Thayer School

It is early April, as I write these notes, and snow is falling steadily. The three-inch coating on the trees, buildings and ground creates a beautiful picture but, I am afraid, one which is not much appreciated in Hanover at this time of year. The ice is out in the Connecticut River and the crew is busy rowing, cautiously, between the floating ice cakes and logs. Phil Jackson '44 has just broken ground for the new Tuck School dormitory which his firm, Jackson Construction Co., Inc., will build on the east side of Tuck School. This job plus the Hanover Inn will keep Phil nearby for another year or so.

Fred Hooven. Adjunct Professor of Engineering, won first prize for duration aloft in the professional division of the First International Paper Airplane Competition sponsored by Scientific American magazine. Fred's achievement was truly remarkable for there were over 5000 entries from 28 countries. The design of his flying wing, which stayed aloft 10.2 seconds, was based on the aerodynamics which he learned as a student of Orville Wright. Fred has retired as Special Consultant to the General Manager, Ford Motor Co., and is now at Thayer School for the spring term. The Hoovens have built a home in Norwich.

Professor M. C. Molstad, joined the faculty for the spring term as a Ford Foundation Fellow from the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches Chemical Engineering. Also a Ford Fellow this term is Associate Professor L. A. Johnson who is from the Department of Industrial Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.

Steve Olko '47 has been elected President of the Society of Harvard Engineers and Scientists and asks us not to hold it against him. He previously served his second alma mater as editor of the Society Bulletin and as secretary. Steve is an expert on foundations and marine facilities. Since forming his own company in 1956 he has been involved in over 250 assignments for government agencies and private interests all over the world. He is also a director of the D.S.E.

Jim Decker '54 continues his association with Wilbur Smith Associates in Columbia, S. C., working as a trouble-shooter in urban transportation. He reports that Bill Brown'54 now heads up his own very large construction company in California. More information on this is promised. Jim has also been in touch with Bert Melcher '54 who has formed the firm Borman/Melcher Associates in Denver, Colorado. Bert is involved in the Metro Area Transportation Study in Denver.

An announcement of activities at the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, Bethpage, Long Island, was received several months ago from Frank Perley '44. Frank has been with Grumman for a number of years, I believe.... Bill Bonneville'55 paid Thayer School a visit recently while at Dartmouth to talk to Tuck and TuckThayer students about opportunities at the Nashua Corporation. Bill is the controller there in charge of both financial matters and the industrial engineering division. His summer vacation spot is on Lake Morey beside Dana Low '55.

Ray Becker '60 is now business manager of the Radar and Electronics Lab at Raytheon in Bedford, Mass. He is deeply involved in integrated circuits and would like to hear from alumni working in this field.

... Metcalf and Eddy has announced the retirement, as partner, of Rnss Rice '16 who has been with the firm since 1942. Prior to 1942 Russ was a partner in the company of Fuller and Rice in Boston....

Richard Hazen D'32 has been elected Vice President of the American Institute of Consulting Engineers, and Walter Douglas D'33 joined Dick at the same time as a member of the governing council of the same institute.

The Thayer faculty and students are looking ahead with pleasure to the spring meeting of the D.S.E. officers and executive board in Hanover in May. The March meeting of the Thayer School Board of Overseers was held in Washington, D. C. with Henry Beck '39 and Bob Barr '42 in attendance. Dean Myron Tribus, Associate Dean Jack Frankel, Professors Joe Ermenc, Al Converse, Ross Steams '38, and Colonel Des Canavan were there to present a picture and prospectus of Thayer School's responsibility and involvement in undergraduate liberal arts learning.