1948

For those of you who have forgotten how it was, let me suggest that you make a point of trying to be back in the North Country at least once again during the late September/early October eriod when the glorious colored hillsides are at their prime. I had not been in Hanover at the height of the fall leaf festival for 20 years or so, and had forgotten what a tremendous pageant of beautiful color nature provides. It's too late to see it this year, but you will be well rewarded if your travels can take you to Hanover in the autumn of 1983.

In the last issue I failed to mention that Barney Hoisington was in charge of arrangements in Hanover for the '48 fall reunion on October 16. Barney always does a great job for the College and the class, and these words express the thanks of all who were there for the great work he did. (As this is written before the affair, we don't know if Barney was also able to arrange for Joe Yukica's squad to overcome John Harvard on the gridiron. That may have been too much even for Barney, based on the season to date.)

Was tickled pink to receive a letter from Rod Susen, our first communication from him in more than 30 years. Rod, a native of the Chicago area, arrived in Hanover on a July day back in 1944. Much, much later he and his wife Jamie and their six offspring pulled up the stakes from Chicago and headed west. "That's when my life really began," Rod says. He bought a hardware store under the wide-open skys of Montana, in Missoula, and there the Susens flourished. A seventh child came along, the successful hardware business was sold and replaced by real estate interests and the travel industry, and volunteer work began to take up much of Rod's time. Now, 21 years later, only one child remains at home (when she's not away at college). Rod writes, "The Good Lord has been good to us all!" He hopes to get to Hanover this fall. Thanks for writing, Rod. You and Jack Ryan are, I believe, the only two '4Bs living in the Treasure State.

After 38 years of government service, George MacGillivray has retired. The proud, friendly leatherneck is now spending much of his time working with the Marine Corps Historical Foundation in Washington, a labor of love in view of his own record with the First Marine Division in the Pacific in World War 11. George remembers Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester as though these tremendous struggles were yesterday. George's life is a little quieter now than it was back in but he still sees old Marine buddies Dave Karukin (who with wife Peggy visits Washington from Bangkok every two or three years), Bob Carpenter (with Liberty Mutual in Lynn, Mass.), and Jack Murphy (of the Geologic Survey in Washington) whenever he can. His kids are now out in the wide, wide world, so George at his Bethesda home would enjoy hearing from any of his old friends from Hanover days.

Another '48 about to hang up his slide rule is Ken Carpenter, who has been a software engineer and projects manager for the past 20 years with Lockheed at Sunnyvale, Calif., dealing with missiles such as Poseidon, Polaris, and Trident. At the end of the year Ken and Barbara, their two daughters having left home, will sell their southern California house and move to what Ken calls a remote, charming area on Cape Mendocino in the northern part of the state. There Ken expects to raise fruit crops, catch fish in the Mattole River, and more or less live off the land. He says this return to nature is something he has wanted for a long time and he invites old '48 friends to stop by to see the carefree, pleasurable life he will be living. (Honeydew is the aptly-named post office, so you should find him easily.)

Another Marine who has continued to live an active life is Jim Hughen. He and Doris Ann live in the country north of Baltimore at Glen Arm. Jim graduated from Thayer in 1948 after spending the two previous summers on campus and became a professional civil engineer, working in the design of many different structures, particularly bridges. He's proudest of the famous Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and the equally noted Chesapeake Bay Bridge, for both of which he was in charge of design. Jim also has worked abroad, spending a year back and forth to Egypt where he controlled quality in the construction of several massive grain silos. The Hughens also had time for four children, all of whom have now left home. Jim says he used to see minister Dick Ruggles occasionally when the latter was in Norfolk, but hasn't since Dick moved to Florence, S.C.

Speaking of Florence, T.T. Metzel reports that he is in regular contact by phone with old friend Ed Shipper, who has moved back to Florence, Ala., where he's now in real estate. Big Ed has done a number of interesting things, including remarry, and at one time was in the wine importing business. (Never will forget our mutual surprise at running into each other in 1957 or 1958 at Milan's Malpensa airport on our way to Rome.)

When you are next in Hanover be sure to look outside Blunt Alumni Center (the old Crosby) at the grounds arrangement given to the College by our class. It really looks good. What better time to see it than at your 35 th reunion next June 13—15! Warren Daniell is organizing reunion with the help of Ray Richard, Barney Hoisington, Lloyd Krumm, and Gil Shattuck, and several others are working to make it an occasion where the good times, fine old memories, and enduring friendships will come flooding back. Be there if you can.

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