1921*

October 17 was the day. About 6:30 the tribe started gathering at Boston's University Club, and before long 26 braves were in a huddle. Veteran observers asserted this was the biggest night-beforeHarvard '21 dinner on record. Our table was in a large dining room with such notable classes as 'is, '13, '15, '18, '19, '20, '22, and '24, but (in the judgment of this baffled bystander) the '21 turnout was the heaviest. Here are the stalwarts: Russ Bailey, Dave Bowen, Allen Brailey, Chan Cavis, Randy Childs, the embryo politician from Manchester, Tom Cleveland, sporting a sprained ankle, Fran Cosgrove, Harry Garland, Ort Hicks, Manhattan movie maestro, Charlie Johnson, Jeff Lawrence, Walt Lundegren, Bob Mayo, Reg Miner, Tom Norcross, Stan Parker, Ralph Pendleton, Bill Perry, Dan Ruggles, Don Sawyer, Eli Smith, Charley Stickney, Chick Stiles, Chan Symmes, Marsh Whelden, Stan White. And spotted in the vast throng were such out-of-town poohbahs as Ernie Earley, the w. k. Flatbush financial figure and scribe of '18, and Andy Marshall, the Bethlehem bigwig who writes such swell Notes for '22 Chan Symmes reported almost drowning Rex King down on the Cape last summer when L. S. K. came from Jersey for a visit. Charlie Johnson revealed a slick scheme for getting the New England segment of '21 together next summer at Newfound Lake, N. H. Chick Stiles modestly admitted to twirling his Softball team to a Melrose championship during the summer and taking off a whopping amount of weight in the process. Tom Cleveland came up with a splendid alibi for his sprained ankle Seen in and around Soldiers Field, Cambridge, the following afternoon (in addition to men at the dinner): Bill Miller, Don Morse, and A 1 Dickerson '30, Executive Assistant to Prexy Hopkins.

When word was brought back of the en- thusiastic turnout for the Boston Dinner, a few of the New York crowd (prompted by Bill Embree) decided to stage a First Annual '2l Dinner on the eve of the Princeton imbroglio. Come November 7 and some 26 warriors turned up for din- ner in a private room at the Dartmouth Club. On hand were Bill Embree from Chicago, Tom Cleveland of Boston, Bart Bartholomew from Minneapolis, Dutch Bausher of Reading, Eli Fisher from Cleve- land, Oky O'Connor, the B. T. O. from Glens Falls, John L. Sullivan of Washing- ton and Manchester, Rog Wilde from Chi- cago, and these locals: W. Hodgkinson (known to his intimates as "Bill") Barber, Herrick Brown, Coot Carder, Cliff Hart, Ort Hicks, "Tray" Higgins, Rex King, Bob Loeb, Bandy Lowe, Hugh McKay (the Canada Dry magnate), Skinny Moore, Larry Nardi, Paul (Thespian) Nicholson, Dan Patch, Dave (Plastics) Plume, Gus Perkins, Charley Stickney, Leigh Tracy. Our genial treasurer was nearly swept off his feet when, one loyal '2 ler paying his class dues, a veritable avalanche of checks started flowing across the board. Before Rog could regain his composure, "Bill" Barber, Dutch Bausher, Skinny Moore, Oky O'Connor, Gus Perkins, Dave Plume, and Leigh Tracy had kicked in, practically all with the full $17.50 for the next five years Following the dinner an all- Dartmouth smoker was held, hugely en- joyed by all Additional classmates seen at Palmer Stadium, Princton, the next day by this agent: Jack Hubbell, Bill Owen, Dud Robinson, Nels Smith (up from Wash- ington), Ernie Wilcox, and special corre- spondents Ernie ('18) Earley, Batch ('l9) Batchelder, and Bud ('3O) French cover- ing the game for the ALUMNI MAGAZINE.

