1936 Wins Cup with 250 Back
168 MEMBERS of the Class of 1936 and 82 of the world's most beautiful wives invaded the previously placid plains of Hanover on the week-end of June 20th for a reunion commemorating five years of postcollege life. Events subsequent to graduation many years ago, events equally important in their turn—jobs, marriages, babies, had dimmed to some degree the memories of four swift years of undergraduate days. These events were swept into the murky background of consciousness for three gala days as once more the streets and paths of Dartmouth echoed to the footsteps she knew so well five years ago, and the sun shone on old familiar faces.
A small vanguard invaded the precinct of Hanover several days in advance of the class at large. Jocko Morrison, the able chairman to whom the Class owes an Indian Yell for doing such a swell job lining up the program and making the whole reunion run so smoothly, arrived in the early part of the week to make sure that everything was hunky dory, and he found that Paul Lynch and Herm Nunnemacher were also here to attend the lectures and frolic of Hanover Holiday, which, incidentally, is an ever growing institution of Dartmouth College. A couple of days later, Dick Taylor and his wife Dodie were seen parading about, looking woefully nostalgic, and hoping that some of the gang would show up. Frannie Ostrom was seen the next day leading a small guy by the name of Renny right past the Hanover Inn Coffee Shop where he was heard to remark, "But dear, some of the other fellows are already in there having a beer!" Renny had his beer that night, but he earned it. The Ostroms, Lynch, Morrison and the Chamberlains retired to the latter's (that's me) house to print names on the beer jackets. Apologies of all the printers are hereby extended to any reuner whose name was misspelled or incorrect. The responsibility for errors, however, lies in two places: the handwriting of the respective owner of the beer jacket, and Tanzi's beer. Oh me, oh my! Mrs. Chamberlain, not meaning to appear inhospitable either, was quite glad that reunions come no more often than five year intervals. Enough of the preliminaries! On with the dance!
As in all good novels, the day broke quietly and clearly from over the Presidential Range and Moosilauke (we know because we were still printing' those G.D. jackets) and as the sunlight first danced on the whiteness of Baker Tower and Dartmouth Row, faint honkings of horns, and whoops of joyous youth broke in on Hanover's silence from the direction of Northampton and points south, Rutland and points west, Newport and points north, and—hold everything—'36 was in town again!
The walls of old Topliff shivered. Windows rattled. Halls echoed. "Hiya Joe! Good old Joe! Oh! The name's Tom? Of course. Tom! I knew it all the time! (Aside: Whyinhell didn't he put his jacket on so I could see his name?) Hey! Charlie! Mortimer, old man—Dick. Bob, etc., etc., etc."
Soon the beer flowed at the tent. The tent was placed strategically in the northwest corner of Memorial Field just behind the gate, insuring complete privacy. Well, almost! Townies accounted for only 20% of the beer consumed. Plenty was consumed, too. Wives met wives, husbands compared their lot with other members of the class, and bachelors were envious.
The complete count for numbers back was not made until noon on Saturday. It was evident that Thirty-six had easily won the Class of 1930 Cup, presented to that class having the most men back to reunion. Nobody cared, and nobody cared that Thirty-six missed by fifteen people establishing an all time record for total number of reuners including wives and guests. Why did nobody care? They were home again!
It is needless to point out that the piano was played with extreme finesse and banged with gusto all through the night— both nights. Paul Lynch and Stoney Jackson were the only two caught in the act by me, but I could hear the twanging o£ other players at my house three-quarters of a mile from the tent. The most notable singing was performed by Long John McKernan, who rendered Al-000-et-ta several times. His compensation was several pennies deposited in his beer mug. Gawd! I can still hear it! His most ardent admirer was Dottie Olson (Theodore's wife) who could be heard remarking any time during reunion, "Gee, I think John McKernan is nice!"
One gem must be told. A '36 gentleman, and he won't be mentioned by name, nor even will his initials be printed, was sitting on the ground in the tent and his wife was standing beside him. As married men are wont to do—and some unmarried—he reached up every little while and patted his wife on the spot most conducive to patting She seemed not displeased. After a little, other gentry noticed this enticing pastime, and unbeknown to hubby, joined the game. Wifey, blissfully unaware that anything was amiss, beamed and beamed until with a shriek of terror she saw that hubby had a can of beer in both hands. The earth did not swallow her.
