1929
The handsome, well-fed (though not portly) executive appearing in the accompanying picture is the newly-elected Vice President of Air Reduction Company, just promoted to that position after an exemplary tour of duty as Secretary of the corporation. Jack Gunther also manages himself and his family affairs as well as his business career. The only indication of age is a slight graying at the temples, a becoming roundness of limb and torso in place of that bony skinniness of yore, and a tendency to sit down at every opportunity. We have some good reports this month from around the country:
Irving M. Levitas, M.D., 199 Fairview Avenue, Westwood, N. J. Irv Levitas was recently elected a Fellow of the American College of Physicians at its convention held in St. Louis, Mo., last month. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and practices that specialty at Westwood, N. J. (For those members of the class who are ignorant of jersey geography, that is near where Dick Robin lives.) Irv is an attending physician in medicine at the Hackensack Hospital. He is apparently still under the influence of the Dartmouth educational system as his golf handicap of 9 is fairly creditable. Last summer he and his son John won the father-son championship at the Hackensack Golf Club. Incidentally, the junior half of that combination enters the next freshman class at Hanover in September.
Professor Austin L. Starrett, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga.
Your letter spurs me to report on the flying visit of John Dickey to the deep South. The '29 delegation in Atlanta consisting of Dick Exton and myself met John's train and after picking up our respective wives, made a small scale reunion out of the ride out to the Naval Officers' Club at Chamblee where the Atlanta meeting was held. After cocktails and dinner, John gave us a very colorful picture of present-day Hanover and made a real impression on the 50-odd present—most of whom were meeting him for the first time. John had to leave at 9:00 o'clock the next morning for Warm Springs en route to Chattanooga, so we saw all too little of him. Come again, John, when you can see Atlanta! We had hoped Dick Stone could get up from Savannah for this occasion, but no such luck. Dick Exton is still the efficient proprietor of the Tech Shop, specializing in students' clothing and supplies, and is, on the side, quite a dog fancier. I am still trying to impart the fundamentals of mathematics to the 'Rambling Wrecks' of Georgia Tech. I am having some fun this quarter with a new graduate course. I am going to be in New England for part of my vacation this summer and hope to see some of you then."
Arthur H. Nighszvander, Nighswander & Lord, Laconia, N. H.
"You asked for it so you will have to take your chances on the quality of the answer and whether or not it is irresponsive, incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial or just plain prejudicial. I will try to weave in some information about classmates but much will be autobiographical by necessity. Also please pardon references to persons who may have been recently mentioned in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. They will pardon me for the additional plug I am sure. When I see your office letterhead and see your name creeping up toward the top with another generation of Powers and Needham behind you, I am reminded that it was 18 years ago that I passed the Bar Exams in Boston and then decided to practice law in New Hampshire. Now I too am considered one of the senior members of the Bar, at least in Laconia. We have three partners in our firm and practice under the name of Nighswander & Lord (William S. Lord '28). Our practice is very general and therefore extremely interesting as well as nerve wracking. We represent several insurance companies, banks and utilities, so have a substantial amount of trial work (mostly defense). From 1946-1950, as administrator of an estate, I ran a lumber business with three saw mills part of the time. Last year as administrator of an estate I finished construction of a school building. We have a substantial probate practice with some trusts handled. I am director or clerk of 20 or more small corporations and therefore required to know about the new government regulations, taxes, how to negotiate with labor unions, and all about pension plans, cost of living index, etc. We have to do some accounting (which is against my will) with respect to income tax claims, having just finished one involving a month's work. There are also transfers of business, titles and the usual deeds, wills and other drafting of papers. Each day brings new problems. In my spare time I try to think up new questions for the Bar Exams as I am one of the Examiners.
