1930*
The executive committee held a sauerkraut and ice-cream feed as the guests of one of its members on the top of Rockefeller Center on January 6. Present were Booth, Borella, Bottome, Dickerson, French (John), Haffenreffer, and Rockefeller. Schneebeli had his secretary wire he was ill, so we were able to keep Gulf out of this. That man Chandler didn't show, having just given us a piece of his mind in Hanover. Bud French escaped the dragnet and is believed to be lurking among Wenatchee apple trees. Adams and Callaway couldn't be lured from Chicago even by a free lunch.
When somebody said "TENTH REUNION," nine palsied hands leaped to finger graying temples, thinning hair. (Booth and Borella naturally used both hands in the search.) Before the ketchup had come in for the ice-cream, Chandler had been elected reunion chairman by eight votes, he having sent his proxy. Bottome's suggestion of sleeveless sweater and shorts for uniform, with '"30" on the chest and "'29" on the seat of the pants, was tabled. Appropriate tribute was paid to that Rich, Creamy, Old Narragansett. This was also tabled. The financial papers were passed from retiring treasurer Robert I. Booth (alias Oscar Musica) to treasurerelect Carl W. HafEenreffer (alias Salvador Musica), who submitted a financial report which we (Musica Freres, Ltd.) cooked up over breakfast with the help of the hotel stenographer and an Irish waiter named Leif Erikson (alias MarmadukeMusica). This was also tabled.
A resolution of gratitude to Vic Borella for his loyalty to the class, resisting the blandishments of the class of '28, who have been after him ever since they saw him at the head of the General Motors parade, where he was universally mistaken for Grover Whalen, was passed with eight dissenting votes, the cigarette girl (who was there at the time) joining the dissenters.
The question of a class report for the 10th Reunion, your secretary filling in all your biographical blanks with his juiciest speculations, was tabled, depending on what the auditors may have discovered about our financial condition by that time. It was agreed that detailed accounts of all that you guys have been doing since graduation, provided that the dictates of ordinary decency and good taste could be ignored, would be a Great Human Document if we could afford it, with or without pictures. It was suggested variously that when and if published, it be given away with lavish abandon to all classmates, or given to dues payers only (i.e., a Limited Edition), or sold to dues payers for 50c, to tightwads for $1.00, and to insurance men for $95. VOTED: To let the matter simmer.
Mr. Haffenreffer reported that class dues payments had struck Bristol like another hurricane, but that there was still plenty of cleaning up to do. It was reported from Chandler that carping comments had been made by the Boston boys (who are like that) that our class dues program was just a railroading device to coerce subscriptions to the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. A subcommittee retired to the powder room and prepared a ten-page memorandum designed to confound the Boston boys absolutely, upon submission of which it was agreed thai the Boston boys had a point there. It was, however, frumiously pointed out 1) that the group subscription bargain rate provided a nice margin from the class dues (if paid) to be devoted to class affairs, thus avoiding the economic waste of individual subscriptions at $2.50 without graft for the class treasury; 2) that there should be a regular medium for keeping in touch with all members of the class; 3) that the cost of reunion and other promotional mailings could be saved by using the MAGAZINE'S columns; and 4) that you boys ought to have the information provided and needed the monthly uplift of your secretary's exalted prose.
This naturally brought up the question of purges. Class Agent Bud ("Legs") French sent word through one of his trigger men that he was contemplating a purge of assistant class agents. This was greeted with cheers, all present being assistant class agents. The creme de menthe was sent out and several .rounds of toasts were ordered and drunk to Bud French, in Epsom Salts. This in turn naturally brought adjournment to the fore, whereupon it was VOTED; To adjourn sine die and how.
The Herald-Tribune boys, Casler and Rich, pointing the finger of scorn from their desks in the Artists and Writers Club, shouted in chorus: "Wordy!". . . "Reports from the front office speak with admiration of the characterization which Alan Bolte is making of the slightly insane India-nut-chewing director with whose antics the play chiefly concerns itself," says the Greenwich Press concerning rehearsals for "Once in a Lifetime" by the Greenwich Community Drama Association. This clipping (courtesy of Mr. Jeremiah) proceeds with a column full of glamor build-up for Bolte, actor and some time director.