Speaking of patting games reminds me. Some dog misused the rubber stamp set used to print names on beer jackets, and printed on the back of Herm Nunnemacher's jacket, "Kick Me Hard and Often." Big brogans and dainty slippers obeyed continually throughout the weekend. It must have been tiring for Herm to stand up all the way to Milwaukee.
One of the highlights of the week-end was Prexy's barbecue luncheon, served to some 2000 reuners, secretaries, agents, treasurers and their wives. Hotdogs, hamburgers, beans, salad, beer, milk, ice cream and cookies were the order of the day, after everyone had had the chance to say hello to Hoppy and Mrs. Hopkins. This all took place Saturday noon, and shortly thereafter, the Lebanon Town Band paraded around the campus to lead the gang down to the baseball field where an all star Dartmouth team of some undergraduate and some graduate players took on the Springfield Town team in a game dedicated to the appreciation of Jeff Tesreau's long service as coach. Ted Olsen and Red Pounder nobly represented the 5th year class in the spectacle, and little Red, now in the U. S. Army, came in with the winning run for Dartmouth.
Following the game, THE highlight of the reunion took place at the foot of Oak Hill, the skier's paradise, where Ross McKenney, technician for the Dartmouth Outing Club, broiled some 300 juicy tenderloin steaks over a real wood fire, dug some honest-to-gosh bean-hole-beans out of a fire-hole right in front of 600 unbelieving eyes, added salad, chips, rolls and beverage, and consequently stuffed for the second time in one day the hungry members of the class of '36. This wasn't all. Ross gave an exhibition of good axemanship making many of the less hardy wives turn their heads and shudder from the closeness of his blows to his foot. He tossed a barrel over his head with his teeth, and capped his program by the telling of several personal experiences while in the woods. Shamefully enough, several incredulous '36ers rudely interrupted him with crude guffaws of disbelief. Most skepticism was evidenced when he was telling of a herd of fifteen snow-blinded deer whom he found following their leader (who wore a pair of dark glasses) single file, tail in mouth, a la elephants in the circus. Ross claims to have captured the whole lot by sneaking up to the leader, cutting off his tail with a bowie knife, and taking the tail in his hand, he then led the blind herd back to camp.
Charlie Lehman organized such members of the class as once sang in the college glee club into a reasonably homogeneous group considering the time which had elapsed since their last community effort, and their offerings, The Hanover WinterSong, The Twilight Song, Dartmouth Undying, and Men Of Dartmouth sobered the consistently jubilant 300 to quiet reverie.
Later, the usual proceedings continued at the tent until the wee small hours Sunday morning. I wish that space permitted mention of all the fleeting incidents which will many times recall the chuckles of the week-end—Hank Billings showing, time after time, pictures of his baby accompanied with weight specifications—Budd Schulberg, very worried, trying to find the car loaned to him by a friend in California which Dick Spong swore to have left near Ross McKenny's cabin, all the while being helped by sympathetic remarks from Pep Mintz, Ray Reitman, Gene Anspach and Herb Beskind—Tino Lando with his Walloping Wop, Dazzling Dago, Galloping Guinea, Marauding Mussolini stories—Larry Jump giving the boys the inside dope on France—Don Erion and Pop Nairne playing circus on top of the tentBob Ingersoll (Bob says the less said about him the better)—and a thousand other stories which will be told again and again. It is not possible, however, and after all, part of the responsibilities of reporting on reunion seems to me to include not telling everything.
The last official event was held in 105 Dartmouth Hall where the usual five year class meeting wrote off the usual five year class business. In the absence of A1 Gib- ney, Jocko Morrison read the class financial report, and as I remember it, we have some $164 in the bank, exclusive of the reunion funds. Jocko will undoubtedly include a complete statement of class financial affairs and a report of the disbursement of the reunion funds in the October issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. The nominating committee was represented by Paul Guibord who read off the slate of officers for the next five years. The Executive Committee, whose duty as charged by Paul is to assume responsibility and not merely the honor, includes:
Donald Lamont Ballantyne, Henry Joseph Mascarello, Mortimer Stewart Minty, Robert Saunders Morris, Charles Rennolds Ostrom, Richard Hubert Spencer, John Stephan Sullivan, John Morrison was elected Class Treasurer, Bob Prentice was reelected Class Agent, and I was elected Class Secretary.
In closing the report of the last 5th reunion which will be our privilege to attend, may I say a word regarding next year and the Secretary's reports in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. All that can be written is what I will know. Since there are only one or two other 36ers in or near Hanover, what I will know about 36ers must come through correspondence. Therefore, write often and copiously.
