1917
After all this time, four years and five months, since your present humble servant began compiling these notes, we have a picture of his predecessor, Gene Towler, the Squire of Cricket Lane, with which to grace this column. Gene is the same affable leader and ardent worker for the best gang of guys in the world that he always was, and we are glad to report that he does not change as time marches on. His custom of sitting down every once in a while and writing a report of what he and Lucile, Jane, and Tom are doing, for these pages, is one which we could all afford to emulate, and one which affords your secretary much pleasure. We salute you, Gene, and wish you and yours our best, always.
There are two or three good games coming up,—Princeton and Cornell, and perhaps Harvard at Hanover,—depending on when the MAGAZINE reaches you. Make them if you can, for the Big Green appears to be well worth watching this year. And there is a good '17 get-together awaiting you at each one. Just be sure to send word of whom you saw and whom you were with at each game, along with your own comments. We who couldn't make the games this year will be greatly refreshed thereby.
The word that Sumner Emerson was elected President of the General Alumni Association at its July 13th meeting reached us just too late for the last issue. So we belatedly report it now and salute Sumner none the less gladly for this honor which he now carries. He thus becomes one more reason why you will wish to put plans for our big Thirtieth next June ahead of all other plans.
Another matter which we are slow in reporting is our visit with Don Aldrich at the tail end of the summer. Three of us, the others being Don Brooks and Bill Sewall, journeyed to Dennis from Chatham just before the carefree vacation season came to a close and there found the Rt. Rev. Don at home in his delightful Cape-Cod residence,a perfect hideout for a man who has done much and seeks a brief rest before again setting out to serve his fellow men as Don does. He looks fine and gave every appearance of enjoying his delightful situation. Certainly we profited by his buoyant spirit in the brief hour during which we chatted on his terrace overlooking a characteristically peaceful Cape Cod scene. We did note, however, that our visit was interrupted several times by callers, indicating that wherever he is, Don is rather heavily leaned upon by friends and neighbors.
The Northern New Jersey Alumni Associa- tion dinner in mid-September paid homage particularly to its honored guest, President Dickey. We are glad to say that Seventeen was well represented by Don Brooks, Ed Earle, Summie Emerson, Karl Koeniger, Frank I.agay, Mac Switzer, and Red Walton. Karl sat at the head table. Bob Scott writes:
Our famous housing expert, Ralph Britton, of the National Housing Agency, breaks forth into the limelight with two pictures of himself on the 19th page of the June Bth issue of Business Week. He is examining, for the Government, the merits of an all-steel house built eight years ago. He looks very youthful,—with his hat on Capt. George Currier USN was in local papers last week as heading up the New England Naval Reserve program. The old '17 class, having gotten its second wind, sure is busting out all over.
A letter from Dewey Duhamel from Hanover, written on the stationery of "The Hanover ,Inn at Dartmouth College," made us just a bit homesick:
At last we made it and have been up here for a solid week celebrating our 25 th anniversary. Helene decided that Hanover was the nicest place to spend it and her selection was excellent. Played golf every day but we decided you had to be a real mountain goat to play the 12th, 13th, and 14th. The gully holes, I call 'em. Saw quite a few old friends and '17ers. Bradley Davis is teaching a summer course at Tuck School. Regularly he teaches at lowa State. And of course we saw Arch Gile who is doing an excellent job in his real estate, etc. Bob Ingersoll from Arlington, Va., was also here for a few days, as was Norm McCulloch who is entering his two boys as freshmen this fall. So, ask me. Are we glad to be back? After our five-year exile in Ohio we are again living.
Dewey and Helene got as far as Falmouth on the Cape in late August, but couldn't make Chatham. Next summer we hope they will plan better and come all the way.
Ray Sault says:
Pearl and I took it into our heads to do a little travelling at just the time the railroad strike broke, but going by air turned out to be a fortunate choice of means. We spent a week at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs which was very enjoyably heightened by the fact that although Pike's Peak was not officially open, we did go up with the first party in the last four years. We got out to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and down to Mexico with way station stops. I left Pearl in California and she finished up with a companion by going to Canada and coming home by way of Jasper, Lake Louise, and Banff, stopping in each place a few days. Now we're ready to settle down for the summer between Melrose and our shack on Lake Winnepesaukee. By the way, we had to discontinue our flying there due to insurance difficulties We are building a new factory for postwar expansion but with the various strikes, we are having our. troubles. We do expect, however, to move about November first .... We had word this week that my son is on his way home after two years in the Pacific. He got into the Army late, being tied up with Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Co., but has ended up as a Staff Sergeant in Heavy Automotive Division. We all will be glad to see him, especially his wife, who has lived with us since he went in. They have been married almost four years. Both Pearl and I are looking forward to the 30th next year and have hopes that it will be the greatest ever.
