1955
June is a month of beginnings ... she has her graduations — or more appropriately, commencements; she has June Brides — or again more appropriately, grooms; and she has the first day of Summer. June has not been hesitant to bring to light several "firsts" involving "injuns," vintage '55.
Those who deserve the most immediate attention are the grooms of months past, present and to come. Among the most recent to forsake the fast-floundering fraternity of female-less fifty-fives is Lt. Morgan McGuire, who married Claudine Gras of Captieux, Gironde, France. Morgan is stationed with an Army unit in Captieux. Phil Kleinschmidt married Marcia Warner of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Marcia is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio. Rick Hollyer was an usher at the ceremony.
Ensign John Ballard married Sue Born of Pensacola, Fla. in a May third ceremony. She is a graduate of Agnes Scott College. John is now in Navy jet training in Pensacola. Lt./j.g. Ted Hawkins and Priscilla E. Finn were married in April in Priscilla's home town - Bronxville, N. Y. Ted's brother Dave, '53 was best man, and Lt. Ace Hall served as an usher at the wedding. Lt. Horton Conrad, who's currently stationed at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, married Georgia Slocum of Kingston, Pa. Georgia is a Wellesley alumna. Paul Mannes plans to marry Karen Klein of Philadelphia and the Connecticut College for Women this coming September. Paul is now at the University Law Center at Georgetown, and Karen will graduate with the Class of 1957. Paul Zimmerman will marry Margot Lurie in August. Paul is a second-year student at the Yale University Law School, and Margot, a graduate of Cornell and holder of an M.A. in political science from NYU, is a research analyst with the New York Life Insurance Company. Bill Gavitt, who's at Webb AFB in Big Spring, Tex., undergoing basic pilot training, will marry Shirleyann Ashton of Cranston, R. I., sometime this summer.
There could be no better month than June to cite graduations, more recent than that rainy one two Junes ago, that have sent fifty-fivers on their way to careers - indefinite in length though they may be - that are somewhat removed from those they were prepared for by their liberal arts education. To those of us who have chosen the "blue yonder" as our home for the next few years - and especially to fledgling pilots like myself, whether we're in the Air Force, Navy or even Army, the "wearin' o' the wings" is a most cherished and sought-after status. Fifty-fives who have recently stepped into the be-winged class are Bruce Gardener, Dick Drake, Al Keith, Red Hennigar and Web Wilde. Bruce, Dick and Al went through basic training at Laredo, Tex. Bruce will go on to B-47 training at Wichita, Kan., and Reno, Nev., while his wife Barbara and son Scott return to Teaneck until he completes his training. Red and Web are nextdoor-neighbors at Moody AFB in Valdosta, Ga., where they are undergoing F-89 training. Red says from there they'll be assigned to either Thule or New England. He didn't specify which assignment he'd prefer. "Stretch" Johnson received his wings as a navigator and is now assigned to Mather Air Force Base, Sacramento, Calif. Paul Tiemer is here at Bryan and will graduate before this issue goes to press. Paul is going to advanced school in gunnery and will eventually fly the F-100.
Jack Doyle writes from the Navy Supply School in Athens, Ga., where he and Gus Aberle continue the training that precedes their being assigned to sea-duty. Jack ran into Don Norris during his training. Don is a fifty-fiver who completed his studies for a degree at Willamette University in Oregon. Don has since been sent to the west coast where he has a duty assignment aboard an oiler. Willard Small also dropped in on Jack on his way to two weeks of reserve training at Fort Gordon, Ga. While at the Naval Station in Jacksonville, Jack saw Pete Stevens, John Batchelder and Ed Chapman. Pete and John are both in Air Intelligence and are awaiting further orders.
Lt/jg Jim Fleming graduated from Fleet Gunnery School in San Diego after four weeks of training. Ex-Ensign Bob Bagdasarian is now a Lt(jg), still stationed aboard the USS lowa. Frank Carlton, also recently promoted to Lt(jg), is stationed at Camp Smith in Hawaii.
