1948
The following is being dashed off in an attempt to get these notes into the Magazine headquarters before the deadline for the next issue and also to complete them before this '48 has to head south tomorrow on a long trip. If, therefore, what follows is lacking in any worth whatsoever please place the blame where it belongs, squarely on the nose of your class secretary.
It's now early April once again in south Florida, which in turn makes me think once again of the springtime in Hanover. I suppose that by now the snow is pretty well gone from the hills around Hanover and from the town itself, the last sky assault of the year has probably been made off the end of the jump in the Vale of Tempe, the old tow on Oak has regretfully make its final run of the 1974/75 winter, and the remaining snow patches on Holt's Ledge and Fullingtons are being sought by those undergrad never-say-diers who hate to give up all the excitement that the past winter has represented on the slopes and in the fast moving life that skiing and the other winter sports bring to the adherent. In the town itself I suppose that the duckboards across the campus are about to go down, if they have not already done so, and that the hopefully short season of schlump is about to arrive. There's a soft energy in the air, however; leaving the dorm or house for that inhuman 8 o'clock no longer means facing the freezing darkness and that awful wintry blast, spring is on the way, and with it the change of pace that accompanies every new season in Hanover.
It always seemed to me during our years as students in Hanover that spring also brought with it a renewal or rebirth of humor. Some of the stuff that happened around campus between April and June was more probable for that time of year than for any other. Those who were present for the occasion, as an example - am not sure of all the identities, but among '48s were included Macartney, Kuzmier, and Thornton (we affectionately called him "Fink" then), plus a number from other classes - may remember the Great Woodward Poetry Contest of the spring of 1946. They may agree that it could only have happened in the spring (with apologies to Robert Frost and the returning servicemen's wives who used to drape the back lawn of South Fayer in taking their sunbaths). And, as a vignette, who will forget the scene in the Nugget one night during one of those springs. The largely student audience for this particular show was unusual in being unbelievably still and intent on the unfolding screen action in the taut drama. Part way through the piece the beautiful and well endowed heroine in a very low cut dress slowly began to lean toward the camera in a close-up. Suddenly, without warning in the tense theatre, a student rose from his seat, stook up on the arm of his chair, and stretched himself as high as he could, this so as to get a fuller view. That little action quite definitely and with finality broke the spell on the audience maintained up to then by that particular celluloid.
So much for reminiscence. Regret we don't have more news. Recognize you fellows, being naturally modest, don't usually care to write about yourselves. Any chance of asking your wives to drop a line as to what you or your '48 buddies are up to? Could help this column do its job better in holding us '48s together by getting more of us into the act. How about it, wives? Eternally grateful for any help you may give.
By the time this gets into print it will almost be graduation time once again in Hanover. The Bema ceremony marking the departure into the world of the Class of 1975 this June will mark the completion of some 205 academic years at Dartmouth since the College on the Hill was founded by Eleazar in 1769. These young men and women carry on a great tradition. The '48 fathers of senior degree candidates can be proud of their sons, and we other '48s can join in congratulating both the fathers and the sons as Men of Dartmouth, as listed in father-son order: Shant Chebookjian, Richard B.; Carl Evans, Walter F. II; Phil Johnson, Lawrence P.; lan Macartney, Hal H.; Ferd Obrenski, Steven H.; Russ Palmer, Gilbert F.; Bob Reynolds, James S.; Hal Shea, Steven M.; Jerry Zins, Jonathan H.; Rog Zorn, William V. A. The Old Pine continued to see the seed develop as their fathers before them.
A bulletin from Hanover advises that Dr.Walt Newman, resident of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on March 8 attended the inauguration of the Reverend Charles David Sherrer as president of King's College in the same city. I believe that Walt was Dartmouth's delegate to the academic ceremony, which duty he carried out in addition to his normal medical activities in his area.
The friendliest and most enjoyable family photograph I've ever seen arrived from DickDonahue, newly-elected president of the New England Bar Association, in Lowell, Mass. The Donahues will have three youngsters in college this coming autumn, and are looking ahead to an extended period when they will have four in college at the same time, fully understandable in that they have eleven children. "That," says Dick, "Takes care of any retirement plans I might have had." His '48 friends may feel this was an understatement.
Couple of new address cards from Hanover show that Joe Smith is now with IBM in New York City. His office is apparently on the US Plaza. Zeke Carroll, who formerly lived in Locust Valley, N.Y., is now resident in Sea Cliff in the same state. He's in the insurance business. Another long-absent name from these columns is that of Doug Patton of Cincinnati who has recently moved from Jackson Lane to Buckingham in that city. Doug's in some aspect of paper and containers. Bob MacKay is the only other '48 we know of in Cincinati at present, and his work is related to manufacturing. Sorry we don't have more news on you fellows.
Bob Douglas, formerly of Cincinnati, is now in Houston with the same fine firm as the one for which I work. Bob advises that the local Dartmouth Club continues to look for restaurants where they serve 25 cent martinis as loss leaders, but that such establishments have become scarce since the Club descended on the first one a year or so ago and sent it into bankruptcy.
Am glad to pass on word as contained in a fine and thoughful letter from Beech Lockwood who is with Kaiser Aluminum, now back in Calif. "We spent four years in Liege (Belgium) which will probably be one of the outstanding experiences for the entire Lockwood family. The job was most challenging, running a foil rolling mill and learning how to carry on business in Europe. Our daughter, now 15, speaks fluent French, and no doubt at some time will want to return to Europe for a portion of her studies. . . .
Once again we are adjusting to living in the States - Am presently assistant manager of Product Development which leads to the investigation of varied and new end product ventures." Beech and Cindy are nostalgic for the international life involved in living abroad, a feeling discovered by many a postwar American who has managed to earn his bread overseas.
In closing, please, please be reminded that '48 is being asked to come up to the class average in this year's Alumni Fund. Won't you allow yourself to be included among the counted? As Bud Munson has suggested, a few more contributors in the Class can get us up to our fair share in backing our (yes, our) Dartmouth.
Secretary, Gulf Oil Co.-Latin America Box 340910 Coral Gables, Fla. 33134
Class Agent, 3 Hemlock Hill Westport, Conn. 06880
