1941
Another month is upon us. Here in New England, the snow is rapidly departing and the buds are coming out, as are Bob Thomas and his assistant class agents. More about them later, but first, a little news about classmates.
Grant Hesser was elected president of the Associated General Contractors of Ohio in January. Grant joined the Charles V. Maescher Co. of Cincinnati, general building contractors, after his release from the Navy following World War 11, and became president of the firm in 1964. He has been most active in the affairs of the construction industry. He is a past president of the Cincinnati Chapter, Associated General Contractors of America and a member of several national AGC committees. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Allied Construction Industries, an officer and a trustee of the Construction Advancement Program of Greater Cincinnati, a member of the National Panel of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Commitee. He also. finds time for many other Activities, being a past president of the Dartmouth Club of Cincinnati, active in local affairs of Beta Theta Pi, a board member of the General Protestant Orphan Home, the Cincinnati Association of the Blind, and the University Club, a past president and district governor of the Gyro Club of Cincinnati, and a member of mumerous other community and civic organizations. The oldest of his three boys, Grant V., Ohio University '69 has now joined Grant in the Maescher Company.
On my occasional flights around the country, whenever I fly Eastern Airlines I always check to see if any of the crew know Eastern's Captain Dick Shedden. Last week, on a flight from Boston to Washington, D. C., I found a stewardess who knew him, and had flown with him. As she was enroute to Miami, Dick's home base with Eastern, she offered to deliver a note from me, and she did, for when I returned home, I found a reply from Dick, the first direct word I've had from my old bridge partner in some thirty years (!). Part of Dick's letter follows:
Such a pleasant surprise to receive your note. I do get the Alumni News, but I'm afraid I haven't been active at all as far as the Alumni Association is concerned. I went to several dinners when I was based in New Orleans, but have not attended any functions in the last seven years since leaving that city. I do get notices, but have not been too interested as I don't know any of the people here.
Nothing much to report for your notes, either. I've been an active pilot since leaving school. I graduated from flying school in February, 1941, and served as a bomber pilot all through World War II. I was a lead crew commander in the 20th Airforce (B-29's) under General LeMay in the campaign against Japan, ending up as a group operations officer and a major.
I started with EAL and have been actively flying for them ever since (except for a two year hiatus when I was recalled during Korea to serve as an advanced training squadron commander at Langley Field, Virginia.) With EAL I was based in New Orleans for 17 years, New York for two, and here in Miami for the last six.
My wife, Evelyne, and I have two grown- up daughters (one married, and one a sophomore at Georgia Tech!) and we are pretty actively considering the wheres and hows of retirement—mandatory with the airlines at 60 (in eight years!).
I play tennis once in a while, with my younger daughter, and do a lot of fishing, a little golf, bowl, and play quite a bit of duplicate bridge. How's your tennis? (Secretary's note: Just like my bridge—virtually non-existent.)
Though I naturally think of the Dartmouth days often, I've never been able to get back and, frankly, I don't believe I will, though, who knows? Hanover's not an easy place to get to, and X guess I want it to stay exactly the way it was when you and I were there!
On the same trip to Washington, at a reception and luncheon, I ran into JimKelso, executive vice-president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, whom I hadn't seen since graduation. It seems Jim goes to Europe summers instead of coming to reunions, so I put in a plug for him to delay his trip next year long enough to put in an appearance at our 30th. Unfortunately, the gathering was such that I didn't have an opportunity to get any other news, but perhaps we'll meet again before another quarter century passes.
The Cuna Mutual Insurance Society has published an attractive calendar in which, on each monthly sheet, a well known personage is pictured along with his or her tribute to the credit unions of America. Included are former Miss America, Bess Myerson Grant, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, President Nixon, Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the late Vince Lombardi, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, and our own Bob Harvey, editor of "Changing Times." I'm indebted to Barbara Harvey for sending me the calendar and I especially liked the comment in her accompanying note: "Just take a look at November's 'Playboy of the Month!' "
At the inauguration of W. Stewart Tosh as President of Mohawk Valley Community College in Ithaca, N. Y., held late last fall, Gil Hurd was the Academic delegate of the College.
That's it for now, except to put in a plug for the Alumni Fund. It's under way, and if you haven't yet been contacted, you should be shortly. As of the second weekly statement we were running dead last in the Green Derby for the classes of 1933 to 1941. showing only 37 contributors to 1933's 83 and showing only 9.5% of objective attained to 1933's 33.7%. Perhaps this can be a good omen. Last year we led until late in the race, and then sat down to scratch on the home stretch and got beat out. Let's see if we can't reverse the procedure this year! With the second highest number of potential contributors and a dollar objective that is the smallest by $3,720 and is $10,750 less than 1933, we should be able to do it. Bob Thomas is counting on all of you. '41 Out!
Secretary, 9 Oak Drive Bedford, N. H. 03102
Class Agent, 942 Woodcrest Rd. Abington, Pa. 19001
