1948
One of our '48 members located not far from Hanover today is Bob Cormack, secretary of the Dartmouth Club of Southwest New Hampshire, which is headquartered in Keene. This portion of the Granite State is beautiful indeed, and Bob lives in Peterborough, a gorgeous little town in the shadow of the most prominent feature of the area, beauteous Mount Monadnock. One of his neighbors on the mountain, a breeder of horses, is Wade "Kansas" Elliott '49, a good friend to many a '48 during our years at Dartmouth. Other '48s living in or near the Dublin/Monadnock region include Pete Batchelder in Alstead Center, who is a college professor in Keene, and class treasurer Gil Shattuck, who calls Hillsborough home.
Some of our other '48 brethren who live in old New Hampshire, according to a perhaps out-of-date list we have, are Walt Wood in Bristol, Fred Comstock in Concord, GordieMann in Conway, Bill Standen in Epping, Howie Hirschberg in Londonderry, MerrillThompson in Meriden, Ray Howland in Windham, Paul Fredyma in Hanover, and Joe Smith in Durham. It may be cold in the winter in those northern hills, but those men each have the satisfaction of earning the glorious springtime so characteristic of this state when that time of the year finally arrives. Each can take a little pride in what Daniel Webster wrote about New Hampshire men, as printed on a little sign posted at the edge of Profile Lake under Hawthorne's great stone face, the Old Man of the Mountain, just off Route 3 in Franconia Notch. Read it and enjoy it this summer if you're in the area. (Please send me a card if Black Dan's notation gives you a kick.)
While talking to a representative of Caltex Petroleum in Dallas this past week, I was told that Dick Repko and family now live in Lusaka, Zambia, certainly a long, long way from Hanover. Dick and Kelly previously lived in such other distant places as Nairobi, Bangkok, Okinawa, and Tokyo. His first overseas assignment years ago was Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, where his'main customers were the tea planters in the hills. Dick is a world explorer in the spirit of John Ledyard!
Greatly enjoyed dinner with Fritz McTarnahan and Joan last week in Houston. As always when these two come to town, we shared many laughs and much good conversation. Fritz, who rode the rodeo circuit as a cowpoke competitor for about ten years, surprised us in mentioning that the rumble of the trains which used to pass underneath the old Madison Square Garden in New York made many of the horses and much of the stock so nervous that they wouldn't perform normally or consistently. Always added a little fillip to the competition, he said.
November may seem light years away as you read this, but it's not too early to mention the '48 mini-reunion being organized by BudGedney with help from wife Ginny plus others, such as president Earl Chambers, newsletter editor Barney Hoisington, and hotelier Loren Spademan, to be held over the Dartmouth Night/Yale game weekend of November 1-3 this fall. Much work is being done to make the affair good fun for all. Give Bud your support by being there. He makes things happen.
Speaking of Hanover, I believe Jerry King will feel much better about the appearance of Fraternity Row the next time he visits Hanover, compared to the last time, when the unkempt appearance of the houses and the millions of beer cans littering the lawns and the streets out front led him, in disgust, to stop giving to the Alumni Fund. You'll be glad to know, Jerry, that the McLaughlin administration's minimum standards program for residential Greek letter and related societies to make them integral, contributing parts of the Dartmouth experience is having strong effects. Fraternities now not only are cleahed-up, safe places to live, but they also are meeting standards in five or six other areas of activity — including the strengthening of alumni relations - that make them a positive asset to the Dartmouth community. And, I must add, the undergrad members of the houses seem to have reached out and accepted the clear, positive approach of the administration, after initial opposition and doubt, in a positive, enthusiastic manner. Although \the College may yet have to take over a very few houses due to their inability to meet certain ongoing standards, mainly connected with finances and house physical maintenance, President McLaughlin has twice within my hearing said that the College prefers the continued existence of independent, responsible fraternities within the general fabric of Dartmouth life. Talk to members of houses when you're next in Hanover to confirm or correct the foregoing.
Hate to end on this note each time, but the Alumni Fund is important and merits the support of all members of the Dartmouth family, whether the amount be great or small. If by this time you haven't sent anything in to Hanover for the current campaign, please do so. Do what you can, but at least do that, as the gap must be filled!
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