FIVE CLASSES MEET 1901, '02, '03, '04, '05
N OT ANCIENT HISTORY just the span of Dartmouth years represented by the gathering in Boston on March 15th of the first Five Dartmouth Classes of the Century. It was a happy experiment with its origin at the Secretaries Meeting of May 1940 when Stevens '01, Burbeck '03 and Harding 'O5 developed the idea of a Dartmouth Gathering which would include a five year cross section of Dartmouth Classes with the common background of years together at Hanover. This group of men were in prep school or College during the Rough Rider days of the Spanish American War. The College was showing definite growing pains through the stimulating influence and untiring work of Dr. Tucker rebuilding Dartmouth on a broad and liberal foundation. It was a College so intimate in its everyday life and cooperative interest that everyone knew everyone else. Perhaps the richness of the period may best be illustrated by the following helter skelter list of contributing happenings and personalities.
Hoppy-Manager of the football team and assistant to Dr. Tucker acquiring the background that has made him the country's outstanding liberal College President: the building of the Commons: Lew Mead's drug store; Rood House; Wainwright Club; Clancy Club; Jim Haggerty's deluxe eating house; Wheelock Hotel and Livery Stable; similarly operated by Hamp Howe; stage coaches and pungs to the Norwich station; Fat Archibald and his world champion 1902 basketball team; safety razors just appearing; George Ray Wicker's Economics; a college Band of fifteen or twenty pieces; Washburn and Dudley's department Store; horse cars in New York City, trolley cars invading all the small New England industrial towns; roads of clay or deep sand; Harvard Stadium dedicated November 1903; football with Amherst, Williams and Wesleyan, with the Brown games reaching the high spot in rivalry and interest; the privilege of study and more or less intimate acquaintance with that sturdy faculty group; Chuck Emerson, Tute Worthen, Type Hitchcock, Bobby Bartlett, Frankie Sherman, Gabe Campbell, Stubby Wells, Johnny K Lord, Adams, Dude Colby, Johnny Vose Hazen and Gordon Hull; Tuck School founded; Webster Hall begun; Ernest Fox Nichols mowing them down in Sophomore Physics; classes reaching an entering number of over 200; Kid Faculty Babe Huntington and Homer Eaton Keyes; Bob Carey, townie, dishwasher and story teller extraordinary of the deeds and misdeeds of a previous College generation; automobiles in an experimental stage only, no planes, no radio; The burning of Dartmouth Hall in midwinter 1904 with a gaurantee to Dr. Tucker by the Alumni, led by Melvin O. Adams "before the ashes were cold" that rebuilding was assured.
This is the background that brought 49 men together at Schrafft's West Street dining room in Boston, some of whom had not seen each other for 40 years, for an informal and highly enjoyable evening from which one went away with an air of renewed youth and enthusiasm and a promise to come next year with more of their gang.
ATTENDANCE LIST
Sid Hayward came down from Hanover to get a close up of the old timers and provided the high light of the evening. He gave us an idea of the magnitude of President Hopkins' Washington job, and present undergraduate life and thought about current world affairs. Paul '06 Felt played the piano and the 49 singers were Bob Harding, Eddie Gibbons, Artie Bolster, Nat Batchelder, Ike Charron, Pat Campbell, Pete Maguire, Orvil Smith, George French, Tom Uniac, Phil Brown, Walter Young, Ned Robinson, Chubby Edwards, Jim Donnelly, Ralph Sexton, Fred Weston, Ned Calderwood, Bob Mosely, Harry Clark, Prexy Whelden, Mat Bullock, Ned Burbeck, Lafayette Chamberlain, Harry Gilmore, George Proctor, T. Wood, Squid Lampee, C C Hills, Frank Cudworth, Ned Kenerson, Charlie Davis, Fat Smith, Stevie Stevens, Elsie Grover, Harry Watson, Dave Austin, Allen Smith, Brutus Luce, Harland Cate, Walter May, Pip Howard, Jake Smith, Murray Parker, Dick Brown. Now the readers may pin on the class numerals ten '01, four '02, thirteen '03, twelve '04, eleven '05. These fans stayed till the janitor put out the lights, .... Nat Batch, Chub Edwards, Brutus Luce, Dave Austin, Jake Smith, Elsie Grover, Eddie Stevens, Artie Bolster, Jim Donnelly.