"Inasmuch as we represent a newspaper here, we become perforce acquainted with some of salient features of libel law, and wish to advise you that you have made yourself liable in your Class Report of the December issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE" is a first paragraph, written on an attorney's letterhead, that would make any scribe's stomach sink. The writer turned out to be Bill Breckinridge, who went on to point out that we had correctly given the date of his marriage, December 22, 1932, but had given a date for the birth of his older son which we dare not even repeat here, but which Attorney Breckinridge pointed out was not only untrue but was on the embarrassing side. Since we hope to get out of this with nothing more costly than a retraction, we are pleased to announce that Phillips Breckinridge was born November 50, 1933, and is, we are sure, a fine lad. The foregoing being Bill's first letter, perhaps we have discovered a method for wangling letters out of the hold-out boys.
The Bill Wilsons of Nebraska City, Neb., including so far as we know 1930's only bank president, had a son Eric on November 23 to be enrolled in the class of '58 or '59: "And that, Watson, is why we couldn't make the Palo Alto peerade."
... Mr. Stanton Miller Osgood of the Albert Tarbell Company, an enterprise of the drama, has a small slice in Clifton Webb's "The Importance of Being Ernest" which is just opening. Stan's summer stock operations with big shot Hollywood talent were reported in November The Bob Whittleseys are receiving congratulations, the newspapers tell us, on the birth of a son, Stephen, December 28 at the Norwood Hospital. Susan Whittlesey will be two in March. . . The Fitz Fitzpatricks (B. T.) announce the birth of Barry Morgan December 2 And Margery Louise ICronengold greeted the Al Kronengolds on December 29. Margery's old man is treasurer of International Mercantile Buyers.
All kinds of births and marriages are cropping up on the green slips which have been coming back to the Alumni Records Office, and if we could only tell you about some of the future prospects! That's too hot to handle, and so we'll give you a word from Chuck Faye, rounder-upper of '30 men for the California Pow-w0w:"....
Chuck Adams arrived in town from Seattle. Bill Lawson registered... from Berkeley and I tried to locate him Friday, but the only time that I actually saw him was on his way to the game as he passed me in his car. Karl Rodi showed up sometime Saturday. I am not sure whether he was at the dinner Friday night or not
Saturday morning we were to have a class breakfast, but up to Friday night I had only found Adams. We promised each other solemnly that we would meet Saturday morning and in the meantime try to locate any other 'go men. The breakfast never materialized." Chuck reports a very satisfactory game, a fine pow-wow, a great party on Saturday night, etc.
In the ALUMNI MAGAZINE for December you may have noticed a review of the monograph entitled "Color-Music" which Hank Odbert wrote with Professor Theodore F. Karwoski.
And now for Fuller Information. We learn that Henry D. Birge was born April 1, 1936 Our blessings on Mary Catherine Blodgett (May 17, 1935) and Brian Nicholson Blodgett (October 31, 1936) but confusion to their daddy, Harry, of the legal department of Properties, Inc., Los Angeles. Harry has never written a letter Dick Blun has joined L. & H. Stern, Inc., New York (pipes and cigarette holders) George Clare of the Boston Garden was married to Miss Frances Courtney in Dorchester, Mass., on August 20, 1938. Miss Courtney is a graduate of Boston Teachers College Packy Colby was not only married at an unnamed date to one Viola Blake but points to Carol, 1933, Constance, 1934, and Jane, 1935 The Warner Cranes added Jay Van Nest Crane on October 16, 1938, to Peter Warner, aged 2, while daddy sells brass for Acheson Manufacturing Company The Bill Dearstynes have Betty Jane age 7, and William Edward, age 1.
.... Vice-principal Buckle Downey of the Nashua Junior High School was married on June 25 last (1938) to Esther Connor of Manchester, N. H Walt Draper is creeping up on the Class Patriarch, reporting Walter Scott Draper (April 29, 1935) and John Petrie (February 28, 1938) to balance Judith, practically 7, and Susan, 514
The crooks listed in the opening paragraph above have signed a paper promising attendance at 1930's record-breaking Tenth in June, 1940 (not long now). We are now receiving the names of honest men. May we have yours?
Secretary, Hanover, N. H.
* 100% subscribers to the ALUMNIZINE, on class group plan.
