Thayer School
THE BIGGEST NEWS of the month from the School is that final plans are being drawn for the construction of the mechanical and electrical engineering buildings to be attached to the present building as shown in the architect's sketches which appeared in the February issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. This implements the postwar plans of the School for enlarging its curriculum. Mr. Larseri, college architect, is at work on the plans, and there is lots of speculation as to the date for breaking ground, which we all hope will not be delayed too long.
Last month the V-12 trainees who will be transferred to the NROTC program next November indicated their major choices. There were about 150 who had thoughts of majoring in engineering, but Dean Garran announced that we could not accommodate more than 50 from a single class, and advised all except the best engineering prospects to select a different major. Those who selected engineering were about equally divided among civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. These men will enter the Thayer School in November, marking the beginning of the postwar curricula in all three branches. It is doubtful if a combined engineering and business administration curriculum can be offered NROTC men because of the limited number of courses which they can take in addition to the required Naval Science and Tactics courses. These men will receive the Bachelor of Science degree from the Thayer School.
Congratulations to Ensign and Mrs. Gordon Ross '45 on the arrival of Alan Melville Ross Friday, April 13. According to our records, Gordon probably was unable to attend the launching owing to engagements in the Pacific.
Visitors at the School recently have included Ensign Ted Bush '45 and George Ehinger '45. Ted has been construction officer with headquarters at Quonset, R. 1., and was on leave before being assigned to a new duty. George is working for the Dofr Company. where his first assignment is acquainting himself with various test procedures which that company has developed. George has found that he is just beginning to study and to write reports.
A letter from Ensign Jim ICerley Jr. '44 gives us his address which we will furnish on request. Jim worked in the stress analysis department at Lockheed until about a year ago when he received his commission in the Navy. After a couple of months training at Tucson, Ariz., he shipped overseas where he has been since then. He says he puts in his spare time studying radio with the chief radioman in return for which he is teaching the radioman calculus. Sounds as if Jim is continuing his studies, too. He includes the news that his father, James J. Kerley 'ls, is with the War Department in building construction.
Ensign Harold Stein '44 is now attached to a CB Maintenance Unit located in the New Hebrides. Hal was previously with the 44th battalion at Manus. He's another one who's been recently engaged in academic pursuits, teaching a course in slide rule, trigonometry, and mensuration.
Lieutenant Will Pitz '4l is still stationed in the Marianas but after 26 months overseas has some hopes of returning to this country in the near future and "experiencing one of Hanover's cold and misty mornings." He has been engaged in the construction of a harbor which is now pretty well along toward completion.
Will informs us that Lt. Bob Barr '42 is with the 121 CB which has received the Presidential Unit Citation for their work with the Marines on the Tinian and Saipan beachheads.
Lieutenant (jg) Don Amy '43 is stationed somewhere in the Pacific with Underwater Demolition Team 8. Don has seen lots of action and at last reports was in training for more and wondering where next. His team had the exciting experience of a personnel and quarters inspection by Admiral Nimitz. Says Don, "He said some pretty nice things to us and made us mighty proud of ourselves for a while. You never saw such preparations for an inspection." In the Department of Understatement, considering; the nature of underwater demolition work, is Don's report of the Luzon invasion: "Pretty soon after Christmas we were on our way and the next real stop was Luzon—in time for all the excitement, too. We had quite a time there and sure saw lots of fireworks."
Don had the pleasure of seeing Lt. (jg) Buff Williams '43 who is assistant engineer officer on a ship in the Pacific. Don said Buff showed him through the ship as if he'd built it himself.
Ensign Bob Anthony '45 wrote us a good letter from a ship some place in the . A very careful censor eliminated the name of the body of water, but made no objection to the information that from Camp Endicott Bob and most of the rest of his class were ordered to report to San Francisco. Part of Bob's description of life at Camp Endicott told of Sun Valley in the following terms: "The last three weeks at Endicott were spent at a reservation called 'Sun Valley.' I don't know where they picked up that name but it was about the coldest place I have ever been in. We lived in Quonset Huts and they are something. I was on a bottom bunk and I used three blankets every night. The boys in the top bunks slept with only a sheet—a good proof that hot air rises."
No ALUMNI MAGAZINE in July; so we'll be back in August.
