1937
Some weeks ago we found a new Alumni Club in New Canaan, Conn., to serve not only New Canaan alumni, but also those in Wilton, Ridgefield, North Stamford, Conn., as well as Vista and Pound Ridge, N. Y. Our own Dave Taylor was elected vice-president. Among those present was Dave Camerer who promised to send us a letter about his trip to Europe last fall. Dave kept his word, and here is his epistle:
"A word to get caught up or catch you up on various and sundries. And before going any further, a hope that the alumni bunch around New Canaan gets off the pad. I mentioned that Muriel and self had taken six weeks off last fall to do a bit of Europe. A good trip. Left on the United States Sept. 25 ... landed London five days later. Spent eight days and the only Dartmouth remembrance was the visit, one night, to the very old, ancient and honorable Cavendish Hotel on Jerymn St. where in August '37, MuttRay, Tom Cohen, Mort Berkowitz and BillCash stayed (yes, and Ben Ames Williams too) ... and there said a short prayer as the ghost of Rosa Lewis wafted about the premises this particular evening. The grand dame has been gone some twelve years now, but her old housekeeper finally remembered with a clatter and a clash. 'I do remember! That champagne party in the middle of the night with all the bottles smashing in the courtyard and the Bobbies arriving! And dear Rosa putting you all in your places.'
"Flew to Paris, where our chaperone was Johnny Meston and his bride, Bette Ford Meston. Bette is put together right, for a model or a bullfightress, which she was to the tune of 119 bulls dispatched in rings of Mexico City and way stations as far as Philippines. Johnny studying French and the French as a sabbatical from his 'Gunsmoke' chores and, when he's not knocking out outlines for scripts into 1961, prints great denominational franc notes in his cellar at 67 Henri de la Fitte, Neuilly, Paris ... in fact, great, wet wads of them. Anyhow all his friends will be glad to know that in this gal Johnny has a winner. We all went to Longchamps one Sunday and couldn't even hatpin a winner. (Note: the French two-year-olds are bigger and rougher than ours. .. .) Also, one eve we all visited Mutt's hideaway in Montmartre, 'Les Naturistes,' all the deshabille dames were bleating and braying for the old Romancer who looks upon this dive, I gather, as something of a French YWCA.
"After Paris, stops included Geneva, Zermatt, Lugano, Milano, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Capri, and Positano and flew home via Pan Am from Rome on November 7 - about eleven hours airborne from Rome to Paris and kerplunk at Idlewild. All in all a wonderful trip - first time for bride Muriel which made it twice as enjoyable and it's sure a spectacular way to go broke in a hurry.
"Anybody in London, look up Bill Lyons, manager of the Pan Am office there. ... Saw Princeton game two weekends after arriving home and a lot of the usual crowd with several fresh faces that ain't as fresh as twenty plus years ago . . . been at CBS three years this spring .. . writing small radio network show, 'lt's Sports Time'.. . first with Herman Hickman, then with Phil Rizzuto and Frank Gifford (all good men and Herman deserved to live lots longer than his allotted span which ended two years ago this April). Between scripts for this brisk little number which falls between Lowell Thomas and Amos 'n Andy six evenings per week, manage to work on various books. ... In one way or another, believe the Camerer home library has grown to seven or eight titles ... several being sports and several with autobiogs including Grantland Rice in '54... Roy Campanella ('lt's Good to be Alive' Little, Brown and Company, last October) and of course that novel, 'The Damned Wear Wings' (now in paperback form) .. . and Bill Goetz or whatever other Hollywood producers with the D brand, better get with this one for the flicks before it's too late. (Too late for what I ain't sure, except that Sophia Loren is growing older!)
"Michael, age eleven, is gleaning his Ds in life at King School... a day hop boys' school run by Bob Jackson around Class of '39-'40 at Princeton and a good back as I recall. Now all he needs is some As ... and maybe Eddie Chamberlin will look twice at him eight years hence!
"lncidentally felt a helluva lot younger going back for Carnival last February than I did for World Telegram coverage in '38! Strange, but I find that you feel more antique returning after one year out than you do after 21 or 22 ... took this up with Dear Ann Landers.. . and she told me it was strictly senility or softening of the brain. What,' dear diary, do you think?
"P.S. While in Rome had drinks with Alan Jacks at his home... including his lovely French bride and brood . . . Alan running the AP office in Rome and looks wonderously cadaverous and he extends a big bowl of warm welcome to all Dartmouth pilgrims in Rome for the Olympic Games this summer. Just say, 'Dave sent me.' "
The Mobil Oil Company announces that Russ Tompkins of 4 Oak Hill Road, Chappaqua, N. Y., has been appointed manager of the company's manufacturing-employee relations. Russ joined Mobil in 1946 after a four-year hitch with the U. S. Navy. He became a general salesman for Mobil's North Shore District of Massachusetts in 1947 and the next year was appointed an employee relations staff assistant in the New England Division. In 1953 he was named employee relations adviser in the Lakes Division, Buffalo, and recently has been project supervisor in Socony, Mobil's employee relations, department.
Likewise a few weeks ago we received some newspapers from Hagerstown, Md. There on page one were big headlines "Vast Dillon Orchards Sold for Reputed $2,000,000." Below was a picture of Sam Dillon and his father, Sam with an apple in his hand, and his dad looking as spry and young as he did twenty years ago. The word vast is truly an appropriate adjective when one considers that the Dillon orchards, built up entirely during Mr. Dillon Sr.'s lifetime, embraced over 5,500 acres, with over half of it planted in apples, peaches, cherries, prune plums and pears. This represents a capacity of over a million bushels of apples alone. What a sight these orchards are in early May, covering the rolling hills with color as far as the eye can reach! The last report we had was that Sam will assist the new owners, a large California organization, who market under the Blue Goose label. So that he won't lose his touch, Sam also plans to operate a separate orchard of his own, a mere 800-acre affair.
A few last minute news items. Ben Doran elected president of Pulp Chemicals Association. Al Gray appointed vice-president of Brooks Brothers in New York, in charge of clothing operations and factories. Bob Crawford, vice-president of Glens Falls Insurance Company, elected to the board of directors. Dave Nichols appointed principal of the Gilbert School in Winsted, Conn. Doug Morris joins Warwick and Legler as vice-president for drug division. Also, Henry Jones, executive vice-president of Electralab Printed Electronics Corp., elected a vice-president of the parent Farrington Manufacturing Com pany.
Secretary, 25 Old Stamford Rd. New Canaan, Conn.
Class Agent, 4285 N. Port Washington Rd. Milwaukee 12, Wis.
