1931

During the summer months a steady accumulation of news seems to take place. Loyal brethren forward clippings with hastily scrawled greetings on the margin.

One of the best letters your secretary received was the memo to all class agents of '31 from our indefatigable Jim Swift. His brief summary of our accomplishment in the fund campaign: $53,087 received; 110% of objective; 394 members gave; average gift $134; 140 made the Century Club, an increase of 14; 25 new givers; 8 gave last year but not this. So, once more we win the Green Derby. Great job, Jim. Looks like winning is getting to be a habit with us.

After everything was done, Jim and Annette vacationed in Colorado. I quote: "Bob Chapman has his o.wn insurance business there, loves every minute of it.... HartGilchrist and Thad Smith, both practicing attorneys, are heavily involved in their respective school systems. Bill Walrath is in the heating and air conditioning business. ... Missed Bill Grant, Swede Nelson, and Rosy Rosengren.... I went to Otto Bach's Museum (The Denver Art Museum). He ... is up to his neck in a four million dollar campaign for a new building. And I think I had a struggle with my $50,000."

Ernie Moore contributes a chatty letter. He saw Dutch Holland, Red Gristede, Charlie Schneider, Jim Rice — some with and some without their families — during the summer.

Ernie also forwarded a letter from George Nickum. George made the Alumni Council meeting in June, and saw Gladys and John Benson, Betty and Bill Steck, Hank McCarthy, and Parker Soule.

Dick Holbrook responds to Ed Gruen's suggestion on a depth study of '31, getting everyone on record. Far from holding up his hands in horror, Dick says merely, "Let's not jump into this thing hastily." He wants more opinion from more of us and suggests that I select fifteen men "in various climes and climbs (sic) of life to form what each considers to be a crucial question pertaining to past or present experience or future expectations." In other words, fifteen men each to develop one of the fifteen questions on a form which might be sent out. OK, Dick, I nominate Jim McElroy, Bill Minehan, Doug Morris, John Feltner, Ernie Moore, John Boermeister, Jim Swift, John Cogswell, Parker Soule, Shep Wolff, John Benson, George Nickum, Hank McCarthy, and Sam Taylor. According to the nebulous authority herein so questionably vested, I expect that each of the above fifteen will communicate with me promptly, formulating a suitable question for use in a contemplated information-gathering project for a new Class Book.

I have it from somewhere that John Cogswell purchased a house on Valley Road, Hanover - I would like confirmation and further statistics, including number of beds available, number of dining room chairs, size of coffee pot, parking space, etc.

Shep Wolff forwards a continuing stream of information to me, as you all know. I have a little tip for you. When you send your class dues to Shep, just jot down a little news and info on the back of the stencil. You will be rewarded by a great letter from our Treasurer who is a great guy, even though I shook him a little by claiming to have lost his Scotch cooler containing one bottle Scotch and one bottle Gin, same having been left behind in Hanover at Class Officers weekend. I casually wrote, asking if he had gotten the cooler back OK. Now he's suspicious of everybody, including his hard working secretary, Miss Dyer. I still have it, Shep, and must apologize publicly for not returning it sooner. You'll get it this fall.

Tower Snow showed up in Boston this summer, without advance notice, tried to contact Shep —no luck. Shep wants to be sure that any of us coming to Boston give him a little advance notice. He will do everything to arrange his schedule accordingly.

Marriage announcements: Mr. and Mrs. Jim Godfrey's Anne {Catherine, married to Georg Michael Feichtinger of Austria; Mr. and Mrs. Bill Steck's Margaret Ross, married to Frank Howland Carpenter of Shaker Heights.

George Neff Stevens is now Dean, Northwestern School of Law, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Ore. Send more details when you can, George.

Johnny Benson, formerly a senior vicepresident, has now been elected executive vice-president of the National Shawmut Bank of Boston. He also was re-elected for a second term as overseer of the Amos Tuck School. He also represented the College officially at the inauguration of John Edward Felton as president of Suffolk University. Johnny, we're just plain proud of you.

I quote myself in a recent letter to HankMcCarthy: "In perusing the last issue of the DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE, it seems that there is a movement afoot to convert alumni reunions to alumni colleges —at least, there seems to be a trend. Someone made an impatient remark about beer and piano playing. For my part, I don't need the beer anymore, but I sure do need the piano playing, and from my experience in June '65 everybody needs it. . . there is something to be said for nostalgia and the old songs can do it. Believe me, the old songs do a lot for us, if we will listen to them once in a while."

Let us not forget that having fun is a basic human need. Let's not abolish fun at Class reunions.

General Foods' Vice President Jim North'32 presents a $10,000 Tuck Associatesmembership check to President Dickeyfor Tuck's unrestricted use. The TuckAssociates Program now has 70 members.

Secretary, 23 Coughlin Rd. North Easton, Mass. 02356

Treasurer, c/o Boston Gas Co., 2900 Prudential Tower Boston, Mass. 02116

Bequest Chairman,