1932

As Bob Ackerberg has mentioned in his recent newsletter, Ben and Sally Drew did, in fact, celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in Bermuda on December 21, with all five of their children and all of their grandchildren present.

Warren Hallamore, en route to Bermuda on the same plane, paused to meet a number of our gang. Our youngest son came from Perth, Australia, with his fiveyear-old daughter and has urged us to repay the visit at the time of the America's Cup Races.

Jim and Amy Corbett had also celebrated their 50th anniversary in Bermuda along with their three children and five grandchildren.

Irv and Ruth Kramer celebrated their 50th anniversary; he reported, "A banner year for our family, including our anniversary, a family trip to Switzerland in August, the arrival of a ninth grandchild, and a daughter's wedding."

Now this may be a '32 record: Dr. TedTruex also celebrated his 50th with his family, including a group of 25 children and grandchildren! Ted had retired from his practice and is grateful for their good health during 11 years of retirement.

And another 50th: "A vintage year for Jim and Peg North. Through the Panama Canal with the Davis Kirbys-March in Maine-July, August on the Viking Sky, celebrating our 50th, and eventually home to San Francisco to help celebrate Even A. North's third birthday."

Whip and Adie Walser have already celebrated their 50th, and, as we might have guessed, they met on a long ocean voyage with plenty of time to fall in love -for keeps.

Two other great marriages were reported on the "mini cards" which I passed out at our banquet. From Jay Whitehair, recently married: "Norma is wonderful." And from Howdie and DottiePierpont: "Every day is special for the Pierponts; we are blessed."

Joe Boldt wrote that our distinguished poet Ruel Denny recently won one of the prestigious Colladat Awards for his booklength poem, "The Portfolio of Benjamin Latrobe," which was published in the Quarterly Review of Literature-poetry series. The notation of the fly leaf: "in sinewy, resonant verse that celebrates the life of Benjamin Latrobe."

Jim Moore has written a thoughtful letter supporting the conservative opinions concerning the Indian symbol, the meeting space provided for the gays, the faculty conflict with the administration, and the return of ROTC. Jim was very happy to report that both he and his wife, Connie, have survived surgery for the Big C and are feeling fine: "Ours were early discoveries thanks to our regular physicals. We urge everyone to have them."

Ping Ferry has written a, diary-like, candid, and detailed report which covers his early years, his school years, his years at Dartmouth, and his many directions since that time to the present. He told me that he wrote it for his children, mainly, but has provided copies to friends who have been interested in his career.

The class has lost four more good men: Barney Todd passed away in December after a long illness. His scholarship, his universal good fellowship, and his triumph over incredible odds speak of a great man. His roommate and lifelong friend, Tom Curtis, has prepared a suitable obituary.

Jack Pyles, died in Washington, D.C., on December 9. A very loyal alumnus, Jack is survived by his wife, Bethine, and five children, including two Dartmouth sons. Jack's close friend, Jay Whitehair, has prepared a more complete obituary for that section.

Carl O. Parsons passed away in Massachusetts on November 25 after a long illness. He had earned an engineering degree at Thayer which led to a lifetime of civil engineering for several entities, including the New Hampshire Highway Department, the U.S. Forest Service, and finally the Lane Construction Company. He is survived by his wife, Catherine, and two daughters.

To the widows and families of these fine men, our class extends its deepest sympathy.

My apologies to the family of BeldenLee Daniels for failing to discover that his son, Belden H., graduated in the class of 1956, and that he is survived also by two Dartmouth grandsons: Andrew H. Daniels '85 and Jonathan Daniels 'B6. These three fine Dartmouth men are further evidence of Bo Daniels's devotion to Dartmouth.

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