1910
Another chapter of sadness has been recorded in the history of 1910. The career of a most distinguished Dartmouth alumnus and member of our Class, Ben Ames Williams, has been completed and we have suffered a severe loss. Dartmouth and 1910 meant more to Ben every year and Ben meant more to us. With all the success he achieved, Ben's interest in College and Class was always increasing. He enjoyed his first reunion in 1920 so much that he made it a point to accept every later opportunity for returning to College with our Class. He was present last June and made clear at the Class dinner that these occasions for renewing College and Class friendships are events of genuine value to us all. His feeling about financial support of the College was expressed in a letter to a Tenner. "When he gives to Dartmouth, it is himself, rather than the College, whom he benefits. You know 'more blessed to give than to receive.' I know that has been true for me." Ben provided so that his annual gifts will continue. We are going to miss Ben's interest, his genuine friendship and his wise counsel. (Note: Ben's death came just after the March MAGAZINE was closed for Class News so no comment was possible in the issue which contained the In Memoriam.)
Another Tenner, Allen B. (Doggo) DoggettJr. passed away in February. A great lover of the outdoors from early youth, Doggo seemed naturally to develop a real interest in farming after College days. Starting as a real dirt farmer he literally learned from the ground up and thus was able to render genuinely understanding service to farmers during the 15 years he was a supervisor for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and the Federal Land Bank. (See In Memoriam in this issue)
Our informal reunion period this year will be June 15-18. That is the Hanover Holidayperiod between the weekends of the "official" reunions of the other classes. If we receive reservations for as many as last June, we hope to have an entire dormitory to ourselves. A forthcoming issue of TENNER TOPICS will give you full information and reservation blanks for the Class dinner and your dormitory accommodations. But now that you know the date, start making plans. Everyone there last June expected to go back this year. Join the party!
More Tenners have reached retirement. Two whom we have heard about are DixiCrosby and George Allen. Dixi wrote Jess Wilson when doing the thing that comes naturally, "I'm on leave of absence from school now (taking his cuts) and shall retire in June. Wish I were young enough for Uncle Sam to come and get me for the next war." Dixi has our deep sympathy in the loss of his sister Helen who attended many of our reunions. Although living in Larchmont, N. Y., Dixi has been teaching in Bloomfield, N. J., for 36 years. Dixi was the subject of a very fine article in the Newark Sunday News when his plan to retire became known. Here is a paragraph:
"In his tenure at Bloomfield High thousands of young people passed through Crosby's English classes. But literally more thousands knew him too - they were members of the boys' Glee Club he organized, appeared in the senior plays he directed for 25 years, or cheered the football team to victory with such now traditional songs as 'Fight 'Til the Whistle Blows' and 'Let's Go, Bloomfield,' for which Crosby wrote the words and music. He was the author of some 20 songs and cheers which have become traditions at the school, including the Alma Mater which he wrote in 1931."
Dixi estimates that his daily driving from Larchmont to Bloomfield totalled close to half a million miles. There were only a few days when he had to depend upon the trains.
Ned Loveland and Hap Hinman came up with two clippings telling about George Allen's reaching retirement. He joined National Life Insurance Co. in Montpelier, Vt., in '24. When he retired February 1 he was assistant medical director. George did not waste any time hanging around in the Vermont cold. He and his wife left immediately for Sarasota, Fla. The presentation of a traveling bag was made by the medical director Andy Oberlander M.D., football great of Dartmouth's good old days.
Bill Taylor with Easty's General Mills, reached retirement last spring but has been kept on the roll covering special projects and helping guide younger recruits. Bill has missed only one day in 25 years and that happened when one of the heavy snowstorms of the winter deposited a ten-foot drift in front of house and garage.
Florida could have been the scene of a Tenner informal reunion this past winter. Latest information shows that the DickBoerkers, Shorty Worcesters and Gay Gleasons spent time and money in that soft, sunny climate. We have previously mentioned another lot of Tenners who have registered there. The Gay Gleasons will start for Italy in May and will visit several countries before winding up in England. They will pick up son Ted in Italy and daughter Bren in Paris. They will return September 1. Dick Boerker has started on his tour of our National Forests, a preliminary to his work on the revision of his book on this large subject. Pineapple King Hank Haserot dispatched some samples of his wares to Hanover recently and that helped to sweeten up Andy Scarlett for his annual "approach." Ralph Taylor referred to his Fund gift last year as "my small token of appreciation for your good work in behalf of the old Alma Mater." Said Ralph, "Like some others probably I didn't realize how with a little sacrifice, a broader participation and real showing can be obtained." That is just what Andy hopes will be the spirit of all of those Tenners who did not join the group of givers last year. We almost made 100% on both items last year. Let's clinch the two of them "gifts" and "participation" in '53.
A story with picture of our Eck Hiestand appeared in the Washington Star soon after he reached that city as new congressman from California's new 21st district. The story, headed "New Faces in Congress," briefly reviewed Eck's career playing up the fact that he enters Congress with an unusually broad experience in merchandising and listed some of the points Eck featured in his campaign: return to constitutional government, an end to inflation, establishment of "peace prosperity," more business management in government and less government in business.
Rev. Bill Moe has been invited to give the baccalaureate sermon to the graduating class of the Groton, N. Y., high school in June. He was graduated from the school 60 years ago. "In my 77th year but still going strong," says Bill. "Will see you in June I expect."
The Dartmouth Club of Holyoke has nominated our Bert Kent as candidate for the Alumni Council from Western Massachusetts so you Tenners in that district, get busy. Be sure to vote and look up some Dartmouth neighbors or business friends to tell them about Bert. He has been a very active Dartmouth man in his community and will make a fine addition to the Council.
"Lefty" West's widow Laura learned to love Dartmouth as deeply as Lefty did and she has made that love a living force by establishing the "Harris M. West 1910 Memorial Fund." The purpose is to provide a revolving studentloan fund. "Sometimes," she wrote Andy, "a little will be a great lift to a needy chap 'to find a way.' " Laura wanted to do a little something, "for Lefty loved his College and Class more than anyone realized." And what a grand example Laura West has given us!
Some Tenners who have visited Hanover when the rest of us were not around: the Phil Brooks, Russ Palmers and Ed Shattucks. Hope this will create the urge to be with us in June. We would like to see them. Art Lord can sympathize with Hap Hinman now. He had some weeks tussling with bursitis in one shoulder. "It does make writing and driving a car quite difficult," he writes. We hope that the early spring this winter has helped to drive it away from Art. Pineo Jackson spoke before the National Safety Congress in Chicago a while back. He urged these safety leaders to stop confusing the public with a wide variety of cures. A common program with clearly defined statements of immediate objectives will arouse public interest, Pineo told them, and this interest properly led will give surest relief from the ever-increasing highway accident toll.
Have you signed and sent that piece of paper Jess Wilson has been waiting to receive? Add a line of news about yourself.
New addresses: George E. Allen, 201 Wallace Ave., Sarasota, Fla.; Edgar W. Hiestand, House Office Bldg., Washington 25, D. C.
Secretary, 416 Cannon Bldg., Troy, N. Y.
Class Agent, 8 N. Balch St., Hanover, N. H.
