Thayer School
The March issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE showed a number of members of the Thayer School faculty participating in the Carnival ski meet, as officials, of course. The sports pages of the metropolitan newspapers more frequently than not are chosen to carry advertisements by company's seeking engineers. Maybe there is a connection. The engineering faculty's interest in sports is practically unanimous. In the judges' stand picture in last month's magazine, in addition to the announcer who got the plug are civil engineer instructors Russ Stearns '38, Ken LeClair, and Carl bong. Electrical engineer instructors Millett Morgan and Huntington Curtis were also on the list of officials, bringing the total DOC count to nine. Of the remaining five members of the faculty, one officiates at track and swimming meets, one is a past-president of the Skating Club at Dartmouth and one is present incumbent of that position. So much for extracurricular activities.
Four Thayer School alumni have visited their alma mater this winter as visiting lecturers in the Professional Relations course. About the only thing these speakers have in common is evidence disproving the overworked myth that engineers are inarticulate and illiterate. Their descriptions of their widely varied professional experiences were highly articulate, well-phrased and interesting to the students who are preparing for similarly widely divergent careers. The first two of these speakers were announced in last month's column.
The next speaker was Paul Barnico ME'51, an engineer in the Small Aircraft Engines Division of the General Electric Company in West Lynn, Mass. Paul's subject was the General Electric Engineers Council, of which he is a member. His description of the organization, policies, methods and objectives of this "sounding board" type of organization was received with deep interest by the class.
Fourth speaker on the program was BarneyOldfield ME'58, who is sales manager of the Ohio Screw Products, Inc. in Elyria, Ohio. Barney's description of the experiences of a mechanical engineering graduate in industry, with special emphasis on sales work, was received with interest and enthusiasm.
On the basis of this year's experience, it is our intention to invite alumni from the different professional and industrial fields to speak to the students each year, for it is clear that their experiences are of great interest and value to the students who will soon be following similar but always fresh paths themselves.
Followers of winter sports news will know that the best individual performance by an American in the men's Olympic skiing events at Cortina was turned in by Brooks Dodge CE'54 when he finished fourth in the slalom. Not so widely publicized was his marriage in Zurich, Switzerland, on February 11 to Ann Schafer of Washington, D. C. Congratulations to Brookie on the continuation of a distinguished skiing "career" and on the beginning of a more important "career."
Word has been received of the arrival of daughter Maureen Ann to the home of Ann and Paul Henegan CE'49 on February 11.
A recent letter from Larry Falls '43 confirms a suspicion of ours dating back to last September that he is responsible for the formation of the Falls Engineering Company in Milford, Conn. Larry is a fugitive from the teaching profession, having served on the civil engineering faculty of Clarkson College from 1948 to 1955. The Falls Engineering Company conceives, designs, and manufactures "structural models for the engineer and architect," their line and services including "custom models, Fallco shapes, and design assistance." Working at scales of one-eighth to three-eighths inch to the foot, the company can supply you with practically any structural shape from flat strips to wide flange beams and various assembled models such as that of a 120-foot highway truss bridge.
A recent letter from Gus Ayers '07 brings news of the busy life he is living after "retiring" from the Utah Construction Company. His home and office is now located at 135 Northridge Lane, Woodside, Calif., on the Peninsula about twenty miles south of San Francisco. A few of Gus's retirement activities have been a six-month special assignment for the Utah Company and others in a joint venture in Spain and Portugal; direction of the determination of construction costs and scheduling for California's Feather River Project, requiring him to commute from Woodside to Los Angeles five days a week for over three months; and presently appointment to a special five-man Board of the California Water Resources Board to review its "State Water Plan, covering the utilization of all the runoff of the entire state."
Bill Matthews ME'48, who is in the engineering department of the New Departure Division in Bristol, Conn., writes that a newcomer to that department is Ham Chase ME'49. Bill reports that he is planning to participate in a plan recently adopted by New Departure to assist its engineers to undertake "spare-time" graduate study.
John Muchemore '44 has been located for several months on a construction project at Subic Bay, Philippine Islands. Mrs. Muchemore passes the word along that the project offers "plenty of variety in the work, good chow, good quarters," the only drawback being that living costs and housing shortage prevent the rest of John's family from joining him.
