1941

Here I am at my state-of- the-art electric typewriter with erasing feature, ready to report some class news. And now the manufacturer, Smith Corona, files for bankruptcy, jeopardizing my continuing supply of ribbons and spare parts. I just may have to donate my post-Guttenberg printing machine to a museum and join the ranks of George Herman, Downey Gray, at al., as they zoom down the information highway with their PC PC's.

I'd get no sympathy from Bob Thorne, that taxonomist emeritus in Claremont, Calif., who retired eight years ago but still travels our planet as an associate of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. Bob's computer spewed out a wealth of detail on his 1993-94 lecturing in London, Taipei, Beijing, Tokyo, Denmark, and Sweden. He and Mae also found time and energy to visit his original home state of Florida, where Bob completed work on a chapter for a book on primitive flowering plants. Keep on flying, Bob, and include our 55th Reunion on June 10-12 in your 1996 travel plans.

A call to Bob Hess in Charlemont, Mass., found him enjoying his retirement in the Berkshires with winters in Vero Beach, Fla., where his lawyer happens to be a partner of Gus Broberg. Bob's big news concerned a baby girl recently adopted by his daughter Nancy, who is a 44-year-old career woman working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in N.Y.C. Her happy husband is Barry Gray, who was a pioneer in the radio talk-show business and, at age 78, still has a nightly program on WOR New York.

Referring now to my recent survey sent to 55 classmates, 33 men responded, with 84 percent of them reporting their health as good and 16 percent as fair. Happily, none of these hardy '41s advised that their health was poor. Health problems were described as follows: memory, 34 percent; legs, 26 percent; back, 11 percent; and "various other," 29 percent.

Only 25 percent of our classmates use a computer at home. (That makes me feel better.) And only six percent of the respondents (two men) belong to computer networks.

On the subject of their greatest national concern, 41 percent of the men chose the national debt, 12 percent indicated family morals, 12 percent chose social reform, nine percent health care, six percent crime, and the remaining votes were scattered over other problems.

And not to be outdone by the National Enquirer and CNN, my survey included questions on the O.J. Simpson trial. Ninety-four percent thought O.J. was guilty, but on the question of the jury verdict, 80 percent believed there would be a hung jury. Only one man expected a verdict of guilty. I guess we could all express some strong views on criminal justice in the U.S.

Till next time, cheers. I hope our paths will cross at the Cornell game mini-reunion on September 30.

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