1909
The starting gun for the Alumni Fund has been fired. Prior to this date '09 had been credited with $152 for gifts received during October, November and December of last year. Our gang, under the generalship of Class Agent Ralph Byron Clement, has got to do some grunting, groaning and sweating to reach this year's quota of 8,000 smackeroos. It's possible, though, if the kickers will quit kicking and kick in; the face-savers will do more than give just a token gift so's to have their names published among "those who gave"; and the more generous-hearted will be a little more generous.
Ralph and I attended the Cleveland kickoff dinner on March 22 where President John Sloan Dickey, Fund Commissioner Charlie Zimmerman '23 and George Colton '35, execu- tive secretary of the Alumni Fund Committee, spoke to a group of class agents and assistant agents. The three of 'em were in the groove, and when they pointed out the perils that are present in Dartmouth's path, strong men were seen to daub at their eyes with handkerchiefs. It's a crying shame that all of the surviving members of '09 could not have been there. Surely, they would have been aroused to such an evangelistic pitch that the quota would be in the bag.
Accompanied by his little woman, Ralph stopped at the Statler Hotel, staying over for the next day which was the day of the weekly Dartmouth lunch. Big-hearted Childs invited le Clement to tie on a feed bag, even allowing him the run of the menu in selecting culinary delights for his palate. He settled for fish. After the meal, we adjourned to comfortable chairs in the lounge of the Mid Day Club to discuss fund strategy. Don't think this will be divulged here, for other class agents snooping through this column for luminous ideas might grab our thunder. '09 tactics will be a series of brilliant maneuvers that will first stun then startle our dear classmates into unprece- dented action. Watch for the unfoldment.
DON'T TRUST THIS MAN
Our classmate George A. Leavitt has been on the prowl again, looking for victims on which to foist his bum checks. From Charlotte Ford, Alumni Recorder, comes word that one of his rubber checks was cashed by the widow of Harvey Schwartz. Although he was aware of her straitened circumstances since Harvey's long illness, this wolf in sheep's clothing still made the play to get the dough. As Charlotte says, "this gives him undisputed possession of the title of meanest man on earth!"
Classmates may remember that 'a warning about this guy was sent out some months ago in an issue of Diddings. Don't be bamboozled. If he shows in your neighborhood, give him the business and turn him over to the gendarmes.
GRIM REAPER STILL STALKS
Al Newton and Bob Holmes, as well as Johnnie Shambow '10, have sent me clippings on the death of Frank Olmsted on March 27, after an illness of three months. His home was in Winchester, Mass. He is survived by his widow, a son Ronald W. and a daughter Mrs. Ruth Roundy. Most of his business career had been in banking.
Frank, who stayed at Dartmouth only during freshman year, entered from Chelsea High School with such luminaries as Whitey Catharin,Joe Hatch, Cad Cummings, Ralph Clement and Bill Hodgkins. He and Al Newton roomed together in Fayerweather, but Al says he has never seen him since that time. Frank served in the Navy during World War I. In college, he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa.
CLASSMATES WHO MAKE NEWS
"Pepperell Flyer, 65, in Forced Landing" was the way a headline read in the BostonGlobe on March 19. It referred to our classmate, Milt Hager, whose plane was forced down at Allentown, Pa., at night, after being reported missing for eight hours. He was uninjured. Allentown police said he Was probably headed for Washington to pick up identification papers and a passport, prior to leaving for South America, on which trip he planned to fly his 15-year-old, single-iftotored plane. That's pretty risky business for an old guy of 65.
This bit of news was sent in by BertieFrench who informs that beginning with the March issue of the ALUMNI MAG, all members of the class whose addresses are known will receive this classy publication. (Editor Charlie Widmayer please note and throw out your chest.)
Hal Clark was on a trip to Virginia to visit his son and family.
"Our outdoor garden," said Bertie in his concluding statement, "has furnished fresh pansies for the past 13 months, which is just one reason why Cape Cod appeals to those discriminating classmates who are looking for the ideal place of residence when they retire." Any other suggestions?
Buster Brown sent me one of those chain letters that are supposed to have gone around the world three times and that'll bring you luck within four days, if you send the same letter to five other people. If you break the chain, your luck is bound to be bad. Some guy, so 'twas said, got a hold of 13,000 bucks, then broke the chain and lost the whole roll. You weren't to send any dough or nothing like that, but that great stroke of good fortune would be coming through the mails. The only thing I got through the mails on die fourth day was the telephone bill which was bigger than usual because my little woman had called up our son John in Mt. Tabor, N. J. Phooey on Buster.
Good old Joe Blakely 'OB, who roomed "with Ernie (Buster) Goodrich in Middle Fayerweather and Wheeler during undergrad days, sent me a clipping from the Barre (Vt.) DailyTimes which gave quite a writeup on the remodeling of Earl Rogers' store in Cabot. The store must have been in pretty bad shape to rate a first page story, and the'published picture of Earl, as Joe points out, must have been taken during his college days. I'm going to give this momentous event more play in the next issue of Diddings.
Out on the West Coast, Sawney Regan reports that he let himself get into an accident and came out second best. A serious concussion knocked him out for three months, but he's coming along O. K. and expected, at the time he wrote, to be batting the golf balls around in another three or four weeks.
Did you know that Art Sporborg had left Black Mountain, N. C., and is living with his daughter at 1800 Alabama St., Huntsville, Ala.? He and the Mrs. wanted to be near the new grandson. That's why they moved. They've been building a house which should be ready for occupancy about the time you're reading this item.
Dutch Thorn got his picture in the Tampa paper and a story about his survival of that heart operation, telling how Dr. Osier Abbott chipped away a quarter-inch layer of calcium from around his heart, how he came through a 100 to 1 shot against survival. That's good propaganda for Heart Fund campaigns. "Today," says the story, "Thorn sleeps well and takes a full day's work in stride. He assists in the management of the Schulstad and Huffman insurance department. (Some of you birds may remember that Dutch possesses that eruditic insurance degree of Certified Life Underwriter.) His advice to sufferers of heart ailments is: 'Never become discouraged or give up hope. As my case proved, medical science is going forward every day. Yesterday's incurable disease can be treated successfully today—and who knows what tomorrow may bring?'" AlBates sent me the clipping about Dutch. Thanks, son.
This wraps it up for the moment. The final word is for you '09ers to answer the clarion call of the College with generous contributions to the alumni fund.
Class Notes Editor, Pioneer Trail, Aurora, Ohio
Secretary and Treasurer, Sandwich, Mass.
Class Agent, 18 Spirea Dr., Dayton, Ohio
