1900

Since a new swimming pool is planned and presumably under construction in the East wing of the gymnasium, this is perhaps an appropriate time to tell a brief story of the expeditious way in which the Spaulding Pool came into being. Rolland Spaulding, at one time Governor of New Hampshire, was a personal friend and client of our BobJackson. The Spaulding family carried on a very lucrative leatherboard and vulcanized fibre business with headquarters in North Rochester, N. H. The family, while not exactly rolling in wealth, had a very considerable spendable income. One day in January 1919 Rolland Spaulding, as he was quite frequently accustomed to do, spent the night with the Jacksons in Concord, N. H. At breakfast the next morning he casually remarked to Bob that he had some $500,000 lying idle in his bank account, and that he was a bit puzzled as to what to do with it. "Well," said Bob, "if that is the case, why don't you give some of it to Dartmouth?" Rolland then asked, "What does the college need?" Bob replied, "I don't know but I can find out." Whereupon he put in a long-distance call to President Hopkins in Hanover and told him the story. Hoppy replied, "The college needs a swimming pool." Bob relayed this information to Rolland. "How much will it cost?" he inquired. Bob put that question to Hoppy, and he said between $100,000 and $200,000. On getting this estimate, Rolland said "Tell him to go ahead." Bob in relating this tale of high-speed fund raising said: "As I now recall the incident, barely ten minutes elapsed from the time I suggested Dartmouth as a possible beneficiary to the moment of Rolland's laconic "Tell him to go ahead." In all Dartmouth's 200 years I doubt it has received an important donation so quickly conceived and so briefly consummated."

In late September Walter and Alice Rankin attended a family gathering on the Cape. In fact the event amounted to a real reunion since two members of the party came from remote - if in this space age any part of the universe is any longer remote - sections of our world. The locale was a cottage owned by son, Walter Jr., at West Falmouth, Mass. Gathered here were some 22 members of the Rankin clan: parents, children, in-laws, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Present was a granddaughter who had just completed a year of research in a hospital laboratory in England, and a grandson who has been on duty for the past two years in the far Pacific as a naval aviator. All in all it was a most successful reunion. When Walter and Alice look at the picture of the joint families taken on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary they must feel commendable pride and satisfaction. This is a fine, upstanding family and one of which 1900 is justly proud.

Last spring Ed Jonakowski's wife had to make a very difficult decision which involved the sale of her home in Sarasota and taking up residence in the Sarasota Welfare Home. It became apparent that she could no longer carry the responsibilities of a home which she had so courageously maintained for many years. For a time during the summer she was under a doctor's care, and was much affected by the extreme heat and high humidity of Sarasota. Johnny seems to be physically comfortable in a nursing home although time hangs heavy on his hands. His situation is very difficult in that he is confined to his room, sees few people, and on account of failing eyesight cannot read. It is small wonder that at times he gets very lonesome, homesick, and out of sorts with his limited world.

One fine morning in September your secretary and his wife were delighted to receive a call from Mrs. Gaffney, George Tong's daughter, her husband, Commander William F. Gaffney, and son George, a Dartmouth senior. Commander Gaffney has recently been assigned to sea duty, and so the family has moved from Omaha, Neb., to Norfolk, Va. It was in connection with this change of residence that they came by way of Hanover to spend a few days with son, George, who had spent his summer vacation in this area. Mrs. Gaffney reports that when all the children are at home together there is something of a scientific razzle-dazzle. George, at Dartmouth, majors in physics; William, at Yale, is majoring in geology and is considerably involved in spelunking - for the benefit of the uninitiated this is the technical name for cave exploration —; daughter, Betty Jean, is working for her Ph.D. in chemistry at Stanford University, and her husband is an expert in electronics. Now when the children get started on involved scientific discussion, and the conversation gets a bit too thick and over her head, mother beats a hasty but unbowed retreat to the kitchen. Mother, however, is no intellectual slouch although her field is the classics.

Secretary Albert Smith and TreasurerJohn Wadham (r) met recently to talkClass of 1903 business. On hand wereJessica Wadham (l) and Miriam Smith.

Secretary, Box 714, Hanover, N. H.

Treasurer, 20 Chapel St., Brookline 46, Mass.