1939

Here we are into a new year, It is one that will see the elders of our number turn 79 years of age, and the youngest turn 73. Now, there's a statistic that I'll bet you never thought you'd see in print.

In response to a birthday card sent to Paul O'Brien shortly after we had experienced Hurricane Bob on the coast of Maine, Paul responded with some reminiscences of storms he had known, both on the high seas and offshore. "If I were to hazard a guess, it would be close to 35 major storms that I've been party to—and have been absolutely fascinated and awed by every one, including a record five at sea in the month of September 1945 in the western Pacific. I once calculated wave size in one storm as 83 feet from trough to crest." Paul lives on Hilton Head Island, so is not immune from the sea's occasional ire.

The Dave Reids have returned to California for the winter months after a summer in New Hampshire. Dave writes that they spent a weekend with Jean and Charlie Thompson on Squirrel Island off Boothbay, Maine, this past summer. "They came to see us at our farm in Fitzwilliam, N.H., as well as a previous weekend in California last spring."

This past September, Dud and Audrey Richards were in the Hanover area to attend what has become an annual get-together of members of the class of 1930 (eighth grade) of the Hanover elementary school. This year it was held at the Lake Mitchell trout Club in Sharon, Vt., and included Ed and Barbara Wells and Ralph Holben. "As you might expect, this class had a strong Dartmouth connection. It included not only the late Howie Chivers and Dick Dunham, [but also] Roy Chamberlain '38, Hal Hillman and Bob Blodgett '4O. On the female side the last names of die following class members who should be familiar to '39ers as faculty and staff families of our time include: Margaret Bill, Kay Wood, Eleanor Joyce, Ann Hopkins, Eleanor Gooding, Jean Keir, Phyllis Hazelton, Margarite Wmans, and Barbara Burleigh. On the way home we dined with Ken and Harriet Ritchie in Sudbury, Mass." We also learned that the Richards celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year on Christmas Day, followed a few weeks later by a party organized by their three children, with 50 friends and relatives in attendance. And to top it all off, Dud and Audrey welcomed their fifth grandchild in February.

Not much fun to end on a sad note, but we understand that Hank White, living in Chesterfield, Mo., in the St. Louis area, is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

I conclude with a hope that each and every one of you have a splendid and healthy 1992.

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