Hovey Hum

ON THURSDAY, May 4, a group of loyal classmates and alumni from many classes other than his own gathered in the Ridgewood Cemetery, North Andover, Massachusetts, to do honor to the memory of Richard Hovey '85 on the seventy-fifth anniversary of his birth. Plans for the services were made by the Rev. Clinton Carvell '18 and George E. Liscomb '07 who, placing a wreath of laurel upon the

impressive headstone, voiced the hope that this was merely the beginning of annual pilgrimages to the grave of Dartmouth's poet laureate and concluded with the message, "Richard Hovey, the men of Dartmouth today salute you the man of Dartmouth, who has best expressed this Dartmouth spirit in which we live. Men of Dartmouth salute you today and eternally."

In the invocation offered by Mr. Carvell he paid this tribute, "We ask this day no more than this, that we may be content to know that once a man, with a true spirit and a free soul wandered through our fields and woods. Today he walks again as he shall always walk with those who have the power to sense his presence, to hold jovial fellowship with him in that spirit of tolerance and sympathetic understanding which flows from a faith that life is neither in judging nor being judged."

Edwin A. Bayley, class secretary of 1885, delivered the memorial address, recounting Hovey's youth, life and work at Dartmouth and variety of interests after grauation. Quotations from his letters and poems formed an important part of Mr. Bayley's address. In connection with the above services, it is interesting to record that had it not been for Liscomb's letter in the April issue of the MAGAZINE it is quite probable that the location of Hovey's grave would have remained the knowledge of very few Dartmouth men as his resting place seemed shrouded in mystery. Reading of Liscomb's plans for the Hovey Hum which would probably accentuate the lighter vein in Hovey's nature the Rev. Mr. Carvel, who had "discovered" the Hovey tombstone and verified the fact that it was our Richard Hovey through letters from relatives, wrote suggesting memorial services at the grave as a fitting part of the anniversary's recognition. The services closed with the singing of "Men of Dartmouth" by a double quartet.

In the evening at the University Club in Boston upwards of 400 alumni gathered over pretzels and beer to sing the Hovey songs, listen to his poems read by Judge Joseph J. Donahue 'OB, and hear the delightful reminiscences of his undergraduate days recounted by his classmate and boon companion, Alton E. Briggs '85 who remarked that Hovey has expressed a Dartmouth man's love for his alma mater more feelingly than any other man with the possible exception of Daniel Webster.

With the completion of the regular program Bill Cunningham '20 took possession of the piano stool and aided and abetted by Jack English '16 led the singers through the entire Hovey repetory. With such an inaugural the Hovey Hum may become an annual event among New England alumni.