1915
Prompted by the similarity in spelling to Dartmouth's Beirut, "Johnnie Johnson writes us from aboard the Norwegian motorship Stella Polaris riding at anchor in Bima, Sumbawa Island, Indonesia. Here Johnnie had greeted the Sultan who rules four islands, 900,000 subjects, and deponent-sayeth-not- how-many wives. The following day landing was to be made at Bali (Shades of South Pacific!!) Eighteen days before, the cruise had taken in Pago Pago, Samoa. In between these landings and various and sundry Singapore gin slings, Johnnie complains of the tropical heat and sends regards to the gang. How he timed his letter to arrive on a day when it was snowing and we put 400 gallons of fuel oil in the tank, we'll never know. But if Johnnie thinks that kind of a letter makes us envious, he's got another gue; he can go jump in the ; how right he is!!
Because of an unavoidable snafu to their schedule our other world travellers, Charleyand Susan Griffith, were deprived of a chance to say hello to Art and Gertrude Boggs at Ongole, India. When they wanted to be in Ongole, they were in Delhi instead. If you think that's like Minneapolis and St. Paul, just look it up on the map.
George Simpson has kept busy this winter interviewing prospective candidates for Hanover. He is now chairman of the Boston committee doing this important work. He is also serving as chairman of the Special Gift Program for the Melrose Hospital campaign. His older son Parker is due for his Masters Degree in the Graduate School of Public Relations at Boston University this June; younger son Whitcomb is a Junior at Rollins College in Florida but is planning to enter the Air Force this summer.
Our beloved Bill Huntress passed way March 14 (see In Memoriam). Many Fifteeners, members of other classes in our generation, and fraternity brothers, instead of sending flowers, showed their affection for Bill by contributing the equivalent to a Memorial Fund at Dartmouth College in his memory.
Among the Class representatives at Bill's funeral were: Bigelow, Bull, Clough, Crawford,Foster, Henderson, Martin, Mason,Meader, Milmore, O'Hara, Rice, Richardson,St. Clair, and Sullivan. Dale Barker, GeorgeSimpson and Clilf Bean '16 were among the pall bearers. Addison Winship, son of the late Pete Winship, was present. Also seen were Wilson '13, Wright '13, Rice '14, Saltmarsh '14, English '16, Fuller '16 and Evans '17.
Three fellows by the names of McCarthy,Rose and Nichols got together in New York for lunch on March 15. Although feeling bled white by the Collector of Internal Revenue, each had enough left for the 30-cent blue plate. Dutch treat, of course. Mac was just back from Hanover and a visit with Justin Jr. '51
The Apawampis Club, Rye, N. Y., was the setting for the Westchester Alumni Meeting also on March 15. Fred Child, Bob Fredericks,Wy Fuller and your secretary were present as representatives of Dartmouth's greatest class.
Russ Rice, just barely over La Grippe, killed a few remaining germs during the cocktail hour preceding the Boston Alumni dinner and then wisely (under the circumstances) went home.
When Al Sherman decided to become a lawyer, the Fourth Estate lost a superb reporter. Al, pushing a couple of whales out of his way, left the Port of New Bedford to attend he Boston Alumni Dinner on March 7. Among those present he noted Barker, Bigelow,Bull, Clough, Crawford, Dewing (at the head table—no less—representing the Wellesley Alumni Association), Doe, Fitts, Foster,Lounsbury, Mac Andrews, Richardson, Sherman (our correspondent must have looked in the mirror), Simpson and Tuck. Look up the home towns of that crowd and you will conclude that the Boston city limits have expanded more than those of Los Angeles.
Between the practice of law and the responsibilities of home, Al finds time to be Vice President of a 350-room hospital, Trustee of a savings bank, and to participate in civic, community and church affairs. In his spare time (?) he maintains an ancestral homestead farm and a waterfront cottage.
