1909
A Salute to Senator Moses
"I would rather 300 times be U. S. Senator from New Hampshire than Vice-President of the United States; that job shelves you; puts you out of it; makes you a cipher." These words were spoken by Senator George H. Moses '90. At that time he had never heard of Richard M. Nixon, a senator who came to be a vice-president, and later, a candidate for the presidency. In the days when Moses was active in politics, his words carried weight and his attitude was logical.
At one time during his college course, Moses roomed with the father of our secretary and treasurer, Bert French, who was the class baby of '88. He was, incidentally, the class baby of '09 for he had just passed 16 when he entered as a freshman.
George H. Moses was referred to as "The most exciting man in public life." He served three terms as senator from New Hampshire, being defeated in 1932 at the time of the Roosevelt landslide. It may be gathered from this that he was a staunch Republican.
In college, Moses was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity and the Sphinx senior society. After graduation, he continued his education and was awarded an A.M. degree from Dartmouth in 1893. He received an honorary membership to Phi Beta Kappa in 1933, and he received honorary LL.D. degrees from Dartmouth, George Washington U. and Lincoln Memorial U. A close student of the classics, in 1909 his desire to study and live in the Near East was satisfied through his appointment by President William Howard Taft (another Psi U) as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Greece and Montenegro.
Before his departure for these countries, Moses was a guest at a Dartmouth party which was attended by Gig Gallagher '06, one of Dartmouth's all-time great personalities and the very soul of Dartmouth spirit. In the course of the evening, Gig was seen to kick the shins of Moses. Someone remarked, "You can't kick the shins of the Envoy Extraordinary to Greece and Montenegro." To which Gig replied: "I am kicking his shins."
Moses was an outstanding orator and an extemporaneous speaker of rare wit. Always outspoken, he let the chips fall where they may, regardless of whether they hit friend or foe. He was a warm friend and admirer of Teddy Roosevelt. By his strategy, it is said, he was largely responsible for the nominations and elections of Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. When it came to voting on issues in his capacity as senator he was credited as "voting as he thinks." In business, Moses was a newspaper man. He was married in 1893 and became the father of a son, Gordon, who was graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1922. Death came in Concord, N. H., December 20, 1944 in the Senator's 75 th year.
Thus ended the career of one of Dartmouth's Greats who served his college and his country well.
When He-men Became She-men
In Junior Prom shows, staged by studes in the fore part of this century, female parts were played by guys dressed up as gals. This didn't necessarily tag them as sissies, for that breed of male was a rarity at Dartmouth. It was all in the spirit of good, clean fun.
Among the female stars was Art Soule '08 who grabbed off the leading feminine roles during his years in college. Many were the love songs beamed in his direction, and Art, who was a natural blond with a fresh, rosy complexion, would look shyly at the floor, as becoming any modest maiden. The "Oh, for Worlds To Conquer" lads did their best to captivate Art, and they always succeeded.
The class of '09 didn't boast many of the "femme fatale" types. The most realistic example, perhaps, was Russell "Lillian" Alvord, a buxom blue-eyed blond who, strangely, sang bass in the Glee Club. Russ appeared as a snake charmer in the "Society Circus" that Bunk Irwin introduced to Dartmouth. DukeNaylor, who acted as ring master, put on a good show ballyhooing Russ.
The show in which the irresistible females appearing in the accompanying photo took part was "If I were Dean," if my memory serves me right. In the front row are: Tom (Doc) Foster '10 (left); Spuddy Pishon '10; Cap Caproni '11; Cheever Comey '10. Middle row: Ray Thorn '11 (left); Les Harding '11; Wally Ross '09. Top row: Herb Uline '11 (left); Dutch Irwin '11; Gene Gardner '11; Tat Badger '08; Chummy Bills '08.
Time moves forward. In a few years, guys no longer became gals. Female leads and chorus girls were played by flesh and blood dames who lived around Hanover. When jess Hawley was coach at Dartmouth during the 20's, his little woman, Louise, participated in a number of college shows. She created quite a sensation in one of them by appearing in a grass skirt, revealing her feminine charms. That was a time when the female figure was not as commonly displayed as it is today. We old grads, who had to be content with a stage fare of boys dressed up as girls, sigh wistfully when we think of what we've missed by being born twenty or thirty years too soon.
Let's face it, men. We've reached the stage where we're living on borrowed time. Nobody knows who will be taken next, and during the time "we have yet a little while to linger," it's well to grab off every opportunity we can to fraternize with friends, at class reunions and other Dartmouth gatherings. The thought of lost opportunities is well expressed in a verse by Charles Banson Towne which was sent to me by Mike Readey.
AROUND THE CORNER
Around the comer I have a friend.
In this great city that has no end; Yet days go by, and weeks rush on, And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friend's face, For life is a swift and terrible race.
He knows I like him just as well As in the days when I rang his bell And he rang mine. We were younger then, And now we are busy, tired men: Tired of playing a foolish game; Tired with trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow," I say, "I'll call on Jim, Just to show I'm thinking of him.'
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes, And the distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner — yet miles away — "Here's a telegram, sir." "Jim died today.
When boys would be girls: This bevy of beautiful damsels may bring to mind the spring of 1908 when this group of lovelies formed the chorus line in a college prom show. See the 1909 notes for story.
Class Notes Editor, 141 Pioneer Trail, Aurora, Ohio
Secretary and Treasurer Sandwich, Mass.
