1932

From Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs to consultant in the office of the Secretary of State is a change in status which Howie Sargeant has recently made. Judging by all the witch hunting which has been going on in our nation's capital since January, particularly that initiated by Senator McCarthy, it is easy to understand why Howie finds his new position a much more pleasurable occupation than his former one. Undoubtedly one of the most distinguished and prolonged records for public service in high and responsible positions in our federal government for any of our classmates, or for that matter, of any Dartmouth man, is that built up by Howie over the past twelve years. He joined "Tuck" Tucker in the Alien Property Custodian's Office in the fall of 1941. During the war, he headed up the vastly important division in the Alien Property Custodian's Office which had jurisdiction over the administration, i.e., vesting, licensing, and exploiting of all alien patents in this country.

Following the war, Howie joined the State Department. From 1947 until last year he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. It was on March 6, 1952, that Howie was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. Incidentally, this was his first, and only, appointment which necessitated senatorial approval, or, in other words, his first appointment to an office normally held by a political appointee, instead of a career employee. This assignment included responsibility for the Voice of America and other overseas information programs. During these years with the State Department, Howie has had ample opportunity to use, and in fact has frequently called upon, the ability to give and take, the stamina and perseverance built up by soccer at Hanover, and rugby at Oxford, not to mention his native intelligence, witnesseth, our class valedictorian, in his more or less regular treks to the Senate Finance Committee, where funds were sought by the State Department to carry on its vital work throughout the world. The reports of Howie's fruitful visits and marked successes in these congressional battles won for him the esteem of the legislators as well as admiration and respect of his colleagues in the State Department.

Another of Howie's responsibilities, exofficio or otherwise, has been that of chairman of the United States delegation to UNESCO. The facility and manner in which he handled this job played a part in his selection later as Chief of the "Voice." Even more important, I am sure, from Howie's standpoint, is his taking over at the altar as chief of "Charm." Of course I mean none other than his most gracious and charming wife, Myrna Loy. Any of you who attended our reunion last June will readily recall these traits and the friendly, warm and enthusiastic manner in which she entered into all of the various activities at Hanover, including participation in the improvising of mint juleps from the wild mint bed uncovered at the class picnic.

As president of the Chamber of Commerce of Springfield, Mass., Bill Lieson recently addressed a meeting of his city's General Agents and Managers Association. His observation that "Springfield, in common with most American cities, is plagued with the impending loss of important revenue to satellite areas if it can't provide space for automobile parking," is interesting. Apparently the problems of the larger cities of New England are not unlike those of Chicago, Los Angeles, and others. Bill, as you know, is vice president of the Union Trust Company of Springfield and holds several high positions with local civic organizations in that community.

I wish to make a correction and bring down to date comments made in last month's column, namely, that Jim Shevlin is head of the Industrial Relations Division of Deere and Company. In a brief but welcome note from Jim, he informs me that he is now in Sales Development.

An announcement was recently made by the president of the American Fore Group that Bo Wentworth, formerly associated with the American Foreign Insurance Association, and more recently, manager of the Boston office of the Home Insurance Company, has been elected secretary of the five companies making up the American Fore Group. As Bo has put it "After some 20 years in the foreign fire and casualty field, I am settling down to more prosaic life on the home front. Expect I will still get to Canada, Puerto Rico, London, etc., but basically the globe trotting days are over _ God bless 'em." The fact that he started his new assignment on his birthday, January 5, of this year, should augur well for his continued and outstanding success in the insurance field'

It was sorrowful news to read of the death of Jimmy Gould, ten-year-old son of Bob andElizabeth Gould, recently at their home on Oak Knoll Road, Barrington, Ill. He had been ill for about three months.

Brownie Dickinson was forced to evacuate his home during the big January storm and stayed at the Dartmouth Club. His family moved in with relatives.

Evie and I returned about a week ago from three weeks in Florida, Georgia and the Virginias. Pompano Beach, Miami, Hobe Sound, and a brief visit to Sea Island, were both interesting and delightful. The only complaint I have to register about the trip through the Virginias was the continual bowing of my head at Evie's request whenever we passed a monument to Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, or some other illustrious figure of the days of the War Between the States.

Secretary, Suite 1100, 11 So. LaSalle St., Chicago 3, Ill.

Class Agent, 40 Meritoria Dr., East Williston, N. Y.