Jim Cone has been busy house hunting in Duluth, but even so he gets in his regular plug for the lake country: "Why don't you come up here and open up some new territory? We are safe and sane people even though quite a ways up north. Finest country you ever saw, in the summer." Having rented happily and contentedly since 1931, recently "the place was sold from under me and I'm going to have to break down and buy." We feel for you, Jim, for we are looking for a place ourselves, and fear for the same eventuality. Jim continues:
Our son Bill who was 2% years in the Pacific, now 20, is out of the Navy and headed for Dartmouth this fall. Chuck completes his sixth year in the Marines on June 18th and he is taking his discharge. He came through in fair shape for one who was a Platoon Sgt., 6th Regiment, 2nd Marine Div. Reoccurences of malaria are his chief concern. Bill took his discharge in California, and he is waiting for Chuck to get out, and then they are driving home via Lake Louise and Banff. When Chuck was home in March he talked his mother into letting him drive her car back to California so they could do this. You would think she had lost her best friend by not having her car available. Leon Jr. '41 is still on Guam but he expects'to return in the near future and get out of service. He and his wife also expect to visit us this summer. It will be a great reunion. You have probably noticed by the papers that Joy Manufacturing Co. bought Sullivan & La Del. Now we are all merged under Joy Manufactur- ing Co., and keep our identity by being called Sullivan Div. I'm still District Manager here in Duluth. .... I see Ralph Dunning quite often. He is still Sales Manager at Clyde Iron Works.
Sunny Sanborn bumped into Stan Kingsbury recently and found that Stan has been affiliated with one of the research laboratories at M. I. T. for the last three years, and is making his home in Weston." From personal experience we know that the gang will admire to welcome Stan at the next Boston gettogether A note from Bill Eaton was most welcome even though the only personal news was that he had just returned from a trip through the South. He was then in the midst of Pittsburgh's utilities strike. "Am writing in the dark as we have no lights in our fair city. It is a mess, with no stores open, no office buildings operating, and no busses or street cars. We are now in our third day of this." A note from Al Emmons reports merely that "Steve will finish high school next year and Dave was able to get into Dartmouth and will go back late in September, as a junior.".... A recent copy of Public Relations reports a meeting of the N. Y. State Association of Small Loan Companies, and throws the spot-light on our genial N. Y. rounder-upper, Tom Cotton. "Gratefully, the association decided its public relations could continue on a basis of more of the same, kept on with quiet satisfaction its full-time social research director, tactful Thomas L. Cotton. Cotton, a midwesterner who looks like a cross between a powerful cowboy and a Wall St., lawyer, has brought some new techniques to PR." From other comments in the article, we judge that Tom's associates appreciate him, too, even though they can never have the favored 'l7 background.
Hunk Stillman says, "See what my scouts dug up," and encloses a long clipping from the Saint John, N. 8., Telegraph-Journal of August 28 headed, "Streeter Wins Maritime Seniors' Title. Adds 87 to his First Round 79 to Capture Coveted Golf Honor. Riverside Ace Leads." Then the long article starts out, "Tonight a mantle of supremacyhung over the shoulders of Percival Streeter of the Riverside Golf and Country Club of Saint John, a testimonial to his victory today in the Maritime Seniors' Golf Associations 22nd annual tournament at the Digby Pines links." And as further testimony to the honor, and identification, there was the picture of Nemo, alert but stern of visage, and, seriously, a darned good likeness. When we referred the report to Sam MacKillop, our ready reference on golf, Sam allowed as how Perc had done a" good job, but admitted under pressure that he had taken Perc, two matches out of three, during his vacation in Saint John, but added that he, Sam, had been a little short on total strokes. That will be the match to watch, come our 30th in Hanover next spring, when Sam and Nemo set out for the golf links.
As for himself, Hunk says, "There is no news worth reporting. My older daughter is working for International Business Machines Corp., in Boston, and my younger daughter is just starting her junior year at Wheaton. My son, Greg, will be back in Hanover for his junior year too. He worked at the Inn all summer and apparently took an active part in all the reunions. Whether this is a habit formed at our 25th four years ago, or whether it is just training for the 30th next year, I can't say. Anita and I go quietly along in our peaceful bucolic way. Don't get around very much or very far, nor see many classmates. We hope to take in a football game or two this fall but can't tell which."
We had the pleasure of a short weekend with Sam and Dorothy MacKillop when we returned to Chatham last month to help close up for the winter. Both were well and appeared in the best of spirits, partially, no doubt, the result of their vacation in Saint John last summer when Dorothy again saw her brothers and sisters for the first time since the beginning of the war. As always, much of the time was spent on '17 men and affairs, and as always the wish was expressed that others of the gang could have been present.
FINALLY CAUGHT is the above popular member of the Class of 'l7, Eugene D. Towler, against o fairly unseasonable summer background.
Secretary, P. O. Box 533, Huntington, Indiana
Treasurer, 9 Park Terrace, Upper Montclair, N. J.