"I have an estate tax case in Boston in which I am asociated with 'Skip' Drayton, who is a lawyer and C.P.A. with Herrick, Smith, Donald, Farley & Ketchum. When I appear before the State Supreme Court I naturally feel quite at ease with Justice Frank Kenison on the bench. My daughter goes to Camp Interlaken in the summer where we see Charles Dudley. Al Cooley's daughter was there last summer and Dud Orr is sending his this year I believe. Dud is one of the outstanding lawyers in the state in the field of corporate and probate law. Forest Broivn is superintendent of buildings and grounds of the Laconia Hospital, of which I am one of the Trustees.
"As President of the Lakes Region Dartmouth Alumni Association, I am making plans for the enertainment of John Dickey on May 22, when he is to speak at a joint meeting of the Alumni Association and Laconia Dinner Club. Anyone in the vicinity is invited to a social hour at The Inn at Steele Hill, Sanbornton, N. H., at 5 P.M. to meet with John and the local alumni. Roger Turn bull is in a bank in Bristol. I met him up on Mt. Cardigan one day. So far he hasn't been able to get to our Alumni meetings. I have seen Kinsley Batchelder in the New Hampshire Savings Bank at Concord but haven't had much chance to talk to him. Sherman Weaver lives in Mfcredith, N. H., where he operates a drug store.
"I hear indirectly through mutual friends that Hal Beloin now owns half the town of New Britain, Conn, (a hotel and store, I think). Once in a while I run up to Berlin, N. H., on a case and see ArthurBergeron, lawyer and former mayor.
"While in Los Angeles on business a year ago last summer, I stopped in to the law office of FranMcEntee, but he was out. I would have liked to have made connections as I hear he has a yacht. I also missed seeing Benjamin Scales who was with the Veterans Administration Hospital but too far out from Los Angeles for me to taxi. The other night a doctor from Denver, Colo., was telling me what a fine doctor Dr. Bill Condon is. I believe he said he was a chest surgeon. I have a client who does quite a bit of business with Hirsch-Weiss Co. of Portland, Ore., makers of fine ski clothes. I recently discovered that Hal Hirsch is half the Company. So many prominent people are members of the Class of 1929 that quite often when I mention the name of a world figure in laudatory fashion at home, having taken credit already for so many, my children are apt to say sarcastically 'I suppose he is Class of 1929 too.'
"If you are to receive this in time I will have to close for now. For my own vital statistics other than the facts included above, I will send in the questionnaire which I answered as soon as I can find where I put it. I know I have forgotten to mention some like my brother-in-law Heinte Richardson, who is superintendent of schools in Sharon, Mass.; Dick Barrett, who did such an efficient job at the Tax Institute I attended at which I had a moment to talk with you, but time and space are limited."
Professor Benjamin B. Leavitt, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
"I can't recall seeing a single classmate since I came here after getting out of the service in 1946. I haven't been back to New England since then either, though there is a remote possibility that I'll take the family to Cape Cod for a couple of weeks next summer. As you know, I'm on the faculty of the University of Florida here and it is a most excellent university, rapidly becoming a leader in the entire South. I enjoy my work and my family which consists of wife Peggy; daughter, 8, Abbie; and son, 5, Bruce.
"I'd sure like a chance to swop hunting yarns with you. Plenty of ducks in the fall; I keep a bird dog who does quite well on quail, a few dove shoots and an occasional turkey hunt—which fill in the fall season. I've taken on a new year-round pastime, chasing bobcats. Another fellow and I keep a pack of hounds over in Levy County and race cats the year around. I like it better than fox or coon hunting and we meet with a fair degree of success.
"I combine a little business with pleasure and at the moment have about 25 stomachs on my lab table awaiting content analysis. Here at the University, my time is largely divided between teaching Courses in Biology, directing the Masters and Ph.D. work of several graduate students, and my own researches. Professor Charles A. Proctor, now emeritus, stops by with me each year for a few days and we take a few bird pictures together. Other than through him and your excellent column, I don't see or hear much pertinent news. Hope to see you if I get North next summer."
