Thirtymen Celebrate With Record 265 Reuners

A REPORT OF OUR TENTH REUNION must. necessarily be written with thoughts of the classmates who were unable to attend it foremost in mind. For those of us who were here the events of the three glorious days will linger for a long time to come in our memories. It was indeed, as Thirtymen had come to expect, a tremendous success, another in a succession of 1930's accomplishments.

Recall for the moment a typical spring day on Hanover plain—clear, blue sky, gentle, cool breezes swaying the boughs of the elm trees, the green grass of the campus and the gleaming white of Dartmouth row. Such was the setting as our cars came up the hill, all occupants in a frenzied haste to pull up in front of Topliff Hall. You can imagine the thrill in everyone's heart.

We came in cars, trains and yes, by plane. For the first time in history Topliff was completely filled by a reuning class and it was necessary to take care of the overflow in Ripley. The final count given us by Chairman Chandler was 200 Thirtymen and 65 wives. Is it necessary to add that we again won the 1930 Cup? There was never a doubt in our minds that we would do so, with an official total of 183 men registered at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning. No class seems able to match the spirit and loyalty of 1930—rather a broad statement, but our record has been one of ever-increasing interest in college and class affairs.

Well, safe at last in the halls of Topliff, there was a rush to register and get into our Indian costumes—green with scalloped white fringe on the arms and legs, and a white belt from which a fancy little apron attempted to hide, or offset, somewhat heavier and wider girths. Jack Wooster was pleased to find that the zippers in front were his own brand. The one white breast pocket served as a good place to put our names with indelible pencil, while the one back pocket was supposed to do as a carryall for our belongings. The green feathers and elastic headbands did not last long and were eagerly gobbled up by all the little townies.

Hank Odbert's class biography was given out with the costumes to all who had paid their class dues, also a copy of Carl Haffenreffer's report on the status of our treasury, Commencement and reunion programs, but everyone was anxious to get to the tent across the street, inside the fence and next to the northern end of the stadium. There was no time to read and do justice to the wealth of material which Hank and Charlie Widmayer had edited. "Where, Oh Where" is so full of interest that one must sit down for an evening of uninterrupted reading to assimilate the full details of the excellent report.

It is assumed that all who were entitled to receive a copy of the biography got theirs at reunion, but if not, a postcard to Al Dickerson to that effect will bring prompt results.

The tent filled up rapidly, little groups here and there, a larger one at the bar where our 1930 beer mugs were replenished and an impromptu glee club gathered about the piano where Red Doherty was playing Dartmouth songs. Pretty soon there was a softball game in progress on Memorial Field, as the boys got in some serious practice for the Saturday morning game with 1935. They were out to duplicate the whitewashing we handed to 1935 at our Fifth.

Mrs. Smalley's buffet supper was then brought in and the lineup for food serpentined from here to there and back. Finally Alex McFarland started his own breadline on the other side of the tables and the scramble increased. The supply was enormous, but disappeared quickly, and the debris of paper plates and napkins was scattered inside and out of the tent. As we reclined on the terrace a two-mile relay bicycle race was staged around the track. Four teams puffed, pedalled and sprawled on the cinders, to the very great amusement of the laughing, cheering multitude who took their pleasure more comfortably. If anyone was thoughtful enough to record the antics of these amateur Cramers and McNamaras with their movie cameras it will be a valuable addition to our library of class movies.

The party at the tent lasted well into the night as late arrivals took the places of those with the urge to wander around the campus, invade other tents or settle down in smaller gatherings in different rooms. A concert by the band in front of Webster Hall, and by the glee club from the steps of Dartmouth brought an everswelling crowd to the campus. If you have not yet heard the glee club sing "Dartmouth Undying" you are in for a treat which will send shivers up and down your spine and raise goose-flesh all over your body.

Friday was such a beautiful, cloudless day that it didn't seem possible we would awake Saturday morning with the rain pouring down in sheets. Some of the boys tried to be cheery by repeating that old saying, "Rain before seven, .... etc.," but it looked hopeless. It was necessary to call off the softball game with 1935 and the Alumni Parade from the campus to the Gymnasium was cancelled. But the rain did stop, the gray clouds evaporated, and once more the skies were clear and blue. So we donned our feathers and ambled down to the Alumni Meeting in the Gym, where our colorful costumes formed a solid mass of green in our alloted places in the middle of the gathering. It was here that we came into possession of our 1930 Cup once more as Al Dickerson went up to receive it from Sid Hayward.

This meeting, where the speaking program included President Hopkins, Ben Ames Williams '10, Ozias D. Mathewson '90, for the Fifty-year Class, Boynton Merrill '15, for the Twenty-five year Class and Whitney Miller, President of the Class of 1940, was followed by the Alumni Luncheon which was held in the cage. The arrangements to have the luncheon outdoors were cancelled earlier in the morning on account of the rain, although the sun by that time had come out.

