Deaths
[A listing of deaths of which word has been receivedwithin the past month. Full notices may appear in thisissue or may appear in a later number.l
Ober, Charles F. '73, January 29 Frame, Robert '82, December 13 Bickford, Charles W. '87, January 15 Hodson, Edgar C. '94, January 9 Richardson, Henry S. '96, February 4 Griffin, John F. '02, January 23 Willis, Jay S. '07, November 25 Woodbury, Chester T. '07, January 28 Charlton, Hoitt N. '10, January 30 Melvin, Parker L. '17, January 24 Schutz, Edward A. '24 Wright, Burchard W. '24, January 26 Janssen, August '25 *Hill, Benjamin B. '32 Purple, Mayo R, '33, January 19 *Reeves, Bradley '35, December 18 Hammann, Valentine B. '36, November 26 *Rowland, Thomas H. Jr. '38, December 7 *Zeller, Warren R. '41, September 8 *Holton, Lloyd S. '43 *Smith, John H. '43 *Lott, Lawrence G. '46, November 10 Adams, Franklin L. '08a, July 26 * Died in war service.
In Memoriam
1871
WILLIAM WILLARD FLINT died at his home in Concord, N. H., January 6, 1945.
The son of Lyman Thomas (Dartmouth 1842) and Hannah W. (Willard) Flint, he was born in Colebrook, N. H., August 16, 1850. The family removed to Concord in 1854, and he prepared for college at Concord High School, with a final year at the Washington County Grammar School in Montpelier, Vt. He was a member of Kappa Kappa Kappa and Phi Beta Kappa, and was salutatorian at Commencement.
He was a clerk in the U. S. Treasury Department at Washington from 1871 to 1875, meanwhile studying law at the Columbian Law School, where he received the degree of LL.B. in 1874. For a short time he practiced law in Clinton, Mass., in partnership with his classmate, William B. Orcutt, but was recalled to Concord by the death of his father in April 1876, and made his home there for the rest of his life. In 1878 he joined the faculty of St. Paul's School, and was its registrar until his retirement in 1929.
From 1876 to 1886 he served as a member of the Concord school committee for outlying districts; from 1885 to 1929 he was a trustee of the Concord Public Library and clerk for most of that time. He was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1893 and °f the Constitutional Convention in 1912. He became a trustee of Coit House, Concord, in 1906, and was clerk and treasurer from 1911 to 1921. He was a member of the New Hampshire Historical Society, the Sons of the American Revolution, and of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. He was a voluntary observer for the U. S. Weather Bureau, and furnished for the History of Concord a chapter compiled from weather records of fifty years.
In 1921 he received the honorary degree of A.M. from Dartmouth. In 1931 he was appointed by Governor Winant chairman of the commission for the revision of the New Hampshire state seal and flag.
January 4, 1888, he was married to Frances Caroline Chapman of Sackville, N. 8., who died December 29, 1898; a second marriage was on July 23, 1901, to Susan Eliza Cogswell, also of Sackville, who died October 28, 1941. One son survives, William W. Flint Jr. (Dartmouth 1912), and two grandchildren.
j 873
DR. CHARLES FREDERICK OBER, the last surviving graduate member of the class, died at his home in Manchester, N. H., January 29, 1945-
He was born in Nashua, N. H., March 2, 1848, the son of Frederick H. and Harriet Newell (Marden) Ober. He was a member of Theta Delta Chi.
The first year after graduation he taught languages at Mt. Pleasant Military Academy, Sing Sing, N. Y., and was then in a similar capacity for two years at Essex Hall Classical School, Orange, N. J.
He then began the study of medicine with Dr. T. B. Dearborn, D.M.C. 1865, at Milford, N. H., attending lectures at Dartmouth. He finished his medical training at the University of New York, graduating as M.D. in 1879. He began practice at Lowell, Mass., where he remained until November 1881. He then removed to Peterboro, N. H. and remained until the failure of his health in 1885. On his restoration to health he began practice anew at Milford, N. H., and finally removed to Manchester.
Dr. Ober was prominent in Masonic circles, being a member of Chapter, Commandery, and Council.
June 23, 1875, he was married to Jennie E Fifield of Milford, who is no longer living.
