1954
Bob Levine dropped me a note of clarification about his recent appointment as vice president of financial development for U.S. Tobacco Company. "Somehow my new job description got a little mixed up! I am not only M.A.D. (Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures), I am also principally responsible for the treasury function divided 10 per cent-90 per cent timewise between M.A.D. and treasury responsibilities." Bob did not want any classmates to think he had gone just MAD.
Ralph Destino, president of Carder, has been on a very fast track of late. This summer he was on the Merv Griffin Show, and back in February Ralph was host for the International Carrier Polo Ball, which highlighted the season in Palm Beach. The New York Times reported of this affair: "The decor of the tents for the ball was designed and executed by Carrier, and guests were overwhelmed by the beauty and glamour of the futuristic cocktail tents and the huge dinner tent. The centerpieces for the tables were Cartier crystal horse sculptures, each individually il- luminated and surrounded by spring flovyers. A multimillion-dollar Cartier jewel and polo art display was viewed by guests during the (focktail hour. A high point in the evening was the color- ful laser light show which Cartier brought from New York. A full quota of polo stars was in attendance and guests danced till the wee hours of the morning in the main tent, and for those who didn't have to be in the saddle the next day, the Seventh Chukker Disco lasted till dawn." A beautiful review for Ralph's fantastic organiza- tion.
A recent front-page story in the Idaho Statesman was headlined, "Peter Johnson to referee Northwest's power plays." It went on to tell how Peter was just sworn in as Bonneville power administrator, under the appointment of the Reagan administration. The article referred to him as the new energy czar and mentioned how he had won a reputation in Boise of being an effective, charismatic administrator able to effect change without causing hostility. Peter's introduction to government came in 1979, when he served on the Governor's Management Task Force, a privately-funded study on how to make state government more efficient. He then cam- paigned for Ronald Reagan and later served on the President-elect's transition team. It is nice to know we have at least one czar among our class ranks.
Seen in the media: Kent Klineman's wife Hedy was quoted by New York magazine in an August cover story about desirable country living: "I hope you tell everyone how crowded it is here [Southampton], Please tell them the Hamptons are awful," she said. Hedy complains that the Hamptons are so crowded with outsiders that she doesn't dare step out of her lovely summer house on weekends. It seems that late Sunday afternoon is the only time she can ven- ture out to the supermarket or on the village streets.
I took the opportunity to observe the 30th reunion activity for the classes of '5O, '51, and '52, which were held back in the middle ofjune. I wanted to see how these classes were handling the situation, since our 30th is not too far away. The most interesting element, I felt, was that the 30th reunion will fall on a Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday rather than over a weekend. I guess the College figures that by your 30th re- union, you are either retired or you can afford to spend two weekdays in Hanover. We gained a lot of knowledge from this inspection trip and this will make our reunion even better. I hope you are planning to attend the 30th reunion, which will be in June 1984. We'll hit you with a few more reminders before we reach that date. For the record, Dick Page, Pete Barker, and John Gillespie are heading up another three- person reunion committee for the 30th.
We spotted the following item in the Manchester Union Leader this past summer: "Rodman C. Rockefeller, president of Pocan- tico Development Associates Inc., has announced the formation of the Sewalls Falls Hydroelectric Associates, a New Hampshire partnership for the purpose of developing the hydroelectric power potential of selected dam sites throughout New England, with particular emphasis on New Hampshire. Among other things, they are work- ing on a bid proposal to the state Water Resources Board for the redevelopment of the Sewalls Falls hydroelectric site on the Merri- mack River in Concord. Rockefeller noted that the dam was built around 1890 and, as one of the longest timber crib structures in the world, has' been nominated for the Historic Register. He said, 'Our plan preserves the basic shape of the existing structure, while considerably strengthen- ing the dam as well as generating about two times the electricity generated at the time the plant was decommissioned in the mid-sixties.' "
Travel Tips: If your plans call for a motor trip to Hanover soon, a good place to have lunch or dinner is the Yankee Pedlar in Holyoke, Mass., on U.S. Route 5. This is an easy off/easy on stop, and the restaurant is now owned by a former manager of the Waldorf Astoria and St. Regis in New York. A few very nice sleeping rooms are also available. Good value and good New England food in pleasant surroundings. If you spend the night, there's a Dixieland band on Friday night at the bar. Shades of Rahars!
39 Walworth Avenue Scarsdale, N.Y. 10583