Dartmouth won the baseball game with Yale in the afternoon, 2-1, in a well-played pitcher's battle. It recalled very vividly the game with Cornell at our Commencement, when Gunnar Hollstrom was a 1-0 victor in ten innings. This year the game was won in the last half of the ninth, with Captain Hal Wonson the winning pitcher over Yale's left-handed star, Harrison. During the game there was a constant stream of Thirty Indians crossing the football field from the diamond to the Tent where beer mugs were refilled and brought back to watch the game with the contentment of "rich, creamy, mellow."

Our banquet in Commons Saturday evening was indeed a gala affair. Sam Adam's 1930 vintage brandy was served in an anteroom before we entered the familiar scene of our freshman year, the main dining hall, filled completely with tables to accommodate the Tribe of Thirtymen. Commons.has been entirely renovated and is decidedly more attractive than it was in the days we used to file in for our baked beans and brown bread. The interior is brighter throughout, and careful examination revealed only a very few pads of butter on the ceiling.

The dinner was excellent, punctuated by resounding WAH-HOO-WAHS from the gay, exuberant throng. We seemed to have a cheer-leader at every table. Pat Weaver had placed a package of his favorite cigarettes in front of every place and Jack Crawford plugged his favorite brand in the same fashion. We hardly need to report that the smokers filled their pockets with Lucky Strikes and Old Golds.

Charlie Rauch, as chairman of the entertainment committee, was our master of ceremonies and provided an enjoyable program. The College Quartet sang many Dartmouth songs and proved to be one of the highlights of the evening. The piecede-resistance was the arrival of President Hopkins, who very graciously accepted the invitation of the Executive Committee and paid us the compliment of attending our banquet in the midst of a very busy and fully occupied Commencement week-end. Mr. Hopkins spoke briefly, referring feelingly to the loyalty and spirit of the Class of 1930 and what it has meant to the College; that we had provided one of the most valuable men the College has without mentioning his executive assistant by name, and he thanked 1930 for the material way in which we had assisted the College through our participation in the Alumni Fund and by the efforts of many men in various alumni affairs. Vic Borella then started to escort Mr. Hopkins to the door, leading the way to the entrance by which he had come in. When he had gone about half the distance he suddenly discovered that the President had fooled him by leaving through the back door, so Vic returned to his seat while the whole class roared.

The portable loud-speaker system was installed as a last-minute thought and turned out to be indispensable for the brief business meeting which followed. Al Dickerson started things off with a challenging, thought-stirring toast to FREEDOM. Our former Class President, John French then gave a short talk in which he compared the conditions which faced us at the end of our senior year with those that confront us today, ending his remarks with a rousing toast to the College. Alex McFarland, as chairman of the Resolutions Committee, first offered a toast to the nineteen former members of our class who are no longer with us. Sam Adams had provided the Class Banquet with a seemingly endless supply of champagne with which the several toasts were drunk. Thereupon Alex offered the following, which were interspersed with resounding cheers:

"The Class of 1930, assembled in meeting at its Tenth Reunion, expresses its sincere gratitude to Miss Evonne Coburn for her genuine interest in its affairs and for her many kindnesses and efforts in its behalf which have so materially fostered its spirit and unity and its ability better to serve the College.

"The last ten years may have been hectic for each of us, but to record the facts and assemble our biographies into the Class History we shall treasure as a memento of this occasion has meant days of agony, worry and work. A Wah-Hoo-Wah for its able editors—Hank Odbert and Charlie Widmayer.

"The riddle of progress of the Class of 1930 in ten years from mere talk of the New England Rum of Eleazar to actually imbibing Champagne and Brandy from Chicago has only one answer—it's a gift. A Wah-Hoo-Wah for Sam Adams.

"Only a willing goat will act as Treasurer—but ours has been a pack-horse for punishment and results. 'Rich, creamy, mellow'—by these words shall he, and his product, be always remembered and appreciated. A Wah-Hoo-Wah for Carl Haffenreffer.

"A tireless worker, an efficient organizer and a producer of results with no reward for his time, thought and energy, save the satisfaction of a job well done—this must be the life of our Alumni Fund Agent. His record of accomplishment for the Class of 1930 not only bespeaks of the fulfillment of his responsibilities but demonstrates that 'he has what it takes.' A Wah-Hoo-Wah for Bud French.