1882
ROBERT FRAME died December 13, 1944, in Atlanta, Ga., of uremia.
He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, June 15, 1859, son of James and Agnes (Pettigrew) Frame, and prepared for college at Franklin, N. H., High School and Phillips Andover Academy. He took the Chandler Scientific course and graduated as B.S. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi.
For several years following graduation he was associated with Col. George E. Waring in sanitary engineering in New York. With Col. Waring he removed to Newport, R. 1., which was his home for about forty years. He entered into the life of the city, serving in the city government and as president of the Newport Board of Health and the Anti-Tuberculosis Association. He was active in Newport's clubs and fraternal organizations, and held high rank in Masonry.
In 1921 Mr. Frame moved to Canterbury, N. H., to go into orcharding, and here took an active and keen interest in town affairs. In ■ 942 he decided to make his home in Georgia, with his son and family.
He was interested in many side lines. He has at least two patented inventions to his credit. He traveled a good bit; he enjoyed writing plays, articles, and poetry, some of which have appeared in print.
In 1883 he was married to Minnie Gale, who died October 19, 1934. Two children survive: .Mrs. Edna Blanchard and fames Frame, Dartmouth 1910.
1887
CHARLES WILMOT BICKFORD died at Lewiston, Me., January 15, 1945.
His death brings an acute sense of loss to his surviving classmates of the class of '87, for he was one of our choicest spirits, always brightening our lives with his ready wit, and his never failing good humor.
"Bick" was always our exhibition piece, our marshal on all state occasions. His last appearance among us was at the celebration of our golden anniversary, when he acted as toastmaster at the dinner,—and it is a great happiness to all of us to remember him as he was then,—the perfect master of ceremonies.
He was born at Ossipee, N. H., December 20, 1865, the son of John C. and Pamelia (Thurston) Bickford, descendants of preRevolutionary ancestry. His wife, to whom he was married July 19, 1893, was Ann Maude Sleeper, a descendant of Col. Peter Sleeper, an officer of the Revolutionary armies.
His life was devoted to educational activities, and his career has been brilliant, for his constructive foresight pioneering for many innovations that have become established as permanent methods in modern education.
His life as an educator began before his graduation and continued in several communities until his election to the superintendency of the Manchester schools in 1900. After serving there for sixteen years, he was chosen superintendent of the school system of Lewiston, Me., where he remained until his retirement in 1938.
There were many calls for his abilities in lectures and honors, including lecturer on school management for several sessions of the New Hampshire summer schools, at State Teachers' institutes. He was president of the New Hampshire Educational Council for five years, of the New Hampshire Teachers' Association in 1897. He was a member of the National Society for the study of Education. He was president of the Androscoggin County Teachers' Association. He addressed many educational assemblies in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
In college he was a member of the K.K.K. fraternity, one of the college baseball team. In politics he was a Republican, in religion a Baptist. In civil life he was a 22nd degree Mason, past master of Blue Lodge, past illustrious master of Council, past grand master of the New Hampshire Council, prelate of Lewiston Commandery for eight years, a member of the Shrine, a member of the Rotary club for 19 years and one of its Presidents.
Funeral services were held in the Lewiston United Baptist church. The bearers included prominent members of the state and city educational organizations. Burial will be in Manchester, N. H. in the spring.
1888
ELEAZAR CATE died at his home in Belmont, Mass., January n, 1945, after a long illness. He became ill at his summer home at Ocean Point, Maine, and underwent an emergency operation at the Boothbay Harbor Hospital in June 1944.
Born in Dover, N. H.. May 24, 1865, the son of Eleazar and Lydia Brewster (Miles) Cate, he prepared for the Chandler Scientific Department at Phillips Andover Academy, entered Dartmouth in the fall of 1884, and graduated with the degree of B.S. He was a member of the Phi Zeta Mu fraternity (now Sigma Chi.)
After graduation he taught the sciences in high schools at Brockton, Mass., from 1889 to 1892, and then at Fall River, Mass., to 1895, when he changed to a business life and became president of the L. E. Knott Apparatus Cos. of Cambridge, manufacturers of scientific equipment for schools and colleges. The concern built a world-wide business, which he followed with success until 1931, when he retired.
