1932

We received an article which appeared in the Berkshire Evening Eagle of Pittsfield, Mass., in observance of National Professional Engineers' Week, written by Al Childs. The article, entitled "From Cheops to the Hoosic Tunnel," outlines the contributions of the civil engineer to the development of civilization. The article, too long to reprint here, is most interesting in tracing the progress of engineering from the ancient pyramids and the great wall of China to the present-day bridges, dams, tunnels, canals, seaways and highways - all masterpieces of engineering skill. Al pays tribute to the profession through the ages by referring to "Greek ideas, Roman solidarity, Italian imagination, French precision, German thoroughness, British practicality and American versatility." For many years Al has been supervisor of buildings and grounds in the plant engineering section of the General Electric Co. plant in Pittsfield.

Larry Collins writes to inform lis that he is still employed by the Sutton Publishing Co. of N.Y.C. His work consists of traveling around to various factories "dragging articles out of unsuspecting tool engineers who would like to get rid of me." Larry has written more than 400 articles during the last seven years and reports that after getting the article he also handles all the production phases of getting it into print.

Johnny Sheldon sent along a letter he had received from Ray Brookby. Ray recently sold his business, the Acme Coal & Fuel Co., in Champaign, Ill., and moved to Tallahassee, Fla., where he bought a five-county franchise for Dairy Queen. While Ray left the end of February, wife Fran and family will not follow until the end of the school year. Good luck in your new venture, Ray! Send us your new address!

Bunny Rich continues his connection with the American Wheelabrator and Equipment Corp. in Mishawaka, Ind., and reports that he recently moved to a farm. One of the first things he did on moving to the farm was to convert the barn into a basketball court, which is in constant use. His eldest son, Tim, is the regular center and high scorer on the local high school team. Standing 6' 5" tall, Tim occasionally gets hot and in one game scored nine field goals out of eleven shots. Are you listening, Doggie Julian? Bunny did not feel that the boy had perfect coordination, but "dribbling blindfolded and jumping rope every night for the past two years have paid off." The three younger boys also play regularly on their school teams. Still listening Doggie? Maybe the Ivy League Championship would be easy with the help of the Rich brothers. Bunny says that luckily the boys have their mother's brains and hence stay on the honor roll. Modest!

Ed Rollins has been elected vice president of the Franklin Savings Bank in N.Y.C. effective March first. He has been with Franklin since 1942, having previously been connected with the Bankers Trust and the Mutual Life Insurance Co. in the Real Estate Departments. Ed is a member of the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers and lives with wife and family in Scarsdale, N. Y.

Also in the banking fraternity, it is reported that Jack Pyles, vice president of the City Bank of Washington, D. C., for some years, has been elected president of that bank.

Two notes on Tom Curtis, Republican Representative from the second district of Missouri. The first quotes Tom as saying that today congressmen get "in a fascinating rut" and don't know when to quit the Legislature. As a result he has introduced a constitutional amendment to force House and Senate members to retire for two years after serving twelve consecutive years. The second item reports on a speech Tom made to the Association of Life Underwriters of Oklahoma City, where he advocated exempting from Social Security persons who can show they have voluntarily insured themselves on a comparable basis. The announced topic, "Security - Social and Otherwise" was an elaboration on a speech given before the National Association of Life Underwriters in Boston in September 1954. Tom was one of the few members of the House to vote against the 1954 Social Security revisions.

Bill Lieson, vice president of the Union Trust Co. of Springfield, Mass., has recently been reelected a director of the Mutual Fire Assurance Co. of that city, for a term of three years.

An interesting letter from Bob Coltman, vice president of the Philadelphia National Bank, reports on a rewarding trip through the Southern Appalachians, recording the ballads and folk songs of the area on tape. The trip was made with son, Bob Jr., who hopes to enter Dartmouth in Fall. He further reports that he and his family have spent at least one week each winter during the last twenty, skiing in the North Country, and returned in March from a trip to the Ravine. Sounds wonderful, and we hope that by the time this article appears Bob Jr. will have been accepted at Dartmouth.

Regarding the cards sent out requesting information - there are about 120 cards still missing. If yours is one of these, please send it in or if lost by now, drop me a note. This job of secretary can only be done successfully with your help!

Secretary, 27 Hamilton Dr., N. North Caldwell, N. J.

Class Agent, Westford, Mass.