1926
The nets trailed slime, green oozeAnd came out glistening in bright, free gestureMounting, mounting time, genial springthroiun out.
May brings bright sunshine, the first green leaves for most of us, the Alumni Officers' meeting in Hanover, golf and Okey O'Connor's appeals for the Alumni Fund. Months are rolling by fast, so please send your check now. It is more important than ever before.
While having dinner one night in Columbus, Ohio, with Russ and Jane Webster, Russ recalled our spring class smoker on May 1, 1924, just thirty years ago, which followed so closely the Class denunciation of the old traditional picture fight, won the year before by 1926 as freshmen. In order to fill the vacuum left that spring of lower class rivalries, we had issued a challenge to the Class of 1927 for a baseball game, the '26 team being led by BibHudgins and Carl Stanley. In spite of our vivid remembrances sharpened by a couple of old fashioneds, neither could recall whether or not George Algar's spirited cheer-leading inspired our boys to victory in this epic struggle. Russ also mentioned that a 1926 golf team was organized by Joe Batchelder to take on the 1927 linksmen and Kier Boyd got up a tennis team for a match with the 1927 tennis team. Could anyone fill in the gap on the outcome of those events?
Do you remember, too, that smoker was the first occasion on which our class officer, RoyalNemiah (later to become an honorary member) addressed his new charges.
Ah - those were the days that Russ has brought back to life for us. Can't you see now the 1926 orchestra with Obbie Barker, KenSemple, Dick Gunthorp and Art Forrest beating out Limehouse Blues. And those nine '26 minstrels with Bobo Williams as "Confucius," Barrel Toohey as "Sempronia," Ed Duffy as interlocutor, Bill Hughes as "The Poet."
Where are they all today thirty years later?
Bib Hudgins, big league holdout, is now an advertising mogul in Jud McCarthy's Baltimore with MacManus, John and Adams, Inc. Bib has been in the advertising business both in New York and Baltimore ever since leaving Hanover.
Carl Stanley, our erstwhile Joe DiMaggio, is in Fresno, Calif., and we suspect with the Federal Housing Administration as a graduate of the real estate business.
George Algar, cheer leader extraordinaire, a man of many trades and businesses since the Hanover days is now director of the American Red Cross in Hartford, Conn.
Joe Batchelder, always known for his accuracy around the greens, is a broker in Boston with his own firm, Joseph M. Batchelder & Company. Joe's golfing activities were recently featured in the January issue of the MAGAZINE, together with an up-to-date account of his family.
Kier Boyd, the tennis star, has, of all things, turned out to be a steel salesman with the position of ass't sales manager, Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp., in Pittsburgh. A far cry from the racket to sheets of armor plate.
Obbie Barker has turned from the banjo to an equally dexterous profession with his hands and mind as an architect in Duxbury, Mass. Obbie now has a freshman son at Dartmouth and was on hand for the Parents-Sons weekend in Hanover this winter.
Ken Semple, our pianist, is an executive with Stanley Woolen Company, and no report on his current boogie-woogie abilities.
Dick Gunthorp of the saxophone is running the Gunthorp-Warren Printing Company in Chicago and a member of your class executive committee which guides your Secretary's conduct. His cousin, Jane Pither, is none other than Mrs. Nathan K. Parker.
Art Forrest, transplanted from Railway, N. J., has become a Texan, and is a radio salesman and magnate in San Antonio.
Darrell N. Toohey (note misprint Barrel) is a fellow columnist and reporter but is in a professional class with the Springfield Union at Springfield, Mass.
Bill Hughes, "The Poet," is a super salesman with Socony-Vacuum Oil Company in Boston, and never misses those Thursday luncheons with the 1926 Club of Boston.
Bobo Williams is still the noted thespian of thirty years ago - the only one of that crew who has capitalized on his college talents. About a year ago we mentioned his lead work in Day in Court. Here is a sample of the resulting fan mail, written by Jack Childs '09, a famous class column contributor to this MAGAZINE, and obviously one of Bob's great admirers.
