1931*
Four years ago ye Secretary was comfortably settled in what he and his good wife felt was a well furnished three room apartment. At this writing, after a lapse of four years of traveling, and with that same furniture reposing in the warehouse, Mr. and Mrs. Secretary are trying to make this same three rooms of furniture fill a seven room house. It is a neat trick if you can do it, says I. The attempt to establish an office and a household within a period of two weeks has brought this column up with rather a start. There have been some mighty interesting letters received so hold on to your hats boys, here we go.
A grand letter from (Skewer-to-the-left) Si Leach from Winnipeg. Sy says, "With the present regulations existent in Canada regarding the exporting of capital and the securing of foreign exchange, etc., we have had to wait a little before evolving a convenient method whereby we could issue U. S. cheques for small personal items. However, here it is.
"I have seen the occasional comment in Craig Thorn's excellent letters concerning Junior Chamber of Commerce work and I would very heartily like to add my name to those who are in support of this movement. We have in Winnipeg an organization which numbers about 800 in enrolment. The age starts at around 25 and is supposed to stop at 35 but we find that we have very many men still in it who are well into their forties and who do not wish to relinquish their memberships. It is composed mostly of young business and professional men. I have found that the work is extremely interesting and the training is excellent—and certainly the opportunities which I had during the year I was privileged to be its President were invaluable.
"I also have dabbled a little in city politics, although so far have not run for office but have contented myself with managing several campaigns, etc. We have here a situation which is probably very similar to that in many other cities in that there are certain elements represented on our School Board and City Council who have no businesses to attend to and consequently in order to convince their party, so to speak that they are on the job, they make a full! time issue out of every little incidental item that comes up. This means that those who represent the "right wing" must waste a great deal of their time and it really is a waste because we have excellent permanent civic employees who are extremely capable and there is no need for the hours of useless discussion that go on in our School Board and City Council. This, therefore, makes it rather difficult for anyone who is startin? in business and trying to learn the business, to find time to do both, and we therefore have quite a bit of trouble getting younger men of the right sort to interest themselves in this. Many people would say that the answer is a city manager, but we have examined that very carefully and do not think that that will do the job that will have to be done.
"I find the grain business, in which I have been engaged since leaving Oxford, to be extremely interesting.
"The Leach family is all thriving, and the integral part of it consists, of course, of the nine-months-old boy.
That certainly is a swell letter, Si, and a grand contribution to this months column. Many of the fellows have often asked about you and I know they will be glad to have this up to the minute report.
Treasurer Beany Thorn writes: "The enclosed clipping is taken from the December issue of Future, national organ of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. It contains the body of none other than our own Fat Hovey. Eleanor discovered this while looking at the other funny pictures. You will note that lion tamer Hovey has his face turned away to conceal the four chins. Also, you will note that he sports two badges where the other delegates have but one badge. The second one bears his name and address, time of feeding, and asks that he be sent home to bed at nine o'clock."
Can Beany be talking the truth, Dave, are there really four chins? I think you are entitled to some space for a rebuttal in the next issue if you care to defend yourself.
Attention, Duck Hunters!— Watch Field!and Stream, January issue for Bobbie Baumrucker's, (Chicago) amazing story on duck hunting in the Bahamas out islands. A good article, Bobbie, what else have you been doing?
At long last too, a note from Johnny Nelson, M.D., practicing in Denver. Johnny says that there are only four pier's in Denver of whom Rosy Rosengren is the only one he hasn't seen but he understands that Rosy and his fine wife have just had an addition to their family. Rosy is with the State Highway Department and doing well. As previously reported Line Paige is teaching Geology at the University of Colorado. Bill Grant is building a new country home about five miles from Denver. John thinks Bill is doing this so that the Dartmouth picnics may be held more conveniently, anyone going to Denver is cordially invited to inspect Bill's household and, if so desired, John will buy them a beer at his own town house. John feels that this would provide an appropriate town-country effect. I think so myself, John, and wish I were going to be in Denver for I would like that beer.
A letter from Ernie Moore, one of the Mid-west's new additions, encloses a clipping to the effect that Mrs. Henry M. Warner of Washington, D. C., announces the engagement of her daughter, Mary Frances, to our own Johnny Gilmore. Johnny, after graduation from Hanover, studied law at the University of lowa and since his graduation has been associated with the law firm of Root, Clark, Buckner and Ballentine in New York City, has acted as legal counsel for the Social Security Board and at present is in the legal department of the Federal Treasury department. Miss Warner was graduated from Miss Madeira's school and Wheaton college. As many of us know, Johnny's Dad has been the president of the State University of lowa at lowa City for many years and Ernie's same letter encloses the clipping from the Des Moines Register announcing President Gilmore's resignation as the head of the university. Johnny's Dad has retired at the age of 68 and of the editorial comment none were more expressive than the statement of a widely known economics professor, "I hope we will be able to find someone as good as President Gilmore. It will be a hard job." That is really setting an example for you to shoot at, Johnny, but it looks as though you are a chip of the old block if your present progress is any indication. Wish your Dad well for all of us.
Ernie also reports that he saw Rod Dodge, looking well in spite of 8 A.M. to 1 A.M. hours in his toy department, and that Dr. Charlie Sullivan has been so busy that his Dad says when Charlie sees his family it is practically a family reunion.
Flash!! Dartmouth in Hollywood, as reported by Joe Barrington. "Bob Ryan has the lead, opposite Jean Cagney, in Paramount's "Golden Gloves." Picture is now in production. Bob's married, and looking very well. Bill Nutt is working at R. K. O. studio. So far haven't been able to find out what he's doing over there. My roomy, Steve Brooks '35, is news-art editor at Paramount publicity. Doing a very good job. Maurice Rapf '35, who helped write "Winter Carnival," now working at Warner Bros., in a writing capacity. His co-writer, Budd Shulberg '35, doing some non-movie writing somewhere in Connecticut.
"Yours truly has an article in the January issue of Motion Picture and one in the January Movies, now on the stands. The one in M. P. is called 'Motion Picture's All-American Movie Team of 1939.' It got a rise out of Hedda Hopper, in her movie column. The other article is called 'How to Dance—l940 Style,' and is based on interviews with Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell."
The pictures for which "valuable prizes, not listed, but to be awarded at the 10th reunion" seemed to be stirring some old memories and to my own amazement many more correct placings of the "Indians" than I thought possible. It also brought forth the thumbing over of photograph albums and the following picture and comment, "If that contest drew any replies then you might follow it with this classic. Some of the faces are easy to spot, but some of the others are harder. Please return the card to me as it is a mighty fond memento."
I'll say some of these are tough to spot and think as a prize we ought to offer two beers at the 10th and if some of you fellows are as good at guessing these as you were on the first ones it looks as though the drinks would be on the house at the 10th. See you again.
IDENTIFY STERLING GROUP FROM 1931
Secretary-Chairman, Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company 31 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, N. Y.
