1931

I'm writing these notes in a room at the Hanover Inn where Trudy and I are spending a couple of quiet days prior to plunging into 1966. We saw Parker and HelenSoule for a few minutes over a cool drink. They are already making plans for Princeton weekend next fall, in conjunction with the reserving of 25 rooms for Thirty-oners at the Lake Morey Inn at that time by Johnny Benson and Hank McCarthy. Everyone desirous of making the Princeton game is making plans right now. Reservations apparently are disappearing rapidly. We visited Red Rolfe at his office and found him deep in preparations for a banquet for the undefeated footballers. He said that serious consideration is being given to a new football stadium, seating perhaps 25,000, and possibly relocated away from the center of this crowded village where every inch of space seems so precious. Hanover fairly bulges at the seams. The new Wigwam dormitories are on the banks of the Connecticut beyond Tuck and beyond the new Thayer complex. North, the new Medical School group plus the enlarged Mary Hitchcock Hospital spreads all the way from Rope Ferry Road to the Lyme Road. Growth is rampant - and complex.

Sher Guernsey forwards a long informative note from Smokey Joe Adams who has definitely and permanently settled in Japan, has happily married there, and is teaching in the Japanese American Conversation Institute (Nichi Bei Kaiwa Gakuin). He is supporting a bulldog, two dachshunds, and two cats. (Open the door - and let me in!)

Sher also forwarded a photograph of Peanuts Winslow collecting money from tourists. It looks a bit like a commercial advt., which it really is, really! Swede Nelon writes that he saw Bob Chapman at a party given by Thad and Martha Smith, and that Bob had only recently cast aside his crutches from a July accident. Swede also notes that Thad published a book on oil legality a couple of years ago. Do we have the details, Thad?

George Nickum sent along a note about his work on the Bequest Program. He is now working on a letter concerning life income trusts which will shortly be mailed to many Thirty-oners.

Shep Wolff, as usual, is supplying this scribe with many personal notes and briefs. Under Johnny Benson's and Shep's aegis, the Class sent flowers to Bill Benger's funeral. A touching acknowledgment was received from Marie Benger. There is more about Bill elsewhere in this issue.

Bob Baumrucker sent the following which I quote complete as the ideal type of letter that a class secretary should receive from each and every classmate: "Just about to take off for Squaw Valley to open our lodge for the season, but here's Holiday Greetings and thanks for handling the class notes' chore. I expect to meet my sister's family at Vail Lodge, Colo., for about ten days of knee deep powder in March. This would be the J. F. Forts of Potomac, Md., who have many friends in classes environs 1931 - including Tom Mann whom I'm also trying to get to Vail to give him a return match on the Moosilauke Down Mountain Race 35 years ago. I haven't seen Tom for some time, as I just seem to miss him at the Hillsboro Club in Florida on my way to the Bahamas. Best wishes for 1966." Please, folks, go thou and do like Bob. Thanks.

Via Shep, a letter from Johnny Johnson who was unseen by me at the Dartmouth Harvard game, although he was there. The letter is so good that I'm forwarding it to Bill Steck where possibly he may be able to quote it in full. Johnny mentions the wild melee at the Boston Dartmouth Club's cocktail party in Harvard Stadium after the game, which Rog Donner and he attended. Too many, too mad, too young.

Joe Choate, administrative vice president of the National Association of Engine and Boat Manufacturers, is riding the heightening crest of small boat popularity, feeding the fires of public interest with well-seasoned statistics and well-planned boat shows. Now, my friends, you all can see how really mixed up a metaphor can be!

Parker Soule gives me this one: WaltDouglas, Bill Palmer, and Chuck Robinson are serving on the committee of the Southern California Alumni Association, working toward a March 26 concert by our Glee Club at the Music Center in Los Angeles. This indicates a probable attendance exceeding 3,000. Indeed this is a tremendous and truly worthwhile undertaking, and Thirty-oners compose about one-third of the committee.

Parker also let me take overnight a most interesting and comprehensive missive from Jack Weisert who, as many of you know, has been transferred from Beirut, Lebanon, to Hamburg, Germany, heading up the Consulate's economic/ commercial section. Jack speaks longingly of Home Leave in the United States, including a "recharging expedition" to Hanover. I can personally vouch for the recharging part which I am getting right now, even though the campus outside my window is slushy and wet from a thaw.

Jim Fannin, assistant administrator of South Nassau (N. Y.) Communities Hospital, has been admitted to the American College of Hospital Administrators. He's been at Nassau since 1934. Fred Tetzlaff, with Rohm & Haas since 1941, was elected vice-president of that company recently, and has assumed the managership of the newly formed (synthetic) Fibers Division.

Thirty-oners have represented the College at various ceremonies recently: BillSiferd attended inauguration exercises of the president of Ohio Northern University; Ken Anderson attended the inauguration exercises of the president of Franklin College; Bill Marsh attended the exercises of the centennial convocation of Atlanta University.

I hope that all you folks had as happy and satisfying a New Year's Eve as Trudy and I did.

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

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

Boston, Mass. 02116

Bequest Chairman,