1916
For a few days it looked as if this column would be among the missing in the April ALUMNI MAGAZINE. The well was dry; no one had been married, promoted or elected to office. The Secretary was about to throw in the sponge and wire Charlie Widmayer, Editor, to count 1916 out this time, even though it was easy to envision Charlie hiring a fast plane and flying to Washington to find out what was hindering the great class of 1916 from getting its two bits' worth in the paper. Then, all of a sudden, a trickle of news came in. Frinstance, a WAC captain, driving me from the Army Map Service to the Pentagon in her new Austin (and boy, what a car! with all respect to Heinie George) told me what fine support StewPaul had given legislation helpful to the WACS and what an outstanding job he had done in the Army.
Next, a postcard from Emory Lapierre's general manager Ruth, postmarked Winter Park, Fla., and showing a hedge of flame vine, says: "Due to your interesting and enthusiastic report on Col. Davis (Thanks, Ruth), Emory and I stopped to say Hello. We had a delightful visit. They are charming people and have selected one of the most beautiful spots in Florida for their home. You see your efforts are not in vain, etc." It just proves that if you grow a better orange, the world, including the Lapierres, will beat a path to your estancia, especially if I give you enough publicity in this column and the Balmacaan Newsletter.
Next, a letter from Hiram McLellan, of 2636 Overbrook Lane, Houston, Tex., writes he is sorry he can send no news, but nothing has happened in Houtson since his oldest daughter got married a year or so ago. His son Bob should finish at Texas University next summer, majoring in geology. Hi wants him to go on and get a Master's degree. His youngest daughter is fifteen and just learning to drive the car. "Thirty years ago," continues Hi, "I got out of the air service and decided to try the oil business. X was lucky in getting with a good company and am still with it. Six years from now I hope to retire and have time to go around and visit some of the old gang With all the Navy planes at your command, why don't you hop on one and come to Houston? We would like to have you stay with us and would enjoy showing you how we drill for oil out in the Gulf of Mexico." Careful there, Hi, you're taking an awful chance inviting me. You can never tell when I'll take you up and drop in, especially since the Humble Oil Cos. gives a two weeks course for Army and Navy officers who deal in oil, and I do.
FLASH! IT GIFFS A NEW SOCIETY EDITOR ON THE HERALD-TRIB J. ErwinGifford, as I noted in the Newsletter, is thenew Society Editor of the New York HeraldTribune. I wrote Gift a note telling him thiscalled for a personal interview, and he camethrough with the following interesting remarks:
"Frankly, if anyone had told me when I left Dartmouth that one day I would be society editor of the Herald Tribune I would have thought he was wacky." (Giff's real ambition was to be a motorraan.—Ed) "I didn't go into newspaper work until I was six years out of college. I worked a while on two small papers in upstate New York, then with the Associated Press in Albany, Buffalo and Washington (on the Senate staff) and later on I was city editor of the North Shore journal in Flushing until it was merged with the hong IslandStar. Through a friend, I managed to get into the society department as a copy editor, and I ve been there ever since. The incredible part of the whole thing is that there were three men ahead of me in the department; one was transferred to another department during the war, and two, including the editor, are being retired April 1, when I take over. After nearly 27 years in it, I still think newspaper work is the most fascinating of businesses.
"Until now, all my work has been inside the office. I have seen pieces about the daughters or George Smith, Ray DeVoe, John Gile, John Butler,John Stearns, Bill Brown and George Pratt come along and get in the paper with, I'll admit, some little encouragement from me, and it has given me a lot of satisfaction to be able to do it, although none of them, except John Stearns, ever knew I had anything to do with it. Unlike the and the (names withheld to save Gift a possible blackeye or two) the Herald-Trib doesn t go in for society gossip, and so I expect to carry on much as I have been. Perhaps I'll get to the Stork Club or the Waldorf or the Plaza or such other places off and on, but if I do it won't be too much in the line of duty. The press agents will be on my neck most of the time, I expect, and so will some of the mamas. I'm afraid this doesn't give you too much of an idea about the job. There are other things, of course, like makeup in the composing room, deadlines to meet, rumors to verify, stories and pictures to rush in at the last moment, etc., although none of it at all like the Holywood conception, I assure you. "David is graduating in June and will be with the Glee Club on the spring trip to Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, etc."
