1937

I daresay the first order of business for the month of February for '37ers is a collective acceptance of self-extended congratulations on the class showing in the '55 Alumni Fund drive. This past year was the first in which we exceeded our money quota. The foregoing may prove to be repetitive since it is rather difficult to beat Agent Roily Bialla and publicist Rog Allen at their own game. And they can make much better press deadlines than I can.

As a matter of fact Roily tells me he's already lining up his team for the '56 campaign; we trust that he is getting the cooperation required, since his is a very big job and far from easy. Roily reports that during the course of his negotiation he heard from DaveRainey to the effect that he had been stricken with rheumatic fever, but that he expected to return to work around the first of this year and without any lasting physical damage. We certainly hope that Dave is now completely healed.

I rode in on the train this morning - a sad, grey day concluding the New Year's holiday with Don Miller who was able to suffer the gloom and slush only by contemplation of the fact that he and Claire were flying to Sarasota for two weeks January 4. On the same rattler we encountered Carl Ray who reported himself in some pain as the result of a tumble while ice skating, with his youngest daughter in his arms. Damage: one cracked rib, held in place by the action of broad bands of adhesive tape on very hairy skin.

You might infer - and rightly so - that this hamlet of Chappaqua (32 miles north of New York) is quite a focal point of residence for Dartmouth men, in addition to claiming Horace Greeley and the offices of the Reader'sDigest as its own. Besides four '37ers, Ray Hulsart '34 and Dick Tucker '36 are here, as well as Tom Allen '36 (one of whose daughters is an occasional baby-sitter) and JonCoggeshall of nearby Pleasantville who has been a fellow chorister with my wife for the last several years. Charley Brown '35 and Perry Woodbury '34 likewise are residents.

Charley Blaisdell and Jim Wise are also in this fuzzy rim of New York called exurbia, only a bit to the east. Charley tells me that Jim has five daughters and number six is en route - sex as yet undetermined. RonnieBrown, I understand from Charley, is enlarg- ing his store, Dunham's of Maine in Waterville, and at present is the largest retailer of Hathaway shirts in the nation. How about a catalogue, Ronnie?

In my role of updater and recorder, I called up Bill Ashe, Ted Bruce and John Maloon this past month to see what was with them. Bill reports that he hasn't seen many classmates in the normal course of events, although he gets down to the Dartmouth Club two or three times a month for lunch. Ted, as you may recall, is president of his firm, Children's House, manufacturers and wholesalers of children's dresses mainly. I gather that after nine years of effort, Ted has done himself proud. He is the father of an 8-year-old son who is currently interested only in things cowboy. As for Maloon, I find that the years have treated him exceptionally well, a not unexpected thing, for I believe that John lives by a plan calculated to protect and preserve. For one thing John has not submitted to the bridle and curbs of marriage and this leads to considerable freedom as to where we live; what golf club we shall play; and do we make Europe a vacation land this year? This makes for orderly, genial living. John, you're doing just fine.

I am happy to report that I was blessed with lots of mail this month. You have no idea how much easier this makes the column go. If this hint is broad, it was meant to be that way.

The first letter is dated Hong Hong, October 23, and comes from Bob Aylward, via Ruggles, who is again eulogized as our treasurer. Bob says:

"Life in Hong Kong has been strenuous in the last month since I have been officer-in-charge of Americans in China for the last year and a half. Until recently it was mostly interrogation and reporting. Then the roof fell in! I went out to the border every day for a week and then spent one day running around the harbor when two freighters came in from Shanghai within one and a half hours of each other. However, it was vastly rewarding to be the first American to greet these people after two to five or more years in Chinese jails. They were a most interesting group and it was quite an experience all around. The family wrote that they saw me on television as well as in the October 3rd issue of Life. These are the occasional compensations for this screwball existence we lead. I was amused to see I dragged down the husbands' earnings average of Meg's classmates in the 1940 Yassar reunion compilations! Oh, hell, who wants to be rich anyhow. Best regards."

I also had a very welcome note from BillRotch. Unfortunately Bill tells nothing of his own recent activities, but he did enclose a clipping from the New Hampshire Church-man (Episcopal magazine), November 1955, which contains a report indicating Archdeacon Roger Barney has been a polio victim at Mary Hitchcock Hospital for quite some time. In part the report says:

"There is real evidence of new strength in Rogers hips, which involves a corresponding response in his legs. It is too early to predict how long he will be hospitalized. But there is progress. In the meantime, Jane and the children are as courageous and hopeful as loved ones can be."

It is the sincere hope of us all that Rog is much improved. I will follow with a further progress report next month.

Bill also received a Christmas card from Bud Butterworth who is spending a year in France with his family. The card was written on the back of a jacket of Bud's forthcoming book, The Enormous Egg (Atlantic, Little, Brown) — "This book is" about a boy from Freedom, N. H."

Boz Bosworth sent me a nice letter from Milwaukee. His family now numbers four: Judy, 15, Bob, 14, Leslie, 10, and young Tom, 2½,. Businesswise Boz is still with the same hospital supply firm he started with in 1937 (Will Ross, Inc.). The business, like the family, has expanded over the years, as have Boz' duties which he reports, with proper modesty, have become varied enough so they just wrap it all up in one package and call it executive vice president. Boz says they have a couple of young Dartmouth men as drummers in Omaha and Denver. I gather Milwaukee is full of '36 and '38 but the state is shy on 1937. Boz wants some news from me, and he shall have it in the first thin month.

Before Christmas, our Far Western executive committeeman, Tudor Wall, got off a newsy note during a lull in office routine (he was bemoaning three weekends behind the desk and Christmas shopping so undone). While Tudor notes that he doesn't come in contact with many of our class, although there are a number in the Bay area, he did get a pleasant surprise when Bob Ekin walked into the office, now manager of a photo-engraving and lithographic firm (unnamed) and with thirteen years of naval service behind him. I guess Bob, wife and daughter have lived everywhere, what with Naval Air Transport in World War 11, Berlin Airlift, Korea, etc. Tudor vows he will make 25th Reunion. He and his wife visited Hanover during the war while Tudor was waiting to pick up a ship in Rockland, Me. An Inn corsage, "to the wife of a Dartmouth man," really sold Kathleen.

And now proceeding even farther West, to the Islands, whence come tidings from ArtSloggett: Art is with Hawaiian Electric in Honolulu. He tells me that he and Diane were in New York for a short visit in June, but spent most of their time at the theatre. He urges a vacation "out here one of these days." Only a few hours by air, etc. Lots of hotels, etc. A guy thoroughly indoctrinated by various Chambers - and with all good reason from all I've heard. Art says most Dartmouth men there are after our class, although Lou Valier, a Florida refugee, is in Honolulu. I also remember well Pug Atherton '36 and Fitz Donnell '35 who are there. Art reports children well: Whit in first year of High and daughter Anne soon there.

And one last New England note: PaulLefebvre conducting the annual sales meeting of the Electric Game Co. in Holyoke in December. Paul, I seem to need a new address from you, - right?

Speaking of addresses, we or I, at any rate, seem to be losing track of two '37ers - BillShevlin (letter returned from Redwood City, Calif., marked "authorized time for forwarding has expired") and Bert Cabbie who I know is vice president of the Dartmouth Club of Southern Florida. Can you bring me up to date?

Secretary, 869 Hardscrabble Rd., Chappaqua, N. Y.

Treasurer, 17 High Street, Greenfield, Mass.

Memorial Fund Chairman,