1916
It is my sad duty to record the death of Raymond Aubrey Lawrence who died 21 October, and whose obituary appears elsewhere. Although Ray did not stay to graduate with us, he was an interested and loyal Dartmouth man, and those of us who had the privilege of knowing him intimately in recent years in Washington found him a charming, modest gentleman whose sunny disposition and friendliness made it always a pleasure to talk to him. The class was represented at his funeral by Dick Parkhurst, Harry Anson Bates, and your secretary. Ray lies in a tranquil, sunny spot in beautiful Arlington Cemetery.
In these notes, let me first apologize for the misspelling of the names of John Gile and Ed Craver. The error was not mine, but such things happen. Also, I placed Howdy Parker's, son in the wrong place; he is now a freshman at Dartmouth, H. Bruce Parker Jr. Sorry to have missed Gran Fuller when. he passed, through Washington, but I was out of town.. Gran and Jack Little got together, and phoned my house, and their conversation was given me secondhand by my wife. Gran had been down South buying up a few forests, leaving Ruth to keep the home fires burning.
A most appreciated letter comes from Constantine Tripolitis, who regrets being too far away to attend Reunions, but who keeps in. touch with the Dartmouth Club in Los Angeles, where he is Chief Engineer for the Bureau of Aeronautics, Western District, of the Navy. Trip was a Navy civilian in the last, war, and in 1920 went home to Greece for over two years; when he came back he went into lighter-than-air at Lakehurst, N. J., then spent two years at the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia. June 193,1 he was married to Margaret McDowell, was transferred to California and has been there since. August 1942 he was commissioned lieutenant commander, advanced to commander, and last June resumed civilian status in the Navy. Trip says he spent most of the time rushing from New Orleans to Seattle, clearing obstacles to production. He made one trip to the "islands" in connection with the first installation and firings of "Tiny Tim" which was developed by his outfit. Some of his own ideas, such as the perforated flap originally used on the Douglas SBD and later by Curtiss and Chance Vought, were incorporated in Navy planes. He also instructs me to bawl John Stearns out for not answering a letter he wrote him a year ago, but knowing what John was up against, I won't even mention it, Trip.
Erwin Gifford begins a letter: "Coming down Route 5 and 10" (should be the Woolworth Road) "from Hanover, and with a riot of color on the hills and in the valleys of Vermont, etc." Giff mentions listening to the Glee Club, in which his son David sings, render "Dartmouth Undying," he and Frances getting the same reaction of nostalgia we all get. He enclosed a newspaper clipping, from the Herald Trib, of course, on the 100th birthday of Nathaniel Vickers, who is the father of Mrs. Ken Tucker. He is an architect of note, a skilled painter of watercolors, and the oldest member of the U. S. Senior Golf Assn., having played in tournaments as lately as 1942. The accompanying picture in the Herald-Trib shows Mr. Vickers as a distinguished bearded gentleman of about 65, working on a painting. Mr. Vickers is still vigorous and healthy; his motto: moderation in everything. When David Gifford went to Boston with the Glee Club last spring, Ken and May picked a boy at random to entertain, and who should it be but David Gifford.
Probably Pike Larmon's work does not call for a double, but if it does, we recommend Nathan M. Ohrbach, chairman of the Boy Scouts 1947 finance campaign, whose picture in the N. Y. Times made me think it was Pike. Remarkable likeness. Thus I compliment two men in one paragraph. Nat Harris writes from Mobile, Ala.
I have been down in the land of the Sugar Bowl so long I feel more at home than I would now in the North. Since 1924 I have spent practically all my time in the South for the W. T. Grant Company, getting to New York for a few days once or twice a year usually a "flying" trip. I have a son age 14, who is now in Gulf Coast Military Academy, Gulfport, Miss. He led his class last year with a 94 average. My other son, 5 years old, is starting school this year. Very few Alumni come through here; if any '16ers come to Mobile would enjoy having them stop. We are most happy in Mobile and are enjoying life here probably more than in any city we have ever lived in.
For the benefit of '16ers who wonder what goes on in Hanover now, I can say, after reading several issues of The Dartmouth, that there are some changes since our time. Examples: there is a wrestling team; The Dartmouth prints news on girls' colleges, data on availability and accessibility for dances, dates, etc.; there is a proposed Undergraduate Constitution for an Undergraduate Council, to give students some voice in the way of "responsible participation"; there is a furniture famine (shades of English & Mensel); student vets are arguing whether football and cheering are
"trivia"; there are ads for baby-sitters; various groups have "beerbusts." Yes, indeed; and President Dickey has ordered a course in Great Issues, which sounds like a fine idea. The Dartmouth, as of 27 October, has just brought me up to the Penn game eve Alec our President reported the following '16ers at the Brown game: Craver, Browns (both), Lincoln, Coffin, Gran Fuller, Carrey, McAuliffe, Hosmer. There was a gathering after the game at Cap Carey's Estelle Jardine had left for California to visit her daughter Janet.
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Abraham, Adams, Alvarez, Baker, Brett, Cowan, Davidson, Devoe, Drury, Durgin, Fenno, Fletcher, Hitchcock, Frederiksen, Howell, Gordon, Irish, Jardine, Johnson, Keddie, Larmon, Lawton, Mason, Mendall, Nagle, Shanahan, Shedd, Sloan, Walker and Winters. A Happy Birthday to you all, from the rest of the class.
I met Henry Waterman in Church (a boost for us both), and saw him across the room at our Dartmouth Night dinner, but he got out before I could speak to him. Henry is a scientist in the Department of Agriculture Bill Biel and daughter Joan, from Goucher College, saw the Penn game Ed Craver and Rog Evans met at a Vermont Academy game; each has a boy there Charlie Dudley commented meat was scarce in Lynn when he wrote Names long absent from Class correspondence, and which we heartily welcome back, are John Dancer, of Ballston Spa, N. Y.; Fred Davis, of Carlisle, Pa.; Bones (of all over) Joy; Whit McCoy, of the U. of Alabama: and Zach Taylor, of Ronald Press, publishers of such famous authors as Ros Magill, Gene Chase, and one coming from Ernie Frey's brother Al. Zach's 10-year-old wants to play backfield for Dartmouth Mary Fuller writes that Don had heard from several classmates on his birthday and sends greetings to all '16ers, who are invited to inspect the "Welcome on the Mat."
Seen at the Harvard game Ray and Mrs. Devoe, Ollie and Mrs. Barr; Honey Abraham solo (Connie being ill); Glenn and Mrs. Gould; Ruby and Mrs. McFalls, Frank and Helene Bobst, Jawn and Helen McAuliffe; Jack Curtin. Bob and Mrs. McKenzie; Cliff and Peg Bean; Heinie and Mrs. George; Larry and Mrs. Hayward; Jim and Mrs. Caldwell; Dan and Mrs. Dinsmoor; Herb and Mrs. Lord; Mason and Mrs. Huse; Sam and Lou Cutler; Alec Jardine; Jack and Kay English; your secretary and Betty; and the long-lost but doubly welcome Tug Tyler, the Muncie maker of mashies. To any we missed apologies. It was a good game and a good but brief reunion.
Secretary, 2721 Blaine Drive, Chevy Chase 15, Md.
Treasurer, 11 Copeland Ave., Reading, Mass.
