1935

Almost 29 years ago, when as freshmen in Hanover we received our first marks, it was reported that only one of us got 4 point A's in all subjects. There was much inquiry about who was this dreary grind who had made straight A's. But, when confirmed, it turned out to be a buoyant young man named Robert Sellmer who went to the Nugget every night and spent very little time over his books. Sellmer, as it happened, was abundantly endowed with a keen intellect, an insatiable curiosity, and a photographic memory that enabled him to get good marks without much study. His career since has certainly been one of the most unusual and varied in our class, and having had the pleasure recently of revisiting with Bob in Madrid, your correspondent will take this opportunity to bring Sellmer's career up-todate.

Bob was already writing articles for national magazines while still in College, and after graduation continued free lancing for a couple of years in New York and then took off for Europe. He worked on a Norwegian freighter, did articles on the Arctic, lived in Denmark awhile, and was covering one of the pre-World War II outbreaks in the Polish Corridor when he was mistaken for a spy and rather severely beaten up. Later he became Budapest correspondent for the London Times.

Sellmer foresaw the coming of World War II earlier than most of us, and, determined to do something about it personally, gave up his job with the Times and went to France to join the Foreign Legion. His life was quite possibly saved at the time of the big German push in May, 1940, by the fact that he had just come down with impetigo and been moved back to a base hospital.

During the confusion and despair attend- ing the fall of France, Sellmer made his way southward just ahead of advancing German lines - existing literally on hand-outs from French farmers. He eventually escaped across the Pyrenees, and, signing up with a British Royal Air Force representative in Portugal, was sent back to England'to start pilot training.

After getting his wings, Bob flew fighter planes on sweeps across the Channel, then was shipped off to Africa and the Near East, and, eventually, after our entrance into the War, was transferred over to the U. S. Army Air Force. He went through a dozen battles and survived innumerable missions without so much as a scratch - until finally one day in Naples, in his capacity as squadron mess officer, he was driving into town to pick up a consignment of liquor when he had a jeep accident which rather badly mangled one arm. He returned to this country for rest and treatment, and while receiving therapy in a hospital near Pawling, N. Y., he learned to paint and also met his future wife, Bea, who was serving as a WAC lieutenant.

After the War, Bob went back to free lancing and for one period was a major contributor to Life as .well as other magazines. The lure of travel and adventure called again, however, and in 1953, he rejoined the Air Force and went off to Spain.

Sellmer has played an important part in the development of our bases in Spain, first as an Air Force officer and later as an executive with the construction company handling the project. Now he runs his own consulting service, advising principally Americans and British who have businesses in the Iberian Peninsula and in North Africa.

I spent several days with Bob and Bea in March, and can attest that life with the Sellmers is still of a gay and stimulating variety. Bea gave me a party attended by the top military and embassy people in Madrid, and Bob turned up with a gal bull fighter as my date. They took me to an international soccer game where 120,000 mad spectators made our Yale games seem rather unexciting fare; to meet Ava Gardner, Sheppard King, the Texan who collects Egyptian belly dancers, and assorted generals and oil prospectors at the Castellana Hilton bar; and on a specially escorted tour to see the rare collection at the Prado. Sellmer himself lives something like a modern version of a Spanish grandee, with four or five servants who wait on him at home, and a chauffeured car always standing by to run him out to the airport or the Hilton bar. He invites any '35er coming that way to look in on him, Bea, and their two boys, Michael and Peter.

After Madrid, I spent several days in London, and had the opportunity to visit with Hugh Wolff, who is with the Embassy there as economic advisor to Ambassador Whitney. Hugh took me out to his apartment to meet his wife Lucia, and their three children, and we had dinner together at the Columbia Club, a favorite of Americans in London. Hugh used to be in his family's insurance business in Chicago, but for several years now has been in the Foreign Service, with time in Washington and Paris. He hopes to arrange his leave this summer to make our reunion.

INCIDENTAL ITEMS

Ben Harriman moves from Rochester to St. Paul, Minn., where he takes an important scientific post with Minnesota Mining.

Rode Hale is now assistant to the vice president in charge of research for Airborne Instruments Laboratories in Melville, L. I.

Bob Naramore reports a most pleasant visit recently with insurance man Earl Arthurs and his family in Charlotte, N. C.

Thirty-five was well represented at the kick-off Alumni Fund meeting in New York last month by Reg Bankart, Yank Price, DickStern, Bob Boehm, Lou Bookheim, your secretary, and Carl Funke, who as past president of the Dartmouth Club of New York occupied a seat at the head table with President Dickey and other College leaders.

Bill Mathers has left Yale and Towne to return to the practice of law as a member of Chadbourne, Parke, Whiteside and Wolff.

Bob Roundey writes that he is coming to the reunion with Bill Adams and their families.

Ed Skillen was in Europe last fall and reports that he came back on the same boat with Fritz Beebe's wife, Diane.

Ray Schear writes from Mobile, Ala.: "We live in Paradise in a Creole Raised house which we call 'Schear Folly!' I am a pediatrician with few hobbies, leading a wonderful lazy life in this wonderful, lazy climate."

Rocky Rockwell recently went to Aspen to be guest moderator at the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies, and reports he got in a lot of skiing in addition.

Howie Chase, manager of the Hanover radio station, has been re-elected president of the Lebanon Chamber of Commerce.

Don Saunders up in Westbrook, Me., recently became a grandfather.

Bill Davidson has been elected president of Davidson Corp. (a family firm), subsidiary of Mergenthaler Linotype in Brooklyn.

Bob Richter slipped on the ice in early March and almost knocked himself out with two fractured vertebrae. He has been recovering at Norwalk (Conn.) Hospital where he reports that baby doctor Cliff Mills stops in to cheer him twice daily.

A late news flash announces the appointment of Frank Cornwell as assistant to the vice president in charge of marketing for Monsanto Chemical Co., St. Louis. Congratulations, Frank!

Bob Sellmer '35 in his French Foreign Legionuniform during World War II. For somefurther details, see the '35 class notes.

Secretary, 17 East 45 th St., New York 17,N.Y.

Class Agent Libby Division, Owens Illinois Glass Co. Box 1035, Toledo, Ohio