1949

On Saturday afternoon, right after the football game on October 7 the new Scully-Fahey Field, named partially for our own Don Scully, was dedicated. This is an impressive facility that will help Dartmouth not only to recruit new athletes, but also to provide better training and practice, especially in the bad weather which sometimes hits the Hanover Plain. Our thanks to Don. George Hartmann tells me that the Ed Leede portrait fund is growing nicely, though we wouldn't mind receiving some more bucks to get this accomplished. The Hartmann bank is at Breck Hill Road, Lyme, NH 03768; checks to be made out to the "Dartmouth 1949 Portrait Fund." Paul Bjorklund probably missed his calling. He is one of the great extractors of all time, accomplishing a class record for a non-reunion year of giving with $119,364 and 65-percent participation by youse guys. Seems only right to give Paul a lifetime appointment, though he wants to negotiate for health benefits. I recommended we give him a dental plan and let it go at that. Found a copy of the 1849 Dartmouth "Catalogue for the Academical Year." Here we are, exactly 100 years before our class: Tuition is $31.50, room rent is $10, board averages $68.25 and wood, lights and washing come to sls a year, for a grand total of $124.75! I kind of remember some of the class of 49 who I suspect didn't spend more than sls. A year on washing, too. Candidates for the freshman class were examined in grammar of the English, Latin and Greek languages; the whole of Virgil, Cicero and the Illiad; arithmetic; algebra; and the five books of Xenaphonis Anabasis. Looks like a bunch of snap courses, while WE struggled through A Foley's "Cowboys and Indians" and Doc Pollards "SMUT I." By the way, there were 197 undergraduates that year.

Johnny Ruhsam has been fighting cancer for the past four years but reports recent good news. He is still in Sarasota, Florida, where he has been instrumental in setting up and instructing a Marine Corps Jr. ROTC program. I don't know how many aces we have in '49, but John is one with seven enemy planes to his credit while with the WWII Marines. Run into Scotty Whipple from time to time at Lasell College activities. His wife, Bobbie, and my B.J. are active in Lasell leadership programs. Sadly, another obituary this month with the passing of Ray Hammel from emphysema. Ray was another WWII hero and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Summer went too fast, but Hanover is glorious in the fall, as you know. Wish I could thank you for all the information you sent for this months column. Oh, well, maybe another time.

PO Box 1194, Grantham, NH03753; bjndougtoo@aol.com