1923

By this time you will have received a full report on the class get-together during the Penn game weekend. Enclosed with the minutes of our meeting is a return addressed postcard which I hope you will find, fill out, and mail to me. During the two years since our current class directory was distributed there have been many changes of addresses, due largely to retirements, but perhaps also to a tendency on the part of some of us to try a place or two before we settle down permanently. Not a bad idea either!

As you will see from the class meeting notes, plans are now in the making for the publication of a class history - an updated Aegis, if you will. Since this book won't come out until just prior to our fiftieth an interim class address list seems worthwhile. It won't be the kind of professional job Chet Bixby produced in 1967 but hopefully it will serve to keep us more closely in touch between now and 1973. Won't you please find a minute or two to fill out your address card?

The class owes Florence Miner, our treasurer pro tem, a vote of thanks for her able take-over of Babe's chores during his recent illness. Dues checks are coming through on just about the usual schedule. However the omission of the usual "Dear Babe" slip has deprived Babe of some of the greetings he has come to cherish over the years. Several of you have compensated by personal notes - as witness from: -

Joe Houston at Vero Beach, Fla.: "Sally and I moved into our new home here in June and love the area. Now being retired we decided to move out of the cold north into the mild country and go north for a couple of months in the summer. Good golf here so we don't have to hibernate for six months as we did on the Chicago North Shore for 30 years."

Metty Morse at Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Mass.: "When we are not living aboard our boat 'Caravan' in Southern waters we are taking care of our six houses in Quissett, keeping them occupied by fine tenants, mostly summers. Keeps me plenty busy."

Kip Couch: "Retired to Bridgehampton, L. I., July 1 and am very happy. Just visited Pudge in Chatham where we had a wonderful visit and good golf."

Art Everit at Afton, Mich.: "Have had a really good summer. Some visitors and some promises that ended up as disappointments for various reasons - all legitimate. Life up here is the restful sort that does us both good even though the trout fishing was not up to par - probably because I didn't work at it as much as usual.

"Hope you and Florence get down to Palm Beach or Delray for a spell this winter. Sam and Mim Home are due at the same place and Roy and Beth Brown, Philand Lyn Smith, Charlie Curts, and we expect a lot of others who are as yet unspoken. We leave here Oct. 14 and will take it easy but won't spare the hosses getting to Palm Beach."

Class dues-check greetings also come to Babe from Peyt Hawes, Hip Conley, and Pem Whitcomb.

As you will remember, Babe is now president of the Class Treasurers Association. One of the important indices of the quality of a class treasurer's job is the percent of dues payers. 1923 has always been near the top. As president of the Treasurers Association Babe will appreciate your help in keeping us there.

Another excellence award to Cap Palmer's Parthenon Pictures Corp. His "The Many Voices of Freedom" received the Chris Statuette Award in the Education Category at the 17th annual Columbus, Ohio Film Festival.

An important item omitted from the minutes of the October 11 class meeting was Pete Jones' announcement that to date 51 classmates have pledged $650,000 to the Third Century Fund. There have been ten gifts ranging from ten to eighty-five thousand and three in the one hundred thousand and over category.

We were saddened by the recent death of Walter Rahmanop's wife, Martha. The sympathy of the class goes out to Walter and his family at this sad time in their lives.

I am putting these notes together on Saturday, Nov. 1, 1969. Exactly fifty years ago today, also on a Saturday afternoon, Dartmouth met Colgate in a football game that was a vivid highlight of our freshman year. I cannot help but quote the following two paragraphs describing the game, from the browning pages of Joe Millar's priceless collection of "Dartmouths":

There were less than two minutes left to play when Webster, Colgate's second kicker, dropped back to punt from his own 15-yard line, whither frenzied dashes by Jordan, Holbrook, and Cannell had carried the ball. For the fourth time during the game the much touted defense of the Maroon gave way and Youngstrom, first of the Dartmouth forwards to get through, hurled himself at Webster. The ball bounded off Youngstrom's chest and dribbled along toward the Colgate goal line. Youngstrom was still with it however and scooped up the ball a split second before Webster reached it. With the entire Colgate backfield clinging to him the big guard dragged his way across the last white mark and fell. The score was 7-6.

The Green took its time about the goal which was to mark a virtual victory or a hard fought defeat. The muddy field influenced Dartmouth against a punt-out and as a result Robertson was forced to try the goal at a different angle. The pigskin was moved this way and that, aimed and then aimed again, and finally kicked. The ball went like a shot, bounded against the further upright, hung there for an instant and then dropped over. Colgate was tied.

I know Joe Pollard, at least, has seen several hundred Dartmouth football games since that long ago day. Undoubtedly many of the rest of us have, too. I can't think of another one however that left the mark on us that this one did.

The 1919 Dartmouth team had Streng and Threshie at the ends, Sonnenburg and Murphy at tackle, Youngstrom and Crisp at guard and Bill Cunningham at center. The backs were Cannell, Robertson, Jordan, and Eckberg. It was a light team with Cuddy Murphy at 216 pounds, the only man on either the Dartmouth or Colgate team over 200. The average weight of both lines was 179. Dartmouth's backfield averaged 168, Colgate's 173. Somehow those men always seemed to me, at least, to have been a lot bigger.

And now to all of you and to your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Secretary, Box 2, Francestown, N. H. 03043

Treasurer, 960 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow, Mass. 01106