1949 Holds First Reunion

WELL, if you missed it, I'm sorry for you, for it was, indeed, a fine blast. You know, for years I have been convinced from personal experience and from comments by many of you that our class was a disorganized and uninterested mass of humanity. But brother, were we wrong!! We turned out one of the finest groups for a fifth-year reunion ever seen in Hanover, and there are damn few who didn't have a whale of a time. To be specific, my count shows that 136 guys with 75 wives, one fiancee, and seven dates partook of the gala festivities for a grand total of 219 party-producers. This is a terrific total for a fifth reunion, and we easily outscored our fellow-reuners, the classes of 1948 and 1950. In fact, our total of 131 guys back by ten Saturday morning was only seventeen (17) behind the Class of 1944, who were having their big tenth. They won the silver cup for most participants, but we sure came close to an unheard-of upset. Our attendance this time would seem to forbode even more tremendous turnouts at future class reunions and other affairs. Perhaps we have, at last, arrived as a solid group. Sure - there are a lot of guys in the class whom you don't know, but there's no better way to meet them than to attend such a blast as we have just experienced.

To summarize the activities of the weekend, festivities began on Friday. The '49 tent, in front of the Woodward Hall, was a busy target throughout the weekend, and when I arrived with Harv Nolan it was humming merrily. A buffet supper followed many hours of beer drinking and back-slapping, with "My God, but you're fat!" often being overheard. A reception at President Dickey's house and a dance at College Hall were available after dinner, and were heavily attended by those with feminine company. The tent remained active (and that is grossly understated) into early Saturday a.m., but even after it closed, shouts of "'49 out!" at 4:30 in the morning assured us we were, indeed, back in Hanover with friends(?) nearby.

Arising, bleary-eyed, Saturday, I roared over to Crosby Hall to conduct an executive committee meeting, prior to the Class meeting. The former was to set up the latter's slate, so I shall bother only to report the latter decisions. First, your officers were installed for the next five years. These were presented by a nominating committee made up of HarvNolan, Bruce Benner, and Bert Rodman. The following were unanimously elected by the class at the meeting (and again I was told that even the attendance at the class meeting was incredible, considering past years' attempts by other reuning classes). King Ball will be the new class agent. Bill White will be the new Class Treasurer. And Zeiser seems to be the old Secretary-Chairman. I hastily try to explain this latter insult to your intelligence and patience by accusing Harv and his committee of doing a fine job on two-thirds of their choices, but failing miserably when they asked me to repeat. I had asked out, and they did try several guys, but you never heard such an assortment of ridiculous excuses by those "tapped," So as I picked up Harv to drive to Hanover, I was told I was to repeat, if so voted at the meeting. It was so voted, so here I am.

We now go onto an annual pay-as-you-go basis of class operation. Again at the class meeting, it was voted to adopt annual dues of $5.00 a year to finance all class operations including the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. So you will soon receive a bill from our new Treasurer, Bill White, and I hope you'll support the class. We hope to have reunions in each large city each year, plus many incidental expenses, and of course, we need a treasury to start such operations. In case you're wondering, this stipend compares favorably with the average dues asked by corresponding classes.

Other business of this Saturday class meeting was to enlarge our Class Executive Committee to ten members by adding by vote CarlStruever, John Stearns, Mark Lansburgh, WinTaylor, and Bruce Benner. This committee, when active, will give us excellent geographical support, and all are actively interested in the class. The other five members, retained, are Bert Rodman, Brud Becker, Dick Hook,Bob Alden and yours truly. These ten guys are, more or less, the Board of Directors of the Class and are supposed to formulate class policy. We also decided at the meeting to make up a Class Directory in the fall, showing address, children, jobs, etc. So you will receive a card in the fall dues-mailing to return with apt information. If you want your name in the Class Directory, please return the card promptly.

After the Class meeting, we had our Class Picture taken on campus. Then the College threw a fine luncheon for all at the gym. After lunch we defended our softball title by soundly whipping in two games both the classes of '48 and '50, winning a keg of beer in the process. Those participating in these outstanding successes were John Sweetland,Bert Rodman, Paul Bjorklund, Bill Ballard,Ed Sullivan, Chet Marinelli, Ed Grant, JohnWhelden, Harv Nolan, John Stockwell, JohnDaukas, Ed Clogston, Maury Cole, Carll Tracy,Ort Hicks, Bob Goetz, Dana Miller, Doc Eaton, and me. The keg, incidentally, was collected late that night by a strong-arm band of '49 marauders.

We had a fine cocktail party and dinner at the Country Inn in Lebanon, which broke up late, when we returned again to the class tent. On Sunday morning, Mike and LoisMcGean offered their property in Norwich for a buffet luncheon as a getaway affair. This too was heavily attended.

