1905
The Dartmouth Club of New York cordially opened its door to a small but very cheerful group of us at our annual '05-'06 dinner, December 12. Ned Redman's culinary efforts, with a genuine New England clam chowder and other most delicious viands, left nothing to be desired, while Tub Besse fairly outdid himself as genial host and toastmaster.
From Philadelphia came our gracious and capable treasurer, Gib Fall, and from the distant Bay State, Doc Loder, more successful than last year, when the storm prevented his reaching the Club until, alack! we had all departed. The New Jersey contingent consisted of Walt Conley, Charlie Goodrich, soon to start for his winter sojourn in Florida, and your scribe. From Long Island came WaltEmery and, from the canyons of the great city, Tub, Doc Graves, Henry Hobart and CarlPreis.
We were pleased to have with us, as a special guest, Lou Stone '19. Carl and Lou are president and vice-president respectively of Eversharp, Inc.
We missed Bill Knibbs, who used to be with us so regularly. He had not made sufficient recovery from his severe operation to enable him to be with us, to our great regret.
The after-dinner talk was varied and lively, not to say spicy. In a serious vein, CharlieGoodrich gave us an encouraging picture of the Dartmouth of today, as he saw it from his frequent visits to Hanover as an Overseer of the Thayer School. He felt, he said, that our College was now doing a better job of giving her students a sound, liberal education than ever before.
Except to say that we enjoyed having them with us, I leave Ned to tell of the members of his class who were present.
Mildred and I had the pleasure of entertaining Gib Fall overnight.
Charles Hodgman and his wife moved into their new house at 81 Union St. in Milford, N. H., in November. This is a return for Charlie to his old home town. They had spent the summer as usual in their cottage at Lake Baboosic, but were able to move into their winter home before the weather became too cold.
Bourne Wood, according to my most recent account, was at Pondville State Hospital, Walpole, Mass., where he had undergone a serious operation. His brother Harold reported his condition as pretty good. He would appreciate hearing from any one of us.
Gene Musgrove, like many another retired teacher, finds himself extremely busy with his classes at Upsala College and his church activities.
Bob Harding writes that Maude has made a good recovery from her operation of last summer.
Royal and Ida Parkinson also underwent operations last fall, and, I'm happy to say, appear to be getting along well toward recovery.
A note from Edith states that John Furfey is about the same. He cannot get about, but he finds that with television and good reading matter, time passes not too slowly.
Present in Marshfield at the presentation of the Webster Memorial Tablet by President Dickey last fall were Fred Chase, Huston andEthel Lillard and Fred Weston.
On a trip East this fall Bill Blatner visited Hanover and presented some books to the Baker Library. After his return he talked with Toots Balph in Cleveland, retired but still busy.
Who's Who In '05
WALTER L. NOURSE
One of two sons of a shoe worker in Hudson, Mass., Walter's father died when he was only four years old. He grew up in the home of his grandfather, another shoe worker. Shy and small (his nickname was Pewee) he was, nevertheless, determined to get a college education, and was one of the youngest in the class to arrive at Dartmouth. With a keen mind, cautious, quiet and keenly resourceful, he found a variety of interests that appealed to him, which he continued to develop in later life until he is now an unusually versatile citizen of that island republic Martha's Vineyard.
He has made his name as a school administrator on two coasts, and has now retired, among other retired educators, to that rather isolated island as "Dr. Nourse."
As the Class of 1905 scattered, Walter taught school for three years in three states Rhode Island, New York and Massachusetts. Then he joined the faculty as teacher of mathematics at the well-known private elementary school in Newton, Mass., the Fessenden School, where he remined 15 years. During two summers (1909, 1910) he travelled in Europe. In 1912 Walter married Mary Litchfield of Newton.
He and two fellow faculty members organized and managed a boys' camp in West Ossipee, N. H., through four summers. In 1914 he became assistant head master of his school, a position which he occupied during its expansion. His summers for the next four years were spent on Lake Huron in Michigan, with one of his pupils. Our classmate Lou Wallis joined his faculty at Fessenden.
Two severe attacks of influenza which weakened Mrs. Nourse's heart for resisting New England climate led to Walter's severing his moorings in the East and gambling on finding work and rebuilding a career in California. In this he succeeded. Starting as science teacher in a Los Angeles Junior High School in 1921, he became vice principal in four years, and 14 years later principal, for a total of 28 years there. He wrote a revision of a science textbook for Houghton, Mifflin and was coauthor of a high school textbook on physical science for D. C. Heath & Cos.
Meanwhile he devoted his summers to selfimprovement. A course at Harvard in educational measurements, and studies at the University of California at Los Angeles brought him an A. M. degree from the latter. For 14 summers, from 1934 on, he taught and studied at New York University where he was awarded a Ph.D. Upon his retirement from the Los Angeles school system in 1949, Dr. Nourse became Associate Professor of Education for the academic year 1949-50 at N.Y.U. until his retirement to a sequestered but active island life.
The Nourse's daughter Dorothy, native of Newton in 1913, graduated from the University of California in Los Angeles, and is now Mrs. Voss. The Nourses have the best grandchild in North America! Mrs. Nourse regained her health enough to become active in broadcasting from Hollywood on such programs as Amos 'n Andy. Dr. Nourse served as president of the Los Angeles Junior High Principals' Association for two years.
The Nourses, since 1950, have been thoroughly enjoying their island life, improving and extending their little Cape Cod home in the center of a considerable plot of land, which they are fast turning into a flower garden. They are converting it from a summer to a vear-around home. Dr. Nourse, under the sponsorship of the Harvard-Boston University Extension Division, has given a course for college credits to some of the island teachers. With a Hammond organ in their home, Walter has become an organist as well as carpenter and gardener. He plays the piano, too, and is a ham (short-wave radio operator), relaxes under the spell of high fidelity radio and television programs, has time to read and to hike and to fish. Both Mr. and Mrs. Nourse enjoy their congenial neighbors, and both participate in dramatics and singing groups as well as sharing in civic life. Dr. Nourse's life-in-retirement is so idyllic as to be a challenge to those who think St. Petersburg, Fla., is next door to heaven. However, he does spend nearly every winter in California. What would his California friends do if he went to Florida?
WALTER L. NOURSE 'O5
Secretary, 358 North Fullertori Ave., Upper Montclair, N. }. Treasure 8027 Seminole Ave., Philadelphia 18, Pa.
