1926
How long the last of winter's been! When March blows cold and loud He stills and wraps our fairest Spring In white and icy shroud.
We Secretaries have barely recovered from the rigors of Christmas and New Year when we must project ourselves into the season of the crocuses, daffodils and late snow storms. It requires an agility of imagination hard to summon during that icy move in the winter's worst cold spell from Shaker Heights to Chestnut Hill and right after the excitement of announcing daughter Georgia's engagement to Lt. William C. Blackmore (Yale '55) during the Christmas holidays.
While most of us are still shoveling snow from the aftermath of winter, Reunion Chairman Harry Fisher (after a quick trip to Boston to consult with your Secretary and Treasurer on the details of the June gathering) is now regaining energy in Belleaire, Fla., with Don Church. From now on most of his waking hours will be consumed by programs, dormitory arrangements, tents, beer, etc., etc., for your pleasure at our mellow reunion. During Harry and Mary's well earned rest at the Bellevue-Biltmore, Committeemen Bob Carr, Reg Hanson, Walt Rankin, and Sunny Tilton carry on diligently in the Chairman's absence.
"'26 UP!" says Bill Barclay from Melbourne, Australia, where it was summer while we were having winter. "The games (Olympics) are great - Melbourne is beautiful and the Aussies tops for hosts. Los Angeles - Hawaii Canton - Fiji - Sydney - Singapore - Bangkok Khatmandu - Darjeeling - Aw Hell going right on around!" Sid Hayward calls him our peripatetic Bill Barclay for some reason. We will expect a report of that jaunt from you in Hanover this June, Bill!
Not to be outdone by Bill, Courtney Brown has been awarded the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship for study of economic conditions throughout the world. He and Marge will start around the globe hot on Bill's route about the middle of June immediately after son Warren graduates from Williams. Courtney says that is the only thing that could possibly keep him away from the 30th reunion and he still might work it in for a day or two.
After a momentary lull when the financial pages were filled with the appointments of Carl Allen, George Champion, Hal Marshall, etc., to the upper echelons of big business, we again have another batch of clippings on '26 men in the news.
The News-Tribune of Waltham (Mass.) reports on the largest annual meeting of the Waltham Hospital at which the noted heart specialist, Dr. Sylvester McGinn, made the principal address. Although the class of 1926 was not specifically mentioned, it would appear that he has high hopes for us all as knowledge in his field continues to increase. The News-Tribune concluded by saying:
Dr. McGinn, a graduate of Dartmouth, 1926, and Harvard Medical School, 1929, organized a cardial clinic at the Waltham Hospital in conjunction with the other doctors of that department of service. In 1946 he was appointed consultant in cardiology at the Waltham Hospital and continues to serve. He is also chief of medicine and cardiologists at St. Elizabeth's Hospital and is connected with Massachusetts General Hospital. He is President of the Greater Boston Chapter of the State Heart Association, and on the National Council of Clinical Cardiology.
Then from the Worcester (Mass.) Sunday Telegram comes the announcement of SunnyTilton's election to the Board of Trustees of Leicester Junior College. Sunny is further noted in the article as a partner in the law firm of Stobbs, Stockwell and Tilton, a member of the American, Massachusetts and Worcester County Bar Associations, and at one time a professor at Northeastern University Law School, Worcester Branch. He is a corporator of the Worcester Boys' Club and the Children's Friend Society and is chairman of the business advisory board of the Worcester Society for District Nursing. Last summer we saw Sunny at Harwich Port on the Cape where he was on vacation. At that time he had very pleasantly shed all of these responsibilities in favor of fishing.
Roy Kelley continues to be in demand as a speaker. The Beverly (Mass.) Times reports the annual Fathers and Sons Breakfast of St. Joseph's Holy Name Society at which 150 men and boys were honored by "the guest speaker, LeRoy J. Kelley, of Everett, a nationally known college football official, a Dartmouth College graduate and former grid star and coach. Young and old alike were much interested by his talk in which he highlighted amusing and dramatic moments of his sports career."
Returning again to the financial world, Horace Moderwell was recently elected assistant vice-president in the Trust Department of the Harris Trust and Savings Bank of Chicago. He has been with that institution ever since he graduated from the Harvard Business School in 1928. Warren Fellingham, also of Harris Trust, reports that Horace is a very important factor in the trust investment section of the bank.
Wee and Dot McClintock joined the ranks of grandparents this past winter when their daughter Barbara had a daughter, Carol Ann Hill. Dick Jr. has already graduated from Dartmouth (remember when he was about to enter at our 25th reunion?) and is in Harvard Medical School. Sandy McClintock struggles in grade 5 according to the Christmas card message. Wee is very proud to announce that the working drawings for the new wing of his Grace Church in Medford are now in preparation. Incidentally, we are counting on Wee to conduct our memorial service again at the 30th reunion.
