1897
A letter from Gibson enclosing a picture of his family taken on Gibby's 75th birthday tells us of his activities and interests and shows him to be a very active man although he is retired. His letter about his activities and a memorandum about books presented to the Library at Dartmouth give us a true picture of our classmate. He writes me:
"DEAR BILL: Most of our classmates are very loathe to write news about themselves. The older one gets the easier it is to crawl deeper into one's shell. Maybe we are too modest. I could name several men in our class who have achieved great things in their line of work, but who think what they have done is of no consequence to most persons and who would feel like overdoing a braggadocio. Then too, the everyday simplicity of our lives after one retires from active tasks, pushes one's thoughts into the limbo of the first quarter of the century which no one seems to be interested in and we live in dreams, memories and thoughts of the ever dwindling circle of associates.
"What do I do with myself, you ask? Well, I have been on the retired list for 17 years, and still don't find it hard to take. We built a most comfortable home here on Lake Concord right in the heart of the city, one mile from the business center, and are as secluded as if in the country. Spend a lot of time in the garden where we have 150 camellia bushes, 70 varieties, which right now are beginning to bloom hundreds of beautiful flowers, some pure white, others speckled with red streaks, some red, pink, mottled; many of peony shape, others like roses. One sad thing about camellias is they have no fragrance. Then I have weekly Rotary and serve on some of the committees. Also, I revel in the Winter Park University Club, with a membership of 670, over 30% in Who's Who, men retired from work, educators, doctors, college presidents and professors, scholars, lawyers, business men of all degrees that drift south to get the sunshine in their remaining days, men of wonderful training and experiences from all parts of the world. There are 22 Dartmouth grads who are members, ranging from class of '86 to '43. Three times a week are held Pow-Wows at which a speaker member talks for half an hour on a subject from his past work and is followed by another half hour of question-answer. Under this kind of program one cannot stagnate mentally. We also here have plenty of other cultural advantages of lectures, concerts, plays, etc., which you get up north. So you see we don't suffer too much 1300 miles away from New England civilization.
"Another part of my time goes into the work as a member of the Board of Governors of the Orange Memorial Hospital. As one of the Executive committee, and in process of completing a new $750,000 wing you can guess that at least a few hours a week are spent inspecting progress. When opened, it will be as finely equipped as any in Florida.
"Reading, driving about this middle state section, taking life as easy as possible which age requires, watching this state grow up with its influx of older persons being retired from work is about all a lazy life can offer. Pretty dull you more vigorous classmates say.
"Every summer we drive north, and spend time with sons at Swarthmore, Pa., and Hartford, Conn. Then, four months at either Cape Cod, Duxbury, Ipswitch, Ogunquit, Me., Jackson, N. H., Hanover, Middlebury, Vt., and other places which you New Englanders know so well and which to us are havens of restful change, with the White Mts. the most delightful.
"Still retain my love for books, reading them as fast as eyes permit, then passing them on to the University Club where others can enjoy them also. Strange to say have a charge account at the Charles Scribner Sons bookstore in New York, where I first started my business career after leaving Dartmouth in 1897. So there you have it, my friend. Not so exciting, is it?
"Missed Tuttle in Boston last summer, but did greet Holt. Christophe came through here last winter and expect to see him again this coming March. Hope other classmates wander this way. Bill, how about preparing now for a quiet get-together for our 55th in June, 1952? Your friend and Florida procrastinator, Ham."
ON HIS 75TH BIRTHDAY, Hamilton Gibson '97 had the company of all his immediate family. Standing (I to r): Harold H. Gibson Jr. '26, his wife Collie, Mrs. Gibson, Mr. Gibson; front row: Arthur H. Gib- son, his wife Anne, and Dqvid A. Gibson '4O.
Secretary and Treasurer 886 Main St., Bridgeport 3, Conn.
Class Agent, 1005 Center St., Newton Center 59, Mass.
