used to from Hanover.

It is with the greatest amount of regret and at the same time with a tremendous appreciation that we extend our vote of thanks to Beany Thorn who finds it necessary to relinquish his work as Alumni Fund Agent for our Class. You did a swell job, Beany, and it was only through your persistent and friendly efforts that the Class of '31 has continued to maintain its place well up among those contributing to the Alumni Fund. I know that everybody is sorry to hear that it is necessary for you to relinquish the work, and yet we all join in a sincere vote of thanks for a job well done.

In closing the column for this month, let me again ask for some cooperation from you men in the way of notes and news—and if any of you have any photographs which will be interesting, please send them along, as this year, being on a 100% group basis, we will be allowed to include in our column a picture from time to time.

Secretary-Chairman, Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Co. 79 Elm St., Hartford, Conn.

* 100% subscribers to the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, on class group plan.