1927
We've been sitting in front of this contraption called a typewriter for about twenty minutes now waiting for it to get started. Trying to think of the right first word, the right opening sentence. The radio blats out with Phil Harris and his alleged humor. For a while the four kids seem funnier. Their questions, we mean. "Why have you got the typewriter out, Daddy?" "When are you going to start typing?" "Girls can't go to Dartmouth, can they, Daddy?" "No, and neither can boys unless they get awfully smart." "Were you awfully smart when you went there, daddy?" You can't very well admit that if you were that smart you would have written your column two days ago when it was due in Hanover, or that if you were really smart you would never have gotten tangled up with this job. Some really smart guy will someday invent a machine so that you can just throw a piece of paper at it, turn on the switch, and then go and listen to Fred Allen while the machine rips off the required amount of verbiage. Until then, here goes with a little news the hard way.
The New Haven firm of barristers, Daggett and Hooker, announced as of January 1, that henceforth that firm will be known as Daggett, Colby and Hooker. That man in the middle is your classmate Gordon Colby.
A recent issue of The Standard, insurance trade journal, carried the following:
"Robert W. Page, recently granted an insurance advisors' license by the Massachusetts Insurance Department, is now conducting his business as an independent insurance manager and advisor at 79 Milk Street, Boston. He gives management service to manufacturing and mercantile establishments retaining a manager on a part-time basis, and makes impartial insurance reviews and program audits for other commercial risks.
"Mr. Page has been engaged in the fire, marine and casualty insurance business for nearly 15 years. He started with the Liberty Mutual in 1934, and worked five years as special representative for that company in New York City. Later, he joined the Employers Group at the home office in the analysis department. Early in the war, he was asked to assist the government as insurance advisor during construction and erection of war housing projects. He left private practice to work with 38 management groups operating a $250,000,000 housing plant throughout New England. After the war ended and following conversion and re-erection of these war houses as temporary Veterans' Housing projects, he returned to private insurance advisory work. Mr. Page is a Dartmouth graduate, 1927."
Bob Page lives in Needham, Mass., and reports that last summer he ran into NelsO'Rourke in Derby Line, Vt. Nels is still selling investment trust shares in Daytona, Florida where he makes his home, and spends a goodly portion of his summers at his lake home in Vermont. Bob also reports that on a recent Sunday Andy Rankin dropped in to see them with his younger daughter Faith, an attractive third grader.
Our good friend Don Gardner, who lives in Marblehead, got the urge to drop us a line from the Dartmouth College Club in New York where he was staying during a business trip which also included a visit to the Boat Show and the Cruising Club of America Dinner. He suggests for next summer a 1927 sailing party aboard his Borogove 111 and Charlie Bartlett's Gurnet Light. Sounds awful good to us. Don also reports seeing Rudy Preuss and Bill St.Amant.
News from Hanover tells us that Mr. andMrs. J. B. Rintels and family visited the Inn during December. We hope that means that John is back in this country for good. You will remember from previous columns that he has been working with American Military Government in Europe since the war.
This seems to be the month to report about all the guys named Page for here's another news release.
"Norman F. (Fred) Page '27 has been elected Vice President of the American Express Company, Ralph T. Reed, President of the organization, announced on January 4 following a meeting of the Board of Directors in New York.
"Fred joined the American Express immediately following his graduation from Dartmouth in 1927 and after holding several positions in the Travel Department and Executive Office was elected Assistant Secretary of the company in 1937. In January of 1947 he was elected to the position of Assistant Vice President.
"Fred is a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. He married Charlotte K. Tunney of Littleton, N. H., in 1927 and they have two sons, John F. and Ridler W. Their home is at 123 DeBaun Ave., in Ramsey, N. J., and they have a farm at Pike, N. H."
Rudy Preuss kindly forwarded to us the following letter from Joe Russakoff which we are reprinting just as written because we think you will get a kick out of Joe's unique system of abbreviated writing.
"Dear rudy, "i don't have doane arnold's address here, (alumni magz r all at home)—but since he's 4evr beggng 4 news— "here's coupl itms that may make the grade, "i spose u read in paprs last wk that norm page is now vp of american xprss—his pix in all the paprs, doesn't look a bit diffrnt frm his hanovr days, bit jowlier. "2day i foned the dept of commrce 2 get norm swift, & they tell me that he's at the NAM, in their economic divisn—this may be old stuff, but if it is has escaped my notice. "would apprecB yr 4wrdng this info 2 doane— if u havnt done so alrdy,— "enclosed piece may give u a chuckle—it's inspird sm fan mail 4 me—including invite 2 lunch frm a bnker,—but he's in los angeles. "now i gotta get bk 2 wrk—it's same old ratrace. any chance of a class dinner? "Regards."
The "enclosed piece" which Joe refers to is an article which he wrote that was published in the September issue of The Reporter of Direct Mail Advertising. The title of his article was "The Trouble with Banks" and I am sure that if any of you bankers would like a copy Joe would be happy to send it to you. He still heads Banguard Advertising, now in its eleventh year. Joe is also public relations counsel for both the D.M.A.A. and A.FA. He is a regular lecturer on advertising at the City College of New York.
Nice letter from Ed Fowler reports a recent change in duties. For most of the past twelve years he has been in home office work with John Hancock Life Insurance Company as sales supervisor. He has recently, however, been appointed Manager of the Germantown District for that company and, since that is one of their best organizations, he is very happy in his new work. His two older boys are attending Episcopal Academy and the oldest Ed Jr. hopes to be in Dartmouth next fall. Their second son Dick has about five more years, and the youngest fellow Bob is only four years old and so has several years to wait.
Chuck Burwell's address is Main Street, South Freeport, Me. Vic Duplin is now living in Paris, O. Jesse Miller is a mining engineer with offices in Ft. Worth, Tex. at 709 Commerce St., and in New York City at 180 Central Park South.
Another letter has just arrived from our ace correspondent, Joe Russakoff, informing us that at the New York Alumni dinner he saw Roy Dreher, Tom Hession, Art Keleher,Johnny Shaw, Jack Greener, Jack McQuade,Josh Davis, Al Welty, Ned Dwyer, Don McCall,Van Ingham and Al Chabot. Jack Greener and Al Welty sang in the quartet at the dinner. He also reports that Gene Sullivan is now working for Tom Hession at the O. J. Maigne Company in New York, manufacturers of printers' rollers. Gene had previously been with Schaefer Brewing Company.
Joe asked me to notify one and all that there will be a class dinner at the New York Dartmouth Club on March 23.
AMERICAN EXPRESS OFFICER: Norman F. Page '27, who has become Vice President of the company.
Secretary, 501 Boylston St., Boston 17, Mass.
Treasurer and Memorial Fund Chairman
Box 1927, Pittsburgh 30, Pa.
