1931
With most of us, our time commitments are on the tight side during these our vintage years, and you can therefore appreciate my surprised delight on receiving a choice and pinpoint report from Class chairman Dick Holbrook covering the recent Greater Manhattan rally of our Class. Written in addition to his heavy work load on the forthcoming Class book, Dice's nutritious missive is herewith reprinted without dilution. "More than one hundred '31ers live or work in or within commuting range of New York City, but our get-togethers are few and far between. However, as the fellow with the big grin replied to Dr. Kinsey, 'Tonight's the night!' I'm writing this on the train to Bedford while the fun is still fresh in mind. The gang began to Biter into the Dartmouth Club about 5:30, and in another hour or so there were thirty present and three delayed. We all shook hands, ordered drinks, and dove into the two crocks of cheddar (with crackers) that had been graciously given by that good guyRed Gristede, who also donated three handsome packages containing bon voyage comestibles. These went as door prizes to DutchHolland, Wally Thorsen and, I believe, ChubHetfield. One long-time-no-see classmate we all enjoyed talking to again was HowardCrosse. Howie is out in Glen Rock, N. J. We had a real fine turnout of lads from across and up the Hudson. Leo McKenney was on hand, Frank Blatz, Joe Ruskay, JohnnyCamph and Doug Carlson. Doug is still chipping away at his Bachelor's degree with night courses at CCNY. We all plan to attend his graduation in 1962.
"Charlie Schneider continues his mission of killing noise with Acousticon. Doug Woodring, having been cheated by the stork's prior visit to the Masons from having the Class baby, pridefully announced himself as coclass-father-in-law with Bob Wagner. Their youngsters married.
"Before dinner, a snappy gin rummy session started with Charlie McAllister, Jack Warwick, Charlie Simonson and Bill Wilson. Jack and Simie hit the pack again right after dinner, having seen the 'Football Highlights of '58' which Mike McGean had kindly furnished us from Hanover. This was a rousing forty minutes of Gundy-Burke-Crouthamel, Krutch and Company. Charlie McAllister's boy Sheff was the hero of the final play of the film. Of course all '31ers are well aware that Captain-elect Bill Gundy is a nephew of Charlie Simonson.
"Bill Wilson gave a straightforward statement about the need and merits of the Capital Gift fund drive and was properly applauded for his winning leadership last year. Don Stoddard told about his second son (they have three - the oldest now at Hanover) whose gridiron prowess has inspired courtship by many colleges, but he is firmly set on Annapolis. Bill Little's boy has changed his mind from Princeton to Holy Cross and we can only hope he will keep heading more to the north.
"Bill Seney, management consultant deluxe, was twitted for being the only '31er who returned a card to the dinner committee but neglected to check the Will Come box or the Won't Come; claimed the thing was too complicated. Jack Leuthner and Frank Hodson were on hand. Also Ed Maas, Frank McCord, Sid Rubin, Bob Wallace, Mil Hallenbeck and Jim Lyall. Each man gave us a little spiel about his current activities, but to tell all would be to undercut Russ Beckwith's efficient personal mentions in the Wah-Hoo-Wampum.
"Bill Schuldenfrei was on hand with that big, honest beam of his - on his face, not his hips - and with a good tan, so we suspect Bamberger's hasn't occupied all his time. Chuck Briggs was down from White Plains and also wore a becoming reminder of southern suns. Dick Cukor, Mel Levison and Johnny Cogswell were expected, but didn't show. Joe Merriam had to be in Minneapolis. Bob Frederick and Bernie Boyle were vacationing. Dan Denham and Hank Richmond attended the Capital Fund regional dinner here in New York as representatives from the Class.
"As a sort of teaser and ad for The Book, I brought along a sheaf of galley proofs for the gang to read. Announcement was made that the corrected page proofs were now in process of offset printing and a mailing could be expected late in April."
From the Pacific Northwest comes news that Sherm Pedersen has been named a vice president of Compton Advertising in Portland. Sherm moved to Oregon back in 1942 to become advertising and sales manager for White Stag Manufacturing Co., moving into the ad agency field a few years later.
The latest edition of The Capital D Fund Drive report includes pictures of Greenwich, Conn., area chairman Jack Cole, Boston's South Shore (Weymouth) team captain Bob Tonis, and Wellesley-Framingham division co-chairman Johnny Boermeester.
The following new addresses are reported, one on each coast line of this broad land: Dr. Byron J. Garson - 1 Washington Square Village, South Washington Square, New York 12, N. Y.; Nicholas B. Oleksiw - 90 Rockridge Road, Hillsborough, Calif.
The most freely predicted and equally substantiated reward of this class office is the renewed contact with classmates and class affairs. The offices of the College fully support this academic renascence with reports of both class and college activities. Chairman Dick has contributed a generous briefing of the contemporary Manhattan Island segment of our class, but there is also a substantial sprinkling of the rest of you peppery fifty-year-olds located far and wide and from whom I need an individual or collective accounting. I'll even cite random specifics, such as pick an' shovel Dave Bender, transit and rod man Charlie Babbitt, swimmer FredBurkhardt, medicine man Dr. Pete Boynton, Alexander Graham Bell's Johnny Cogswell, sprinter and professor George Stevens, skimeister and adman Bob Baumrucker, Arizona rancher Bob Hale, Denver ex-motorcyclist Bob Chapman and indigenous pediatrician Dr. Swede Nelson, California entrepreneur Walt Douglas, and Tuck School's international banker Vic Rockhill who, I am told, has recently returned from a major expedition to Australia for Chase-Manhattan.
Happy May Day!
Secretary, 734 Keystone, River Forest, Ill.
Class Agent, . 225 Jefferson Rd., Princeton, N. J