Here is an interesting note from Kier Boyd: Last September I spent a day in Hanover for the first time since June 1926. It was a most interesting experience, but also rather disconcerting to find the image I was carrying in my mind of the layout of Hanover, N. H., varied considerably from the actual layout. Places where I remember kicking a football or tossing a baseball seem to be occupied by dormitories or class rooms. There were, of course, a number of familiar old landmarks, but one thing is certain - thirty years is too long between visits.
If at all possible I shall be back for our reunion in June. Hope to see you at that time.
Although we strain Editor Widmayer's patience and space limitations, some of our letters are certainly worth a quote because of their style. Pete Potter's trip should be on the record for that reason:
What's another year, more or less, at our age? I note from your address that you have moved to Boston and I hope you find it to your liking. As I recall, I got married there about 30 years ago. I still think that in many ways it's a nicer place than New York; but my job is here, and so long as that holds true I'm apt to stay here.
I'm still engineering at Bell Telephone Labs in New York City. Varied the routine a little bit this spring by taking a twelve-week trip to Europe with my wife, just for the fun of it. Went first to Paris, where we met my wife's brother (Prof. Royal C. Nemiah, honorary classmate) who had been traveing in Spain and Portugal. After about a week in Paris, we three ad libbed our way through Provence and the Riviera into Italy (Portofino, Naples, Perugia, Florence), thence a week at Innsbruck, another at Meersburg, on the shore of Lake Constance, and another at Berncastel on the Moselle. There our party split, since my brother-in-law's sabbatical allowed him more time to remain in Europe. My wife and I continued with a short visit to Copenhagen and vicinity, and after all too few days m London and a day with friends near Southampton, we piled onto the Queen Elizabeth and headed home. We were dogged by wretched weather - cold and rain - throughout the entire trip: but it was a grand trip, anyway. What a pity that wine can't be as inexpensive in this country as it is over there! Didn't spend all of my money, either; but leaves of absence are not too easily come by, so this next year will probably see us vacationing in camp in Maine as usual.
Last month Jack Childs '09 reported in this column on Frank Van Eiszner buying out his favorite Pontiac agency in Kent, Ohio. Frank sent us a Christmas card with a note confirming this venture, "Bought this Pontiac dealership back in September and am really slaving! Expect to move the family down here to Kent the first part of January and become a native." Remember that the agency is now Van Pontiac, Inc. in case you want to make a good trade-in with Frank.
Hoyt Hilton for some reason quotes Lewis Carroll "You are old, Father William, etc.," and says that he looks forward to seeing all of his friends in Hanover in June. Hoyt appears to be one of the stars always in the Dartmouth Wisconsin Golf Outing where he teams up with his brother Edward ('34) Chicago.
Speaking of golf, at the last 1926 Thursday luncheon club meeting in Boston, Joe Batchelder was on hand and spent the session describing the official opening of Carle Blunt's Country Club of Florida at Delray Beach. Joe was one of the golfing celebrities who was present along with Nate Parker who came up from Hollywood Beach where he was attending the annual meeting of the Investment Bankers Association. It would take a column in itself to relate Joe's fabulous story of the course and the event.
Nate Parker seems to be getting around the country lately for Carl Allen recently sent in a picture taken with him, Del Worthington and Jim Oberlander in Chicago. The visit happened to fall close to the 31st anniversary of the Dartmouth-University of Chicago game which climaxed that unbeaten season for the National Championship of 1925. Jim Oberlander and Capt. Parker finished their, great playing careers in a spectacular manner in this game. Del Worthington was, of course, the manager of the team and his fine arrangements undoubtedly made the championship possible. Carl Allen also qualified at the reunion luncheon; he performed as the water boy at this climax game.
You will recall from Paul Venneman's class notes that he writes in a most interesting style. He has written lately to bemoan his inability to attend the last few August reunions, for which he previously had a perfect record. He promises to be on hand for the 30th and makes the following appropriate comment. "Am also delighted to learn that Harry Fisher has accepted the job of reunion chairman for the 30th. Harry was the hardest working member of my committee for both the 20th and 25th and I know he will do a grand job in 1957. Harry and Mary make a grand team and are eminently fitted for the undertaking." It will be good to see you again, Paul!
Although we haven't heard from Bill Willard in awhile, there have been three other recent dispatches from our delegates in the National Capital. "Bo" Vermillion of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company writes he is kept so busy filling demands for telephones that he has no time to report on anything else. John Hammond seems to have set up shop for his letterhead reads "John Hammond — A.I.A. — Architect — 3304 O Street, N.W., Washington, D. C. — Christiansted — St. Croix — Virgin Islands." And then Bob McConnaughey, noted capital lawyer, writes, "Thanks a lot for your thoughtful note to mark the passage of another year. They continue to be strenuous and full of activity and go by pretty fast nowadays. I still find the aggregate somewhat startling."
It must be getting springlike now in Washington from my remembrance of this time of year there.
Along with grass and the song of the thrush Slush! So long for March.
Secretary, 336 South Station, Boston 10, Mass
Treasurer, Kennedy's, 30 Summer St., Boston 10, Mass.
Bequest Chairman,