June 17, 1897, Mr. Cate was married to Alice E. Rich of Milford, N. H., a member of the class of 1893 at Smith College. Two sons were born to them; Allan Miles, Dartmouth 1920, married Helen Gordon, daughter of Charles B. Gordon '93. Their children are A. Miles Jr. and Patricia Cate. The second son, Robert Maxwell, Dartmouth 1929, is with the New York Telephone Cos., is married, and has two children, Sharon and Robert Douglas Cate. A brother, Arthur Cate, lives in Montana. In 1927 Mrs. Cate was made blind by an accident, and since then her comfort has been her husband's first thought. His untiring devotion and care has won the admiration of all his friends.
He was a member of the Belmont Unitarian church. He also belonged to the City Club and University Club of Boston, but most enjoyed a club of about a dozen congenial souls who for years have met often at their homes for discussions and reading of papers.
Since 1921 Cate had been a visitor on the Chandler Foundation at Dartmouth, and in 1922 the College gave him the honorary degree of Master of Arts.
At the funeral services held at his home Dartmouth was represented by Sanborn '87, Lougee '88, Bartlett '89, Hardy '90, and Rowe '91.
Eleazar Cate had a high rating among his classmates, and his death removes from our depleted ranks its leading spirit.
1907
JAY SUMNER WILLIS died in Brockton, Mass., November 25, 1944.
He was born in Brockton, April 10, 1884, the son of Edward Maurice and Ellen Lucretia (Osborne) Willis. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi, and was with the class only two years.
He seems to have spent his entire active life in his native town, and his only occupation that has been reported is that of salesman for the Mawhinney Last Company.
June 27, 1905, he was married to Ordis Pearl Reynolds, who survives him, with a daughter, Dorothy Ellen, and a son, Jay Sumner.
1910
JOSEPH BARTLETT, the only blind student in college during our era, was born in Auburndale, Mass., November 12, 1884, the son of E. W. and A. B. Bartlett. Preparing at Perkins Institute, he entered Dartmouth with our class and graduated in 1910. Although handicapped and compelled to use the Braille System, a typewriter and services of fellow students, he was active in the Classical Club and Deutscher Verein and graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, gaining honorable mention in Philosophy.
He did further study at Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky., and at Harvard, and earned his master's degree at Antioch in J 933. For several years he taught in boys' schools in the North Carolina mountains, going to Antioch College in 1922, where he remained until his death, November 27. Last spring he suffered a heart attack, but continued his usual routine until four days before he died.
All through his life he asked no favors because of his handicap—he accepted what was his to accept—with stout heart and good cheer carved out a career that left an indelible impress for the better upon hundreds of young folks. Many men with two good eyes have done far less.
1917
PARKER LANEY MELVIN died suddenly January 34 at his home in Bradford, Pa., the result of coronary thrombosis. He had attended a meeting of the Bradford District Oil Producers Association during the evening and appeared to be in his usual excellent health when he retired. His death occurred during the night.
Parker was born in Bradford on May 27, 1895, the son of John Parker and Adeline (Laney) Melvin. He attended the local public schools, graduating in 1913. In Hanover, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and Sphinx, active, and widely known on the campus.
He enlisted May 12, 1917, was commissioned August 15 at Plattsburg, served in the Meuse-Argonne offensive with Battery A, 303d F. A., and was discharged July 15, 1919, with the rank of Second Lieutenant. While in France he attended the Sorbonne for several months.
Descendant of a pioneer oil family, Parker's business life was spent in that industry. Starting as an assistant supervisor of properties he gained thorough first hand experience rapidly. In 1925 he went into the producing end of the business and remained there thereafter. He was head of TowneMelvin Oil Cos., and a partner in Matson, Towne, and Melvin, of Bradford, with producing properties in the Bradford field and in Kansas. He was a former member of the Petroleum Industry War Council, a past president of the Bradford District Oil Producers Association, past president of the Pennsylvania Grade Crude Oil Association, one of the founders of the "Producers Monthly", and a representative of Gov. Edward Martin on the Interstate Oil Compact Commission, a position which he also held under Gov. Arthur Jones.
