1900

The Forty-Fifth Reunion was a huge success. This despite most serious qualms in advance on the part of the Committee which had the arrangements in charge.

It was predicted by many that no reunion held elsewhere than in Hanover could be other than a failure. Early consideration of this aspect of the problem left the Committee sadly depressed. Then came the intimation that the College might accommodate gatherings of the older classes, among whom we certainly are to be numbered. So we went ahead with that cheerful prospect in view. But then came the ruling of the Office of Defense Transportation prohibiting gatherings of more than fifty, a number which would be far exceeded by those of the various older classes who would come to Hanover for fixed reunions. Perforce the College had to withdraw its invitation.

Nevertheless the Committee determined that a reunion should be held somewhere in New England, even if its members, only, should be in attendance. This despite the fact just stated, that the reunion could not be in Hanover, thereby breaking the hitherto unbroken precedent of our whole history. It was also realized that the number must be kept below fifty, making it, of necessity, a party with wives and families excluded, thereby breaking another unbroken and highly desirable precedent. It was moreover realized that the class must be convinced (although the Committee was not entirely sure of it themselves) that this was a real reunion and not merely one of the series of Round-Ups held each year. Whether or not all of this could be accomplished was problematical.

But we went ahead. The Follansbee Inn, at Kezar Lake, North Sutton, N. H., the scene of many of our Round-Ups, was selected as the site. Literature of the nature of enticing propaganda (so we fondly hoped) was mailed to the members of the class. Returns were promising. And on Friday, June 22, by one conveyance or another, men began to arrive at North Sutton in such numbers as to make success assured. On the class books 69 men are now enrolled. Of these 38 were in attendance, amounting to 55%. If from the class enrollment are deducted six men who, because of permanently impaired physical condition, could not be expected to attend, and six more who live too far away, we had an actual attendance of two-thirds of those who, by any reasonable possibility, we could believe might come. Nor were all those present confined to the New England region. Ted Cate came from Pittsburg, Alvah Fowler from Washington, John Redington, Len Tuttle and Paul Wilson (whom we had not seen for many years) from New York, while Arthur Virgin appeared from the fastnesses of Quebec.

There was little in the line of a set program. No one brought his golf clubs to take him away from the group- The more active of us walked in this beautiful region of central New Hampshire, the real boys (Cristy and Redington) indulged in swimming, the exciting sports of croquet and horse shoes were available, the card sharks indulged in games which, if they were as sinful as they were loud, must have been very wicked indeed, but, in general, our time was occupied by conversations between individuals and among groups, lasting far into the night, in which the past was discussed and appraised and the future charted and estimated. All of us felt ourselves back in our undergraduate days.

Dr. Charles and Mrs. Dolloft, who nave a most attractive camp on the shores of Kezar Lake, added much to the pleasure of the occasion by their hospitable entertainment of us at a "tea" on Saturday afternoon. Not only was the event most pleasant in itself, but it gave us an opportunity to inspect certain unique and attractive features of the Dolloffs' summer home.

The only formal part of the program was the dinner on Saturday evening. Mrs. Murchie, the manager of the Inn, had put forth her best efforts for the occasion, and it is safe to say that never in the history of the class have the tables been so artistically decorated, nor has the food (despite the handicaps of these times) been more appetizing. At the conclusion of the dinner we had our only formal speechmaking. President Rankin acted as toastmaster and brief talks were given by Jim "Woodman, Harry Sampson, John Redington, Clarence McDavitt and the Secretary. We then adjourned to the hotel lobby where, taking advantage of our unusual supply of skilled photographers, we were shown kodachrome slides of the Yosemite and certain Hanover scenes by Charles Proctor, followed by flower scenes, pictures of autumn foliage and scenes from other reunions by Harry Sampson.

All the thirty-eight who came to the Reunion were present at the dinner. The list is as follows: Atwood, Barrows, Bigelow, Brooks, Butterfiel-d, Gate, Corson, Cristy, Dolloff, Fowler, Goodhue, Hadlock, Hayden (with his son-in-law), Howe, Jenkins, Jennings, McDavitt, Mahoney, Manion, Mathes, Moody, Paddock, Prescott, Proctor, Putnam, Rankin, Redington, Richardson, L.8., Sampson, Teague, Trull, Tuttle, D.D., Tuttle, L.W., Virgin, Wallace, Warden, Wilson, Woodman.

Nearly all of Sunday was available for further discussion, all matters, which had not previously been settled, being now properly adjusted. So, in the late afternoon we separated reluctantly, each of us convinced that this gathering was fully equal in pleasurable associations to any reunion that we have ever held and thereby further assured that no difficulties can stand in the way of the entire success of gatherings of 1900.

Secretary, Hanover, N. H. Treasurer, 212 Mill St., Newtonville, Mass.