1924
The birthday cards, with the excellent picture of Baker Library by our Stu Eldredge, have enjoyed such a universally good response (and I'm happy that each year more of you respond to this annual greeting) that when we began to run low in my supply I re-ordered without change. I can think of no improvement - unless it might be another drawing by Stu. Good news ... and it invites "news" from each of you.
How did you like those two pages of pictures in the recent News Letter? One page was a surprise even to Butts, many being kindness of Charlie French and his camera at reunion. We can do more of this — if you supply the pictures; must be light background. Margaret spotted that we had one caption error (almost inevitable in the rush job): the males were OK but we should have put Marion Amelung to the right and Madeline Stuart to the left. Sorry, gals. My candidate for the best picture of the lot? "The Spirit of '24" - all 3 of them, bless their hearts. Sorry Rog Noyes' shot of our freshman picture attempt was too dark to reproduce; my guess as to the locale is up back of Mink Brook over towards Etna.
Did you see, in the Nov. 1964 issue, one Donald Bartlett's picture as representing the faculty as a newly (then) elected member of the Alumni Council. Since then he has made local news twice: first for his involvement in the elaborate program bringing the arts from Japan here; more important to us was the traveling exhibit of Japanese Abstract Art "from the collection of RolandGibson '24" — and shown with an excellent talk by RG himself. Many of you know he is a professor of economics (formerly at Univ. of Illinois, but now in Washington College, Maryland) but many more of you probably do not know how he qualified in hard experience with labor groups (sheet metal, eastern mills) to Labor Arbitration in 1945. He had forty pictures of all gradations of size and abstraction by contemporary Japanese artists which he collected while in Japan. This is a unique collection that shows the influence of moderns in New York, Rome, Paris. It's a good thing he's unmarried; the paintings are his "family" and more than fill his apartment. Now they are on tour; they attracted a responsive group here — a varied response, of course. The informal talk Gibby gave was very good.
Once in a blue moon we hear about a "long line of Dartmouth's men." Well '24 has its latest candidate in John Bradbury Shirley, born on January 22, 1965 to Robert L. Shirley '57 and Althea Hersey Shirley (Mt. Holyoke '57); then we start going back: James Shirley '64; Elliott Hersey '55; Lawrence Shirley '29 — all uncles; then Brad Hersey, grandpa; and Thomas E. Shirley '18. If you are reading your latest History of Dartmouth just off the press - and strongly recommended for birthday and other gifts - you'll find the Shirley family goes back a long way. This is your assignment for next time. (Am I correct, Brad and Lois?)
That was a good article on Cedric Foster which Butts put into the Class Letter. Credit where credit is due: it came to us kindness of Ken Weeks '26. Very many thanks, Ken. Another orchid: to Doug Craig for his first effort on the Alumni Fund; that letter, dated February 10, was a very excellent opening gun, and deserves early and prompt and generous response.
Hobbies make strange coincidences. While listening to Mrs. William K. Wright, the widow of Prof. Wright of the Philosophy Department and known to some of us therefore, I was startled to hear her refer to one Belden Sly (ex-Bunny) as sharing her enthusiasm for genealogy. Turns out they're related, as Mrs. Wright was the former Gertrude Sly.
Four star extra: just as we file this copy comes word that Tony Cipollaro has been elected President of the American Dermatological Association, at its 85th annual meeting at Boca Raton, Fla. This is a well-deserved top honor for a man who stands out among the outstanding specialists in the treatment of skin disorders in the U.S. and Canada. Cip has his own private practice and consultations, but is also Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Cornell University Medical College in New York City. He is also recording secretary of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a former president of the American Cancer Society. Wah-Hoo-Wah, Cip.
Reunion echo: Joe Egolf sends a copy of a "new" Hanover Drinking Song. The words are from a poem by Franklin McDuffee '21 but Joe wrote the music in 1950, a year after the poem appeared in this ALUMNI MAGAZINE, November 1949. John Chipman '19, who helped stage the cooperative musical at Hopkins Center last summer, suggested this ought to have more publicity and Paul Zeller, Glee Club director, has a copy now. I hope to hear it sung; it plays well on a piano. Joe's son, JHE, II, enlisted in the Air Force for four years starting the first of this year. (The last note in my book of notes inherited from Van Huyck listed this lad as 2 years old; date was 1944.) ... To answer a question: Tupper's two grandchildren, shown on the steps of Dartmouth Hall in our recent pictures, are sons of daughter Joan who was east from Culver City, Calif., at the time. Louise and Tup were to go south in March "for a few weeks"; no details. Other vague plans, details later: Alma and PeteWheatley are off to Pakistan to visit her brother in Pakistan, and have warned RedNewell in Singapore to brace himself against an invasion I'm sure will be very welcome. Then home "around the world."
Other travel notes: postcard from the TedNilsens on cruise, from Tobago. Harriet having a hard time securing stamps for her collection and that of her son. ... Butts andHarriet Lamson off to Switzerland and nearby lovely places for three weeks come April; flying this time ... and Margaret and I are getting out of Hanover between second and third terms — the usual escape from the Schlump season (spring elsewhere); flying all the way for this short two weeks to Colombia, where the high light will obviously be to join forces with Quecha and Bevo Beers. Skoal, everyone!
Secretary, 2 Brewster Rd., Hanover, N. H.
Class Agent, 5 Deerhill Drive, Ho-Ho-Kus, N. J. 07423