On June 16, 1920, he married Freda M. Johnson, who survives him, with their three daughters, Mrs. William D. Fox of Bradford, Ruth Melvin, a student at Pennsylvania College for Women, Pittsburgh, and Elizabeth Melvin of Bradford. To them the Class extends its deep and abiding sympathy. Parker's unexpected and untimely death is a real shock. His fellow townsmen epitomize his life in these words, "There was none who called upon him for assistance and could say he had been denied."
T932
LT. (JG) BENJAMIN BINGHAM HILL, USNR, was killed in action while serving on a warship in the vicinity of Luzon, P. I. The exact date of his death is not yet known, but it is presumed to have occurred about January 14, 1945.
Born February 26, 1911, in Worcester, Mass., Ben was prominent at Dartmouth in Chi Phi fraternity, was a cheer leader, glee clubber, and associate editor of the 1932 Aegis. Until the time of his entrance into the Navy, he was employed as an accountant, underwriter, and finally as Purchasing Agent for the Massachusetts Protective Association in Worcester.
In the spring of 1943 he married Miss Helen Dunshee of Albion, N. Y., who with his mother, Mrs. Elsie S. Hill of Worcester, survives him. Ben received his naval training at Harvard, and reported for active duty at San Francisco on April 12, 1943.
CAPTAIN PERCY G. STONE, Field Artillery, was killed in action October 16, 1944, in the European Theater of War.
Born January 29, 1910, in San Francisco, Percy attended Dartmouth in 1928 to 29, and than transferred to Stanford, where he was graduated in 1932. He subsequently worked for the Grace Line, and afterwards for various California firms until June, 1941, when he entered the Field Artillery as a private at Camp Roberts, Cal. Commissioned a year later, he spent some time at the OCC Tactical School at Fort Sill before going overseas.
Perc is survived by his uncle, Franklin T. Poore, of San Francisco.
1940
LT. ROBERT IRVING BEDELL, Navy pilot, was killed in a plane crash at sea on October 15, 1944. He is officially listed as missing, but must be considered as killed, for the plane was seen to crash, and no survivors were found. The crash occurred off the coast of French Morocco.
Bob was born June 8, 1918, in Newton, Mass., the son of Irving W. (Dartmouth 1905) and Margaret (Moore) Bedell. He prepared for Dartmouth at Dedham High and Roxbury Latin School and at college was a member of Kappa Kappa Kappa, of which he was president in his senior year.
After college he worked for the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Cos. in Charleston, W. Va. He received his wings at Corpus Christi, Texas, and went overseas in June, 1943. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in September, 1943.
He is survived by his wife, Nina Peppard Bedell of Charleston, W. Va., his son, Robert Jr., his parents, his sister Nancy, a member of the WAC stationed in New Guinea, and his brother David, serving with the U. S. Army in Europe.
1941
Word has now been received that F/O WARREN ROBERT ZELLER, R.C.A.F., who previously had been reported as missing following air operations over Europe on September 8, is dead and buried somewhere in Holland. The son of Walter Philip and Nettie (Lewis) Zeller, he was born in New Haven, Conn., April 14, 1919. He was a graduate of Lower Canada College, and a member of the Class of 1941 prior to joining the R.C.A.F. Warren had been a flight-lieutenant but relinquished his rank in order that he might fly, and was head of his class at St. Hubert in February 1943, where he received his wings. He was married September 14, 1940, to Janet Foster Knox.
Besides his younger brother, Lt. C. Edward Zeller '42, who is serving with the Bth Army in Italy, he is survived by his wife and small son, Warren Robert Jr., 3780 Westmount Boulevard, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter P. Zeller, 753 Lexington Ave., both addresses of Montreal, Quebec.
1944
SGT. RICHARD MILLER FARNSWORTH, USAAF, was killed in action in the Caroline Islands June 13, 1944, according to word recently received by his parents. He had previously been listed as missing in action.
He was born in Winchester, Mass., May 26, 1922, the son of Harold Vincent and Georgia (Young) Farnsworth, and prepared for college at the Winchester schools and at Deerfield Academy. He later transferred to Trinity College.
He enlisted in the Air Corps in February 1943, and went overseas in March 1944.
He is survived by his parents, a sister, and his paternal grandparents.
