1931*

Here we go again. Having the August issue hardly made it seem as though there was any lull in the appearance of the columns, and with the increasing number of fellows of our Class going into Service, it is becoming about as difficult to keep the ranks of '31 segregated between those who are in and those who are not as it used to be to keep an accurate account of those who were married and those who were not.

By the time this issue goes to press the most prominent member of the class of "'31 in civilian life will be Red Rolfe. For the past ten years we have seen many fine articles praising the red-head as a crackerjack ballplayer, and as Red goes into what will probably be his last World Series this fall due to the recent announcement that he is assuming the coaching duties at Yale for both baseball and basketball, I think every one of us in the class of '31 would like to pay tribute to Red for the job he has done and the splendid way in which he has done it. Only a few days ago I was reading an article from an Albany newspaper which gives Red all the credit in the world for being the real sparkplug of the Yankees, going back to July 12 when Red stepped into the line-up after the Yanks had had a miserable western trip. On four consecutive days he hit five home runs; then a triple, double and five singles all in less than a week, to set the Yankees back on their winning path and into the World Series. All of this in spite of the fact that ever since 1941 Red has had a chronic case of colitis which has evaded the best cures of dozens of specialists throughout the country. The same spirit which Red used to show at Hanover has carried through for ten years Of professional baseball, and characteristically, he is the first man on the field and the last one to leave. Red has an alltime batting average of .296, and besides being a brilliant fielder, he is a real artist at bunting; his ability to hit behind the runner has made him one of the great number two hitters of baseball. Red has had an enviable career in professional baseball and I know that the best wishes of all of us go with him into the World Series as he tops off his playing days and embarks on what we know will be an equally successful and brilliant career as a coach.

A postcard from Sher Guernsey says he doesn't know how Red Gristede happened to get him in the Army as he is still in the aeronautics production department of General Electric in Schenectady. The draft board isn't after him yet, but my guess is that if his situation is like that of most of us, it is going to be largely a matter of time.

Dave Larrabee, with a temporary address at Bethel, Maine, reports he left the Staso Company in Poultney, Vermont for a job as Associate Geologist with the United States Geologial Survey. This work entails field travel from one town to another fairly frequently; he is working on strategic minerals and is helping to locate deposits of beryl, mica, tantalum, etc., under H. M. Bannerman who is in the Department of Geology at Hanover. Dave and Line Page, who is working on the same thing in another district, find there is a big push to get this stuff into industry in time to do some good.

Reed Patterson, from whom we haven't had a letter in many a moon, reports he is working in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with the United States Employment Service, interviewing people who are looking for work either in private industry or at the Navy Yard. In spite of all the war time activity in that region there still are people who, for a multiplicity of reasons, find themselves out of work. In addition to this, he has been put in charge of occupational questionnaires and keeps all the records of the defense training courses in machine shop, sheet-metal work and welding which are being given in Portsmouth. His job is to keep the schools full and then get the graduates to work in the war effort after the completion of their training. Like a good many of us, he said it is a far cry from anything he ever expected to be doing.

Lieutenant Bernie Boyle, whose marriage to Elizabeth Gill on July 4 was recently reported, shoots us a nice letter from the Naval Academy at Annapolis to report on his recent activities and his new work. After spending ten years at Andover as instructor in biology and physical education, and general house-master to twenty-five boys, he finally decided to settle down and put a little time in on domestic biology, physical education and general nurse-maid to some kids of his own. He met Betty at Sea Island, Georgia, on his last Easter vacation, became engaged on the 29th of May and married on the 4th of July. Things sure happen fast these days, don't they? Bernie got a leave from the Navy for a short time for the ceremony, then reported to Chapel Hill where he is in the athletic and military department at the Pre-Flight School. He spent five weeks living the life of a midshipman at Annapolis and is now a platoon officer at the school for Naval air cadets. He hasn't run across any '31ers at Chapel Hill, so if any or you get there, be sure to look him up.

Also in the Navy is Frank McCord who, by the time this goes to press, should be back in Hanover for one of the courses given by the Navy at Dartmouth. I don't know how much time Mac will have to himself (probably not much), but if any of the gang gets to Hanover during the fall, I know he will be glad to see you.

In this morning's mail we received an announcement of the marriage of Fred Slaughter and Mrs. George Henry Bockwinkel at River Forest, Illinois. Also in the mail comes the news of the birth of a son, John, to Al and Anna Jones at Uniontown, Pa.

More recent changes around the country: Bee Ball now in Lake Grove, Oregon. Hart Gilchrist, fresh from barristering in Chicago, now living in Forest Hills, New York. Ralph Nims to Elmhurst, Illinois, from Lansdowne, Pa. Steve Williams, traffic manager of the Jones & Lamson Machine Cos. in Springfield, Vermont. Jim Verity from Chillicothe, Ohio, to Hamilton, Ohio, where he is the chief probation officer for Butler County. Hank Russell, formerly with the Penn Mutual in Boston, now production engineer of the Automatic Machinery Mfg. Corp. in Bridgeport, Conn. Johnny Waterman, from the Highland Homespuns, Inc. in Asheville, to Lybrand, Ross Bros. & Montgomery in New York City, as an accountant. Dave Winkler, from the Hartford General Hospital, to Lieutenant in the Medical Corps of the Army, located in California. Al Jacob, formerly instructor in Spanish at Hanover, having acquired his own land, settled down to the vicissitudes of farming at Jamaica, Vermont. Al, you will recall, wrote us a swell letter after his return from Spain where he was during the Spanish Civil War. It looks as though he has had a chance to get that farm he was talking about even then.

The final change finds Parker Soule, who was last with the new business department of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, now with the circulation department of the Boston-Herald-Traveler. Parker did a grand job while associated with the MAGAZINE at Hanover and was at the same time one of our best friends and severest critics. However, I know I am indebted to him for the help he gave me both in ideas and getting this column to press, and he will be glad to hear that beginning this year the collection of class dues is going to be handled by our Treasurer, Bill Geiger. You fellows will be hearing from Bill if you haven't already.

I think we all felt a little chagrined when we read Dick Holbrook's analysis of the work that Red Gristede had to put into the Alumni Fund. From personal experience I can tell you that Bill Geiger's job of collecting class dues is no less arduous and involves about as much work as the Alumni Fund, so with the start of a new season, how about sending Bill your check for the dues as soon as you get your notice from him. It is a real enterprise for Bill to take on extra work this year for, as you all know, your own jobs give you enough to keep you plenty busy. And when you send him a check, drop him a note—hearing from you fellows is probably the most pleasurable part of any of these jobs.

Secretary, Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Cos. 31 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, N. Y Treasurer, 400 W. Madison St., Chicago, Ill.