1931

Now, for the last column until next fall we've got sad notes, bright notes, class reports, personal opinions and a general clean-up of odds and ends.

Two deep, sad notes: Bob Sloane and EdSieminski have died. Those of us in the business of advertising have known Bob Sloane for a number of years as a real professional in the writing business. In a field where talent is anything but commonplace, and where recognition is hard to come by, Bob had an ample slice of both. In the things that he wrote, Bob always showed a great understanding and respect for people, and much of that kindliness which we always associate with him on campus came through in the words that he put on paper. Ed Sieminski's death was one of those bolts out of the blue. Without any previous warning, a heart attack hit him while he was on a fishing trip with a group of businessmen in Florida. Ed had been a real hard worker and had become vice president and general manager of the Brunswick Laundry in Jersey City, N. J. He was a director of the Hudson City Savings Bank and a member of the Board of Governors and chairman of the building committee of the Hackensack Hospital. These things are always beyond explanation ... almost to the same degree that our sorrow is beyond expression.

However, just as life is not all sadness, there's also a good deal of happiness to report. We always perk up a little bit when we hear about good things that happen to some of the fellows whom we've known for years. Bob Biesel has been made a director and vice president of the American Transportation Corporation of Chicago. Sometime maybe we can get Bob to write and tell us about his experiences in Shanghai where he was interned between 1941 and 1943. Stepping into a big spot as executive v.p. of United-Carr Fastener Corp. is Sam Groves. Unless Sam is using an old Aegis picture (a device employed by those of us who long ago began to show the signs of wear and tear) the news photo indicates he's bearing up nobly under whatever strain may be involved in everything that he's been doing. This next item should probably come under the heading of "congratulations to Dartmouth" or maybe "congratulations to the Class of '31," but specifically we'll congratulate Ralph Hunter for his recent election to the vitally important post of Life Trustee of Dartmouth College. Ralph, as you know, has been medical director of the College and a staff physician at the Hitchcock Clinic, as well as assistant professor of a couple of medical subjects which I can neither spell nor pronounce. However, the important fact is that Dartmouth now has a new and fine Life Trustee and even if he weren't a '31er, it would call for 21 guns, but now the salute need not be so limited. Jim Lyall has been promoted to assistant vice president of the United States Trust Company of New York. Miss June Johnstone Weir is now Mrs. William KirkpatrickBaron ... and that's a nice thing to be. Congratulations to both! We don't get nearly enough information out of the Pine Tree State so it's good to report that Dr. LewTaylor is doing well and serving well the community of Dexter, Maine. (There wasn't much more than that to the news item, but we're glad to report even that and say hello to the good Lew.)

With spring comes the general migration of all the Hanover-seeking flocks and the Inn register shows Mr. and Mrs. Russ Beckwith,Mr. and Mrs. Wes Dingman, Shep Wolff,Johnny Benson and "C. E." Harris and son. (I assume that's Alton and I hope it's a reasonable assumption that the young man is looking over the Big Green with an eye toward making it his academic home a couple of years from now.)

Having spent the first week of May in Hanover with my obviously better-half, it was my first intention to devote this entire column to the spirit and the thing that is Dartmouh. No getting away from it - the place does something to you. Sure, I have the same questions that you have about the admissions' policies and the football team and about various administrative tactics, and the same feelings that "things aren't what they used to be," etc., etc., ad infinitum. But the fact remains that each year, when I go back to the Class Officers' meeting, I come away with the deep conviction that there's no place in the world I would rather have gone. And I consider myself so lucky to have had the opportunity, and so proud of everything that Dartmouth has meant to so many people over so many years that the power to express it all is completely beyond my means.

On the way up, we stopped in to visit the Jim Godfreys and to discuss preliminary plans for big 25th. We took time out to swing over toward Lake Sunapee and later to go up to Lake Morey and to various other possible sites for our class picnic. The decision on this will result from numerous meetings during the summer; and probably in the first column of the new year we'll have more specific information for you. Incidentally, a meeting of the Executive Committee is planned for Hanover sometime early in the fall so that complete plans can be formulated just as early as possible.

The Bill Stecks and the Charlie McAllisters were at the officers meetings also. It probably sounds like undue repetition, but it would be impossible to emphasize too much the tremendous job that these two guys are doing. Fund raising is anything but a cinch, and I never cease being amazed at the conscientiousness with which Bill and Charlie constantly keep after their job. Maybe it's just that I've never seen any of the others at first hand going through the travails of the job as Class Agent, but if you had seen Bill Steck laboring at all hours of the night, compiling his records, writing personal long-hand notes to thank those who had already contributed and to remind those who hadn't that the time was getting short, you would have felt, as I felt, that the smallest part of the entire operation is the giving of a few bucks. I don't know how much it would cost to buy talent like Bill's on an hourly basis, but I'm sure that kind of compensation wouldn't interest Bill in the least; all he wants is to make the Class of '31 the complete success in the Alumni Fund drive that everybody has a right to expect it to be. By the time you read this column, if you haven't already sent in your donation, please get to it... now! If you have already sent it in and you're not quite happy with the amount, drop a few more bucks into the mail to Bill.

Charlie McAllister was running around town like the hustler he is and formulating some pretty solid plans for the development and completion of the important Memorial Fund which will represent our accumulated devotion to Dartmouth College when we express it proudly at our 25th Reunion. Life has been good to most of us and these two funds give us an opportunity to pay some of it back. Give it the best you've got... and that's good enough for anybody. So ... have a big summer, keep on being '31, and we'll see you next fall.

Secretary, Lambert & Feasley, Inc. 430 Park Ave., New York 22, N. Y.

Class Agent, 1250 Terminal Tower Bldg., Cleveland, O.