1952

Living in Florida is a succession of insanely interesting moments, according to Howard Whittaker, who lives on a golf course in Coral Gables. His home is ten minutes from his law office where he has an active municipal bond practice. "The golf course, where I play about five or six times a week, is littered with palm fronds, roof tiles, and other hurricane debris," according to Whit, which has raised the devil with his golf score. Whit and his wife, Sally, are security conscious and own a rotweiler, Fang, entrusted to ward off all burglars who devise ever-moreingenious larcenies. Howard was an English major in college and contributed distinctive cartoons and numerous pieces to Jacko. After an army tour with the Russian language school, he graduated from the University of Virginia Law School, where he enlivened the duller classes by transcribing his notes in Russian. He began practice in New York, then moved to San Francisco and then to Miami, helping government finance capital spending with municipal bonds. His son and namesake, who is called Sam, lives in Chicago with his wife and owns a small construction company. Howard's daughter Corwin is a career army type now stationed in Italy. Howard did not make Reunion because he didn't want to miss the excitement down south. He recommends Florida as a sure cure for an ordinary life.

The well-known enthusiasm of Dartmouth alumni for their college is shared by many Dartmouth spouses. At reunion there were a number of wives of our late classmates who were enthusiastic and even poetic. They add a lot to the festivities. There were also classmates whose wives had died, some of whom came for the first time without their spouse. One such fellow said he had done a lot of thinking about the wonderful times they shared together and the children they had brought up. "We could have done without the little arguments about nothing," he said.

The man who ran in the rubber fright mask at our 40th Reunion is Lawrence Stern of Manhattan. He says, "Everything I have done in my life prepared me for the wonderful work I am doing now." Presently his happy work is pet-assisted therapy for New York City children from pre-kindergarten to the late teens, some of whom are trying to escape from brutal existences. Larry put himself through college, received an economics degree, and ran track and cross-country, which he continued pursuing well into middle age. After graduation he enlisted in the marines, where he served for three years in the infantry. He retired as a reserve major after 20 years. He took a year of Stanford Law School. He shipped out on freighters and tankers as a deck hand, whenever he could, to help himself financially and see the world. He received a master's degree from Columbia. He completed an eight-volume Milton concordance in 1985, running to 1,500 pages. He took a short stint at lowa Writers Workshop. After intensive psychoanalytic training, he practiced psychoanalysis in New York City for 13 years. In between times, he substituted as a high school teacher, became a legal proofreader, and wrote and published in spurts. His advice for living: "Don't follow all the rules!"

10 Grove Street, Pittsford, NY 14534-1327

Stern's happy work is pet-assisted therapy for New York City children. HENRY WILLIAMS '52