1935

For so many of us, life long ago settled into a comfortable routine, made ever less strenuous with advancing years. Yet, Dick Halvorsen and George Hoke, each in his own special milieu, continue to dash about the world with reckless abandon and show no signs of tiring in the process

Halvorsen writes from the RAF club in London "Have been in Germany a couple of times for Luftwaffe reunions and a weekend with the German ace who shot me down in WWII. Also, on German tank maneuvers with Yank-Canad-German brigades, and up to Norway with the Brits and the Norse-Canuck Arctic exercises Have now flown Harrier and am scheduled for a co-pilot shot on the Concorde. I'll write again when I've grown up!"

When Dick is not chasing adventure, he's creating it as author and free lance writer. "Norah and I are turning out adventure and crime stuff for American and Canadian magazines. Also, I've signed for three more hardbacks. Steeds in theSky sold 20,000 copies in the first 2½ months and I haven't heard from my publishers since."

Dick and Norah now live in England's bucolic West Sussex "overlooking the Downs. Weekly visits to the RAF club for pictorial research and kicking things up with Desert Air Force squadron mates break up euphoria. Make most of the air shows around Europe, which keeps me in good with the embassies. Since I'm far from wealthy, free air passage helps." Regarding the latter, Dick adds "my inheritance of bleak Norwegian land near Stavanger may turn into something after all these years. I'll have to develop a Texas accent!"

Hoke's "thing" is the great outdoors, and a recap of his peregrinations will leave you dizzy. A pack trip to the Canadian Rockies ("after 40 years, those darned mountains are higher now!"), skiing in the Wasatch Mountains outside Salt Lake City ("the greatest"). Ten days floating down the Grand Canyon of the Colorado on a rubber raft ("every mile utterly memorable"). Last fall, the usual hunting trips ("bagged a Great Horned Owl, while goose hunting on the Alberta prairies").

"In April we had a family reunion in Salem, Ore. My daughter Jill brought my grandchild back from Manila. He's named after my longtime Bait & Bullet shooting companion, Phil Johnson '37. Never dreamed that one day Phil and I would share a grandson."

Meanwhile, back in the world of commerce, Dud Russell, as director of transportation for the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, has had his hands full since the Russian grain deal went through. "We're trying to move two years crops in one. Every railroad car, truck, barge, and lake or ocean vessel is being used. The real bottleneck is the port elevators, which already are working at top capacity."

Assuming the law of supply and demand still works, Dud has reassuring word for all you gals who are worried about mounting food prices. "The one thing we don't need to worry about is running out of food. We probably could double wheat production in five years. I don't think there is any doubt but that we could feed and clothe several times our present population, if we want to farm more intensively."

Dud also offers this observation: "Our agricultural productivity is the great success story of America, whereas the rest of the world has now caught up with us in automobiles, electronics, etc. Also, agricultural exports are our best bet to Corel our balance of payment problems and help re for our growing imports of energy fuels."

On the personal side, Dud adds: "Saw the Chaneys Saturday; they're off to see the Raymonds in Gatlinburg, Tenn., the Haases in Alexandria, Va., and the Dodds in Philadelphia, etc We're'leaving for Hawaii in late February. Will look up Pug Atherton again."

New honors (and work) for Bob Hage! He has just been elected president of the board of trustees of the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation. This is a private, nonnrofit organization that administers the Guaranteed student loan program in New Hampshire. Between this and his role as director of Dartmouth's financial aid program, Bob has responsibility for some $6-million a year in loans and job-assistance programs.

Bob and George Colton celebrated their 59th birthdays two days apart in late January. So Ruth Colton promptly organized a Sunday brunch that brought out the whole Hanover clan. Among them: Morry Heller, Beth Cameron, MaryMasland, Barbara and John Gilbert, Holly and Ernie Draper, Jean and Al Brush, Gerry and NickJacobson, Louise and Maury Rapf, and TedSteele. Ibba and Don Hagerman were invited, but had to cope with Parents Day at Holderness. Unfortunately, Henrietta Hage came down with the flu bug and also missed the celebration.

One sad item this month. Charlie Tobey passed away November 21. He was the namesake and son of New Hampshire's distinguished U.S. Senator, and a well-known lawyer in his own right.

A fine piece on Will Heckel in February's Alumni Mag. If you missed it, it's on page 24. Dick Hurd writes "After 29 years of Government Service, retired. Plan to spend time between Alicante, Spain, and Sun City, Ariz." Jack Knode describes himself as "half retired, after 30 years at Savage Arms. Now working on product liability matters in the firearms field."

Ed Elsenhans offers this cryptic summary. "Same home. Same job—engineer with Martin Marietta cement. Same beautiful red-headed wife (Jane). Same kids—Dave (Westminster Seminary), John (Dartmouth "74) and Janet (Madison '76) Health fair, after heart attack a year ago."

Joe Knox writes "am still with John Blair. Like the idea of retirement, but it's a ways off yet. Our son is a senior at Alleghany College, starting center and co-captain of the basketball team."

We've run over again! See you next month.

Secretary 840 Westcliff, Deerfield, Ill. 60015

Class Agent, 2350 Delamere Dr. Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44106