Listed below are those lucky few who got back to Hanover:
Charlie Aaron, Ed Andrew, Gene Anspaeh, Art and Nancy Appleton, Don Ballantyne, Lou Benezet, Joe Berman, Herb Beskind, Hank Billings, Charlie and Faith Brooks, Ed Brooks, George Brown, Martin and Ann M. Brown, Bob Burr, Ray Builter, Dave Campbell, Bus Capell and Violet Keiehner, Eddie and Ellie Chamberlain, Brad and Kay Chase, Paul and Lee Cleaveland, Ralph and Helen Cocroft, Curtis Comstock, George and Leah Conklin, Harry and Rose Coronis, Charlie and Jo Corwin, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Crangle, Joe and Margaret Cunningham.
Spike and Louise Daniels, Joe Davis, Art and Janet Davidson, Chuck Delbridge, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Densmore, Wally Dittmar, Mr. and Mrs. Dick Dorrance, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Eaton, Cliff England, Don Erion, John Fager, Bill Ferguson, Bob Fernald, Pete and Gmny Fitzherbert, Bax Fullerton, Fred and Lib Gonnerman, Bill and Pep Gray, Monty and Adele Greenbaum, Paul and Dot Guibord, George and Barbara Hambleton, Mr. and Mrs. Arnie Hatch, Mr. and Mrs. Herb Higgins, John and Beth Holmquist, Dick Holt, Norb and Ric Hofman, Bill and Pat Hoffman, Nox Howard, Ed and Mazis Hvde.
Bob Ingersoll, Dick and Barbara Jewell, Spence Johnson, Larry Jump, Frank Kappler and Gerry Elberth, Bob Keller, Tino Lando, Ken and Shirley Langler, Kirk Liggett, Ferris and Betty Mack, Mr. and Mrs. Bob MacPherson, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Macurda, John and Betty Mallory, John McKernan, Bill MeLaughlin, Bill McNulty, Walt Mertz, Doug and Catherine Miller, Joe Millimet, Pep Mintz, John Montague, Jocko Morrison, Roger Morse, Dick and Madine Mor ton, Walt Mosenthal, Bob and Jane Murphy, Bill and Carlotta Murray, Dune Newell.
Charles and Fae Nichols, Dean Nicholson, Niels and Jayne Nielsen, Ed Nilsson, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Niss, Herm Nunnemacher, Ren and Frannie Ostrom, Hal Palmer and Morris LeRoy, Briant Patterson, Red Pounder, John Reardon, Ed and Jodey Redington, Ray Reitman, Red and Jane Riley, Clif Roe and Debs Harvey, Mac and Marion Rowell, Vic Sabary, Andy Schmidt, Brint Schorer, Fred and June Shurts, Seymour Sims, Bruce Smith, Steve Smith, Jack and Yumi Smith, Clark and Hazel Sorensen, Frank Sornberger, Dick Spencer, Bill and Mignonne Spring, Terry and Helen Staples, Morris and Dot Stein, Don Sutherland and Ralph Colby, Gib and Ann Sykes, Jim Stephens, Jack and Mabel Stiles, Dick and Ruth Stow ell, Barry Sullivan.
Dick and Dodie Taylor, Tommy Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Bud Titcomb, Mr. and Mrs. Dick Treadway, Fred Varney, Dick Wakefield, Bob Walker, Stan Walker, Art and Lee Wasserman, Yin and Elizabeth Wentworth, Don and Jean Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Cook, Dick Wilson and Nan Burns, Karl Wolff, Bern Woods, Pete and Jean Wright and Betty Rider, George Young, Howland Rogers, Paul Lynch, Bus Chap in, Charlie and Betty Lehman, Steve Stotzer, Tommy Thompson, Ted and Dot Olson, Fred Weiss, Pop Nairne, Fred Kneip, Dick Hefler, Bill Brown, Mr. and Mrs. A1 Bunker, Norm Henshaw and Madeline Williams.
Hartie Beardsley, Don and Ann Robbins, Budd Schulberg, Bob Ervin, Johnny Hardham, Bill Martens Dick Spong, Joe and Midge Carson, Hank Mayo, Norm Allen, Red Kane, Sig Burrows, Harry Miller, John and Nancy Sawyer, Jack Sullivan, Bill Wyman, Ben Mover, Ted Whitmore, Stoney Jackson.
THE GROUP OF REUNERS IN CLASS OF 1936 IN FRONT OF DARTMOUTH HALL FOLLOWING CLASS MEETING SUNDAY, JUNE 22.
