1912
Last October Doc O'Connor spoke at the Tuskegee Conference on Disadvantage at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Under the title "After Desegregation, What?" Doc emphasized the fact that equal opportunity requires genuine equality and real opportunities for the Negro, that equality without opportunity is a fraud and opportunity that is not equal is humiliation. It was a speech repeatedly pointing to the urgent need for improving the education of the American Negro, a speech worthy of a son of Dartmouth. The magazine, Medical World News, in its January 31 issue carried a full page front cover picture of Basil O'Connor and a lead article titled "One Man's War Against Disease" in which the writer portrays Doc's leadership in developing the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Inc., and its present program of research, treatment, and professional training in the fields of birth defects and arthritis. The same publication carried an editorial the following month supporting the solicitation of funds for independent organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the National Foundation, rather than pouring funds indiscriminately in response to the United Funds' campaign for its health foundations. Doc O'Connor has expressed himself previously on this subject in no uncertain terms.
Our only news from the West Coast this month comes from Marian and Sam Hobbs who patronized the "not what it used to be" Southern Pacific's Sunset Limited in a trip to Texas and Louisiana. It was the occasion of a six-day convention of the American Concrete Institute in Houston, so the Hobbses went on to visit old New Orleans and the Bayou country up to Lafitte and the Cajun hangout. Sam had a luncheon reunion in Pasadena with Boss Geller, OleAhlswede and Roy Frothingham and Boss writes it was one of the high spots of his "trip to the open spaces in Arizona, New Mexico and California," but he was glad he had his overcoat along as the sun didn't warm his blood as prophesied. Marian and Sam also had dinner with Edith and DutchWaterbury the day before the latter left on a trip across the Pacific. Sam is counting on "Staying Alive For '65."
Hal Fuller has finally brought us up to date on his doings. He reports working like a slave from May 1 to Thanksgiving last year on a fund raising campaign for $750,000 for an expansion of their community hospital. Even with professional help he and the chairman had to secure all the workers and assign them their jobs. Result — $801,000 raised, then three weeks himself in the hospital where he "did nothing but sleep," and a subsequent daily retiring hour of 9:30 p.m.
Doc Kinne's name should have appeared in the Wah-Hoo-Wah column for on January 15 he was honored at a testimonial dinner at the Holyoke Hospital where he has resigned his position as chief of staff after serving for 14 years. (How he could endure it that long is beyond my comprehension from my own personal experience.) Doc is continuing in practice but has had his troubles. Wife Lillian suffered a massive cerebral thrombosis soon after Christmas resulting in paralysis of her entire left side. Our sympathy to both and hope for better days.
Warren Bruner has been on the move again. Visited his daughter in Tucson where he caught a cold. Found that Rollie Sturtevant is under the doctor's care, and not making any dates. Talked with Ole Ahlswede, Sam Hobbs and Roy Frothingham in California. Then to Washington for the annual Dartmouth banquet in company with Joe McCarthy and Ed McCarthy's widow Gertrude. While there he made sure that everything was getting set for Aprill 22, celebrating "Lyme Armes Day" at the Cosmos Club, hostess Ruth Lyons. Warren reports another '12er retired, viz., Hap Wanner. Chuck Tanger says he has relinquished the running of the business of C. Y. Tanger & Son, Wholesale Hardware, to his son who "is a far better financial man than yours truly." Mabel and Ralph Tackaberry are back in Evanston after their tour of the Mediterranean with plans to take in Mabel's 50th at Morningside College, Sioux City, lowa, and 1912's 52nd in Hanover. By now Lyme Armes should have caught, cleaned, and put in deep freeze his limit of speckled trout. How about the rest of you fishermen? Jim Steen writes that he and Carola took in Al Eiseman's musical play, "Salty Pair at the World's Fair," put on by The 60th Club at the Goddard-Riverside Community Club. Jim says it was terrific and that Al sang his own songs and danced like a pro.
News has arrived via Doc O'Connor that Warren Doolittle, Herman's son, has become a very successful trial lawyer. His mother had the pleasure recently of seeing him in action in the Mineola Court. Daughter Melanie continues as an executive with McCann Erickson. The grandchildren are now checking in. Ruth Worton reports her eighth has arrived while she was enjoying Sun City Center, Fla. She also took in Cape Kennedy and was overwhelmed at the sight. Ruth is planning on Hanover in June. Helen Lena now counts up 15 grandchildren, three belonging to son Hugh, a surgeon in New London, Conn., three to son Paul, an internist in Concord, N. H., three to son Richard, a urologist settling in New Haven, Conn., and three to daughter Virginia. Helen says June is a busy month for her so she doubts if she makes Hanover. No wonder! Tracy Sanborn add his three grand-children to the list, two of whom are already married and the third a senior at Yale. His daughter Evelyn has just returned from Chile with her husband who was an exchange professor at the University of Santiago.
With sorrow I must record the death of Hay Cabot's widow Eleanor on March 4, 1964. Eleanor was a loyal Dartmouth '12er, evidenced by her establishing the "Charles Raymond Cabot 1912 Memorial Fund" for the Dartmouth Alumni Fund. We shall all miss her.
Andy Comstock, Joe Barnett, and BillTowler got together in Clearwater, Fla.,for a 1913 bequest committee meeting.
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