1916

In recording here the news of the memorial gift to Dartmouth by Dick Parkhurst's son John Wilder Parkhurst, I can do no better than to repeat President Dickey's words: "This is one of the purest and most moving acts of generosity in the life of any college."

Young John graduated from Vermont Academy in 1943, and not being physically qualified for the armed forces, volunteered for duty as an ambulance driver with the American Field Service in the wild mountain and jungle country of the India-Burma border. In this service he contracted malaria and typhoid fever, and died of pneumonia in a Calcutta hospital in 1945. The gift of $1000 was not known to his parents until Dick, in going over his son's letters to him, came upon the following instructions, written in the wilds of the Burma jungle: "In case anything happens to me, I should like Dartmouth to have $1000 to be used for something in Parkhurst Hall." This building was a gift of the young man's grandfather, Lewis Parkhurst, in memory of a son, Wilder Parkhurst.

The nature of the memorial is a uniqueone, as it will be a burning fire in the fireplaceof the office of the President of the College,and will be thus noted on a small brass plaqueattached to the white woodwork of the fireplace:

"The cheer of this fire is provided from a fund given Dartmouth by John Wilder Parkhurst, son of Richard Parkhurst, 1916, grandson of Lewis Parkhurst, 1878, whose coming to Dartmouth was denied by his death in World War II."

A tribute to John Wilder Parkhurst was paid by one of his comrades in the American Field Service in these words: "In his work he was always steadfast, responsible and loyal to the highest ideals of the service. He made friends, close friends, wherever he went. He lived above the mean and petty things of life, humanely, unselfconsciously, endeavoringly."

Page (Gus) Browne, vice president of the Sheraton hotel chain, was given glowing praise for his salesmanship in an address by the President of the corporation, Ernest Henderson, in an address before the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, entitled "Can Boston Become the Capital of the Hotel Industry ?" I am indebted for this information to Dick Parkhurst, who adds this interesting note:

"There is a further element of interest to 1916 in the recent acquisition by the Sheraton chain of the famous Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Over the bar in this hotel hangs the original painting by Maxfield Parrish of The Pied Piper. Page Browne tells me that this was painted by Parrish at his Cornish, N. H., studio in 1909. Cornish, as you remember, is right across the river from Windsor, Vt. Many of the children in the picture were drawn from life, and among them is our classmate, AndyMcClary. If any of the Class has occasion to be in the Palace as I was recently, they will, no doubt, be interested, as I was, to look at the painting with thoughts of 1916 and Hanover. Perhaps no two of us would agree on which of the children is our esteemed classmate, but he is there at any rate."

This issue of the-ALUMNI MAGAZINE will record the passing of another of our classmates, Chauncey Worcester, in Newburyport, Mass., November 30. And while on the subject of our dwindling numbers, I should mention that a number of tributes have come to me, on behalf of John McAuliffe, including one from Charlie Everett, who, after paying a fine tribute to John, goes on to praise Judge Phillips' essay on hobbies. "That," says Charlie, "was absolutely delightful reading." Good, good, but now what about your own hobbies Charlie ?

In connection with my campaign to publish notes on the hobbies of our classmates, I hope to present some interesting contributions from Hank Blaney and Charlie Brundage in an early Balmacaan Newsletter.

X hope that all the Class have seen the poem written by Walt Humphrey '14, and read at the Memorial Service for the departed members of the Class of 1914 held on the steps of Dartmouth Hall June 20, 1954. It is a masterpiece and I am going to put it in the next Newsletter, because every Dartmouth man should have a copy of it. It is too long to be reprinted here.

Whitley McCoy, who recently resigned from the office of Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, has opened an office in Washington for the practice of his specialty - arbitration of management-labor disputes. Lt. Gen. Willard "Stew" Paul spent a couple of weeks in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington in December being treated for a sciatic condition and a displaced vertebra, painful but not serious enough to make Stew admit it, anyway. He is a busy man with all his military, civic and church activities to which he gives his time and energies, and has little time to take care of his personal interests or his health. Fortunately he is the rugged type and can stand a lot.

Gil Tapley wrote me a better address than 615 Baker St., San Francisco, for Judge Phillips, saying Dick Parkhurst had been unable to locate him at that address. That is certainly the address from which came the late and famous treatise by the Judge on his hobbies. He is probably hiding out from literary agents but we'll try to smoke him out.

A Christmas card from Verda (Mrs. Phil)Davis reveals that she is still in Magnolia, Ark., but hoping to move to her adopted home in Carmel, California, and if you think Californians are enthusiastic about their state, you should, read Verda's glowing description and praise of Carmel.

Another distinctive honor has come to our distinguished classmate, Lt. Gen. W. S. Paul. To meet emergency conditions that an atomic attack could bring to the nation over night, Arthur S. Flemming, head of the Office of Defense Mobilization, created a Committee on National Censorship Planning and named General Paul to head an interdepartmental committee. Nine Federal agencies will be represented on the committee.

Recent visitors in the Washington area were Fred and Mrs. Bailey and Alec and Estelle Jardine, both here to visit daughters.

Roger Evans wrote me a note while soaring high over the Mediterranean towards Amsterdam, after what he termed "an unforgettable three-day visit with Leslie and Margaret Leavitt." Les is Principal of International College at Beirut. This college comprises the elementary and preparatory schools with a total enrollment of some 1400.

Secretary, 4808 Broad Brook Drive, Bethesda 14, Md.

Treasurer, 27 Concord St., Nashua, N. H.

Bequest Chairman,