Form New Clubs
Two NEW CAMPUS organizations have recently taken their place on the Hanover scene, with one of them already gaining official college recognition and the second expected to do so momentarily. Largely activated by student interest, a Russian Club, similar in purpose to existing French, German and Spanish clubs, has been formed and received COSO approval and a Magic Club, with tennis and squash Coach Edward G. (Red) Hoehn Jr., as the guiding genius during its formative period, has already held informal meetings.
The Russian Club got its start shortly after the Christmas vacation period when a group of students interested in studying the Russian language, culture and related subjects asked Professor Dimitri von Mohrenschildt, Visiting Lecturer in Russian Civilization, to be their faculty adviser. Shortly thereafter they presented a statement of intentions to COSO and were officially approved as a campus organization. Twenty members, including two or three members of the faculty, have been meeting weekly. Each meeting has featured a halfhour lecture in Russian and approximately half of each session is conducted in Russian.
A few years before the war, Coach Hoehn became interested in magic through a student who was a member of one of his tennis squads, and from that small beginning was laid the groundwork for the ultimate formation of the Magic Club. An important factor along the way was the gift of a large collection of books on magic to Baker Library by the late Harold G. Osborne '09. For over 40 years up until the time of his death on September 7, 1941, Mr. Osborne had turned to this diversion as his main hobby and the Osborne Collection forms the foundation and the major part of what is now the largest number of books on this subject in any American college library today.
Keeping up his hobby by frequent use of the Osborne Collection, Coach Hoehn soon became one of the leading local authorities on both magic and the Osborne Collection. In a Tower Room talk just prior to Christmas vacation on the Collection, he was surprised at its conclusion by 16 to 18 students approaching him and suggesting the formation of a club. Thus far they have held one meeting and are still operating on an informal basis, but Coach Hoehn plans meetings twice a month hereafter, and hopes for eventual COSO recognition and possible working arrangements with The Players, the psychology department and the public speaking department for criticism and aid.
Officers of the Russian Club for the first term were Clinton C. Gardner '44, president; David I. Goldstein '45, vice president; and Russell B. Hurlburt Jr. '44, secretary.
