1914
To the Class of 1915, let me say, "Once a Freshman, always a Freshman."
Yes, twenty-four hours ago I left the Hanover plain and came north and east to a quiet lake in the woods of Maine, after six days on the campus. What a week that was! We won the Green Derby from '15 and '17 and grabbed the 1894 cup for highest percentage of graduates back at reunion, right out of the hands of '15.
When we first broke out our banner, "The Famous class of 1914," the query was "Famous for what?" Now they know the answer.
Arriving in Hanover on Monday noon in time for the Hanover Holiday, your correspondent made a quick survey of the battlefield, and took a flying trip to Etna mountain to offer his services with the haying, the milking, and any maternity work that there might be, but found Mart with everything under perfect control, so there wasn't much to do but just sit and talk.
That night, we attended a lecture by Professor Truxall, on keeping the family together, which immediately put a damper on my own week end as the good wife used it constantly from then on. Shortly, Hal and Mrs. Pease with their very charming daughter, Barbara, showed up, to be followed by Hal and Mrs. Castle, John Palmer, Squint Herlihy, and Harold Morse and son, who came all the way from South Dakota. Rufe Sisson appeared next and the parade was under way.
By Friday night, Richardson was full up and Ripley was over-flowing into Woodard, Russell Sage and North Fayerweather.
The Class gathered in the tent beside Richardson, where Ed Leech took charge of welcoming, distributing tickets, and the preliminary oiling. At five o'clock, we all adjourned to the Inn garden, where we were the guests of our genial and smiling co-presidents, Mart and Kathleen, at a cocktail party. As hosts, they are superb. The party broke the ice, "everybody was friends." Reunion was well under way, and still they came. At six o'clock or shortly after, the Inn's new manager, Dave Heald, brought out an excellent and attractive buffet supper. 'Del Ives ran the show, with the help of Sally Bishop. By this time, 'Del is practically an adopted member of the Class, anyway, but then, what Class doesn't claim her?
Then back to the tent where reunihg continued in high gear, with Doc Kingsford, Souther Mead, Everett Barnard, and others at the piano, and with Ed Leech as Major Domo. Although it was "spitting" rain, President Dickey's reception was held out of doors in his beautiful gardens, after which many of the Class showed a continuance of their youth by attending the Alumni Dance. During the dance, the more elderly and feeble were entertained at the tent by moving pictures of our 15th, 20th and 25th reunions, followed by more music and more of the things that people, do at reunions. The last sour note of the piano died a horrible and painful death between three and four A.M., and for a few brief hours, all was peaceful.
Saturday morning, the writer, unable to sleep and still on the search, crawled to the Inn for coffee, and to keep a breakfast date with his daughter-in-law.
Sitting in the lobby at seven o'clock were Walt Humphrey and Fred Davidson with a tray between them, cluttered with an empty coffee pot and cups. Fourteen evidently had kept the watch throughout the night.
One thing this Class has got to do is survey and reassign its nicknames. When a full sized twelve-inch hawser is addressed as "String" Howe, it looked ridiculous, and Red Davidson is now bald with a fringe of gray,—no more red. How such a skinny string could expand as fast as Howe is beyond comprehension, but Sammy Sheldon still holds the prize as the youngest looking man in the Class.
The meeting of the Alumni Association was held in 105 Dartmouth A Dartmouth to you old timers.... was well attended, and well it might be. At nine that morning, the Secretary had handed in the names of seventytwo graduates present, and later found that he had missed one or two. So what! We won the 1894 cup, and the grin on Mart Remsen's face when he walked down the aisle to receive it was something to behold.
The meeting adjourned to the tent forthwith, and the cup was suitably paraded about the campus, to the Inn, and to our headquarters, riding in state on the flat hood of Remsen's converted army vehicle (it has no springs, at least none that work), protected by a huge umbrella, advertized by the Class banner and protected by a squad of quickly organized MPs, dressed in colors which would make a company of Zouaves hide their heads in shame.
The barbecue steaks turned out to be a dammed good Mulligan put on by Ross McKenney, himself. It was held at the Canoe Club on the bank of the river, and the Class was later captivated with the humorous imitations of a French Canadian voyageur given by Ross.
The singingest Class o£ all times was led by Walt Humphrey and Win Snow, as it gathered for its Class picture, and then adjourned to the campus for an inter-Class hum which quickly combined into one large group in front of Dartmouth Hall. Many of the girls said this was the best part of the reunion. The day was perfect, the crowd was big, the cheer leaders and choristers, Snow, Spillane, English and others were at their best.
