1938

Even though it will be quite a while till you're reading these class notes, it's only a week after the Harvard game that they're being written - and the game - and Bonnie Oaks - and the weekend - were all so great that they're all worthy of extensive mention.

My information on the events and the participants comes from Carl von Pechmann, the inestimable Baron, and Frances Parker, Lew's most kind and competent wife. I am most eternally grateful to them for their letters and the names and numbers of the feisty frolic-ers.

Frances' letter included the following enthusiastic account: "The reunion was a great success. We all agreed it was the best to date, and at the class meeting the idea was expressed that there should be one every year. There were at least 36, including wives and the Reillys' son and daughter, staying at Bonnie Oaks. The Rosses were stuck with all of us in the house because of the rain, and they rose to the occasion magnificently. Some even stayed the entire afternoon and watched, or rather heard, the game in dryness. Then after the game, the Leaches put on an elaborate spread which kept us almost through the dinner hour. Their home and setting are superb."

Carl's letter started with the self-effacing caveat, "I had a long list of '38ers who were in Hanover this past weekend, and then I lost the list." Even working from memory his list is a lot better than your secretary's would have been had I been there. Much of the Baron's letter and listing and other comments are as follows:

"We were at the Lyme Inn, having driven with Bob Emlen. We did go to Bonnie Oaks the next morning, though, for the class meeting, and I guess there were about 30 present. Besides Barrett, I saw Holt, Dick Francis, Foley, Frese, Ossen, Hennessey, Parker, Scotford, Mayo, Reilly, Small, Kingsbury, Porter, Bill Main, Garvey, Becker, Jenkins, and Southworth. Later on I ran into Ross and Leach (both of their houses were on the 'tour'). Earlier in the day we saw Adams and Schildgen. And at the game, additionally, and also at the Phil Leach's cocktail party were Fasolo, Reeve, Ev Wood, Hitchcock, Alex Jones, Dennen, Emlen, Ward, Lutz, Cook, Harries, Lynch, Mallory, Mercer, Herschel, Randlett, Ross, Leach, Russell, Seidenstuecker, Ward. A hell of a lot of the class were in Hanover. And it was a great day, seeing so many '3Bs. And beating Harvard. Most everybody was with wife Ellie says the best thing about Dartmouth is the wives. It was a great weekend, and I'm sorry it's over. Clark Barrett says we're going to try and repeat it next year. And as many as can, should come."

What a great letter! And what a great reporter, and a great man, is the Baron.

Moreover, there was a mini-mini-reunion at the Tanis house, full, for old Jim Briggs, of nostalgia. Over the years, going on 40 to 45 of them, a coterie of special friends - the Ammarells, the Lutses, the Southworths, the Alex Joneses, and the Briggses - has descended on Fran and Gil for at least one weekend each fall, some if not all of us. This year our host and hostess were climbing the pyramids, and Jim and Anne were making the acquaintance of her grandson in Rhode Island but you have to honor a long-time tradition. So I knew that Alex and Libby and Jack and Millie and Gus would be at 15 North Park Street, and I called from our Rhode Island motel pretty soon after the game, and Millie answered, and I talked with her, and Jack, and Libby, and Alex . . . and it was pretty darn heart-warming for me.

All the above to the contrary notwithstanding, feisty '38ers have been doing other things too. For instance, Frances Parker's letter continued, "On our 'Dartmouth Alumni College Abroad' trip, '38 was represented by Jack Renchard and his wife Jerry, George Buck's widow Barbara, Tom Herbert's widow Sunny, and Lew and me. The ship was the Stella Maris11, and she couldn't have been pleasanter. The whole trip was strenuous. But it was interesting, and the professors were excellent, as were our guides ashore. The scenery the olive groves, the sea, and the extraordinarily blue skies of the Greek islands were heavenly. Incidentally, we met three of the couples at the game, and one was staying at Bonnie Oaks. They too are going, on the Sea Cloud in February."

My renewed deep thanks to Frances Parker for her fine letter. I'll look forward to a report on the Caribbean junket for future class notes.

Box 187 Damariscotta, Maine 04543