1927

“As the swift seasons roll, . . . each nobler than the last,” so it is with 1927’s fall reunions. This year’s was held October 21 and 22 under the joint management of Tom and Dot Gillespie and Frank and Evelyn Strong and was a huge success. All of the necessary ingredients were present: a football win (over Cornell), lovely fall weather (most of the time), good food, and a large number of old friends. Those present were: Doane and Marie Arnold, Chuck and Marie Baker, Roger and Jean Braman, Ben and Mim Bell, Ellie Blanchard, Rog and Marion Bury, Mike Choukas, Jock and Elizabeth Davis, Brad Fuller and his sister Jean Davenport, Peg Funkhouser, Tom and Dot Gillespie, Hale and Finney Ham, Paul and Betty Hannah, Syd and Ruth Harris and their daughter Susan, Ed and Dorothy Jacob, Bob and Franchot Long, Don and Dodie McCall, Doc. and Eleanor Milliken, Hank Murray, Ken and Ruth Murray, Paul and Helen O’Connell, Charlie and Ruth Paddock, Fred and Helen Page, Bob and Madeline Page, Larry and Ora Scammon, Frank and Evelyn Strong, Steve and Dot Tracy, A 1 and Nama Welty, Bob and Margaret Williamson, Allice Wormser, and Curt and Mary Wright.

A few of the above arrived in time for lunch at Quechee on Friday, and all attended the happy hour and class dinner in Alumni Hall at Hopkins Center that evening. It was Dartmouth Night with the usual torchlight parade, speeches, and bonfire. Only a few of our more hardy members took part in the parade, but the rest of us enjoyed the excitement from the balcony of Hopkins Center. Saturday’s con- tinental breakfast seemed a bit more deluxe than usual, but the business meeting conducted by president Ken Murray, was routine expect for the few special items mentioned later.

The class banquet Saturday night was held at our old familiar haunt across the river, the Norwich Inn. Tom Gillespie was great as M.C., and the food was so good that we voted to return there next fall. After the dinner, Fred Page described his activities and experiences in run- ning his antique Model T garage in Haverhill, N.H., and made us all wish that we had kept our own Model T’s, for which we might have paid $625 in 1927 and which could be worth $16,000 today. Steve Tracy presented a slide show on architecture from the time of the Greek Parthenon up to the present day. He pointed out the influence which early Greek and English architects had on many American buildings, in- cluding Baker Library, and brought us up to the present by showing pictures depicting innovative ideas for libraries, schools, and houses, many of the plans for which were designed by Steve himself.

Some of the more important items transacted at the business meeting are summarized below for the benefit of those who were not able to make the reunion.

The 1978 fall reunion will be held October 14 and 15, the weekend of the Yale game. Allice Wormser was appointed memorial gifts chair and an executive committee ■ was elected to consist of the officers plus the following: Charles Bartlett, Dudley Bonsai, Roger Bury, Charles Hardy, Donald McCall, Bruce McKennon, Norman Page, Frank Strong, James Willing, Doane Arnold, and Steve Tracy. Bob Williamson will head up next year’s Alumni Fund drive, taking over from Larry Scammon, and Paul O’Connell put in his usual pitch, partly in Latin, for the College’s bequest program. He told us that to date over $490,000 has been received from the estates of former ’27ers, and about $190,000 additional has been earmarked under life income trusts set up by living classmates. Ken Murray read the annual treasurer’s report sent in by Gus Cum-mings, which summarized the financial activity during the past year and indicated that income exceeded outgo by a modest amount.

But enough specifics of the fall reunion. We did pick up a few items of news.

Jock Davis took three grandchildren, aged 12, 14, and 16, to London for a week in August and reported that he had a ball showing them the sights and trying to restrain their activities to reasonable limits. Rog and Marion Bury are soon taking a freighter across the Pacific, for 43 days to be exact, and plan to visit mostly Japan but also a smattering of other far eastern ports. Syd Harris has finally retired from his public school teaching job but is busier than ever tak- ing courses, tinkering with his cars, and arrang- ing music for his talented harpist and organist wife Ruth.

Jay and Marion Willing couldn’t make the fall reunion, since they were visiting relatives in England. However, Jay, who handled the finances for our 50th, did mail in his report in- dicating a sizeable surplus, which has been turned over to treasurer Gus Cummings. Nice work, Jay.

The American Bar Association has recently honored Paul Hannah by electing him, as one of five, for a three-year term as a member of its national policy-making house of delegates.

Want a suggestion for a Christmas present to yourself? Here it is: the recent book Hopkins ofDartmouth by Charles E. Widmeyer, $lB at the Dartmouth Bookstore, We purchased a copy last June as a result of remarks made by both Paul Hannah and President Kemeny in their speeches at the general alumni meeting. In our humble opinion, this is a must reading and one which will give you endless hours of vivid recollections as you relive the Hopkins’ years with the author.

Have a merry Christmas, with our best wishes for a healthy and happy new year, and please take a few minutes over the holidays to answer our usual entreaty to write.

Sinatra’s sentiment “It was a Very Good Year” capturedby ’27's W. Gordon Smith in honor of the class’s 50th year.

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