The banquet, of course, was held in the Hovey Grill .... where else would it be .... and Walt was there to tell us about those marvelous murals. Fred Davidson was toastmaster, and for my money can hold the job, permanently. A short business meeting was held at which H. B. Narramore, of Lebanon and Bridgeport—father of two Dartmouth sons, ardent supporter, rooter for and lover of the College, was honored by election to membership in the Class. It was voted to adopt the suggestion made by Rufe Sisson, a year and a half ago, to place a book in Baker Library for each departed Classmate as of now, as a memorial. The mechanics of this will be explained in a succeeding issue. But the highlight of the evening was the introduction of Jack Conners and his report of the Alumni Fund Campaign. We went over the top, we won the derby, we broke all kinds of records with well over twelve thousand dollars and with just three names short of one hundred per cent participation. Just three names! There is only one complaint about Jack Conners,—he is too modest. Jack has played too much poker, and ought to learn to let his hair down and loosen up those face muscles. That guy was as tickled as a kid, his eyes showed it, but what did he do? He tried to kid us into thinking that his secretary had done all the work, with the help o£ the volunteer agents. Anyway, we took him partly at his word, and appropriated money to buy her a gift as a permanent mark of our appreciation.
Telegrams were received from Lay Little in China, and from Charlie O'Connor, with much appreciation, and later in the evening, Lay Little's boy was introduced and given a rousing hand. There were several at the banquet, or at the reunion, who were making it for the first time. One or two had never been back before since graduation. Harold Morse, BiM Breslin, Doug Mac Carter, Fred Fraser, Ralph Jenkins, Bill Roland, Dan Chase.
That evening, many attended the production of The Players, while others broke up into smaller groups, augmented later by those returning from the show.
Sunday morning was devoted to a Memorial Service, honoring those eighty-four men who have passed away since we first walked up the hill in the fall of 1910. This service was conducted by Bino Knight and concluded by Fred Fraser. It was well attended.
By noon, most of the Class were on their way home. Not complete, perhaps, but nearly so, follows the list of those present: any omissions or errors are unintentional. Pen and Mrs. Aborn; Herb, Mrs., and Judy Austin; Lester Bacon and Mrs.; Dick Barlowe; Bill and Mrs. Barnes and daughter; Charlie and Buff Batchelder; Harold and Martha Brown; Clyde and Mrs. Buckley; George Boggs; John Burleigh; Bill Breslyn; Sam Cole; Jim Cavanaugh; Hal and Mrs. Castle; Sam Conners; Dan Chase; Walt Daley; Fred and Mrs. Davidson, and son; Red and Mrs. Davidson; Ducky and Marian Drake with son Donald and wife, Lillian; Carroll Edson and his wife; Eddie and Mrs. Elkins; Dean Emerson; Rocky and Mrs. Flanders; Fred Fraser; Jack and Mrs. Field with son and wife and baby; Squint Herlihy; Bill and Mrs. Hands; John Hanna with wife and children; Maurice Harvey, John and Mrs. Hazen; Rosey and Mrs. Hinman and Buel; String Howe; Bob Hopkins; Walt and Charlotte Humphrey and daughter; Harry Haywood and sister; Jime Healey with wife and two daughters; Ralph Jenkins; Stubby and Mrs. Johnson; Ernie, Mrs. Kimball and Barbara; Larry and Clara Kingman and son, Donald; Doc Kingsford; Chuck Kingsley; Bino and Mrs. Knight with their daughter, Paula; Sig Larmon; Cap Lawrence; Ed and Lillian Leech; Win Loveland; Henry Lowell and wife; Harold Morse and son; Ted and Marian Main and daughter, Bett; Doug MacCartee; Souther and Mrs. Mead; Jack McCullough; Caleb and Grace Niles; Bob and Mrs. Noble; Oscar and Mrs. Olson; John Palmer; Hal and Mrs. Pease and daughter, Barbara; John and Mrs. Piane; Milt Pomeroy; Howard Potter; Dick Pritchard; Paul Perkins; Mart and Kathleen Remsen; Bill and Mrs. Roland; Sam Sheldon; Jim Shields; Rufe Sisson; Gordon and Mrs. Sleeper, son and daughter; Charlie and Mrs. Smedley; Win and Mrs. Snow; Sherm and Mrs. Saltmarsh; Paul Smith; Bill Taft; George Tilton; Rudy VonLenz, wife and daughter; Lize Wheelock; Art Woodies; L. D. White; Warner Bentley and last but not least H. B. Narramore.
FOR THAT FAMILY ALBUM: 1914 lakes over the steps of Parkhurst for their Delayed 30th Reunion Picture.
Secretary, 88 Sea Street, North Weymouth, Mass
Treasurer, 26 Garden Street, Potsdam, N. Y.
