1937
10 Colby Road Wellesley, MA 02181
When the bell rang on June 12th at Middle Mass where registration took place, we were all together after a 50-year hiatus and where we left off with studies and joined the world of business. At that time many of us joined the war effort which became all-consuming for the next five years. After some number of years Al Bryant brought yours truly on stream as editor of the Mint Bag in the early sixties. Later to be shifted to Secretary. It has been a lot of fun keeping track of you guys as well as making up a new Directory every five years. You all have been so thoughtful submitting news items, for which we have been most grateful. At one time we sent out 1 attached reply cards so you would have a prepaid card on which to answer! That never prospered but had some success; at least we never lacked enough news to make a column. Now the time has come to pass the torch. We shall miss the personal contacts, we we'll certainly keep track of you all through our replacement, and, our Master of News, Rog Allen. Bless him and Mort Berkowitz for to getting out such a popular news sheet as the Mint Bag has always been. Since the column is written for general consumption, the newsletter is strictly class items where length is stretched far beyond the monthly capacity here of 800 words. Often we have been chopped back by those "ogres" who run the organ in Hanover. For instance, we wrote the following paragraph for last month. It was deleted but we liked it enough to include here.
"Hanover is the same in most ways with a few changes like parking meters and traffic lights, no more Spud Bray or Chief Hallisey, or volunteer Fire Department. More women now than in our time when they came as visitors or dates but just as pretty. The fire whistle is just as loud as ever halfway up the central heating building behind New Hampshire Hall. The Inn porch changed a little with the new building, but basically is the same. The store fronts on Main Street are the same with different names. No more Allen's Drug Store, no more Fletcher with his wheelingdealing ways, but his alley is unchanged. The old Nugget building has been renovated into office space and the new Nugget moved down town with much higher prices than the 351 we had trouble scraping up."
We are indebted to Dick Sawyer for writing Ben Marion's obit in the April issue. Dick wrote to us, quote, "Ben's legacy to us guys with our increasing aches and pains is an example of courage and stamina and seeing what is good in this world." Dick and Ruth went on a Smith reunion trip around South America."
We have a first! Ken Stearns' daughter Kendra Stearns O'Donnell has been selected to be head of Phillips Exeter Academy after a national search lasting many months. She earned her doctorate in English and has been teaching English at Princeton. Her husband is one of the heads of Prudential Bache in international finance. Long the bastion of maleness (like Dartmouth), we live with change. Our congratulations to all the Stearnses. Now let's see what their football team will do.
We enjoyed reading in the Mint Bag of June and Dave Camerer's fishing expedition on Lake Michigan for salmon and fresh water whales. Now look forward to a fillin on the Fritz Pansing/Rolly Kent sailboat odyssey across the Atlantic Ocean. Pretty brave senior citizens we say!
A few memorable events from 1937: Franklin Roosevelt started his third term as president, civil war raged in Spain, Chamberlain became Britain's Prime Minister, Japanese planes sank the U.S. gunboat Panay in China, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was. opened, the Hindenburg dirigible exploded in Lakehurst, N.J., Disney's Snow White was released, Bed and Marge Doran were married, Joe Louis knocked out Jim Braddock, Rodgers and Harts Babes in Arms opened on Broadway, a seven room house could be bought for $12,500 or rent on an apartment was $40 a month, Bill and Dot Heroy were married, a man's dress shirt was $1.65, a ticket to the circus was 75¢, a new Ford V-8 began at $529 or a 12-cylinder Lincoln at $1280. Our graduation was just as important as all those 1937 facts. Come back and find out what else happened since those days.
We continue to give enthusiastic credit to Chick Koop for his unstinting fight against AIDS. Obviously it is a threat to mankind with no answers for a cure in sight. Chick had extensive write-ups in the Los Angeles Times Magazine as well as the New York Times. He makes the dangers clear.
A nice note from Sey Ochner tells of visits from Flo and Lanny Moore for Mardi Gras, where they all dressed up as cowboys for a western party. Also a visit from Chick Koop on one of his health talks on smoking, which was well received by the audience, including many physicians, all of whom were very impressed with Chick's forth- rightness and knowledge. Sey sent excellent photos to prove all of the above. He is a master with the camera! But Bobby must have taken one of the two cowhands!
