1938's 30th
This, the initial effort of the new secretary, will be a report on the official activities at the 30th Reunion with scattered comments on the Hanover scene. The actual Commencement will be reported elsewhere and a subsequent issue of the Pace Setter will list those who attended reunion.
The class headquarters was set up at 105 Gile with the class tent in front of Gile. Clark Barrett and Morgan Marshall registered the faithful as they arrived and GusSouthworth handled the money. We were very fortunate in Having three dedicated undergraduates to assist at the headquarters one of whom was Bud Lynch's son and another Clark Barrett's nephew.
All day Monday registration took place and the returning '38ers moved into Gile and Lord. Many had traveled far and long. Ed Grace from St. Louis; Ken Herschel from Tulsa; Em Marsteller from Richmond; MartyKing from Cleveland; Jack Renchard and Lou Van Dike from Grosse Pointe, and PatGorman from Milwaukee. We ended up with a count of 80 members of the class accompanied by 104 in wives and children. Not a record turnout but it appeared that we beat '39 and '40 who reuned at the same time. For some such as Bob Matteson and EmMarsteller it was the first reunion. Em had been visiting a daughter in Boston and Bob came up to register a daughter for graduate work at Dartmouth. Others such as BillWatson and Bob Lang were known to have attended the Commencement and their sons' graduation but could not stay on for the fun and games.
Monday evening after cocktails in the class tent we were marched to Leverone Field House by a pair of kilted pipers. After the martinis we had ingested they could have marched us right into the Connecticut River to "Scotland Forever." At Leverone - we dined on roast beef and other goodies as guests of the college then back to the tent where we dined on beer as guests of PatGorman and the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. A strike of all the breweries in Milwaukee could have caused a crisis but Pat managed to divert a shipment en route to Keene and our tent had the best beer in the upper valley. Ken Howard, Rog Baker, and ArtKing materialized with the three piece combo that has enlivened past reunions. It should be noted that their playing is a labor of love and is done at some sacrifice. It should also be noted that Ken has six grand-children. There was also a Glee Club Concert on Monday evening at Spaulding Hall.
Tuesday was a busy day with a lecture and seminar in the morning, a cook-out at Storrs Pond in the afternoon and cocktails and dinner at Thayer Hall in the evening. The highlight of the evening was a very informal after-dinner talk by retiring Dean of the College, Thaddeus Seymour.
A class meeting was held on Wednesday morning affording a rare view of democracy in action. With all the political finesse of the Saar plebiscite a slate of officers was proposed by the nominating committee and duly elected. Gus Southworth, a New York banker, is the new treasurer and Paul Urion and Fred Becker are the president and secretary. The latter two who were not acquainted prior to reunion are both country lawyers, deep water sailors and fathers of '69 sons.
Following the class meeting the Rev. Roy B. Chamberlain Jr. conducted the very moving memorial service honoring the seventy deceased members of the class. It was fortunate that weather permitted the use of the Bema as this beautiful setting is so much a part of the service.
The final event was a steak fry at the class tent with many promises exchanged and talk of the next reunion already in the air.
To this dweller of the lowlands Hanover never looked so good. Main Street has had a face lifting and the new buildings such as the Inn and the Hop look as if they had always been there. The undergraduates looked good too and those who protested at Commencement did so silently and without disturbance by wearing a white arm band on the black gown. It was good to hear the chimes again and to hear the radiators rattling with the early morning steam. It was good to see all the dogs, even those who participated in the Commencement exercises, and midst all the change and progress it was good to see Tanzi's, unchanging and immutable.
As I read this over it appears awfully disjointed but that's the way a reunion is.
1929's reunion chairman, Trunkie Brittan,and president, Carter Strickland, displaythe 1894 and 1930 Cups awarded 1929for their attendance records at reunion.
CLASS SECRETARY
