1932

I know that the laments of the class secretaries are not newsworthy and should be left out of the columns. Nonetheless I think the readers ought to know the state of mind of the writer because it frequently explains so much about the content of the product. At this moment of creation I am somewhat tired and very harassed. I was not able to get the column written over the weekend with the result that it is again late and I must dash it off too fast. There's little time for composition and no time for correction or polishing up. Fortunately there's a small supply of material from or about some of you to help supplement the pure imagination.

There was a little news on Christmas cards, but really not enough. I was glad to receive the good wishes, but you know how we class secretaries are. A greeting that isn't cluttered up with biographical material just touches the surface. Jildo Cappio's, on the other hand, went deep, close to my heart. On the back of a delightful photograph of his three kids clad in all kinds of Dartmouth insignia he wrote the following:

"Special to you as Ye Hon. Secretary a combined greeting card and belated birth announcement. Added to Jimmy, nine, and Jill, five, was Jane Linda on October 8. The looks of tightlipped disgust and sleepy boredom came after a long session of picture taking for an Xmas card, also enclosed. Don't look too closely at the prints—I had to grind out about 150 of the card and wasn't too fussy. Was shocked to hear of Johnny Clark's death. Had a chat with him and Ping Ferry at the Lehigh game. Saw Bus Sails, Frank Peyser and Art Allen at the Columbia game."

The business of printing one's own Christmas cards rings a bell with me because I have done it a couple of times, and intend to do it again next year. X say that every year, but this time, by golly, etc.

Carl Baker had another review in the N. Y.Times Book Review section late in November. It covered The Yellow Book compiled by Norman Denny, containing selections from England's "most famous 'little magazine' of the Eighteen Nineties." Carl always has some words with a special twist to them in his compositions. This time he ended up with this: "Even this essence of a quintessence may strike the American palate as rather more like tea than 100-proof spirits. But good strong tea with lemon is, after all, eminently potable."

John Wright's redrafting has been mentioned before, but it is interesting to note that he enlisted as a private in World War II and was drafted as a Captain during the present peace. He was involved in a lot of extracurricular activities around Chicago, it strikes me. I saw a letter in which he mentions being chairman of the Board of Directors of the North Ave. YMCA, president of the Chicago District Squash Racquet Association and a few others. He reports that the John Sheldons had a buffet supper for a group of '32ers, such as Pierpont, Bennett, Kirby and himself. This may have occurred some years ago, however, and may have been reported by one of my predecessors. If so, I trust I'll be forgiven.

I think it's wonderful when one of our class gets mentioned in the newspapers because I then have something to write about. The press clipping services keep us posted. It would be better, of course, if the lucky subject of the article would just send me a copy, but you know how you are. Anyway, one of the bureaus sent in an item from the GardenCity (N. Y.) Newsday for October 21, 1950, showing a picture of Walter Rushmore getting his cigarette lighted by Jack Coulson '39 at the annual reunion of the Dartmouth Alumni Association of Long Island, of which they are president and vice-president respectively. Walt has what is described as a quizzical expression on his face, which the paper says is probably due to his surprise that Jack's lighter worked. I have no other explanation.

The only other clipping this month tells about my having given a talk to the students of Cornell Law School on the nature of the work of a lawyer in the State Department. It was a most enjoyable trip for me, and stemmed from my acquaintance with the Dean during his wartime work in Washington. Not the least of the pleasure was in seeing Whit Daniels and his family. I had lunch at their house, and I am still full of admiration at the way Whit's wife Dorothy produced a magnificent corn souffle, puffed up just as it should be, despite the diverting presence of their own two lively kids Jocelyn, seven, and Jefferson, three, and a visiting seven-year-old. Whit is handling public relations for Cornell University.

Last November someone told the College that Ned Cummings has been appointed to the position of Field Sales Manager for Holiday, the new instant crystalline coffee. Therefore he had been with the LaTouraine Coffee Cos., holding sales positions in the New England and Chicago areas. Now, if I had heard just a little more on this subject I could say something about the new instant crystalline coffee, such as that it's good. But I can't because no one tells me anything.

When I learned that Alf McLaughlin's domesticity had been disrupted by floods I tried to figure out where he lives, but it seems that there have been a lot of floods recently. Anyway, there was a flood in his town, which did not harm his home, because it's on a high spot. The local schools closed, however, so Alf's wife and three children went to her family home in Connecticut.

Don Allen is chairman of the Natural Science Division of the State University unit ofthe State Teachers College (some of that maybe mixed up, but it looks like that in theoriginal). He has a home in New Paltz, N. Y.,and has two children, Barbara and Patricia,ages two and seven. He reports:

"Jim Gardner was at one of our Mid-Hudson Dartmouth meetings about a year ago; he is with a bank in Poughkeepsie. Ben Cowden was married nearly a year ago to Betty Gibson in Honolulu; they came East for a brief visit this summer but were unable to get up into the hinterland to the great city of New Paltz. Every couple of years or so Jack Eames and I exchange a Christmas card expressing intentions of getting together the following year. A year later when I get to Boston for the holiday, the schedule becomes so crowded that I never seem_ to make a connection. Last I knew Jack Jived in Framingham, Mass. I have called on Harry Rowe at Houghton-Mifflin several times in Boston but always manage to miss him. An old pal of his has recently joined the staff of the place where I work."

There's something about that letter thathas a familiar ring to me. All those people heheard from a year ago and tried to but didn'tsee. He composes a good letter on a lot ofstale and non-existent news. That's the stuffsome of the class secretaries have to be madeof.

Jim Corbett has agreed to take on the job as Class Agent—a brave and patriotic thing for him to do. As a class we can show him that it really doesn't take so much bravery by upping all our contributions to the Alumni Fund this year. Let us so resolve. Jim is the manager of the research department of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane, "the world's largest brokerage house." I am told that "when you want to 'investigate, then invest,' he supervises the investigation." Well, now, when you want to be loyal, and then contribute, he will receive the contribution with gratitude.

Secretary, 3909 North sth Street, Arlington, Va.

Treasurer, , 144 Brixton Rd., Garden City, N. Y.

Memorial Fund Chairman, 99 White Plains Rd., Bronxville, N. Y.