1909

"It's Hanover for Mine in Fifty-nine" Stay Alive, '09ers, and Be with us for our Golden Anniversary Next June 12, 13, and 14

Guys in the prime of life, say their middle 30's, look a whole lot different than they do when they're about to celebrate their 50-year college reunion, as is the case this month with the glorious class of '09. The accompanying photograph shows some of the lads as they looked on October 27, 1922. The occasion was the pre-Harvard game gathering at the Boston City Club. How long this custom of annual get-togethers before the Harvard game has been going on, is a matter for Dartmouth historians to decide. My guess is that it may have originated about 1903, the year that the Green beat the Crimson for the first time.

Take a gander at the photo and let's see who's the who. In the foreground are Chet Brett (left), Bob Holmes, Emile Erhard, Dan Watson, and Al Newton. Across the table are Bull Hadden (upper left), Al Schofield, Art Shoppelry (behind Schofield), Pod Johnson, Craig Thorn Jr., Jock Adams, Craig Thorn, unidentified man behind Thorn, Pete Peterson, B. Matthew Scully, Phil Chase, and Take Mason.

The lads were dolled up with boutonnieres in those days, something that has been bypassed in more recent years. Pod Johnson and Emile Erhard had already joined the highdomed cult, but all of them looked pretty much as they did in college. Young Thorn was the class baby. He later was in the class of '31 at Dartmouth, and is now a grandfather in his own right. That makes his old man the only great-grandfather in our class.

Of this bunch, Erhard, Watson, Hadden, Schofield, Shoppelry, Peterson, Scully, Chase, and Mason have departed this earth. That's a pretty high percentage - nine out of 15 (not counting the unidentified man). As Joe Worthen expressed it, in speaking of the 50th, "We'll all be there, including a lot of wonderful guys whom strangers cannot see, but who so helped to make us what we were, when all the world was young."

You said it, Joe. If the nine mentioned men could return to living status, how many of them would show up on the 12th of this month? My guess is exactly 100%. And how many of you undecided ones who read this last minute appeal, will pack your grip and take the trip to Hanover?

MEET A COUPLE OF GOOD JOES

Aughty Nine (I prefer to tag it "Aughty" rather than "Naughty," although a number of the brothers would qualify under the latter title — names on request) has had its full quota of guys you'd like to go on a camping trip with. Among them are Chester Snow Brett and John Arthur Swenson, both of whom have made better than average successes of their lives, without getting off balance.

Chet (Don't-pull-the-wool-over-my-eyes) chose the wool business when he started out to carve a career for himself. Since 1921 he has had his own company, Chester S. Brett, Inc. in Boston. As he looks back on his career, he says, "The wool business has been most interesting, and has afforded me great opportunities, even today, for extensive travel in foreign countries. For the last four or five years, my time has been spent in South American markets - Argentina, Uruguay, Peru. Previously, my travels took me to England and the Continent, in. the interests of wool buying."

As an undergrad, Chet will be remembered as being manager of the freshman football team, playing on the varsity hockey team, and joining up with Phi Delta Theta and Dragon senior society. He was out of college five years before he got married to Martha Stevens. Their family consists of Chet Jr. '40, Constance, and Priscilla. Priscilla, it's a good guess, got her name from Colonial days, for Chet is a member of the Massachusetts Society for Mayflower Descendents. He also belongs to a bunch of other clubs and organizations, including Masonic orders, Algonquin Club of Boston, Eastward-Ho Country Club, Stone Horse Yacht Club, Boston and New York Dartmouth Clubs, not to forget the Rockefeller Center Luncheon Club of New York.

In connection with our 50th reunion, Chet is serving on Al Newton's main committee, being in charge of "gratuities." That's a high class name for tips. Al probably figured if the class couldn't dig up the dough, Chet could.

Among classmates who have earned the high regard of their contemporaries, is JohnArthur Swenson, the "long fellow" from Concord, N. H. In college he was known as "Swede," "Swennie," or "Art" - take your pick. He may not be remembered as playing on the freshman and sophomore baseball and football teams, but he will be remembered as a noted singer - Golden Throated Tenor, is the way critics described him. He sang with the Glee Club, the Choir, and the Orpheus Club. His fraternity was Alpha Delt.

Since graduation, Art has engaged in business with the family firm, the John Swenson Granite Co., Concord, where he holds the title of vice president. He is also a trustee of Concord's New Hampshire Savings Bank.

Art was married to Katharine McFarland in 1913. They have two offspring, Kneeland, who was in the same class at Dartmouth as Chet's boy, and a girl, Lois (Mrs. Moore).

During the ensuing years since graduation, Art has kept up his singing. His rich, high tenor voice is featured prominently in '09 quartet singing, blending with voices of Jim Hitchcock, Jock Adams, Sandy Hooker, and the late Jake Mason. Art has been a regular attendant at Dartmouth functions in and around Boston, and at class reunions. As one guy remarked, "They wouldn't be the same without Swennie." Through the years, he has been a generous supporter of the Alumni Fund and has done his bit for Capital Gifts.

To paraphrase the time-worn drinking song, Here's to Swennie, tried and true, He is Dartmouth through and through. Pledge him a toast, come shine or come rain, He'll ride to Heaven on the Glory Train.

Part of a group of '09ers at a pre-HarvardGame dinner in Boston in 1922. Who theyare is told in the 1909 class notes.

Class Notes Editor, 141 Pioneer Trail, Aurora, Ohio

Secretary, Sandwich, Mass.

Class Agent, 21 Walden St., Newtonville 60, Mass.