1931's Advanced 30th Reunion: RETIRING CLASS SECRETARY
150 strong at our THIRTY-WON-DERFUL THIRTIETH! Combined in this total attendance figure of our just-completed 30th Reunion Rally in Hanover were 66 of our classmates, 47 wives and 37 children. While there was an impressively wide range of ages among the junior family members and a corresponding age range from contemporary to child-bride among the wives, there was a not-too-surprising age unanimity among our classmates. The full roster of reunion returnees will appear in the next issue (Beany Thorn's "maiden" effort) of our Newsletter. Arrival and registration day on Monday was one of those loverly "what is so rare as" June days which provided each of us and our families with equal warmth of sunshine and welcoming enthusiasm from Ed Brummer's reunion committee and staff. We headquartered at Russell Sage, a dormitory made illustrious during our undergraduate years by several of us who should and will remain anonymous for the purpose of this report. A tent of ample proportions erected immediately in front of Sage provided not only an impressive marquee but a totally functional visiting area, tap room, breakfast nook, music center, meeting hall and rain shelter.
Since all of you were provided with the itemized reunion program, I will use the space allotted to me in this report to chronicle the many highlights of what turned out to be a thoroughly pleasant and often sentimentally nostalgic renascence of reasonably hardy fifty-year-olds. As planned and predicted, our reunion committee had allowed enough free periods during the three days to permit chitchat, small talk, and related extracurricular activities to suit all tastes. President Dickey and his wife added official administrative stature to Monday's alumni dinner in the Gym by receiving all reunion classes at a reception in the Gym Trophy Room. Evening music and general conviviality at our tent during that evening were supplemented by the showing of a rare collection of class movies.
On Tuesday morning chairman Dick Holbrook convened the class meeting at what appeared in advance to be a reasonable hour but a substantial plurality of us still had trouble making the opening bell. By this time the attractive and altogether useful Nassau straw hats in which all of us, including our wives and children, were attired had begun to fit more snugly than the day before. It was quickly recognized that this was a problem of occupational head size rather than hat design. Following an invocation by Rev. Jim McElroy, Chairman Holbrook kicked off the meeting by a succinct summary of class events transpiring since our 25th reunion of four years prior. In succession there were brief reports by secretary FredSlaughter (for Jack Reno as well), treasurer Pete Evans, head agent Bill Wilson (and for Bill Steck), bequest chairman Jim Godfrey, Newsletter editor Russ Beckwith (and for JimFrame) and 30th reunion chairman Ed Brummer. Ed extended his thanks and those of the class to the supporting members of his reunion committee - to Bill Schuldenfrei for our effective reunion uniform of hats and badges (names in large type!); to Skeet Thomas for the junior program; to Jim McElroy for the memorial service; to Russ Beckwith for overall publicity; to Sher Guernsey for the picnic and games; to Dick Chase and Orie Hobbs for tent arrangements including music, cocktail party, beer and spirits; to Jack Benson as reunion treasurer and to Fred Slaughter as class luncheon toastmaster. Ten members of our class have died during the four years since our 25 th reunion and their names were read to their assembled classmates. This brings to a total of 52 the number of our classmates who have died since the formation of our class in Hanover in September of 1927.
By this time "Jersey Joe" Mullan had completed his third or fourth breakfast at the adjacent continental snack bar and had settled into his meeting chair with only a reasonable amount of commotion. Jack Reno gave a comprehensive and competent report as chairman of the nominating committee and presented the slate of nominees to the new executive committee. The slate of 19 men, combining the strengths of past committee experience, new blood, and wide geographical distribution was elected as presented. Jack's report will also be remembered for the delightful zipper story with which he introduced it. The class committee of 19, to serve for the ensuing five years, are BillBenger, John Benson, Sey Burge, Bunce Clarkson, Jim Godfrey, Bill Grant, Sher Guernsey,George Hawkins, Bill Minehan, Ernie Moore,Bob Oelman, Clif Power, Hank Richmond,Fred Slaughter, Beany Thorn, Bill Wendell,Bill Wilson, Shep Wolff, Doug Woodring. In a rump session of the new committee which immediately followed, Bill Wilson was elected chairman, John Benson, treasurer, and JimGodfrey, bequest chairman. Shep Wolff was elected secretary for two years, then ErnieMoore for two, then Bunce Clarkson for one. Beany Thorn will serve as Newsletter editor for two, followed by Bill Benger for three. Class agent for the next two years will be Hank Richmond, with Bill Wendell and SherGuernsey dividing the next three. John Martin's motion that a vote of thanks and gratitude be recorded for Dick Holbrook's performance as chairman was carried unanimously. As final evidence of his administrative talent, the scheduled 60-minute class meeting was completed in 57 minutes. During the ensuing class picture formation Jack Reno offered pictures from his Brownie box at a reduced price but due to his amateur standing the sales team from the Pierce Studio withstood the competitive challenge. The Hanover Holiday session on the subject "What Have You Read Since Leaving College - and Why Not?" was both lively and stimulating and our class was distinguished by having as a member of the panel Chuck Mendell, professor of English at Rollins College.
