1938*
The last white hope of bachelordom in the person of our own Stinky Davis, longtime Glamour Boy and manure tycoon, upset all prognostications and tea-tables this month with the announcement of his engagement to Mary Tonkin, more happily known as Lindy, of Pittsburgh and K. Gibbs. We regret the passing of our prexy. I'll have to turn my full attention to one Becky Holmes now, managed by Sox Calder, to make up for this last defeat. Woman, the vicious paradox, is bringing us to heel everywhere, but we can't condone the engagement of the Wellesley flash, Margaret (Peg) Cahill, to Tom McGrath too much, because we saw it coming, We wish them all good luck, though, as well as to Mary Burnham Ayer, Smith '39, whose engagement to Johnny Hall was announced. It now becomes our province and privilege to pick a new white hope, and we think it only fitting that the position be filled by our suave Strikeout King, Cocktails Borneman.
I've gotten a card from Hosmer, which I'm still trying to decipher. All I can make out is that he's back from his 'round the world trip without malaria, cholera, or clothes, of which the latter is nothing unusual, and with a greater line of malarkey to sling. I beat it up to Hanover last week-end, which will have been last month by the time you read this, and ran right into our friend of the bush, Yankauer, who's now a rewrite man for the Associated Press, and without his hirsutial garbage. Johnny Nelson was there too, playing squash with the Calumet Club of Manchester. News comes from funny places these days, and wild boars brought the news that Johnny Jameson is down in the swamps of southern Louisiana with the alligators and water mocassins, exploring for oil with the Petty Zeophysical Engineering Cos. The New England Quarterly for December carries the lead story of "Training Day in New England" by Tel Mook. He is at Cambridge now with Dave Bradley, who, incidentally, is sweeping all the European intercollegiate ski meets. Hal Berman is at the London School of Economics.
This month marks the fourth anniveary of John and Blanche McLane, with sons Jock and Sandy fast becoming public menaces. When the law overcomes memory of the furnace, he occasionally freezes the family out of the house. The total at Harvard Law includes John, Jim Cooney, Fran Reilly, Jim Hastings, Bill Fasolo, Walt Fuller, Smith Campbell, Stan Brown, and Parker Brownell. Jim Briggs pens a brilliant letter that I wish I had space to quote in full, but meatily, "Here I am in Egypt, which probably might qualify me as the '38 alumnus farthest away from Hanover, which in itself is no satisfaction at all. Got here the latter part of September, on an Egyptian boat with a can of Flit. I find particularly intriguing the remnants of a very ancient culture, which one constantly finds poking through a veneer of very modern modernism. On the Nile, which flows by on either side of the island on which we live, which is what rivers generally do to islands, one sees feluccas, native sailing barges which have been used for thousands of years, sailing slowly by just as they did in the time of the Pharaohs, pausing only for recently constructed drawbridges to be opened for them. Today is a day of great celebration, marking the end of a month of fasting. Good Moslems are scheduled to tie one on, though in what fashion I am not clear, as they aren't supposed to indulge in alcohol." Boit Wiswall is with the Consolidated Paper Box Co. in Somerville, Mass., Jim Seaver is a claim investigator for the Liberty Mutual Insurance in New York and expects to be transferred to Boston; and Don Wilson is at Cornell Law.
Walt Dunlap is back in Lancaster now in the Hog Division of the Walter M. Dunlap Commission Co., Bob Carroll is now a plant clerk for the American Oil; Dapper Jack Stephens is with Frigidaire in Joliet, with the job "taking on new vistas for philosophical speculation." Lloyd Williams is taking his Master's in Education at Harvard, and teaching English along with some psychological work in the junior department at Brookline High School. Tom Rowland is with Campbell Soup in Philadelphia, and Young Dawkins is selling for International Business Machine. Bob Reeve won the New York Class B City title in squash tennis, which is all good news because it shows the boys are keeping in good condition. Speaking of which, roommate Walls has been traipsing around in a Northwest Mountie's uniform, rehearsing for a play, and he's gotten me to the point of packing a gun. Al Boerker is teaching science in the Amherst, N. H., High School, and going to the other extreme of temperature, that smart young whippet fancier, Whitefoot Mays, has been spending some weeks in Florida. Bill Lyle is at the International Business Machine training school in Endicott, N. Y., and "sweating blood." Skip French is doing security analysis work in the investment department of the Marshall and Ilsley Bank in Milwaukee, and Ralph Van Orsdel with the John Hancock Mutual Life in Cincinnati. Paul Barber is working in his father's real estate business, and going to Columbia Business School.
