1923
It has been a very short and sort of mixed up summer here in the New Hampshire hills - alternate rainy and dry spells - and now the earliest possible Labor Day. The hay and the tourist crop have been pretty good though and we're now sitting back and taking a jaundiced look at that well publicized senatorial reelection.
Several of you have been generous with letters and calls since June. By telephone: Ivan Martin checked in with the good news of improved health, Jim Broe with a lot of much needed basic data, Barbara Bixby with word of a painful bicycle accident from which she is thankfully recovering nicely, Walt Rahmanop with the good news that he is still practicing medicine but the sad report of a disastrous fire at his summer place in Maine, and Charlie Rice with word that his health and his golf game are both improving.
From Paul McKown came word of the passing of his close friend George McLaughlin and from Charlie Bishop the news of Bill Sawyer's death. Charlie and Catherine have moved into an apartment near their former home. He writes that on a recent Florida trip he visited with Doris and John Myers, Christa and Carl White, and Helen and Harry Watson. The Watsons are well and enjoying retirement but wish more members of 1923 would stop in to see them.
Charlie Zimmerman has had a very busy and successful year. With his August 4 report to class agents he closed the books on the 1975 Alumni Fund with the news that 265 of us, on a scoring base of 299, participated - 88 per cent. The final figure of $50,111 exceeded our $46,000 objective by 8.9 per cent.
One of 1975's most heartwarming experiences has been the loyalty and generosity of 1923 widows, 46 of whom contributed the magnificient sum of over $3,500.
From Pete Jones comes the following word he has asked me to pass along to all of you:
"With a heart full of praise and satisfaction for what you and our classmates have done for the College, I write to tell you how wonderful it makes me feel to know what our Class has accomplished.
"As alumni looking back on more than a half century of activities, in spite of the difficulties of recent years, we must be pleased with the results of the 1975 Alumni Fund which President Kemeny calls 'nothing short of astounding.'
"Thanks, classmates of '23, for the splendid cooperation and giving which kept us near the top in class competition. We led the way most of the season! There must be great joy for each classmate with what we have done for Dartmouth! Surely there is for me and for being '23 class president."
Good news comes to us from Truman Metzel that Wid Bertch's bequest to the College now totals $407,602 in addition to the life income trust of $11,175 which is also added to the scholarship fund established by the bequest.
Cap Palmer sent me the news clipping of the death of Sid Stevens' widow Ivy Baker Priest and in a burst of reportorial activity, brought about he says by his Alumni Fund calling, writes as follows: "Hartley Caldwell (new address, up in the delightful farming town of Camarillo) is going to Law School!!! Ventura College - takes his bar next year. As we said at MGM when Mr. Mayer married Danny Danker's young widow, it's nice to have young blood in the firm. Hap Jefferson, retired from his medical practice in Milwaukee, is living out here now, in Santa Barbara. Sounds vigorous and happy - maybe because he doesn't have to worry about malpractice insurance."
Not incidentally Cap also says that every 1923 man in Southern California contributed to the Alumni Fund.
Doug Manson writes Charlie Zimmerman: "You'll forgive me if I again express my amazement and delight over the tremendous contributions you have made to our Alma Mater. I doubt if it is matched by any living alumnus.
"I write you in good health and good spirits. I'm active in my continued free-lance writing and my vegetable gardening in cahoots with my wife. Our two daughters have blessed us with three grandchildren each: Joan who lives in Branford, Conn., and is married to an U.S. Steel engineering executive - Jill who is married to a Scottish minister and resides in Perthshire, Scotland."
Charlie and Doug were together in the 1923 New Rochelle delegation. Doug's father '95 was instrumental in diverting Charlie from Cornell to Dartmouth.
Bob McMillan is trying to engineer the juxtaposition of a Harvard 1923 friend of his who has H1923 number plates with Babe Miner's D 1923 tags. The scene, if it comes off, will be Gate #14 at the Harvard Game.
Had a nice visit with Hollis and Emma Riddle. They spent the summer at their Tuftonboro, N.H., farm which was enlivened by a couple of San Francisco teenage granddaughters. The senior Riddles will be off to Mexico, comes the cold weather.
This has been a sad summer of losses for 1923. In this or a later issue will appear the obituaries of 12 of our number who have passed away recently. 1923 - as the first of the larger entering classes must, I suppose recognize, that as the usual percentages prevail we will report a relatively large number of deaths. This may reconcile us somewhat but doesn't make the passing of these good men any easier to bear. I have not included with these obituaries a report of the death of George T. Fleming who has been listed both as a member of 1922 and 1923. A letter from a 1922 classmate of his convinces me that he was a member of 1922.
I am also sad to tell you of the death by stroke on August 21 of Fred Davis' widow ElizabethAllen Davis.
Not only are the tunes of the 1920's returning via Lawrence Welk et al but some of the younger T.V. swingers are beginning to sing them. This is good news to all of us who haven't heard a song with recognizable words in generations. All .of which put me in mind the other evening, when I heard Welk render Suwanee, of how Benny Benoit use to belt out that tune in freshman commons in the spring of 1920.
And a final sign of the changing times. One of my granddaughters graduated in June from Northfield - headed for Connecticut College. Her roommate (female) was manager of the Northfield-Mount Herman football team.
Secretary, Box 2 Francestown, N.H. 03043
Treasurer, 960 Longmeadow St. Longmeadow, Mass. 01106
