1948

It was with a tremendous wave of nostalgia that I studied the content of a huge envelope which Bud Elliott sent from New York the other day. A photostat of a large sheet of paper containing the Class of 1948 25th Reunion symbol in the center. Surrounding the symbol were the pen-written signatures of those members of the Class who were on hand for the event in Hanover last June. Must have been something like 120 names, many of which represented faces I hadn't seen or heard of in years, classmates of whom I had long since lost track. It was with real pleasure that I read the signatures, trying to decipher some of the less than clear writing. There were names of classmates I had known well in Hanover, others with whom my acquaintance had been brief. And of course thinking of the names seen made one also think of others who, like me, had missed the Reunion for one reason or another.

Some of the signatures, picked more or less at random on the sheet, were Don Drescher, Nat Merrill. Phil Ruegger. Jack Mahoney, Joe Hickman, Dick Leggat, Bud Munson, Paul Campbell. Larry Kepnes, Pete Page, Bud Thome, John Abrahamson, Al McKee, Ed Shipper, Bob Tracy, Wid Washburn, Lanny Brisbin. Gordon Robertson, Bud Gedney, Ed Nadeau. Foxy Parker, Alan Becker, Phil Viereck, and all the others lucky enough to be on hand for what must have been a great occasion punctuated with many a good laugh. Imagine my great and complete surprise in going over the list, nostalgic as I was in recalling so many faces and their campus associations, suddenly to find the following words sneaked in among the closely packed signatures near the foot of the sheet; "Drut, where are you?" My God! I would have known that writing anywhere. It had to be Macartney. Mac, many thanks for the real laughter it brought me.

In looking over the list the signature of Ed Nadeau brought back a memory. Ed was in the Marines at Dartmouth. One weekend (perhaps in the fall of 1946 or 1947 - I don't know) he and I and a few others found ourselves at the top of Mount Moosilauke. We had climbed up the Snapper from Ross McKenny's Ravine Camp and decided to find a shortcut down. We didn't know the mountain too well, but told ourselves that if we bushwhacked down the steep, precipitous slopes and through the forest to Jobildunc Ravine (historical note - supposedly named for three fellows obviously named Joe, Bill and Duncan from Rogers' Rangers who had reportedly sheltered there on the return from the St. Francis raid in pre-Revolutionary War days) could save ourselves a lot of time. What a lousy idea that was! We finally got back to the camp many hours later, just before nightfall, scratched, tired, utterly lost, and completely disillusioned over our capacity as explorers. About the only good thing we could say was that at cast we were going down the mountain rather then up. Ed, done much bushwhacking since?

Another of the names on the listing was PatMcAllister, wife of our departed classmate, who attended Reunion in his stead. Pat, it's good to know that you are carrying on for the Al of "horn we were all so fond.

Sam Wilkinson's signature was on the listing. Tanks to Dr. Don Cole, '45 Secretary, we know that Sam. who lives downeast in old Maine where he follows the banking profession, has been elected president of Northeast Investment Management and Research Corp. in Lewiston, He is also a senior V.P. in the trust and investment division of Northeast Bank of Lewiston and Auburn. Nice going, Sam.

Bob Douglas reports from Houston that he has not had much contact with other '48s recently. He's in Purchasing with Gulf Oil and struggling to obtain his fair share of pipe and other oil country goods from allocating manufacturers.Has had indirect contact with Hack Newberry in Fort Worth through the Alumni Fund. His most recent Dartmouth experience was a luncheon the Dartmouth Club of Houston held in December to celebrate the Big Green grid term's amazing Ivy League title. Said it was held in a brand new restaurant where the martinis, for advertising purposes, were only 25¢ each. Celebration turned out to be 50/50 for the team and the martinis.

Dirk Kuzmier's at it again. He learned to ski in the hills around Hanover while at Dartmouth and has never abandoned the sport since. This time he's off in a Swissair charter for 8 days in February and will stay in the Courmayeur area high up under Mont Blanc near Chamonix, some of the more exciting ski terrain in Europe.

In closing, a couple of address changes. PeteOwen, who departed Hanover for the Midwest in 1950 after Tuck, has moved to West Taylor Street in Fort Wayne, Ind. Pete, how about some news? Bill Wheeler, who is a civil engineer, now lives on Wesley Street in Baldwin, N.Y. Anything of interest, Bill?

That's it for now. My shirt for a few postcards.

Secretary, Gulf Oil Co.-Latin America Box 910 Coral Gables, Fla. 33134

Treasurer, Apt. 3-H, 7300 Blvd. East North Bergen, N.J. 07047