The next time any of you drop in the University Club at Bangkok, Siam you will notice a nice new shiny Dartmouth banner on the wall. And thereby hangs a tale. Charlie Griffith had lunch there recently and noticed we were represented by an old and faded pennant. He immediately arranged for the new one to be sent to the Club's President, Phra Bisal Sukhumuit (M.I.T.) whose son is a Dartmouth sophomore. At Saigon, Cochin China, the Griffiths attended a St. Patrick's Day cocktail party at the American Legation. Appropriate to the occasion, the Big Green was well represented by James Risk '37, Capt. Ed Korn '38 and Robert Teaze '47 as well as Charley.
At this writing (late March), Gus Braun, after being a patient in St. Michael's Hospital, Newark, N. J., for several weeks is continuing his convalescence at home.
Department of Nostalgia continued... .No history of the American stage will be complete, in my opinion, without at least one chapter on the theatre in White River Junction circa 1915. In an era in which road companies flourished (most of them), those coming to White River were probably no better nor no worse than the general average playing small towns. But they encountered one factor
in the Junction to which they were not accustomed— audience participation. The radio people may think they invented it (certainly they have commercialized it), but you and 1 know it came to full fruition at the Lyceum Theatre 35 to 40 years ago. At best this audience participation injected humor from the usually quiet side of the footlights and keyed up the performers to the point where they played over their heads. At worst it fell no lower in annoying the taxpaying theatre-goers than the 1915 equivalent of the wolf-call when a good looking or scantily clad actress appeared. Or maybe the substitution of a stalk of celery propelled ever so gently stageward in lieu of the bouquet of roses more conventionally offered. Between these two extremes might be such helpful suggestions to the hero as to point out—audibly—that the villain "is hiding behind that tree there, you dope."
As for the Lome Elwyn episode which culminated in calling out the Vermont State Militia in the so-called "Battle of White River Junction," that incident (which should have become a larger part of Dartmouth tradition than it has) was definitely not a matter of audience participation. Elwyn wouldn't even start his lousy show. Hence, if there was no performance, how could there be an audience? If no audience, how could there be participation? Q.E.D.
It has been five months since any Fifteener has reported the arrival of a grandchild. Either the stork has gone on a strike or you fellows are getting mighty blasé over grand-parent- hood. Send in the vital statistics, won't you?
More sad news reached us on March 30, reporting the death of Le Roy Johnson (see In Memoriam). Francis Poor, also from Jacksonville writes us about Le Roy as follows:
There was a large funeral here yesterday for Johnnie. The enclosed press notices do not begin to enumerate his civic activities as he had to abandon some in the last few years.
"He was certainly a credit to Dartmouth and 1915 and we will surely feel his loss. There are all too few like him in this world. He was unusually proud of Dartmouth and we all should be most appreciative of the many con- tributions to the lives of others he made. Per- haps these many hours of service hastened his life span but he enjoyed the public service."
Seen at the New York meetings of the American Management Association on March 26-27 was Jack Healy, recently returned from Quebec and looking fully recovered from last summer's illness.
The Glen Ridge, N. J., paper recently ran a feature article about our own Joe Harris. It seems that Joe has just completed two years' service as advertising manager of Quality Weeklies, a group of 24 suburban papers. Either Joe has discovered the fountain of youth or the newspaper dug up a photo made 20 years ago.
Due partly to torrential rainfall and partly to aging glands, '15's representation at the Seventh Regiment party of the New York City Alumni was limited to Charley Comiskey and Carl Gish.
Recent registrations at Hanover Inn: Mr.and Mrs. Leo M. Folin, Mr. and Mrs. MarvinL. Frederick, Mr. J. H. McCarthy.
J. HERBERT BABCOCK '14 has been elected Vice President in Charge of Development and Research for the Hooker Electrochemical Company of Niagara Falls, N. Y. He started with the company in 1916 as research chemist and since January 1949 has been director of development and research.
Secretary, 24 Midland Ave., White Plains, N. Y.
Treasurer, 60 Stevens Rd., Needham 92, Mass.
Class Agent, Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co., 70 Pine St., New York 5, N. Y.
