1916
Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward, so I get back from a nice trip to New Orleans and Florida just in time to sit down at this typewriter and write this here column for the ALUMNI MAGAZINE.
First of all, the last Balmacaan Newsletter has aroused some interest in 1916's "In Betweener" Reunion to be held at Lake Fairlee next June. Already the following have indicated their intention to attend or the possibility of their attending: Jake and Anita Mensel; Bill and Ruth McKenzie plus Mr. andMrs. G.L. Lawrence (friends who will be very welcome); Mr. and Mrs. Gil Tapley; Ken andMrs. Henderson; Frank and Helene Bobst; Herb, Jane, and Diane Lord; Chan Green andMrs. (if her own reunion does not prevent), Paul (Kike) Davis; Marjorie and Bill Mott. In addition to these names are a number who have not reported coming, but whom we can count on as reliably as you can count on receiving an invitation to make an income tax return, such as the Beans, Jardines, Cutlers, etc.
Among the doubtful ones on whom we shall exert pressure are Phil and Julia Nordell and Ed Knight. Ed lists himself as a "possible" and gives some silly excuse such as opening a new plant. The Interim Reunion will positively not be a success unless Ed is there with some of his dialect stories, and I shall continue to beat on him until he breaks down and gives himself a vacation from running the State of West Virginia. It is a great old State, but it will continue to run after Ed has gone, so he might as well let them get used to his occasional absences. And that goes for all of you guys who think the job, State, country or whatnot will not run if you take a week off.
Art Conley, in expressing regrets, gives the nearest thing to a good excuse, although it is not 100%. He and his wife are going to Europe in April, ending up with a North Cape cruise, and the seventh grandchild is due about the time they return. However, we shall hope to see Art there, with Mrs. Conley.
About once a year George Dock sends me an interesting letter, usually with some interesting material on his avocation as a naturalist and bird lover. This year Ernie Earley, prolific secretary of the Class of 1918, sends me a page from Field Notes Magazine, entitled "By George Dock Jr." and subtitled, "A brief biographical sketch of the author of the pamphlet that accompanies our Audubon Calendars." The Audubon Calendars won the Award of Excellence by the Life Insurance Advertising Association at its 1953 meeting in Boston. A pamphlet customarily accompanies each year's calendar and the article says: "That these pamphlets are well done is due to one of our policyholders, George Dock Jr., an authority on the life of John J. Audubon, who has written them." I shall give you more of the quotation about George in a Newsletter, but let me quote a brief portion: "Mr. Dock's continuing interest in Audubon has given him wide recognition in this field.... Mr. Dock has not only watched birds and studied them but has done some flying on his own. In World War I he flew 155 combat missions and received two Croix de Guerre citations (as a member of French Escadrille Spad 12). His part-time pursuit is wild-bird color-photography with a Leica." In recent correspondence, Mr. Dock states: "My status as an ornithologist is strictly amateur, like that of hundreds of other business men, doctors, etc." A very constructive hobby, you will agree, as tending to the conservation of wild life and natural resources.
Ed Knight, writing about the Interim, says:
"I would like the best in the world to attend the Inbetween Reunion this summer, but it seems as if that as each year rolls on, instead of getting myself in position where I have less to do I accumulate additional work. We are just opening a branch operation in Huntington, W. Va., on which we have been working for two years, and this has me pretty well tied up at the present time, in addition to a number of other problems which can be fairly acute. I passed through Washington briefly last August on my way to Ocean City to fish in the annual derby of the Ocean City Light Tackle Club. I had planned to call you but we got in late and by the time we were through dinner it was about bedtime."
If Ed had called me he would have gotten my son's phone and would have been told it was discontinued, he being in Flint, Mich. I finally had to get him to move in with me so his phone would not be constantly confused with mine, which for the info of classmates coming through Washington, is under F. Stirling Wilson in the directory.
Phil Nordell says I have been giving him so many mentions that people will begin to wonder if I am his paid press agent. As a matter of fact I have held back on Phil, who is overly modest, but since The New York Times (clipping by courtesy of Jake Mensel) published an article entitled, "Lottery is found college bulwark," I am spilling no secrets when I tell you that Phil is now a recognized authority on lotteries, and not from buying tickets on his own account. Princeton University had an exhibition in its Library that traces the history of five separate lotteries run for Princeton's benefit in the decade immediately preceding the Revolution. The display notes that the list of institutions that either ran lotteries, or for whom lotteries were conducted, also included Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Dickinson, Harvard, Rutgers, St. John's, Union, William and Mary, Yale and the Universities of Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The Times mentions that the "display is based on an article appearing in the current issue of the Princeton University Library Chronicle, by Philip G. Nordell, an authority on American lotteries."
Similar articles also appeared in the other New York papers and the Chicago Tribune (you will excuse the expression) had an editorial on the subject. Yale University has now requested that Phil do a similar article for them. How Phil expects his modesty to overcome such widespread publicity, and how he hopes to continue hiding his light under an Ambler, is more than I can understand. Domestic news from the Nordells is that a huge tortoise shell cat has appeared at their farm and adopted them. Phil adds that the cat eats tuna fish, cheese, eggs, raisins, besides the usual items. What a menu these miniature Nordells enjoy.
Dr. Earl Cranston, professor of religion and dean of the school of religion at the University of Southern California, breaks into print more often than I can keep track of, as a guest preacher at various churches, author of books and magazine articles, etc.
Since I am on the theme of glorifying '16ers, I note that the current ALUMNI MAGAZINE (January) lists, the fifteen leading classes in giving money to the College and in this list 1916 stands twelfth, having given Dartmouth $296,980. Ken Henderson's latest picture illustrates the article on the nine-man council on the future development of the College. EvParker, the jovial and well-loved civic worker of Denver and tireless contributor to the cause of leading young scholars to Dartmouth, is shown in a photograph taken at the meeting of the alumni of the Southwest Region in Dallas. And General Stu Paul, as you probably know, was named by former President Hoover as a member of a government reorganization task force to study Civil Service Commission and Federal personnel programs. And Dr.Irving Wolff is mentioned in the press as one of the scientists who did the development work on the new battery announced by RCA, which converts the rays from radioactive atoms directly into useful electricity (a very weak description of an important development). It is a little battery smaller than the filter tip of a cigarette or one's thumb nail, according, to the clipping from the HartfordTimes, which Chan Green kindly sent me.
Bill and Mrs. Brown have announced the marriage of their daughter Christine Talbot, to Robert Rou Shults, on January 16, at Glens Falls, N.Y.
Bill Mott starts what I hope is a general discussion (in which other classes may also be interested) as to why classmates say they do not wish to receive mailings from the College. Bill says, "Maybe they are sick, offended or something, and need our patience and help more than one more loyal."
Secretary, 4808 Broad Brook Drive, Bethesda 14, Md.
Treasurer, 27 Concord St., Nashua, N.H.
Bequest Chairman,
