1961

Greetings from the ancient, musty halls of Magdalen College at Oxford University. Our old warhorse of a ship finally got scheduled for the four-month tour of duty with the Sixth Fleet in the Med, and we sailed all alone across the uncharted and certainly uninhabited seas for fifteen days finally arriving in Genoa, Italy. As soon as we hit turf, the kid took off for nine days of leave and a chance to see Paris and London. Spent four days in Paris, saw 5,673 churches and as many art galleries as well as paid passing homage to the Crazy Horse Saloon and the Lido. Outside of the cold weather and the fact that the maid drank the last of my traveling bottle of spirits Paris was all that I expected. London (via an Air France night flight) proved to be certainly as, if not more, fascinating, than her sister city in France. Four of us (that's right, two and two) saw every cotton-pickin' building Chris Wren ever thought of and several more plus going to the British Museum and going to sleep (just everybody does it, you know) as well as the famous night spots and restaurants. All of which begins to explain what I'm doing at Oxford and specifically in GilLow's room. Gil tells me that he much enjoys and appreciates the English system of brain-tending. I've tried to see Art Latimer and Denny Regan here and might still at an afternoon "Sherry" (poor man's cocktail party).

Well such is the story of my travels brilliantly described and up-dated to a micromoment. Actually this column this month will have to be even more subjective than most as I haven't yet received my mail from the States and the alumni clippings aren't available to supply all the little delectable tid bits I know and love.

However, Wild Bill Wood bribed the ponyexpress rider to bring me some news of the far Western Frontier (known as the "Old" Frontier). Bob Brignano is still applying his fabulous mind to education and is in the process of getting his Master's at U. Cal. Jim Gilchrist is studying law at Stanford as are Butch Small and Tom Russell. Bill mentioned that he attended the February wedding of John Starr and Miss Marilyn Ballow. The Starrs will be living in La Jolla, Calif., as a Navy family. Marine second Lt. Bob Rentto has just been awarded the prize most desired by the corps - he is now stationed in that mecca of social life - Okinawa. Woody himself is blissfully serving out his six months' required duty in the Coast Guard "the draft dodgers yacht club."

I received an impressive letterhead from the Lynchburg, Va., News stating that Larry Pratt has been added to its staff as Assistant- Feature Editor and General Assignments Reporter. I received an equally impressive letter from the Chicago offices of the John Hancock Life Insurance Company and there in big, black letters just barely smaller than old John's himself was Thomas J. Hickey. Seems that Hicks is doing very well selling premiums to his friends(?). If you are Hickey's friend - hide ... if not, die (that's what Hicks told me to say). Also deeply involved in the high pace of Chicago business is T. S. Engleman who has successfully employed the pseudonym of "T-Bird" for beaucoup years now. The "Bird" is associated with Straus Blosser and McDowell Investments and evidently he and Hickey have all sorts of fun avoiding each other (paymentwise).

Just returned from that "Sherry" and ran into such ex-patriots as Bob Tunnell and Norm Klath (both studying at the London School of Economics) as well as Stu Kauftman and Stan Bates, both of whom are in the full swing of Oxford things. Time to light out for Paris again, gentlemen, for one last fling before returning to ye olde shippe. Remember join the Navy and see the world or in lieu of that drop me a line and I'll tell you about it. Also drop your class agent a line, tell him how nice he is and give him money so that the 61's can demonstrate "one more time - once" that no puny 55's, 56's, 57's, 58's, 59's or most of all 60's are gonna have greater fund participation that we are-no-you bet-nix, etc. Rog McArt or your class agent will cheerfully accept all contributions. This has been a paid financial announcement.

Secretary, U.S.S. Linden Wald (LSD-6) Fleet Post Office New York, N. Y.

Class Agent, 104 Chase Hall, Hanover, N. H.