1932

We had hoped to receive newspaper clippings with large headlines, heralding the feat of two classmates from the Hanover area participants in this year's annual Ledyard Canoe Club trip down the Connecticut River from Hanover to the sea, which took place last May. Our classmates did indeed finish this arduous trip, which, according to The Dartmouth, "is open to undergraduates and alumni, takes seven days, passes two nuclear power plants, makes seven portages, drifts under 42 bridges, and requires some 920,000 paddle strokes per person." They did not get big headlines, but reading the following lines (and between the lines) we know they did very well indeed. Says The Dartmouth, "Eleven alumni came along this year, including two members from the Class of 1932, Ben Drew and Art Allen. These two not only had a 50-year lead on the undergraduates but at least a half a mile as well. They kept out in front of the flotilla day after day. 'We didn't want to hold you guys up,' they said."

Art Allen, when giving us a report and photographs on this great physical endurance test, said, "Our canoe carried a 15-inch long Campion-made green-and-white 1932 pennant all the way, some 219 miles." He continues, "We managed to stay toward the front of the fleet (13 canoes) all the way and when, at the end, the kids were congratulating us (and each other) I told them that they could look forward to doing this very same thing when they were out of college the same number of years in other words in the year 2028. That really blew their minds!" Congratulations to Ben and Art for this formidable feat which makes all of us of similar vintage mighty proud of you.

Through the courtesy of Harry Rowe of Grantham, N.H., we received news of two other classmates living in New Hampshire, namely Alexander McKenzie of Eaton Center, who is now semi-retired and active as a freelance writer and blueberry fafmer, and Francis Brown of Henniker, who was honored with a Doctorate of Humane Letters from New England College last May. In the clipping that Harry sent from The Messenger, Henniker's newspaper, we learn that "Dr. Brown practiced general medicine in the community and earned a reputation and some notoriety among his professional colleagues as the only physician in New Hampshire willing to attend home births." Bill Sumner of Hopkinton, N.H., also sent me similar newspaper clippings from the Concord Monitor, so this event was well covered. Bill had previously sent in his answers to our class questionnaire, in which he answered questions relative to his present activities as follows: Are you still working, if so where? Answer: Working like hell for myself putting finishing touches on new home. Are you semi-retired? What are you doing? Answer: Resting from No. 1. Are you fully retired? Answer: When 1 finish No. 1 above. Bill's sense of humor knows no bounds when he answers the question, "What is your present life style?" with this information: "L. L. Bean's pants and short-sleeve button-down oxford shirt, nursing a pair of housemaid's knees (so no golf for the present)."

Additional news gathered from our question- naire is that Henry Douglas of South Freeport, Me., is "working on and off at the local boat yard, rebuilding an old house, gardening, cruising Maine coast, with annual visits to daughters and families in California and Idaho." He reports that during 35 years teaching at Kimball Union Academy he had the sons of HankBarber and Jay Whitehair as students and that Bob Buckley is a trustee of the school.

By this time Charlie Mayo must be finishing a successful fishing season. He wrote earlier this year, "For any angler interest in class of '32, one of my fishermen on Chantey III caught a 1,118-pound tuna to capture the Massa- chusetts Governor's Cup for 1979. That makes the 10th Governor's Cup for my boat and could be the biggest in U.S. waters for that year and the biggest ever in cup history!" Charlie is building a 37-foot Murray Peterson coaster (schooner) in his back yard in Provincetown, Mass. His son "Stormy" is now Dr. Charles Mayo III, married to Dr. Barbara Mayo, with a son Josiah, now two years old. The apple does not fall very far from the tree, they say

Stormy is an expert in whale research! Don't forget our mini-reunions in October: October 11 at Williamsburg, Va., for the William and Mary game, sponsored by Ray Bartlett; and October 17-18 for our regular fall mini sponsored by Howdie Pierpont in Hanover for the Harvard game. Hope to see you one and all at both.

Your obedient servant,

911 North Northlake Drive Hollywood, Fla. 33020