1927

The Class dinner on January 17, at the new Dartmouth Club in the Commodore Hotel in New York, honoring Josh Davis, Chairman Emeritus of the Class, was attended by some 38 men of 1927, including a delegation of four from Boston, plus your secretary. Messages were received and read to the gathering from some fifty other members of the Class who were unable to be present. It was a gala affair, with Josh devoting most of his remarks to recent developments in the securities markets, about which he feels very deeply, and music being furnished by a quartet consisting of Jack Greener, Al Welty, and two of their singing cohorts from outside the Dartmouth family. Since the list of those in attendance has undoubtedly been already printed in the Speakeasy, I won't repeat it here.

The messages received from various members of the Class gave some news of their activities, which would never have reached these ears through the ordinary channels. If we can judge by the intentions expressed, the attendance at our 35th Reunion will break all records, since almost without exception, all of them plan to be there. Ben Bell has recently made trips to visit his daughters at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va., and at the University of Rochester. Seth Besse had to be in attendance at a dinner of the Riegel Textile Co. that evening. Bill Browning was busy officiating at births, and patching up victims of skiing accidents. Nick Carter is spending the winter in Phoenix, Ariz. Al Chabot is allergic to cold, and hence did not feel that he could leave the warm weather of Vero Beach, Fla. I wonder if that wasn't about the time the cold wave hit Vero Beach, so that it was colder than New York. Jim Chandler was on a "business" trip, inspecting homes, real estate, fishing spots, and bathing beauties in Coral Gables, Fla. Chuck Downey had heart surgery a few years ago, so is not able to get around very much. Gil Gilbert is retiring as advertising director of U. S. Rubber Co.. and moving to Sarasota, Fla. Gordon Hope has gone barefooted in Florida for so long that he can't get his shoes on. Ed Johnson is in Ankara, Turkey. Fritz and Nora Kortlucke were skindiving in Barbados, and raising a glass of good Bajan Rum to Josh and the Class. Ross Lyon was in the midst of weddings, his daughter, Elsie having been married in January, ..and his son, Ross, on March 2. Nick Nichols was somewhere in the sunny (?) south. Al Wellinan came forth with the news that both of his Dartmouth sons were married in 1960, and they each had added to the. ranks of class grandchildren during the past year, making Al a two-time grandfather. Ken Yeaton was in the hospital for some surgery that he has been putting off for the past fifteen years. Paul Hannah summed up the feelings of everyone when he said "There is no one in the Class I would rather pay honor to than to Josh, who has done so much for the College and the Class. Please give Josh my best and tell the rest of the group that the 1927 gang, like wine, seems to get better and better with age."

Sally Blanchard, daughter of Roy and Eilie Blanchard, was married in December to Frank R. Bean '63, of Hanover. Sally is a graduate of Hanover High School, and attended Pine Manor Junior College. Roy's son, Curt, will be married in June to Miss Betsy Shank, of Philadelphia, a classmate at the Rhode Island School of Design. Curt is also the designer of the winning Dartmouth Winter Carnival Poster. An interesting excerpt from Roy's letter "Ellie and I were fortunate in having Tony Peacock, one of our English boys, visit us over Thanksgiving. If you remember, we had brothers Michael and Tony Peacock, ages 9 and 10, for five years during the war. Tony, now 31, is a father, is with I.B.M. in London, and was over in this country as a consultant. He calls himself a computer architect, which I gather is putting the brains into the little box. It was great to see him again after some 18 years. Micky is also married and has a son. Tony informed me that Micky is now head of the BBC TV News for England, and so it goes. Ellie and I chaperoned a New Year's dance at the Tri Kap house. It was in 1924 that we enjoyed our first Carnival in that same house. From Charleston to Twist - couldn't see much difference."

Another 1927 grandson arrived on the scene on Nov. 16 - William Gordon Prescott, son of Bill '58, and grandson of Bill '27.

Rudy Preuss and James F. Niehoff have formed a partnership for the practice of law under the name of Preuss and Niehoff, at 250 Fulton St., Hempstead, N. Y.

Hank Murray showed two of his films at the Manor Club in Pelham, N. Y., during December. These were "Concord, U.S.A.", made for the U.S. Information Agency for showing abroad and dealing with Hawthorne, Thoreau, and Emerson. The other was on a family trip to England. Hank has also made slide films for educational purposes, notably a series of thirty for teaching Spanish, made in Mexico for Pathescope-Berlitz. He is currently writing and planning a series on Greek history to be made in Greece and Turkey this spring. Among his films are "To See Ourselves," which he wrote and directed for the Aetna Insurance Co., and which last year won five awards, including the National Safety Council award.

The National Bank and Trust Co. of Fairfield County, Conn., hae recently named Don Proudman, vice president and trust officer, to a new post as vice president to head the bank's estate planning division for the Stamford and Bridgeport executive offices. Don is a graduate of the Hartford College of Law, and from 1925 to 1945 was with the New Britain Trust Co. He joined the FirstStamford National Bank in 1945 as vice president and trust officer in charge of trust administration, and continued in the same capacity with the National Bank, following consolidation of the First-Stamford National with the Greenwich Trust Co.

It is my sad duty to report the death of Mary Hitchcock on January 12. Mary had undergone an operation for cancer of the lung at the time of our fall reunion, and had responded so well to treatment that there was every hope for her complete recovery. She and Hitch were planning a trip to Europe this spring, at which time they expected to visit their Danish and Swedish "daughters," two girls who had lived with them last year and the year before. Mary will be greatly missed by all of us who knew and loved her.

If you have not already returned the questionnaire which you received from Les Battin and Bob Williamson, please do so at once. The purpose is to up-date the records for the Class directory which they have volunteered to publish prior to the 35th reunion, and without your cooperation, they won't be able to do the job for you that they are anxious to do. And while we're on the subject of the 35th, don't forget the dates - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 11, 12 and 13. The time is creeping up, so get your plans made.

Secretary, 29150 West River Rd. Perrysburg, Ohio

Treasurer, Apt. lOC, 3908 N. Charles St. Baltimore 18, Md.

Bequest Chairman,