1939

FORTIETH REUNION

The '39-goin'-on-40th reunion was just as good as it had been billed. Wells Bates and his team of organizers performed up to expectations, and some 114 classmates, most accompanied by a spouse, spent a fully packed three days in some wet, cold weather that took only the smallest edge off the warmth of the renewal of friendships. Betsy Wyman, Kitty Grant, and Betty Linden represented their late husbands in the mix of West Coast and East.

We are not known for exact statistics, but taking a cue from the splendid directory whipped up by Obie Boldt and Sam Hird, we did calculate that Massachusetts, as expected, took the award for having the most classmates back in Hanover, with 20 in attendance. New York had 16 representatives; New Hampshire 12; Florida and Connecticut 8 each; Pennsylvania 7; California and Vermont 6 each; New Jersey and North Carolina 4 each; Illinois 3; Oklahoma, Delaware, Minnesota, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., 2 each; and Rhode Island, Ohio, Georgia, Maryland, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Washington, and Utah had 1 each. The cup for best attendance went to a slim and trim surgeon, Andy Ruoff, who looked about as he did at graduation, only younger and stronger. The only '39er residing in Salt Lake City or environs, Andy gave his state 100 per cent representation.

A funny thing happened on the tennis courts. The mixed doubles tennis tournament, which was played just before the rains came, and drew a chock-a-block crowd, was won by the only all-male entry, Art Ide and Dick Brooks. It turns out that Ide ranks #4 on the Northwest super-senior tennis circuit, and Brooksie was buoyed by recent press notoriety extolling his virtues as a rising force in marine painting. This is a real switch from his years of labor as the artist and author of a comic strip with the splendid name of "The Jackson Twins." The twins have been put to rest around the country, and Brooksie looks with favor and relief at his new enterprise. The tennis win was by a whisker over Mike Ellis (a super-senior standout on the Florida circuit) and his partner Lil Cumming. Some of the old-fashioned folks played golf, and Joe Batchelder was exercised enough over the poor condition of the Hanover course to consider organizing a fund designed to encourage the College to put the place in shape.

Ev and Ruth Woodman, both on hand, had recently been honored by the dedication of Ev's portrait as the third president (from 1955 to 1962) of Colby-Sawyer College.

Our class joined other reunion classes at a dinner at the Thompson Arena on Monday night, and at noon on Tuesday, we fought the raw weather and rain at Bonnie Oaks with lively spirits and a late picnic lunch under cover. Activities at the tent, which rarely ebbed, included a Tuesday night dinner, an impromptu magic show by Mike Ellis, some soulful singing led by soloist Archie Mallon - all under the watchful eye of Colby Howe, self-appointed keeper of the peace, complete with the formal attire of the campus police. Only Batchelder was arrested. Incidentally, Colby's strong arm was not needed, since the tent activities were overseen by Baxter Prescott's daughter. She was assisted by other undergraduates, who did a fine job in keeping the old folks happy.

At 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, a good percentage of the class attended a memorial service in Rollins Chapel, at which we remembered the 110 men who have left us since graduation. The service was conducted jointly by the Reverends Steve (Fran) Bachelder and John Evans, together with President Bert MacMannis and Bob Kaiser.

After lunch at the tent, we adjourned to 105 Dartmouth, where we were treated to some nostalgia. We viewed a vintage selection, collected and edited by Bill Webster, of slides of classmates following various pursuits. This was directly followed by a seminar chaired by MacMannis entitled "What are you going to do with the rest of your life?" It was keynoted by two professionals from the College, whose views of the sixties were somewhat sober-sided, but our classmate's, including Bob Bryant, BobCushman, John Steele, and Fred Worden, along with Yvonne Dyer speaking eloquently for Danny, brought humor, perspective, and hope.

The class banquet, held Wednesday night in the Hopkins Center's Alumni Hall, featured the presentation of the class's $40,000 gift (for scholarships) to the College. This was received by Chairman of the Board Dave McLaughlin '54 on behalf of President Kemeny, who was tied down in Washington, D.C. Dave also had the pleasure of presenting the Dartmouth Alumni Award to Dave Lilly in recognition of his service to the College.

In a rare display of democratic clairvoyance, all of the existing class officers and executive committee members were swept back into office. Added were new members Bill Tompkins and Wells Bates.

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