"All Dartmouth men know him, respect his sage advice, admire his tact, envy his energy and attention to details, and begrudge him only his good looks. His work has proved invaluable to the College. To the Class of 1930 he has been not only a father confessor but our Scribe and Secretary—and as such, he shall never have a peer. Long live Andy, the tapeworm, and Lorinda, the louse,—A Wah-Hoo-Wah for Al Dickerson.

"Grover Whalen couldn't do it with the Fair in New York and Sally Rand couldn't do it with the Fair in San Francisco. But this fellow has two successes to his creditand an all time smash hit with his production of our Tenth Reunion. The workhorse of the Class and the generator of our Spirit is our Reunion Chairman. A Wah-Hoo-Wah for Si Chandler.

"There are lots of other fellows who have been loyal, willing workers in 1930 too many to mention here. So let's have a Wah-Hoo-Wah for the Class of 1930."

Next on the order of business was the report of the Nominating Committee by Chairman Al McGrath, who submitted the following slate for the Class Executive Committee, who were thereupon duly elected to serve for the next five years: Samuel A. Adams, Victor G. Borella, Josiah B. Chandler, Albert I. Dickerson, Henry S. Embree, G. Warren French, Carl W. Haffenreffier, Charles V. Raymond, Nelson A. Rockefeller, J. Frank Tragle, William R. Jessup.

Carl Haffenreffer submitted his Treasurer's report, and the Class Agent informed the Class that our share of the Alumni Fund Ojective had already been surpassed and that at the present time 1930 had more contributors to the Fund than any other class. Al Dickerson then asked the Class to vote on an amendment to our Constitution whereby the Class Agent, if not an elected member of the Executive Committee, would automatically become a member ex officio. "All those in favor say Aye' "—a tremendous roar of ayes. "All those opposed say 'no' an equally voluminous roar of noes. It was necessary to call for a standing vote, as a result of which the amendment barely squeaked through to passage.

The banquet closed with the singing of "Men of Dartmouth" and the members and wives went down to the tent for a showing of our Senior movies and the films of our Fifth Reunion. A vote of sincere thanks was extended to Charlie Ranch for the entertainment program, and to Dick Funkhouser, another veritable work-horse whose attention to details as assistant to Si Chandler was in a large measure responsible for the success of the entire reunion. Kay Lord and her committee of local Thirty wives also received generous praise for their untiring efforts in seeing that the 65 wives and two sweethearts who attended our reunion had the pleasant time they so happily admitted they enjoyed.

The picnic over at Canaan on Sunday brought out another large attendance, as very few fellows found it necessary to leave Hanover until after this affair. Another perfectly beautiful clear day, so essential for a party of this kind, assured its success. A softball game before lunch was continued as soOn as Mrs. Smalley's food was gobbled up down to the last crust of bread. Enough of that rich, creamy, mellow had been put aside for this occasion, and those who were not playing ball or swimming in the lake lolled around on the lawn of the big, brown house. While all this was going on the nine old men of the newly elected Executive Committee who were present went into a solemn huddle in the house to elect a treasurer to succeed Carl Haffenreffer and a secretary-chairman to succeed Al Dickerson, both of whom obstinately proclaimed that they would have nothing to do with a third term. They emerged a little later, Al with the largest megaphone you ever saw, to announce that Hank Embree had been elected the watchdog of our treasury and Bud French had been put on the spot of trying to follow in the footsteps of the secretary.

The picnic soon broke up as carloads of happy Thirtymen pulled out for Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Boston, New York and many other points from which they had come for this grandest of all reunions. Bob Bottome and Chuck Adams had come the greatest distances, from Venezuela and Seattle respectively, Ned Grant from Denver, John Tiedtke from Florida and others from the scattered places in between. Ben Finch had cabled from London, "Best wishes all reunion," Clark Denny telegraphed "Sorry not to be at reunion hope we win our cup best to everyone" and other fellows sent messages via those who did get back.

There were, of course, the usual amount of amusing and humorous incidents which occurred in many different places over the week-end. For example, John Kountz teaching the class a song "I writ myself" which was heard everywhere. And the gathering in 103 Topliff of Adams, Haffenreffer, Peck, Marsters, the two McGraths, Herrera, Wooster, etc. One of the dormitory attendants stuck his head in the door to ask if anyone had seen Butterfield. "You dern fool," replied Haffy, "That was torn down our freshman year!" And when Norm socked Al McGrath over the head with a chair and Al said it was all right because it was only a light chair. Space does not permit a recording of all the happenings, but Charlie Widmayer has graciously consented to write a supplemental story on the reunion for a newsletter which you will have read long before this extra issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE reaches you.

See you at our Fifteenth!

1930: AFTER 10 YEARS, ANOTHER MEAL IN COMMONS.

GIFT OF '30 To RETIRING SECRETARY ALBERT INSKIP DICKERSON