1911
For the first time in several months it is a sadduty to report the deaths of three fine activeclassmates, all of whom were well know by theclass, proud to call them friends. The newsabout Seth Emerson, Bill Hart and BrownieWilder is given elsewhere in the MAGAZINE.It is only fitting, however, to recall the senseof loss and regret that we all have in theirpassing.
News from Louise Hart is that she is going to return to her old home city of Boston after she is able to make arrangements in Toronto. Viola Wilder, who has been active in Brownie's business for the past ten years, is going to continue the export business with her oldest son, Ralph Jr.
More news about Class Mid-Reunion gathering at Whitefteld in June... Mary and Schuyler Dodge invite us to be with them again starting Sunday, June 17. Schuyler says:
"We shall look forward to having members of the class and their families for as long as they want beginning on this date. "We certainly will try to reserve for them desirable accommodations for the period they wish to be here. I do hope that as many of the class as possible will be able to join us here in June.
"We particularly want them to see our new addition to the Mountain View. We are in the process now of adding to our facilities a cocktail lounge. They are really going to be a beautiful set of rooms — three in number — but they all open into one another so that they can be opened up into one large room. We are incorporating in the cocktail lounge what used to be the old parlor - the room directly behind the elevator. Two new rooms have been added, parallel with the ballroom on the front of the house. We removed part of the porch at the end of the hotel but have improved the terrace so that those who did like to sit at that end will find the terrace equally as comfortable. It will be nice have our Dartmouth friends here to help us christen the new rooms."
The news about Cap Hedges is that his real estate deal has been accomplished. It concerns the establishment of a 72-acre shopping center in northeast Cedar Rapids. Younker Brothers Inc. of Des Moines and Sears, Roebuck Co. have announced that they have taken an option to buy 72.62 acres which will be developed with the expectation of fifty stores of various types being eventual tenants. The Hedges Company of Cedar Rapids acted as brokers.
Early in March, Cap was to leave for Louisiana where further business awaited him. Cap describes this project as follows:
"I am president of two land companies that own 50,000 acres in the lower Atchafalaya River basin in southern Louisiana. These two companies have ten major oil companies as lessees and several Independents and we have all our land leased together with some production, which make it a very interesting matter to look after. Because I have been associated with it since 1928, I am familiar with all the details of the Company. We go to New Iberia and St. Martinville, La., which is the Evangeline country where the Acadians were deported by the British and out of which grew Longfellow's poem Evangeline. We have gotten to know these French people and have many good friends among them. They are now known as Cajuns which is some sort of abbreviation for Acadian. We like the highly seasoned food and French drip coffee which is stronger than lye, as well as the quaint simplicity of these people. We even like the swamps which our land is mainly composed of."
Chet Jenkins, for so many years coach and teacher at the University of Maine, was honored at the Bangor Daily News Sports Award dinner on January 28. A description of this occasion and Chet's splendid contributions to the institution are taken from an account of the occasion by the Bangor Daily News:
Coach Chester Jenkins is truly a producer of champions.
Few, if any, track and cross-country coaches in the United States can match the superb record established by Jenkins at the University of Maine, Bates College and Huntington School at Boston. Year after year, often with young men who have had no previous experience in high school, Jenkins has produced outstanding teams at Maine.
Under his leadership, Maine cross-country teams, for example, have captured sixteen state championships in the last twenty years. Three Yankee Conference championships and six New England titles have been won by Jenkins-coached Maine squads.
And in track, the record again speaks for itself. Against the best collegiate competition in the eastern half of the country, his Maine track teams have won 59 dual indoor meets against only 21 defeats and 28 outdoor dual meets while losing but 13. The Black Bears have captured 14 state titles in 24 years and two New England championships. A third year Maine lost the title by the almost unbelievable margin of 1-12th of a point!
Oddly enough, tbe man bebind tbis record coacbed baseball and football for four years bekore even trying bis band at track ancl cross-country.
Jenkins explains that be asked to coach the track team at the Huntington School, althougb bis primary sports were kootball and baseball, actually, before them, bis number one job at the school as head of the science department.
The additional post as track coach was an attractive one and he decided to continue the following year. And in the 41 years since, needless to say, track has been his number one love among sports. After six years at Huntington, Jenkins moved to Lewiston and took over the job of varsity coach at Bates. Seven years later he moved to Orono.
Outstanding teams are not the only product of Jenkins' coaching. His teaching has produced five men who went on to the greatest track meet in the world, the famed Olympic Games.
The Class of 1911 still continues to be well represented at the alumni dinners in Boston. At the dinner in February the following were present: Mayo, LearoycL, Jordan, Beane, Whitman, Crooks, Wheeler, John Clark, Jackson, and Briggs.
Word from John and Margaret Pearson in Washington tells of their enjoying a comfortable housekeeping apartment at the Hotel Windsor Park. Both are busy and enjoying the big city but are planning to return to Hanover in late March or early April.
A recent note in the MAGAZINE referred to Stick Pendleton's plans to go to Florida with the Lester Gibsons. In a later letter he writes, "How wrong can you git?" Having been pronounced OK by his doctor to take the trip, that night at 10 o'clock he had a slight coronary attack, followed by a trip in the Melrose Police ambulance to the Maiden hospital where he is now recovering from the attack, and plans to be there until the end of March.
Rollie Hastings Jr. has achieved acclaim in Los Altos where he was cited as the Realtor of the Year, in the following terms:
"Through his knowledge, ability and generous donation of time as president of the Los Altos Board of Realtors for the year 1955, Rollie has, by example, inspired the members of his board to the highest principles of real estate practice.
"As a result of his inspiring leadership, Mr. Hastings has given additional honor and prestige to his board, by making people throughout the area conscious of the dignity of the profession of real estate, to the mutual benefit of the Los Altos Board of Realtors and the community of Los Altos."
Send in your requests for reservations at Whitefield to Schuyler Dodge as soon as you know your plans.
Secretary, 1 Webster Terrace, Hanover, N. H.
Class Agent,The Hedges Co., 210 Dows Bldg.Cedar Rapids, lowa
