1917

On March 1 Al Hickmott retired after 43 years with Connecticut General but will continue for a few months to serve the company in a consulting capacity. Al was a vice president of the company and has been in charge of its securities. For many years Al has had several most interesting hobbies. He has been a collector of rare books, particularly rare editions of Elizabethan drama, poetry and private press books. He also is a collector of coins, stamps, antique automobiles, prints, and military miniatures. Much of his collection of books and miniatures has been donated to Trinity College of which he is a life trustee. He is a trustee and treasurer of the Watkinson Library, president of the State Savings Bank and a director of the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company and the Aetna Insurance Company.

Word has just been received that Russ Fisher's wife, Mary, passed away early in March. I am sure that all 17'ers will join me in extending sincere sympathy to Russ and his family.

Gil Swett recommends to those interested a thoughtful examination of the Dartmouth College Financial Report for the year ending June 30, 1959, together with the accompanying bulletin of the "named bequests" which constitute Dartmouth's endowment. Copies may be obtained upon request to the college. Said Gil,

Of special interest to me, as Bequest Chairman, was the listing of endowment funds already created by classmates. Leading the list, of course, was Eddie McGowan's memorial for his son, of the class of '44, which received further accretions during the year and now stands at about $88,000. Pete and Joy Cavaney made another addition to the Archie Gile Fund, which now stands at $5,260. Barney Thielscher's fund went up to about $1,000. The Class of 1917 Memorial Fund, to which over 100 Seven teeners have contributed over the last 43 years, now stands at about $18,400. These items do not include gifts received (e.g. the Memorial to Gerrie Shattuck) since last June, nor, of course, the unpredictable but substantial future endowment embodied in current estate-plans.

One thing about the Financial Report gave me pause to ponder, however, and that was the vast change in the scale of Dartmouth's affairs which has taken place since we were undergraduates. Dartmouth's total assets are now about $80. million, nearly forty times as great as they were in our day, but still lagging in Ivy League comparisons. The average plant and endowment per student is now about $25,000 - six times as great as m our day. Student fees in our day, if I remember correctly, were about $300 apiece for us They are now about $1,200 per student.

DISTAFF CHATTER — According to Gil Swett no one could do justice to the Brookses' Southern vacation except your Secretary's secretary so, with no further urging, I am happy to take over the typewriter and give an accounting. All of you nice 17'ers asked us to visit Florida just once too often — so off we started on February 27, leaving snow and ice behind us. Until we got to Jacksonville, N. C., that is, when the fringe of the big snow forced us to take shelter. The next day we were able to proceed on our way to Ormond Beach and Howie and Dorothy Stockwell's. Here it was unseasonably cool but we had a thoroughly enjoyable time - shuffleboard for the men with the president of the Shuffleboard Club winning handily, walking on the beach and delicious dinners at the Ellinor Beach Country Club and elsewhere. We moved down the East Coast to Fort Lauderdale and Bob and Anita Scott's. On the way through Palm Beach we tried to call Barneyand Adele Thielscher but got no answer which was too bad as a note from Barney was following us up and down the coast but received too late to arrange a meeting.

At Fort Lauderdale the cool weather continued but again we had a wonderful time. We saw our first jai alai match at Dania, my first orchid blooming in the Scotts' patio, shopped, and were guests at the Beach Club' the Country Club and a most interesting French restaurant. We were complimented beyond words when Bob gave up his beloved golf during our stay and, after three days we all drove down to Islamorada on Matecumbe Key where Norm and Mary McCulloch have a lovely winter home set in sub-tropical surroundings on the shore of Florida Bay. Norm has over a hundred different tropical trees and plants growing around his home while inside Mary has matched the gorgeous colors of Florida Bay with her collection of glass and paintings. Norm took the men deep sea fishing on his 32-foot sport cruiser and they came home with a perfectly respectable catch including yellowtails, groupers, a mackerel, an amberjack, and a cobia. As a matter of fact, the yellowtails looked so inviting that Norm sweet-talked the manageress of Olney Inn into cooking and serving them for our dinner. Of course he bribed everyone from the hostess to the cook with gardenias (plucked from his own bush) but that night will never be forgotten. A full moon over the Atlantic, the Inn set in a grove of hundreds of towering palms and the happy com panionship of Dartmouth 17'ers. We drove down the Keys as far as Marathon, then all six of us returned to Fort Lauderdale for a night before proceeding to Sarasota for more reunions with the West Coast contingent.

Six couples were entertained at supper by Gil and Marie Swett with Sumner and Charlotte Emerson and Bob and Gail Boynton making up the even dozen. The following night the same group enjoyed a chowder supper at the Emersons' and while there we all had our first opportunity to inspect their lovely new home on Jungle Plum Road, overlooking Hidden Harbor. Our first few days in Sarasota were spent with Gil and Marie where we could enjoy the quiet of their home set among tropical and citrus trees. The days sped past with sightseeing, shopping, a baseball game, golf and a performance by the Sarasota Players with Gil on one side of the footlights and an ardent claque of 17'ers on the other. Then, not wanting to wear out our welcome, we moved to a motel on Siesta Key, planning to recover from such unaccustomed gaiety and recharge our batteries. This was taken to be a sign of senility on our part so old friends from Montclair and all the Dartmouth and Vermont people hereabouts set out to remedy the situation with the result that there has been a party every night. Gail Boynton introduced me to the joys of shelling and we have been blessed this week with superb Florida weather so could enjoy the swimming. Back to the Swetts' for a few days before packing up all our summer clothes and lovely memories and heading for the north country. As Gil, that master of the pungent phrase, put it, "Not since Hannibal crossed the Alps and Sherman marched to the sea has there been such a successful invasion." I shall add one little thought. I have heard of Southern Hospitality all my life but it takes Yankees in Florida to really give meaning to the phrase!

Secretary, South Pomfret Rd. Woodstock, Vt.

Class Agent, 6 Wyeth Rd., Hanover, N. H.