1928

It has not been widely known until now, but our Bill Ballard, eminent biology professor, lecturer on anatomy at the Dartmouth Medical School, and world traveler for Dartmouth College conducting research in the field of fish embryology, fell madly in love with pink lady's slippers at the age of 12. The Valley News quotes him as saying, after seeing its delicate blossom alongside a western Massachusetts road, "I fell on my knees before it I was thunderstruck by its beauty." The love affair lasted a lifetime. In his home garden in Norwich and in the local swamp purchased by the College as an outdoor lab, and we quote, he "seeks the secrets of the wild terrestial orchids commonly known as lady's slippers and Indian moccasins." He has made great progress in solving the problems of growing them from seed. He has cross-pollinated the Sel low and pink lady's slippers and various hybrids in his test tubes. If they survive transplanting at age three it still takes 15 years to get them to the blossoming stage. Bill expresses doubt he will be around to see them, the only pessimistic note in the article. Come on, Bill, in 15 years you will only be 99.

Bequests and Trusts has announced that Curly Prosser has been made a charter member of the Bartlett Tower Society. This society is designed to honor those who have made a bequest or planned gift commitment in support of the College. The honor is named after Samuel Colcord Bartlett, class of 1836, who served as the College's eighth president. Incidentally, Curly has been having serious trouble with a hip for some time and was expected, after several delays, to go into Mary Hitchcock for replacement parts. Apparently, he gets no preferential treatment even if he is a charter memeber of the Bartlett Tower Society.

Our sympathies to Jo Tidd whose wife, Marge, died on May 28. The White Church in Hanover was crowded with alumni of our vintage for the services.

We regret to report the death of Chuck Coe on May 18.

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