1961

After a nostalgia and beer-filled weekend with the Dartmouth Rugby Football Club at the Monterey tournament, I called Jack Reno to add my name to his list of candidates for class secretary. Jack immediately said, "You've got the job!" I hadn't realized that he was familiar with my writing. I felt especially stupid because I didn't even call him collect, as he'd offered in his letter asking for volunteers. The only concession I got was that I wouldn't be required to increase my contribution to the Alumni Fund.

In taking on the job, I've decided to hold my acid pen and model my work on that of Professor John "Black Jack" Hurd when he was secretary of the Class of 1921. Somehow he could make it seem exciting when a guy retired from International Widgets at Lake Forest, Ill., and moved to Sun City, Ariz., where he could motor over to Scottsdale to take in every spring training game of the Cubbies. Wow!

Now for the news: Anthony Horan has set up shop as a specialist in urology on West 51st Street in New York and is on the faculty of the New York School of Medicine. Not long ago I got a note from Pat and Joan Irish advising that they have moved from Hawaii to San Rafael de Escazu, Costa Rica, where Joan is teaching at the University of Costa Rica and Pat is in the process of buying a farm. I wrote back that Susan and I had been planning on a trip to Mexico next fall and thought we might extend the trip to Costa Rica. I haven't heard from Pat since. That's the news.

Now for the customary begging for correspondence. Out here the only '61 I run into now and then is Mike Butler, who is on the staff at Esalen Institute at Big Sur, so I will have to rely on your letters for information. A lot of guys are reluctant to send in a letter for fear that they'll be criticized for tooting their own horns. That's ridiculous. The classmates who didn't know you won't pay much attention, and those who did will be interested, but unimpressed by your accomplishments. They either knew from the start that you'd make good or thought you were a jerk and just got lucky. So write, you can't really lose.

Secretary, Reith & Wellington 444 Pearl Street, P.O. Box 188 Monterey, Calif. 93940

Head Agent, 34 Colony Road Westport, Conn. 06880