1910
Now we approach the time for Tenners to move up front and occupy the center of the Alumni Stage. As the 50-Year Class, when next June arrives, we'll be "those old guys" - and proud of the name. It's one thing to read about other classes - how they performed in that limelight. It's something else again when we are called upon to act the part in real earnest. But, the years have passed and we must face it.
Of course, we should have a great number of Tenners and wives in Hanover. The problem is to get them there. One Tenner recently wrote "I doubt if high pressure publicity is needed. Those who have the interest and can attend, will do so anyway. Absentees will have valid reasons which any degree of pressure would not overcome."
How does that strike you? Are you one who all through the years has looked forward to the Big Year? Or are you one who says, "So what?" If in the "so what" group, shall we "hold our fire" and let you go on feeling indifferent? Or, shall we try to dig you out and get you stirred a bit so you might consider heading for Hanover next June?
There is a cup awarded each year, to the class registering the highest percentage of living members at reunion. Tenners have always liked to win in any competition. We got that idea way back in 1906 when we began taking the measure of '09. We won the cup at our 45th in '55. But that is not the big stake in reunions. It is the fact that reunion presents the opportunity for fellowship of kindred souls; that men look forward to renewing friendships of years gone by. Many an alumnus has been surprised by the genuine enjoyment he has had in these renewals of friendship when he thought beforehand that he was dragging himself to the reunion almost against his own wishes.
"Reunions do not add greatly to those values which practical Americans are said to live for" said Dr. Douglas Horton, dean of Harvard Divinity School, addressing a Dartmouth reunion group last spring, "and yet you will return to this campus again and again because you know that the entire environment will conspire to kindle in you once more the glow of youth and youth's experience."
It is our hope that Tenners will begin now in October, when this MAGAZINE reaches all Tenner homes, to think about and plan for the trip back to Hanover. All through the months ahead, reminders will be used to "guide our thoughts."
Ken Phelps, Whit Eastman and their wives, pals in Minneapolis before the Phelpses moved to California, held a reunion which took them to Alaska last spring. Both couples make a practice of birdhunting so there was special reason for selecting Alaska. Whit enlarged his reunion to include a luncheon meeting with Carp and a telephone conversation with Louie Langdell. The Eastmans and their new home were the subject of a feature article with several photos, in the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. The special emphasis was on the many bird houses around the spacious grounds. To quote: "Eastman, the nation's top amateur ornithologist, and his wife Karen, accumulated so much material about birds that they outgrew their apartment." The article states that Easty's new home is "the house the birds built."
Lake Morey Inn, at Fairlee, Vt., has often greeted Herb and Daisy Wolff in the summer but this year's visit was something to write about. This is the year when this younger member of the Tenner Tribe, reached the three-score-plus date. Herb writes: "Our clan had a wonderful time in Vermont. It happened to be one of those birthdays which is considered a milestone. So for part of our stay at Lake Morey, we had our five children with their spouses, eight of our twelve grandchildren, my brother and his wife - making a little party of twenty-two."
Charlie Fay reads the papers. It is a good thing he does for he has passed along a clipping of interest to Tenners. It carries a picture showing six persons and the caption reads, "Dance cash awards were presented to Arthur Murray students and teachers in Boston after national competitions among more than 400 studios." Among those six listed "from 1. to r.," is our own Maurice Blake. Congratulations are in order. Another about a Tenner comes from Nort Cushman. This one deals with our Tenner Congressman, Eck Hiestand. It discusses the "inflexibility" of the Judiciary Committee of the House. It shows the kind of thinking (or maybe it is not "thinking" but subservience) a fellow like Eck is up against with his bill aimed at a fundamental road-block to making labor laws modern and fair to all. The measure calls for repeal of that section of the Clayton Act (1914 vintage) which states, "The labor of a human being is not a commodity or article of commerce. Nothing contained in the anti-trust laws shall be construed to forbid monopoly." To quote the article by Holmes Alexander, which appeared in the Boston Herald in July, "Rep. Hiestand, however, has the boldness to reach out and try to brush the dust off the bogus old relic. 'Sure, human labor is not a commodity,' he tells me, 'but what has that got to do with the price of hamburgers?' "
News from the "best" Coast, as Carp calls it:
"Although better versed in the rules for the good life than the commandments that govern sports., Rev. Harold Robinson and wife, Mary, viewed a Giants baseball game at San Francisco the past season, from the box of Manager Rigney. Robbie's son, Harold S. '39, of Lafayette and Walnut Creek, San Francisco suburbs, is Rigney's physician."
A picture card from Sandy Sandberg "somewhere in France" indicates that with his wife, he enjoyed a two-month cruise in the Mediterranean with a week or more in Paris and Copenhagen. And Sandy is not retired as far as we know. As of yore, he probably has everything well under control.
Our ranks have beeen reduced again. Wayland Wood and Walt Wilson passed away after long illnesses. Walt's death occurred in April but word was not received until June, too late for the MAGAZINE. Both Tenners we know were counting on being in Hanover for the 50th. We'll miss them for they were deeply interested in the College and the Class.
The Harvard game, October 24, is the date of the next gathering of Tenners. Or rather, the night before at the University Club is your first date. If you figure on seeing the game, get your ticket application in before October 8. Start now to figure on our 50th in '60.
Tony, the pop-corn man, and his dog, Cy, who are featured in the '09 class notes.
Secretary, 501 Cannon PI., Troy, N. Y.
Bond Rd., Kittery, Me. Treasurer,
