1889

In our Class Notes of January last a two line reference to Franklin N. Newell '84 being the oldest present living alumnus of Dartmouth caught the eye of Charles A. Pierce '06 of Whittier, California, and he wrote a letter to your secretary about it. He began by saying that he had just finished reading the news items of the Class of '89 in the January issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE and was interested to learn that Franklin N. Newell is the oldest living Dartmouth alumnus, for Mr. Newell lives in Springfield, Mass., which was his home prior to taking up residence in California in 1946. A man of that name was a member of the Old First Church in Springfield thirty years ago when he was a deacon there. What made Mr. Pierce's letter of especial interest was an enclosure of a poem by The Reverend Ozora Stearns Davis set to music. This poem was published in '89's Class Notes several years ago. Mr. Pierce stated: "Ever since the poem by your classmate was printed in the MAGAZINE I have wanted to give it some music, for I have become very fond of the sonnet." By setting to music this beautiful poem, our fellow alumnus has paid a splendid tribute to the memory of "Ozy" Davis - our beloved and talented classmate. It eventually will be placed in the 1889 Section of the College Archives.

Mr. Pierce, not too active because of a coronary thrombosis a few years ago, was not able to attend the 50-Year Anniversary of his Class (1906) last June. He composed for the occasion a song, "Our Debt To Dartmouth," which was sung by the Glee Club at the Alumni Meeting, following the luncheon in the gymnasium. In appreciation, a tape-recording of all the music sung on the occasion, as well as the Fiftieth Year Address of Thurlow Gordon, '06 was prepared and presented to Mr. Pierce.

Your secretary, upon his retirement after serving four consecutive terms as Treasurer of the New England Historic Genealogical Society of Boston, was named Treasurer Emeritus of the Society by a unanimous vote of its Council at a meeting held February 5, 1957. To fill the vacancy, the Society, at its annual meeting held February 6, elected as its Treasurer, Frederick M. Kimball of Andover, Mass., a graduate of Yale, associated with an investment firm at 50 State Street, Boston. The New England Historic Genealogical Society has a nation-wide membership, and maintains a Library at 9 Ashburton Place, Boston, open to the public free of charge. This Library, rich in books and containing historical, biographical and genealogical manuscript relating to every state in the Union - the most complete of its kind, is visited annually by thousands of readers from all parts of the country. It long has been recognized as headquarters for research in its special field of American Family Genealogy. Its valuable collection of Class Reports of Colleges and Universities of New England is one of its features. Their value for the genealogical material they contain has long been realized by persons engaged in genealogical research. On the bookstacks of the Society's Library at the present time is the largest collection of Dartmouth Class Reports to be found anywhere outsidr of Baker Library in Hanover, N. H.

Secretary, Treasurer and BequestChairman, 108 Mt. Vernon St., Boston 8, Mass.