Tuesday afternoon's class picnic at nearby Storrs Pond took place under graying skies but the weather though in doubt remained clear and the track was fast. There were a few brave swimmers, a galaxy at the beer keg, innumerable replacements in the softball game and justifiable doubt during the entire picnic as to where participants ended and spectators began. Red Rolfe, Yankee third baseman and scout emeritus, confided that he had his eye on a budding third baseman who turned out to be housewife and grandmother Ruth Slaughter who fortunately was never called upon to field a bunt in front of home plate. The food served at the picnic was both good and abundant and the sentimental highlight was a musical performance put on by former glee clubbers of our class led with every bit of his undergraduate aplomb by our own varsity glee club leader Bill Waterman, who with his wife Ruth, two daughters and pitch pipe had travelled from Davenport, lowa, to this his first Hanover reunion in 25 years. Our music men were never better! Another welcome returnee to the Hanover reunion scene after an absence of 25 years was Bill Grant, but Olie Hedstrom can unquestionably claim the cluster for returning after the longest absence - his first return since graduation and this time with his wife Carolyn and three daughters. The evening performance by the Dartmouth Players of "Guys and Dolls" was superb, Broadway standards included.
Wednesday morning's opening session was a joint memorial service of our class with '20, '29 and '30 in Rollins Chapel. Rev. Jim McElroy's part in the ceremony was impressive. The Hanover Holiday program which immediately followed carried the controversial subject "Issues of the 1960 Campaign." The meeting matched its subject in controversy and none of the panelists came off with less scratches nor seemed better conditioned to continue indefinitely than our own John Martin. The final event was our class farewell luncheon in the Inn dining room. As window dressing all eleven members of the outgoing executive committee were seated at the speakers' table, joined by our guest speaker Thaddeus Seymour, Dean of the College. The meeting produced several honorable mention citations, including all of the 1931 wives who so nobly and patiently support their husbands' class and college loyalties and generosities. Ernie Moore was cited as best of breed for his sustained contributions to class news; Doug Morris for his appropriate and original poem contained in our reunion program; George Nickum for having come the farthest to this reunion (Seattle, Wash.); Chuck O'Neill for having come to reunion with the mostest family; and Bill Steck for the most original auto license number (D-1931). Hoppy had been invited as our luncheon guest and his thoughtful note of regret was read to the assembly. Retiring chairman Dick Holbrook acquiesced to our request for a few valedictory remarks following which class agent Bill Wilson was asked to give a report which turned out to be a permanent memento to Dick Holbrook from his classmates of a Dartmouth chair bearing a silver engraved plate expressing the gratitude of all of us for the excellence of his four-year chairmanship. I then enjoyed the altogether delightful opportunity of supplementing Bill's presentation to Dick with a further memento which we felt would be as appropriate to an advertising man's office dècor as would the chair to his fireside - the framed original of Abner Dean's frontispiece in our 25-Year Book. Dean Seymour's keynote talk was precisely that - covering "The New Dartmouth" in the fresh vein of faculty and undergraduate performance rather than the more publicized developments in excavation, brick, and mortar. He briefed us, he entertained us, he charmed us, and in so doing added the final note of satisfaction to a genuinely pleasurable THIRTY-WON-DERFUL THIRTIETH Reunion!
Following its Class Meeting, 1931 moved to the campus for its class picture in front of Baker library.