Skip Mackey writes for himself and Ron Muller — "two Florida bound Ensigns who have the deal of deals in this man's Navy" and wish to inform fellow-Indians of their whereabouts, etc. They are assigned to the Naval Research Laboratories, and subsequently to "Project Vanguard" - the Earth satellite project. So far, uniforms have been optional and unnecessary except for formal dances, etc. Skip describes their duties as those of an electronic scientist assigned to the project. Last August, the project moved to Cocoa Beach, Fla., and Skip and Ron accompanied it on temporary orders. They remain there yet after a "rather nice, warm and sunny winter on the beaches" and look forward to two more years in that vicinity. They are currently assigned to the Air Force Missile Test Center, and are working on the only peaceful project on the cape.
Lt. Dick Hopkins is now assigned as an engineer with the Post Engineers at Aberdeen. Dick was with the Warner and Swasey Co. in Cleveland before his entry into the service. Don Wright sends word from Evanston, Ill., that he has received his orders and commission, and will report to Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Tex. Since June '55, Don has completed five quarters at Northwestern and received his M.B.A. Degree. While "awaiting the call to arms," he was employed by the Ford Motor Co., Mercury Division in St. Louis. On January 5 of this year, he married Julie Hinds, Wellesley '56, honeymooned in Nassau for a week, and then returned to Chicago where he took a job with Illinois Bell Telephone. Blake Irons is a personnel specialist at Ft. Belvoir. Va., and is "naturally quite sad," since the fort is exactly 16 miles from his home. Blake is currently in the enlisted men's personnel section at regimental level. Al Pill is also at Belvoir, and is currently "sweating" out the monthly levy which may place him on overseas duty.
Hank Stevenson will leave for six months of army training with the 102 nd Field Artillery Battalion of the Massachusetts National Guard. He'll be on a leave of absence from the Socony-Mobil Oil training program during his active stint with Uncle Sugar. BillWilbur has been sent to Europe - but he neglected to say where. I would surmise though, from his references to German beer and women, that it is somewhere in the Teutonic regions. Jay Hogan has been promoted to ist Lt. at Fort Richardson, Alaska. Jay is a gunnery officer in the 67th Antiaircraft Battalion. Pvt. Art Anderson has recently completed a course in teletype operation at the Army's Southeastern Signal School in Fort Gordon, Ga. Lt. Art Boudreau graduated from the Infantry School's ranger course at Fort Benning, Ga. Larry Veator is Company Commander of the 22nd Ordnance Company in Munich, Germany. His previous duties there were those of executive officer.
Along academic lines, John French writes from Harvard Law:
"Dartmouth's two intellectual representatives at Harvard Law continue to accrue honors. Pete Fishbein was just elected note editor of the Law Review - a position only slightly less meritorious than that of editor-in-chief. And Dave Page was elected chairman of the board of student advisors — a group ranking just below the Law Review, and requiring an A average for membership. These are both outstanding honors, and as far as I can see, the best Dartmouth has ever done here.
"Our class is up in another bracket too. The moot court trial competition here begins in the second year, with 8-man clubs competing on the elimination basis; six men write the brief, and two argue orally before regional judges, with one argument each semester until the finals which come in the spring of the third year. This spring, Jim Venman and myself are in the club which won in the quarter-final round and will argue in the semi-finals next fall. This all by way of explanation, for the noteworthy thing is that Jim was one of our two successful oralists - and, if we win next fall, will argue before a Justice of the Supreme Court."
Before I sign off for another year, just a reminder to my fellow procrastinators to "dig deep" and help Sky put the Class of 55 way up on the list of alumni contributors - where it belongs, and where it certainly should be in the light of Sky's untiring efforts to put us there.
To you and all of your families, a happy and eventful summer. So long for a while.
Secretary, Box 871 Bryan AFB, Bryan, Texas
Class Agent, Box 253, Brantford, Ont., Can.
