1918
How wonderful it is that Bill Wright, the rugged Deeth, Nevada, cattleman who has done so much for us all as one of the Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, can serve to help the independently endowed Hoover Institute and Library on War, Revolution, and Peace on the Stanford campus which has the world's greatest collection of the first hand records of war, revolution and the efforts to gain peace in the 20th Century. Its purpose is through knowledge of the policies and errors which have led to war and revolution in this century, to show the road to lasting peace with freedom. What does it do? It shows the real nature of such totalitarian systems as Communism, Nazism; it furnished the data which allowed the U.S. to map the location of all Russian slave labor camps. Bill, in talking with Herbert Hoover in January at the Waldorf, assured him he would do all he could to help this very worthy cause.
'18 WIVES' DINNER N. Y. CITY DARTMOUTH CLUB, FEB. 28, 1957. It was a big night at the Club. Rachel and Sherm Adams '20 were guests o£ honor at the joint '20-'21 Dinner held there that night. Although quarters were cramped, 54 husbands and wives (about ¼ of what we have at Hanover reunion every 5 years) managed to have fun. The '18 wives' dinner next year in Feb. '58 will have 100 there from all over the country as a preview of the June 'SB 40th of 1918. Chris did a splendid job as M.C. He was happily buoyed up, as well he might be, by a dinner in his honor just two weeks before, attended by notables and Supreme Court Judges. Chris is Pres. of the famed N. Y. City DeWitt Clinton H. S. alumni (60,000) and next May 22 (5 days after Mr. and Mrs. Gene Markey sail for Europe) the big DeWitt Clinton alumni celebration is taking place, masterminded by Chris.
Betty and Bennie Mugridge (Chrmn. of '18's 40th) were sorry they couldn't make the wives' Feb. 28 party - Bennie was out of town on business. Chris had as overnight guests Herm Smith and Phil Sanderson, and both Chris and Phil attest to the culinary arts of Herm Smith, a great woodsman who does all the cooking, when they're deer hunting, or when Herm is out chopping down huge trees along their ocean front property. On the loose in N. Y. City Herm and Phil, with their press credentials, were ushered into the UN, right up front, behind the Denmark delegation; and they had a wonderful time. Herm's guessing about Phil Tusting; doesn't know whether he's married or not, but Herm hopes Phil and his wife will stop in soon and pay them a visit. George Moulton Davis, a man who has dedicated his life to community interests in New Rochelle and has the great honor of a school named after him, gave the blessing at the dinner and ably handled Freddie's Cassebeer's slides of undergraduate days. In the darkened room cracks came forth, "Ah, Stan Jones and R. Norris Williams!"; and "Oh! Oh! September Morn," as three nude gorillas standing back-to on the shore of a lake were shown and speculation ran rife as to who the monsters were.
Out of towners came from everywhere: Rose and Eric Ball from -New Haven (the Kenneth L. Roberts collection in the Baker Library has been contributed in large part through the Friends of the Dartmouth Library by Rose and Eric - and Eric, who has done much for New Haven, Conn. - on the Library Board, served also with the Conn. Foot Guard at Pres. Eisenhower's inauguration, Jan. 21), Ethel and Monk Cameron down from Kingston (their lovely, century old, stone toll house, on the banks of the Hudson was shown in a couple of slides) and Betty and Hort Chandler came down from Boston and were guests of Dotty and George Davis (Hort has been reelected a Director of the New England Gas & Electric Assn.).
Some of those photographs of reuning couples, taken at the annual, opening football game reunion at Keenes by able class photographer George Davis looked very handsome against the backdrop of Keenes' red clapboard barn - a perfect foil for some of those Old New England faces (Men only!). It was so nice to see Bub Frost but we missed Anne this time. Bub had just returned from Hanover, where he had taken his Ridgewood, N. J., high school squash team and while we understand they didn't beat the Dartmouth team, believe it or not, Bub beat the freshman he was playing against. Chris had thoughtfully invited Miriam Morrison, whose son, a freshman in Hanover, remarked to his mother recently, "I shouldn't have any trouble getting my son into Dartmouth, for he would be the 4th generation going there." For an 18-year-old, he certainly is looking ahead. Miriam Morrison, Dottie Davis, Ann Johnson, Ruth Glover, and, everyone hopes, Evie Colwell will serve as Executive Comm. to take over reunion details that Edith Cooley handled so well for so many years and for which the class is most grateful.
At the dinner, Paul Miner read so nicely that fine poem of Amos Blandin - "Cider and Apples" —a delightful thing. It's 5 or 6 verses - would you like a copy?
Cider and apples, sweet cider! I hear his mellow, mournful call Come drifting thru the mist to Wheeler Hall, And peering from my window now I see A cider barrel tilted rakishly, While heaped beside it on the wagon floor Are piles of apples from October's store....
