1930
Greetings from Vermont where spring has come early to the consternation of the skiers and the delight of the sap gatherers!
With no lasting snows for almost eight weeks the ski slopes all over the state have quietly folded their pomalifts and closed down. On the other hand, the buckets have already been on the maples for some days and never have they been more overflowing.
Out of deference to the ladies - and is there anyone who doesn't defer to them - our first news comes from Dot Booma, our correspondent who covers Lincoln House Point in Swampscott. Among other news she writes:
"Roland is leaving tomorrow morning for Hanover to attend Freshman Fathers Weekend and will have to be home by Sunday noon to interview prospective students for the Class of 1961 who are all scheduled with appointments. He has been so busy this winter that unless we are careful, he has a conflict once in a while.
"On a recent Saturday in Hanover (Feb. 16 to be exact) we saw the track meet with Brown and the freshman hockey game with Harvard in the afternoon. After dinner with Rollie Jr., we saw the varsity hockey game with Harvard and the basketball game with Columbia which was a 'thriller.' All the tickets for this game had gone long before but our good friends in Hanover looked out for us. On the following Monday at the Freshman-K.U.A. game we met Caroline and Alex McFarland who had arrived the day before and were spending the week in Hanover.
"I read recently in the Sunday Herald of the marriage of Warren Phinney's daughter in Hartford but don't know any details.
"We have followed high school hockey here on the North Shore this winter with Dot and Harold Booma. Their son, Dick, is a junior at Marblehead High School and plays center on the team. And we sat directly behind Les and Edith Godwin and their daughter Jane when the basketball team played North Carolina at the Boston Garden.
"We are delighted that the Class Executive Committee meeting is to be held in Boston this year and will look forward to seeing you and Gwen then, if not before."
This fellow Les Godwin, whom Dot reports at the basketball game, also appeared a few days ago in The Boston Herald as Vice-Chairman of the Better Home Heat Council - a group of 500 fuel dealers. And then Dick Barnard reports this same Godwin left with his wife on March 3 for Sarasota. Who's seen him since then?
Dick Barnard in his letter goes on to say:
"Les Godwin has been in recent communication by phone and mail because I am helping him interview prospective applicants for admission to Dartmouth. Les has asked me to go up to Lawrence Academy tomorrow to interview three students there who have applied to Dartmouth.
"Last Saturday I was invited by Wally Wasmer to dinner in Deerfield and to watch his boy, Walter Jr., play basketball for Vermont Academy vs. Deerfield. His boy is an excellent player. Wally's wife Gladys was along, too.
"If you do not have the names of the fellows who attended the Boston alumni dinner on February 13 at the Hotel Statler, I will name them as best I can. The Class of 1930 filled a table practically to overflowing: the Latham twins, Roily and Hal Booma, Frank Doherty, Pete Lillard, Alex McFarland, Les Godwin, Bob Jordan and Art Hayes. I believe I have left one or two out. Al Dickerson came from the head table to greet us.
"P.S. If it is any news I have just been elected Secretary of the Mystic Valley Dartmouth Alumni Club. This club consists of alumni living in Winchester and neighboring communities."
It was just grand to get a letter from Fred Bowes in reply to a plea for news and it is going to interest a lot of you:
"Pecking away at the Underwood here at home on receipt today of your plea for stuff to fill the "colyum" (and aren't you a good sport to take that responsibility!). Anyway, I'd like to help, but can think of only one of those coincidence kind of things, and a bit on the old side, at that. However, you're in trouble, kid, so here goes:
"The annual Hill-St. Mark's hockey game, held each Christmas vacation in Madison Square Garden for charity, is now something of a classic, and has been well publicized because of a number of colorful coincidences, chief of which is the fact that the rival coaches are the respective headmasters, Bill Barber of SM and Ned Hall of The Hill, the latter having formerly served as assistant coach and headmaster to the former.
"Where's the Thirty-interest? Well, the whole family went to the game, and, with our 15-year-old Ricky a fourth-former at The Hill, and our 11-year-old Warren, a local 6th grader, entered at St. Mark's the Old Man was vicariously 'torn' to say the least. As though that wasn't enough of a strain, it turns out that the sons of two Thirty classmates are on the opposing teams - and both playing the same position: goalie. They were Cliff Michel's son, Mickey, wearing the Blue and White of St. Mark's, and Mike McClory, son of Senator Bob, wearing the Blue and Gray of The Hill. Both boys played exceptionally well in the nets as a faster, better-passing St. Mark's six won 2-1. As a third-string goalie on the '26-21 and '27-'28 squads of Brainy Bower, I had eyes for only those two agile sons of Thirty. They were good - but I'm sure Jerry must know all about them, anyway!"
Over in Hanover, Bill Bragner's daughter, Ann, achieved a real honor in February in being chosen as the 1957 Good Citizen of New Hampshire in competition with girls from all over the State.
Other '30 people who have been in Han- over were the Dunnings, who were on Scott Paper business; Ave Gould; Vic Borella, who in fun was welcomed at the Inn by large placards announcing his arrival; and Gene Zagat's wife Cornelia and son, who were looking the College over. Mort and Alma Smith also appeared for Washington's Birthday weekend.
Have you noticed a Durgin who has been skiing this season for Hebron Academy? That is Win's boy - and they tell me Win has taken up the art of being a ski judge.
Nelson Rockefeller has appeared in the press at least twice recently - once as grandfather of a son born to Mr. and Mrs. Rodman C. Rockefeller - and again as newly elected chairman of the board of trustees of the Museum of Modern Art.
One of our contributors reports we have not been advised of the outstanding accomplishments of Ranny and Vera Hobbs' son and daughter. We understand that Ranald Jr. made top honors at Exeter while also winning the tennis doubles championship, and Linda, a Darien Junior High student, has been winning all kinds of cups and trophies as a tennis champ - ranking high in New England and the country. This is the kind of news we like to pass along!
Carll Buhler who is now in charge of the operation of the telephone company in Nassau County, L. I. writes: "The Dartmouth Alumni Association of L. I. had a very successful Valentine's Day Dance, at which I saw Frank Rath, only '30 man there besides myself. Frank looked fine and just about as corpulent as many our age. I haven't family-wise completely lost associations with Dartmouth even though my son graduated from Thayer last June. Our daughter Andy is a sophomore at Mt. Holyoke and seems to be doing very well in carrying out the Dartmouth tradition for the Buhlers by dividing her time between Hanover and South Hadley."
From the news that keeps coming in, I'm sure any of us could stand along any southbound road these days and very quickly get a ride from a '30 man going to Florida. A recent letter from me caught one of them just starting out — Herb Chase, who writes: "Your note arrived just as we were departing for a Florida vacation. I am writing this from a Motel in Rocky Mount, N. C., and find no stationery in the room so pardon using your letter. Saw Barbara and Fred Scribner in Washington last evening. Fred only briefly as he was leaving for the Gridiron Dinner. Barbara is prettier anyhow so we didn't miss Fred too much. Fred has lost 27 pounds and looks like he did in the days of Hanover. Says it is due to hard work and the Washington pace plus some diet.
"Not any new Dartmouth news as have been close to the job lately - Small Business Administration and trying to get those million things done before starting a vacation. Horace Allyn is a grandfather as his oldest daughter just produced a son in Jacksonville last week. Will visit grandchild on this trip and enroll in class of 1979."
Well - that's the way these fellows do and we sit in Vermont wishing for snow!
Secretary, Reading, Vt.
Class Agent, 1501 River Rd., Wilmington 3, Del.
