1939
The first bit of news this month is not pleasant. As some of you already know, Homer Skeels died of cancer early in January. Bob Brown, who had known Homer intimately since their days together at Tabor Academy, has prepared an obituary which well expresses the feelings of all of us. It app ears in the In Memoriam columns of this issue. I am sure that you also will be interested to know that Homer's family and friends are establishing a living memorial to Homer through contributions in his name to the Vermont Cancer Society.
Hank Merrill, who forsook the glamorous life of the flying-machine set in South America to till the soil, reports in his purest neo-Castillian twang from Broinla Farm at Greensboro, Vt., "Things are pretty good here, now we have water. It was a terribly dry fall, and most farmers had to carry water for their cows as well as themselves. We are kind of taking it easy now - working in the woods some and taking a few side trips - till maple sugaring time. Expect to travel around New York State the next few days looking for bulls for our artificial breeding association, and later, a short trip to Boston...."
Speaking of Boston reminds me that the only direct news I have from that sink of sin is good news. Tom Brooks reports the birth of a little giant, Peter S. Brooks, on December 30. Peter tipped the beam at 9 lbs., 15 oz. Judging by the date of birth, I suspect that our Secretary Emeritus does things strictly according to J. K. Lasser.
Tom also reports, "I see Red Jensen about every week. Wish we could get others to write or visit. Red's spirits are good and he's gaining a litt1e...."
Art Sullivan '40, quondam sage of South Fayer, blew into town one cold evening last month and in the course of restoring his circulation gave me such news as I have of Chicago: Bill Coleman, it seems to say here on this paper napkin, is Chicago representative of Curtis Publishing Co. and their Ladies HomeJournal, and his hobby, of all things, is cooking. At least, that's what it seems to say. JimGarnett, it says, is working so hard at the business of being a merchant in the Marshall Field and Edward Filene tradition, that he hardly sees anyone anymore. And Key Blatchford, it says here, is a big mogul for a "string of trade magazines with names like Bartender and Bootblack. (It apparently was a bitter cold night, Key. Any corrections will be noted gladly.)
From the Newton (Mass.) Graphic comes the news that the Newton Center Savings Bank recently featured an exhibition of portraits and marines by the well-known artist, Whitney Cushing.
I finally got a letterl The kind soul is MaiWallis, the Los Alamos bomb manufacturer. I shall quote it at length and shall call yourattention particularly to the beautiful andmoving opening sentence:
"I appreciate your predicament in trying to get out a monthly column with little or nothing to put in it. It is difficult, however, to dream up things to tell you when I have no contact with classmates or even with other ex-Hanoverites. I guess no matter where you live you have to give up certain pleasures in order to enjoy others. Only in direst straits will we ever again move to a big city and I'm likewise quite loath to give up the 7500 ft. altitude at which our abode sits. When we ski, it's anywhere from 8500 to 12,000 feet. At this time of the year, of course, our big interest is skiing. The whole gang is. doing quite well. In our 'Skiesta' last Saturday, our six-year-old, Pam, took a Ist, Virginia a 2nd, and Pete a 2nd and 3rd. The old folks managed to fall once apiece and thus didn't get nothin'. Except for his weight, I think Pete could make the 'D' team right now - even though he has a lot to learn, his slalom runs are beautiful to watch.
"I might mention here that our four-bedroom house is quite adaptable to making room for extras, should any of the gang wander out this way. A few months back we had a family of six drop in on the way back to Oak Ridge. We surprised ourselves and put them all up. One catch, however, is a day or two notice to enable us to get passes. This is more convenient, but not absolutely necessary since we can get overnight temporary passes. By the way, what's it like to live in a place where you don't have a pass to get in and out of town and a badge to do likewise at work? I've forgotten."
Further news of the arid Southwest came from Bud Finck during a brief stop-off on his way back to visit the old homestead in Boston. Bud is running a furniture export business in Nogales, Ariz., just North of the Border. He reports that the scenery is beautiful, the people wonderful, the skiing in the mountains all that Wallis says it is, but unlike Wallis, he confesses that he occasionally gets a little lonesome for traffic jams, commuter trains, smoke, smog, and smaze.
