1936
The Bangor Daily News recently announced that the first annual John R. McKernan scholarship and trophy had been awarded to George Owens of Rockland High School. This scholarship fund was arranged through John's friends with the stipulation that the recipient must exemplify his fine ideals and sportsmanship. This will be an annual award to provide assistance for a worthy student and perpetuate the name of John McKernan, former Bangor newspaperman and sportscaster. This is a fine tribute to our departed classmate.
Walt Mertz is in Wilmington, Del., these days where he is vice president of the Wilmington Trust Company. He has been appointed recently to the Board of Directors of the Carnation Company, Los Angeles. If Walt needs any testimonials, I'm sure this class could produce a regiment of healthy offspring weaned on Carnation and Karo. Walt also finds time to be a director of the Delaware Hospital Inc., Children's Home, Inc. and the Wilmington Child Guidance Center. He holds the professional designation of chartered financial analyst.
In December of 1964 Lou Welt joined the Detroit Testing Laboratory as Director of Sales. In addition to this responsibility he has just been made a vice president and director. Prior to his association with this organization in the automobile capital, he was president of Steel City Testing Machines, Inc.
A most welcome letter arrived from FredBabcock who resides in the Fox Chapel district of Pittsburgh. Last September Fred became the Chairman of the Board of the Babcock Lumber Company in that city. At present one daughter, Dozie, is a senior at Centenary College and will be married after graduation this June to Bill Curry, a metallurgical engineer from Lafayette, now working with Bethlehem Steel. Another daughter, Jean, was married last Thanksgiving to Tom Harbeck of Milwaukee and they are living in North Chicago where Jean is a consulting speech therapist serving the high schools in that area. The oldest girl, Ellen, has been married for eight years and is the mother of three children which puts the Babcocks in the grandparents' column. Fred still enjoys hunting and fishing in the Arctic each year. Last year it was in the northern section of Baffin Island. This year he will be journeying to Greenland. Jim Whipkey has lived almost across the road from the Babcocks for the last two years.
The Caribbean has been an attraction during the Easter holidays. John and NancySawyer and their daughter, Nancy, had a pleasant vacation at Caneel Bay Plantation, St. John, the Virgin Islands. Ray and PegReitman took their youngest daughter to Bermuda. Their oldest daughter, Margaret, is a graduate of Skidmore and will shortly make the Reitmans grandparents. The gal in the middle, Elizabeth, is a freshman at Lasell Junior College, Auburndale, Mass. As president of Galsworthy, Inc. in Newark, Ray finds the wine and liquor distributing business a bit hectic in the metropolitan area due to the recent price cutting antics of Macy's. However, the market research figures show a bright future for scotch — that is Cutty Sark - and wine consumption.
Miss Donna Latham, a senior at the University of Wisconsin and a native of Darien, Conn., is engaged to Aldis P. Butler Jr. '64, son of the Aldis P. Butlers of New Canaan, Conn. Al is a busy advertising account executive for Benton and Bowles these days dividing his time between General Foods and American Motors.
The annual Alumni Fund kickoff dinner at the Commodore Hotel was attended by a large group of '36 agents. Class Agent, Gil Balkam, counted noses on Dick Dorrance, Frank Kappler, Pep Minte, Dick Morton, John Sawyer, Brint Schorer, Dr. Bill Sicher, Ross Martindale, Jacko Morrison, and John Wiesman. During the cocktail hour, I tried to play the role of inquiring reporter, but juggling a martini, peanuts, and a notebook was too much. However, a few bits of conversation did get through the usual din at such affairs. Dick Dorrance's son, Sturges, was in front of the American Embassy in Saigon minutes after the disastrous explosion. He helped to evacuate the wounded and sent his father a vivid description on tape of the catastrophe. By the time this appears he should be furloughed safely home in the U. S. Ross Martindale is still commuting from Montclair to Radio City where he is in the technical department of N.B.C. His elder son, Ross Jr., is employed by the Montclair National Bank and the younger, Fred, is at Morris Harvey College. Gil and Fran Balkam have enrolled in Alumni College to be held in Hanover this August. They have already received the textbooks and are doing their preparatory reading for a pleasant but profitable vacation. If they could sail their boat up the Connecticut River, it would be perfect. Both of John Wiesman's daughters are Smith girls. Mary has graduated, but Connie is still in Northampton as an undergraduate. John is sales manager of Hope's Windows in Jamestown, N. Y.
I recently spent a pleasant lunch hour in lower Manhattan with Don MacNeary. Don is with the Irving Trust Company investment department working with estates, trusts, and corporate portfolios. His son, Brian, is a sophomore at Dartmouth, and his younger boy is at Kimball Union. Investments are also the specialty of JohnSevey who has just been elevated to second vice president of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Springfield, Mass. John resides with his wife and two children in Wilbraham where he serves on the town conservation committee. In Springfield he is active in the YMCA and serves on the investment committee of the United Fund.
Although the Class of '36 is long on doctors, insurance men, and lawyers, we are short on men of the Cloth. However, we are fortunate to be so ably represented in that vocation by Reverend Jim Lancaster of the First Congregational Church of South Hadley, Mass. His popularity and spiritual contributions to this college community are evidenced by an ever increasing church membership and a constantly improving physical plant. His daughter. Jacqueline, is attending Salem College in North Carolina, while his younger girl is at the Northfield School.
Just in case you are on the Continent this summer, there is another classmate in residence in Switzerland. Bill Wood is in Geneva as technical manager of the Film Dept., E. I. Du Pont de Nemours International. S.A. If you are staying at home, you will have plenty of time to drop me a line. OUI?
Secretary, 90 North Cedar Rd. Fairfield, Conn.
Class Agent, 153 Tahlulah Lane, West Islip, L. I., N. Y.
