1934

Sorry about missing last month's roll call, but you see, we have these two cats—Bing and Terry—and one of them must have turned off the alarm clock. Or something. All I know is, I can't keep up with things so good no more. Maybe Corey Ford was right, years ago, when he said they were starting to make the stairs steeper and newsprint harder to read. Maybe not—but there's no doubt in my mind that "they" are accelerating the passage of time, ridiculously. Here in America's Vacation-land, it was summer only weeks ago. Then, much too soon, the plangent winds of Labor Day blew in from Montauk—and now it's football time and, on the Hanover Plain, disciples of Richard Hovey are chorusing that "the scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry/Of bugles going by." Where did the June days go?

George Collins spent some of his, along with Mrs. C., preparing for September retirement from long years of service with Ernst and Ernst, according to a Tom Beers report. Tom went on to say, under the date of September 5, that:

George and his wife have a new houseboat, which must be quite a craft, crusing at 18 knots with a top speed of 33. They are planning to take it down the Inland Waterway on about a two-month schedule, winding up at Key West. As he put it, "If we're not tired of it by that time, we'll probably come back and spend the spring cruising in New England." George seems very happy at the prospect of his new maritime existence.

Tom himself reported planning an October trip with Mary to Spain and Portugal, for which they were "busy trying to learn enough Spanish to order a meal and find a place to sleep and get through Customs." The Beerses are now first-time grandparents, their older daughter Dr. Susie Betzer having birthed a baby girl July 9.

That exhausts the September bonanza of up-to-the-minute information. Retreating now to earlier, more manageable times (before evvathing got all speeded up), hear now the news:

Washington, February 17—Ernie Bareella, GM public-relations chief, was named chairman of the National Press Club's Professional Relations Committee.

Youngstown, O., April 19—Tom Cass, executive vice president and a director of Container Corp. of America, was elected a director of General Fireproofing Co. (office furniture and equipment).

New York, June I—Harry Gilmore, vice president, finance, of American International, was elected a director of this insurance holding company.

St. Petersburg, Fla., July 6—LaurieHerman, vice president of the Times Publishing Company, became a part-owner of the Eastern Hockey League's Suncoast Suns. (Laurie, who is giving either all or none of his time to retirement plans, also became part-owner recently of the Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club condominium project down St. Petersburg way.)

During the summer, to our infinite regret, we also received news of the passing, on June 16, of Dick Fowle; and of Bob Lindstrom, on July 4. To their families and all their friends, within and without the Dartmouth fellowship, go our heartfelt condolences and, we are sure, those of all their classmates.

Other and happier news involves the travels of the earth-girdling men of '34. BillScherman does a better job of reporting address-changes (and news) than this column seems capable of, so it's doubtless redundent to report that Houston-based Dave Hedges is now representing First City National in London, with offices in Park House, Finsbury Circus. But Bill may have missed the fact that Les Lummis was receiving his mail, as of July, at 91 Jalan Geleuggang, Selambang Hills, Singapore— and, as of August, at 18 Childsworth Avenue, Bernardsville, N. J.

Per contra, Alan Hewitt continued his dull commute from NY to LA and back to NY again, for film and TV work out there, and radio-and-TV commercials and recordings back here. For relief, however, he stopped off at Hanover one weekend late last spring. In AEH '34s own words, it went this way:

Having dropped word in the right places that the highlight of my Hanover visit in May, 1970 as a Dartmouth Horizons guest had been a fortuitous rap session with students, it came to pass that retiring Prof. Henry B. Williams was waiting at Lebanon Airport on a recent May [1972] morning to drive me to his house on Balch Hill, to unpack and have coffee before continuing an exhilarating day.

Casual introductions to some students and faculty in the Drama Department corridor and a quick sandwich among the crowd of dogs and their students in Hopkins Center cafeteria preceded my appearance before a live WDCR microphone at 12:30 on the top floor of Robinson. Young Mr. Brewster, who had smoothly interviewed me two years before, led me pleasantly through a half-hours conversation. No fan mail received as yet.

Three minutes after I was off the air, I trotted—make that "strode"—into a large classroom in Carpenter for an enjoyable two-hour meeting with a really knowledgeable class in American Theater history. No plat-form. No lectern. No lecture. The 32 students included girls. I sat down, and we talked. Just talked. They provided the stimulating questions.

An amble through light and lovely New Hampshire rain, then over to Fairbanks North, where I was again entranced by Arthur L Mayer (now 86), lecturing on Film history to a much larger class. For the final half-hour of the period, he allowed me to take stage, seeking further dialogue with students. Again, discussion moved freely. I hated to let them go at 5:00 p.m.

Several bourbons later, chased by Becky Williams' rare roast beef, I grinned through an expert production of "Guys and Dolls." Henry says we were that good, too, in our time-but I don't believe it.

For two short hours the next morning, another wish of mine was fulfilled: to talk with former professors. I had coffee in the Faculty Lounge with Pressey, Booth, and Joyce, names of fond recall to English majors. Then, at the Library, I spent time with the dedicated people in the growing Theater Collection, who welcomed a gift of theater programs as my salute to Henry Williams' retirement.

The sun came out, finally, Alan reported. Ray Hulsart's New York Times predicted sunshine also for the Princeton weekend. Hope you were able to make it. If you didn't, write. It gets lonely here in New York, and people are in such a hurry, and time and the cats go by so fast ...

Secretary, 340 East 51st St. (14-A) New York, N. Y. 10022

Treasurer, Box 867, Hanover, N. H. 03755