1912

When a classmate pays such high respect to another classmate as Syd Clark does in the following communication, it is a privilege to give publicity to it:

"I must send you just a line from Mexico City to remind '12 men that Bud Hob an remains a fixture in the memory of many thousands of Mexicans as a sort of patron saint of this country's Americantype football. I mention his name almost anywhere and people know of his work. One man who is not specially devoted to sport said, 'They not only respected Hoban; they actually loved him. This was in reference to the various players whom he coached. From the primitive days when Bud had to coach his men in an 'unknown sport' (at first Bud knew little or no Spanish and his players had equal knowledge of English. - Ed.) with facilities, or the lack of them, to make any coach groan in frustration — American football has grown incredibly here. It has come of age. In the new vast stadium of the Ciudad Universitaria, which seats 120,000 spectators, the place is said to be absolutely full for the big games, especially that of Mexico University versus Politécnia. I remember that in those early days Bud was delighted if that same game could draw seven or eight thousand. Yes, his pioneer work, greatly respected here, has put a new sport on the Mexican map, one that actually vies in popularity with the bullfights in the arena. I am revising my Mexico book, and how I'd like to find Bud here again. Many a morning we lunched together at Sanborn's and many an evening we chewed things over in some restaurant or cafe. Many an afternoon too, I went out with him and watched him coach his men, Franki, Changa, Flash (who was the slowpoke of the squad), 'Madame' Récamier, etc. Well - 1912 can always be proud of what Bud Hoban did for international sport and, not least, for Mexican youth."

When Louie Ekstrom takes his pen in hand to write a letter, it is really something, to wit:

"Your kind invitation for a get-together sometime with Alice and Irma in New York was entrancing but, truth to tell, I find it hard to get off my resting points. The urge ain't what it used to be. Besides I have quieted down considerably, in accordance with the equivalent of the English vicar's thirty pounds a year. It's no hardship narrowing one's horizon, but somewhat like Sophie Tucker 'I'm learning all over again,' to live. Hold open a rain check for us and we'll meet, or better yet - how about coming up here? We are really living the simple life. Come weekends, my oldest daughter's children are out of school (3½-8) and we are over there at the Dawsons' or the children are here with us. That gives us the rest of the week to rest up.

"This past fall, after getting back from an annual visit to New England, we had the children a lot while the parents had several major trips. Son Fritz changed his station in the Navy to San Diego from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, almost a year ago and took time off last July to get married to Doris McRoberts of Easton, Pa. Same general vicinity where I found Mrs. Ekstrom. The bride's father (about my age) used to be a hardbitten baseball catcher in his time and if any good comes from this union, it would seem logical to expect at least an infielder or outfielder to carry out the tradition. Maybe I'm a bit previous but I'm expectin'. Phoebe, our youngest, is, as they say, 'at home' while routinely engaged days at Lehigh University. Nancy Ekstrom Le Borgne's oldest daughter, Michele, whose acquaintance with New England was engineered at birth by the late Bill Butler in San Jose, Calif., four and a half years ago, now has a sister, Jeanine, 21/z years old. A year ago last September the father moved his family to Santa Barbara, Calif. Last September, after one year at the Santa Barbara Biltmore, he was introduced by the owner to Governor Knight and Chief Justice Warren as the most important man at the hotel. His job is head chef. Some of the class might have seen his smiling face around 1942 if they had dined at the Stork Club in New York and left their funds at home and washed out the bill in the kitchen. From there the Navy snatched him into World War II service. Sometimes it is intriguing to think I might get finicky and change this Pennsylvania Dutch cooking for some French cooking in California that's out of this world. Then again, maybe I'm lucky to be eating at all."

I can always depend on Emma Pettingell as a reliable correspondent:

"I note that you need news for the MAGAZINE. Jane edited the Faulkner Hospital alumnae bulletin several years ago and found that it was rather difficult to pick news out of the air. Helen went to San Francisco last summer as counsellor from the Massachusetts Home Economics Association to the National convention. She has been membership chairman of the Massachusetts group for several years. She also acted as a delegate from the HEIB (Home Economics in Business). While on the West Coast she was able to get to Seattle for a few days. She took the bus up so she could see more of the country - three days up by bus — three hours back by plane. She flew both ways across country. Jane's engagement was announced this summer to Robert Lovely of Dedham, a graduate of Tufts College and employed as a chemist by the Boston Consolidated Gas Co. They expect to be married this spring so we will be very busy for several months."

Change of address: Robert D. Fletcher, 501 Highland Ave., Dunedin, Fla.

Secretary, 120 Broadway, New York 5, N. Y.

Treasurer, 4 Bank Building, Middleboro, Mass.

Bequest Chairman,