1939
At the expense of sounding like a chaplain, we would like to open the column this month with some philosophy on the Alumni Fund.
When we are born on this earth we automatically become consumers and taxpayers. If we grow into responsible adults our assumption of other voluntary responsibilities begins to increase. We assume our share of the costs of our religion. This is Spiritual. We assume our share of the costs of community funds and other charitable drives. This is Humanitarianism. If we believe in the validity of the higher education we received, we voluntarily participate in programs to keep it alive and healthy. This is Intelligence.
The most peculiar part about these contributions is their painlessness in retrospect. The hurt is momentary at the time of writing the check. One week, one month, one year later it is impossible to remember what material thing we gave up because we contributed.
Our class has never been famous for its Alumni Fund results. On the other hand we are not giving polish to the mirror for improvement of our self-image. Instead our contributions help to neutralize the cost of inflation so that Dartmouth can keep its same place in the sun for this and the next generation as it did for ours.
We had a surprise phone call the other day from Clem Burnap and played host for dinner. He was in Dayton visiting ARDC at Wright Field on behalf of his employer, North American Aviation, for whom he sells, on a world-wide basis, atomic energy installations for peaceful old power generating. (And you think you've got it tough!) He and wife Elaine have lived in London, Paris, Milan, Copenhagen, Stuttgart in the past few years. (They liked Paris best.) They ran into Jim Parks once in Cairo and once in Beirut. They now live in Brentwood, Calif., as we reported several columns ago. Clem has aged gracefully, exudes his usual dignity, and managed to absorb most of my cheap gin.
Clem further reported (as the evening wore on between the songs we used to sing) spending some time in Washington, D. C., last month with Peg and Bill Parkhill and their two charming daughters. Bill works out of the Air Force chief engineer's office answering to Congress for 900 million dollars worth of Air Force world-wide expenditures.
Clem also has had business negotiations with Ace Bailey, v.p. of Raymond International, discussing plans for nuclear installations in foreign lands. Then, some time ago in Richmond, Va., he was with Ruthie and Jack Cathcart. Jack is still with du Pont. Last fall at the Columbia-Dartmouth game he saw Frank O'Brien and some kids. All told, a very fruitful visit. Come again, Clem.
John Horn is merchandising manager of Lord and Taylor, 424 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y., and lives at 4 Hickory Lane, Darien, Conn. John Litchfield, we think, is sales manager of Moto-Mowers and lives at 1165 Ranch Road, Lake Forest,Ill.
We wrote to Red Jensen asking for news. We got a swell reply with news of everybody but Red. He did mention his three boys are now sixteen, fourteen, and ten which in itself explains a household of no solitude. We quote from Red's letter:
Bob Elkins is in the construction business with his father, Adams and Ruxton, Inc., Springfield, Mass. John Karr has been running Ludlow Coal and Oil. John installs heating equipment and then supplies the fuel. His firm recently merged with another local oil supplier to put the squeeze on the little fellows. Hank Britton prospering as a wholesale lumber broker. Firm name is Britton and Stone Lumber Company, Inc., West Hartford, Conn. Earle Seeley works for Borden out of Bridgeport, Conn., office. He and wife Jean designed Borden entry in gala float parade last July 4 and took the first prize. Parade was in Bridgeport and float design was completely made of flower blossoms. Mike Daley is president and treasurer of Walker Millwork, Inc. This is a Springfield, Mass., firm which sells only quality products to the builders of expensive homes in the area. Mike and his wife Elizabeth have two daughters. Skip Morse is now director of all purchasing for Union Bag-Camp Company with head office in NYC. He recently visited here while touring prep schools in the area with his son, Wick.
Last Friday night I went to the annual meeting of the Springfield Dartmouth Club. President Dickey was the main speaker and honored guest. He brought us up-to-date on the three-three system, Carnival on TV, the progress of the Hop- kins Center, the high quality of the faculty today, and on the expansion of the physical facilities. Distinguished visitors from Holyoke included Lou Oldershaw and Hank Bagg. Toby Wing is a frequent visitor. He and wife Lucille are still ardent skiers and take advantage of every weekend. Toby is in the finance business representing a Boston bank in Springfield.
Here are some address changes: Frank Davis, 2209 Harvard, Midland, Texas: Earl Dearborn, RFD #1, Suncook, N. H.; Robert Kwis, Box 5067, Cleveland 1, Ohio; Otis Lamson Jr., 7204 N. Mercer, Mercer Island, Wash.; Bruce Learned, 18 Furness Lane, Wallingford, Penna.; Dr. Roy M. Sherburne, 9 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, Vt.
We sign off for the summer with this issue. See you in the fall, and if possible do something about the Alumni Fund.
Secretary, 1908 Coolidge Dr. Dayton 19, Ohio
Class Agent, 70 Pine St., New York 5, N. Y.
