1939

Our Man of Distinction this month has got to be Joe Batchelder, president of O'Ryan and Batchelder and, more importantly, our Class Agent. Joe was elected chairman of the Transit Advertising Association in April. He is the third generation of a family that has been prominent in the transit advertising field for 73 years. His company reported sales last year of more than $14,000,000 or more than 50% of all transit ad billings in the U.S. President Batchelder predicted the industry would enjoy a ten percent increase over last year.

Agent Batchelder has led the Class of 1939 to a first place position during the first two weeks of the Green Derby! You all will undoubtedly receive more up-to-date percentages than we can give you here, but isn't it great to be associated with a winner? As that old philosopher, Bear Bryant, likes to say, winning sure beats whatever is second best. So congratulations, Joe, and to all hands. We should all be proud of the class spirit, which has been growing like a snowball these many years. And our thanks to all the class agents of previous years, who were the ones who pushed that snowball mightily to get it started. It's the finest cause in the world, so let's keep the pressure on that snowball!

In our first column last October we wrote that we hoped to pursue the Little Man on Campus and the Forgetful Alumnus. We are particularly gratified to read that our Participation Index and the number of our contributors is so fine this year. Here is one time in the year when our least known and least affluent brother can stand up and be counted.

In a future column we want to give recognition by name to all the assistant class agents who are doing such a fine job in helping their college. And you'd be surprised at the number of guys in our class who interview prospective candidates for admission. Darned if we aren't coming of age.

Bert MacMannis and Bill Carter represented '39 at the Alumni Fund kickoff dinner in New York. Bill was president of the Dartmouth Alumni Club of Northern New Jersey and continues to serve on its Board of Directors. Rupert Thompson '28, who is chairman of the Alumni Fund this year, received a most appropriate award from President Dickey at that dinner, a copy of "The College on the Hill" by our own Ralph Hill. At least one-fourth of the president's speech was devoted to Zeke's book, endorsing it as "readable history." If any wives read this column, here's a suggestion for Father's Day or for the old man's summer reading program in the hammock. Get him Ralph Hill's book, and you'll be able to get the housework done for days without any interference from him.

Several people after the ceremonies at the Bema during Reunion last year mentioned how impressed they were with John Evans' prayer. As requested, he has sent along a copy, which we shall be happy to make available. John says it was extemporaneous but has written it down as best he remembers, and we think it's very moving.

Hass Warrener has been making quite a name for himself. He's assistant secretary of the Union Central Life Insurance Company in Cincinnati and has been active in the United Appeal campaigns. He serves as senior warden of the Church of the Advent, director of the Cincinnati Industrial Mission, and vice president of the Dartmouth Club there.

Jack Reeder, whose son is trying to transfer to Dartmouth from Kent State College, is president of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Dayton and flies his own plane to far-away places for reasons the Internal Revenue boys still haven't figured out.

Did you all see a beautiful color ad many moons ago in the Saturday Evening Post of one of the important Chesterfield People, Ernest F. Fetske, prominent boat designer?

We had a good report from Bud Blunt after Norma and he had had the pleasurable experience of chaperoning at their '66 son Ken's fraternity house during Winter Carnival. "They encouraged our mixing with them and we even made an attempt at dancing but quickly realized that a little bit of that as it is done on college campuses these days went a long way. Saturday was a very busy day starting with a reception given by the College for all chaperones and then a hockey game. In the afternoon we watched the ski jumping and then went to the swimming meet. After dinner we took in the Glee Club concert and returned to the house for several hours of the noisiest combo music we've ever heard." Bud is president of Melville Realty Company in New York and is recovering nicely from acute ringing in the ears.

Art Larkin was elected to the Gillette Company's Board of Directors at the annual meeting of stockholders in Boston recently. It is safe to assume that Art had nothing whatever to do with the shaving on sandpaper bit! He is executive vice president for operations at General Foods, where he probably didn't have anything to do with those reducing pill ads, either. Madison Avenue took two strikes, didn't it?

Employee profit-sharing is a principal reason why a Newport News firm has become the largest wholesale distributor of mechanical equipment in the U.S. Guess who? The chairman of the board, BozoNoland, says the Noland Company has never laid off people for lack of work and boasts that most of its stockholders are Noland personnel. The company's profit-sharing policy, oldest in the industry, calls for 25 percent of the firm's pre-tax profits to be distributed among employees. High company morale was a factor in the firm's sales moving past the $100,000,000 mark last year. It just shows what happens when you build a better mousetrap.

From that idea it is a natural progression to think of girls' schools and our Dr. EverettM. Woodman, who holds the enviable job of president of Colby Junior College. Eb was recently elected to the board of directors of the American Association of Junior Colleges. He wears a number of different hats, all distinguished, and should be a good man to know, especially if they give you any trouble at the Lebanon airport. He is a director of the New Hampshire Educational Broadcasting Council, vice president of the New England Junior College Council, director of the New Hampshire Council of World Affairs, and a member of the Lebanon Regional Airport Authority.

Mike Ellis has written us another interesting letter. "Your theories on retirement are entirely sound. My father died last year at 73 on the verge of cutting down from twelve months a year to six months of work. My mother has also worked almost all her life and can't seem to stop either. At 73 it shouldn't be necessary to work only because you can't stop."

We are looking forward at this writing to the Class Officers weekend in Hanover and will pass along the hot scoop as soon as possible. We hope to have a good representation and get some fresh ideas, but it always was hard to study in Hanover in the late spring.

We are back in the mountains of western North Carolina again. Your secretary has for a number of years been the senior warden of a little church here. We invite outstanding men from all over the country to be our ministers on their vacations. This summer we shall have four Bishops, including the new Presiding Bishop of the whole Episcopal Church.

Have a good summer, all hands, whereever you are. Send a postcard to old Hank and surprise him!

Secretary, Box 38, Cashiers, North Carolina

Class Agent, O'Ryan & Batchelder, Inc. 502 E. War Memorial Dr., Peoria, Ill. 61614