The November 7 dinner was preceded by a two-hour meeting of the 1921 Executive Committee at the Dartmouth Club. Present were Bill Embree (in the chair as presiding officer), Dutch Bausher (heading up the '21 Twenty-fifth Anniversary Gift committee), Herrick Brown (class scribe, 1926 to 1936), Tom Cleveland, El Fisher, Rog Wilde, and your scribe. Principal witnesses appearing before the Committee: "Spider" Martin '19, chairman of the Alumni Council committee on Class Gifts, and Windsor Batchelder, secretary of '19. They outlined the 25th Gift plan and answered questions about '19's operat

ing procedures, the matter of our Silver Jubilee gift in 1946 being the most impor- tant business on the agenda. You will be hearing more about this in the not distant future from Dutch and his corps of assist- ants Doug Storer was unable to at- tend the Exec. Comm. convocation be- cause of the tragic loss of his wife and son the preceding day. We voted to send on behalf of the class a resolution of sym- pathy to Doug in his hour of darkness. .... A major piece of business was the ap- pointment of Tom Cleveland as General Reunion Chairman for 1946 and the de- velopment of preliminary plans for that event The next regular Executive Committee meeting will be held in Han- over next June, a time when Bill Embree will be East for the Alumni Council con- clave and Rog Wilde, Ned Price, and your scribe will be up for the annual convention of Treasurers, Class Agents, and Secre- taries.

One of the important things to come out of the invitations to the dinner in Manhattan was a letter from Bunny Gardner, erstwhile department store mogul. Bunny now being in the army, the thought of a '21 dinner at the Dartmouth Club was too much for him; sent his reservation-postal air mail from maneuvers "some place in North Carolina" asking that we set four (4) guest plates for "me," although in another bracket he indicated clearly that he would be unable to attend "this year." Also enclosed was a letter reading: I'd be delighted to come—hutat the present moment I am drying outafter a cloudburst last night. The spiritof the fighting forces is low this morningand we hope for peace along the Carolinaborder. I haven't had my shoes off for fivedays, I'm wet, and I stink. Also I'm hungry and your invitation to dinner makesme slather at the mouth. We hear that weshall be back in camp Sunday and thenoff again Sunday night for three weeks onthe road. Being a mobile unit, we fight(?) all day and ride black-out all night.We've been averaging nine hours on theroad at night and boy, it is cold up herein the Smokies Give my regards tothe money-makers at home. Tell them towork hard so we can get a "raise." You can reach Bunny by addressing Elmer V. Gardner, Sgt. IV, "H" Btry, 207 C. A. (A. A.), 102 Brigade, Camp Stewart, Ga. (which is just a little bit south of No. Car.) and it'll be forwarded if he's out mowing 'em down Recently in New Haven for four hours to see as many customers, this observer found time to telephone Howie Ransom (we were waiting for a train for Stamford and found Howie so engaging a conversationalist that we almost missed the boat). [Block that metaphor. Ed.] Item No. 1 on the news docket was Howie's recent appointment as Clerk of the Orange Town Court and Asst. Prosecuting Attorney. Howie says it involves a lot of "home work" but it takes him away from his office in New Haven only Monday mornings. Dan Ryder and Dan Ruggles report on the same event. Dan's report being in writing, while Dan's is verbal, we give you the former. "I saw Dan Ruggles at Vermont Academy, where both of our young Dans are at school this year. The occasion was Homecoming Day, to which parents are invited to help swell the ranks of the alumni. It was a lot of fun. Dan and I sat in his car and listened to the Colgate game over the radio while watching the schoolboys play a game of football. Needless to say, our attention was more closely on the radio than upon the game we were watching." Thanks to both of you, Dan, and you, Dan Ken Thomas says: "My office telephone no. is Seeley 4488 and my home, Winnetka 71. I will be only too glad to have any visiting member of the class call me at either number, depending on the time of day, and do whatever I can to round up the Chicago gang for a get-together." Write down those numbers, fellows, before you forget We bring to the podium next a maestro who needs no introduction We're now ready for your downbeat, Professor:

Secretary, 718 Drake Ave., Roselle, N. J. Treasurer, 809 Rosewood Ave., Winnetka, Ill.