1931
Last month's column ended with the statement that I'd explain its brevity in this month's column, so here goes - what I did finish was written in a room at the International Motel at Logan Airport in Boston between the time I left work at about six o'clock and the time Harriet and our neighbors, the Doanes, arrived at a little after eight o'clock. I mailed it back to my secretary with a note attached saying, "This is as much as I could do tonight. I'll mail you some more from Mexico so don't send it to Hanover until you get the balance."
Well, those were famous last words and I can vouch for the fact that hell is still paved with good intentions. Once we got going in Mexico time and everything else went so darn fast that I had to send an airmail special delivery to my good girl Friday and tell her to send in the column and simply add "the brevity of this column will be explained next month. Excuse me this time."
Hope you all did excuse me because we had a wonderful time all the time we were in Mexico and I just couldn't buckle down to completing the news items.
Regarding the trip, here it is briefly. From Logan Airport we took a very early morning plane for Idlewild International Airport on Long Island where we took off for Mexico City. Arrived there around 3:30 p.m., went through customs, got some money changed into pesos, tried out some of my thirty-year-old Spanish and took another plane to Guadalajara. Several hours later we landed there well in time for some Mexican drinks, dinner, a stroll near the hotel and then bed. Very hard to believe it was all done in the matter of a few hours - from Boston to Guadalajara! What a space age! Looked all around Guadalajara for three days then took off in a rented car (and what a job it was to rent one - a 1960 Lark was the best we could get for four big people and eight suitcases) for Lake Chapala which is about 30 miles northwest where Harriet's retired doctor cousin (from Brunswick, Me.) lives now. Enjoyed two days at Chapala and then gave the little Lark a heck of a beating by driving it 1100 miles from Chapala down to the shore to Manzanillo, then back inland to Morelia and then on to Mexico City. In- cidentally, but very importantly, the Lark did its job nobly and caused us no trouble at all.
We really saw Mexico probably as not many tourists do see it. Seeing its first and second largest cities was fine, but seeing its beautiful mountains and valleys, hills and plains, its seashore (four days at ManzanUlo) and swimming and fishing was even finer. We'll undoubtedly never forget all that we saw and experienced during the 1100-mile trip. We certainly had our share of thrills both aesthetically and physically —n o wonder I never finished the column.
One important news item from the Manhattan. U.S.A.. world of advertising was released during the newspaper strike and may not have received the attention it deserved. It concerned DougMorris' joining Morse International, Inc., advertising agency, as executive vice president. Doug had been president of I.R.P. Corporation, a product development firm. Prior to that he had been senior vice president at Lambert & Feasley and had been with Ted Bates and Pedlar & Ryan. The Morris clan, which includes four children, lives in Scarsdale.
Since this is April Fool's Day, and it is also the beginning of the Alumni Fund Campaign I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't put in a plug for your very considered participation in our Class drive. You have all received by now Bill Wendell's letter of March 15 in which he points out that our Dollars Goal has been reduced by $7,000 (due to a new method of figuring) to a total of $27,000.
Bill feels we can make the goal "if we concentrate on two factors": 1. If we all make a contribution - and remember, capital gift pledge payments no longer count toward Alumni Fund participation. 2. If we increase our level-of-giving factor. "Herein lies the biggest lag, for many of us have attained success in the business world, and have substantially increased our income, but possibly have been somewhat remiss on our support of Dartmouth through the Alumni Fund. Let's see an increase all down the line, especially in the Century level of giving. This is the year for 1931."
On the theory of practicing what you preach, I sent my "participation" in early and was tickled to get the customary acknowledgment back signed by none other than our Parker F. Soule Jr. Parker signed off "P.S. It is good to be back with the College again!"
Some months ago I reported that Parker was back in Hanover but was working for a publishing concern and that Harriet and I had a very pleasant visit at his home. I can see now how easy a step it must have been for him to make in getting "back with the College again." Having a classmate with the title of Associate connected with the Alumni Fund, I hope will give us all an added stimulus toward complying with the two factors for our Class' success as outlined above. We'll look you up during the Class Officers meeting on May 3 and 4. Parker.
