1937 Holds Its Fifth Reunion
ADVERSE FACTORS BEGAN to pile up long before the Reunion plans approached the point of being whipped into shape. Mutt, our husky chairman, was so tied up in Washington that he couldn't even take time out to wonder whether his forthcoming offspring would be a boy or a girl. Don McKinlay, another powerhouse on planning for class affairs had to leave for active duty in the Navy. The "Yes" replies to a postcard canvass of prospective reuners were few and far between. Nobody to whom we talked, in and around Boston, could seem to see their way clear to come to our Fifth. Several weeks before Reunion the Bursar's Office reported two reservations only, for the Class of '57. Then came gasoline rationing! Well, to turn off the tears and hop over into the good stuff, it was a surprise to everybody to find that about fifty finally showed up, bringing about 25 wives and girls.
It was the middle of Friday afternoon when this bird rolled up to Tuck School 'where a big '37 was hung on the side of Chase Hall. We had the whole of Tuck School to ourselves, but the small number returning made the use of Chase only necessary. The tent, protecting our refreshments from the elements, was placed behind . Chase and beside Stell Hall, in the same location where our Senior Dance was held, at our graduation. Charlie Collis, Bob Cone, Gib Reynolds, and a few more of the boys were testing the beer-cooling apparatus and seeing that our refreshments were just right. Now, we don't want to prevaricate, of course, but if Charlie Collis didn't have a glass in each hand most of the time, we must have been mistaking a few identities. But of course, there were so many hanging around the tent that it was hard to tell who had a glass in each hand and who didn't.
Our beer-jacket was supposed to take care of the question of identity, and dollar- nineteen jackets gave '37 the sartorial edge over all other reuning classes as regards uniforms. A large black crayon served to identify the wearer of each jacket with the name in large letters over the breast pocket. One casual observer noticed that as one Five-Yearer neared another amid loud cries of welcome and much stretching of arms that there was a lot of side-ways glancing, and craning of necks towards the fellow-reuner's left lapel for a hint of a name. That is, all but Muckenbeck. That super law-book salesman knew everybody!
The beer-jacket had another side to it— the back side. Bob Kirstein's wife, Martha, being rather handy with a crayon, soon had a few of the boys' backs decorated with as lovely an array of femininity as ever graced the middle pages of Esquire. The demand for her skill soon had the source of supply surrounded, and so George Roewer's wife, Peggy, being a bit of an art student herself, chimed in, and as a result, feminine figures were following our beer-jacketed warriors all over the place.
Friday night President and Mrs. Hopkins held a very pleasant reception at Thayer Hall. The President, recovering from his recent operation, is still using a cane and appears to feel the effects of the battle he has had, in getting back into shape. He was very much present at all the alumni functions and really appeared quite heedless of his own well-being.
The Alumni Dance at Thayer Hall after the reception found the ballroom boys, like Monk Amon, John Latchis, Sheldon Wagner and Al Mayer showing the rest that five long years had done nothing to them except to put a little more of that old zing into their swing.
It wasn't long before our beer-jacketed heroes had wandered back to the tent, where Jim Truman served as keeper of the kegs. It's hard to tell who carried on worst at the party. Someone said that Bill Timbers was acting up, but we wouldn't know. We did hear "Lawyer's Co-op" Muckenbeck giving Bill a long harangue on the evils of beer-in-kegs, and the joys of temperance, but whether it took with Timbers or not, we can't say.
Saturday morning the crack '37 Softball aggregation really put it onto a decidedly mediocre '32 aggregation. The old boys just couldn't seem to bend over and pick up that ball; and when it came to hitting, it didn't seem to make much difference how hard they connected with the apple. Lithe, quick '37ers always seemed to be smothering sure hits, and converting three- baggers into easy outs. Jerry "Bill Dickey" Low behind the plate seemed to call for them on the right corners of the plate, and his battery mate, Amon, would put them there. Ed Eaton ran right back to the steps of Sanborn House to spear two or three that seemed tagged for circuit knocks. Hal Putnam, and Bob Cone were the ace performers in the infield, both figuring in at least five twin killings. Al Mayer, Boz Bosworth, and Pat Uhlman all had a perfect day at the plate while Carl Erdman led the boys with four round-trippers. "Black Mike" Manternach played one of the most decisive roles in this victory of youth over experience—he umpired.
Saturday noon found the boys partaking of buffet lunch on the College, followed by a general meeting of the Alumni, all in the main dining room at Thayer Hall. Our class hadn't been invited to choose one of our members to address the Alumni, but since most of the boys felt we could be generous and overlook this slight to our dignity and prestige, we attended the Alumni Luncheon anyway. Basil O'Connor '12, whose law partner is Pres. Roosevelt, presided, and he and several others preceded a fine talk given by Hoppy.
Saturday afternoon, after viewing the Holy Cross-Varsity baseball tussle, most of the boys agreed that if we'd only had Ted Bruce, Les Barrett, Ed Casey, Howie Longley, and Capt. Ray Ratajczak to bolster up our already red-hot '37 aggregation we might have provided a little more competition for "the Cross." They held our boys to 2 hits. With Mutt Ray waving his willow at them they never would have gotten away with it.
