1910

Our Class has suffered a great loss in the passing of our beloved and very efficient chairman-secretary, Russ Meredith, an office he had held for the past 17 years. On Friday, June 9, he was apparently in his usual good health except for failing eyesight, and acted that morning as honorary pallbearer at the funeral of a Sigma Chi brother. About noon that day he left home to go downtown, and stopped at an office to pick up some mimeographing. There he collapsed, and though an ambulance arrived within four minutes, he died before they reached the hospital. In his pocket was a bus ticket to Hanover, where he intended to be on hand for the Class Reunion beginning the following Monday.

Since the" death in 1960 of his wife Gladys, always a well-liked figure at our reunions, Russ had lived alone in the old family house in Troy. Although his daughter Carol and two sons lived nearby, he was always an independent person, not wishing to be a burden to anyone. In later years his eyesight became so poor that he was unable to drive a car, and his daughter would take him grocery shopping, would read his letters, to him, and typed replies and the class notes for the Alumni Magazine and the Tenner Topics at his dictation.

He was a modest and unassuming individual, yet an excellent leader at all our class functions, a genial and interesting companion with a lively sense of humor. He will be sorely missed by the many classmates who knew him intimately, and by those who knew him principally through correspondence.

One of "Buckey" Allen's boy campers at his camp in Maine, and later a counselor, was Roger Peterson who found here his main life interest — the study of birds. In 1934 he published "A Field Guide to the Birds" which has since gone into many editions, and is generally regarded as the bible for all bird lovers. On the fly leaf the book is dedicated to Clarence E. Allen and William Vogt. Thus the Class of 1910 can claim an important connection with interest in ornithology in the U. S.

And in addition we have our own famous bird spotter, Whitney Eastman. On a recent trip to Arizona he and Karen added five new birds to their "600 club" list, which puts Whit in third and Karen in fifth place in the U.S.A. Whit writes that he needs only two more to go into second place. But Whit's energy doesn't stop at bird spotting. He has just written a book entitled "The History of the Linseed Oil Industry in the United States," the first authoritative book on the subject. He is also interested in ecology and designates a folder describing the Environmental Conservation Library of the Minneapolis Public Library as his "latest money raising project."

Brown Cooper, who lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has gained considerable prominence among the Masons. He started early, going 32 degrees in one year when he was only 21 (by special permission). Up until three years ago he was manager of the local Masonic Temple and editor of their monthly paper. Last year the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Indiana presented him with a bronze plaque as the Templar of the Year.

We hear that Art Lord, who failed to show up at Reunion, went to visit his daughters in Madison, Wis., and Los Angeles. He is finishing his tour by a visit to Hanover before returning to Florida. If he looks for his old home on College St. where "Johnny K." brought him up, he is in for a surprise, and may wonder whether he has gotten into the wrong town. For they have lifted his old homestead bodily and moved it all the way around the curve beneath President Tucker's old home and finally located it on North Park St. — quite a feat of house moving. We hope, Arthur, that you will be able to find it.

Secretary, Box 444, Woodbury, Conn. 06798

Treasury 2144 McKinley St., Clearwater, Fla. 33515