1927

We've just started, or rather I have just started, a new 1927 club. It's called "The Made-it-to-80 Club." Living charter members are 17 in number and represent all of those who will have qualified by May 31 of this year. We are not listing their names because they know, of course, who they are. However, new members will be properly announced as they pass the rigorous requirement.

A few days ago we had a pleasant telephone conversation with an old friend from whom we had not heard in years, namely Johnny Upham. He is living with his wife Prudence in a high-rise apartment at 199 Massachusetts Avenue in the heart of downtown Boston. Both are happy and well even though their outside activities are severely curtailed by arthritis.

It was also good to hear from Ted Swanson in Litchfield, Conn. Except for a slight limp, he says that he has fully recovered from the hip operation of a few years ago. When he wrote in November, he and Dorothy were looking forward to a trip in December to Arizona, Oregon, and California to visit members of their farflung family.

Here are some items of interest culled from the many and deeply appreciated replies to the class birthday cards: In January, Dow Mills had a mini-reunion with Syd Harris, Steve Osborn, and Lowell Wormley at the latter's home in Phoenix.

From Northbrook, Ill., in February, Bob Tobey wrote that he had just returned from his usual winter holidays in Delray Beach, Fla., where he saw Jack and Jackie Thees, who both looked well. In March, the Tobeys were planning to take off for California to vist a son who recently moved there.

More Illinois news was forthcoming from Chuck Field of Westchester, who just completed his 12th year in Kiwanis and reported that both he and his wife Jo were in good health.

And a pleasant note from Max Shaw up in Atkinson, N.H., read, "I can't imagine you and me living so long. How are you, anyway? Up here in the North Country, we just keep drifting along from day to day. Maybe we'll be here to celebrate the year 2000 who knows? We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary a year ago May and got a letter from President Reagan and Nancy . . . Take care of yourself, Charlie." (We're trying.)

Bill St. Amant answered his card from Hillsboro Beach, Fla., with, "Thanks a million for the reminder that 'tempus is fugiting." And long-silent Elmer Zimmerman from Winter Park, Fla., enjoyed the card's picture of a student stomping up and down on those campus duckboards which he remembered as providing silly fun during those muddy March days of long ago. Incidentally, we are indebted to Don Norstrand, secretary of 1926, for the loan of the picture.

Oren Herwitz is still practicing law in New York City except when he takes off for a bit of travel. Last summer, it was via ship from Vancouver to Alaska and then south, where he disembarked 25 days later in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after going through the Panama Canal.

After a difficult 1982 summer, which was marked by several serious operations and the cutting short of his usual summer at his cottage on Bustins Island, Maine, it was good to hear that Owen Garfield has had a good winter.

Not so good news is that Fred Page suffered a mild shock last November and Bert Gustin had a severe stroke in early March. Both were recovering well when last we heard.

The class sends its sincerest sympathies to the wife and family of W. Gordon Smith, who died in March in Salem, Mass., after a long bout with cancer.

11 Rolling Lane Wayland, Mass. 01778