1944

Twenty some odd years ago, we must all have regarded Harry "the Rocket" Davidson as they did the original Joe Walcott when they named him "the non-pareil." I can assure you that lightning does strike twice. On the Christmas card from Rock and Dottie are pictures of their five fine lads and, lawdy, you'd swear the picture of young Jim was clipped from Harry's high school yearbook.

But then the McLaughry tigers are growing up in unison to look like Boston Bob; and the Dick Pleasants' eldest son has a headlock franchise on daddy's mould. Incidentally, Dick and Joan presented the boys with a baby sister in September.

But to break the spell, I fear that regardless of similarity in appearance, these youngsters are going to put daddy in the closet scholastically. Here's a horrible example. John Berry's son, George, entered Dartmouth in September. Right off the bat he was picked in a select group of 35 for Mathematics Honors, then was chosen as one of four for a position as Research Assistant in the Math Dept., and in December received one of the rare College "Citations" for "work sufficiently distinguished to merit special recognition." This is something above and beyond a routine grade of "A." When I was with John last week and he showed me George's citation, he explained lamely, "I'm sure this must be new since our time because I never got one."

Sperk and Helen Welch were kind enough to ask us up to their lovely new home for the weekend of the Dartmouth-Dayton basketball game. It took off a couple of careworn years and couldn't have been more pleasant to be with them, Hose and LizCraig, and John and Mardell Berry.

And speaking of rolling back - years, you can count on this Dayton triumvirate of Berry, Craig, and Welch to do the same for you in June '64 when we have our 20th Reunion. In spite of at first modest and then violent disagreement with the executive committee's decision that their talents were most eminently suited for the co-chairmenship of the historic 20th, they finally acceded to the mandate when all the bloody forms and paper work arrived in the office one day, and they didn't know who to send them back to.

In support of the committee's selection, here's a little background on your co-chairmen and their enterprise, if you're not a Frontiersman and accept business as a criterion.

All of them are with L. M. Berry & Co., the second largest "yellow page" telephone directory company in America. John is President, Hose is Vice President in charge of Sales, and Sperk is General Sales Supervisor. In the last ten years, these gentlemen have not only doubled sales and employment, but are on a fast road of continued growth in spite of continuingly more difficult competition. Within the last year L. M. Berry & Co. opened branches in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Maryland to give them for the first time a coast-to-coast operation. They now operate twenty branch offices in 35 states, serving the Bell System and over 300 independent telephone companies. With the Bell System they supply directories for Southern Bell, Wisconsin Telephone Co., Ohio Bell, and some for the New York Telephone Co. Berry's employment is now in excess of 1350, about 500 of whom are in sales.

To assist them make their appointed rounds, the Berry Co. has a Twin Beech and a brace of pilots, which keeps them on the road about half the time. But sales keep climbing.

On a more personal note, John and Mardell will have a visit from the stork the middle of February. The broken collar bone on John's hand-shaking and cigar-passing side is expected to be operative for the big event. A few weeks ago while in Chicago, John and Hose had a Dartmouth meeting with LeftyBogan and Bull Hinman. The luncheon extended beyond seven hours and they're still trying to recall what business was transacted.

Being the only Americans in Tubingen, Germany, Fritz and Joan Hier find themselves on everybody's all-invitation list for Beer Fest and Kuchen Klatsch, with the result they're trying to persuade Ed Murrow to install a Vic Tanny's over there. Their skiing junket in the Swiss Alps over the Christmas holidays should help. The Hiers are hoping to sneak back to N. H. for a few weeks this summer.

I see where insurance executive. BenJones, like his competitor Hap Bush, has taken to the speaking circuit. You can line him up for your next sales meeting, but be sure you're carrying all the insurance you can afford, even beyond the back-breaking point. Bob Kendall has been named resident manager of U. S. Borax & Chemical Corp.'s potash facilities at Carlsbad, N. M.

Hal Cannon is now in Louisville, assistant vice president of the Commonwealth Life Insurance Co. In Chicago, Sherm Davis has been appointed Sales Supervisor for Minnesota Mining Mfg. And back to insurance, John Downs is resident secretary of the Boston Insurance Co. in the town of the same name. Dr. Bill Stahl is now making his home in Danbury, Conn. Engineer Paul Staples is in Borg Warner's international division and living in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Proc and Dick Ostberg and their active family of four youngsters, two sheep, a donkey, and a dog, expanded slightly last summer when they welcomed their little Fresh Air Fund friend from New York City, a French MIT student, a mother goat with daddy and two kids. Maybe we should plan to have the reunion there. I'm sure Proc wouldn't mind.

Secretary, 1105 Center St., Milford, O.

Treasurer, River Road, Cos Cob, Conn.