"Dear Bob — At the Aurora Men's Club last night we viewed and heard a sound movie in technicolor on the hazards in traffic caused by certain types of automobile drivers, produced by International Harvester. The principal character, outside of the presiding judge, was a guy who took the part of Mr. Average Driver. The more I looked at his homely mug, the more conscious I became that I had seen it somewhere. And then it dawned on me. That must be little Bobby Williams whom I saw last playing the part of a cop with Hal Skelly in burlesque.
"How did we happen to get this movie in Aurora, a small Ohio village of 700 carefully screened residents? One of the residents, Ev Petot '22, is a district sales manager for Hormel Packing Company. They had seen the film and liked it so well that they bought it to show in various localities around the country. So you see, son, the world shrinks. I have been watching with interest various accounts of your activities as reported in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE.
"So long, Bob. It's nice to have had this little chat with you. Keep 'em up there and enjoy living."
When one has passed two score and tenHe should not act Parisian.
Every month now brings up a new batch of 50-year-olders. Here are the seventeen for May:
Herb Darling, May 1; Frank Briggs, CarlDiehl and Tom Floyd-Jones, all May 2; Miller Pierce, 4: Jim Sullivan, 5; Ed Steel, 7; BobGoss, 8; Reginald Gresley and Art Seibold, 9; Ed Poole, 14; Tom Treadwell, 15; KenWeeks, 17; Red Merrill, si; Ed Buckman, 34; Bob Carr, 28 and Ollie Kobisk, 31.
There have been many nice reports of the celebrations and activities from those reaching this revered estate. Here is a welcome letter from Rollie Eaton.
"Thank you and the Class of 1926 for your good letter wishing me a happy birthday. It is always pleasant to be remembered by friends.
"Since July 1952 I have been administrator of Samaritan Hospital in Troy. It is a small hospital fully approved by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospitals. Right now we are conducting a fund-raising campaign of $1,250,000 for an expansion and modernization program. There is plenty of work connected with the administration of a good hospital as the men in the class who sit on hospital boards well know.
"Our oldest son George graduated from LeMoyne in Syracuse in 1951 and is with R. T. French Co. (Mustard) in Rochester. Ginger, our oldest daughter, got her B.S. in June of 1953 at Nazareth in Rochester and is now a first-year veterinary medicine student at the University of Pennsylvania. Lawrence, 16, is attending LaSalle Military Institute. Ann, 10, is in the Fifth grade at St. Paul's; Ethel, 5, is in kindergarten; and Tom, 3, is having happy carefree days.
"When you or any of the Class motor to Hanover, stop and see us. I am the white-haired guy with trifocal glasses, 5'-8" tall, 175 lbs. We have Old Taylor, Haig & Haig Pinch and some old Jelly glasses. We'd love to see you.
"My best to you and all members of the Class."
George Champion, whose article, "The Credit Outlook," appeared in the Commercial andFinancial Chronicle the week before his birthday, was almost out of words by that time after his excursion into an explanation of the absence of bank loan expansion, increased use of commercial paper by corporate borrowers and the reasons why business and bank lending will be maintained in the immediate future during this readjustment period, when bankers should exercise caution and give guidance and constructive help to their borrowers over tough spots wherever possible. "Suffice it to say, I have survived and life doesn't look too sad for the near future, but I'd like to turn it back to the good old days of 1925-26 with the boys in Hanover."
It is with deep regret that we must report the passing of another classmate, GeorgeBayha, on February 25. More details appear in the In Memoriam column.
The West Orange (N. J.) Chronicle had a fine picture of Bob Riotte, which appeared to have been taken from our 1926 Aegis, with the article that he had recently been the guest artist in a piano lecture recital before the annual luncheon of the Music Department of the Women's Club of Orange.
And so in closing may I once again direct your thoughts to Okey O'Connor and his valiant struggle for the class. Please help!
"HAPPY PAPPY": At the recent "Happy Pappy Weekend" at Skidmore College, '26ers were among the proud fathers visiting Skidmore daughters. L to r: Les Talbot, Ken Weeks and Courtney C. Brown.
Secretary, 500 Terminal Tower Cleveland 13, O.
Class Agent, 81 Fairview Ave., West Orange, N.J.
