1917

It is difficult for a bedraggled secretary to condense any large body of information into a reasonable bit of news for our column in the DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAZAGINE. Here goes, however, for better or worse.

The Sunday Standard-Times of New Bedford, Mass., contained an interview with our Raymond Baxter, who was known as Slats. In the Dartmouth football seasons of 1914, 1915, and 1916, Baxter played at center at a weight of 150 pounds or so. Coach Kavanaugh said Baxter was the greatest player he had ever seen, because nothing in the world could make him quit. In those three years the Dartmouth team scored 761 points to the opponents' 112. Later Slats was signed to play professional football by the New York Giants, but the money to field the team could not be raised. Even the great promoter Tex Rickard said that professional football would never take in New York. Imagine that! Baxter thinks that today's players are rougher than those of his time and adds, "Why not? They learned all the tricks from my generation and the succeeding ones." Two other '17ers still living played on those teams: BarneyThielscher and Dick Holbrook. Slats is still going strong as a general practitioner, area medical examiner, and school physician for Tabor Academy - all in Marion, Mass., on Cape Cod. He still will not quit.

Collis Hall, the new student center, is now in operation. It was made possible by the gift of Charles Collis '37, who gave five million dollars to the College for this purpose and for scholarships. Collis Hall is a renovation of the old College Commons or dining hall so well known to our generation. Many of our class served as waiters in this place with the high baronial ceiling of dark carved wood and the long tables placed horizontally down the length of the room so as to leave a wide aisle down the center. At one end was a huge fireplace. In front of this stood the head waiter, who often stopped the waiters as they rushed out with a tray of dirty dishes and asked, "Didja eat yet?" The waiters' chief skill was the ability to pick up glasses from the tables, fill the huge aluminum trays with glasses, then put on top other trays and more glasses. They lifted these to one shoulder and then walked majestically down the aisle. Now Collis Hall will be used for snacks, talks, gatherings of students, music, and meetings. We hope this will produce better social possibilities than have been seen of late.

Nancy Elliott has this to say about her records office and staff on the eighth floor of Vail Hall (a part of the medical school beyond the hospital): "Our view of the autumn foliage is quite spectacular, but our working conditions 'leaf much to be desired. We all miss good old Crosby Hall - leaks, drafts, and all her other faults. The next two years cannot go fast enough, so we can move back into the new Alumni Center (on the site of the old Crosby Hall)." The rear part of the hall, where long ago we '17ers enjoyed (?) our math classes has already been demolished, to be replaced by a structure with larger and more convenient offices for the several staffs dealing with alumni affairs. The present brick part will remain outwardly much as it is, but will house an alumni lounge - a much-needed facility.

Do not forget our lunch date with two other classes on September 22, the day of the Princeton game. Make early reservations at the Inn if you wish to stay over night. We want more to come this year than did last year. Or maybe you would like to take advantage of the post-50th reunions in June, when rooms at ten dollars a night will be available in the Tuck School dormitories or the Inn Lodge - all nice rooms. Fifty to fifty-five dollars will cover the meals and entertainment. More information will be forthcoming later from alumni offices. A good bargain!

Village Apts. #12 Hanover, N.H. 03755