1945
February is the shortest month of the year, and by the amount of material that is piled before me, February may well be my shortest column of the year. This in spite of the efforts of Howie Sawyer, who, unfortunately too late for January's creation, sent me a long newsy letter which reached me last December. It was postmarked White River Junction, Vt., but carried the letterhead of the Hotel Olympic, Seattle, Wash., an interesting phenomenon which was quickly explained by our perambulating physician. It seems that last October Howie visited the West Coast for a few days. Thus the stationery. While there he also ran into Fred Plum, who is teaching at the University of Washington Medical School. But let me quote from an extremely interesting letter:
"I have at last settled down in one spot after five years in the Army. I'm at the Veterans Hospital at White River Junction and was recently appointed an instructor in physiological sciences at the Medical School... . Annie and I bought a big brick house in Quechee, Vt., just half a mile from Quechee Gorge on the Woodstock Road. The latchstring will always be out to anyone going to and from Hanover. ... I don't know how we stand in the stork derby, but Annie came through on Thanksgiving Day with Number 5, Rebecca Jane. (Hearty congratulations from the whole class, bat you're still running behind the six-man Kendall Clan of the State of Maine.) Several of us local yokels gathered in Quechee in October, including the Jack Giles, Cliff Jordans, Nick Sandoes, and Bob Aliens to cross-examine our reunion chairmen on their plans. After a few elbow-bending exercises and a game of pitchpenny while the girls did the dishes, the plans were unanimously approved. See you in June."
On New Year's Eve I attended a little gathering at a local sportsman's club in Concord environs. There, and in very select company, I occasioned upon Johnny Robinson and StanHoward, both the picture of conviviality. Poor parental planning will cost the Robinsons their Titantic Tenth, but June should see the Hanover-hastening Howards on their way. A cleverly done Christmas card came my way from Nick Nichols and family of Springfield, Mass. Nick attached a note to the effect that my poem had touched him. The whole card was entitled "The 1954 Nichols Newsletter" and consisted of pictures of the Nichols family and Nick in a "typical" pose as a methods analyst for the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.; that is, with feet on desk and pensive look on face.
Notable notes of newsy notice include GenePinney and Mrs. Patricia W. Johnson of San Francisco. In November they announced their plans for a December wedding, probably a faitaccompli by now. Pat attended Mills College in Oakland, Calif. Gene is working for the Government and is now living in Washington, D. C., after five years in Germany. From New York comes news of the late fall engagement of Miss Lucy Schaefer and Peer Pedersen. A January wedding was planned, and, I trust, they are now safely joined. Lucy is a Barmore School Graduate and Peer, with a law degree from New York Law, is with the firm of Edward F. Keenan in New York City.
In my December column there was a reference to a Bob Tinell. This was, of course, an error. Maybe mine, maybe the typesetter's, but an error, nevertheless, and therefore must be corrected. The illustrious classmate to whom I was referring was and is Dr. Bob Tirrell (I know that's spelled right and if it comes out with an "n" instead of two "rs," blame the printer not me. I get blamed for enough anyway.) This mistake was brought to my attention by a mysterious postcard. I don't mind mysterious postcards but if this was sent by a '45 and he didn't include news of himself and friends, then he deserves and receives a severe reprimand. This is almost a more cardinal sin than misspelling names.
By the way and while I'm at it, my ire has been raised by the so-called "firing" of Tuss and the subsequent difficulties in hiring a replacement. To me it puts Dartmouth in no better a position than many other high-pressure football colleges where a winning season is the only criterion of judging a man's coaching ability, a situation which is deplorable, to say the least. When many outstanding men say they wouldn't touch the Dartmouth job for love nor money, it indicates a certain disintegration, of which I'm not very proud. Everyone loves a winner but not at the expense of the College's reputation. But the deed is done, and I only hope that our new coach will have at least some of the fine qualities of inspirational manhood that characterized Tuss and his many years at Dartmouth.
And that brings me to the end of this month's peregrinations through the pages of editorial effort. Before closing, however:
What is so rare as a day in June-son, With everyone back for his tenth reunion ? The handshakes, the laughter, the close harmony, The aura of fellowship, fun, gaiety, The feeling of comradeship, common endeavor, Pervades Dartmouth men no matter where-ever. so gather your spirits, forget sadness and rain, And return once again to the Hanover Plain.
NEW ASSIGNMENT: Warren Sullivan '44has been elected Assistant Vice President ofJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, in chargeof domestic and foreign sales. He will also continue in the post of sales manager.
Secretary, Middlesex School, Concord, Mass.
Treasurer, 48-B Court Dr., Wilmington, Del.
