1931

Another school year . . . another column deadline . . . and away we go!

Those warm summer days when the campus dries out and a special kind of sun beams over Hanover Plain, invariably draw some of our meandering Mahatmas back to Mecca: Mr.and Mrs. Jack Cole, Mr. and Mrs. Doug Woodring and family, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Merriam and youngsters, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Sherman,Ron Findley, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Rick, Mr. andMrs. Charlie Engstrom . . . all these checked in at the Hanover Inn (and so far as I am concerned, that's just about as good checking-in as there is available). Mal Pratt, with 23 years of teaching experience under his belt, has taken over the post of math teacher and assistant track coach in the Weymouth, Mass., high school. Let's get into the Hanover mood by reading parts of a letter from Johnny Johnson. This was written last May, but I got it too late for the June issue. Johnny says,

"I am just back from a quick weekend in Hanover, the countryside glistening in the spring rain, which didn't seem to deter fifteen college golf teams from slogging all over the Hanover course, nor various teams of college woodsmen who were casting for imaginary fish on the campus (with a reasonable expectation of catching a real one under the duckboards). Other teams were chopping down trees (not the surviving elms) and the whole thing looked like too much work, so I turned my back and walked away from it. Just missed Ralph andAnn Hunter, but got a glimpse of young Bill, aged one year, and a sturdy product he is, too. Ran into Wes Dingman as I was leaving Wheeler Hall and was introduced to his tall freshman son Tony. (Wes' oldest boy graduated last June.) Reporting from the Albany front, Beany Thorn has apparently been telling his family about some of my activities at the last Reunion, and I hereby warn him that if he makes up stories it's okay; but if he tells the truth, I'll have to counterattack. Bill Murphy, very distinguished in gray hair, has a lively family which extends approximately from the cradle to college. Sher and Margaret Guernsey have three fine by-products, two girls and a boy. Ned Pitkin, teaching and coaching in Troy, is president of our alumni group." Johnny finishes his letter with the comment, "The dormitory rooms are no cleaner since the students haven't been cleaning them than when the janitors didn't clean them either."

A news clipping in the Boston Sunday Herald recalls an interesting incident that happened a dozen or so years ago. I was in South Station, Boston, and thought I recognized one of our '31ers. I walked over and said, "Aren't you Bob Tonis?" As nearly as I can recall, the next fifteen seconds went like this - the lips smiled, but the eyes didn't. The voice said, "Yes, I'm Bob Tonis and you're Doug Morris - now keep going, will you, please?" . . . and I did. Naturally, I was a little miffed. Later I learned, for the first time, that Bob was with the FBI and I assume that at that time he was on the job with something more important to do than chew the fat with me. The news item that recalls this is concerned with a special series of classes conducted by the FBI at the Framingham, Mass., State Police barracks. Bob was one of the instructors, and the release reads, "There was no impatient coughing or scraping of feet in this classroom; the students were absorbing everything Tonis had to offer."

Prof. Al Beisel has been doing his own share of law-representing, with some effective lecturing on "the destruction of civil liberties of the individual through illegal enforcement of criminal laws by the police." The next time you get a parking ticket, maybe Al can prove that the whole procedure is illegal. The redoubtable Tris MacKinnon is chairmaning the commercial division of the 1955 Red Feather drive in metropolitan Boston. Mansize jobs just naturally gravitate toward the trusty Tristram. Ralph Nims has been elected vice president and general sales . manager for Canada Dry. Vic King has been chosen as one of the top legal minds in the New Jersey State Bar Association to assist in a program to "foster better understanding of the legal profession." As though being general vice president of the First National Bank of Chicago wouldn't keep him busy enough, Gay Freeman has just been elected a trustee of Northwestern University.

You've probably heard or read it already, but the news that Bob Oelman has been elected president of the Dartmouth Alumni Council belongs in this column. It's pretty well recognized that one of the major strengths of Dartmouth is its cohesive alumni, and Bob is now head of the executive group which coordinates activities of the 27,000 plus members of the Dartmouth Alumni Association. This is a deep responsibility, a fine recognition of ability, and a definite contribution to Dartmouth's flourishing future.

Before closing the column, I would like to act in my official capacity as your secretarial representative to extend congratulations and warm gratitude to Bill Mineham and NedCampbell for the tremendous job they and all their workers did on the Alumni Fund. This is a rough assignment, and those are busy guys . . . and they get the doffed chapeau and deep salaam from me, for you.

It's good to be back with you again. I'll see you next month. Keep being '31.

Secretary, Lambert & Feasley, Inc. 430 Park Ave., New York 22, N. Y.

Treasurer, 1512 Spruce St., Philadelphia 2, Pa.

Memorial Fund Chairman, 224 Beverly Rd., Scarsdale, N. Y.