1919*
The National Defense Program is causing many changes affecting the private lives of all of us. The most startling so far in relation to the Class of 1919 and the college is the transfer to West Point of Earl Blaik and his staff. Earl became a member of our Class at our 15th Reunion in June 1934. Since then, he has been one of us and we have watched his work with particular interest and pride.
Earl returns to the Army at a time of National crisis to carry out a highly important assignment. We shall continue to follow his work there with the same interest and pride, and extend to him in the name of the Class our best wishes for success in his new work.
Richards Vidmer, Sports-writer of the New York Herald-Tribune (this is the morning paper I read regularly) had this to say in his column recently: "Perhaps the attitude of the Ivy colleges toward their coaching problems is best characterized by a statement issued by President Hopkins, of Dartmouth, away back in 1933, when they were seeking an outside coach at Hanover. He said the qualities required of the man they sought were as follows: 'Assuming him to have knowledge of the game and to have proved himself a skillful teacher of it, he should know or be willing to learn what a liberal arts college is all about. He should know the ideals of colleges of our class, as to recruiting, insistence that the scholastic standards be maintained, and that victories are only sweet when won by sportsmen. He should accept the fact and help to keep it a fact that our teams are to be made up of college students playing football rather than football players incidentally going to college. He should assume his players to be gentlemen and treat them as such.'
Red Blaik filled all these requirements." C. D. Merrill (Jigger) is another '19 man who has been called to active service. He is stationed at 5th Div. Headquarters, Fort Custer, Battle Creek, Mich. In a recent letter, he says in part: "This outfit, one of the Regular Army units, is here for winter warfare training. Post is five miles west of Battle Creek. My family is moving out the latter part of this week. Haven't been here long enough to get really acquainted with the place or the job, but both promise much of interest. Technically, I'm Asst. G-3 on the General Staff of the Division, having to do with Plans and Training. About 12,000 men presently with the Division and we expect to be at full war strength as soon as the next batch of selectees comes in right after New Year's. That will mean 566 officers and about 14, 200 men, total."
Ralph Hayes is still another '19 man who is in military service. He was called to active duty in Washington on Dec. 2nd as a Naval Reserve Lieut, and is in the communications branch of the Service. Ralph is living in Alexandria, Va., A21, Jackson Bldg.
Max Norton has accepted an appointment to the personal military staff of Gov. Robert O. Blood, Med '13, of New Hampshire, with rank of Major. He had his first duties in Concord on Jan. 2nd at the Governor's inauguration and will be traveling with the Governor from time to time when he attends certain functions as the Chief Executive of the State.
The day before New Year's, I received a letter from Rowland Pollard written Sept. 11, 1940 and postmarked in Rangoon, Burma, the same day. Here's what he wrote: "Mails are pretty slow these days and I only recently received your letter of May 14. Of my children, two are in kindergarten and appear to be doing very well, and the other still spends her day in the bosom of the family, if you know what I mean. None of them as yet know what the word 'college' means, altho in America as they say they believe there are schools. Eve and I are quite satisfied to have them keep on as at present til they get a chance to return to the States which, unless force majeure comes in, will be about April next year. We still live at the Park Road house and will stay there probably for some time altho when the children are at home, we may want a smaller place. They have a park in our compound for their riding and this is a big attraction for the children living as we do in the middle of the city with paved roads all around. Pets we have in plenty, a Sealyham puppy, the pony, a peacock, a deer, cat, a tucktoo, a lizard which lives on the wall beneath the nursery window and wakes them at dawn or shortly before. We are still undecided whether to fly the Pacific or come by boat but I suspect we will all fly as we have seen enough boats to last us a lifetime. We don't know how long we'll be in New York but will of course have to come there to render an account of our stewardship. We wish you all the best of luck."
Russell R. Larmon (Cotty to us), M.C.S., A.M., Prof, of Administration on the Benj. Ames Kimball Foundation, who issued Bulletin No. 1 in 1920, was guest editor recently and without his permission, I'm quoting from what he wrote: "Several hours after the last play of the Cornell game, an excited group of undergraduates caught sight of Earl Blaik near the Inn porch. They called for a speech. In the course of his extemporaneous remarks, Earl said he had waited for years to tell the students of the College that they were what he hoped they would be—rugged in quality. A few nights ago we discovered that fraternities occasionally endeavor to support a tradition of ruggedness. Attempting to reach home on the top of Balch Hill after a heavy snowstorm, we found cars in the ditch and on the side of the road as we rushed and swung up the last of the grade. With our car in the garage and the engine hot and silenced, we could hear voices floating up over the peak of the hill —"Over a foot of snow in the woods!"— "Here's the trail!" (through dense brush)— "Only 600 yards and we'll be there!" A few other words, colorful ones, floated up. From the sounds later high up in the cold and snowy woods of Velvet Rocks, one would assume 30 or 40 men had gathered, or at least 20 extra vigorous ones. Who were they? We haven't the slightest idea. If it was a fraternity chapter impressing neophytes with the vigorous qualities of the chapter's founders, we should be glad to give proper credit. Or perhaps it was just a group of boys demonstrating that the Dartmouth men of the 1900s were soft when they confined their keg parties in the country to warm evenings in the spring and fall on the ferny bank of a Vermont brook."
While we are talking about rugged men, it is appropriate to describe a scene in New York two days after New Year's: Telephone call from 553 Fifth Ave—"What's the matter with the Proud Poppers Club? The President and Chairman of the Board added No. 8 five months ago and no one has told me about it." (Much side conversation) The Chairman himself takes the phone—"Don't print that kind of news in your column. If you want some real news, say that Clements is on the wagon, and not hay either." The child's name is David McMahon.
Tom Bresnahan, another rugged '19er from the New York area, was visible at the annual dinner of National Ass'n of Manufacturers. When your Secretary saw him, Tom was busy entertaining the high and mighty men of the Floor Covering industry.
Ingraham has been heard from. His new address is Box 726, Pasadena, Calif. Other new addresses are—George Bingham's new address is Middlesex Meadows, Lincoln, Mass.
Bri Greeley's brother, Bradford, is operating Greeley's Cabins (open all year) between Lebanon and Hanover on Route 120. Bri is with Otis Elevator Co., New York. His father, William B. Greeley, is Secretary of the Class of '81.
In the throng leaving the Dartmouth-Williams Hockey game at Rye, I saw Nate Sandoe and his two sons (both are at Kent), Red Colwell and Howie Webster.
I am happy to acknowledge holiday greetings from Max and Helen Norton, Phil and Ruby Watson, Ken Huntington, Major C. D. Merrill, Denny Sullivan, Sewall Sawyer, Jim and Mary Davis, Ernie Rautenberg, Spider and Bea Martin, the Stoughtons (Anne and Bob Lewis stopped in to say hello to the Stoughtons at Raleigh, N. C. on their way to Southern Pines and Florida), Clarence Buttenweiser (mailed from Stowe, Vt., evidently there skiing), L. M. Felton, K. C. Bevan, Harvey and Lillian Gray, John (Stuffy) Carr, Harold C. Parsons, Avedis Miridjanian, the Pelletiers, Budd and Leonora Welsh, Ben Butterworth, Grief Raible, and Charley Stickney '21.
"Down the hatch" says EDDIE FELT (seatedleft) seconded by AL SLUG ZULICK (standingleft) WALTER ROSS (standing) PIPE PIPER and SHORTY ALDEN (L to R) think it over.
Secretary, 2 Park Ave., New York, N. Y.
