1916

For the benefit of those who came in late, I want to repeat the Newsletter announcement that Fletch Andrews has been awarded the medal of the Legion of Merit, and I will repeat the citation for the benefit of the untold millions who read the 1916 Class Notes:

Lieutenant Colonel Fletcher R. Andrews performed exceptionally meritorious services as Member and Chairman of Boards of Review in the Office of the Judge Advocate General, from January 1943 to October 1945. During this period he participated in the examination and consideration of large numbers of records by trial by general courts-martial. The learned and scholarly opinions rendered by him and under his supervision constituted an important contribution to legal source materials on numerous subjects. With broad vision, profound legal ability, and understanding of human nature, he resolved complex human and legal problems involved in cases of great significance, and by the soundness and wisdom of his opinions reflected great credit upon the military service.

To which we add the obvious closing, "and upon Dartmouth College and the Class of 1916." And Fletch was so modest about all this that he was reluctant to permit us to print it.

At last we received a letter from our walking (but slowly) reporter in Maiden, none other than Tog Upham, who comes up with a letter full of philosophic observations. Among other things he says:

I appreciate the difficulty in securing information of a personal nature from the fellows themselves. Nobody likes to fill out a form about himself. If he puts down the facts and they are good, he is convicted of self-applause; if the facts do not seem commensurate with his potentialities he feels inferior. It has occurred to me that it might be a good idea to create a federated bureau of Legmen with you as "Chief Leg." You could give them monthly assignments of a limited amount so that they would be sure to cover the news on those particular '16ers. The class agents should be a fertile source of information if they could be induced to write down immediately the interesting bits of news incident to a conversation. It is ofttimes the waifs of our mental processes which are the most intriguing. I had to stop at this point to feed the dogs, Puddin', the wire-hair foxterrier, now 11 years old, and Peer, the coon-hound of indefinite age and consumer of two pounds of horse meat each night. They are great pals—that is with Margie and me. .... At the risk of boring you I'll assume the role of Coleridge's hero and relate a few facts and fancies about some of our dear friends in this fellowship. These will be vignettes. A precedent was set at the very beginning of the class dinner last fall when at Jack English's insistence, Ken Tucker said grace. This was the first time I had ever seen the religious motif expressed at a 'l6 gathering. Beneath the surface banter I found it easy to strike a sense of hard realism in these men who had lived through two wars Ken Tucker is in the fancy leather goods business. He has London connections and offices in New York. He travels most of the time, but he has to be back in Boston on week ends because he sings in a mixed quartet at the Old North Church. He does baritone solos and enjoys singing a great deal, as who does not! .... Sam Cutler is a slave to work in a paint factory. He gets to the office before 8 every day. I guess he's never missed a day through all these years, which seems like a terrible record, but Sam thrives on it. He has more pep than most 9f the men in our class. He goes hunting and fishing every weekend in the fall at Stodder,_N. H. Apparently he lives on snow-trains all winter, apart from the time he is in the custody of the paint company. He also seems to be present whenever a Dartmouth team of any kind shows up in Boston. Sam has a grand sense of sportsmanship. There must always be music when two or more men of '16 get together. If there is music, there must be a tenor. Our hearts are filled with despair if there is no tenor. It is an impossible feeling of frustration. Sam's voice is naturally registered in the baritone range. Here is a musical crisis. It is no longer Sam the baritone standing there, it is Sam the sportsman. He thinks tenor, he feels tenor and he sings tenor. The day is saved! Everyone is happy. We could never do without him. Lucile, by the way, is very successful in writing light verse; so much so that she gives readings of her own poems to all kinds of club affairs.

Thanks for all that news, Tog. Neither Addison nor Steele could have put it in better words.

DeWitt Stillman wrote a note after he got back home. Sorry to have missed him when he and Mrs. S. were in Washington; they were en route from Williamsburg to New York, and visited their daughter-in-law's parent, General and Mrs. Robillard of the Marines. He had lunch at the Waldorf in New York with Gifford, the Herald Tribune newshawk.

Max Saben is in Washington to stay now, and is a welcome addition to the Tuesday Dartmouth Luncheon Club. For the first time in a long stretch there were 3 i6ers at the luncheon on 29 April, Max, Jack Little (back from the deep West), and your secretary. The next day Jess Fenno phoned, looking for the luncheon but a day late. Jess is back from his flying trip to Paris and reported a fine trip, with some adverse weather coming back. He will probably relate the details of his attendance at the international air meeting in Paris to the lunch club.

The new-style reunions (tried out successfully last summer) will be discussed at the class officers meeting in Hanover 16-17 May to secure their recommendations for the Alumni Council to act upon in June. The proposed new schedule would become effective in June 1948. The proposed plan, developed by Prof. Robin Robinson '24 will provide:

Of the 12 reunions normally held during the life of a class, 6 will continue to be held on regular five-year dates,—the 10th, 25th, 40th, 50th and later reunions. The remaining 6—the sth, 15th, 20th, 30th, 35th, and 45th, will be held in combination with adjacent classes. Combination reunions will bring three classes in college at the same time together on the year due for the middle class of that group. In no case will reunions be less than four, or more than six years apart. So 1916's reunions under the Robinson Plan will come in 1950, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, and 1976. Watch this column for the date of the 65th reunion! FLASH! SEND YOUR ALUMNI FUNDCHECK NOW, BEFORE 30TH JUNE.

A letter from Santa Barbara from Col. LouieBell says he is being retired from military service, having been judged incapacitated for further service in line of duty. I hope to give you Louie's letter in full in the May Newsletter but he mentions lunching with Carl Eskeline twice and planning a luncheon with Carl,Bones Joy, Dan Lindsey, Shorty Hitchcock and the rest. Suffice it at this time to wish Louie, on behalf of all of us, complete restoration of his health and all happiness in the retirement which he has so well earned in the service of his country Since this is the last issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE until fall, except for the Reunion Issue, the secretary takes this opportunity to wish all 16-ers a zestful and healthful summer. And please come up with a lot of news for the fall issues. SEND YOUR ALUMNI FUND CONTRIBUTION TO BILL MCKENZIE OR TO THE COLLEGE BEFORE 30TH JUNE. THIS OBLIGATION CAN'T WAIT!

AT ANOTHER SUMMER SESSION OF THIRTY-ODD YEARS AGO: The above wrecking crew, self-styled "The Dirty Dozen," was rumored to have rented a barn for the sole purpose of drinking beer therein. The picture taken during the summer session of 1912 or '13 shows, front row, left to right, Hugh Crowell, the town truckman, Bill Appleyard 'l3, Hap Leonard 'l5, Spunk Troy 'l2, Augie Atwood 'l5 and Chub Hitchcock 'l2. Second row, Pidge Butler 'l3, Ollie Wylde 'l4, Harry Ellms 'l5, Bud Whitney 'l5, Jim Killeen 'l5, John Woolverton 'l5, Butch Fonda 'l5 and Bob Johnson 'l4.

RECENTLY RETIRED: Lt. Col. Louis H. Bell '16 was recently retired to inactive duty after a distinguished career covering two World Wars.

Secretary, 2721 Blaine Drive, Chevy Chase 15, Md

Treasurer, 11 Copeland Ave., Reading, Mass.