1936

"Save the Olympics for the kids who participate in them" is the theme of a front-page article in the Greenwich Time on Jack Smith, whose picture appears with this column. Jack, who captained the 1936 swim team at Hanover as a diver, has been active in the Olympic games since graduation, having served as coach or adviser to many of our Olympic diving teams or divers. "I hate to see the kids who finally got somewhere find themselves dangling in the wind, and I deplore it," Jack was quoted as saying. Moving the games to a permanent site in a neutral country, such as Greece or Switzerland, was a solution suggested by Jack as an answer to the controversy over whether the United States should boycott the Olympics. Conducting the Olympic games without U.S. participation would be hollow, stated Jack, just as the games would be if the Soviets or East Germany did not show up for games held in our country. Jack, an architect, retired a while back but, according to his wife Yumi, is busier than ever. ... ii

Chan Libbey reported that he is still a legal suds-peddler for Bud and Millers, with the only difference being that his hours are now 10-to-6 instead of 6-to-10. He is just as smart as ever, Chan said, but it takes him longer to remember what it is he knows. He advised that his wife Mary is "still hanging in there with me" and that they have one daughter, two sons, and ten grandchildren, with the oldest being 21. Also, Chan noted, he has grown a beard and still has enough white hair to part (this final distinction is shared by the writer of this column).

Sometime back, Art and Martha Appleton attended Ocala Week in Ocala, Fla., and had such a good time they bought a horse or two. Next they sent some horses to be boarded at a friend's horse farm. One thing led to another and they decided they'd like a farm of their own. When they couldn't find one that suited them, Art and Martha bought nearly 600 acres of land and built what has become one of Florida's most elaborate and beautiful thoroughbred farms. Visitors are spellbound when they stand atop any of the scores of hilltops and look over the surroundings, and the equine population of Art and Martha's farm has swelled from their own horses and those of boarders. Among the Appleton thoroughbreds is Frosty Skater, winner of the Poinciana Handicap at Hialeah a year ago. Art heads the Appleton Electric Company in Chicago, is a major stockholder in Gulfstream Park, and serves as a director of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' Association.

Dick Spong believes that one of the Appleton horses was the key link in a trifecta he and wife Nikki hit. Dick and Nikki learned of the happy results by hand-portable radio while awaiting a plane at the Miami Airport. As Dick said, "How sweet it was!" The Spongs are on a ramble through Boston, Toronto, the Laurentians, and Montreal.

Theo and Bob Prentice proudly announced the arrival last August of their first grandchild, William M. Prentice, the son of the Prentice's older son Stephen. Their other son David '69 is newsletter editor for his class and lives in Toronto, Canada.

At last report Bob and Carmelita Bullock were leaving with their daughter to spend a few days each in Paris, Nice, Tuscany, the Bay of Naples, and Rome. Bob was expecting to enjoy the trip, provided his daughter did not walk his poor old legs off.

Your class secretary is a swimming enthusiast but is not in the same class with DonErion, who wonders whether he should have tried swimming rather than football while at Hanover! It seems that after Don smashed his hip in a skiing accident in 1962, he started swimming for therapy. In 1977 he joined the New England Masters Swim Club and he has competed at Toronto, Brown University, Mission Viejo, Calif., and Dearborn, Mich., in national meets. This past year Don rated fourth nationally in the 50-yard breast stroke in his age group (65-69)! For anyone who can swim at all, Don heartily recommends contacting your local Masters Swim Club, as it is very reward ing. However, Don warns, if you are a good breast-stroker in his age group, forget it!

This year's class officers weekend is scheduled for Friday to Sunday, May 2-4, with our class assigned again to the Chieftain Motel. The executive committee meeting will be held in Phil Mclnnis' office, followed by dinner at the Outing Club. All classmates are invited to attend the meeting and, with their spouses, the dinner. Please let Phil know if you (with or without spouse) plan to attend the dinner.

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