The Class Dinner followed, with our beer-jacketed battlers working on steaks at the Inn. Speaking talent and space being scarce, we shared our dinner with '32. Considering how we'd mopped up the campus with them that morning, we carried it off fairly gracefully. Jean Baptiste, formerly Ross McKenney was the speaker of the evening, and for a succession of stories he had his French-Canadian friends falling off roofs, and entertaining the crowd generally. It was good fun, and also enlightening when Ross relaxed into English and recounted recent developments within the Outing Club, which he serves in the capacity of Professor of Outdoors.
Saturday night the assault on Truman and his Bubbling Bud continued with unabated ferocity. A few late arrivals like Ensign Bill Cash, Al Romanow, Doug But- man, soon had their beer-jackets engraved, and "muraled" and got right into the battle. One of the girls was all for decorating Ensign Carl Noyes uniform but was dissuaded when the Arborio boys were pointed out to her. Ralph Griffith from Camp Devens, and Ensign Cash assisted in keeping order around the place that night, but it didn't look as though Ensign Cash was trying very hard. Johnny "The Doc" Milne, our man-in-white, showed up for a brief spell, also in uniform, and went over a few case histories with Doctor Jack "Forget-Me-Not" Richter. Fran Fenn led the boys in a few songs, but they didn't seem to drown anybody out as Big Tony Genewich had a group working over near the beer keg, and Slim Connors had another group going, even nearer the beer keg.
Sunday morning found quite a few heads going down to breakfast at the Inn, and then going to the Class Meeting at Dartmouth Hall. Four reels of class movies gave us everything from Carnival with Olivers, Ripsom and a few of the boys showing their stuff, to Graduation with everybody getting their noses in the picture. Fraternity movies were run for all houses giving the A. D.'s a chance to toss "Larry Lamour" Bruce once again, the Chi Phi's delegation a chance to shake hands with each other once again, and the Delts a chance to run through that corny shot-gun wedding they cooked up.
No sooner were the movies over than Ruggles had a chance to present his Treasurers Report, which it is rumored will shortly reach every member of the Class, and which is appended herewith. Class Dues collections are way behind, it appears, and it would be a nice thing if all who haven't paid up yet would do so, just as a wedding present to your Treasurer for he's joining hands with Margey Lamb in Greenfield on June 6th. Kick in with that slug as a present to Rug.
Monk Amon took the floor for awhile and presented a slate which was the result of his nominating committee's work on the ballot cards which were sent around to all '37ers. When the smoke had cleared away, Art Ruggles had been re-elected Treasurer, Jack Devlin, Secretary, and Dave Camerer, Don McKinlay, Mort Berkowitz, Fred Castle, Gary Lowe, and Fran Fenn to the Executive Committee. It was raining pretty hard outside and when these results were announced the air inside Dartmouth Hall started to get a little damp also, so the meeting was soon adjourned.
The final assault on the kegs was held that noon at a picnic lunch under the tent. Ma Smalley had prepared some delicate sandwiches and some salad that she claimed was an antidote to the stuff Truman was ladling out. The boys let up enough to get together for a class picture in front of Tuck School. Tom O'Brien and his wife arrived at Reunion just in time for the picture.
Art Ruggles has the complete attendance list, (see following.—Ed.) so we can't drag out this report with the complete list. Dick Cooper, that hard-working lawyer from Harvard Law and Concord, N. H. was around getting a few notes on the attending throng, so we've got some dope on classmates to report and some that will have to appear later. Paul Marx .... looking chipper .... now at 729 West Bloomfield St., Rowe, N. Y. and is a merchant for W. T. Grant Co. there; neither married nor engaged .... spent time enough at Tuck School to get a Master of Commercial Science .... expects to be drafted soon. Pat Uhlman, 1009 West 67th St., Kansas City, Mo married Helen Jane Weil in Nov. 1938, and has a child Patricia born in April, 1941. He has been Treasurer of the Uhlman Grain Co. in Kansas City, Mo. He is in the U. S. N. R. and expects to be called soon. The Arborio boys, John and Joe, are both with John Arborio, Inc., 141 Academy St., Poughkeepsie, N. Y. and have been with the Company since graduation. Neither has married, and both found Hanover good.
It was universally agreed that it was good to be back. Not all the boys stormed the kegs. Some wandered around town looking over familiar buildings, taking a squint at some of the new structures, looking up old friends in town .... showing the wife or girl-friend places that still mean a lot to them Yes, it was good to be back. Before closing this half-eared imitation of a Reunion Report let's put in a plug for Fred Castle and the Alumni Fund. He's doing a swell job this year. If you intend to give and just haven't got around to it—Do it now. If you didn't intend to give, think it over. This year the College really needs all our contributions.
Among those present were the following: Pat Uhlman; Jerry Low; J. M. Smith; Jack Devlin; B. W. Marternach; J. C. Arborio; P. F. Marx; E. R. Cone and wife; H. Putnam and wife; R. D. Kirstein and wife; Carl Amon and wife; George Roewer and wife; W. B. Rotch and wife; F. T. Fenn Jr.; R. L. Griffith Jr.; D. D. Johnson; G. R. Reynolds; A. E. Mayer and wife; D. H. Taylor; Sheldon Wagner; W. H. Timbers; T. B. Ripsom; J. Richter; J. D. Latchis; H. W. Pierce and wife; C. Erdman; C. B. Moseley; Carl Noyes; Art Munkenbach; Charles Coilis; D. Smith; Art Ruggles; John Milne; Stu Richardson; Joe Arborio.
