1928
Eight '28 officers plus two members of the executive committee attended the annual Dartmouth Class Officers Weekend on May 3—4. It took president Ralph Rickenbaugh one and a half hours to push us through a crowded agenda, about which you will hear more later on. Herb Sensenig announced that the Norwich Inn is filled to capacity for the mini-reunion on October 11-12, the weekend of the Colgate game. If you want reservations, write Herb c/o of the Norwich Inn, and he'll do his best to help you.
A newsy letter from John Turkevich just arrived. He and Mila went in July to West Berlin and Lisbon, where John gave papers on the chemistry of cancer chemotherapy. The Berlin Congress was a big scientific meeting, with 2,500 scientists from all over the world. He spent the rest of the summer working on a report on Soviet science and gave talks on it at the Princeton Alumni College, and also in Washington, D.C., and La Jolla, Calif.
In January John was asked by the International Gold Corporation to write two articles reviewing the work that he had carried out of preparation of finely-divided "collodial" gold. He has been researching this subject, among many others, for 35 years. His articles have been accepted for publication in the "Gold Bulletin."
Now John is back at work on platinum anticancer drugs. Last week Dr. Burchenal of the Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Center and he were granted a patent on a new set of platinum antitumor compounds that are ten times more effective against leukemia than the ones in current use. Unfortunately, the experiments were on mice, and it takes millions of dollars to establish a drug for humans. John adds that "fortunately our line of work is being followed up by the Chinese on the mainland."
John has discontinued experimental work in his Princeton laboratories and is working now in cooperation with experts in biology and medicine at Sloan Kettering, Brookhaven National Lab, and at Princeton. John says, "We have some exciting experiments going on, trying to minimize the side effects and to understand the chemical nature of the drug action." Keep on working, John - if you are excited about possible improvements in the treatment of cancer, so are all of us
"On weekends," John says, "I still celebrate church services and have a fine congregation of students and faculty."
Cards just received are greatly appreciated. Gordon Adams: "Back in Benton Harbor, Mich., after spending the winter in Winter Haven, Fla." Rare-book dealer RalphHowey, formerly with Rosenbach Galleries, Philadelphia: "Gail and I just celebrated our 54th anniversary and live in Monrovia, Calif." Bud Maring: "Dropped in to see JackHerpel, recuperating from stroke and broken hip. He was jolly and coming along fine; Cornie was home with painful bursitis. Mibs and I leave May 10 to visit Antigua again for three weeks." Jerry Warner: "My Parkinson's is perking along. Rella and I recently took a trip to Hawaii, mainly to islands other than Oahu, where we had been many times. I, being over 70, cannot drive a hired car in Hawaii. Anyway, thanks to Rella we got around with a minimum of trouble. We also visited our daughters in Hollywood and Santa Rosa, Calif."
A note from Dick Frame reports that Jackand Dee McAvoy just returned from a threemonth stay in Naples, Fla., and talked with Bill Morton and George Davis while in Florida. Jack is now fully retired from the McAvoy Brick Company.
Jack and Peg Zellers skipped their usual visit to St. Bartholomew's this year and wound up with beautiful weather right at home in Southport, Conn.
Sam Gifford is still working (40 years with Milton Paper Company in New York), although, as chairman of the board, he admits he is not working too hard.
Jim Montague is having a one-man exhibition of paintings and collages at the Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester starting July 20 and running two weeks. He will also have pictures at the Stratton, Vt., Arts Festival, in September and October.
Van Dyne Oil Company Troy, PA 16947
