Three Clocks Are Given In Dr. Baketel's Memory

ONE to whom the audible passing of time could have brought few reminders of wasted opportunity was the late Dr. H. Sheridan Baketel '95, physician, teacher and editor, whose clock room in his Greenland, N. H., home resounded with the ticking, chiming and striking of the clocks he so much enjoyed collecting. In his memory, his son, H. Sheridan Baketel Jr. '20, has brought permanently to Hanover three valuable clocks from his father's collection, presenting one grandfather clock to the Inn, another to the Beta Theta Pi House, and a shelf clock to Baker Library.

In his professional field, few men through their individual efforts contributed more to the complex dimensions of modern medicine than did Dr. Baketel. A practicing and teaching physician, as well as an able businessman, he was a pioneer in the field of medical economics. In lecturing to medical students, he discovered how little they knew about business, and in 1923 he, with an advertising man, launched Medical Economics, one of the first pocket-sized magazines. Dr. Baketel, who served as editor-in-chief, printed articles reflecting the financial, legislative, scientific and ethical aspects of the medical profession.

In addition to a distinguished career in urology, teaching, publishing, and work with many pharmaceutical companies, Dr. Baketel found time for thirty years to enjoy his hobby of collecting clocks dating from the early 1700's, and to become an expert on the efficiency and beauty of clocks of different periods. He received by-line credit for his assistance in the compilation of Brooks Palmer's ('23) well-known reference volume The Book ofAmerican Clocks. In Dr. Baketel's retirement it was a daily task and pleasure to keep his more than 75 clocks all wound and working.

Dr. Baketel's great love was the Hanover Plain. In making the memorial gift, his son wrote, "What more fitting than that a few of his more worthwhile clocks should find a permanent home in Hanover. Accordingly, it has been with real pleasure that we offered one to the Inn, always the hub of his activity; another to the Library which he so greatly admired; and a third to the Beta House, of which he was so fond." Each clock bears a brass memorial plate.

A shelf clock, with hand-painted scenes, whichhas been presented to Baker Library.

One of the Baketel memorial clocks, now onthe main staircase landing at Hanover Inn.