1944
It was the cruelest April 1 in anyone's life. For Shirley and Rog Feldman it was unbelievable: their son Mike '71, running to answer the telephone in his Washington, D.C., apartment, slipped on a throw rug, struck his windpipe against the bed leg and suffocated. Mike was to graduate from Georgetown Law School in May and had already won an appointment as a special district attorney for the State of New York. Our deepest sympathies to Shirley and Rog and Mike's sisters, Nancy and Judy. Al Myers, Micky Smith, and Stan Barr attended the funeral on Vineyard Haven.
Spring finds President Kemeny on the road a good part of the time, and he's likely to find '44s waiting for him when he gets there. In Dayton, Ohio, for example, Yellow Pagers John Berry and Bill Craig had the red carpet out for a Moraine Country Club reception before the evening meeting with the Dayton Dartmouth Club.
And in Washington, Dartmouth Club president Frank Martell introduced the President at an April 22 "Dartmouth Day" meeting; while Dick Pleasants was chairman of the two-day affair. It involved not only the traditional club goings-on, but the extra of a top level panel discussing critical national issues. Not a bad cast (weather permitting): Vice PresidentRockefeller '30, special presidential assistant Bill Seidman '43, N.H. Senator Tom McIntyre'37, and CBS's George Herman '41.
Not far from Mr. Rockefeller's side these days is John Mulliken, who left his long-time Time/Life assignment to become the vice president's deputy press secretary. "It means I'm on the road a good deal," said John, "but it's a fascinating experience being so closely involved with so dynamic a person." John has a daughter at Windham College in Vermont, a second daughter at Hartwick College, and a high schooler son John in D.C.
A disconcerting, but happy-ending note from Stan Barr, reporting the removal of a brain tumor - "about the size of a lemon." Stan says it was fortunately benign and he is feeling great again, albeit still confined to quarters. He's hoping to make reunion in June, but at this moment says he's leaving his options open.
Way back in 1969 when our 25-Year Reunion Book came out, Jim Hardigg presided over a plastics firm in South Deerfield and shared the hills of Conway, Mass., with wife Alice and six kids. I've learned that they have added a seventh child, a girl, now six. Young in heart and deed.
Bob Harris, president of Harris Publishing Co. (industrial and state manufacturer directories) in Aurora, Ohio, reports that son Bob has just joined the firm, while second son Bruce runs a company that schedules conferences for industry. Bob and Bea were ecstatic about their winter trip to Mexico - Mexico City, Taxco, Cuernovaca, Acapulco and especially Las Brisas - and looking forward to the Hanover reunion in June.
Last month we reported that Walter Burke was resigning some of his board memberships for other interests. What nicer initial choice than acceptance of a three-year appointment as a member of the Board of Overseers of Hopkins Center? The Board, instituted in 1971, has three alumni and one alumni wife among its 12 members, and its function is to review, evaluate and advise on the policies, programs and resources of the Center.
Further on Dartmouth offspring: HankMarshall's John '71 is at Yale law: Bob Wiley's Chris '74 at Stanford med; Dick Ranger's Rick '74 Denver U. law; Dick Allenby's Kent '74 married and at George Washington med; ChuckRegan's Jim '74 in Bologna, Italy, pursuing international studies; Art Saul's Rick '73 graduating in June and helping run a boys camp in Maine in his spare time; Penn Frost's Carlton '74 writing and teaching in Ho Ho Kus, N.J.
It was good hearing from Paul "Pete" Kern, who says he's now out of real estate and running the Bryn Blaen Farms in Pontiac, Mich. "But," he adds, "the land is getting so expensive I don't believe the cows can afford it any more . . . Yvonne and I went for a little joy ride in Canada last fall and came back by Hanover. We stayed a night at the Inn and it looked like the same bunch were still eating and settling the world problems as 30 years ago." The Kern's five children are "all independent and self-supporting."
You can almost hear hammer-and-nails DickSmith, president of Smith Hardware in Saugerties, N.Y., thinking about retirement and the good life - trout, streams, ski slopes, etc. He says that son Richard, now at Delhi Univ., is planning on taking over the family store after he graduates, thus becoming the fourth generation Smith to run the place. Daughter Sharon graduated from Plymouth State in N.H., and is now teaching 4th grade in Saugerties.
Finally, the old dollar sign. Write it down and then put numbers after it. As many as you can. Some for the Alumni Fund. Some for Reunion. They're both Dartmouth and worthwhile.
That's it. Blessings.
Secretary, 309 Crosby Hall Hanover, N.H. 03755
Class Agent, Lawyers Cooperative Publ. Co. Aqueduct Bldg. Rochester, N.Y. 14603
