1948's Delayed Fifth

PERFECT weather proved an indicator for the terrific reunion, effectively masterminded by Jim Schaefer and Associates at Hanover the weekend of June 19. The blue skies greeted some 91 men of '48 and their 60 wives, dates and friends who gathered for a grand weekend on the Hanover Plain.

The ranks were swelled by some real distance travellers with Jay Rutledge appearing for chicken dinner (there aren't any more chickens in the New England states after that reunion) just 16 hours after boarding a plane in Oakland, Calif., Ed and Chert Shipper on board all the way from Florence, Ala., T. T.Metzel in from Beulah, Wyoming, John andCynthia McFalls from Seattle, and lots of people from the Midwest and throughout the East.

Just for contrast, Bill and Liz Ivins wandered up from Sachem Village and Fran andGert Hummel commuted from Springfield, Vt. Quarters for '48 celebrants were in Middle and South Fayerweather, spilling into Richardson, and the Class Tent, where the beer came from a series of ever-flowing kegs, was in front of North Fayer.

Festivities started prematurely in Russell Sage on Thursday night where temporary quarters were made for early comers. Several cases of brew were downed by a combined effort of '48-'49-'50 and anybody else who cared to join in. Bobo and Barbara Russell were among those present.

On Friday the real rush started and most of those eventually present pulled in by Friday evening, in time to christen the initial keg and join in for a buffet supper down the hill toward Ripley. Woodward and Smith. With the President's Reception and a dance in College Hall scheduled later in the evening, a freshening-up period occupied early evening and a large number of the class trod the paths to the beautifully decorated garden for a handshake and a glass or two of punch (tasty but ineffective, we found). Substituting for the Claremont Bugles, normally found at such affairs, was a real good band from Boston to play at the dance later in College Hall. Those who Samba'd had their moment and the Charleston was revived through mixed efforts of the classes of '23 and '49, proving not onlyentertaining but revealing.

Those who didn't dance or couldn't were gathered at the Class tent testing whether Narragansett still tasted like it used to and limbering vocal chords to Lou Gahm's barrel house piano. When Lou tired about 1:30, Bobo Russell took over with a few choice routines and as his repertoire reluctantly wore itself through, Jim Schaefer, the great coordinator and jack-of-all-trades, showed up with the piano player from the dance band who joined in with true '48 spirit and soon had the troops "Shanty-Towning" for all they were worth. Thus, with the aid of various varieties of antifreeze, the '48 tent proved the center of reunion attraction till fatigue or chill thinned the crowd to nil at 5:30 a.m.

In spite of the late retiring hour, 10 a.m. found the majority of those present on hand at the north end of campus to nearly fill the bleachers erected there for the class picture, which is included somewhere around here.

Those in attendance at the doings included:

Bob and Arlene Eckerson, Larry and Christina Pederson, Art and Vita Schoen, Don and Joan Briggs, Ed and Cheri Shipper, Bill and Margie Scott, Russ and Helen Carlson, Milt and Dede Kurtz, Autty and Nancy Knight, Bill and Liz Ivins, Bill and Pat Luyckx, Ev and M. A. Wilson, Paul'and Alice Mower, Ed and Joan McLaughlin, Gino and Anita Pierloni and Anita's sister Evelyn, Joel Berson and date, Norma, Bob and Nancy Reynolds, loe and Helen Smith, Charlie and Jackie Herterich, Lanny and Joan Brisbin, Rog and Mary Helen Zorn, Bobo and Barbara Russell, Milt and Esta Siegel, Jim and Jean Eckman, Bob and Jimmy Herrick, Jim and Jean McLaughlin, Bob and Winnie Tracy, Marv and Buzzy Axelrod, Lloyd and Joan Krumm, Don and Anne Casey, Bob and Me) Jeavons, Fred and Pat Maloney, Ira and Sue "Robins, Al and Dorothy McKee, Bob and Joan Munson, Mort and Nancy Smith, Hugh and Eve Mercer, Fran and Gert Hummel, Phil and Lou Gahm, Bob and Nancy Arnold, Dave and Ginnie Packard, John and Cynthia McFalls, Jerry and Dorothy Ludington, Bob and Emma Mohrbacher, Joe and Jean Hickman, Hank and Nancy Mueller, Pete and Myra Norton, Bill and Sally Pace, Ted and Peg Tischler, John Van Raalte and his fiancee Bobbie, Walt and Nat Palmunen, Stan and Alice Alger, Warren and Dotty Daniell, Al and Pat Fritzsche, Dan and Lee Kenney, Don and Kathy Gilmore, Alex and Marion Proctor, Ted and Jeannette Thornton.

