1911*
Plans for Reunion are beginning to take definite shape. Because so many men have written in stating that "The time is so short I want to spend more time in Hanover. I haven't seen any of the new buildings for at least fifteen years.".... "I get to Hanover so seldom that I hope to spend more time there. I hardly saw it on the 25th.".... "All I would want to do is to see the College and visit my classmates.". . . ."A quiet dormitory, a room not full of packing cases and enough sleep.". .. ."I fear my lack of attendance in the past disqualifies me from making suggestions. Chiefly, I want to regain contact with my classmates and our College." These are typical of many men's wishes. Therefore, plans have been made to meet them so far as possible. It has been arranged to have a picnic Sunday noon at the beautiful Outing Club House on Faculty Pond. This is a particularly pleasant arrangement, as it will enable the class to be comfortably served regardless of weather. It is a beautiful spot outdoors on a nice day but, likewise, very roomy and attractive inside in other kinds of weather. This will be the closing festivity of Reunion in Hanover and does make possible the attendance in town continuously from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon.
To review the events of the week-end briefly: alumni will arrive and register, Friday afternoon; that evening will be the reception tendered by Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins; Saturday will be devoted to the alumni parade and luncheon and baseball game, followed by an opportunity to reune at the various fraternity houses before the class banquet, Saturday evening. This affair will take place in the new Thayer Hall in the beautiful Colonial Dining Room which very few of you have seen. Sunday morning will be free for golf or just visiting or listening to President Hopkins' Baccalaureate sermon before the luncheon. Incidentally, many alumni took advantage last year of the beautiful Sunday morning to sit on the lawn as it slopes down from Dartmouth to the Chapel, to listen to Hop's address in the Chapel, brought outside excellently over loud speakers. Presumably the same opportunity will be present this year, and many of you will welcome the chance to hear the President.
Also during the week-end will be the ordinary functions of Commencement such as the Class Day exercises on Friday afternoon and Commencement exercises, Sunday afternoon. Some of you may want to attend the latter which now takes place in the grove by the old Bema. Conducted just as the sun is seen to be setting through the trees it is a beautiful exercise, and this year several sons of 1911 will be receiving their diplomas. A great many of the class have indicated their intention of going to Frank Dodge's Mountain View House at Whitefield for a post-reunion and staying from one day to various lengths of time. For many, this has always been the highspot of Reunion and undoubtedly will continue to be so long as Frank and Mary are willing to make their hospitality available to the class. Practically all of those who have been before have said they are going again and many who have heard about it are this year planning to join them for the first time.
It will be pleasing to know that our class has got a real break in the assignment of dormitories for Reunion. In other years we have returned in such large numbers that no one dormitory has been big enough to house us. Consequently, we have had various combinations of dormitories, but this year we are going to have the best accommodations we have yet enjoyed; namely, Streeter, Lord, and Gile Halls which are the group west of Hitchcock, fronting on the Tuck Mall. This group of dormitories is referred to by the undergraduates as the "Gold Coast." They will have the advantage at Reunion of being quiet, as they are away from all other dormitories, and furnishing ample parking space and visiting space on the lawns in front. Just bear in mind, however, that the Secretary or Reunion Committee has nothing to do with the assignment of dormitory rooms, and eventually you will receive data and forms from the Bursar's Office relative to reservations. The point of mentioning it here is that these reservations should be made in plenty of time to assure you of being housed with the group in these dormitories. Actually, for the first time, it will be possible to have ample room for all of the class so that they can be together in one part of the campus.
A few other classmates have sent in cards since last month, all stating they are coming and in all cases planning to bring their wives. Here is the list: Paul Briggs, John Card, Chuck Emerson, Keough, Patterson, Hub Pierce, Jack Russell, Sanderson, Jack Steeves, and with special applause, Cap Weston.
The young upstarts of sons of 1911 fathers, of whom there are twenty-nine now in College, have had the audacity to challenge their elders and their elders' classmates to a game of Softball sometime during the Commencement season. The Executive Committee has unanimously elected Chuck Emerson Captain to handle this challenge in the proper manner. To do this will call for considerable ability not only on his part but on the part of several dozen others as there is some doubt as to the ability of any member of the class to last through more than two innings of a ball game.
That this group of youngsters have got a lot on the ball will be evident when you see them. It was the pleasure of the Secretary and his wife, together with other classmates and wives in town recently, to entertain these gentlemen at tea one Sunday afternoon. We can promise you they are a good gang and worthy heirs of their immediate ancestors.
Word has recently been received that Ira Benjamin Knight, known to us in College as Ben, is stricken with arthritis and has been confined to his home in Gardner, Massachusetts, and not able to work for about a year. Mrs. Knight teaches school in East Templeton. I expect that Gardner is sort of off the beaten path of most of you boys, but do suggest that if any of us were in his predicament we probably would welcome the sight and voice of any classmate who could arrange to detour through the city.
A couple of marriages of interest in the Ingersoll family—first from the point of view of chronological historical order was Jack's daughter, Jane, who was married to Thomas W. Mackie in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on December 23rd. The husband hails from Sioux Ste. Marie but is engaged as an engineer on a government project in Louisiana. The next date on the Ingersoll marriage list was January 29th when Jack, himself, was married to Mary Elizabeth Childs in the First Unitarian Church in Cleveland. They are at home at 1864 East 89th Street, Cleveland. Jack adds the further information that they are saving their wedding trip until June when they plan to come back to the 30th.
A recent letter from Mrs. Roy Barnhardt advises of her marriage last October to a Dr. Steere. She adds that her two youngest sons, Scott and Paul, are living with her. Scott is attending Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana, but comes home week-ends. Jim is married and lives in Columbus; David is married and lives in Lima. She adds, "We are all well and happy and proud of our indirect connection with Dartmouth."
The Mathes family continues to grow up, the latest indication being the announcement of the engagement of Harriet, better known as Happy, to Harvey Lee Rohde of St. Louis, Missouri. This took place on December 27th, and was the subject of comment in the society columns and excellently portrayed by the issuance of the Playbill, a novel method of announcing the play, "The Happy Road, in which James M. Mathes presents Happy Mathes and Dusty Rohde, by I. Q. Fate, directed by Cupid, setting by Mother Nature."
Shorty Mayo, sales manager for H. P. Hood and Sons Ice Cream, was recently elected president of the New England Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers at its annual convention at the Copley-Plaza in Boston.
Earle Gordon Jr. is now the father of a son, William Evans.
All will be interested to know that Les and Linda Hawkridge have gone to Florida for a couple of months where Les is recuperating nicely from his recent illness.
Word has also just come in that Howard Clute has been having a pretty hard time with pneumonia but has just been discharged from the New England Baptist Hospital so that he might take a trip to get back on his feet.
The newspaper clipping services have been kind and returned to us the news that John Sterling was the first speaker on the 1941 program of the Advertising Club of Minneapolis; also that the Rev. John R. Scotford, church leader and Mission Board Secretary, visited McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Generous reference was made to his work as associate editor of The MissionaryHerald. He is referred to as writer, editor, and lecturer for the Board of Home Missions of the Congregational and Christian Churches of the United States.
Forrest Flagg Owen recently got publicity from the rebuilding of Station WELL, the famous Battle Creek radio station which was stepped up from a one hundred to a two hundred fifty watt transmitter. Forrest is in charge of the sales department with the title of commercial manager. He is still rated as "considerable of a Yankee." Over the radio he sometimes has trouble with his Yankee accent, neglecting to sound his final r's when there is an r and adding one when there isn't. He joined the WELL force in 1931.
Secretary, Hanover, N. H.