John C. Hubbard, Hubbard, Westervelt & Mottelay, Inc., Real Estate and Corporate Financing, 18 East 41st Street, New York.
"We have just returned from a week's golf at Pinehurst and rather wondered whether we would catch Dud Orr down there this year. Much to my surprise my golf was quite good for me. Sue, Johnny and I have had a rather quiet winter minding our P's and Q's, but did enjoy very much skating on the pond in front of our house and several times Sue thought she was running a hospital with the kids coming in with busted noses, jaws, teeth, etc. For ten days the latter part of February during Johnny's (age 10) vacation we went up to Mont Tremblant skiing and ran into Ted and AliceGurney with young Ted, who had been at Camp with Johnny a couple of years before, and Christine. We had a lot of fun together and I hope that Alice will be able to get Ted back to our Twenty-fifth Reunion. Incidentally, Judge and Mrs. McLane put us all to shame when it came to skiing.
"Around here I see no '29ers at home but, of course, see Jim Hodge every day and quite often Harry Enders, Herb Ball, Carl Pittlekow, FredAdam and Joe Walsh. Jim says he ran into CliffPurse the other day and he is looking and acting fine. I have not seen Blair lately and wonder what has become of him and if writing the '29 UP is taking all his time. A few weeks ago I went to the Northern New Jersey Dinner hoping that I might find Gus or some of the rest of our Class there but was the only one from '29. Nevertheless, it was a most enjoyable party with Ort Hicks showing MyFirst Week at Dartmouth. I began to feel like Grandpa as 90% of those there were from the younger classes.
"With Regulation X and M by Uncle Sam we are looking for all sorts of new ways for keeping in business. There is one advantage now I can find for lawyers—no matter what the Government does you need at least one, and most times two, to interpret and keep you out of trouble."
Porter S. Kier, Service Enterprises, 6151 Jenkins Arcade, Pittsburgh 22, Pa.
"Never let it be said that vox clamantis in deserto went unheard. Thy plea is heard, O master, and feebly I obey. Tidings from afar have been received from one John Hoivland, formerly of the frigid clime of Clinton, N. Y., who, together with wife Frances and several assorted dogs and cats (of the mammalian, not the financial, species), have emigrated to the more pleasant land of Clearwater, Fla. At last hearing, no occupation was specified. In my conscience file is a long-unanswered letter from Ken Page, formerly yclept Mike, for reasons connected with the mystery surrounding his long-hidden and secret middle initial. The letter is dated December 28, 1949. At the time of writing, Ken was living at 2214 Maple, Evanston, Ill., and was handling a debit for Bankers Life and Casualty Company. We have been trying to work out a visit from Ken and Eloise for some summer, but so far our vacation plans haven't coincided. Maybe this year—Ken, take notice.
"That is all except from the personal angle. Our business, established a little over a year ago, has been showing considerable progress, although not yet to the point where we buy mink coats for customers' secretaries. In the extra-curricular field I authored a timely little operetta, produced locally twice last fall, dealing with the investigations of a Senate Committee for the Investigation of Sin and Other Taxable Amusements in Hollywood. Recently, Kay and I had parts in The VagabondKing, produced by a local group as its eighth annual performance. Kay's prowess with a battle ax will undoubtedly prove a great inspiration to the continued rectitude of her spouse. I played the nasty, cunning, sly, scheming, villainous Louis XI in a way which critics said was most natural and quite to be expected of me. Porter, our oldest, just got his driver's license and is finishing his junior year in high school. A Dartmouth prospect for the class of 1956, I hope."
JACK D. GUNTHER '29 was recently elected a Vice President of Air Reduction Co., Inc. He had been secretary of the company since 1946, and is a resident of New Canaan, Conn.
Secretary, 75 Federal St., Boston, Mass.
Treasurer, 1728 Beech wood Blvd., Pittsburgh 17, Pa
Class Agent, 10 Cranston Rd., Winchester, Mass.
