1908 Has Festive Fortieth
WE FORGET how many million Frenchmen can't be wrong, but it is unlikely that 75 members of the class of 1008 are in error in saying the 40th Reunion, June 18, 19 and 20, was the outstanding event of its kind. Thirty-nine wives who attended the Reunion confirm the verdict. All that kept it from the 100% score was the absence of a number of the classmates we hoped to see in Hanover this year.
With 14a living graduates the '08 percentage this year won the cup for the reunion class having the largest percentage of members in Hanover for the week-end. (The '98 class the week before scored higher at their 50th, for which we honor them.) At the meeting of the General Alumni Association Saturday the cup was entrusted to the sturdy arms of '08's president, Mike Stearns. Like so many of the trophies '08 has won before, it had to be returned.
Friday the classmates assembled. First arrivals were the Bill Knights. They attended daughter Mary's graduation at Smith the week before and went to Hanover several days ahead of the Reunion where they welcomed the 'OB members as they registered at headquarters in Massachusetts Hall. If you didn't see it you have to imagine it "Hi JIM, you old son of a . ... JACK, gosh it's great to see Look, there's DICK " And so on as all the Jims and Dicks and Larrys and Arts and Bills and Ralphs roll in, with the Marys and Alices and all the rest.
Dinner with old friends. Then a stroll to Webster Avenue and the pretty outdoor reception at the home of President and Mrs. Dickey where one meets Dartmouth men of all classes; a charming occasion marked by delightful informality.
Saturday morning, rain! But it didn't last long. Fact is, we ordered a rainy morning. Only way to get all the classmates to attend the business meeting!
Officers elected in 1908 were again chosen to serve: Mike Stearns, LarrySymmes and Ted Barnes as president, secretary and treasurer. Sid Ruggles was elected class historian, a newly-created office. Bill Knight was captured and brought back when he tried to escape sentence as ALUMNI MAGAZINE scribe.
Art Lewis gave a stimulating report of his many years' work as class agent for the Alumni Fund. John Hinman reported for the memorial gift fund, and Pop Chesley described his work in behalf of the fund for the new Hopkins Center. When the meeting adjourned Pop held out his hat and $305 was dropped in it for the Hopkins Center.
Sid Ruggles has done a grand job in collecting material for the class' history. Pictures and clippings, family statistics and general information about every man, including obituary notices of the 74 classmates who have died. Sid needs the help of the considerable number of men who have not yet sent back the questionnaire. Their neglect makes harder work for Sid, and delays printing a new class address list with "live" information about the men.
By noon the sun had chased the clouds (as ordered) and that accounts for some of the squints and scowls in the photograph. After we'd had our "pitchers took" the luncheon at the Gym called us, followed by the annual meeting and talk by Pres. Dickey. Besides getting the big cup, 'OB men were greatly impressed by the report of the chairman of the nominating committee. We knew Bill Knight was a swell guy, a good football official, a capable attorney and a loyal Dartmouth alumnus, but none of us suspected he was such a comedian.
In Dartmouth Hall at 4, Sid Ruggles gave his talk with beautiful colored pictures of Alaska. It was a treat missed by few of our class. Then at the tent at headquarters Art Soule dispensed refreshments. Potent Manhattans in 6-ounce containers (beer if preferred) had the desired effect and no more. All of a sudden it was time for the men to head for the Outing Club house and their banquet, and for the ladies to get along to the Inn where dinner awaited them.
At the dinner this year nobody was called on to speak. Nobody was permitted to speak. Everybody was urged to sing, when all they needed was permission. So everybody sang lustily and agreed the best feature of the class banquet was the absence of after-dinner speaking. Given the choice between the Sermon on the Mount in the original, and Mort Hull and Guitar, there's no question that 'OB would unanimously choose the Holyoke troubadour. We'd say the class dinner this year was just exactly what everybody had been hoping for during 40 long years.
Sunday, another perfect June day, was marked by a simple but impressive memorial service in Rollins Chapel, held with the 'l3, 'lB and 'ig classes. It was conducted by our Parson Bill English whose short address expressed the thoughts of all, and closed with a prayer by Ray Adams that was a masterpiece of composition and delivery. Queech Safford of our class arranged the service and our sincere thanks to him and Parson Bill for a beautiful and serious ending of the festivities.
REUNION NOTES
Nobody can say which classmates were most warmly welcomed, but it is safe to say that Dick Merrill, Jim Norton and Chick Currier, who came all the way from California, were hailed with extra warmth. And Mason Lewis who brought his wife and two lovely daughters from Denver were extra welcome.
Mort and Marguerite Hull (and the Guitar) without whom no Reunion would be complete, were late arriving. Too much haste delayed them. A Vermont cop clocked them at considerably above the legal speed limit and couldn't be talked (or sung) into forgetting it.