It is with regret that we hear that George Wheelock has been in bed since the summer with some heart ailment. We all wish him the best possible progress, with the hope that this long siege is nearing its culmination.
The Chicago dinner went off in great style, with 23 present plus two of Borneman's female talent, who were promptly snaked. Ross is a section manager at Marshall Field's, and report has it that it's in the women's hosiery department. Jack Mcintosh is with H. F. Philipsborn & Co., real estate, in Chicago. Joe Shenstone and Chuck Ervin are at the University of Michigan, the former doing graduate work in mechanical engineering, and the latter in electrical engineering. Jim Chandler is in the General Agency department of John Hancock, and Bud Williams is in the Local Advertising Department of the Boston Evening Transcript. Ben passes on some thoughts that might go well in here, considering the number of letters I've received that seem to reflect anything but a general peace o£ mind, and his answer is that we would do better to live one day at a time, not denying the thought that encourages and is necessary to effort and striving, but refraining from the idle examination of our own uncertain position that often turns to worry. That's good advice and I wish I could follow it.
Bob Griffin is with the H. A. Johnson Co., bakers and confectioners, in Boston, and John H. Adams, ex, is doing social work in Bean Town. Jack Lutz writes to say that he would be glad to correspond and exchange information with anyone connected with the food business, and that brings up a question that might bear some explanation. If this office is to serve the best purpose of the class, obviously that can best be done by maintaining a solidarity that is based on fact as well as reminiscing. This can be brought about through cooperation in our different fields of endeavor, and this office can do well to act as some sort of a clearing house for information. It need not only apply to the passing of business news, but for instance, cases may arise where a member of the class might have written some article or story for possible publication. If these were sent from a clearing office, it might work to individual advantage, if we work on the theory that quantity is a factor in an editor's decision regarding acceptance or refusal of a contribution. I am not quite sure myself just how the whole problem would work itself out, and my setting down of these thoughts is at the least floundering. Perhaps I have fumbled around enough to give some indication of what I mean. Reactions to this will certainly be appreciated. We have a good class organization now, and it's worth keeping up when we're involved with other interests.
Paul Thorpe is with Ramak Inc. in Holyoke, paper converters, while Frank Doane is selling insurance in that same metropolis. Bongi Bongiovanni is selling insurance in Plymouth, and I guess looking more like a college kid every day. Al Pettoruto is at Boston University Law. Werner Schmidt's address is the ist Infantry, 6th Regiment, Eutin, SchleswigHolstein, Germany. Ralph Merigold is with the Baker Box Co., in Worcester.
The Boston dinner was January 12 at the Parker House, but since that time hasn't arrived yet, I can't report on it. Bob Carroll, Johnny Emerson, and Ed White have done a swell job of organizing it, and our appreciation goes out to them. As usual, the New York dinners will be the second Wednesday of every month. As usual, my plea goes out for news.
Pat Gorman and spouse have returned to Bronxville, after having learned the ins and outs of the cigarette manufacturing business in Durham. There's a man that might do well to write. I'll soon have to resort to fiction in reporting. Whoops, almost forgot that this is the second anniversary of Alice and Ed Hibler. He's working in the Hartford National Bank, and zooming right along. Henry Beck is taking courses at M.I.T. along with his regular schedule at Harvard Business, and incidentally, Warren King was captain of the All-Star team that toured France. Gene Waggaman is with the advertising firm of Pedlar and Ryan in New York. Dick Holt is playing in the Connecticut Amateur Hockey League with the Hartford hockey team, which at this reporting is plenty potent. This is all for now.... hope to do better in my next. In the meantime, Happy Valentine Day and Happy George Washington Birthday.
Secretary, 151 Farmington Ave., Hartford, Conn
* 100% subscribers to the ALUMNI MACAZINE, on class group plan.
