Southern California
The Los Angeles Club broke open 1949 by gathering in the back room of a local drugstore and slinging a soiree that was heard in Azuza, Anaheim and Cucamonga. True to the California Way, the drugstore was the new Rexall "biggest in the world," but the party lived up to its surroundings: Coach Tuss McLaughry's visit supplied the occasion, and Mr. Reeder's henchmen built it from there into the Sports Dinner of the Year. Bill Adams '34 had framed his sock announcements around an Indian-Tiger-Bulldog cartoon he'd been saving since that last time we had licked same, and 160 alumni paid their way into the dec orated hall, with sportswriters and guests bal looning the total at table to nearly 200.
The beer-only bar fueled the milling individual reunions which always pleasantly precede these shows: class groups staked their claims at the tables, and, following the invocation by Reverend Hi Crosby '22, eating got underway about 7:30. Between courses DanDinsmore '16 moved in on the piano while BobWilliams '26, abetted by song sheets left over from the Disney party, led the songs. DaveBradley '02 drew a Wah-Hoo-Wah as the senior alumnus on hand, and it was good to glance around the room and see those sturdy sons on whose loyal shoulders the local group has been built: Tubby Lay ton, Dick Merrill, Jim Norton, Eck Hiestand, Sam Hobbs, Ole Ahlswede, and the others of '06 to '12. The class of 1940 took the attendance sweepstakes, as is their custom, with ten men, but one of the adult classes, '26, turned up 7 attendees to give them a run for their honors.
Dinner over, we started working clown the table toward Tuss. President Jack Reeder '25 led off with a warm welcome, and introduced Rexall's Tom Lane '35. Tom, no subtle violet he, introduced the guesting sports writers and celebs with the unveiled hint that a lot of us alumni are getting pretty old to read that microscopic 6-point type with which the Los Angeles papers set up their Dartmouth news, and then tossed the baton to ace sportswriter Dick Hyland. Dick (profile on whom you may have read in a recent Satpost) was awarded the "D" which had been left off his name in the announcements, only it was sewed on a freshman cap, and he warmed everybody's heart by passing the cap along to the youngestguest, ecstatic four-year old Teddy Ripley, sonof Ed "27. Once Ail-American as a Stanfordquarterback. Dick is now All-American in thefield of sports commentary, and he used hisown pungent direct style to introduce Tuss.
After a few acrid remarks on the little coolspell we've been having out here lately, withspecial reference to the snow on the palmtrees, Tuss bucked a rugged cold which hehad caught in San Francisco to give us as gooda talk as we've had in a long time, and wrappedit up with a running inside commentary onthe 16mm movies of the entire Yale game. Tussfeels optimistic about next season: having nowmet him in person and taken his measure, weall feel the same way, in spades redoubled.
The bar stayed open all evening and I find my notes growing somewhat diffuse in the later hours. In any event, space doesn't permit naming all the men who deserve mention. But we do want to say that we were glad to see guests George Morris '11 of Washington, D. C., Sandy Treat '19 of New York, and to welcome home Bus Heydt '26 from his long Broadway run with Helen Hayes. There were some very promising future freshmen on hand, and football coach Jim Lineberger of Woodrow Wilson High in Long Beach brought up five of his graduating first stringers to look the situation over. Visiting sportswriters included Paul Zimmerman and Dick Hyland (Times), Mel Durslad and Al Santuoro (Examiner), Rube Samuelson (Pasadena Star News), Ned Cronin (Daily News), Pat Conger (Mirror), John Old (Herald Express) and Sid Ziff (Valley Times). From Radio came sports specialists Tom Hanlon and Bob Garred of CBS, Bob Kelley of KMPC (soon to be seen in MGM's "The Stratton Story": plug) and Bill Lopez of the Board of Education. Keeping cases on Tuss were his old friends and veteran coaches, Clark Shaughnessy and Jim Phelen, of the Los Angeles pro Rams and Dons respectively.
The Hollywood luncheons have been a little irregular lately, meaning we haven't been holding them, but the weekly downtown luncheons have taken on a real new looknow held at the L.A. Athletic Club, 431 W. 7th, every Tuesday at 12:15 around the special table in the main dining room. The 17 men who checked in for the opener earlier in the month agree that the food is as good as the company. Visitors to the Coast should check in with Leon Rothschild on arrival; phone TRinity 3821 .... local talent, watch your mail for notices of coming attractions. See you there.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST SOUTHERN CALIFONIA TORNOUTS ON RECORD took place January 14 when Coach Tuss McLaughry was guest of honor. Left is thegeneral dinner scene at Rexall Auditorium, Los Angele. Right,cooch McLaughry, Chairman Tom Lane '35, and Dick Hyland, nationally known sportswriter.
Secretary, 609 So. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 14, Calif. TELEPHONE: TRinity 3821
