1916
The Class has suffered grievously in the loss of a number of classmates. My notes had already gone to Hanover when I learned of the death of Leonard Coleman Hatch, who died at Vineland, N. J., on March 18, and of Dr. Harold Henry Johnson, who died in Esparto, Calif., on April 17. Now comes word of the passing of Arthur Gillespie Fiske, which occurred at his home in Lowell, Mass., on July 13, and of Russell Brown Perkins, who died September 11, in Pasadena. Burial was to be in Wakefield, Mass., where Russ was born. On August 10, we lost an honorary member of the Class in the death of Laurence F. Whittemore, who died at Pembroke, N. H., a town his ancestors founded 200 years ago. Mr. Whittemore was an outstanding New England industrialist, former president of the New Haven Railroad, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and retired president and board chairman of the Brown Company. All told, he was a director, trustee or advisor of 28 New England corporations and institutions, and held honorary degrees from eight colleges in the area. The sincerest sympathy of the Class is extended to the families of all these Dartmouth comrades.
I had a nice letter from Dave Shumway while he and Marion were vacationing at Lake of Bays, Ontario. Earlier they had visited their daughter Judy and their sonin-law, who were stationed at Holoman Air Force Base in New Mexico. Dave has made a good recovery from his serious illness of a while back.
Stirling and Betty Wilson report a busy summer. Among other activities they painted Dartmouth House, their Bethesda home, inside and out, and did extensive work on the grounds as well. Stirling will soon be off, riding the autumn Barber Shop circuit. As I write this, we are trying to fix up a trip to Boston for the Harvard game. Stirling and Spence Sully (an. Eastern renegade now an ardent Californian) have been debating the relative merits of Florida and California (not a new subject) and Stirling had been kidding Spence about the earthquakes out yonder, when along came the hurricanes. Stirling confided to me that these girls never showed up in Ormond Beach, - at most were "hard rains and some winds." So now I have word that Donna blew down all the trees on his place, - really a tragic loss. Spence, do you want to buy a beautiful Florida estate, - cheap?
Your correspondent had a very pleasant summer and hopes all his classmates were as fortunate. My sister-in-law and I visited her daughter and family in Estes Park, Colo. Later she continued on to Houston to visit another daughter. I flew home to Swarthmore and then went to Maine, my old stamping ground, for the rest of the summer.
I was about to close these skimpy notes when Stirling came to my rescue with some news items, not all of which were pleasant reading. Carl Eskeline had sent him word of the death of Robert B. ("Sam") Thieme, who died at Redlands, Calif., early in September. Sam transferred to Dartmouth from a mid-Western College. I reported his serious illness in the June notes. Grand guy that he was. he never gave up. and was planning to come East in August to his fraternity convention. Our deepest sympathy to Aliene, his wife, and to his family.
Alee and Estelle Jardine sat out the big blow Donna at their cottage at Sagamore Beach, with no serious damage to the place. They expect to attend the Penn, Brown, Holy Cross. Harvard and Columbia games, so I trust that some of the brethren will run across them on the 50-yard line.
Jim Coffin reports that he and Ruth are in the pink, and that he is fully enjoying his 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. insurance agency job. They also plan to take in the Penn and Columbia games.
Lucille Cole was quite ill on the trip which she and Livy made around South America, and found it necessary to have an operation when she got home. However 1 am happy to say that she is making a fine recovery.
As a former head Class Agent I can deeply appreciate the pathos of these beautiful lines, which I quote from one of Stirling's recent Newsletters:
The Alumni Fund is over, Our loyalties testing.
Please speak and walk softly, Alec Jardine is resting.
Your correspondent hopes that you all have your gaze fixed steadily on the magic dates, June 12, 13 and 14, 1961, and that you will be in Hanover to live again those Wonderful Days Gone By.
Class Notes Editor, 7 Swarthmore Pl., Swarthmore, Pa.
Secretory. 4808 Broad Brook Drive. Bethesda 14, Md.
Treasurer, 15 Ravenna Rd.. Boston 31, Mass.
