1927
Gus Cummings was the first and only one to take issue with the picture in our May column of a 1927-vintage Model T Ford which we attributed (with some doubt) to Jack Draper. Gus admits that he can't remember his license plate and therefore can't prove ownership conclusively, but feels that the exhibit is none other than the vehicle which he used in his laundry business during that snowy winter of 1926-27.
And speaking of pictures, the one of Seth Besse with our June column was intended to have been accompanied by the explanation that it was one of several shots of him which appeared a while back in the New Bedford, Mass., Standard Times. These were part of a five-column spread on the occasion of the 50th annual four-ball tourney of the New Bedford Country Club. Not only did Seth play in the first tournament 50 years ago, but since then has won the club championship 17 consecutive times. More recently, he was responsible for researching and writing a history of this prestigious four-ball event, for which he was given special honors at its 50th anniversary celebration.
On June 30, Sykes Hardy became more involved than ever with Dartmouth when he married Ann Donnelly. Ann, the widow of Elliott Donnelly '2B, has four sons, one of whom graduated from the College in 1957 and another in 1964. Bob and Alice Tobey represented 1927, along with about 300 others, at the cocktail buffet in Lake Forest, 111., which celebrated the happy event.
When we open an envelope from Englewood, C 010.,, we know that it is from Fred Fellingham, and we await eagerly reading where his latest travels have taken him. This time it was to Italy for three weeks in June, then, on the Viking Star, from Naples, • around the boot, stopping at Venice and Villefranche as well as many other ports. The one thing that impressed Fred was, to quote, "How the Old World is so well preserved. Venice, for example, looks much the same as it did when I visited it nearly 50 years ago. At home, we tear down buildings when they are 40 years old or even 20, and build a high-rise in their place."
Among other travelers were A 1 and Jean Lawrence, who spent ten days in Mexico last March. Making travels of a more local nature, also in March, were Bob and Franchot Long, who took a three-week trip through the Southwest of our own country. In Tuscon, they had a nice visit with Jack Sheldon and, while there, were joined for a few days by Bus and Ginny Turpin, who came south from Wickensburg, Ariz., to see them.
Our former roommate, Bill MacKay, when he wrote in June, was, we are glad to say, recovering nicely though slowly from a long and dragged-out bout with rheumatoid arthritis which almost totally disabled him for most of 1980 and early 1981.
It is good to note that 1927 exceeded its goal of $70,000 in the recent Alumni Fund campaign by a comfortable margin. The class is indebted and grateful to our class head agent, Bob Williamson, and to his many assistants for their labors in the fund's behalf in spite of handicaps such as our gradually eroding numbers.
During the summer we learned with regret of the deaths of the following classmates: John M. Delmarle on April 17, Asher F. Margolis on May 5, Harry L. Dwyer on June 28, and Alfred T. Chabot on August 16. We have sent condolences to their families in the name of the class.
The class also lost one of its most respected adopted members with the death of Masuo Iwanami on March 1. Masuo spent just one brief year, 1926-27, at Dartmouth. But what an impression it must have made on him, for he was an active supporter of the College for more than 50 years. Upon his return from the United States, he joined the Mitsubishi Trust Company, from which he retired as vice president in 1964. He then served for five years as vice president of the Nikon camera company. He was president of the Dartmouth Club of Tokyo for many years and generously played host to legions of Dartmouth visitors and provided wise counsel and warm hospitality to several generations of Americans living in Japan.
Memory jogger: Last June we attempted to whet your memory by reminiscing about the first commencement, in 1771, in Hanover. Now, a few words about the next, and last, eight years of Eleazar's presidency.
These years were marked by problems galore. They included an acute shortage of funds, a general moral decline, and increasing student unrest, as evidenced by complaints about the poor quality of food, most of which had to be transported more than 100 miles by horse. The popularity of taverns across the river in Vermont was a constant aggravation to the pious president. Then came the War of the Revolution, with a decrease in enrollment and problems with the Indians.
However, the College continued to grow in spite of its difficulties. In 1772 it had 50 students, including six Indians, and in 1774 it had grown to 100, including 21 Indians. This fell off to 40 as a result of the war, but all this notwithstanding, the College graduated 49 in 1791, as compared with 27 each at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. More next month.
Let me close with a postscript about our 55th reunion just eight short months away as you read this. Be sure to mark the dates June 11-13, 1982, on your calendars!
11 Rolling Lane Wayland, Mass. 01778
