1910
Time brings lots of changes in customs, including those relating to college calendars. It was June 29 when we received our sheepskins. This year the seniors were out "in the wide, wide world" June 10. Incidentally, the end of this college year reduces by one the number between our 45th and our 50th. Seems like this year, since last June, has been unusually short, but of course that is natural when we have been out of college as long as we have. Probably a lot of Tenners have gotten a little used to hearing 50th by attending preparatory school celebrations of the 50th of 1906.
One of the quiet fellows among Tenners in college was Louis Nissen and he has been quiet since, as far as Tenner news is concerned. But Andy Scarlett has the good fortune to hear from many of our men when they send checks for the Alumni Fund, and he has passed along a note from Louis in which he says, "Yes, I've still got hair and as yet am not bald, and a subject of much controversy as to color - it's blond, not red. This is one of God's own glorious days and I hope it's beautiful, too, in Hanover." Andy reports that LarryBankart came back from Florida looking fine but still has a lot of pain, and favors his back. He says Larry showed Bertha and him some "wonderful oil paintings, water colors and pencil sketches that he made in Florida, a lot of them." Some of you Tenners who have not seen Larry since the days when he was stopping our opponents from going around his end, on the football field, will be quite surprised at what he is doing with the brush.
Andy tells us that Mrs. Jim Lowell has agreed to help contact some of the other Tenner widows in the interest of keeping their husbands' names on the Fund list and thereby getting credit for the Class. Even before this appointment, Andy had received gifts from quite a number of widows who have been following this custom in recent years. One of them, Mrs. Don Palmer, responded to the first call, writing, "I was much interested in your first 1956 message and thought it might be a good idea to be in the first group. Now I can read the later appeals and feel quite smug. It is a small contribution in memory of Donald, but best wishes for your success in the coming drive go with it." There is "D" spirit for all of us to appreciate.
Shorty Worcester tells of roaming around Florida, hanging around Clearwater for a week, "ending up our stay with a dinner at a very grand restaurant - engineered by the Wilsons and Bankarts, I believe, which was most delightful. Present were the Bankarts,Wilsons, Mac Kendalls and Worcesters." Shorty says they tried to get Hap Hip man but Hap phoned saying he was just fitting over a severe cold and his wife was just coming down with it, so he thought they had better stay at home. Shorty tells of a visit with Ray Gorton and his wife in their "very pretty home in Deland."
Church fires have added to the responsibilities of two Tenners, Art Lord and DonBryant. Both are officers in their churches and will have a part in solving some of the very tough problems which such disasters develop. In Art's case all they have to start with are the four walls. Writing of churches, reminds. that a letter from Rev. Bill Moe in mid-April told of his having been hospitalized before Christmas. Bill says he has been below par and came near going back to the hospital during January and February. "However", he says, "I am up and going but not like ten years ago. You see I am 80 this year." Knowing the kind of constitution Bill is blessed with, we expect to see him on the job for some time to come. You can be sure that they will have to tie him up to keep him from a Tenner reunion.
Treasurer Jess Wilson has passed along a printed letter which Bucky Allen sent out to "Camp Friends." In it he announces his decision to give up "a twelve-month stint" and concentrate on his Camp Chewonki. He will live at the Camp from April to November and he hopes to build a Cape Cod cottage at Duxbury, Mass., from which point he will make his many trips in connection with the development of the Camp program each year. How many Tenners know that one of our number was national champion? That quiet man who retired not long after forty years of teaching, Everett Robinson, won the title in 1913. The Falmouth Enterprise of March 16 carried a long story and tribute to Everett. Quoting:
"The soft-spoken teacher is a man that is listened to and colleagues have said, 'He never had a discipline problem. He bypassed an opportunity to head the English Department at Melrose High School many years ago. 'I enjoyed the Community but there were too many pupils. They came and went and I never could help them.' He loved Mansfield High School, because if a student had a problem, Everett Robinson could help him. - those years at Mansfield, he served reluctantly as principal for ten years and acting superintendent for three. He did not always remain in his classroom. He took a leave of absence to represent his district in the State Legislature as had his father and grandfather before him.
He is proud to have helped pass the law requiring study of the Constitution in high schools. Everett served four years on the American History Board at Columbia. He met with 34 others to read essay answers used in college entrance requirements. Thus we learn, years after it happened, something of the great service he rendered in the field of education.
Jack Childs '09 has sent me a letter written to him by Ed Shat tuck telling the authentic story of how the late Slip Powers acquired the nickname of Slip. The story is too long for this column so it will be used-in the next issue of Tenner Topics which will appear shortly after you read this. A couple of copies of reprints of articles written for medical periodicals by Frank Meleney came in the mail recently. One of these was in The Practitioner of London. Subject was "Bacitracin" and the story of its discovery will make some more good reading for Tenner Topics. In the same mail came a reprint of a sermon which Bill Moe preached in November on the "Story of the Ecclesiastical Society." This covers the history of the relationship between the Society and the Congregational Church from the days before the 102 members in 1620 sailed in the Mayflower for the new world.
Jim Everett was so stirred by Andy's first Fund letter to the Class, that he came up with this comment:
"That was a great tale of woe you told in your circular. I seemed to grasp a slight hint that you are running down and wearing out. Accordingly, so that I will have nothing on my conscience, I am lifting this one straw from your back. You will probably never notice the lightening but I will be only too conscious of the lightening of the exchequer. You have done a wonderful job for the College and the Class, and I hope that some of us will be around 25 or 35 years hence so that you can still plague, us for the same cause."
And the little piece of paper with the perforated edges and Jim's signature attached showed that the "spirit" of Andy's appeal had caused an increase in the size of the gift. More power to Jim and others who write little pieces of paper like his. Andy likes it And here is a quote from one Andy received from Heinie Reed:
"Just received the first of your annual series of class letters. It occurred to me I might lighten your unselfish labors if I sent my check at once. Here's to your great success for 1956. Every man in 1910 recognizes your devoted service to the Class and the College."
When a fellow in Andy's spot with responsibility for the Class' record in the Fund receives comments (and checks) like these, it is a tremendous encouragement and raises the hope that the Class as a whole will come through to meet the obligation 100%. We will be in June - knee deep in June when this MAGAZINE reaches you, and that means that the time for "coming through" will be passing rapidly. So don't do as some always do, overlook the deadline: June 30, if you hope to have your Fund gift count for this year.
Address changes: H. S. Beal, R.D. 1, Windsor, Vt.; E. E. Curts, 1734 N. Broadway, Wichita, Kans.; A. G. Meehan, Box 680, Stuttgart, Ark.; C. A. Noone, 209 Hooker Rd., Lookout Mountain, Tenn.; J. E. Warren, 58 Bank St., Harwich Port, Mass.; S. B. Whipple, c/o D. B. Whipple, 11 Dennison St., Waltham, Mass.
Secretary, 501 Cannon PL, Troy, N. Y.
Class Agent, 8 N. Balch St., Hanover, N. H.
