1939
Your class officers and executive committee met in New York on January 19 in Bert MacMannis' office. What a magnificent view of the city Bert has from the 33 rd floor of the new Pan American Building! The only thing wrong was a hand-lettered sign behind Bert's desk: "This window leaks." We kept wondering if Pan Am had that trouble with their planes, too!
Unfortunately, AJ Tishman was prevented from attending by some legal proceedings in Ohio but sent word there is $8,352.33 in the till with a number of annual dues yet to be paid. The College paid for our Reunion Book, but all such expenses for the next one will be on the Class, so the treasury needs your dues not only for our regular expenses and the ALUMNI MAGAZINE subscriptions but also to anticipate our much greater expenses at the next reunion.
Your secretary left his wife's bed and board on our Florida vacation to fly up to try to learn a bit more about this job. One of my responsibilities is to write obituaries, and this is not easy. The passing of two more classmates, Romeyn Prescott and Robert W. McCarty, is recorded this month. If every member of the Class could please advise me just as soon as a classmate's death is known, giving as many facts as possible, the proper reporting and the correspondence with the man's family would be so much easier.
We agreed that all widows of classmates should receive the ALUMNI MAGAZINE and Newsletters. We also decided to memorialize each deceased classmate with a gift of $25 for a Class of 1939 Book Program. The books will be chosen by Baker Library and will have an appropriate bookplate with the individual's name in each.
Georgie Hanna drove down from Keene and smilingly reported as Reunion Treasurer that all bills are paid. He listed all the disbursements on two tightly typed legal pages which included the names of the baby-sitters (copies available) and an item to someone named Tanzi for $795.96. There is a balance in the bank of $2,305.84 from which he will now pay our $1,200 pledge to the College as part of our 25 Year Fund. George will then forward the remaining balance to our class treasury, completing our 25th Reunion functions and earning a "well done" from all hands.
Joe Batchelder came to the meeting presumably by subway en route to Hanover, where he was to be briefed the next weekend about his job as Class Agent. We got the distinct feeling that the drive this year will be well organized. A number of suggestions were made as to increased participation, and you will no doubt hear from Joe in due time.
Jolly Moose Wyman reported on our Bequest and Estate Planning Program, and a number of serious suggestions for Class Projects were discussed. Various guys will investigate and report back at our next meeting.
Sammy Hird brightened our meeting with his bald dome and Walt Darby with his first-hand information from an undergraduate son, while Dick Jackson helped with words of wisdom as we progressed through the agenda. Bert ran a real good meeting, and we touched a lot of bases.
At lunch in a meeting room at the Dartmouth Club we had a general discussion which tended to be critical of the College's admission policies. There was a question whether the demonstrated loyalty to the College by classes of our vintage can be maintained by beatnik geniuses. There's one for your hot stove league.
Bert and his handsome family graciously entertained your secretary overnight, and this country boy learned a little what the commuter's good life is like in Darien, Conn.
What suggestions do any of you guys have as to an informal reunion next fall? There will be three games in Hanover, and it appears from this corner that the Penn game on October 9 would be the best suggestion. What say you?
We received a real cute letter from Rodney Albright's daughter Susan, who was an A.F.S. exchange student last summer. On the voyage she made friends with many people, we're sure, and one of them was Jay Diffenbaugh's daughter Taj. They didn't know their dads knew each other until after their return, and Susan writes, "I still find it amusing that two girls from opposite coasts of the U.S. could meet and become friends on a boat bound for Europe never realizing that their fathers, too, had been college friends, in fact, roommates!" Though round the girdled earth they roam, her spell on them remains.
We spotted the engagament photo of pretty Miss Suzanne Dyer in the New York papers. Her dad is none other than DannyDyer of the distinguished Class of 1939, and to them all we send our best wishes.
An interesting note from Osmun Skinner '28 reports that Jack Coulson was elected national vice president of Zeta Psi at their 117th convention last August. "Os" is secretary of the Class of 1928 and says he reads our notes regularly and hadn't seen this news mentioned. Jack is so modest!
Bill McCarthy has been appointed a vice president of Macy's, New York. Bill was a member of the first training squad at their Bamberger division in Newark in 1939 and has recently been manager of store operations and building at Herald Square. Congratulations, Bill!
The best letter this month was from Dr.Allyn Ley of the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. Al enclosed a learned article written by our Dr. Charles Neer, an associate professor and a full attending orthopedic surgeon at Presbyterian Hospital. You might all make a note that if you break your leg in New York, Charlie is the fellow to take care of it. Al issued a standing challenge to all European tourists to see who can stand the others' slides for the longest time. He concludes, "When I return to Hanover for Freshman Fathers' Weekend, I will be sharing a room with Bill Green. Since I did that for the better part of a year at some time in the past, I guess I can stand it for two more nights."
Biron Valier, son of Frank Valier, has won the Merit Award of the Palm Beach Artists' Guild Twelfth Annual Show. Biron is 21 and the Class will follow his career with interest. You will remember that his dad passed away last October.
Jim McKeon is a good guy to know in New York, as he is the manager of the Dartmouth Club. He also cheerfully obliged with a number of items for the column. Corny Miller's daughter Emily is in the Hollins College European program, and Corny had a Bon Voyage Blast for 150, including families, at the Club in January. Hughie McLaren keeps busy as chairman of the house committee renegotiating a contract with employees at the club. Have any of you guys had any practice renegotiating contracts with, say, bartenders? ArmandoChardiet was in New York recently to visit his old roomie Bill Cunningham. Armando participates in panel discussions on foreign policy on Channel 3 in Hartford. He has just completed a new house in Woodbridge, Conn., near his old pals Duke Lyon and Bob Dickgiesser. Let's hope this house will not be confiscated! Bill Tomkins is active with the Rotary that meets at the club in between national sales trips for United Parcel Service.
A nice card from Buzz Waters and good letters from Pete Patterson and Bob Davidson round out the mail.
Dartmouth was great as we knew it, and it needs your thoughts and actions to remain great.
Secretary, Box 38, Cashiers, North Carolina
Treasurer, 131 Briar Brae Road, Stamford, Conn.
