1951

The formation of the Kennedy administration is beginning to shake down a bit now, and so it seems a good time to take a look at '51 faces on the New Frontier here in Washington. And it's by coincidence that, as we turn to that subject, this seems to be more or less Berl Bernhard Week in Washington.

You may recall that Berl has been deputy staff director for the government's Commission on Civil Rights under the Republicans, and was appointed acting staff director by Eisenhower when the post fell open during the waning days of the last administration. Though a Democrat, Berl expected to depart along with the rest of the Eisenhower appointees, and was looking forward to the serenity of private law practice after the stormy controversies of civil rights hearings in the hostile atmosphere of places like Louisiana.

But it seems that his abilities were well known to some of the young turks in the Kennedy crowd, and so just the other day Commission Chairman John Hannah emerged from a conference with the President to announce that Kennedy will soon send Berl's name to the Senate for confirmation in the same post. As staff director, he is the top administrative officer of the commission (subordinate only to the five commissioners themselves), and will draw a salary comparable to that of a congressman.

Simultaneous with the news of his appointment comes word that B'rer Bernhard has been named one of the top ten young men in the government by the Washington Junior Chamber of Commerce, an award that does not sit well at all with certain southerners who would have preferred to see our friend go down the drain and who had tried to influence the presidential advisers to launch him in that direction instead of keeping him in a key job. Those fellows may have their inning yet, though, for on the road to confirmation Berl faces what may turn out to be an unpleasant grilling before a Senate committee.

Over at NASA (you know, the space outfit), Dick Barnes has just come aboard in the International Programs office, and deals largely in U. S. efforts to cooperate with and aid other nations in space development. Sounds like an interesting job, even if he does have to lug around the formidable title of "Joint Projects Officer." Dick and Helena left Washington for New York only a year ago, when he left the Atomic Energy Commission to become managing editor of the monthly published by the Atomic Industrial Forum. It's nice to have them back at their same house in Garrett Park and to hear that young Elizabeth will be having a brother or sister one of these months.

Well-deserved congratulations are in order for Mike Monroney, the new executive assistant to Postmaster General J. Edward Day. For the past two years Mike has been administrative assistant to Congressman John Brademas, Democrat, of Indiana. But his political career goes back even further. One might almost say that it is a family tradition. Mike has assisted his father, U. S. Senator Mike Monroney of Oklahoma, in four campaigns for Congress and two for the Senate. In 1956 he was on the campaign staff of Ad- lai Stevenson. President Kennedy announced Mike's appointment in January.

Rounding out the - picture from the '51 standpoint, Bob Kreidler remains in the office of the science advisor to the President, so the class would seem rather well represented at the seat of power.

So much for Washington, but before getting away from politics we must report that in the face of the returns of last November, Bob Bowler appears to be one of those fellows who can't stand it any longer. Moved to do something about it, Bob takes office March 2 as president of the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff (Illinois) Young Republican Club, and observes "my correspondence with you may become a little thin after that date."

But before dropping from sight into those smoke-filled rooms. Bob did manage to write a good report of the Chicago area '51 party at the Dave Hiltons' during the holidays. Seems that good attendance made it a roaring success - those present (with wives or dates) being: Russ Gardner, Don Binks, Ted Davidson, Dave King, Ned Hoeppner, Pierce Mc-Kee, Bob Hopkins and Dave Sexton, as well as the Hiltons and Bowlers.

Politician Bowler also passes along the news that his travels for the MacLean-Fogg Nut Co. will henceforth be taking him to the West Coast about four times a year (he hopes to see some of you fellows living out that way), as well as some intelligence on other members of the Chicago crew.

For instance, Jim Bovaird is back in the area, having left Armstrong Cork for Merrill Lynch last summer and moving over from New York soon afterward....Herb Knight is also back from Little Rock, and has left Standard Railway to become a management consultant.... Pierce and Rosina McKee are still in Atlanta, but made the trip back for a Christmas visit.

From Rhode Island comes the news that Duke Winsor has resigned as rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Portsmouth after serving there since 1958, to do a hitch as an Air Force Chaplain with the rank of First Lieutenant. He's now being indoctrinated at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, but soon the Winsor family (including Susan, seven, Frank, four, Elizabeth, two, and Gregory, three months) will be moving to Bangor, Me., where Duke will be on duty at Dow Air Force Base.

Some months ago it was reported here that the Navy had salted Dick Ellis (the one from Mass.) away in Kodiak, Alaska, which all goes to prove that there's many a slip between cup and lip, and particularly in the Navy. He writes. "A slight detour in the course of events and Barby, the two girls, and I are living in Surrey, England, while I commute to London's 'Little America' in Grosvenor Square each day." It seems that as Dick was about to depart for Alaska he got one of those telephone calls from Washington, and the next thing you know the whole family was off for England. Some switch! Dick suggests that passing classmates who get to London and fancy a pint of bitter give him a call at Mayfair 9222, Ext. 85.

Back to politics for a moment, understand that up in Walpole, Mass., Don Cox has been mounting a rather aggressive campaign for a seat on the local school committee - though we have yet to hear the election results. Don is currently New England district manager of the electronics division of the Farington Manufacturing Co., and has already been extremely active in PTA work and on a committee to handle school transportation problems.

And from tidbits falling over the transom we learn that. . . the Rog Johnsons had a daughter, Eleanor Hall, last May — Rog is in Atlanta, still teaching at Georgia Tech.... Art Baldensperger is manager of Sylvania's sales management development program in Batavia, N. Y. ... Ed Tolley is practicing law on Wall Street and living in Port Washington, N. Y....Dick Pugh has left his New York law firm to teach at Columbia Law School.

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