1899

The informal '99 family gathering, started several years ago at The New Ocean House at Swampscott, Mass., was held this year the weekend of June 30. Attending were GeorgeClark, Joe Gannon, Doc and Mrs. Hawkes,Hobe and Mrs. Hoban, Art and Mrs. Irving,Tim Lynch, Dave and Mrs. Parker, Herband Mrs. Rogers, Rodney and Mrs. Sanborn and their friend "Sass" Seidel, Herb andMrs. Watson.

Responding to a request from the Secretary for news about himself and his activities, Leon Woodman sent the following biographical sketch of his career in the field of education:

LIFE BEGINS AT FIFTY

"The fitst 50 years of my life were spent doing routine things connected with the life of a college professor, two degrees from Dartmouth, culminating with the Doctor's degree from Columbia University, teaching in the Nashua, N. H., high school, teaching for 12 years at the University of Maine, transferring to The Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy over 30 years ago and now serving as Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics at that institution. I was married in 1908 to Mabel Van Home of Herkimer, N. Y., also a teacher in the Nashua High School. A son and a daughter both graduated from the Missouri School of Mines and are now living at Vicksburg, Miss., and Charleston, W. Va.

" 'Life Begins at Fifty'—because that was approximately the age at which I began to do things outside the regular routine and which could be classed as hobbies. I found out, partly by accident, that I could write plays for children that interested the children as well as their parents and friends. I spent much time in a quiet unobtrusive psychological study of my little friends, taking them on picnics in the summer time and having frequent parties with them in the winter. I always picked the characters for a play before writing the play, and feel that I was at least fairly successful in making the part in the play fit the character of the child taking the part. At least the child in every instance enjoyed taking the part that I had created for him. In many cases the child himself practically outlined his own part in the play. The last play that I have written was done this way. A little girl described to me in great detail herself as she would like to live. The idea appealed to me and in two days time I had the play all written out, much to the pleasure of the girl and her mother. Incidentally, the title of the play was Tomboy. I have now about ten of these plays. Right now I am training a group of Girl Scouts to put on one of my plays sometime this summer. As a result of these plays I have built up during the years a group of little friends, some of whom are no longer little but who are just as friendly, who have been very near and dear to me because of our mutual understandings.

"Another hobby that started about the same time as the plays was the giving of piano lessons to some of my little friends. It started with my star actress in several of these plays, who had a piano but no money for piano lessons. I gave lessons free of charge to the little girl for about five years and was rewarded by the fact that she could play the piano very acceptably, and also the pipe organ in the Methodist Church. I had intended to give piano lessons only to children who could not afford lessons with a regular teacher, but my other little friends were so insistent that I had to take them too, but always with the proviso that it was just a hobby with me and that I would not accept pay for the lessons. For the past 20 years I have had anywhere from ten to 20 pupils a year on the piano. Right now I have 12 on the piano and three on the pipe organ. Some of my pupils have been very satisfactory and have become proficient musicians. Three of my pupils have been taking music in as many colleges this year. I am also proud of the fact that I have had more pupils playing for their grades in the public schools than any teacher in town. This hobby has also brought me into contact with many interesting children as well as their parents.

"Doing things that you do not have to do certainly adds to one's interest in life and working with young people is certainly one of the best ways to stay young."

Gordon Gerould was recently elected President of the Fellows of the Mediaeval Academy. He has written a book about Chaucer which, if not yet printed, will soon be ready for the press.

The report on '99 and the Alumni Fund of this year, which P. Winchester sent to class members, reflects great credit on his efforts as well as to the contributors for the outstanding success in exceeding the class objective by 33 percent. Win With Winchestersome go-getter!

Your Secretary attended the annual meeting of class secretaries and other Alumni officers in Hanover in May.

Lute and Ann Oakes were visitors in Hanover in June.

See the In Memoriam columns of this issue for articles about the late Dr. Cushman and the late Ed Wardle.

Secretary, The New York Times 229 West 43rd St., New York 18, N. Y. Treasurer, 1 11 Park View Drive, Worcester, Mass.