1939

A piece of unfinished business with a happy ending deserves top billing in our opening notes for the season. Perhaps you recall that the class reuners got word, last spring, that Dave Lilly had suffered a mild heart attack, and hence could not be in attendance. This provoked a hasty but handsome get-well card, rendered by Dick Brooks, and signed by the entire assemblage. We have a letter from Dave, via our Hanover correspondent, Bob Kaiser. We quote:

I certainly appreciate the effort that was extended to get all those 39er signatures for me as well as your nice note that preceded it. It looks as if you had a great time, and am surely planning on the 35th.

It appears that if I did have a heart attackit was of minor proportions. However, it is nowvery clear that I had pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart. The symtoms are the same as for a coronary occlusion,as is the treatment therefor, but duration oftreatment is shorter and future activity muchmuch less limited. On my doctor's advice, I'mgoing to take a long vacation this summer. Ishould be back in full action by Labor Day.

In case the news has escaped you, our Class finished a struggling sixth in the Group IV Green Derby, collecting a reasonable 89.6% of our dollar objective, with a disappointing 63.4% participation. It reflected a drop of 39 contributors from last year's effort and a loss of $1,283.77 in income. Yet, we think we are right in reporting that our average gift was up ever so slightly, which could bode well for our futures. You also might be interested in the fact that we stand 53rd out of some 59 classes listed in over-all percentage of objective. For the record, our young cousins of 1940 stand - a healthy 22nd in the lists with a 104.9% objective. Wow!

If you have any demands that you feel you would like to make on the Hanover Inn during the course of the year, we might point out that '39ers are in an enviable position with regard to the Inn Board of Overseers. The three newly appointed members of this august board are our own Moose Wyman, and Jack Treadway's brother Dick '36, as well as big old Creighton Holden '40. Who says the Inn is full?

The N. Y. Times of July 2, carried a picture of our new Treasurer, Sam Thurm, and our copy seemed to suggest that Sam was sporting a Fu Manchu mustache, though it could have been a trick of the newsprint. At any rate, it was announced that he is the new chairman of the American Advertising Federation. Sam, who is advertising vice-president of Lever Brothers, was chairman of the Association of National Advertisers, just afew years ago, so his new duties can hold no terrors.

John Haartz has recently been elected to the Board of Directors of Morgan Memorial Inc., of Boston, and adds this task to that of the Board of Trustees of the Holderness School, in Plymouth, N. H. The League of Women Voters, of Danbury, Conn., were treated to an address at their May meeting by the Planning Commission Chairman of the city, our own Bill Goodman. The article goes on to indicate that Bill is serving as executive vice-president of George A. Shepard and Sons, a warehousing firm in nearby Bethel, a post he has filled since 1960. John Gauntlett has stepped down as president of the Cook-Gauntlett Travel Agency, Ithaca, N. Y., as of August 1, and our source indicates he has moved with his family to Sarasota, Fla. The Ithaca newspaper helpfully sums up John's career, which appropriately is tinged with travel, as follows: "Gauntlett was a Navy officer in World War II. In 1946, he joined the Near East Division of Mobile Oil and became assistant manager for Syria and Lebanon and Jordan. In 1950, he became consular officer attached to the American Consulate at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and resigned that post to return to Ithaca in 1952, when he joined the agency he now leaves."

"The Patriot-Ledger" of Quincy, Mass., advises that Bob Field has been named president of Management Recruiters Inc. of the South Shore, a new Braintree firm located at 170 Forbes Road. Bob is a founding president of the Brockton Taxpayers Association and a trustee of the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass., just a hop, skip, and a jump from your secretary, in the lovely Berkshire hills. Still in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we can report that Bob Brown of Gloucester has been adjudged a person of the "highest integrity and to have a demonstrated capacity for leadership" as he takes over the chairmanship of the memorial gifts committee bent on collecting the wherewithal to erect a $2 million building expansion on Addison Gilbert Hospital. Brownie is the treasurer of the family firm, William G. Brown Co., which stands for the finest in department store merchandise in the eastern part of the state.

Jerry Beatty, holed up in Cape Cod's Indian village of Waquoit, continues to do his thing with Saturday Review; that is write the popular Trade Winds column in the front part of the magazine. He has just finished his sixth science fiction/fantasy/ humor book for young people, and I am ashamed to admit that I read a favorable review of his latest in the Sunday Times book section, but didn't snip it out for all to see. Jerry reports that he has a young lawyer for a son-in-law, married to daughter Janis, while daughter Judy is putting in her fourth year with CBS television in NYC. Two other daughters, Jenny and Jane are still in the family nest at Waquoit. And in case you've forgotten, Jerry's pretty wife is named Joanne.

In the changed address department, we have a handful of entries received from the college. Jack Haverfield moved from the mighty metropolis, NYC, to Box 29, Lumberville, Pa. Royal Hassrick stayed in Colorado, but went from Elizabeth to Denver. That's 2500 South York, Denver, Colo. 80210. Al Vailses, who is pres.-treas. of Allan H. Vaitses Assoc. Inc., custom yacht builders, moved from Mattapoisett Neck Rd., to Ocean Drive, all within the confines of Mattapoisett, Mass. 02739. Fred Worden moved east from Los Angeles, and can now be found at 45 Hilltop Rd., Weston, Mass. 02193. Col. Bill Parkhill giving in to the vagaries of the Army, no doubt, left the continental limits of Redwood City, Calif., for 5843 Kalanianaole Hwy., Honolulu, Hawaii 96821. Charlie Nichols made a short hop from Brewster, N. Y., to R. D. 1, North Salem, N. Y. 10560, and Steve Randall changed streets in Needham, Mass., going from Fair Oakes to 315 Harris Ave., Zip 02192.

Although we have had a shot at this post in the past, we had forgotten the rigors of developing fresh news. Would you believe it, if we told you that the well is dry at this very moment, and that we already fret about our next month's column? Our interest was piqued when we discovered in the card file of the class list supplied by the college, a category simply entitled "lost." Three names were there. Gustavo A. deBetancourt, listed at Calle 2 #505, Vedado, Havana, Cuba; Charles A. Davidson III, 904 Linder St., Denver, Colo.; and Rogers S. Baird, 2020 Wisconsin, N.E., Albuquerque, N. M. Anybody know anything about these guys?

In closing, may we suggest that between the time that we typed this piece in the final days of August (so we could accommodate a long Labor Day weekend free of deadline) and the time that they will delight your eye, a fall class reunion has taken place at Bonnie Oaks, with a side trip to Memorial Field to see the Green tune up with Boston College. Details will be forthcoming (no doubt) through Walt Darby's green sheet, but if not, we'll give you the low-down in our next.

Secretary,777 West St. Pittsfield, Mass. 01202

Treasurer, 91 Penn Rd., Scarsdale, N. Y. 10585