1940

Thanks to "Dir." de Sieyes, a 1940 column was produced for this MAGAZINE last month. I think that he spent most of the allowed space recounting the glories of my travel status, but now that I'm back in the driver's seat I can assure you that it's not so glorious — traveling Europe in mid-winter. On the other hand, it was an enjoyable trip. They say there's nothing like travel to broaden one. I can vouch for that — especially the waistline. It's a heckuva step from soup and sandwiches to sevencourse meals for "lunch" — over two hours of conversational imbibing. Then one must make the additional adjustment to dinner at ten or eleven o'clock in the evening! And, believe me, it's not like a milkshake at Mac's! I'd much prefer the latter, given the choice!

I did accomplish one thing while in Holland I telephoned all the '40 members in Europe whose addresses I had a record of. That means the "APO-less." ones. Unfortunately, the only one I could raise at the time I called was Bob Lake, in Paris. You'll remember that I dealt at length with Bob and Lee and family in this space two months ago. I did have the opportunity to follow up by actually visiting them in Paris during late February. Bob was just leaving for Marseilles, where he still has part of an office, but we did have time to enjoy Lee's most delightful dinner at their spacious apartment and to meet their two boys. I might add that they were the warm spot in an otherwise frigid Paris - with the weather so cold that all the Parisiens were staying at home, giving a nearly deserted aspect to the otherwise gay city.

It should be added that I tried valiantly to contact Jim McElroy, in Brussels, Belgium, only to find that he had moved to Villars sur Ollon, Switzerland, where he continues his import-export enterprises,. Also, I tried to get in touch with my old Navy roomie, Bob LeCron Clark, with Esso Standard Oil in Frankfort, Germany. However, the telephone operator was not ingenious enough to uncover his whereabouts. Beyond that, I didn't have the addresses of any Dartmouthites in the Middle East, though I'm pretty sure that no Forties are on the scene there. If there are any in the respective environs of Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq or Egypt, let them speak up and inform me of their location so that I can do the big lookup on my next trip through.

Back home, in my absence, Dick Babcock, Chicago attorney, qualified as the uncontested Democratic nominee for Illinois State Senator from the Lake-McHenry-Boone County District. After the April 10 primary he will go on the ballot as the opponent of Bob McClory '3O, Republican nominee who is running for second term in the State Senate. The district is heavily Republican, so Dick will have an up-hill fight for the November election.

From Dave Gibson, R.F.D. #1, West Wellington, Conn., comes a much appreciated report on one who, like so many of us, has been so taken up with the mundane problems of living that he has not had the inclination to keep in touch. I quote:

"Your somewhat anguished cries for news over the months have finally had their effect. I have been so lax in my attentions to Dartmouth affairs, at least to the extent of participating in them, and kept hidden over the post-graduate horizon so long that I'm beginning to think that a lot of mates of old probably don't remember me. At. any rate, here goes.

"After the war (five years), I returned to Hanover to complete my undergraduate work. After that I worked with McCall Corporation (publishing) on commercial printing and later entered the newspaper business (news), beginning with the Greenfield (Mass.) Recorder-Gazette and, eventually, with the Hartford Times. I'm still with the latter and have worked in such sundry jobs as assistant state editor, copy desk editor, and reporter. I'm now a reporter, love the newspaper business (despite its less lucrative aspects), and will probably stay in harness through the years.

"In addition, have a swell wife Margaret (best known as 'Ta') who is ten years younger than I and serves to remind me that my age is purely mental. Also have a charming but mischievous daughter of 2½ years, Rosemary.

"Our life is rural, in a New England house in New England surroundings. We keep active in the amateur dramatic society locally and participate in the theatrical activities in the Greater Hartford area.

"just as you comment in print about wanting to hear from some of these mates of 16 years ago, I, too, have the yen. Where, for example, are some of those characters I once lifted ales with — Philander 'Phil' Dostal; Chud Bensinger; John 'Tiger'Klein; Jack Blethen; 'Bo' Macdonald; Bob 'Whizzer White; 'Soup' Cambell, et al.?

"Other data on me: I've lost too damn much hair and can be politely described as balding; I'm a registered Democrat (bear with me, classmates!), but I like Ike as long as he doesn't kill himself in running again. Is that enough?"

Too bad Dave doesn't live in Dick Babcock's district!

On the non-political front, Robert W. Armstrong recently was nominated president of the White Plains Community Chest. Bob is managing editor of Electrical Merchandising, a magazine published by McGraw-Hill Corp. Discharged from the paratroops as a captain after the war. Bob has been quite active in White Plains civic organizations since settling down there some five years ago.

Happy Laconia skaters received awards a few Saturdays ago from Jack O'Shea, general chairman of the local Rotary Club. Jack is happily ensconced as a top-kick in the venerable O'Shea's Department Store in town and, we know from earlier advices, is a most public-spirited retailer.

Attorney Fred Pillsbury was recently reported on in the Springfield (Mass.) Republican as the vocal head of a committee of militant citizens whose efforts have been dedicated to preserving the local park pond from usurpation by the Army.

On the newly-married-yet-to-be front, CalSterling and Joyce Elwood McKinney, of Syracuse, N. Y., have announced their prospective nuptials. She is presently with American Airlines, and Cal is tied up with the Fellows Advertising Agency, New York City.

For those of you who have long been out of the habit of reading the Boston Herald, we must refer you to a mid-February article by Bill Cunningham '19, which recounted the trials of a March of Dimes radio auction which took place in Hanover recently. It seems that there was one case of great consternation stirred up in connection with the auction when members of the Hitchcock Clinic told Dr. John Boardman, who was busy with patients, that his favorite horse had been offered for sale. This was a practical joke, but they had it well organized and the Doctor, who loves the horse, was practically daft. He kept calling the station to check, and while the station didn't know anything about such a horse, people kept calling up and making bids. The Doctor never really blew up, however, until some caller identified himself as a mink rancher who wanted to know if the horse had enough meat on it to feed the mink. When it all shook down, it developed that the perpetrator of the hoax was a fellow medico named Lew Lambert. It seems he was merely getting back at his colleague, Dr. Boardman, who's quite a practical joker himself. Last fall, Dr. Lambert was chairman of a Hanover PTA chicken barbecue at the football field. The good Dr. Boardman gave him a bad time by having someone call and report that the truck bringing the chickens had been in a wreck and he had someone else call and erroneously protest that the day was a Catholic fast day.

So our Lew - Reunion Chairman FredPorter's Hanover representative on the planning for our forthcoming 15th - gives some promise of being able to ready a trick or two for you when you come to Dartmouth for our festivities this coming June. We have his word, however, that the efforts will not be along practical joking lines, so do make your plans to join us and enjoy the fun. Your Reunion Committee wil be furnishing you with further details in the coming weeks. See you there!

Secretary, 322 Canterbury Road, Westfield, N. J.

Class Agent, Minute Maid Corp., Plymouth, Fla.