1950

The Direct Mail/Marketing Association presented its gold mailbox award to the National Trust for Historic Preservation for the " ... best single mailing piece of 1975." The real credit, though, goes to Mai Decker, major domo of Malcolm Decker Associates of Westport, Ct. The problem: to raise a cool $800,000 in the face of the '75 recession in order to preserve and restore Drayton Hall just outside of Charlestown, S.C. The solution: to offer limited editions of five differently shaped hinged boxes commissioned from the venerable Porcelaine de Paris and decorated by distinguished French artists in exquisite detail from original oils and design motifs found among the trust's properties. The results: a successful fund-raising drive. Mai received accolades and commendations for innovation and quality.

In the news and on the move: Dick Dale. Earlier this year Dick was named vp of corporate employee relations at Johnson & Johnson. Shortly afterwards he was appointed vp of woven fabric operations for the Chicopee Manufacturing Co., an affiliate of J&J. Dick, a native of N.J., has served on the state board of mediation since 1970 and was a past president of the Employers Association. He has also served on the board of the Raritan Valley Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of central N.J. With his new position Dick will relocate with Nancy and their three children to Gainesville, Ga.

People around Boston have a penchant for moving, usually across town. Jim Moore, general counsel for Itek, and Betty found their old place becoming crowded as their family grew from one to four and then entered their teens. The new address: still Lexington, three miles away over winding roads. Only the house is larger; the status is still quo.

The vp of corporate marketing services for General Foods in White Plains, F. Kent Mitchel, reports that he frequently sees and works with Murray Sayer, who holds a responsible position in GF's law department. Kent admits that he wangled the chairmanship of the task force that recruits for GF at Tuck. That assignment necessitates an annual pilgrimage to Hanover, usually at the height of the skiing season. He still dons the boards. Kent's daughter Pamela is looking at the College with keen interest, which leaves him in a state somewhere between anticipation and suspense.

Joe DiMaggio's bank, the Bowery, the nation's largest mutual savings bank, appointed an outsider as the apparent heir to its top executive officer. Clift Whiteman was elected president and trustee of the bank in May, and NY bankers generally speculate that he was picked for grooming to succeed as chairman and CEO in several years. His assignments in the interim will be to oversee administration, customer services, personnel, marketing, and planning. Clift has returned to New York from Minneapolis where he was a senior vp of Investors Diversified Services as well as president of its Realty Trust.

Tidbits here and there: both Bob Myers and Tom Sheridan have followed Bob Kelley's lead in deserting N.J. for the cozy hills across the Delaware in Pa. Nebraska was enticing enough for Cal Solem to leave Indianapolis, and HowieWatts migrated to Palm Beach Shores in Fl. from Bronxville. Joe Hendrich is back in St. Pete. The banking world has lost Bob Kilmarx, who has returned to the general practice of law in Providence. Gran Austin, who serves the foreign policy division of the State Department, lectured in Hanover last May on "American Policy in the Middle East"; he was featured in a large ad in The Daily D. The new vp at Sirus Leasing Co. in Buffalo is Nelson Graves. Spring sing in Baltimore featured John Knapp and TomRuggles together with a gaggle of'49s and '51s.

Our editor is new. For you this column appears mysteriously. For me it is only a question of sitting down to organize news about you. But she worried throughout the month about receiving copy from me and 50 other secretaries — all typically late — checking galley proofs, and laying out the pages before the printer's deadline. We developed a special rapport with her over the years as deadlines came and went. Thus our sorrow upon learning that Joan Hier had suddenly passed away in late July.

Secretary, 510 Hillcrest Road Ridgewood, N.J. 07450

Treasurer, 19 Claybar Drive West Hartford, Conn. 06117