1939

Joe Crehan was all set to make our 40th this past June, but a battle with cancer dictated other plans. On August 10, Joe succumbed to the dreaded disease. Not only will he be missed by his classmates, but also by the medical fraternity of Boston where he was known and respected as the head of respiratory therapy at New England Deaconess Hospital.

Joe would want reunions to go on, and they have. Thirty-five classmates convened in the Hanover area (mostly at .Bonnie Oaks) to view the discouraging football opener against Princeton. The number — down slightly from past falls due, no doubt, to our recent gathering in June — included Curt and Barbara Anderson, Clem Burnap all the way from California, Tom and Liz Burrell, Jim and Doris Corner, Jack and Billie Coulson, Robb and Pat DeGraff, Bob and Mary Dickgiesser, Moose and Priscilla Dudis, Doug and Grace Farrington, George and Shirley Hanna, Jack and Kay Haverfield, Lou and Peg Highmark, Sam and Happy Hird, Bob Howe, Pep and Rita Gray, Dick and Math Jackson, John and Marilyn Finocan, Bob and Betty Jessup, Jack and Lois Kuhlke, Al and Sylvia Lansberg, Bob Loughry and his splendid daughter Pam, Hugh and Trudy McLaren, Bert and Sally MacMannis, Cornie and Janet Miller, Dick Monahon, Archie Mallon, Herb Nichols and companion, Bax and Ellie Prescott, Dusty and Happy Rohde, Dick Storrs and his daughter Nancy also all the way from California, Bill and Ginna Risley, Jack and Louise Treadway, Bill and Lois Tomkins, Doc and Chip Tower, and Betsy Wyman.

A special guest of the class, Gail Koziara, was with us at Bob and Evie Kaiser's picnic grounds (the Kaisers, of course, should have been added to the above list). Gail is the first recipient of the 1939 Scholarship funded only this past June. She is delightfully poised and tall enough to compare notes with Moose Dudis on a nose-to-nose basis. They talked basketball, in which Gail excells as center and the best part of her team's scoring punch. She recently played on .a United States women's team in international competition. Gail also throws the shot on the track team. She said that the '39 scholarship will replace her winter term job, allowing her more time to concentrate on her studies and basketball during this busy term. A really outstanding gal. Our prediction: you'll be reading more about this lass in the years ahead because she is but a sophomore.

One feature of the mini-reunion was, of course, the semi-annual executive committee meeting. Our treasurer reported a current balance of $5,812.09 after all expenses were paid for the recent reunion. The planning of reunion head Wells Bates had been so exacting that we ended up with a net income of $33.32 after expenses of $18,319 and an official attendance figure of 205. The committee voted to aim for a $50,000 gift for our 50th, calculating that the $5,000 per annum needed can be realized through judicious financial strategy and $25 dues per year. Incidentally, our $40,000 scholarship fund is the largest such fund in College history, except for two which are funded by single donors. It was also agreed to update our 40th-year directory with annual inserts. We agreed to look into a sustaining fund for our memorial book program, which underwrites additions to Baker Library in memory of our deceased. Jack Coulson reported that there were 20 memorial gifts in the total amount of $2,715 credited to the class in the past year. A "well done" was tendered to Jim Corner, Bob Howe, and Wes Goding for their splendid job in heading up our funding efforts. Betsy Wyman reported that she had sent out our memorial program with a warm letter, as well as the comments made by the Reverends John Evans and Steve Bachelder on the occasion of the service last June, to all the class widows. She did report a discouragingly low number of acknowledgements, but it was agreed that it was still a fine and worthy effort. Left for further discussion was the fact that, while we do make an effort toward consoling wives at the death of our classmates, we rarely commemorate the death of wives of living classmates. It is a matter which it was agreed should be put to rights.

We were sorry that Wes Goding and EdOppenheim could not be with us this fall as planned because of illness, but they were spared a discouraging spectacle on Memorial Field.

We close by suggesting that you might "write when you get work" or better yet, when you leave the old job. The mail sack is looking empty.

Bert MacMannis, president of the class of 1939, was grinning last May because hehad just been presented with the gavel symbolic of the Class-of-the-Year Award.

777 West Street Pittsfield, Mass. 01201