Northern California
One of the most successful banquets in the history of this chapter took place Thursday evening, December 27. Nearly 100 loyal alumni turned out at the Hotel Bellevue banquet room in San Francisco to fete Dartmouth's famous football coach, Tuss McLaughry, and Dartmouth's very worthy contribution to the East team, Charlie Curtis.
The memory of this pleasant occasion is even sweeter, after watching the East team trim the West 15-14 two days later in the annual Shrine East-West game. Tuss, as head coach of the East team, put a superb unit on the field that afternoon and couldn't have been more of a credit to the college that he represented. And as for Charlie Curtis, the sports writers here are still talking about the magnificent runback he made through the majority of the West team, after catching one of their punts.
The San Francisco fog was just a little damper than usual that evening (more provincial sections would probably call it a cloud burst), but thanks to the persistent efforts of Jack Slattery '38 and his "Green Key of the Golden Gate" Committee, the turnout was close to being record breaking. The following alumni attended:
Bob Leavens '01, F. H. Hardy '04, Gus Ayers '06, Dolly Gray '08, Windsor Wilkinson '10, Line Wilson '13, Doc Washburn '14, Al Livingston '15, George Phillips '16, George Currier '17, Ed Butts '18, Bill Brown '19, Abe Winslow '20, Guy Wallick '21, Bunny Bunnell '22, Larry Eager '23, Paul McKown '23, Dick Townsend '23, Tom Flint '24, Walt Baumann '25, Pete Kelsey '25, Ritchie Smith '26, lud Bellaire '26, Gob Des Marais '26, Roily Howes '27, Mort Crowell '29, Chuck Faye 50, Don Shaskan '30, Dave Bender '31, Jim Lull 32, Bob Allen '33, Bob Veres '33, Dave Smith 35, Don Albertsen '37, Bill Shevlin '37, Art Faulk 37, Jack Slattery '38, Tom Macey '38, Bill Danforth '41 Percy Rideout '41, John Tate '41, Bob White '4l, Bill Clark '42, John Stewart '42, Jim Adams '43 Hal Breen '45, Frank Youngman '45, Bob Williams '46, Ed Burnhof '46, Al Winslow '49, Bob Bowler '51, Herm Christensen '51, John Hatfield '51, Pete Smart '51, and Ted Weis '51.
Eight undergraduates added to the occasion and had an opportunity to get to know their future fellow alumni better: Forrest Anderson '53, Mike Biggs '54, Ted McKown '53, Tom McCrea '53, Tom Kelsey '54, Beaver Nash '54, Jack Palmer '55, and Bob Saia '55.
The undergraduates were outnumbered by the excellent showing of potential future Dartmouth men. They ranged from several probable '56s down to young Ed Shaskan '66.
The following fathers of Dartmouth men attended: Reg Biggs, Melville DeVoto, John Hatfield, John McCrea, Leonard Neeley, Dr. B. M. Palmer, and Mario Saia.
"Able Abe" Winslow had knocked himself out to procure the movies of the DartmouthPrinceton game, but Mother Nature and the Christmas rush were against him. The film was sent via airmail express from Hanover long before the banquet date, but didn't arrive until one week after the party was over. An emergency meeting of the entertainment committee produced some terrific talent, however, and the evening was salvaged. Mike Biggs and his father, Reg, illustrated how top-notch professionals execute a piano duet. Tom McCrea and his father, John, were forced back for numerous encores once the group heard their singing and playing combination.
Gob Des Marais '26 led the gathering, singing ELEAZAR, and Toby Plough did the honors for LORD JEFFRY. Tuss, as usual, captivated his audience with the latest data on football in general, and Dartmouth teams in particular. A few words from Charlie Curtis and President Dave Smith '35 rounded out the eventful evening. Needless to say, we will all be bitterly disappointed if Tuss isn't selected as coach of the East team next year so we can have another bang-up banquet in his honor.
Secretary, Pacific Tel. & Tel. Co., 140 New Montgomery St., San Francisco 5, Calif.
