1952

It's nice to get a little good news about our illustrious. classmates, especially while sitting here trapped by the worst,snowstorm N.Y.C. has had in many years. It lightens the burden of winter somewhat. The good news, and all of it's good this month, goes like this:

The Ford Motor Company, having formed a new Industrial and Chemical Products Division, has appointed one of ours as general manager. It's Philip E. Benton Jr. Phil has been with Ford ever since he finished at Tuck in 1953. He joined them as a cost analyst and since 1963 had been assistant controller on the company's finance staff. The new division specializes in paint processes and the making of vinyl material.

Right in my own neighborhood the Southern Connecticut Gas Company, a new utility formed through the consolidation of the Bridgeport Gas Company and the New Haven Gas Company, elected John R. Hungerford vice president for finance and secretary. John had been with Bridgeport Gas where he was treasurer and secretary. Before joining Bridgeport Gas in 1955 John had been with Arthur Young & Company as an accountant. Anyway, now I'll know whom to call when they try to shut off my gas.

Also in the neighborhood, Pepperidge Farms, Inc., up in Norwalk has elected BillKay vice president-marketing and a member of the Board of Directors. It was a rather tense release and it surprised me because I thought Bill was already a vice-president. Maybe the news is that he's now on the Board or now in charge of Marketing, I don't know. But I think Bill maybe you ought to look into that p.r. dept. of yours and teach them how to be a little more informative in their releases.

From Bedford, Mass., comes news that Robt. "Buzz" Barton has announced his candidacy for selectman. Buzz has a long list of accomplishments to his credit and I hope he adds "selectman" to it. But I'm sorry to say I can't tell you whether or not he was elected - or even if the elections have been held.

Medford, Mass., sends news this month also - about a Broadway-bound comedy which opened there and was directed by Harvey Medlinsky. The name of the play is "Two Weeks Somewhere Else" and it got a good review so now I'm looking forward to seeing it in New York.

Still some of us young enough to get married. The Reverend Elmer L. Sullivan's engagement to Miss Jean Carhart was announced in December and according to the announcement the wedding took place on February 4. Congratulations, Elmer.

Another of my almost-neighbors has just made a big advance. Cliff Fitzgerald, one of the esteemed residents of Old Greenwich, Conn., was recently named to the Board of Directors of his firm, Drexel Harriman Ripley, investment bankers.

And a little further up the pike in New Haven Bob Jelley was recently named a partner in the law firm of Wiggin & Dana. Although Bob started out to be an engineer with a degree from Thayer School, after four years in the Navy he decided a lawyer's life would be more to his liking, hied himself off to Harvard Law School from which he got his degree in 1961. From that time until now he has been with Wiggin & Dana. Bob and his wife Elizabeth live with their three children in Guilford, Conn., where Bob takes up his spare time worrying about the natural beauties of the countryside as a director of the Guilford Land Conservation Trust.

Another of our legal guys who's moving ahead is Alden Guild. Alden, assistant counsel of National Life Insurance Company of Vermont, has recently been given the additional key post of clerk of the executive committee. He joined National Life after graduation from University of Chicago Law School in 1957, was elected officer in 1962 and promoted to assistant counsel two years later.

Some news does come from far — far away. Just about as far as you could get and still be in the U.S. — Hawaii, that is. Paul Loo has written me a fine letter just to bring me up-to-date on himself and things of interest to '52's that have transpired recently in the 49th State. Paul is managing the Honolulu branch of Dean Witter & Company, member of the N. Y. Stock Exchange. Paul says they are the largest and oldest firm in Hawaii and he's been with them since 1960. Before that he was assistant director of the Federal Housing Administration in Hawaii. Paul is married to the former Violet Shaw of Singapore, has two children and a home near Diamond Head. He's president of the Investment Society of Hawaii, serves on the board of several firms and is trustee of a local college. Paul has traveled to Europe several times, visited Georg Sverdreys there and in turn was visited by Georg and also by Vince Jones in the past year. Sounds like a fairly tough life to take Paul - I wonder ... do you need any aging filing clerks at Dean Witter...

And just today I got an interesting phone call from Joe Baute. Joe's with Markem Machine Company in Keene, N. H. He called to ask some advice on choosing an ad agency but he also made my mouth water telling me what great skiing they've been having up there in the Northland this year. It really made me envious as I look out on the 16 or so miles of snow dumped on Gotham yesterday all of which is to no avail to me. But then there's always the weekends and the golf course in Old Greenwich — and... oh hell! See you in a month.

Secretary, 168 Riverside Ave. Riverside, Conn.

Treasurer, 2327 Park Place, Evanston, Ill. 60201