Stags showing for the event were John Hatheway, Jim Schaefer, Bill Pruden, Dick Greene, Woody Kirschbaum, Bob Merriam, John Abrahamson, Pete Foster, Jim Johnson, Lou Perry, John Zillmer, Dick Barlow, Bud Elliot, T. T. Metzel, Colin Stewart, Walt Kliebe, Bill Wright, John Lanzetta, Don Kuhn, Jim Mattoon, Gil Shattuck, Dirk Kuzmier, Dick Landon, Pete Page, Phil Ruegger, Tom Tormey, Jack Tracy, Keith McCloud, Jack Jansing, Dick Leggatt, Hugh Ettinger, and Bill McLaughlin, a guest.

Getting along with the proceedings, the Class Meeting held forth on the lawn south of Silsby right after the picture had been taken and bucks had been collected for copies. Dick Greene moderated in the absence of Sonny Drury who couldn't shake loose from Pittsburgh to make the doin's. The Treasurer's report showed the Class solvent; BoboRussell reported the fund clipping right along although not what it might; and the nominating committee presented a slate which was unanimously elected for the next four years.

Serving you for that period will be DickGreene, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Bob Herrick, Class Secretary, JohnnyFenno, Class Treasurer, and Bobo Russell, Class Agent. The executive committee to consist of the following (if my memory serves me right): Dick Greene, Sonny Drury, Dick Leggatt, Bob Russell, Dick Donahue, John Hatheway, Bob Herrick, Jim Schaefer, Johnny Fenno, John Van Raalte, Johnny Parks, Bill Pendill, Bob Merriam, Don Kuhn, Phil Gahm, Jerry Ludington, Bob Tracy, Dick Barlow, Joe Smith, Bob Douglas, Bob Jeavons and there's probably somebody I've left out or put in inadvertently. This list is apologetically made from memory since we forgot to pick up a copy of the real one before we left. The large number of members is a stab at building a regional program for the class between now and our Tenth — just four years off.

Saturday afternoon was filled with golf and swimming and just relaxing and climaxed with a buffet supper at the Canoe Club down by the river. (At this point the reunion moguls were tearing hair because appetites of reuners, both '48 and hangers-on, were running the meal count up to 25 or so above the number registered. This, we found out later, sabotaged a spectacular plan to bomb all the other classes's functions with '48 leaflets.) With the setting sun, came a rush to see the Players' rendition (an excellent one) of Harvey which lasted until midnight, whereupon the scene shifted to 105 Dartmouth where a large group laughed their way through the Class Movies. Ted Tischler, who had done a great deal of the work on the movies, made the arrangements and showed the films. The next showing of these movies should include additions from the reunion.

While the group in the class tent, following the movies was not quite as lusty or large as the previous night, the party stayed on for quite a while and many were circulating at fraternity house parties and slapping tender backs at other tents.

When we left on Sunday afternoon, a goodly crew were still manning the keg at the tent and the consensus was that Jim Schaefer, and his right-hand man, John Hatheway, had pulled the reunion "Hat Trick" for '48. The biggest regret was that even more hadn't shaken loose to enjoy the fun of getting together at Hanover. Believe one who was there, it would have been cheap at twice the price! Let's look forward to our BIG TENTH, only four years off, and make plans starting now to be there. We shouldn't be satisfied with less than 200 classmates plus wives, friends and progeny. See you in the fall.

A small but select portion of the 1948 reunion group managed to make the Saturday morning picture

CLASS SECRETARY