1908
Harold Cogswell reports that he was in a hospital in Oak Park from September 17 to October 8 for the removal of a cataract from his right eye but the eye is about healed and he has resumed teaching at "Chicago Tech." "Retirement is not in my vocabulary." Don Comstock, as of December 15 reported from Tucson that he was recovering from a prostate gland operation. Last spring his wife had a gall bladder operation so they have had a pretty tough year, but he thinks the worst is over. "Here the days are bright and sunny with temperatures of 70° and 75°." Ralph Currier reports that he and Mary are back at their winter home in Sarasota and while they had just passed through a deep freeze it was once again warm and sunny. He called to my attention that his grandson David is the third '08 grandson to make the grade in the freshman class and is enjoying life in Hanover. (Sorry, Ralph, I missed him when I picked up John Detlefsen and Peter Griffin.) Ralph has two more grandsons whom he hopes will make it.
Phil Flanders reports he is recovering from a session that his doctors call a "brainstorm" and it is not too pleasant but he hopes to make it in June.
Walter Furman had the pleasure of seeing the greatest team in Dartmouth's history trim Princeton, "A wonderful day, I did not see any other '08ers there but the crowd was large and I did not move around much. My Princeton friends were all pleased that their team made such a good showing against the great Dartmouth team. Quite a change in the Princeton viewpoint which used to be so superior."
Life Greeley pays a tribute to our New Hampshire airmen who were called into service in Florida in the Cuban crisis. "Their concern was not so much for themselves as for the thousands and thousands of children in the more populated areas of the state. This most evident concern about the safety of the children first and foremost is something that makes you proud of the human race and the U. S. A. Mabel and I are as well as anybody should be at our age, although for my part at least if I gave one lusty crow I would probably fall flat on my back."
I received a Christmas greeting from Charles and Hilda Hall with a parish record of the Cathedral Parish of St. John of Providence. R. 1., of December 16. Though retired, Charles is a parish visitor and preached the sermon on the occasion. He is one of the two ordained ministers remaining in our class.
George Lowe writes that he and Thelma expect to be at the 55th in June but that they plan to go to Vero Beach in March for their seventh straight year. As of December 15 in Cleveland they were having a record snowfall of 3 feet.
Lillian Marsh, Ray's wife, writes to the Alanson Aldens. "I remain the same, if only I could be better. Raymond tripped over an inconspicuous wire lying on the sidewalk, fell and wrenched his hip joint. He is pretty well recovered. It did not interfere too much with his paper work of which he probably has too much. One interest is the Clyde Kelly Class for men of the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church (of which he is president). It is not a conventional Bible class but considers a wide range of religions, church problems with more system than is at first apparent."
Gertrude Sides, Art's widow, sends a picture of Art for the memorial and writes "I certainly will be interested in the class of 1908 and would appreciate my name being added to the list of interested widows. Arthur wanted me to continue to live in our house so I shall do so."
Art Wyman to whom I reported the death of Don Frothingham sent a copy of a recent letter which he had received from Don and added: "I wrote him reminding him of our joint hike up Moosilauke in senior year (caught trout in Baker River and served them for breakfast). Despite these years and the scanty correspondence Don was my good friend. I'm sorry indeed that he has left us." The letter indicated that back in 1816 Mary Frothingham married Thomas B. Wyman of Walpole, N. H., so Don and Art were distantly related.
The Class of 1908 lost two of its most eminent members at year's end with the passing of Arthur Sides on December 5 and Donald Frothingham on December 13 for whom memorials will be found in the In Memoriam section.
Arthur C. Sides, well-known educator, passed away in the Bridgeport, Conn., Hospital on December 5 after two operations for a sigmoid tumor. A pioneer in the field of psychological testing, Art helped to introduce the system to the Central High curriculum. He had been very active in civic and community affairs in his home town of Easton and later in Bridgeport.
In 1954 Art made a 'round-the-world trip to make an informal study of the educational systems of other countries on which he obtained many colored slides which he showed at our informal reunion in 1955. Since then he and Gertrude have traveled to many parts of the world.
Captain Donald Frothingham, a highly decorated veteran of both World Wars, passed away at his home at 1369 Hyde Street in San Francisco on December 13 with edema of the lungs.
Dick Carpenter '10 writes to LarrySymmes as follows concerning Don's last days. "My guess is that it was after that first signal from the heart that Don began to con- serve his vitality. Late in August came short- ness of breath and then an attack which sent him to the Letterman Hospital (servicemen only) in the Presidio. It was found that the heart, failing in supply of blood to the lungs, had brought on what I can term water-on- the-lungs. He was tapped and made a recov- ery and returned to the apartment on Hyde Street after six weeks. But he continued to lose weight, was taking frequent naps and suffered a repugnance for food or even nourishing liquids. Ree thus had him under her care from about a Friday until the fol- lowing Thursday when at 9 P.M. he quietly slipped away."
Class Notes Editor R.F.D. 1, Laconia, N. H.
Secretary, 120 Broadway, New York 5, N. Y.
Treasurer, 17 Harland Place, Norwich, Conn.
