1908

Bant Blake, Civilian Director of Army Medical Research and former Dean of Yale Medical School, died February 1 in Walter Reed Hospital, Washington. Bant was with Yale University for 30 years and was still Sterling- Professor of Medicine when he was given a leave to devote full time to the medical research and development program for the Armed Forces in Washington. He was Dean of the Medical School from 1940 to 1947. Last November 400 colleagues and former students presented to the University a portrait of Bant in recognition of his long service to the medical school. He was a medical officer in the army in World War I, and in World War II was awarded the Medal of Merit and the Army Typhus Commission Award for his research in epidemics and as President of the Army Epidemiological Board.

Francis Gilman Blake was born February 22, 1887, in Mansfield Valley, Pa. He received his medical degree from Harvard in 1913. After World War I he was a member of the staff of the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research until 1921 when he joined the Yale Medical School faculty as a professor of medicine, one of the youngest men ever appointed to full professorship at Yale. An authority on chemotherapy, he did pioneer research work on such epidemic diseases as measles, scarlet fever, typhus and influenza. As dean, he directed experimental work with sulfa drugs and penicillin when they were first being tested.

Dr. Blake was for many years chairman of the medical board and physician-in-chief of the Grace-New Haven Community Hospital. He was a member of the major medical societies and had been chairman of many of their committees. In 1945, he received the Charles V. Chapin Memorial Award. In College he was a member of Chi Phi. Bant is survived by his. wife Dorothy Dewey Blake, whom he married in Springfield, Mass., on June 1, 1916, and three sons, Francis Gilman Jr., William D., and John B. Blake.

In the passing of Bant, the medical profession, the College and the class have lost a most outstanding individual who brought honor to his College, his medical school, his profession and his family. The deepest sympathy of everyone in the class goes to his widow and his sons.

Park Stickney and the Class Notes Editor attended the Hanover Holiday in Chicago on January 26. Ev Marsh and Herb Mitchell failed to show, as did Dr. Fiske of Pittsburg, who had predicted he might be in Chicago late in January for a medical meeting, and so could join us. The Doctor reports that he has not yet fully recovered from his disability of last summer but he is looking forward to the reunion at Hanover in June and to a vacation on Cape Cod.

Syd Ruggles, who enjoyed a holiday leave in the States, took a trip to Baaston while home and saw Pete McCarthy, Percy Gleason,Harold English, an engineer in the appraisal division of the Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation, and Doc Winkley. He endeavored without success to see Gene Jordan and Jack Corcoran. Syd is planning to attend the reunion in June.

The informal winter reunion of the class will be held at Royal Park Inn, Vero Beach, Fla., from March 25 to April 15, or such part of that time as men in the class and their wives can attend. Tread's resident Manager, John Packard '25, is receiving reservations.

A lifetime ambition was fulfilled on December 22, 1951, when Charles Hall was ordained to the priesthood at the Protestant Episcopal Church at St. Peter's Church, Johnston, R.I., by the Rt. Rev. Granville G. Bennett, D. D. He had been a lay reader of the church for 25 years. Three years ago he began to study for the priesthood.

45th REUNION JUNE 13-15

Class Notes Editor, 602 Central National Bank Bldg. Rockford, Ill. Secretary and Bequest Chairman, 115 Broadway, New York 6, N. Y. Treasurer, Taftville, Conn.