1931

In my enthusiasm to try to make this column an interesting one I apparently let myself get carried away and submitted too much material for one class. I have now been informed that the limit "is 1200 words (two columns in the MAGAZINE) or about four typed pages."

Last month's column originally was eleven pages full of interesting material so was accordingly cut down to the allotted size (with which I was not previously familiar). I think that writing a column toy just loading it with a flock of names and then making some accompanying statement about a change of address or something else trivial is a waste of time and I myself would pretty soon give up reading such a column.

I must have been on the right track in trying to give you lots of information about one person or one family since so many of you have been nice enough to write in to tell me that you have enjoyed the various columns. Therefore, I'll stick to that policy even if it means getting mention of fewer names in the news each month.

Please continue to write me in detail and I'll do my best to get it all in the various issues and still keep within the required bounds of magazine space for each class. So here goes -

From Blythe Gehring (Mrs. C. Walter Gehring).

This is a report from the home front of C. Walter Gehring Jr., plus myself, Blythe, MaryBlythe age five years and Carl Walter III age three years. We are the reasons you don't hear from Walter. He is steeped in steering his business, and watching in wonderment the growth of his children. Mary-B especially has softened the war horse's heart to unbelievable degrees. I remember a Gehring phrase of courting years—"No female will ever wrap me around her little fingers." Well, I've seen female Mary-B wrap Daddy around her minute fingers for the last five years! Carl III is going to be a good ball player. He has won Walter's praise in throwing and catching a baseball.

Walter won't take time away from his business to attend civic meetings, nor even take time to buy a new hat, but he will arrange his time so he can spend a long weekend or just a day in the middle of the week to stay home and play with the children. We are a quiet homebody family and to outsiders perhaps look like dull people, but children pass by just once and we want to make the most of the short years together.

An unusually noteworthy letter was received from Anne Stewart (Mrs. C. DonaldStewart). Don was at Dartmouth two years, then entered the University of Illinois and took his degree in electrical engineering. Anne and Don were married in 1935. He died of pneumonia April 29, 1936, after a very short illness. Anne's letter is as follows:

"You have been sending me the DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE for a good many years and I certainly appreciate it. I wonder if it has a nice psychological effect on other widows. It certainly does to me. Many women can't boast that they are honorary Dartmouth Alumnae. •

"Aside from this wonderful effect, I instruct at New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Ill., and each issue after I am finished with the MAGAZINE it is taken to school so that our boys can read and have a chance to see more of Dartmouth.

"Again, my thanks for the many years of good reading, and also learning more about that phase of my husband's life if given time, he would have been able to tell me more."

We are pleased, Anne, that the MAGAZINE fills a spot in your life and that the class of1931 is still in your mind.

The next two responses to my letters arefrom Forsha Russell and Gray Magee.Letter ,#1 from Forsha Russell.

I was indeed surprised and pleased to get your letter of January 7 and I have been able to withstand the shock fairly well. I am sure your job is hard enough, though interesting, and I for one have been remiss over the years in contributing very much to the column in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE.

I don't have particularly much news to offer, but I will give you what I do have. I ran into Bill Fobes '33, who was here last Sunday and we had a nice visit. He is with Braniff Airways in Minneapolis. I think I wrote you before that I had seen Si Leach in Florida the last few years and I hope to see him again this year when we go down there the end of this month. Si has built a lovely cottage overlooking the Golf Course at the Country Club of Florida near Delray Beach. He has not changed a bit and has a fine family, the eldest son having graduated from Dartmouth last June.

As for my own activities, I have become more or less a golf "nut" and make every opportunity I can to play. As for Civic activities, I am on the Vestry at my Church, on the Board of St. Luke's Hospital, Board of the Cancer Society, etc.

My daughter, who graduated from Smith College in '59, is now working for a publishing house in New York City and seems crazy about her job. My son was suspended from Dartmouth last summer because of poor grades the third term. He is now working for a Radio Station as announcer, but plans to go back and graduate.

I forgot to say that Bill Morton '32 is a member of the Country Club of Florida and I have run into him there too on several occasions.

I occasionally see Jack Wolcott whom you may remember from your football days, but who left college the middle of our sophomore year. Jack seems to have little interest in the College however, and never attends any of the Dartmouth functions here. Frank McKnigiht, who was from Kansas City and in our class, moved to Florida several years ago and I have not seen him either here or there since he has moved.

I believe this is about all the news I can drum up at the moment but I will try to do better from here on out. I do hope you and your family have a wonderful 1961.

Letter #2 from Gray Magee.

What a pleasant and delightful surprise to hear from you! Numberless times I have thought of writing, but failed to do so. I guess the road to "you know where" is really paved with good intentions. I had no idea you two were living so close to so many of the 31'ers and other Dartmouth people. It's a pleasure I have often hoped to enjoy but can't out here because there are so few of us.

We do enjoy the company of four grandchildren, three boys and a girl, as well as of a poodle. My two sons, Guion (22) and Gray Jr. (21) will complete their college work this year at Illinois and Vanderbilt respectively while their sister Ann (26), Syracuse '54 will keep busy with her three young ones.

The enclosed invitation ('the Dartmouth Alumni Association of Saint Louis) will give you an outline of my most recent contact with the clan. No 31'ers were present but numerous members of the class of '32.

Betty and I are looking forward to a trip to Las Vegas and Los Angeles in late March and hope to at least see Bill and Lelcore Palmer and Bob Ryan and his clan. A recent visit to Cleveland as a guest of Brown and Tootie Neff '30 provided several delightful hours with Bill Steck, Lee Ghilcote '30, George Fischer '30 (who, as fate would have it, passed away a few weeks later), Cliff Vogt '30, and Juny. They raise them pretty-hearty over there. They kindly took me with them to a Cleveland Browns game and almost froze me to death.

You may count on me to keep you posted from this outpost - even down to the smallest item which may be of interest to '31.

Thanks to you all - space is used up - more in next issue.

Secretary, 36 Shaw Drive, Wayland, Mass.

Class Agent, Potdevin Machine Co. 200 North St., Teterboro, N. J.