1915
A New Year's echo: - Baby: "I want my bottle." Mother: "Shut up, you sound just like your father." Any similarity between the above and the deadline for this column is purely coincidental!
The luncheon gang at Pattens in Boston had a pleasant surprise back in early December when in hove jaunty Doc O'Hara. Doc said he had been back on the job about three weeks, but this was his first real venture out. He had high praise for the top treatment he got at the hospital in Hanover, which was highlighted by daily personal visits from our Boy - Jack Bowler. Good to see you back again, Doc!
Sid' Crawford from Worcester also blew in on the Patten bunch and was reported looking wonderful.
Al Sherman's shining countenance appears in a group picture of a number of celebrities taken at Governor Herter's Office at historic Massachusetts State House on the occasion of a special award luncheon to the Governor by the National AAA Pedestrian Protection Contest.
Your scribe has three glowing versions of Tulsa's hospitality. X wish our space permitted quoting them all verbatim. Jack Mason, telling of a visit with the Jack Fergusons, writes:
"... A very attractive countryside and a beautiful "city. I don't think I ever saw such a clean city, or one with so many of the homes so well kept. It was very obvious that the Dartmouth group in Tulsa appreciate what Jack Ferguson has done for the College in Tulsa, as well as for the fine job he has done for our Class west of the Mississippi.
Mart) Frederick writes:
"When Marion and I reached Tulsa, Jack and Madelaine met us at the airport, and we saw what Tulsa hospitality was like at its best. Because Dartmouth men in distant places don't see college mates as frequently as we do in the East, there is perhaps a warmer greeting than usual and a greater appreciation of the visit."
And then comes a letter from Jack Fergusonwhich is really a lulu! Referring to Jack Mason's visit:
. . and for the next 36 hours the three of us carried on a virtual non-stop review of the Fantastic Fortieth, complete with an exhaustive analysis of the appearance, shape and behavior of everyone there as exhibited by the 3-D colored slides.... On Sunday we grudgingly turned him loose at the airport to fly back to LaGuardia and Kay.
Concerning the Fredericks' visit:
"We started another review of the Frantic Fortieth, which was carried" on with more feminine slants through dinner and the subsequent showing of the Stereo slides. Their visit was all too short, but we appreciated the unexpected reunion."
Further revealments in Jack Ferguson's letter simply cannot be omitted:
"On December 7 at a Geological Smoker I sat with an old associate of mine and, as we tipped over one or two, he told me of a recent gathering of Philatelists of both genders, together with their satellites, at Havana for a discussion of their respective frames. During the heat of the meeting, his throat became parched so he slipped out to the bar for a long cold Cuban Coca-Cola, which brought on a conversation with an adjacent leaner, the consort of a lady frame-exhibitor. After a few preliminary remarks and a select sampling of the varieties of cane-juice on display, names were mentioned and it appeared that the lady frame-exhibitor was named Dot Foster and her deserted spouse was known as Chan, and he had gone to Dartmouth years ago. Tulsa was spoken of and the roof fell in when Chan found out that I was well and favorably known to his bar-begotten friend. This called for another round or three, as a result of which I now hold in my hand a picture of Chan Foster and Red Stevens in their best bib and tucker cozying a drink somewhere in Hanover during the Frabjus Fortieth, said picture having been brought by a trusted courier from Havana to Tulsa. Incidentally, the trusted courier won a bronze medal for the frame he displayed, but what Dot won has not yet been disclosed. My only regret is that we could not be in Havana with the Philatelists and their hangers-on, where we could sit around the shady side of the pool at the Hotel Nacional and comment on the perfection of the frames that were exhibited there - but not by the Philatelists. Sorry you weren't there too!"
Marv Frederick gives some further highlights of his trip last fall:
"On my trip to fourteen of our operating offices in the West, I saw George Ingalls and Don Howe in Omaha. George is planning to take a trip East next summer, the first in many years, to look up some of his old friends in this part of the country. Marion and I had a delightful lunch and visit with Chuck and Aida Ingram at their beautiful home in Tacoma a week later. Going on down the Pacific Coast, we were entertained royally by Joeand Nan Comstock. Not only did we have a drive out in the desert to see the fabulous Palm Springs but we called on Russell Perkins '16 at Cathedral City. If the enclosed print will reproduce in your column, it might be of interest to those who know Joe and Russ. Nan, who took the picture, called it 'Reunion in the Desert.' It's quite a distance from Hanover for a Dartmouth reunion!"
Here's another one for Herb Potter downin El Paso: "A woodsman out hunting inWest Texas followed some strange tracks forseven miles. It was a man wearing shoes."
Ernie Boyd didn't let me down! On a December New York trip, he corralled your scribe for an eyefilling (!) dinner at the Waldorf's Peacock Alley. In spite of the eyeful, it was quite a gabfest. Ernie is a Trade Association Executive Committeeman.
We are all much saddened by the sudden passing of Walt Meader on December 26. Details will be found elsewhere, but Walt was a close link in the Boston group, appearing regularly at Pattens and taking an active part in all Class gatherings - as we all so well remember at reunion. He was an ardent Dartmouth man and but recently had tak2en the lead in rounding up Fifteeners for the North Shore Dartmouth Club dinner earlier in the month at Hotel Hawthorne. Walt will be sorely missed, but remembered with affection by all his friends.
String Downing is reported in process of disbanding the Thomson Laboratories of the General Electric Company and hopes to have the job finished so he can contemplate his own retirement along about September.
Dale Barker dropped in on Lee Smith and says that Lee was a bit modest in announcing his accomplishments as previously reported. It now appears he has another son, 16 months of age - his oldest son is practicing law. Lee occasionally meets up with Ed Dewing when Ed is sitting on the bench in that district. He and Ed were roommates in college.
Charlie Comiskey was honored on December 9 by the DeWitt Clinton High School Alumni Association as the "outstanding athlete of yesteryear" and man of today who has never lost his interest in his old high school, nor his college and class (1915). This is quite a distinction and it is good to know that Charlie has been so aptly rewarded by his old high school.
Johnny Mullin's company, Sprague Electrical Supplies Inc. of Bridgeport, have come out with a unique brochure depicting their services, lines and unusual position in the field of electrical distribution.
The Class of 1915 can well be proud of its 1955 Alumni Fund accomplishments, as set forth in the December issue of the ALUMNIMAGAZINE. Further evidence of the loyalty and liberal mindedness of class members is contained in the fact that, in addition to the Alumni Fund and the Class Memorial Fund, additional donations accredited to the Class totalled over $145,000 in 1955.
And so, we leave you - with this carry-over thought:
Wouldn't life be lots more happy If the good that's in us all, Were the only thing about us That folks bothered to recall.
When Marv Frederick '15 (r) visited the Westin November, he toured Cathedral City, Calif.,with Russell B. Perkins '16 (1) and JoeComstock '15.
Secretary. 301 East 53rd St. New York 22, N. Y.
Treasurer, 60 Stevens Rd., Needham 92, Mass.
Bequest Chairman,
