1916

For pre-game use at Princeton, November 25, the Dartmouth Club of Philadelphia has again secured the big Drill Hall just west of the Stadium, and 1916 is assured exclusive use of one of the few private rooms. The nominal head tax of a buck per person includes set-ups, hot coffee, chips, etc. Park in lots either west or east of the Stadium, to suit your getaway. If hopes for a post-game party materialize, details will reach you by Balmacaan letter.

The golden wedding anniversary of Fletchand Marguerite Andrews was celebrated at a gay cocktail and dinner party at the Rockaway Hotel, Gloucester, Mass., on August 8. Their young people arranged it. Some 85 gathered in the tribute - old friends of many Gloucester summers, family, and from 1916, the Butlers, Dingwalls, Parkhursts, and Parker Hayden.

Another choice addition has been made to the Parkhurst Room at Hanover in memory of John Wilder Parkhurst '45, who served in the American Field Service in Burma. Before Dick and Kay went to England in June, they got a copy of "Defeat Into Victory" by General Slim who held the top Burma command, so Dick took the volume along against any possibility that he might get it inscribed. As you know Dick, he succeeded. The trail led to Windsor, where the Field Marshal is now Governor of the Castle, and eventually to his family living room for a felicitous hour. There the book was inscribed: "With warm memories of the gallant and devoted service of the American Field Service. (Sgd) Slim F M Windsor Castle, 14-6-67."

Yet another prime item is a memoir of the "Queen Mary" by Dick, based on his letter to the Boston Herald Traveler published in its issue of August 21: For years through the '30s, that area of Boston Harbor between South and East Boston known as the "triangle" had been a sort of no man's land, escaping both federal and state dredging projects. As the clouds of World War II lowered, the probable importance was foreseen of making the "triangle" adequate in depth and size for a turning basin to accommodate, at Commonwealth Pier, the largest ships then afloat. The Port Authority pressed for action on this dredging and it was accomplished in 1940 and early 1941. So soon thereafter that the dredging had not been reflected in new charts, there came a confidential inquiry to the Port Authority: Could Boston handle the "Queen Mary" and embark without delay a full load of troops then being assembled in Midwest staging areas? Investigation within the next 24 hours demonstrated that Boston was ready. So one day the "Queen Mary" slipped into Boston Harbor in her gray wartime paint, and loaded the thousands of troops brought by rail directly to shipside. And as Dick, then chairman, sat in his office high up in the Custom House Tower with a British contemporary, they saw through powerful glasses the "Mary" turn safely, swing down channel and steam swiftly over the evening horizon for the far Pacific.

Appropriately, Dick Parkhurst expected to sail with the "Queen Mary" when she headed out of Southampton for her last trans-Atlantic crossing.

John Steams' Baknacaan Letter doubtless will have recounted details of the regional group picnic enjoyed by twelve at the Goward's in Shrewsbury. Having been privileged to share it, and indeed four previous ones via the superb colored pictures run that day by Paul, however, your secretary would like to add his tribute to those who have made these picnics a continuing institution, real cement of Class unity.

Because of lowered space allotment, a nice bouquet of news from all eight of our energetic engineers must regretfully be put over to the November MAGAZINE. My thanks to those men, all the more.

Other summer gleanings: Ev Parker watched the PGA tournament at Cherry Hills from his living room armchair. All his young people foregathered with him at Denver in late August. Ev is coming east earlier this fall, to celebrate his brother's 80th birthday with him in Cleveland, then to have a week or so with Betsy and her family on the Main Line at Strafford. Betty's husband, David G. Powell, is an aeronautical engineer with General Electric's Space Technology Laboratory at Valley Forge. ParkerHayden and Catherine Cleaves each got to see relatives in Wyoming. Esky got to San Francisco in late July to see his daughter and son-in-law off to the University of Guam, where the latter now holds the chair in modern sculpture and art. At Winnipesaukee the Parkhursts visited the DanDinsmoors, and on their way home the Gran Fullers, Cliff Beans, and HeinieGeorges at Hampton Beach, then had luncheon with Joe and Selma Newmark at Salem. Several of us were able to see EdCraver briefly in Phillips House, truly an anti-climax to their roundabout sea trip to London with the Parkhursts in June, but we all trust he is home in Perryville by now.

From Chuck Durgin at Ormond Beach came a most welcome letter. I had forgotten that, following his naval service in WWI, he had done a turn with National City in Manila and Hong Kong during our own China years. Then he switched to First National of Boston and finally represented that bank at Havana for probably thirty years until he retired in 1959 (just in time). Chuck then accepted an invitation from the Guatemalan government to help them install there some of the economic and social programs that earlier had proved so successful in Cuba but two years later, when their daughter Lisa was ready to enter Stetson University, they decided to leave the "City of Eternal Spring" and re-live for a bit the Far East of his youth. "Since all good things come to an end" they returned, stopping just long enough in Hawaii to make the change from East to West not too drastic. At Boston Chuck found that, with the credits he had accumulated at Northeastern in his pre-Havana years, he needed only a few more plus a thesis to secure his M.B.A. degree, so underwent the stimulating discipline to get that! (Like Louis Bell, who in 1947 earned the credits needed to secure his Dartmouth diploma.) The Durgins have since lived in sunny Ormond Beach, save for occasional visits with Lisa, now married and living in California, and with their son in New York.

Duffy and Betty Lewis spent most of the summer at Center Barnstead, N. H., - "this most rural spot, doing a little fishing, playing a little golf, and entertaining our two small grandchildren." They had a most enjoyable picnic with the Dinsmoors and Shanahans and have been near enough to Steve Harvey, Rod Soule, and presumably the Russ Leavitts to see them occasionally.

1916 extends its deep sympathy to AlecJardine and his family on the death of his wife Estelle at Sagamore Beach on August 21. Our tribute was personalized, at the services at Wellesley on the 23rd, by sixteen red roses and the presence of the Baileys, Bobsts, Ellises, and Tuckers, and of Cliff Bean, Parker Hayden and Dick Parkhurst.

Word of the passing in mid-January of Gardner Morey, also after long illness, reached us indirectly in July. A notice will be included in the In Memoriam section of the MAGAZINE as soon as the facts are available.

The reconstruction of our basic class records proceeds gradually. Now that we have been able to confirm the honorary or adopted memberships voted to Wallace F. Robinson, donor of Robinson Hall, Reverend John E. Johnson, 1866, patron of the Outing Club, Judge David Cross, 1841, the oldest alumnus of our campus years, Professor Artemus Packard, and PresidentErnest Fox Nichols, as well as those of Messrs. Lincoln Filene and Laurence F.Whittemore, you may wish to add the names of the first five to your In Memoriam List.

Remember that Kenneth Cramer, Archivist of the Baker Libraries, would welcome and put to good use any old mem books which you may wish to dispose of. Three copies of our 1916 Aegis are available for the first three who need and ask for one. Be sure to order your football tickets in time.

Secretary, 2-C Swarthmore Apts. Swarthmore, Pa. 19081

Treasurer, Singletary Ave., Sutton, Mass. 01527

Bequest Chairman,