Southern California
We had ourselves a Winter Carnival the last week in February. It was 300 miles west and 6000 feet above the Hanover edition, not quite so many people and no snow, but you couldn't have told the difference in the fellowship. The party was held at Nelson's (Tufts '11) Snow Crest Resort high on the slopes of Mt. Baldy. Bob and Cappy Williams '26 have a cabin nearby and they knocked themselves out to wonderful results, running a continuous cocktail party, meterless taxi, and whom-do-you-want-killed service.
John and Emily Greene '26 from Santa Barbara were the first to whine up the mountain road, early Saturday afternoon. The lodge was closed to outsiders, and by the time we moved in on the big U dining arrangement the stone fireplace was surrounded by almost 40 alumni, wives, and small consequences. Williams MC'd led the songs, ran the cheers, kidded everybody into admitting their childhood ambitions {Bill Adams '34 still wants to be Fish and Game Commissioner of Massachusetts), ran off the Hanover ski and football movies, cajoled one and all onto the floor for square dancing, and eventually tucked everybody into bed at a suitable Carnival hour. The cabins were comfortable, and the breakfast ham and eggs tasted marvellous after a sleep in the clear high air. By late Sunday afternoon when the last car headed down the mountain, the deal looked like another "first annual" entry in our local tradition sweepstakes.
March went out like a lion this year, thanks to the Pasadena-and-East delegation who staged a dinner the last night of the month in Pasadena's Huntington Hotel. Beverly and Brentwoodites consider this the Southland equivalent of Newark, but they all came and they all enjoyed it. The occasion was built around Dartmouth's oldest living alumnus, Henry G. Peabody of the class of '76, who not only appeared in person at the age of 95, but held his audience tight for twenty minutes as he reminisced delightfully about the athletics of his time in Hanover. Their football rush on the "Common" was called Division, and shouldn't happen to anybody without a suit of armor. Dr. Walter Adams '98, world famous astronomer and retired director of Mt. Wilson Observatory, sat next to Mr. Peabody at dinner and a scrap of conversation I overhead suddenly opened up a new realization of how deep go the roots: both their fathers were Dartmouth men, Adams of '58 and Peabody of '39—Eighteen, that is.
As at Mt. Baldy, your president had an easy go of it, simply muttering a fast hello and turning the meeting over to Francis McEntee '29. Fran's program followed the College up through the half century now ending. Eck Hiestand '10 took the early years, JohnLyman '28 exposed the secrets of the Roaring Twenties, Ren Ostrorn '36 chronicled the Hungry Thirties, and our host Wes Hadden '41, assistant manager of the Huntington and responsible for the excellent arrangements, buttoned up the Forties. Howie Almon '22's superb announcement-directions led everybody straight to the place without anybody getting lost but Almon. Johnny Merrill '37 came back into circulation to lead the songs and cheers. Dave Boyle '40 clicked off the new Hanover films, and Fran's hard-working committee included Jim Norton '06, Phil Hunt '27, Dick Hood '30, Murray Hawkins '18, and Bob Morris '36. It was a pleasure to introduce first-attenders Charles Pierce '06, Tom Gafford and Baxter Ball of '31; George Twining '47's father, and young bloods Bill Broughton '46, Ben Tice '47, Martin Ullman and GarthJones '48, King Kenny of '50. President Dickey's cordial wire of greeting to Mr. Peabody was seconded by a letter from Dr. Ruggles Cushman, of Santa Ana and the class of '83. A business report stated that an Ivy League Alumni Conference of Southern California is being formed; more on it later.
A Hollywood deal is in the works for April, and on May 24 we take over The Drunkard', theatre, olio acts, and dancing afterward. Best guess is it will stack right up there with the famous Disney party and the Riverside Rancho Rumpus. See you there.
CAP PALMER '23
A CALIFORNIA VERSION OF WINTER CARNIVAL: On the steep slopes of Mt. Baldy, Dartmouth con- geniality reached a new high in February, on an outing of the Dartmouth Southern California Club to the Snow Crest Resort. This picture is remarkable for including Will Hays '3l (seated right on the piano stool) who is the club photographer and usually remains invisible.
Secretary, 218 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif.
