1940
Bob Skinner's critique in the column two months ago excited a few of you enough to write either news or apologies on behalf of Bob for the excoriating manner in which he upbraided your secretary and his predecessors. From the wave of letters received the first few days after that month's edition of the MAGAZINE reached you, I thought I had the makings of a number of stormy Vox Pop columns. However, the tide of replies and rebuttals, greatly appreciated insofar as they materialized, soon simmered down to nothingness. For those of you who valiantly took my side, I can only express my appreciation for your backing and tell you that Bob really didn't deserve the scathing comments some of you laid upon him. After all, he was doing what I consider to have been a service to me and to the scribes who labor after me, to stir up some awareness of the needs of this column for a fresh, more diversified, view of the doings of the class. I only wish that his criticism had elicited more responses from more of you, for the results to date will leave me out of gas in no time at all. In addition, I'd like to be able to provide some material to your other, less battle-hardened recorder, DaveLeake, who is engaged in the none-too-enviable task of trying to compose interesting issues of the Indian Drum out of nothing.
A plea to Bud Raymond for news of the Chicago contingent has brought forth a fine letter from his bride Sue. Being a typical wife, she opened my letter, with the result that Bud pinned the job of replying on her ... with happy results, I might say. (I should ask more wives to write!) Her explanation of my seemingly constant plight takes the following philosophical twist:
"I'm sure that all the Forties must be in the same rut we are, so any new and really startling news must be scrounged for. After all, you guys have been out of school now 12 years and I believe that you are on a sort of plateau in your lives. The beginnings of your business and married lives, where so many of the startling things have happened - all this has been ironed out and things are on the level stretch. In another 12 years, your column will be full of startling things, as some of us will be grandparents, and many of you will either be presidents of your own businesses or making headlines as old roues."
Having unburdened herself of these observations, Sue reports that their '40 group from Cherry Street, Winnetka, is slowly going to pieces. Rick and Mary Louise Collins moved to California about two years ago and have been out of touch. Dink and Dolly Wiener moved to Florida, where Dink must be prospering as president of his ladder company, judging from the picture of that new cabin cruiser which graced their Christmas card. Their total offspring remains at John, 9, Nancy, 7, and Toby, 3. Hal Sommer and Sally are Cherry Street neighbors whose doings are less well known now that cold weather has been in progress. In the summer time, over back fences and a few bottles of beer, Hal and Bud compare the relative merits of their own brands of crab grass and weeds, but winter has driven them to shelter and, anyhow, the Sommers have been in Florida for a monthl Two potential Indians - Scott, 5, and Paul, 3, make up their menage. Their Paul is young Nancy Raymond's boyfriend, so that the two might show up at Carnival together some future year. Butch and Judy Heneage live one street away from the Raymonds to complete the roster of the Big Green block party in Winnetka. Butch is still with the Continental Assurance Company in the Chicago area.
Sue advises one and all to take heed that if you ever invite Dewitt and Barb Jones for dinner be sure that the bakery goods are made from Pillsbury mixes. De is a big wheel on the Pillsbury advertising account and has been seen many times mixing up little goodies. His second love, being a radio ham, is fast encroaching on his culinary interests. Two more Indians in that house —Whiff, 9, and Terry, 5. Bill and Peg Rothermel have managed only one Indian out of four children, but the total is enough to keep Bill busily peddling insurance to buy groceries for them all.
The Raymonds, themselves, are the same as at last report - two girls, Gail, 9, and Nancy, 3. They added a bird to the livestock at Christmas, and Sue states that, along with two dogs and the usual influx of neighbors' children, the house is bulging. Raymo is very active in the Dartmouth interviewing activities locally and would like to see them all go to Hanover. He's quite auspicious looking now with a plaster cast the medics just put on his back, making him look straight as a ramrod and four inches taller. A long-aching back was finally immobilized, and he's feeling better already.
A fine, helpful letter from Hugh Schwarz, indicates that he is still with Minute Maid, the concentrated juice outfit in Orlando, Fla., where he is occupying the position of assistant to the vice-president, or to put it more descriptively - manager of odds-and-ends. His personal news is that the Schwarz family recently added another member in the person of a baby girl, Nancy, born on November 8, 1952. Hugh adds that Dave Dance, the only other '40 member in the area, has been transferred to Miami as manager of General Electric's white goods appliance division. This is apparently an excellent promotion for Dave, since Miami is one of the best markets for "white goods," which includes large kitchen appliances, such as stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, etc.
Joe Huber, whose undergraduate extracurricular hours were well taken up between singing in the glee club and managing the skating team, writes that he was recalled to the Navy two years ago and has just been transferred to Washington, D. C., address 3851 Newark St., N.W. So far, he hasn't had a chance to see any of the local Big Greeners, but he hopes to get in on the local luncheon gatherings shortly. Write us more when you find out what those local refugees from the White House are doing, will you Joe .. .we haven't heard a peep out of them.
Bob Austin, purveyor of light-housekeeping equipment, wooden shacks, tool sheds, and other knock-down shelters, brings us up to date on certain '40 activities in the Wellesley, Mass., area:
"Having read in the last issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE of your trying situation with regard to lack of news, I will try to supply some and hope that others will also. First, the Charles River Dartmouth Club held its winter meeting last night, and there were five of us in the class present, namely, Harry Hoyt, now living in Weston, BillSquire, who left the rest of us to sit at the head table, Gor die Wentworth, who, like me, is busy interviewing prospective Dartmouth applicants these days, and Fred Kelley, who just had another daughter, plus yours truly. Our family keeps busy, with Susan, 5, Patti, 2½, and Peter, 1 supplying the general confusion that makes for quiet family living."
Quickly combing through the news clips, we see that Harry Midgley Jr. has been moved up as assistant vice-president of the Worcester County Trust Co., where he has been doing a whopping job these past few years, both for the bank and in the community. The Greenfield (Mass.) Recorder-Gazette tells us that Brud Seller was on the Republican slate for trustee of the committee of soldiers' me- morials. Brud, a native of Greenfield, was production manager of a drop-forging outfit in Springfield for three years after his release from the Air Corps. Since 1950, when he purchased the George A. Sheldon fuel concern, he has been president-treasurer and chief coal passer for -his own operation.
Although few and far between now, we read occasionally of a confirmed '40 bachelor tying the knot. The latest is Dave Gibson, member of the Hartford Times editorial staff, who was married to Margaret Fay Weishaar in a ceremony in Hartford on January 3. They are living at 170 Brace Road, West Hartford.
Secretary, 322 Canterbury Road, Westfield, N. J.
Class Agent, 168 Reed St., New Bedford, Mass.
