1949

35TH REUNION

Sam Rayburn, the long-time Speaker of the House of Representatives, once said, "I would like to make running water walk." That's how I feel about assuming the position of "secretariat" of the class. Having been well served and instructed by my predecessor, Vail Haak, I commence with a "goodie": A report on reunion.

Formally it was the 35th, but those of intrepid heart who arrived on the Hanover Plain in 1945 know differently. (But what's a year between classmates?) From Sunday night, June 12, to Thursday morning, June 16, '49ers gamboled with dignity but not always with decorum. Led by Reunion Chairman Bud Hughes (he of the two hot plates) and Prexy Al Wagner and his wife Joyce, '49 overwhelmed Massachusetts Row with gusto and wit. Present were John Everett with wife Susan and son Randy; Carol and Ed Grant (plus two); Linda and Ed Graham; Margo and Bob Nutt; Nancy and Jim "Spike" Smith, plus Debbie and Brian; Nina and Joe Sullivan; Sallie and Jack Ransom; Carolyn and Burt Proom; Nomi and Bill Ballard; Lois and Mike McGean; Barbara and Sam Smith; Cathy and Paul "Flash" Erwin; Gracie and Doug Parsons; Doris and Gordon "Punchy" Thomas; Bob "Rocket" Reed and Maggie, with toddler; my fellow San Franciscans Dot and Lou Mulkern; Ken McClain; Bill Cribbens; Sue and Bert Rodman; Ann and Herb Gramstorff; Leigh and Bruce Crawford; Penny and Carter Hoyt; Ellie and Jay Urstadt; Ann and George Hartman; King Ball; Susan and Seward Weber; Skip Ungar; Barbara and Jay Rosenfield; Vi and John Adler; Jane and Pete Wing; Persis and Bob Alden; Pat and Ray Bankert; Ginny and Paul Bjorklund; Maurice Cole and his wife Linda; George Day; Jack English; Tom Dempsey; Jean and Dick Mallary; Phyl- lis and Bob Smith; Natalie and Bob Rooke; Ann and Pete Lord; Mary and Jack Hartwig, plus daughter Martha; Ort Hicks and daughter Victoria; Mari and Dick Hook; Ritchie Hunt; Donna and Bob Muenzberg; Skip Muller, a guy with the toughest job in the world (he's Urstadt's accountant); Frank O'Halloran, the old Beta, with a fistful of grandnephews; Nat- alie and George Oliver; Marilyn and Warren Ornstein; Alice and Frank Ostrowski; Chet Palmer, with son and daughter; Dean Merrill; Len Britton; Lorraine and Spud Parsons; Do- die and Brian Phillips; Pat and A 1 Quirk; Nancy and Bollie Bollenbach; Ray Rasen- berger (moderating a 1983 version of "Grey Tissues"); Cathy and Tom Swartz; Joan and John Sweetland; Phyllis and Bob Swift; Page and Art Tomlinson; Suzanne and Tom Tower; Ruth and Don Anderson; Bobbie and Carll Tracey (with son John and his wife); Barbara and Ray TruncellitG; Ev and Jeff Farnum; Jim Zafris; Phyllis (where's my camera?) and Jack Tull; Joan and Jim Sullivan; and Barbara and Norb Wild.

We enjoyed a remarkable reunion potpourri: a Tuck School lunch; an alumni run; President McLaughlin's garden reception; a "Face the Alumni" session at the Hop with the president; an evening film on underwater diving in Israel; and the class dinner at the Hanover Inn, where Tom Swartz was elected class president for the next five years and was joined by Burt Proom as head agent, Ritchie Hunt as treasurer, and Jeff Farnum as newsletter editor.

The class tent on Mass Row, featuring the indefatigable Jack English fresh from a twoyear gig at the Sheraton Hotel at Los Angeles Airport, plus Skip Ungar cum drum-bangers and key strokers Hicks, Hughes, Thomas, Swartz, at al., was nirvana. Special mention must be given Jack. It may be apocryphal, but it is said that Al Quirk, walking to work at Parkhurst, received an infusion of '49er vitality from the irrepressible Mr. E, who was still playing at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

In 95-degree heat a tennis tournament was staged under the aegis (get it?) of paddle ball impresario Bill Ballard. In round-robin play, Alice Ostrowski and Shep Kopp (an '86 ring- er) outlasted dentist Art Tomlinson and Sallie Ransom (she of the piercing forehand) in the finals.

We conclude with a statement of valedictory to retiring leaders Al Wagner, Vail Haak, Flash Erwin, Punchy Thomas, and Skip Ungar, who have devoted extra time in the past five years to maintaining the integrity of our class.

For you in the East, the class will join a College reception at the Thayer Hotel in West Point after the Army game on September 24. I plan to make the Holy Cross game in Hanover on October 1; hope to see many of you there.

300 Montgomery St., #723 San Francisco, CA 94104