1931

Well, let's see now. I seem to have a bouillabaisse of gossip, half truths, mild slander and honest, objective reporting.

Johnny Benson contrived the situation in which I find myself only because I left my mouth open at somebody's cocktail hour, something which I have never done in my life. So, for the next three years this is going to be it. This column is going to be filled with something every month. How good it all will be is going to depend on the gentle readers who take the time to report their individual spyings.

Dick Holbrook sent me a missive stating that he was advising Fred Slaughter to deliver into my custody the four bound tomes of The Dartmouth for Those Four Years. Thanks, Dick: they will fit under the bed nicely, I expect. Dick also states that he has been named Creative Director for his agency, Jennings & Thompson. So things seem to be booming for him in Phoenix.

Allan "Rik" Rikkola's son, Allan Jr., received his M.A. from Tuck School last June; he had his A.B. from Rensselaer Polytech.

We see by the papers that Howard Crosse switched from V.P. in charge of bank supervision and bank relations of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to set up a statewide holding company for the Franklin National Bank, Mineola, L. I. Howard is a national authority on bank management, it seems.

Frank Hodson retired from being V.P. of the coffee roasters, Eppens, Smith Co., Secaucus, N. J., after 34 years in the business, effective last May. We are fascinated by this retirement business, i.e., what should you do after the retirement and the testimonial dinner and the gold watch, etc.? We want more information, Frank, so we can advise some of the brethren who are still on the treadmill.

Inasmuch as I am spending my summers at Chebeague Island in Casco Bay, Me., I was deeply chagrined to have missed HermBuxbaum who was there one weekend while I was there. The island is only 6 miles long and a mile or so wide, but I never did get.to see him.

Baxter Ball's probably spending a lot of time at the globe these days, for Socony Mobil Oil Company has recently tapped him for marketing vice president of Mobil International Oil Company. That company is being expanded to link Mobil affiliates operating in some 150 countries and territories outside the U.S. and Canada. Up until this appointment Greenwich, Conn., resident Ball was marketing vice president of Mobil Oil Co., the operating division in the United States. Now the world is his!

'31's 35th was attended by 84 classmates with a total of 181 including families. This was a little below the average, being 20% of the potential. It was a great affair despite the fact that the ambient temperature fell to the same level as the temperature of the beer on the first two nights in the tent. On Wednesday, the day of the picnic, we had everything going for us weatherwise; it made up for the previous cold and wetness. I have a few personal notes to add to Shep's account, to wit: Henry Johnson's utter and complete enjoyment of the singing around the piano; Bill Wilson being such a good sport when I emptied a can of aerosol shaving cream on his head during the Barbershop Quartet Competition; BunceClarkson's bomb at the class meeting when he told his deadpan story about the peaceloving Indian Chief; Beany Thorn's making the Rotary Club meeting in Hanover despite everything; Bob Oelman appearing from nowhere on his way somewhere just to say hello with a cash register under his arm; Red Rolfe's complete cooperation in loaning us a multitude of athletic equipment and his sigh of relief when he got it all back in good shape; Rog Donner caressing the piano so lovingly; Orrie Hobbs everywhere, all the time, glass in hand, until the last cat crept off to bed, beaming like the perfect host he was; Jack Reno's carpenter's aprons as a class uniform, embellished with feltpen autographs, was a great idea.

Jim Swift writes that he saw GeorgeNickum a couple of times in July. Peripatetic Bill Steck also showed up in Elmhust (my soul, how that man gets about!), so apparently there was nothing to do but for all to get together with Pete and FrancesAkerlund, John and Betty Goodwillie as well as Bill and Betty Steck and son Peter and Pam Steck. So they all had cocktails and dinner and talked about the Alumni Fund. I quote Jim. "Sure enjoyed Reunion, even though it looks as though I got stuck with the worst job of all." Jim, don't be discouraged. You'll get plenty of help from this end, as well as from all the rest of us.

My basket of notes is empty so I will conclude. Please do your bit to fill my basket, or I will resort to telling lies about all of you, just to fill space.

Secretary, 23 Coughlin Rd. North Easton, Mass. 02356

Treasurer, c/o Boston Gas Co., 2900 Prudential Tower Boston, Mass. 02116

Bequest Chairman,