1954

November 1954: As reported in the Dartmouth Alumni Bob Clark working for the First National Bank in Peterborough, N.H.; Bob Oxford with Olin Industries in New Haven; Paul Martin as a reporter for Lancaster Newspapers in Pennsylvania; and Everett Murphy as pastor of the Talcottsville Congregational Church in Connecticut. Employed by Uncle Sam: Rollie Haynes, Dick Franklin, Dave Fitch, John Gillespie, Kev Sullivan, George Fitzgerald, and Jim Mannion at Lakeland Air Force Base; Ken Patterson, Dick Perkins, Chuck Flooper, and John Fairfield at the Naval Gunnery School in Washington, D.C. Engagements were many: Bob Silverberg to Robyne Home; Ed McHugh to Janice Carey; Herb Hillman to Ann Phillips; Shelly Woolf to Elizabeth Feldman; HughNolin to Deborah Graves. Some '54s went all die way and married: Neal Sibley to Sonia Rauch; Herb Syle to Mary Jane Erdman; Phil Christophe to Carol Hunter; and George McLaughlin to Elizabeth Martin.

Our judges keep on making news! Delaware Chief Justice Norm Veasey was unanimously elected president-elect of the National Conference of Chief Justices. He will become president in August. The conference is composed of the chief justices of the highest court of every state. The president also serves as chair of the board of directors of the National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va. Norm is also presently serving as chair of the Ethics 2000 Commission of the American Bar Association. That commission is expected in about two years to propose to the A.B.A. House of Delegates and the state supreme* courts a complete revision of ethics rules for lawyers throughout the nation.

While on the question of lawyers' ethics, federal judge Bill Walls was recently commended in a lead editorial in the Sunday Star Ledger (N.J.) for his stand against "pay or play" (those attorneys who make bigmoney campaign contributions just happen to end up with the big-fee bond business and other government legal work). The American Bar Association recently passed a resolution calling for a crackdown on "pay to play," and the association's ethics committee has been told to draw up a rule against the practice by next year. (See Norm Veasey above. When it comes to '54s, the wide, wide world is not so large.) Judge Walls is hearing a class-action shareholder suit against Cedant Corp. Traditionally, the lead counsel job (and large fees) goes to the law firm representing the plaintiff with the biggest stake in the action, in this case, the public pension funds of New York State. Ordinarily, the New York comptroller (Carl McCall '58) would pick the pension fund's attorney. Bill, without "preaching or lecturing," found an easy solution to "pay and play." He just said, "Bid." Take note, Norm.

While on the subject of fishy business, the '54 Fly Fishing Team had their fourth annual rendezvous in June in British Columbia. The team's co-founders are Jim Adams and Dick Lewis. Completing the team were John Heston, Bob Levine, Walt Ankeny, and Dave McLaughlin. Who caught the largest fish (or told the biggest lie)?

The New Jersey '54 Open Golf Tournament was also played this summer. Bob Berry, Walt Anderson, and Don Berlin were joined by Jake Jacobus '57. Somebody won. Berry left smiling.

I regretfully report the passing of Mas Itabashi on July 6.

7 Hamilton Drive., Washington Valley, Morristown, NJ 07960-3311; (973) 267-8122;

Bill Wallis has been commended for his stand against "pay or play involving those attorneys who make big campaign contributions for government legal work. DON BERLIN '54