1939
The passing of Labor Day and a summons from the ALUMNI MAGAZINE signals the end of summer. It also marks the beginning of our 15th year as a Class. About this season of our first year we were matriculating before President Hopkins, buying broken-down, secondhand furniture at then inflationary prices from the overbearing sophomores of '38 and trying to get used to the home-cooking of Commons. Some of us wondered, too, if the daily rush on the Nugget and the evening waterfall down the stairwell of Topliff Hall would be a usual occurrence in our college life. The '39 freshman football team was being picked from a wealth of material consisting of Joe Batchelder, Warner Kiefaber, Ernie Bly, Phil Keller, Len Viens, Gus Zitrides, Paul Winship, Stu Tupper, Bob Kaiser, Chet Wiggan, Al Tishman, Dick Jackson, Red Jensen, Bill Stevenson, Vic Whitlock, Mai Wallis, Dick Schumacher, Colby Howe, Jack Schrage, Ed Wakelin, Bill Russell, Lou Highmark, Rodge Harrison, Bob Gibson, Lud Pyrtek, Harry Gates, Howie Pratt, Herman Funke, Jud Foster, Jim Parks, Frank O'Brien, John Finocan, Howie Nopper, Otis Mudge, Irwin Naitove, Jim Feely, Kev Fay, Lloyd Nash, Hank Mills, Herb Mattlage, Walt Magee, Auguste Ewing, John Evans, Fred Doll, Bob MacLeod, Larry Dilkes, Gordon McCoun, Jacob Lynch, Frank Davis, Jack Coulson, Art Larkin, Stan Brown and Joe Cottone.
Since our first days in Hanover the Class has recorded many noteworthy achievements and each year more and more of us are contributing to the full stature that we know the Class some day will achieve. Ever since graduation, with the exception of five and a half years in the Navy, Dick Brooks has been persevering toward his goal as comic strip cartoonist. His book, Elmer Squee, and a color page for King Features was a step in this direction, but it wasn't until we received a letter from Dick this summer that we knew he had really made the grade. Part of his letter follows:
"All of my time has been taken up with this job which prevented me from attending most of the class and college functions. The competition is amazing. One of the large syndicates has an average of 25 features submitted every working day. This year they sorted out about 30 of these and from that group selected one strip the first they have taken on in four years and it just happened to be mine. So the happy ending comes to my story. On May third I signed a 50-50 contract for ten years of my new daily and Sunday feature, The Jackson Twins, which will be released in the fall. Twin 16-year-old sirens star, with mostly family type humor. It will be appreciated if any classmates in the newspaper field give the McNaught salesmen the glad hand."
Dick and Phyl, with two-year-old Virginia, took a trip to the West Coast this spring to celebrate, spent the summer in New Hampshire, and should be home in Westport, Conn., by now.
Bert MacMannis scooped me in reporting Jim Donovan's marriage in the newsletter, but I think a May 6 letter Jim wrote to me Bert did not receive. Jim writes,
"Kay is a young lady from D. C. We had a small wedding in Arlington and then shoved off for a few pleasant weeks in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. I'm still editor-publisher of Leatherneck, the Marines magazine, having been assigned here in 1948 when someone at headquarters heard I had been on the Jack-O staff at one time. I had lunch with BootsHos kins on the other day. He is with the National Geographic Society in D. C. Also see Lt. Col. BillParkhill at the Army-Navy Country Club from time to time. Bill works in the nearby Pentagon. I have been with Major Jim Feeley several times in recent years. He is still one of the Marine Corp's better aviators. He and his family are presently stationed at El Toro, Calif. I finally made Lt. Col. after hovering on the brink of promotion for some years. The Kremlin permitting, I will happily stay in this rank for a decade or so."
One of the few remaining class bachelors, Don Wheaton, was married to Mrs. Virginia Vinnedge Proctor July 8 in Mount Vernon, N. Y. After a trip to Bermuda, Don and his wife are living at Rye Colony Apts., Rye, N. Y. We also have notice of the engagement of Belle Elizabeth Pierce of Cleveland to BobKwis. Miss Pierce graduated from Stephens Junior College at Columbia, Mo. Bob formerly was member of the military government in Korea and is now residing in Los Angeles.
Out in Temple City, Calif, the WaylandAverys announced the arrival of a daughter, Christine Lee, on May 5. This makes two, and a sister for Tommy, aged one and a half. The only other couple on the stork report list for this month are Dr. and Mrs. Dick Storrs, who report the birth of a daughter, Nancy Elizabeth, on May 22. My sketchy records may be in error, but I believe this is the first for the Storrs.
Art Bright, who is now industrial economist with the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston, was guest speaker at a combined luncheon for Rotary, Lions, and Kiwanis Clubs of Haverhill, Mass., in June. Art has been working closely with the New England Council in its efforts to bring industry to New England and to develop existing industries. In this connection he has made detailed studies of what cities and towns are doing to further industrial development.
Dr. Ev Woodman has received an appointment as visiting Lecturer in Educational Psychology at the Universities of Lyons, Aix, and Strasbourg for the coming year. The appointment comes through the State Department and is one of the Fulbright Awards for teaching and research in foreign countries. During the past year Ev has been a professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois. He and his family are sailing October 5 for France on the French liner Liberie.
Professor John Kelleher, who holds the Chair of Irish Literature and History at Harvard, has accepted the invitation of the National University of Ireland to lecture at the summer school of the University this year. I also learned that in 1946 John delivered the Lowell Lectures at the Boston Public Library, which are very well known around Boston. John is spending a year's leave in Ireland accompanied by his wife and family.
Remember that if you are planning to attend the Yale game and would like to have preferential seating with the rest of the Class, Bert MacMannis should have your money and ticket applications by Tuesday, Oct. to.
Secretary, 79 Linden Ave., Darien, Conn.
Treasurer, Rye Colony Apts., Apt. 19-A, Rye, N. Y.
