1948

These notes, written in early December, will probably be read in February 1976 when snow should once again be covering the Hanover community that '48s remember. The blanket of the white stuff, accompanied by ice and slides on some of the sidewalks plus the biting wind out of the Northeast, probably has the present day student body running between classes the same as in our day. I suppose, too, that student skiers are beating their way to the golf links and Oak Hill (now also the Skiway), or skaters to Occom Pond, in the lively winter afternoons by whatever transportation is available - whether by thumb, shank's mare, jalopy, or anything else that moves - precisely as we did 27 or so years ago. To this alumnus those exhilarating, often painfully freezing winter days in the outdoors were one of the great features of undergrad life in Hanover, a feature that seems part of another eon when viewed in retrospect from the vantage point of far-off south Florida.

Anyway, for what it's worth, here's one strong hope that this feature of Dartmouth life hasn't changed significantly, that the student body in Hanover today still takes the same profit from winter's advantages, minimizing its disadvantages, as we did.

The above subjective observation leads to still lively recollection of one of the greatest multiple person ski crackups I ever saw, one in which fellow '48s were star performers. It was at Bromley on the western side of Vermont in the Green Mountains, and it must have been in the winter of 1949/50. Big Don Drescher (presently living in the Maplewood area of N.J., where he's in the merchandising trade), Keith McLoud (now a pediatrician MD in San Diego, Calif, and no midget), Dave Miller (a doctor practicing in Portland, Ore.,) and I had driven over in my old buggy after one February Saturday morning's classes. We'd found plenty of good powder snow, had had a number of exciting runs down the various slopes, and had found a great group of people at a party that evening. The next day it was back up the mountain, though by then plenty of icy patches had developed. On one run down a wide, steep slope I had dropped below a ledge and stopped off to the side to watch the others in their descents. For no particular reason, while standing there in the wind, I noticed a tall, lone pine by itself out in the middle of the hill below the ledge.

Suddenly, Drescher came boiling over the lip of the ledge at the far side, moving very fast, and tucked into a steep traverse toward the tree. At the same moment, McLoud dropped over the ledge directly above me and also angled at high speed toward the tree. No more than a split second later, Miller came flying over the lip at mid-slope and catapulted forward into a crouch as he, too, headed with velocity toward the area of the lone pine below him. You've guessed what happened. The three divers, each concentrating on his own high speed on the steep terrain, didn't see the others. They converged on precisely the same spot above the tree and, with a resounding, earth shaking crash heard over the whole mountainside, blasted into each other. The entangled mass rolled and bounced down the steep slope, passed the tree, and painfully came to a stop, somewhere below. What a horrible mess!

Fortunately, and I don't know why, no one was hurt. Miraculously, the three pairs of arms, legs, skis and poles were able to be disentangled! Miraculously, Drescher, McLoud, and Miller lived to tell the tale of one of the great manmade explosions this side of Alamogordo!

An addendum. Some 20 years later I was back on that same Bromley slope, skiing alone. Taking my time and enjoying the chance to be in New England once again, I came to a stop in the wind opposite a big tree below a steep ledge. It was of course the same old pine mentioned above. I looked and listened. It seemed to me I heard, as I stood there, the awful crash of that fearsome threesome of so long before. Couldn't be sure, but also felt that the pine shook in the wind at the recollection of the awesome event.

Highest congratulations to Al Gustafson, since 1955 on the faculty and now chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences at the State University of New York at Cortland. Gus, long a member of the reserve after the Korean War, had the pleasure last June 27 at the U.S. Navy Base in Newport to administer the oath of office to his eldest son Walter (Dartmouth '74). The Class can be proud of the achievements of the fine Gustafson family.

Ian Macartney advises he saw JerryLudington in Detroit a few months ago. Lud, according to Mac, has the keys to the newspaper and entertainment industries in his part of the country, and can be found at the Ludington News Co. by his old friends.

Seem to have a larger number of address changes for '48s in New England this month than usual. You already know that BarneyHoisington, a member of Dartmouth's administrative staff, has moved with his family into their new home in the countryside outside Norwich. Dr. Jerry Lucey, longtime a resident of Vermont's largest city, Burlington, has transferred his address within that city to Overtake Park. Walt Baker, in banking, and family have moved to East Wilton, Me., about 75 miles north of Portland. Sanford Smith, previously in Providence, has moved to nearby Narragansett. Jerry Wensinger, still teaching and doing research at Wesley an University in Middletown, Conn., has moved to a new address at Wesley an Station. Bruce Crowell, still in the contracting business, continues to live in W. Bridgewater, Mass., now on West St. The old sportsman and educator, Bobby Merriam, long at Deerfield, now hangs his skates in Conway, Mass., where he surely remains committed to the excellence in his profession that he has always sought and attained. Bill Standen, another '48 in the education profession, recently moved from Exeter, N.H., to nearby Hampton, not far from the sea. Fran Rimbach, still running his own insurance agency in Fitchburg, Mass., has moved to Summer St. in the same community. Bob Eckerson, at one time in business on Long Island, has moved back to the North at Merrimack, N.H., a few miles south of Manchester.

Hope these notes find all '48s enjoying the New Year, and that you have an opportunity to be in Hanover sometime the next 12 months.

Secretary, Gulf Oil Co. - Latin America Box 340910 Coral Gables, Fla. 33134

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