From the Sea Dunes Hotel at Melbourne Beach, Fla., comes word that Cornie Miller won himself an award for "landing a six-foot seven-inch beauty at Ft. Pierce on New Year's Day." Inasmuch as it was reported that his wife and daughters were with him, I presume that Cornwall's achievement was in the nature of a fish or seagoing mammal, rather than a brief encounter with Miss Universe. My informant adds that Miller has gone back to work, leaving the family alone in Florida until March, when he and the Phil Sanborns will join them for a little more rest and relaxation.
The largest group of scholars I ever have seen assembled in one place, barring reunion and Commencement, gathered at the Dartmouth Club in New York City for a most successful literary and dramatic evening back in January.
Those present: Jerry Beatty, of the editorial staff of Coronet; Bill Webster, still running his gentlemen's intimate apparel business out of the Empire State Building and reminding me at every opportunity that all of his children (three of them) are boys; Bob VanSlambrouck, with the American Newspaper Publishers Association; DickWeil, with R. L. Polk & Co., directory publishers; Johnnie Horn, shoe buyer for Lord & Taylor; Dr.Bob Jessup, running the clinic at Sperry Gyroscope Co. on Long Island; Hugh McLaren, back in New York after an extended period in Burlington, Vt., superintending construction of a new hospital; and Charlie Davis, professor of English at New York University.
Also: Herb Hirschland, with Metal & Thermit Co. in New York; Wes Goding, still claims manager for Liberty Mutual in Brooklyn; Junie Merriam, adding 8 x 8 columns of figures in his head all day long for Peat, Marwick & Mitchell, certified public accountants; Jack Coulson, keeping tabs on your credit rating for J. Thorp & Co.; "Bones"Neer; attorney Bill Carter; Dick Monohan, the faithful old boxer; Rodg Harrison, still trying to land the Lucky Strike account; Dusty Rohde, likewise; Walt Darby, the Admiralty lawyer, whose good wife Dot is organizing an association of Dartmouth women on Long Island when she can spare time from tending their two little wild Indians, Skip and Doug; and Jack Kuhlke, the country doctor from Smithtown Branch, L. I., who rolls his pills in a northern version of Mt. Vernon, with the help of his wife, Vi, and their three beautiful girls, Kate, Sarah, and Ann.
A great deal of the credit for the success of the evening belongs to Jim McKeon, assistant manager of the Club and unofficial honorary member of the Class, who always sees to it that we neither go hungry nor thirsty, and that we always remember to catch our trains. Jim has scheduled another meeting for us at the Club, 37 East 39th St., on Tuesday, April 6. Cocktails or 7-Up at 6:00 p.m.; dinner at 7:00. Everyone is not only welcome, but urged to attend this gala and stimulating affair.
It was my pleasure one evening recently to turn over all of the Alumni Fund files to our new Class Agent, Haven Falconer, and in the process to scrounge a free dinner from his charming wife, Vera, at their five-story mansion on New York's West side. During business hours and, I observed, in the evening as well, Haven helps to direct the destinies of Loew's International, the exporter of M.G.M. pictures. Vera, in addition to having the care of Haven, the five stories, and two handsome sons, Dick and Bob, aged 7 and 5, is visual education editor of Scholastic magazines. It is apparent that the Falconers will be hardpressed for time for the Alumni Fund. Why not make things easier for them by sending in your big fat check right now, instead of waiting to be coaxedl
Only a few of us ducked the sheriff last month. They now may be found at the following new locations:
John A. Atwood, Rt. 4, Box 25, Wayzata, Minn.; Arthur W. Ide Jr., 541 Turnpike Rd., Minneapolis 5, Minn.; Michael S. Perri Jr., Windmill Farm, Armonk, N.Y.; Earle B.. Seeley Jr., 56 Fern Circle, Trumbull 58, Conn.; Loren J. Vulte, R. D. 3, Stamford, Conn:; Robert C. Warner, 27 Washburn Ave., Wellesley Hills 82, Mass.; Oliver P. Webb, 1050 Keith Ave., Berkeley, Calif.; Kenneth M. Weidaw Jr., 63 Webber St., Springfield, Mass.
Secretary, American Bankers Association 12 E. 36th St., New York 16, N.Y.
Treasurer, Irving Trust Co., 57th St. at Madison New York 22, N.Y.
