1935*
For the last few issues I've been trying to organize the news a bit, but at this point I don't feel in such an analytical mood, so you'll get it just as it comes—and here goes. My Christmas card receipts were away above normal this year, and I wish to express my appreciation for your thoughtfulness. They came from all sections: Don, Ibba, and Judith Hagerman, Hugh Wolff- who ought to be urging me to go to Florida with him again, as he has done for the past three winters—Frank Specht, who is moving up faster than this column can keep pace, having been made manager of Firestone's New Rochelle (N. Y.) store, Link and Tahoe Washburn, Bill and Jan Moran, Ted Steele, Bill and Helen Clark, Neil and Lee Roberts—and here I take time out to cover the long epistle attached to Neil's card. Neil confessed that it was his first effort at "writing to the class scribe." [He is still hale and hearty. Ed.] We have mentioned before that Neil went to Harvard Business for two years. He and Lee were married June 23, 1937, upon her graduation from Wheaton, and they are now living in Denver, where Neil works with the United States National Bank of Denver as alternately loan and discount teller and an analyst of securities. Strangely enough, he reports the "recession" has spread as far West as Denver. Neil recently discovered that Henry Buck and Bill Chapman were in Denver, whereupon they staged a skating party. Henry is a special agent for a group of insurance companies dealing largely in surety bonds. We would be very much interested in further details concerning his marriage last August to a young lady named Kay. Bill Chapman is a cost accountant for an oil drilling company.
Getting back to the Christmas greetings —Herb Stearns, of whom more anon, Bobb, Mary Elizabeth, and Sally Chaney, who spent the holidays "with the grandparents in Minneapolis." They also have a brand new house in Grand Rapids—l9so Hall, S.E.—Dick Hube, back in New York finally, Bob and Hilda Kugler, Bob Hage, Tom and Virginia Lane—Tom is now assist production manager of the Hobby Lobby Show (WJZ and associated stations every Wednesday evening at 8:30). Rocky Rockwell, whose engagement to Ruth J. Adams of South Hadley, Mass., was announced January 5. Ruth is the granddaughter of Prof. C. D. Adams, who taught Greek at Hanover for many years. Rocky will be teaching political science at Princeton, starting with the second semester. Cards from Herb and Ginnie Van Doom, Harry Marchmont-Robinson, living at Staff House, King's County Hospital, Brooklyn, Lou and Peg Whytlaw, living at 72 Seaman Ave., New York City, as do the Kuglers; Jack Gilchrist, and lastly a very interesting one from Dave Smith and family, being a group picture featuring Nancy Cushing, aged five months.
There was also a card from Maurie Rapf, but Maurie turned the card into a letter, and he did it so thoroughly that I can't help but place it primarily in the latter category. His comments on the life of a Hollywood writer are sure to be of general interest: "Without wanting to complain about a profession that pays ridiculously well, I must confess that this is extremely unsatisfactory work ninety-nine per cent of the time. Contrary to the popular conception, we are not, strictly speaking, told what to write, but what to write about. Our subjects are mostly picked for us, and we try to create some variations on a familiar theme, whether we are interested in it or not. I think it is a bad place for a young guy for this reason, and because it is secluded and rather smug as a community."
Maurie would like to see a little more expression of the thoughts of the class in this column, which is a good idea. He started the ball rolling with some of his own: "In my own little sphere here in Hollywood, I have come to believe that nine-tenths of the people of our particular age are strong supporters of Roosevelt, violent anti-fascists who support the Chinese and Spanish Loyalists with their nickels and dimes,.... objectors to the daily press who constantly cry out for some paper which will present news a little more objectively so that the liberalism we have learned can successfully be put in practice, and on ad infinitum. That is what I sometimes slip into believing, but I know it isn't true now anymore than it was when we were undergraduates." Any comments?
Maurie has been writing for Columbia recently, and points to "Bad Man of Brimstone" as the best known result of his labors. He was recently elected secretary of the Screen Writers' Guild, which represents some 645 screen writers. He reports Dick Halvarsen in Hollywood with an advertising firm instead of with R.K.O., and Steve Brooks with Paramount.
Herb Stearns is a very happy young man at this point, his engagement to Ig having just been announced. I must apologize for not giving Ig's last name, but I've known her by that for so long that the last name is only a hazy memory. They are looking forward to a wedding in June.
Congratulations are in order to Rand and Phoebe Stowell on the birth, December go, of John Drew, weighing 7 pounds 7 ounces. Interestingly enough, Rand's brother Newt became a father the same day.
Fritz Hormel, having deserted the academic life of Harvard Law for a position with Carter, Ledyard, and Milburn (the Ledyards are John Ledyard's family) in New York, is living in the Village, and seems to be worried by the stigma of his Harvard association. "At a recent office party a fellow clerk came up to one of the secretaries because, he said, 'she wants to hear you talk Harvard.' If you read of my suicide, you will know why."
Russ Field stopped off twice during the holidays going to and from his home in West Virginia from and to his job with G.E. in Schenectady. (A bit involved?)
Josephine Coad and Bob Collins will be married in Omaha, January 28, after which they will live at 209 Prospect St., East Orange, N. J. They very kindly invited your scribe to the wedding, but I'm afraid Omaha is a little too far out of my commuting orbit.
News from Bob Hage and the New York Club—twenty-four loyal members appeared for the December dinner, thereby staying ahead of '34, which could boast of a mere twenty-three. Ed Keane, Bud Wise, Art Bamford, and Joe Parachini arrived later, swelling the total to twenty-eight. Incidentally I saw Joe at the opera the other day. The plutocrat had a seat, while I chewed my nails in envy as I froze in the standing room line.
Going back to the dinner, the evening seems to have been featured by a poker game patronized by Hage, Bamford, McVicar, and Wise, and a ping-pong tournament centering around Swanee Dawson, Joe Knap, and Put Kingsbury. Dick Montgomery, fresh from the U.P. night desk, put in an appearance for the first time in many months.
Dick Eberhart, Lamson, McCarty, Conklin, Knap, Chick and Hunt Harrison, Bob Collins, Parachini, Hage, and one other, whose name has been regrettably forgotten, turned out to hear Prof. Anderson speak to the club on "What Germany Gained at Munich." '35 again outranked all others in attendance.
Dr. Ben Harriman is working with the Wm. S. Merrell Company, a subsidiary of Vick's, and the oldest pharmaceutical house in the country. Ben is in their scientific laboratories in Cincinnati.
Bill Fitzhugh, at this writing, is home for a short stay, and since I know little of the why and wherefore, and since I will see him before he sails, I shall leave further details for the next issue.
Secretary, 112 Evergreen PL, E. Orange, N. J
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