1924

There's nothing like a two to three week vacation to put one behind the w.k. and j.f. "eight-ball" - and that's where I am now (April 1, - and no fooling). Pete Wheatley will know this when Alma and he return from their cruise in warm (Caribbean?) waters - and into hot water of piled-up routine; and so will Butts Lamson, when Harriet and he regretfully return from Bermuda. And so for us all, but it's nice while it lasts.

My mid-March invasion of the South was a strange mixture of weather. The old gag about New England weather (if you don't like it, - wait a minute) applies everywhere, it seems. Margaret and I enjoyed Richmond, Va., and especially because we met a lost soul who has never come back since his gradua- tion. Strange how a last name rings no bells sometimes, but then a nickname, as when "Cupe" was tied to Brady, made the difference. Good to see both Mr. and Mrs. Frank Brady, and we count on them for the Penn game weekend, to renew their youth with us. We were snowed out of flying to Charlestown, W. Va., and so missed Dave McMillan - if he got to the meeting at all. We also missed the good Floridians, when we finally found sunshine (but not much warmth) at Clearwater. I looked for some, but our time was too short and largely shared with the Nat Burleighs '11. In writing the birthday cards, I note that both Thurston Ritter and John Proctor not only live in Miami, but have back-to-back birthdays, April 9 and 10. (Some of you have thanked me for telling them of classmates who share the same day of birth. Why not make this a point of contact and friendship? This is happening every year as our class gets older and more mature. More and new friendships, and many of them very satisfying to all concerned. Don't be afraid to reach out.)

Speaking of Florida, I just heard that Art ("A.D.") Adams, for many years on the staff of nearby Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, is to be head of the English Department at Palm Beach next fall. How's to roll out the red carpet for Kay and A.D., Ed Howe? No, —on second thought, you've moved from there to Brooklyn, Ed. What's the story? But there's Lou Erckert, in West Palm Beach. And I'm really sorry we didn't come near to see you, Lou. In nearby Pompano Beach, Pat Donnelly and Ed Jones (really more in West Palm Beach, I gather from the address).

On the way home, I talked to the SouthEast Massachusetts club at Taunton, and was delighted to see Si Geilich; missed his son Chick, a former student, and also the Pete Wheatleys as noted above. Many will know Line Davis '25 and brother John in '29. Dick Tarlow '44, another former student. Then the only father-son team I met anywhere: Nat and John Ryder '24 and '62.

The reservations for Bonnie Oaks and the Penn game weekend are coming in slowly, and it is already clear we are going to have a best-ever Fall Reunion. If you have mislaid the Class Letter with the details, write me for another copy. I'll acknowledge pronto, and on that nice new letter-head Spud Spaulding designed for us (as Butts has told you). Do it now, and be sure of the best of accommodations. Time rushes on, in case you hadn't noticed: it's May as you read this column.

The many friends of Ralph (Ruff) Miller will want to know, if they missed the newspaper story, that the Civil Aeronautics Board has removed a negative mark against his well-known flying skill. It had been claimed that he had failed to direct carbureter heat to prevent wing-icing, but now a re-study shows that he had taken this precaution and so the tragic accident cannot be charged to this factor. Those of us who saw the snow squall in which he was caught will feel sure this alone was bad enough and could have caused the tragedy (UPI dispatch).

We hope that you will soon benefit from a windfall to the Class from Phil Morse: A photo album from the first two years, plus some winter and D.O.C. scenes. He offers it "to anyone who might be interested in using it" - and on behalf of the Class, I'm writing to ask it for all of you. One way of sharing from it will be through Butts Lamson's Class Letter. And so good news to you, Butts and all of you. (We'll look it over when we have Class Officers' weekend here together, May 13-14.)

After thirty years of distinguished service with Pennsalt Chemical Corporation, Fred Shanaman retired April 27 as Group Vice President, West. Henceforth his association with the company will be as consultant. Fred joined Pennsalt as salesman in 1930. In a succession of advances, he became vice president of Pennsalt of Washington in 1939, vice president of the parent company in 1942, president of Pennsalt of Washington in 1945, and a director of the parent company in 1949. "Through his able leadership the healthy growth of sales and earnings of our Western operations have represented a significant part of the company's overall growth," said Pennsalt's president of Fred's retirement.

As noted last month, Howie Bissell asked for (and got) evaluations from the administration and from me of the new three-term curriculum. This was one of the topics most asked about when I talked to the alumni groups. Read the ALUMNI MAGAZINE articles and also the recent (early April) issue of the Saturday Evening Post on somewhat related matters. (Perhaps it was mid-March; the 19th maybe.) But may I protest one sentence in your letter, Howie: "Nice to have an excuse to correspond with you " How can we persuade each and every last one of you that we yearn to hear from you —on "such an important and interesting topic of concern," or on the trivia of the passing parade. One good man, who annually scores, is Bill McNiff, the professorial colleague out in Miami, Ohio; it is always a sign of spring to get his St. Patrick's Day greeting. So, "Get on with ya" yourself, Bill. And I did have a fine St. Patrick's day trying to fly in the snow down south. This time his greeting carried good news: that he is another of our class who has found a second marriage good. So congratulations to the former Faith Green whom you married on June 5 at Peterborough, N. H. - "THE state," says he.

Two months ago I mentioned Abe Kolodin as having been with the Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, N. J., for a long time; now I note that he has been on the Staff there for the past thirty years, and now has been named as Director of Medicine. We share several things: both lived in New Hamp, we played handball together (in those terrible cement-floor courts in the basement of the gym), and have our doctorates from Columbia University - he his M.D. from P. and S. and I my Ph.D. from the Psychology Department. We also shared in the horrors of Delta Alpha and the indignities thereof; I wonder if the photos of Phil Morse have a picture I do have — of Abe in his particular and unique costume.... (No, we won't publish that one, I guess.)

Secretary,2 Brewster Rd., Hanover, N. H.

Class Agent, 328 Orchard PL, Ridgewood, N. J.