An interesting letter, Giff, and all the boys will be reading the society columns with keener interest than ever, in the old HeraldTrib, long may she wave.
Cap Carey wrote me that his young friend and protege, Joe Sullivan, who starred in the Dartmouth backfield for the past four years, has just been appointed backfield coach at Georgetown U. "I have a letter from Joe this morning," writes Cap "and it occurs to me that you might like to contact him and see that he gets around to your local Club's alumni luncheons. Joe comes from an excellent family over in Webster, Mass., his father is a well known surgeon, and Joe is a very handsome youngster of 21, charming and cultured and the kind of a boy you would like to have as a guest at your home and to meet the various members of your family, particularly that stunning daughter." (Which one, Cap?)
Since I got Cap's letter, some fellow has called the house twice saying he was a Dartmouth grad in town and a friend of someone whose name Betty didn't catch, but she thinks it was Cap Carey. Also, the caller didn't leave his name (Always get their names, Betty.) I shall certainly try to locate Joe, but I resent Cap's talking as if I didn't know who played on whose football team. I saw Joe Sullivan make that touchdown run against Princeton that they called back, and I got a thrill over the radio over the run he made against Cornell. If he comes to town we'll give him the key to Chevy Chase, especially with the send-off Cap gives him.
John Stearns comments in a letter: "Thisterm I am on an even keel, teaching smallgroups of boys things they want to learn. Lastterm I was afflicted with large groups forcedby rules to take courses which they, in manycases disliked. The difference is as impressiveas Bikini, you know. We are all well at thispost. My wife plays bridge, I read books, mydaughter and her husband live in Durham,where the latter is a senior in the University.Recent 16-ers seen by me are Ed Kirkland,representing Bowdoin in a conference here;Arthur Conley and family, here for skiing;Roger Evans, visiting Roger Jr. '52.
From Shorty Hitchcock comes a very interesting note about "the assemblage that turned out last Monday for a Dartmouth Luncheon for Secretary of the Navy, John L. Sullivan '21. About 100 of the faithful were at the University Club in Los Angeles. Our Class was represented by Bob Thieme, Dan Coakley Constantine Tripolities, Desperate Desmond and myself. Sullivan is an able and clever talker. Instead of a set speech he threw it open into a sort of open forum, off the record. I think only once was a question asked which he felt obliged to decline to answer. I came away with a very high opinion of his ability and knowledge. After the meeting I met him briefly and asked if his duties had contacted you. He said he knew you very well and would remember me to you. (And don't forget that, Mr. Secretary.) I think Dartmouth may well be proud of him.
"A couple of weeks ago I had a nice Sunday morning visit with Russ Perkins. He lives near me here in Altadena. Russ seems happy in his work in the Legal Department of the L.A. office of the V.A. and I know from friends that he is well thought of." Then Shorty describes the intricacies of some operations they are doing on his mouth, which doesn't sound like a lot of fun, and I invite you all to join me in wishing him a speedy recovery and the return of his teeth and a quick release from that liquid diet which he says has caused him to fall off to a fair ton.
Members of the class who deserve credit for the valuable work they did interviewing prospective Dartmouth freshmen include CliffBean, Alumni Councilor for the entire region of Eastern Massachusetts, Oliver Barr, SpragueDrenan, Mason Huse, Carl Lincoln, ClintGreenwood, Gil Tapley, Charlie Brundage,
Secretary, 2721 Blaine Drive, Chevy Chase 15, Md.
Treasurer, 370 S. Westmoreland Ave., Los Angeles 5, Calif.
Class Agent, 97 Mayfield Ave., Akron 3, Ohio
