1931

I sit here surrounded by bundles of notes and clippings wondering how I could possibly have feared a shortage of news when I took this job over. Hardly a day goes by but a '31 letter finds itself in my mailbox. With cooperation like this how can I go wrong?

From five sources - John Boermeester, Ernie Moore, Shep Wolff, Wally Blakey '30 and the Dartmouth Alumni Records office I received the clipping about Sam Groves which appeared in the Boston Herald in January. Sam is complaining that the public still thinks his United-Carr, Inc. makes only fasteners for automobile touring cars. He claims folks don't listen when he tells them that United's production is 50% electronic. Somebody among our kith must be paying attention, Sam - however, please remember that electronics may go out of style some day, and you maybe will need the fastener business to fall back on.

I seem to have all kinds of clippings on Joe Choate the Boat Show Man, whom the New York Times dubs "The Land-Locked Admiral." It develops that Joe does have a boat of his own, no matter what people say. It is an 8½-foot ark made of vinyl and rubber which folds into a small carrying case. "What's in the case, Joe? A boat? Come on, Joe!" Also, just to throw a little panic into the long range city planners, Joe states that, by 1970, his show will need two and one-half New York Colosseums! We hope to see Joe at the Boston Show, although we already have a boat.

Dick Chase has retired from Eastern Associated Coal Corp. After thirty years which culminated in his being vice-president. There was a big party for him at the Algonquin Club, Boston, in December. Shep Wolff was there, of course, for he is v.p. of the Boston Gas Company, an affiliate. Dick has had some cards printed with his name on them as a representative of Fessenden & Sykes Insurance Agency, Inc. From this I would gather that Dick is taking up selling insurance as a hobby.

John Boermeester sends in a clipping about purchase of stock in the Maine Central Railroad from Spence Miller and others, by associates of Frederick C. Dumaine. Johnny appends: "What is Dumaine up to? Did Spence hold him up? We will have to wait for the next installment of this serial to find out."

We have more information on our special operative Bob Tonis who has infiltrated Harvard University as chief of security. Bob has just been elected president of the Cambridge Kiwanis Club. It won't be long before we have complete command of this situation with Bob spreading his influence through Cambridge in all directions. Gives you kind of a comfortable feeling.

Bill Wilson's son Tom '67 has been an exchange student at the University of Freiburg, Germany, after a summer covering Europe from one end to the other. Tom was due home for Christmas and was to return to Hanover in January to complete his junior year.

Frank Hodson is another one of our brethren who will not stay retired. Frank has just been elected executive vice president of Russell O'Brien Associates, Inc., New York, international search and development organization in business mergers and acquisitions. He formerly was president of Eppens-Smith Company, packers of Holland Coffee.

Ori Hobbs writes he is very busy getting into the oil transportation business, buying another oil company and also commencing distribution of propane gas. He keeps busy after working hours as National Enrollment Committeeman for Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with 177 applications for Dartmouth having been processed last year.

Don Ewing writes to Shep (enclosing check) stating that he is a grandfather at last. His son David, Yale '62, has two sons. Son Donald Jr., age 14, is now entering Massachusetts Military Academy at this writing.

Tom Williams also pens a brief to Shep suggesting that '31 should have an informal reunion during Princeton weekend this fall. This brings me to another piece of business which should prove interesting to many thirty-oners. Hank McCarthy has reserved 25 rooms at Lake Morey Inn, Fairlee, Vt., for that weekend (circa October 8). This looks like a real wing-dinger. Hank states he now has twelve reservations. Interested parties should contact Henry J. McCarthy, Sargent Road, Marblehead, Mass. 01945.

Many '31 members have received a letter from George Nickum relative to the Bequest and Estate Planning Program. He says that, as of June 30, 1965, there were 85 trusts in this program totalling $2,715,602. Our class so far has only one such trust.

Jim Swift is filling in his agents' organization as spring comes rushing in. He called me from Boston on his way home from the Class Agents' meeting in Hanover, said that Dave Borkum will handle the New England region which contains over 150 thirty-oners.

Socially, seven of us were at the Charles River Dartmouth Club's annual football smoker: Ed Hanauer, Roland Peterson, Dave Loveland, John Boermeester, Dick Chase, Shep Wolff, and yours truly. A week later John Boermeester sneered at me via the mail: had I gotten the smoke out of my hair yet? Wonder what he meant by that?

We had two tables at the Dartmouth Boston Alumni dinner: Ernie Moore (he returned my pocket knife!), John Boermeester, Ori Hobbs, Hank McCarthy, Hal Glickman Ken Sampson, Shep Wolff, Dick Chase, pave Borkum, Charlie Dwyer, and yours truly - complete with all spouses. President Dickey's words were a thunderclap of warning of things to come in the war of ideas.

The Hank McCarthys were all suit-cased and motelled for the night, preparing to leave the next morning for (ugh!) Bermuda. There must be money in those gull-flails he makes!

Johnny Benson could not attend the Boston dinner because of a hernia operation. We sincerely trust that by the time this is published his recovery will have been complete.

Thanks again for the notes and information which make this job so pleasurable. Now, how about a little something from the West?

Dick Chase '31 (c) was honored by a dinner at the Algonquin Club, Boston, inDecember, on his retirement as VicePresident of Eastern Associated CoalCorp. With him is Shep Wolff '31 (r),vice president of the Boston Gas Co., andBob Bailey '39, vice president and general sales manager of the Eastern Associated Coal Corp.

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

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

Bequest Chairman,