1941

For several reasons it was very gratifying to be able to launch the 1963-64 season with a column devoted largely to class activities. First of all it was a pleasure to be able to report on the ceaseless efforts of the members of our Executive Committee to generate increased class participation in alumni responsibilities and activities. Secondly, time and space ran out before I exhausted the backlog of information accumulated during the summer concerning the latest accomplishments of many of our illustrious classmates. Thus to continue where I left off in this department.

As I was putting the finishing touches on last month's column, Bob Taft was bubbling over about his forthcoming combined business-pleasure trip to the Continent. Since then Bob has returned and rendered a full report on his far-reaching itinerary. Bob's two-week trip included stops at Nuremberg, Frankfort, Munich, Wiesbaden, Paris, and London. Alice joined Bob in Germany to revisit her old haunts in Munich, where she was stationed with the American Red Cross in the mid '40's. While in Nuremberg Bob stopped in to say "hello" to Jack Bolten. Jack's company, Lestoil Products Inc., has subsidiaries and affiliates all over the place, at home and abroad, including Hank Childs' old company and Bob's new company, the Bon Ami Co. The Bon Ami Co. recently bought out Bob's employer, Tidy Homes Paper Sales Corp., and Lestoil has recently purchased the controlling stock of the Bon Ami Co. Last February Jack moved his home and base of operations from Andover, Mass., to Nuremberg to assume the direction of the Bolta Works, plastic producing concerns founded by Jack's father. Officially Bob's trip to Germany was to negotiate with U.S. Army post exchange personnel in his new role as general sales manager of paper products for the Tidy Home Division of Bon Ami Co. Among the subjects that Jack and Bob discussed was our 25th Reunion. Jack is definitely planning to make the long trip to Hanover to be on hand. How's that for class spirit?

Another classmate already equally enthusiastic about this forthcoming gala occasion and thus planning to travel thousands of miles to be on hand is Bob Frondorf, so Bob recently wrote from Manila in notes to Bruce Friedlich and to me. It is no longer news that Bob is the new President of the Ault & Wiborg Company of Manila. But some of the items of information conveyed by him and about him are interesting. In September Bob celebrated his 43rd anniversary in the Far East, having spent most of his childhood in Shanghai, China. He does quite a bit of traveling out that way, mostly to Japan, being a member of the board of directors of Toyo Ink Manufacturing Co., Ltd. of Tokyo, a company associated with Bob's parent company. International Chemical Corporation, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Malaya. Bob manages to get to New York, about every six months. However, his next trip here will not be until next May, due to several projects going on in Manila. Bob expects to be in New York a month and he would like to get together with some of the gang for lunch at the Dartmouth Club. Two of his boys are attending school in the States in preparation for hopeful admissions, to Dartmouth a couple of years from now. His youngest boy is at home in Manila.

Things are bubbling at Allied Chemical. And from a recent "bubble" released to the press we learn the pleasant news that one J. Steele Brown has been appointed executive vice president of Allied Chemical's General Chemical Division, a division with some 40 operating: plants in this country. Vice president of the division, our Mr. Brown had previously served as director of production. General Chemical has its headquarters at Morris Township, N. J., and is a leading producer of sulfuric acid and other mineral acids and basic industrial chemicals.

Two generations of 41'ers were among the host of usual summer itinerants to the altar. On August 30 John Ahlgren and Wynne Gallaway Keith, both of New York, were married at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York. Jack's brother was his best man. Jack's new bride is a Hunter College alumna and executive secretary of the Institute of Broadcasting Financial Management. Jack is with Blair & Co., Inc., a New York stock brokerage concern and is a past president of the New York Young Republican Club. On August 24 Buz Willis' daughter, Diane, was married in Roslyn, Long Island, to a Williams grad and Middlebury, Vt., boy, Karl Neuse. Apparently the romance blossomed when Diane was an undergraduate at Mt. Holyoke College. Let's face it, fellas! We're getting old! Bob Taft is a grandfather and Buz is a father-in-law. There are probably a lot more of us already in the same categories.

Now that the chimes of Baker Library are again beckoning the "new breed" of Big Green freshmen to classes, it is only fitting that our professors should share the limelight. Hal Buzzell, associate professor of mathematics at Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., was the guest speaker at the annual business meeting and banquet of the Newport, Vt. High School Alumni Association. Bill David teaches political science at Western Maryland College in Westminster, Md. This brings me to ex-professor JoeWilkes of Silver Spring, Md., who recently wrote to me to the effect he attended the last Dartmouth College Glee Club Concert in Washington, D. C., with Bill and Ann David. After teaching architecture in Florida for seven years, Joe moved to Washington, D. C. to go to work for the Building Research Advisory Board. After two years of government service, he commenced his present association with the private architectural firm of Keyes, Lethbridge and Condon in Washington. The class of 1941 has procreated numerous advertising scions, a fair number of physicians, too many lawyers, but only one practicing architect.

Gloom has fallen over "our town" since the Koufax massacre of the Bronx Bombers; but by the time the Thanksgiving edition of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE reaches your mail box, I am certain that talk of the town will be the exploits of the Big Green at Baker Field. Which reminds me. Wherever you followers of the Big Green journey this fall, whether it be to Hanover, Harvard Stadium, the Yale Bowl, or Palmer Stadium, you are certain to encounter a lot of old buddies. So please think of me sitting here, hungrier for news than Mantle was for a hit several weeks ago. All contributions will be gratefully accepted and deeply appreciated.

This being the time of year to express our special appreciation, here's hoping for a Happy Thanksgiving for one and all.

Secretary, 14 Dunhill Rd. New Hyde Park, N. Y.

Treasurer, Room 2820 525 Wm. Penn Place, Pittsburgh 30, Pa.