1924
It's official: there will be no spring m Hanover this year. To be sure signs are deceptive: baseball on the campus, tennis courts in use by the Varsity but no one else yet, trees and bushes trying to open their buds, and last night (May 8) Alpha Theta walked off with the finals of the inter-fraternity hum for the sixth time in a row (ably abetted by Jon Allen in the first row, thus showing himself a chip - of sorts - from the old Glee Club tenor, his dad). But to return: no spring. Temperature these nights is in high 20s, warming up nicely, days, but never real warm.
And other signs of spring, equally misleading, are the annual meetings of the Secretaries, Chairmen, Funders (Class Agents), etc. The furor is now history, but there remains for you ... and you ... and me to get in there with our contributions to the Alumni Fund. And this is the year where we need to push for participation, and more of same. Both the Fund in general and our own performance are doing well so far as dollar volume is concerned; but both it and we are needing your participation. We like them large, of course, but any check or money order or sample of long green is vital. I can't stop here without making this a personal matter as a proper and much-deserved token payment for all Harr Ranney helped us do last year; and a vote of confidence in the College, and in Phil Van Huyck, our Class Agent.
Phil and Louise were in town, and also son John, finishing up this year. They came down to the house with Brad Hersey - Lois off again to see other green fields. Plans were discussed for developing the great potential the class has often hidden but more recently begun to show. The Fund is one striking evidence of our potential; more signs to come in our fall meeting on a football weekend. Plans will be announced later.
Lee Ramsdell, of whom we spoke in the Class Letter, has three sons: from 16 down to 5 years, with two at Haverford School and enrolled for Dartmouth. He adds some notes on the close relationship he had with both Harr and Dee Collins, living together in Greenwich Village during those John Held days. Dee roomed in Crosby with Fred Briscoe, with Harr and Lee across the hall for a couple of years. He adds to my obituary facts not in our record: that Dee left Thomas Bread Co. to be advertising manager for Kentile, a leader in the floor-covering field. The older son, Christopher, is in the Air Force; Peter is a freshman here at Dartmouth.
Butts Lamson is recovering from his bad ankle. He'd do better, he says, if he could relax in the sun when he ought to be in typing the next Class Letter. Just had a birthday, and that makes him feel more ancient. (Speaking of which reminds me to pass on that the birthday cards I send you seem to be appreciated; but did you know that other classes envy us this gesture, and some never heard of the idea. I hope to have a very fine surprise for you in the next edition or printing; too early to more than mention the possibility today.) Butts' ankle has been slow to heal; and Harriet is slowly recuperating after a bout with our delayed-or-missing spring ills.
Win Nazro on the move with his supervision of building; picked a good track-man, long distance yet, for the job. Currently in Worcester on the State Mutual Life Assurance Co. job ... Spud Spaulding please note. And rival Harrington, publisher Ed Booth, et al. Win's there until the end of 1957. His son, Junior, is flying jets in England. That's better than running ... or is it?
In addressing envelopes for the birthday cards (often helped by Gordon Bridge or Mary), I try to get a home address for our files when all we have is a business address. I would like to stress that request, and also to promise that if you don't wish this published in our file or otherwise generally known, your wishes will be respected. Howie Clark is in the files as a doctor in Monterey, Calif.; but his home address is Randall Way & Fifth, Carmel. I'm sure it is obvious that anyone wishing to look him up in Monterey might not find him or have time to try Carmel.
Finally, it will be no news to anyone that many of us are shining in the reflected glory of wonderful wives. The very beautiful Memorial Children's Chapel, made by our friends for my Kits, has recently been dedicated. It is upstairs in the Parish House of the so-called White Church. Another example of wives-to-be-proud-of is at hand, as follows: StubbyReed's wife, Doris, has been taking advanced courses at Columbia University and has been reading books to blind students at Columbia for the past two years, - the books that don't generally get translated into Braille. She is also a Trustee of Pembroke College, the feminine side of Brown University. (These are details we rarely get from the people themselves; thanks in this case to mutual friends.) Stubby has spent his life, and with notable success, with Western Electric; he is now eastern distribution manager. Keeping materials flowing into many AT&T operations east of the Mississippi is quite a job. Salute!
Secretary, 2 Brewster Rd., Hanover, N. H.
Class Agent, 328 Orchard PL, Ridgewood, N. J.
