1916
This is being written for a Monday deadline on a snowy Saturday, if it makes any difference, and a Balmacaan Newsletter has to be fixed up today also.
Bill McKenzie's announcement starts out: "Despite the fact that many of you have had enough of Truman, Taxes and Class Agent McKenzie for the past several years, you're still going to keep at least McKenzie and Taxes for 1952." Ordinarily this column does not print political prognostications, but since the above is a quote, we are probably not violating the Hatch Act, which prohibits Government employes from certain political activities.
The Denver University Winter Carnival ski team made the trip to Hanover to defend their championship but lost to the Big Green. Their trip was made possible by contributions of Colorado backers, including the Dartmouth alumni out there, where Ev Parker is one of the mainsprings. .. General AgentFrank T. Bobst of the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Cos. had his picture in the Eastern Underwriter along with General Agent Robert B. Pitcher celebrating their fifth anniversary as heads of the Boston General Agency. Frank is seen mugging the audience the while holding a knife in his hand ready to cut the birthday cake.
The Class Memorial Fund—all classes—has reached more than $800,000. and thanks to Cliff Bean's efforts, more than $24,000 of that is credited to 1916. And speaking of money, if you have not paid your class dues, send them in right away to Jimmie Coffin, Concord St., Nashua, N. H. The Class needs money to operate.
John Ames sent me a Japanese postcard from Tokyo with greetings of the Tokyo Branch of Balmacaan, consisting of himself and Rog Evans. The card contains one of those Japanese pictures with three characters on it, one having a bad attack of ulcers, from his expression and the other two gloating over him. This is standard practice in Jap art, I'm ld Dick Parkhurst sent me the clipping of Ed Riley's appointment to the executive committee of the United States Council of the International Chamber of Commerce. This, is a distinct honor for Ed to add to his other laurels, which go back to racing Ted Meredith to securing depth bombs on a damaged destroyer in World War One and reaching up to his present eminence as a Veep of General Motors Speaking of Dick, he and Ed Carey were both guests of the Hanover Inn during Tanuary Dave Shumway saw the basketball game between Dartmouth and Canisius in Buffalo and writes with well restrained enthusiasm over Dartmouth's chances of getting anywhere this year
Right in the middle of writing this I find I am hopelessly confused as to what I have used and what I haven't and what I planned to write in the next Newsletter. I do know that I haven't used George Dock's letter because he said it was for my personal reading only, but I'm sorry I can't give it to you here because George has a variety of interests and hobbies, one of them being the study of birds, in which field he can rank as an expert At the last reunion several of the Class turned out to be "bird-watchers," including Cliff and PegBean, and this is a pastime that costs little and aives much, unless you go into the photography end of it as George has, and go in for those telescopic lenses. Probably the reason George is reticent about seeing his letter im this column is because of his confession that his son graduated from Princeton instead of pappy's alma mater, the boy was an honor student and is now studying medicine at Johns Hopkins.
I called on Frank W. Adams, who was witn us part of the time and partly with another class. He has been ill, apparently from overwork, for about year, but is now better and working again, and hopes to move permanently from the hospital soon.
I shall be looking for the Jardines to come to and through-Washington soon, as March 1 was the date Alec set for their trek East. Alec has been getting a big kick out o£ his two grandsons, Tim Traub, aged 51/2, and Jetfrey J., aged 31/2- Alec expects to drive back through San Antonio, Houston and New Orleans, and by the time you read this he may have dropped in at Dartmouth House and it so I will be able to bring you up to date on his meanderings, which are always interesting.
All of Holmes Green's friends, and that would include about everybody who ever knew him, and a lot of Dallas, lex., citizens to whom he is just a name, will be delighted to know he is recovering rapidly from a paitial paralysis he suffered a good while ago, and he should be about as good as new before the summer is over. I have had some interest ing letters from Holmes, and I also get news of him through Jack English, who hears from him. Holmes gets down to his office when e wants to, can now write letters, and with so many people pulling for him he can t help but come back 100 percent and that is apparently what he plans to do.
Red Tucker is now in the Veterans Hospital at San Fernando, and will probably see some of the Class as visitors and hear from others. Hospitals are no novelty to Red, either as a physician or as a patient, but he has unbelievable courage and endurance, and we hope he will get stronger in the good hands of the hospital staff, and in that favorable climate. It is not always easy to get into a veteran s hospital, and there is much red tape and paper work to be considered. In this case, it is enough to say that Sam Thieme helped in a big way, and from far-off Okkawaha, Fla., Stew Paul threw his weight into the business, and the thing was done.
Prof. Ed Kirkland flew to London to deliver a series of lectures at University College. Ed is Frank Munsey Professor of History at Bowdoin, and in case you didn't know, Frank Munsey used to own the Washington (D. C.), Times. Ed will have completed his lectures, his brief tour of England and Italy and will be back at Bowdoin by the time you read this. By that time it should be spring even in Maine. Clint Greenwood sent me the news of Ed from Farmington, Me.
Getting back to the Jardine for a moment, a late bulletin from Hank Blaney says Alec was in Seattle for two days and had lunch with Percy Burnham one day and spent an afternoon with Hank the next day. Hank says Alec hasn't changed much after 35 years, and gave him a lot of news about the Balmacaaners around Boston.
The LaPierres, according to their annual dispatch by postcard, tried the West Coast of Florida this year, and were finding it warmer and better for golf, although the Clearwater night spots didn't have bands that could play any Dartmouth tunes.
Jack Little, from El Rancho Grande Hotel in Brownsville, Tex., suggests we issue a directory of Balmacaaners with physical states, i.e. "John Doe, High Blood Pressure; R. Roe, Bum Ticker; B. Hoe, Arthritis; J. Little, from a 41 to 44 in seven years." From Jack's description of himself, he can't get through a revolving door, and when he lived in Washington he always carried weights in his pockets during the March winds.
I can write duller columns than this, but it ain't easy.
Secretary, Dartmouth House 8606 Broad Brook Dr., Bethesda 14, Md. Treasurer, 27 Concord St., Nashua, N. H. Class Agent, 97 Mayfield Ave., Akron 3, 0.