Sunday, John and Jennie Hinman moved from Massachusetts Hall to the Inn, where they had engaged most of the rooms for a wedding party. Monday their son Robert was married to Barbara Dent, daughter of the Dartmouth coach.
Jack Corcoran's son was chauffeur for him and Art and Naomi Lewis. Marcia Boots Lewis was a welcome addition to the 'OB Junior League, along with the Lewis girls from Denver.
Ev and Vi Marsh got balled up with Standard, Daylight, Eastern and Central time en route from Chicago, and in Montreal were 40 minutes late for a train. It delayed their arrival in Hanover until Saturday.
Harold A. Morey from Nova Scotia, who has seen few classmates since 1908, arrived Friday but had to leave after a short visit. Fred Copeland from Montpelier was able to be with us only a short time Sunday.
Looked to us like Wink Fiske would tear his throat out on some of those high notes Saturday night. And he was the sedate Pittsburgh doctor whose pre-Reunion suggestion was that old men should be assigned rooms where their rest would be undisturbed by youthful harmonizers!
Welcome at the '08 Reunion was HazelM. Clark, widow of Jack. She attended the graduation of a nephew, and stayed over for the Reunion.
Class Reunion tax of $10 for men and §6.50 for guests paid for reunion expenses: tent, Alumni luncheon, dinners, refreshments, dance and play tickets. About $100 was collected above expenses.
Only one slight change was noticed in Pop Chesley since 20 years ago. Instead of a well-trained Airedale he is now accompanied by a well-trained Scottie.
Walter Rich had attended only the 20th. Everybody was glad to see him and Mrs. Rich. They think they have missed a lot. Mrs. Ed Bartlett from Delaware was at her first Dartmouth reunion. Two years ago Ed brought his daughter.
Mike and Annis Stearns left early Sunday. Long drive to New Jersey. They are moving soon to a place they have bought in Wilton, Conn.
Larry Adler wrote that his mother's death and his own illness made Reunion impossible for him. He hopes someone can supply him with the score of the old Dartmouth musical "If I were Dean."
Don Frothingham planned to come, was disappointed at the last minute when the Navy ordered him to Atlanta.
Nice letter from Pete Cams said he will visit the East and live in the Northwest after retiring from school work in Omaha. Several 'OB men still in school work wrote that Reunion dates always spoil their chances of attending.
Fred Vietor wrote that illness kept him home in Buffalo.
Harry Mitchell flew in from Cleveland Friday, flew home Sunday. He's running for Congress. And might lose the tonsorial vote in his Ohio district if the barbers there heard his account of how he helped shave sophomore heads in the autumn of '04.
Dick and Helen Merrill visited the Treadways at Williamstown before Reunion. The Jim Nortons acquired a new Chrysler in Detroit, drove it to Hanover, and are taxi-ing the Merrills home to California by way of New Orleans. Mr. andMrs. Chick Currier will spend a few weeks in the East before heading back to California.
By unanimous vote the class turned over $lOOO to the Class Memorial Fund in charge of John Hinman. Of this sum $820 had been collected previously in the socalled "Stearns Fund," and the balance was appropriated from the s6oo-odd in the class treasury. A resolution of appreciation was adopted thanking Park Stickney for his work in editing the "40 and 8'er".
WHO WERE THERE
Here is the list of classmates at the Reunion, with the * indicating the wife was there too:
Anderson*, Badger, Barnes*, Bartlett*, Blake, Blakely, Blanchard, Chesley (and dog), Cogswell*. Copeland, Corcoran (and son), Cowee, Crosby*, R. Currier*, W. Currier* (and son), Dunn, W. English, Fine*, Fiske*, Furman, Gleason*, W. Griffin, Hale*, Harriman, Hinman*, Hobart, Hopkins* Hull*, Knight*, Knox, A. Lewis* (and daughter), M. Lewis* (and two daughters), Lynde, McElwain, Marion, E. Marsh*, Melville, Merrill* Mitchell, Morey, Munkelt, Norton*, Nute, O'Shea* Pease* Perkins, Rich*, Robinson*, Rogers, Rotch* Ruggles, S. Rutherford*. Ruxton, Safford*, Schilling R. H. Sherburne, R. W. Sherburne*, Sides*, Smallman*, Snow, Soule, Squier, Stearns*, Stickey, Stone, Symmes*, Tappan, J. Thompson*, P. Thompson*, R. Thompson*, Thorpe*, Treadway*, Walker, Winslow*. Wyman*.
Nt THF CL»ss OF 1908 ALONG WITH THIRTY-NINE WIVES TOOK HANOVER BY STORM AT THEIR FORTIETH THESE SEVENTY-FIVE LOYAL SUPPORTERS OF THE CLAbb ur iyu° «
