1897

An interesting visit to the College December 11 to 13 gives me a few things to write about. Spending a long evening with sixty boys — 23 of them sophomores - new members in a fraternity, brought me into interesting contact with the students. I could feel the gain in optimism this year over last year due, I think, to the change in the war psychosis.

The tape recording of Frank Logan's twelve songs, which he sang for me for a recording just before he graduated, were played to a group of students—some of whom had sung these songs with Frank before he left College. Playing these from the tape brought a room full of boys and their dates to sit on the arms of the chairs, sofas and on the floor near the instrument to join in the music which a boy had written and sung for records just as he felt them.

The picture of these boys and girls - some of them holding hands, one a senior leader of the group sitting on the arm of my chair, singing their own kind of music written in the house, brings to an old alumnus a feel at the pulse of the College just as it beats today.

I saw a lightning-like hockey game, won on mirror-smooth ice in the new rink. Also saw a rapid-fire basketball victory over Williams—very close game to the final seconds - seats sold out.

I visited Paul Sample, feeling as if I had found the exact center of arts in the Fine Arts College. We talked about the program for art on South Main St. while we walked around among his easels and unfinished and finished sketches and drawings of people and things of the simple country life as it is today. I hope members of the class and others will visit Sample and get the purchaser's thrill, as I did, with the twelve pictures he let me buy. He didn't sell them. I bought them. Paul Sample and Paul Zeller are doing a lot for the College of Fine Arts and it was my privilege to come close to both of them on December 12 and to tie in the efforts of these two with the boys in College now, with the pictures and the tape recording of songs. I am having the pictures framed to hang in the cross hall at the house with other pictures of the Earls of Dartmouth, presented by the late Bob Stone.

Jim Campion, when I called on him, took me by the arm saying, "I want you to go outside," where he showed me the next building south of his with a newly built, orderly sign panel like the ones on the College-owned store fronts. He said, "Bill, South Main St. improvement has started."

I spent twenty minutes with President Dickey to get his long thought-out and forward-looking program of handling three items in which I am interested: - fraternity control, Hanover improvement south of C. & G. House, and tree future, as the Dutch Elm Disease advances over the Hanover Plain.

On my trip up I had about fifteen minutes at Springfield between trains. I called up Erdix to say hello. He asked, "How long till train time?" I said twelve minutes. He said, "I think I can make it." He missed me. I had a letter from him at the Inn saying he drove through one red light but missed it by seconds. Nearing 80 and driving through red lights to say hello and good bye is one of those specials in life. I've toured a lot with Erdix and I know he has a hot foot.

I have a letter from Gibson giving details of the "cane rush" in our freshman year. This was in a letter to him from his brother Harry dated April 20, 1894. This is so meticulous in its reporting that I want to use it in another article in the MAGAZINE.

I have asked the Secretary of the Bequest Program to send each of you literature on the movement which is fast building up the endowment for the College. After you receive this literature, I wish you would write me your views on what each of you would feel would be your best way to join the movement.

Secretary, Treasurer and BequestChairman, 114 State St., Bridgeport 3, Conn.