1933

Cutty Johnson claims that he is not "up to much," but that isn't quite true when you take his gardening and his weather reporting. The Hanover weather, announced on TV", comes right from Union Village Road in Norwich, where Cutty's house has a great view to the East whence he can see Moosilauke and the river and can observe in advance the clouds that may threaten the campus. He had an active lifetime career, too. He got an M.A. from Dartmouth, taught and tutored at Clark School, instructed in the V-12 naval units and was a research associate at Thayer School. He served a term as Norwich town auditor. Associated with Frank Morgan, he helped develop a secret method of communicating by radio that has military usefulness. He and his family, at a mature stage, also for months babysat a Morgan daughter who became a great opera singer. No technical contribution from Cutty here, though.

Had a pleasant recent chat with Lee Sanborn, the erstwhile cross-country runner and symphony trumpeter. He is at present, at 92, in a convalescent ward in Cockeysville (pronounce?), Maryland, having just gone through surgery for a successful hip replacement. He retired in 1971 as head of the New York School for the Blind in Batavia to get away from the cold upstate winters and, stopping in Maryland where his daughter lived, decided to stay there. Situated on the water, he recreated in boating and fishing and enjoyed the milder weather and the amenities of Baltimore until arthritic disintegration of the bone brought on the need for the operation. Proud of his survival and confident that future days looked bright, he exuded confidence. Plenty of guts there.

All of which raises the question as to how much medical and health discussion is appropriate in columns such as this. Your correspondent has always tried to keep such matters separate for obituary or other treatment. On the other hand, you have the recent example of Josh Billings, the Princeton 1934 class secretary, publicized in The New York Times, who confines his commentaries to news about the illnesses and medical treatments of classmates. One must conclude, it appears, that complaints, cares and cures are the major items available for those in our age bracket. And they resonate with survivors. Therefore, perhaps a median treatment is indicated and thus we adopt such in our report today with Lees full story. Gesundheit!

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