1920

The Oil Centennial has come and gone but while it lasted it was quite an affair. On August 25 Dorothy and I flew out to Titusville, Penn., where the first oil well was put down just one hundred years ago. We had three great, exhausting days of ceremonies, luncheons, dinners, parties and all that went with it. President Dickey came out on the eve of Centennial Day and made a four-star address to the assembled throng. It was an impressive speech and made for him and for Dartmouth a host of friends and well-wishers. The weather was stifling hot - away up in the 90's and humid but that scarcely affected the importance of the occasion and the festivities that marked it. People from all over the country flocked into Titusville by the thousands. Every hotel, motel and boarding house for fifty miles around was loaded to the rafters. I am mentioning this because the affair had a distinctive Dartmouth flavor. Had you been there you would have been proud indeed of your Alma Mater and her president. Honorable mention goes to Bill Stevenson '39, Associate Publisher of the Titusville Herald, who did so much to entertain the visiting Dartmouths and to see that full justice was done to Dartmouth's important part in the early days of oil.

To Abe Weld '21, the writer doffs his fedora for having contributed fifty dollars for the memorial book fund in memory of the late Beardsley Foster Jr. Come our next reunion I think the Executive Committee and the Class will want to consider a program whereby funds may be set aside to establish a book fund memorial for the members of the class as they pass into the Great Beyond. Many of the classes have already established such programs and, no doubt, we should take a good look at the matter.

A pleasant note from Sherm Adams brings up the matter of salmon fishing. Having spent a week on the Upselquitch along in July in a practically fruitless pursuit of the wily salmon, I was happy to learn that he had spent a few days on Southwest Miramichi. We'll have to compare notes when next we meet. I am willing to wager on one score, and that is that I had more black fly bites than he. Rachel and Sherm have been devoting themselves to literary and cultural pursuits as well as enjoying life in the country. In addition to Rachel's writing, she has had some of her paintings in various art exhibits which gives her a lot of fun. In addition, Rachel is in the construction business at the moment, putting up a stable for a couple of saddle horses which she added to their inventory of livestock.

All the old hairy athletes are well aware that the Pan American Games were conducted in Chicago along in August. They are probably not aware of the fact that our classmate, Laddie Myers, led a group of 75 former Olympic athletes as honor guard in leading the parade of nations around the stadium track at the opening of the games. There were any number of his former associates, both boys and gals from distant parts of the country who were on the Olympic teams of 1920 and 1924 with Laddie and Tommy Thomson. I know it was a wonderful occasion for . Laddie and I hope to get his first hand report when I see him a month hence.

We do not hear very often from Rube (Reuben) Warner, one of the stars of our freshman track team. However, a news report has come to our attention concerning a unique activity of his firm, Keane & Warner, Inc. in New York City. This company is exclusively an accident and sickness brokerage agency which directs all of its sales efforts to producers instead of to the public. They expect to do $1 million business in 1959.

Had lunch with Jerry Stone a few days ago. He reports that he can still see the pretty girls with his one good eye and he is hopeful that they can still see him. Jerry has been doing a lot of work in connection with the forthcoming 40th reunion next June. So have a lot of other folks and there is still much to be done. George Rand '19 stopped in a few days ago and gave me a lot of interesting and helpful information pertaining to '19's 40th this year. I'll see that this reaches Chairman Richter shortly. Seriously, it isn't too early to begin thinking about your plans for the reunion. It is going to be a family affair and the boys who might feel some diffidence because they didn't come back after the War, or didn't graduate, can be assured that they will have plenty of company when the bell rings at Hanover. It has been very heartening to have so many expressions from non-graduate alumni who are coming back. I daresay we'll turn out nearly as many non-graduates as graduates. Plan to bring the family back and be sure that it will be one of the most satisfying experiences you have ever had.

One more plug for the class dues. Al Frey, who handles that situation for the Class, deserves the best cooperation of all of us. It's a pretty tough and thankless job so make it easy on Al and on yourself by getting up a check. Obey that impulse. Do it now.

Jim Chilcott is presently in New Brunswick fishing the Miramichi for salmon. This is the second or third time he has been down there this summer and I can only hope that he has better luck than I had. All this brings up recollections of the alltime great fisherman and my long-time roommate, Philips Hood (Bung) Roland. So far as I know, he is the only human being that could make salmon behave. Hi, Bung!

Your secretary is counting on some vacation during October. Plans include at least two trips to Hanover and the Brown, Harvard and Yale games. We love the foliage in New England in the fall and wish that you folks that live in distant spots could enjoy it with us.

Secretary, 350 East 57th St. New York 22, N. Y.

Treasurer, Tuck School, Hanover, N. H.