A list of those present, with wives included if I got their names, is included below. To summarize, it was a helluvah fine party. I hope you were there to enjoy it, but if you missed it, plan ahead for those of the future, as they should be bigger and better.

No article on this fine affair would be complete without much written in applause and sincere appreciation of the job done by the Reunion Committee. Under the capable leadership of Tom Sivartz and Bob Alden, the committee included Ben Jacobson, Jay Urstadt, Herb Gramstorff, Dick Bandfield, LouClarke, Dick Moulton, Ort Hicks, and MikeMcGean. These last four named were the ones in Hanover who made the arrangements there. Everything ran smoothly throughout the weekend, and it was because these fine guys did their job so well. Their program was self-supporting, and their results were superb. Thanks much from all of us!

Bob Bellemare, Jack Whelden, Paul Olson, Bob and Donna Muenzberg, John and Joan Sweetland, Jack and Phyllis Tull, Burt and Carolyn Proom, Lee Bronson, Dave and Doris Kimball, Dick and Ginny Moulton, Charlie and Ann Eaton, Bill and Nomi Ballard, Ed and Marjorie Clogston, Barber and Sally Palmer, John and Nancy Stockwell, Jim and Barbara Huntington, Tom Swartz, Pete and Ann Lord, Scott and Barbara Whipple, Russ Palmer, Harv Chandler, Joe Kelley, Lou and Carolly Gluek, Rocket and Barbara Reed, Bert and Sue Rodman, Zandy and Eileen Taft, Bob and Phyllis Swift, Lou and Pat Clarke, Al and June Hodges, Nick and Janet Rogers, Joe and Nina Sullivan, Tom and Sue Towler, Ben and Carol Jacobson, Dave and Gretchen Vanderhoof, Jim and Joan Sullivan, Len and Priscilla Britton, Bob and Pat Goetz, Jack and Peggy Kilmartin, Jack Ransom, Ritchie Hunt, Dana Miller, Harv Nolan, Bob Zeiser, John Stearns, Dick Hyman, Bill Meeker, Bob Rooke, Gene Kelly, John Daukas, Dick Payne, Chet and Doris Marinelli, Clarke Church, Rog Atwood, Lou Farrar, Jay Urstadt, Jack Everatt, Dana Jackson, Sim Kilner, Bill Mac Key, Carter and Peni Hoyt, Ed and Betty Grant, Russ and Betty Blackwood, Gerry and Barbara Norris, Bob Schmitz, John McIlwraith, Bill Bollenbach, Ross Dunbar, Paul and Ginny Bjorklund, Bob DeForest, Doc and Harriet Rooney and son Kevin, Jay and Barbara Rosenfield, Dick Commons and fiancee Phyllis Kerrigan, Carl and Nancy Struever, Skip and Manya Ungar, Bob Alden, Clayt and Fran Morey, Jim Fowler, Spike and Cary Smith, Paul Woodberry, John and Eileen Borys, Dick Higley, Pete and Mary Jane Wing, Summy and Nonie Arneson, Dick and Chesta Bandfield, Jack Taylor, Irl and Barbara Marshall, Ed MacBurney, Mike and Lois McGean, Carll Tracy, Abe Shalo, Chan Smart, Bill and Lee Davis, Bill Harper, Ort Hicks, George and Rita Soufleris, Mark and Joyce Lansburgh, Bob and Joyce Pridham, Bob and Carol Barnaby, Ray and Pat Bankert, Frank Blanc, Phil and Monnie Goodspeed, George and Nat Oliver, Zeke and Peggy Straw, Roy and Betty Benson, Bill and Ruth Norwood, Emmanuel Metz, Ed Sullivan, Jim and Eileen Lecce, Dick and Ruth Day, John and Mary Jenkins, Harry Ewing, Harry and Katherine Randall, Bill and Nancy Bellows, Dick and Lee Hodgens, Doc and Betty Eaton, Dick Mallary, Paul Petersen, Stergios Spanos, Doug Thomson, Alex and Marian Smith, Arnold and Mrs. Cleveland, Bob and Aileen Winship, Art Tomlinson, Wade and Jessie Elliot, Bob Smith, Bill and Jocie Yates, Bob and Mary Lou Amirault, Tom Barr, Tom and Ginny Huggins, Ed Heller, Bill Knight, Jep and Betty Ellingwood, Roger Sheldon, Henry Exall, Paul Erwin.

1949, one of the liveliest of the Reunion Weekend tribes, holds still long enough for a pictorial record

"For Pete's sake, how are you?"

CLASS SECRETARY