1924
I've held off writing these notes until after the Class Officers' weekend (May 7-8), which is always a very pleasant occasion. This year, we enjoyed the events and each other's company at least as much as usual - but Brad Hersey came alone as Lois had recently come up with a serious accident in which she fell from a stepladder and will have to be very quiet for a few weeks (no cast) while a damaged vertebra heals. See you up in Maine later this summer, Harriet, by which time you'll be busier than ever. ... I had to leave the Saturday festivities and the social fun Sunday to be installed as the incoming president of the N. H. Psychological Association; my swan song (in professional offices) before I retire next June '66 from teaching but not from clinical practice. Those here for the meetings: Spud and Kay Spaulding, our peerless leaders; Butts and Harriet Lamson, for the News Letter; Brad Hersey alone, our financial watchdog; Harry and Lula Holmlund, picking up the Bequest Program from Charlie French; and Margaret and myself.
Coincidence department: Ed Howe and A. D. Adams have the same birthday, April 14 ... and both are currently living in Palm Beach. (The ADAs will be coming north in another month to spend the summer close by the bridge over to Cape Cod, as usual.) ... Dick Morin spotted, in the TV section of the N. Y. Times, what seemed to be our Jim Franciscus only he is in real estate and we have no record of moonlighting in TV. Sure enough, inquiry reveals this is a name-sake-nephew (starring as Mr. Novak, channel 4, if you want to get a start at the striking similarity of uncle and nephew). Also, from a news clipping, we had what appeared to be notice of the death of a classmate; name same except for an initial, locale close by, and the deceased known to our classmate; this is Ralph Stuart who is very much still with us and who writes to correct my earlier misinformation.
Mixed-emotions note: A card from JimRutherford, from London; it seems he and Glad have been on another 'round-the-world tour since mid-January, but that an unspecified malaise caught up with him there and there was talk of operating but he managed to get by and is on his way home as I write. See you both at Bonnie Oaks in the fall. Keep well, you two have had more than your share of medical attention. ... Also, I know what some of you who have youngsters coming to college or graduate school are going through at this time of year. On the happy side, we have word that LeeRamsdell's son John will be at Tuck School come fall, bringing his family. On the unhappy side, one more classmate's son has not made acceptance to Dartmouth. The latter is always a very hard blow and my best efforts to lessen it do very little good. I know. It doesn't help much for me to express my confidence in the Admissions staff, and their integrity; the job of selection is such a complex and difficult job and we will all admit that "mistakes" are made - some of which hurt just exactly the wrong people, our alumni. I have been through these bad moments with a few classmates in the past ten years: one of my nephews failed of admission, but then went on to burn up both academic and athletic activities elsewhere - to the satisfaction of all.
Reporting Larry Fishbein back in Bermuda made me think of his employer, Herb Marks. Herb is still doing very well with his music publishing business, and with no present thought of retirement from work that is also fun. ... Joe Burleigh, genial educator in nearby Franklin, N. H., is the District Governor for District 787 of Rotary for 1966-67 ... the first year of his retirement (and also mine).
I wrote that George (Senator) Avery, director of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, was coming to Hanover to speak to the local Garden Club. It was a triumph, with an overflow audience most enthusiastic - as well as charmed. I couldn't attend, but Margaret did and gave a glowing report; I had an hour over breakfast with George, before he went off to see the many changes in the Botany department here in which he taught briefly. He was incorrectly billed in one news item as Dartmouth '26; he left Dartmouth and graduated from Tulane in 1926; Wisconsin gave him his doctorate in 1927; he taught Botany in Connecticut College, after Duke and Columbia (1928, 1930) as well as Dartmouth. He was elected Director of the lovely Botanical Gardens (where I romped as a child at least every "Decoration" or '•Memorial" Day) in 1944 and has resisted moves elsewhere for these two decades and more. He was elected president of the Botanical Society of America in 1957. You'd know him on sight; he has changed very little. We hope he'll return to these haunts again soon; Margaret and I will plan to see Virginia and George when we travel south to see the World's Fair, relatives -children - and grandchildren in June.
Miscellaneous advice: One of our teachers is Wales Holbrook, in Santa Barbara; he has two years more of teaching but plans on changing into some related field; he's already planning on our reunion in 1969. Give that man #1 on the reservation lists. ... Back a month: the Boston Sunday Herald, for April 11, 1965, has an advertising section devoted to the Boston Five Story ... and of course for us that means Bob Morgan, brother-in-law of Bob Strong and Dot Strong's brother, who is the president of the Boston Five Cents Savings Bank with 31 years of service and who writes the "President's Message."
Our genial artist and friend, Stu Eldredge, makes double news this month. First received: He is to be the Instructor in Drawing, July 5-August 25, at the Southern Vermont Art Center, in Manchester, Vt. Second, daughter Dorothy is being married in Springfield, Saturday, May 22, to Thomas Cyril Jegla. Our heartiest congratulations to all concerned in these two important events, and we wish we could participate in either or both, Stu.
Hasta luego ... come fall reunion at Bonnie Oaks. Coming?
Secretary, 2 Brewster Rd., Hanover, N. H.
Class Agent, 5 Deerhill Drive, Ho-Ho-Kus, N. J. 07423
