1954
The water shortage, power failure and subway-bus strike have caused those of us living in New York City really to rough it lately. Fortunately, writing this column gives me the opportunity to rest my weary feet and will help to keep my mind off that long trek to and from the office.
While his distant transportation brethren, the subway motormen, were idle this New Year's, Howie Aronson was very much on the job flying in the friendly skies of United. Howie, a jet pilot, reports that he spent the recent holidays in the sun - about 25,000 feet up that is. Soon to be sharing the air lanes with Howie is George Hitchcock, who has completed pilot training with American Airlines and has been assigned to duty as a flight officer at Nashville, Tenn. Previously George flew the sometimes not so friendly skies of the U.S. Navy.
All has not been Spartan for us New Yorkers. There has been a host of '54 parties in recent months in the metropolitan area. The most recent affair was held in December by Bill and Jane White, at their Short Hills, N. J., home. This pre-holiday gala featured a swinging host and hostess, with food, drink and classmates a-go-go. On hand, complete with ten gallon hat, was Texas' favorite adopted son, Russ Benjamin, who was passing through town in connection with his flooring distributorship. Right now Russ is his own best customer, having broken ground for his new home in Houston. The house incidentally adjoins a golf course. At the White party, I had occasion to spend some time chatting with Tom and Pat Sayles. Tom is an assistant vice-president with the Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company in NYC where he handles commercial and business development loans. Among his more strenuous tasks is that of seeing to it that Kent Klineman doesn't abscond with the Class funds which are on deposit in Tom's bank. The Sayles live in Chatham, N. J., with children, Lynn, 9, and Ricky, 4.
Glenn Wesselmann has been appointed to the newly created post of Assistant Vice President of Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases, New York City. Glenn, formerly the assistant administrator, will have overall administrative responsibility for Memorial Hospital's diagnostic, therapeutic, and ancillary services. He earned his master's degree in hospital administration at Cornell. In his home community of Englewood, N. J., he is a member of the First Presbyterian Church and President of the Dartmouth Club of Bergen County.
In the field of alumni affairs we hear that Dave Metz has been appointed by the Dartmouth Club of Westchester as chairman of the Glee Club concert program to be held at the White Plains (N. Y.) High School on February 26. Dave is with the advertising division of Reader's Digest. He and Betsey reside in Chappaqua, N. Y., with their three future pea greens, Harry, 4, Andy, 2, and Stephen, 5 months.
While in the children's department, there are several births to report. It was a boy, Eric Jay, for Jay and Diane Engel on October 18. The Engels are starting construction on their new home in Southboro, Mass., where Jay teaches at the Saint Mark's School. On November 26, Steve and CarolMullins celebrated the birth of Stephanie Carol. In our October column we reported that the Mullins had a new girl. This wasn't ESP, just an error. My apologies to the Mullins and to Doug and Freddie Smith who are the rightful parents of the Ginger in question. Word reaches us from Pittsburgh, Pa., where he works for Mine Safety Appliances Co. that Phil Anderson has recently become a proud papa. Further details should be forthcoming.
Momentarily Ralph Destino, with the willing aid of his wife Aurora, also hope to gain admission to the "diaper dan" set. The transition to the diaper pin should not be too sticky for him, who as the head of Ralph Destino Ltd., a leading men's jewelry manufacturer, is an old hand with the tie pin. Ralph was recently the recipient of the Caswell-Massey award for national preeminence in the design of men's jewelry. This award of the "golden eagle" to Ralph is as important in the men's fashion field as the "oscar" award is in the motion picture industry. The NYC transportation snarl doesn't affect Ralph. He lives at 35 East 35 Street from which appropriately enough it takes him 35 seconds to get to work.
Maybe the services of Dana Low will next be called upon to solve our traffic dilemma. Dana spent last summer in Dover, N. H., managing a transportation study. Since then he has moved to Wheeling, W. Va., where he heads a branch office of Tippetts, Abbett, McCarthy & Stratton, engineers and architects. Dana is now acting as study director of a comprehensive transportation study in the metropolitan Wheeling area. This October Dana returned to Hanover to deliver a lecture at the Thayer School. Another city planner, Dick Danforth, has been appointed executive director of the Citizens Advisory Committee in Buffalo, N. Y.
After ten years in the U.S. Air Force, Bob Collimore has settled down in Dundee, Ill., with wife Georgia and two boys. Bob works for the Chicago insurance firm of Kuffel, Eggert & Co. From St. Louis comes word of the promotion of Ed Rowland to vice-president of the Ralston Purina Co. in the product division. George Murdoch reports from Marion, lowa, that he has acquired three more funeral homes. He is now the general manager of funeral homes in six different towns. John Crowe has taken on additional duties as physician for the secondary schools of Stoughton, Mass. John's usual practice of medicine is conducted at the Park Medical Center and the Goddard Memorial and Peter Bent Brigham hospitals. In Hartford, Conn., Dwight Ketelhut has left his position with Minneapolis-Honeywell, to form his own real estate and insurance firm, the Phipps Co., in nearby Meriden.
While those of us in New York may have our momentary transportation problems, there are others whose travels will be limited for a more substantial period of time. In this category are Ben and Sarah Gilson. An orthopedic surgeon in the U.S. Navy, Ben, after tours of duty at the Bethesda Naval Hospital and in Japan, has been assigned to the hospital on Guam for the next two years. The Gilsons urge all '54's passing through the island to look them up. This really is a vox clamantis in deserto.
Secretary, 331 Madison Ave. New York, N. Y. 10017
Treasurer, 330 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. 10017
