1923
Since 1923 Roy Barker has been in the family office equipment business, S. Barker's Sons Co., which is in its 94th year. His two sons, who are in the fourth generation have been with their father for ten years. Roy was Dartmouth '52 and Jack was Williams '55. They have taken over so well Roy and Peg now travel about three months a year. They have gone to Boco Grande on the west coast of Florida for many years and in the summer to Chatham on Cape Cod. Last fall they spent six weeks in Spain and Portugal. This fall they hope to take the new Italian liner Michelangelo to Naples. From there they will do the Greek Islands and the Holy Land.
For the past six years Roy has been treasurer and on the board of the Cleveland Skating Club, so this has used up most of his spare time.
Bob Hess was elected a director of the Worcester County National Bank of Worcester at the annual shareholders meeting January 12. The total assets of this bank total 230 million. Bob received a business administration degree from B.U. in 1925. He has been with the Washburn Company, manufacturers of house wares and hardware, since graduation. He became general manager in 1955 and president in 1961. He is a trustee of Alden Trust, Worcester Junior College, and Worcester County Institution of Savings, and a director of Ask Wright Mutual Insurance Company of Boston.
Frank T. Downey, M.D., is in good health and still working hard. He recently retired from the active staff of the Cambridge City Hospital after 30 years of service. The Downeys now have six grandchildren.
The annual Pine Manor Junior College Book Fair was held Wednesday, November 18, 1964, at 4 P.M. in the college's Alumnae Library on Vincent Road, Wellesley. The books for the sale included new books of all types with books for children and young people, and an exciting collection of old books. Warren S. Tryon, Author of "Parnassus Corner" spoke.
Warren was born in Middletown, Conn., in 1901. He attended local school but says "My real education came as a page boy in the Hartford Public Library." He received his B.A. from Dartmouth and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard and became a professor of history. He has taught at the State University in lowa, Ohio State University, and now teaches American History at Boston University.
He has written widely for scholarly journals and is the author of "A Mirror for Americans" (University of Chicago Press), "My Native Land" (Phoenix Paperbacks), and the "Cost Book of Ticknor and Fields" with William Charvat. He has been a Guggenheim fellow in history and was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has two sons and lives with his wife in Boston.
Joe Baldwin suffered a severe stroke which affected his entire right side a year ago. He lives at 71 West St. in New Bedford and would appreciate letters and cards from the boys.
Charles Curts is the energetic proprietor of eminently successful one-man advertising agency in Ridgewood, N. H. He invests much time, he says, in trying to keep track of Cocky Lewis and Johnny Allen. Now and then he administers a beating to ClarryGoss at bridge.
Charley Durkin has always been a busy man, president of Transportation Consultants, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y.; Food Haul, Inc., Columbus, Ohio; A. C. Rice Storage Corporation, Elmira, N. Y.; as well as a trustee of Industry Pension Funds in Connection Motor Truck Industry and Metropolitan Development Ass'n of Syracuse. His son John '58 and wife have returned to Syracuse from Ohio and John shall relieve his dad of some of his duties and responsibilities. Charley had an attack of hepatitis which tied him up during the winter, but from which he is now entirely recovered. He is building a new home in the northern neck of Virginia near Irvington and hopes to divide his time between New York state and Virginia come summer.
Bill Corrigan's wife Betty died suddenly February 5. Eagle-eyed Dick Kershaw, for many years a very able secretary of 1923, was the first to see the obit, in his nearby New Rochelle paper and the first to call Bill. Bill is sales representative in Connecticut for the publishing company of Doubleday and Company. Bill has a married daughter and a grandson and a son Bill Junior in college.
Hip Conley expects to retire in June and then he and Neva will take off on an extended trip to the west coast and points south. Hip deserves a long vacation after his long service at Chicago's Continental National Bank and Trust Company. Hip entered the bank in 1923 and became vice president in 1959. Always active in Republican politics, he is treasurer of DuPage County Republican Committee and was chief revenue clerk in the office of Illinois State Treasurer during the Eisenhower Administration.
Randolph (Red) Downes, Professor of History at the University of Toledo and an authority on the history of American Indian tribes, is busy teaching history, keeping up on reading, writing, and research, and trying to keep up college administration from administrating too much. Red has written eight books under the titles of "Council Fires," "Frontier Ohio," "Canal Days," the "Conquest," "Lake Port," "The Industrial Beginnings," "Lake Shore Ohio," and "Maumee Valley, U.S.A."
Bob Charles retired July 1, 1964 from Dennison Mfg. Company where he has been deeply active in various research projects. A life-long disease, syringomelia, prevents his walking and he is now in a nursing home in Framingham. Bob, for 10 years was chairman of Acton's finance committee and was deeply interested in Masonry.
Secretary, 170 Washington St. Haverhill, Mass.
Class Agent, Dogford Rd., Etna, N. H. 03750