Johnnie Benson sent along a letter from Tom Williams which is very much appreciated because he mentions a lot of contacts, but mostly because he says his new job will take him around the country a lot and that he hopes to see more of the old gang. Hope as you go around, Tom, that you'll be as good a reporter as Bill Steck has been over the years. The new job is General Freight Traffic Manager, Lehigh Valley R.R. Co., New York and his new address is 1714 Wickford Road, South Plainfield, N.J. Tom ran into Ed Maas after twenty years' absence from the Big City, had lunch with Dutch Holland who he says is the same "Old Dutch," saw Bill Benger at Clark Summit, Pa., used to see Rog Donner in Pittsburgh from time to time and hopes to contact him more now. Tom also enclosed a picture of the Rev. J.F. McElroy making a presentation as part of his duties as Chaplain and Director of the Seamen's Church Institute in Philadelphia. Jim's great big wonderful smile is still as evident as ever. Keep up the good work and the smile too, Jim.
News from Lever House on Manhattan's Park Avenue concerns Leo McKenney, Dr. McKenney by virtue of the Ph.D. in organic chemistry that he earned at M.I.T. Leo has been named development manager for household products at the Lever Brothers Company Research and Develop- ment Center at Edgewater, N.J. He had formerly been chief of the detergents section and has been with Lever Brothers since 1938. Home is in Upper Saddle River, N.J. If there's anything -missing in this report, Leo, please come clean - you've probably suffered through that quip before!
All the way from 1297 Ulunahele Street, Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii came a mighty welcome letter from Jim Laughton. Mary and Jim were pleased to see Eleanor and BeanyThorn in Honolulu on their way back from Japan and say that they are the first '31ers they have met in the five years they have been in Hawaii - "as with so many of the class, Mary and I are alone again. Our daughter is married, has a son and a daughter and is living on the mainland in Seattle. Our son, Jim, is with the Peace Corps in Tunisia. We manage to get stateside once or twice a year, but are sold on this island living." Recently a business trip, on which Mary accompanied him, took Jim to Manila and Mary went on to Tokyo, Taipei, and Formosa. Then they got together and made a vacation trip to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. "We did the real tourist bit and really enjoyed Southeast Asia. It is truly delightful. I must say, however, that the Hong Kong bargains are too much for any woman to resist." Harriet and I had the same trouble throughout Mexico, Jim, so I understand full well.
Another wonderful letter from Bill Steck but so loaded with info and contacts that I'll save it for next month's column when I might not have as much material as I had for this one. Thanks again, Bill.
A nice clipping about Dick Holbrook announcing that he was installed as the new president of the Westchester County Grand Jurors Association. "Mr. Holbrook is a free lance researcher and writer. He has been active in Bedford church and school work, fire department and Lions Club. Last year he was president of the Dartmouth Club of Westchester." Good old Dick, still pluggin' for Dartmouth! Handsome as ever too according to the news picture.
Also a nice letter from Bill Wendell advising that 'the bug' got him way back on January 28. Since he didn't respond to treatment very well, the doc sent him to a hospital on February 11 and found he had a "strep infection" in his system. "It was the type that attacks the outer covering of the heart and messes up the valves, thereby causing a heart murmur. This meant penicillin, six a day for 21 days" - injections that is - holy mackerel! Bill's letter was written from the hospital on March 9 with hopes that he'd be out by March 15. We all hope all's well by now, Bill. The letter you received dated March 15 and to which I referred earlier was written in the hospital.
Such interest and determination on the part of our Head Class Agent certainly deserves recognition from all of us. You can show it by giving him a hand in the form of a stepped-up contribution to the Fund and the sooner the better to take the load off his shoulders.
P.S. By the time you read this column you will have received Bill Wilson's letter dated March 22 which repeats the story of Bill Wendell's illness and also the plug for participation in the Fund and particularly in the Century Club level of the Fund.
Secretary, 36 Shaw Drive, Wayland, Mass.
Class Agent, 227 Wells St., Bridgeport 6, Conn.
