1904
The College provided a wonderful opportunity for four-fifths of the alumni to strut their reunion stuff on the home grounds, after several months of under rationing experiments by theorists endeavoring to reconstruct the price structure of the country without a foundation or a compass. Noble bands representing all the classes but the twos and sevens arrived weekly for nearly two months, with the desire to renew and continue the friendships created during the last 75 years on the Hanover Plain, and temporarily interrupted by the War. The reunion pattern developed after months of study had become a flawless performance of repatriating eight classes weekly, when the best class group arrived on July 19th.
Our experience would indicate that forty-two years is the right period to celebrate with such a party. Thursday evening, the 18th, there was a spontaneous pre-reunion with the Austins at known, and pride in American institutions, will not again be possible.
Canaan Street Lodge, including the Sewalls, Bartlett, Mower, the Rollinses, Robinson, four Austins, the Sanborns, and Shorty Davis '06 and Henry Thrall '06, who dropped in for pointers to pep up the '06 family party. The gang began arriving about noon at our dormitory group where we were flanked by '03 and '06. The first two men to greet the secretary arm in arm were our two lusty quarterbacks or the fall of 1900, A1 Terrien and Jim Brotherhood. Forty-six years vanished in a half-second. Brotherhood's defensive game of running from tackle to tackle on the backs of the line and Terry's tense voice calling signals on offense were clear as yesterday's sunshine. They hadn t changed ... much .... but some time Jimmy had run through a cellar window standing up, misjudging his length by a quarter of an inch and emerged on the other side looking like an unpainted flat top. Other smooth tops were in evidence, and a tight cap with a visor is suggested as regular equipment in '49. There was some difficulty in identifying Pa Lewis. When we said, "We miss your red hair," "Hell," said Pa, "I've been missing it for years."
Fifty-one of the class with a grand total ofeighty-three completed the family group.Tom Uniac led the baseball roundtable frommidnight on with complete broadcasts of anygame requested. Friday evening we had theprivilege of meeting President and Mrs.Dickey, with some 1500 others in the reuningweekend batch. Saturday morning we enjoyed the meeting in Old Dartmouth with,for most of us, the first opportunity to hearJohn Dickey speak all too briefly of the College and its outlook.
Our dinner in the Hovey Room at Thayer, surrounded by Eleazar, the Big Chief, and his Indian Maidens, was a happy occasion with the ali too short remarks by the six initiates to '04 reunions, Mathes, Young, Lewis, Darrow, Hill, and Wylie. Parson Hill's story of the two pups in California, one of them with a pink nose, brought down the house. When the applause caused by his introduction had subsided, Doctor Streeter, with his customary ease, gave a brief financial report, reading from his cuff, which impressed everyone present with its clarity and its black balance. Ike Charron as toastmaster had many involved parliamentary decisions to make, most of them raised by one Rosie Hinman, so-called retired Army colonel the best opinions decided he hadn't retired yet.
Sid Rollins and Ned Bartlett told us of many amusing letters received from members unable to be present, and indicated the real pleasure they enjoyed in promoting the event.
Watty, as speaker of the evening, covered the events of our National History since 1933, leading us all to the conclusion that the period of our first fifty years, with its freedom of initiative and real joy of living without government contro.l, stimulated by the finest family life the world has
It was moved and passed that the Secretary should convey to President Dickey the pleasure we were privileged to enjoy, and the considered and complete service rendered us by the College. Elections were dispensed with by the remark that the class officers looked as if they could carry on 'til another reunion. . A visit to the show at Webster, Love Rides theRails, with Matt Bullock and Don Cameron '35 on the way home from our dinner provided laughter that still trickles through the system of those who attended. . . Our forty year custom of visiting the Tomb 01 Eleazar Wheelock had its usual observance at midnight. Sunday morning at 9:30 the Memorial at St. Thomas Episcopal church was largely attended despite the heavy rain. The service, conducted by the Rev. Arthur W. P. (Dutch) Wylie was simple, dignified, and impressive, and included, as have all others, a solo by Matt. Because of the storm the class picnic was transferred from Oak Hill Cabin to the Ski Hut at the Inn.
Much more could be said but space forbids in this issue. Attending during the reunion period were Austin, Bartlett, Blanchard, Bowles, Bullock 'and daughter, Charron, Darrow, Davis, Doonan, Edgerleys, Fishers, Fletchers, Gale, Hastings four, Hills, Hinmans, Hobbses, Hilton, Johnsons, Kneelands four, Lampee, Lewis and son, Mangurian, Mannings, Mathes, Maynard, Mower, Muchemores, Parkers, Phelpses, Robinson, Rollinses, Sanbornes, Scaleses, Sewalls, Sexton, Slaytons, Streeter, Terrian, Torrey, Turners, Uniacs, Watson, Websters, Willard, Wing, Withams, Witheys, Wylie, Young.
The complete pictorial story of our group of men and their families from 1900 to the present time, with records in two wars, is probably unequalled by any college class. It was a great memory stimulator for both the men and women present. It is a class history which represents hours of service by Beck Johnson for all of us.
In this last issue of the first post-war year, nineteen hundred four wishes to express thoughtful appreciation for the unselfish devotion to the cause of Dartmouth and its Family through the uncharted course of a cruel war—to Halsey Edgerton '06, Bill McCarter '19, Pudge Neidlinger '23, Sid Hayward '26, A1 Dickerson '3O, Charlie Widmayer '30 and their various staffs; and to the faculty for their understanding solution of the Navy instruction situation. We hope Gordon Bill will make a speedy return to his usual robust health, and recognize with sorrow the loss of Bob Strong, in his years of greatest usefulness, to his family, to the College, and to all Dartmouth men.
WITH WIVES AND FAMILIES 1903 has its reunion picture taken.
DELAYED 40TH: 1904 poses at last month's Reunion.
Secretary, Canaan Street Lodge, Canaan, N.H.
TreasurerJ Morristown, N. J.
