1923

Your secretary herewith reports on two important February 1923 meetings in New England.

#1 - Class of 1923 Get-Together and meeting in the 1923 Statler Hotel suite before and after the Annual Dinner of the Dartmouth Alumni Association of Boston, Wednesday, February 13, 1957. Jim Broe master-minded this affair and the success of the meeting resulted from his careful planning. Those in attendance included: Herb Behan, Chet Bixby, Jim Broe, Fred Clark, Sherm Clough, Ed Crowley, Walt Dodge, Frank Downey, Nonnie Fay, Walt Friend, Ly Harding, Pete Jones, Bob McMillan, Ivan Martin, Burt Prouty, John Read, Jerry Riley, Mort Stern, Win Temple, Herb Veit, Bill Welch.

Herb Veit was the only one who was not able to make the meeting as he had to fly unexpectedly to Texas that morning. The 1923 Boston committee was in full attendance except three members who wrote in. RogerBillings is in Florida until mid-March. StuieKnight is on a West Indies cruise. GardnerAkin was committed to a function that occurs in New Bedford once every 25 years.

In addition, we were delighted to have as our guests three sons of classmates: James N.Clark, Dartmouth '54; Arthur F. Little Jr., Dartmouth '53; Stearns L. Martin, Dartmouth '54.

A trophy is annually presented to the class having the largest prepaid attendance record at this banquet. For the umptyumph time 1923 won possession of this coveted trophy which was duly presented to your secretary. At the time of the presentation President Dan Ruggles '21 made some very timely remarks about 1923's Vice President in charge of New England, our own Jim Broe. "It takes more than a wave of the hand," said Pres. Dan, "to produce the results 1923 comes up with year after year."

#2 - Annual 1923 Family Weekend Feb. 15-17 at the Hanover Inn. Art Little, Jim Broe and your secretary were joint chairmen of this mid-winter reunion which started out very propitiously with a cocktail party at the Inn Ski Hut. First we will give you a rundown of the families and non-graduate guests: Chet and Barbara Bixby, Jim Broe, Chick Bundy and daughter Peggy, Roy Brown, Fred and Madeline Clark and daughter, Betsey, Irish Flanigan, John Foster, Sam and Miriam Home, Haub and Jean Haubrick with two children, Jackie and Rocky, Karl and Lee Klaren, Art and Edith Little, John and Cay Read, Sam Sammis, Frank Smith, Mortie Stearn and son, Mort, Harriett Maycock, Gen. Benjamin C. Knox 'OB, Donald and Pearl Clark '51, Lois McGean, Joe and Alice Pollard.

Our undergraduate guests included: StevenB. Little '55, Benjamin C. Bixby '57, LeroyT. Brown Jr. '57, Lester K. Little II, '57,John M. Foster '58, Philip C. Weinseimer '58,Arthur L. Quirk '59, Paul J. Duffy '59, JohnR. Adams '60, Peter F. Klaren '60, Fred C.Marsh '60.

John Foster was our toastmaster. This class of ours has a wealth of toastmaster material Irish Flanigan and Horace Taylor have excelled in years past. But John takes no back seat, he did a terrific job. Our sons of 1923 were introduced and several made nice speeches. Here are a few letters I have received thanking the class for its hospitality.

I was pleased when you asked me to jot down a few comments and reflections on the annual midwinter reunion of the "illustrious" class of '23. As are most sons of members of this class steeped in its tradition, I claim no exception. My introduction to the class, and incidentally to the campus, came in 1946 at the pre-25th reunion. Even then at the age of 13, I was greatly impressed by the cordiality and general good fun provided by the various members of '23. And then during my freshman year I was introduced to the annual father and son mid-winter weekend. Since that time, with the exception of three years' employment with Uncle Sam's Army, I have had the good fortune to be present at two more memorable reunion weekends and look forward with pleasure to next year. Yours is a wonderful class - characterized by numerous personalities who in their own way make the cohesive "stuff" of the class, and in turn make the traditions of Dartmouth come alive. It was great to be with you all again, to meet old friends, and be introduced to new ones. With only one reservation of allegiance to my class of 1955, let me say "thanks" to you '23ers who are, in my book, the best of the lot. My only hope is that my class will have as much fun together 35 years from now as you gentlemen do now! Steve Little

Pearl and I appreciated once again a wonderful feed with such a congenial group. I believe I've been so fortunate as to have the greatest number of opportunities to be at these dinners, of any of the sons, and it certainly has been pleasurable. Afraid my string will run out soon! Nice to see you all again. Thanks again. Don and Pearl Clark

