1940
O.K., '40s, the cupboard is growing mighty bare. Without input, this column cannot exist. It is written for you and about you. I refuse to inject personal philosophy merely to fill space. Therefore, send what you will to the address shown above, thereby helping me to make the column interesting for all of you.
Ed Basquin and Terry, his wife of the past 41 years, write that they have relocated to 34 Hatfield Road, Toms River, N.J. 08757. Pete had a slight heart attack in August of 1981 and decided to take early retirement as of April 1982.
Pete adds in his letter, "Not wanting to suffer through the rigors of another Minnesota winter, we decided to move here, where we would be nearer relatives and at least one of our children, Peter, whom some of you may have perhaps heard in concert on the piano with the Aeolian Chamber Players, the Long Island Chamber Ensemble, or in various solo performances. Peter and his wife live in nearby Barnegat." Pete and Terry's second son, Philip '68, is practicing law in Houston, Tex, where he lives with wife Patsi. They have made the Basquins proud grandparents twice over. Third son Paul is married and living in St. Louis, where he is product manager for Michelob Light.
Pete adds, "Since moving here we've been too busy fixing the house to our liking to get around much, but I plan to resume golfing this spring. I never saw anyone ('40s) in St. Cloud Now that we're closer to the mainstream I hope to keep in touch more, and would love to hear from anyone in the area."
Until his retirement, Pete was in charge of preparing instruction manuals concerning gas and steam turbines and their associated generators for Brown Boveri Turbomachinery in St Cloud, Minn. After graduation, Pete earned an M.S. in meteorology from the United States Naval Postgraduate School. In 1959, after a career as a Navy meteorologist, he turned to technical writing and prepared proposals and reports for the Sheldahl Company and Honeywell before joining Brown Boveri. He is a senior member of the Society of Technical Communication, and his paper, "The Firs; Technical writer in English: Geoffrey Chaucer," was published by the S.T.C. It was based on one of Chaucer's lesser-known works, ATreatise on the Astrolabe, which qualifies Chaucer for the title. For anyone interested, I will be glad to have Pete's article copied and mailed to you. About this effort, Pete says, "If Professor Pearson is still around Hanover, he may be interested that I have kept up the interest in Chaucer that he fostered so long ago."
The "turn-about" challenge in the birthday greeting elicited the following response from Bill Mercer: "I took early retirement after 35-plus years with the Bell System effective last November 1. It seemed like a good time to turn over the reins of New England Telephone to a new person, what with the divestiture of the Bell System taking place January 1, 1984 just when I would have had to get out anyway. It's nice not to have to worry about the planning for the big break-up and at the same time I'm keeping my hand in as I remain a member of the board of directors and a member of the executive committee.
"I'm also still on the board of John Hancock Insurance Company and the First National Bank of Boston. Also still involved in a few community activities in and around Boston. The big job I agreed to take on is the chairmanship of the board of trustees of Colby-Sawyer College effective June 1 this year. So, any of our classmates who have granddaughters heading for college in the near future, I hope they ask them to come look us over. It's a great little school, as many of us remember.
"So while it doesn't seem like I'm very much retired, I do have a much more flexible schedule, and Mona and I have been off to the Wigwam in Arizona and just returned from a trip to the Dominican Republic (Casa de Campo--a Gulf and Western resort).
"Do hope to spend more time at our farm New Boston, N.H., this spring and summer- Also hope to find the time to keep up with the many activities of our older grandchildren — in total we have nine and we have a crowd when we all get together."
Your great letter, Bill, is much appreciate — by all of us.
The first report for the Alumni Fund showed just under 39 per cent of our class having pledged or paid in 53 per cent of the established objective a below-average showing. Help keep ours a leadership class! Mail your gift now.
"Red" Boutilier '38 recently came across this vintage snapshot, taken in front of Richardson Hallin 1934. Most of those pictured have been identified, between Boutilier and '38 Class SecretaryGus Hennessey, as follows, from left to right in the front row: an unidentified '38 whom Boutilierthinks may have been named Wade; Ed Grethe '38; one of two '38s named Schmidt Boutilierseems to think it is Werner but Hennessey tags him as Dick; and Sturgis "Red " White '38. And inthe second row: Royce "Randy" Randlett, who started with '38 but finished with '39; a classmatewhom Boutilier recalls as being Richard Anderson, an identification which Hennessey couldn'tconfirm; Bob Lansdell '38; and Boutilier. Hennessey would be glad to hear, for elucidation in afuture class notes column, from anyone who can clear up some of the questionable recollections; hisaddress is at the top of the '38 column.
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