1927

"Who can forget her sharp and misty mornings, the clanging bells, the crunch of feet on snow, the crowding into commons, the long white afternoons . . . ?" (from "Dartmouth Undying"). We certainly can't, as on this frosty morn in late January, with one eye on the outdoor thermometer, another on last month's fuel bill, and an ear cocked to the off-and-on-again purring of the oil burner down in the cellar, we set our pencil to the following, which you'll not receive until iate March.

As we mentioned last month, Treasurer Gus Cummings sent us a number of the notes which came to him with payment of the annual class dues last fall. Although the news is not, by now, exactly current, here are some quotes:

From Fred Auer in Concord, N.H.: "Had a rather routine summer here with some golf but more lawn mowing, because of extra rain, and gardens are not quite up to snuff. We expect to leave for Yuma, Ariz., in the late fall to get away from the snow and cold weather and to avoid using fuel oil that others might need."

From Art Keleher in Dunedin, Fla.: "Marion and I both enjoy life here with golf, gardening, etc. If anyone ever gets over this way, we'd be glad to see them . . . lots of room, good food etc. Sorry to hear about Duke Coulter. He was a great guy. We roomed together one year with Dinty Gardner, Fritz Kortlucke, and Hooker Horton. Some gang."

From Nick Voorhis in Huntsville, Ala.: "Keeping track of eight grandchildren scattered in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico keeps me occupied."

From Lee Gore: "Hi, Gus. Here I am, sitting on my back porch in Obdensburg, N.Y., enjoying the beautiful color of the sky and the trees. Even writing a check to you isn't painful."

From Vern Whitney: "It has been a busy year out here in Wala Wala, Wash. Lots of visitors, including four of our seven grandchildren who were here for a month. Time certainly flies by with such youth about. They even make me forget to look at the obits, as I find myself unable to find friends to replace those that I have lost."

From John Machen: "I finally sold off my small medical office here in Baltimore, Md., and am making a try at retirement. Note that my new address is 8025 York Road, Baltimore, Md. 21204."

From Jack Andrews: "We had a busy summer at our place in South Hero, Vt., with loads of company and didn't get back to Springfield, Mass., until October 15. Since then we've been busy catching up with a myriad of home chores." And now to change the subject.

Remember the old "Pest House," so called? That drab-looking, two-story, square, wooden building down by the boiler plant where, prior to 1927, old Doc Bowler (he was old, even then) sent students with contagious diseases? Patients with different diseases were kept on separate floors, and what patient care there was was provided by a medical student who "lived in" and received board and room for his services. No medical records were kept other than the highly humorous "Pest House Log" written by the unfortunate inmates. No wonder that Dr. Howard Kingsford, the sorely-tried medical director of the College, felt that Dick's House was the best thing that ever happened to Dartmouth.

That day has long since passed, and the Pest House has turned to dust. In 1927, as well you know, it was replaced by Dick Hall's House, which, in the beginning, served as a contagious facility and also as a convalescent home. As its use has increased and expanded over the years, its functions have been updated to keep pace with changing medical practices and health methods, and it is now the headquarters of the Dartmouth College Health Service, with an annual operating budget'of over $1,000,000 and over 25,000 out-patient visits a year.

We'll have more on the unfolding saga of Dick's House from time to time as Larry Scammon's committee to establish an endowment for funding part of this operating expense gets into high gear.

R.S.V.P. If you are planning to attend the Hanover Holiday on June 9-11, or if you know of anyone who is planning to attend, please drop us a note PDQ so that we can pass the info on to others who are contemplating attendance.

Another reminder: We are anxious to overcome our past deficiency in printing photos of classmates or class gatherings in this column. You should know that the editors require clear black and white prints that are in good focus and that we have had to refuse a number of interesting shots because they were in color. Don't let this discourage you. Just do a little advance planning by keeping some black and white film on hand.

We are sorry to have to report the passing of two more of our number in December. The class extends its sympathies to the families of William C. Browning, who died on December 4, and William C. King, who died on December 26.

We also regret to report that, through an inadvertant error on the part of the printer, the date of death of Arthur H. Norris, namely September 22, 1979, was omitted from the obituary notice which appeared in the December issue of this magazine.

11 Rolling Lane Wayland, Mass. 01778