1899

Class Reunion - The 60th Hanover, June 12, 13, 14

The death of Arthur D. Wiggin in Exeter on Feb. 10, memorialized in the April issue, has been followed on April 6 by that of Leon Elmer Woodman in Rolla, Mo. And one day earlier, April 5, the widow of Herbert ("Peddy") A. Miller died in Orlando, Fla. She has been buried beside Peddy in Black Mountain, N. C. It was only last Oct. 18 also that Peddy's sister Eunice died in Boston.

Peddy's wife was born Elizabeth Northway Cravath in October, 1868, daughter of President E. M. Cravath of Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn. Peddy met her when he was teaching there during his first three years out of Dartmouth. She had graduated from Smith in 1890 and taken her M.A. in mathematics at Vanderbilt University. After their marriage in 1903 Peddy became more and more interested in sociology, his specialized study during the remainder of his life. "Bessie" was his devoted companion in his later college positions at Olivet, Oberlin, Ohio State, Bryn Mawr, Temple, Beloit and Black Mountain. She also shared his travels throughout the world; his labors for "submerged peoples" - whether negro, Czech or other, and his meetings with national leaders of every race. Bessie gave him an intelligent, stimulating comradeship, and made it her personal business to help conserve his physical and nervous energy. After his death in 1951 she lived in Orlando with their adopted son Maurice. But after breaking her hip in 1955 her health had steadily declined.

The Class of '99 finds peculiar pleasure in anticipating the presence at their Sixtieth of the two daughters of Peddy and Bessie's adopted daughter Gustova, - Petra, now Mrs. John E. Lopes of Gloucester, and Elizabeth Cravath Brown of Cambridge.

Peddy's sister Eunice was six years younger than he, attended Oberlin, then taught for several years. After taking courses in social work at Simmons, Eunice was employed for over 35 years by the State of Massachusetts in child welfare, with particular attention to interstate work with minors. She was as enthusiastic a '99er as Peddy and Bessie themselves, and a frequent attendant at Boston Class Round-Ups.

Final propaganda for the 60th Reunion of the Class in Hanover appeared in the May MAGAZINE and in the May Newsletter. As you read this the Class Flag may already be flying over Middle Massachusetts, - and I hope I'll be seeing you there. In the July MAGAZINE you'll be reading the story of the Ninety-Nine Family at home again, we hope a hundred strong.

Secretary, Newbury Rd., Bradford, N. H.

Class Agent, 11 Park View Drive, Worcester 5, Mass.