Having already attended two of your class reunions this year - one in the fall and the other, the Mid-winter Class Reunion on the weekend of February 15, I am convinced that your class is probably the second best in the history of Dartmouth - the class of 1960 being the best, of course. I always look forward to attending your reunions. I hope that in the future the class of 1960 will have as much spirit as does your class now. John Adams

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to you for not having written the short letter you requested regarding the Class of '23 and its most illustrious member — in my opinion — my Old Man. If there is one organization in connection with my three years here at Dartmouth to which I am unquestionably' indebted, it is the class of '23, and I feel very bad indeed that I was unable to do one small favor in return for all it has done for me. However, just yesterday I was released from Dick's House after nearly a week's stay due to virus - a day after the letter's deadline. And now, in true Dartmouth style, I am shoulder deep in back work. Thanking you again for the recent dinner and hoping you will accept my apology, I am ... Phil Weinseimer

In answer to your letter of February 21, I have nothing but good things to say about the Class of '23. Of course, I can only judge, in one respect, from the men I have met during the past three years at your mid-winter reunion. This is our get-together that Dad and I look forward to every year not only because it gives us an excellent chance to have a visit up here in Hanover, but it gives us an opportunity to share the generous and friendly hospitality of the Class of '23. I might add that '23 seems to have that strange cohesiveness and spirit of good fellowship that Dartmouth seems to build in all her classes. I hope that our Class of '58 has the same fortune in this respect after we have been out for 24 years. About the second part of your letter - your going into Dad's vices and virtues. I may be justifiably biased in saying that I think he's a great guy, and from what I've been able to observe amongst his classmates, I don't think I would be sticking my neck out too far by guessing that they would support me in my opinion. Thanks very much for giving me the opportunity to express my opinion of your fine class of 1923. Sincerely, John

v Once again I've been caught procrastinating, but I hope this will still be of some use to you. You asked for my impression of the Winter Reunion of '23. I think mine goes deeper than merely the abstract impression of that certain weekend. It contains the whole feeling I have for the Class of 1923. I am constantly amazed that a class, out of Dartmouth for some 30 years, can still have the enthusiasm for the college and the desire to get together to share it with each other that your class does. The Class of '23 has had many "firsts" accredited to it, I know, and it can only be because of its constant and continuing spirit. But the thing I admire and like more about the class is that wherever the members are, they always seem to have a genuinely good time doing things together. I think you're a unique and wonderful class — as far as I'm concerned, the most wonderful class Dartmouth has ever been lucky enough to produce. I'm very proud and happy that my Dad belongs to such a class. Sincerely yours, Peggy Bundy.

This morning I received a letter from another son of 1923, namely, Walter Friend, Jr.

Thank you very much for asking me to tell you what I had to do with "The Bean Song" which is so popular right now around Boston. When the song first came out I happened to hear it on the radio and believing it to be a natural for our Company I asked Walter Sr., whom I have heard is a member of that illustrious Class of 1923, to purchase the rights to it. Then, I did write the Friend version of the song which we have been using in our radio advertising. You might be interested in some of the history of "The Bean Song." It was written by a professional song writer, named Ray Stanley, who has only been in the business three years. He has written several other songs - his first big hit was "Glendora." His home is Little Rock, Ark. Three years ago he decided to be a song writer and borrowed $3-00 from his mother and hitch-hiked to California. Because he had so little money, he lived on beans for four days. After he became successful, he actually covered a great deal of territory throughout the country, including Boston. During his Boston visit, he enjoyed Boston baked beans for the first time, and with his past experience and his appreciation of the special flavor of Boston baked beans, he sat down and - "The Bean Song." Incidentally, we think that Friend's Beans made Boston, Bean Town, U.S.A., and they are the best, so the heck with all the rest. IF alter

Charlie Curts of Ridgewood, N. J. came through with some interesting information concerning our classmate and Mrs. WinthropTravell who were shipwrecked in the Gulf of Siam, Thailand. The engineer of the ship who was one of the survivors said that shifting cargo caused the ship to capsize. Win has been with the Internation Cooperative Administration since 1948 in the Far East and prior to that with the U.S. government service in Liberia, Africa. In 1950 he was evacuated by air from Seoul, Korea, shortly before that city fell to the North Koreans on June 27.

Mrs. Travell, the former Mildred Lewis, whom he married in 1931, joined Win some time after 1951 and the two returned for a visit home in Ridgewood on Christmas, 1954. The couple had planned to visit home again this March.

Secretary. 170 Washington St., Haverhill, Mass.

Class Agent. 79 Spring Glen Terrace, Hamden, Conn