Good sports too were Pat and George Stoddard, down from upstate, and it twinges the heartstrings to know that beautiful, 143-acre estate of theirs (only 90 mi. from N. Y. City, in the heart of exclusive hunting country, two brooks, two trout ponds, etc.) might some day pass out of the Stoddard hands. What '18ers who attended that barbecue that Pat and George put on will ever forget it, in the setting sun alongside of their lake? George says, "Yes, we're trying to sell the place, just after getting it fixed up 100%; am sure the Calif, climate will be better for Pat, although she's feeling much better than at any time in the past few years. The place we want to locate is in the Carmel Valley, near Pebble Beach, about 140 mi. south of San Francisco." George and Pat were sorry to miss Bill Wright, whose oil tank "Killer" Stoddard perforated unknowingly, as he shot a fly off the screen door. Marg and Al Rice both feeling fine again, are reported to have bought one of the Chuck Wagons which Pat and George Stoddard manufacture and sell.
Others at the dinner were Peg and Red Wilson; Peg has been studying art and painting at Columbia and is thrilled with it. Shamus Shea was beaming - and why shouldn't he —he was looking at flight time to Miami just a week later. Stokowski Dwight Sargent ("one of the finest faces in the class") and Consolidated Edison's greatest personnel man enjoyed the evening with slenderized Peggy, who looked charming and fit as if she had already been to Florida. Sad for them and sad for all of us, came a late flash from Dwight that Ducky (Robert A.) Drake, with Harper's Bazaar in Boston, living in Win-chester, dropped dead in Bermuda while playing tennis. He married Dwight's sister and had three daughters, all graduated from college, married and with families. Our deepest heartfelt sympathy (next issue will carry In Memoriam).
Also at the dinner, and wonderful to see, were Virginia and Andy Ross (Lawrenceville). Always there and having a good time were Oma and Ned Ross one of the anchor men of the class, and delighted was everyone to see the red, Frenchy chapeaux of Gin Ross and the soon-to-retire Walter. They have a lovely home at Port Washington filled with precious antiques. Walter will retire shortly after this is read, from the Bell Tel. Labs, in order "to have a lot of fun while he can still enjoy it." It was delightful, to have Hazel and Walt Nelson at the dinner, and while they love the grandchildren, they did enjoy their drive to Florida. Will they retire there some day?
Through the graciousness of Syl Morey, and his Adv. firm, Morey, Humm and War- wick, the class was again fortunate to have a photo taken of this '18 wives' party. Minetta looks more placid and happy and prettier every year. Helen and Paul Miner seemed to still carry the sun tan of their January Hollywood Beach, Fla., convention trip. Famed Holyoke-ite, Leicester McElwain, and Dotty and Steve Mahoney join with all of us in our disappointment that Frances and Gerry Geran were not with us. Ethel and Bob Knowles never miss, and are always most helpful in prodding and helping on these dinners.
Missed most of all were Evie and Pete Colwell, and from Evie came this message to the class, shortly after Pete's passing: "Will you express my deep appreciation to the class of 1918 for the beautiful flowers, and their wonderful letters; you have no idea how each message of friendship brings warmth to my heart. Bob really loved all you boys and your friendship toward him made his life very full. Thank you all for such pleasant memories." Many friends of the Colwells, and Dartmouth men, paid their respects to Pete by ever enduring gifts to 1918*5 Class Memorial Fund.
The class was sorry Ruth Howland with a torn ankle ligament just couldn't make the dinner, and grateful was everyone to see Roger. Wonderful pictures flashed on the screen of Diet and Edith Holton at past reunions. Dick is the man who tackled the new Skiway slope at Lyme. Freddie Morse said, "I was up skiing on one of the milder skiways and I saw this old bloke go flying by, and I said to myself it looked like the silhouette of Dick Holton. Sure enough, it was the weekend of Jan. 17 when Dick, '18's greatest class agent, who ran the Alumni Fund one year for the entire College, was faithfully back in Hanover with all the class agents, to listen to the needs of Dartmouth College. Marge and Bob Hebert enjoyed visiting with Mildred and Bob Fish as they sat close together at the dinner and Marge could hardly wait to see their new laurel pink and alpine white Cadillac in which she and Bob are driving for their annual stay at Palm Beach, Fla. While Mildred was out in Wisconsin visiting daughter Connie, Bob had a delightful suntan from beach-combing down through the Caribbean.
Bushy-eyed John L. Lewis (Frank Clahane) we fortunately caught when he wasn't out of town visiting banks for Moody's manuals, and it was nice to see Marion again. All of us missed M. O. and Stan Jones, and maybe one of the reasons Helen and George Daniels came out was to see them. Nina and Hal Eastman hoped to make the party, but this time of the year, doing the accounting for all the big Jersey utilities companies, it's hard for Hal to get away (said he used to drink 8 or 9 cups of coffee a day, got to having the heebie-jeebies, thought it was ulcers, now quit coffee and feels fine). Great disappointment was the absence of Elizabeth and Dave Skinner. Elizabeth had twisted her ankle, but it's much better now. A rugged bit of bursitis kept George Dockstader away (sometime maybe Caroline and George will show us the wonderful colored pictures George took in India, a couple of years ago).
When Bub Frost and Chris were at Hanover a while back, they enjoyed a nice visit with good old Doc Ed McDowell and Hazel, and daughters Florence and Barbara.
The Class 0f 1918 held its annual dinner for members and wives at the Dartmouth Club, New York City, on February 28. Fifty-four were present for the very successful event.
Secretary, 74 Trinity Place, New York 6, N. Y
Class Agent. East New York Savings Bank 2644 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn 7, N. Y.
