1932

Dr. John Sloan Dickey, President of the College (do they call him "Prexy"?) addressed a large group of Washington area alumni, including Jack McRae, Don MacPhail and Jack Pyles, at a luncheon on April 20 at the Mayflower Hotel. I made no notes but recall his talk as a good credo for Dartmouth as an institution for "liberalized" education. He admitted to a rather contrived alliterative topical outline which I will report in oversimplified fashion: Competence in subject matter; conscience; concern or awareness for other subject areas; and (get this) capacity for commitment. I would be presumptuous to expound further, but I believe that the last item was described in broad terms of involvement and activism in the affairs of today.

I liked what I heard, although the concepts, as expressed, need further sharpening. They have been expressed before but I've not heard them before in this context.

This imprecise account leads me to reporting on my latest words from Ping Ferry. I believe that one of my columns was in the pipeline and not published when Ping continued to chide me as follows: "Haven't you read my early notes? All I have to say of interest to 1932 is contained therein. My 'philosophy' is no secret. But that of my classmates is. I hope that you provoke them something more than the usual dull paras, about grandchildren and sailboats. What are they thinking about? How does the world look? What are they reading? (But aren't we warned that these are just the topics verboten in the Class News?)"

Go back to last month's column, if you have it and care a damn. You'll find my opinion. Meanwhile - react, especially if you have a capacity for commitment.

Art Allen expected to miss the class officers' meeting because he had to be in Stockholm on May 13-14. (Smalling world creates intriguing conflicts in demands on time. Possibility: Q - "I missed you at PTA last week." A— "I meant to go, but had to preside at a brotherhood meeting in Broken Hill, Rhodesia.") Art continues: "Had the meeting been the usual first weekend in May I'd have been there.... Investment business keeps me busy. Have bought a little land in Hanover with the idea of building a home there in four or five years. Son john '56, now a Lt. Cdr. in the Navy, has just received orders to nuclear sub Triton as her executive officer. Daughter Deb in England with husband who has a 15month research grant from U.S. Dept. of Education. Daughter Cindy now a junior at Northwestern."

Ben Drew, reminiscent of our common classes in French, opens with: "Mon ami, je suis très hereux de vous ecriver au sujet de mois-meme et de ma famille." He goes on: "I continue to revel in having 500 acres in So. Vershire, Vt., 25 min. from Hanover - get there often - starting model orchard for retirement, horticultural and experimental interest - of 3,000 trees. Hope for early retirement in exciting modern home - within 5 years. #4 child graduating from Conn. Col. for Women, #5 at U. of Colo. Just back from 2 weeks in Aspen, Colo., with family." Fine, Ben. I suggest that an increase in the numbers of "brothers in the city" will tend to lessen the rooming load even on the enlarging capacity of the Hanover Inn and associates.

As part of our capacity for commitment, we might consider Mike Cardozo's letter, which merits - nay, demands — an audience greater than that of the '32 Newsletter. I admit to having missed Joe Fanelli's letter in The Washington Post, or I should have reported on it earlier. Mike, in his letter, ably summarizes and takes a strong position on the situation: "Charley Boak's letter in the latest class newsletter, commenting on Joe Fanelli's letter to the editor (of The Washington Post) on the Hoffa Case, finally gets me to writing the letter I have been planning for many months. When two members of our class were named to the National Humanities Council, I wanted to write another paean on the great men our class can claim. College presidents, eminent scientists, writers, educators, judges, and conspicuously good citizens: how many classes have as many? At another time I wanted to answer some of Ping Ferry's comments on Vietnam. I always think Ping's observations are worthy of note, but in connection with Vietnam I would have asked what conclusion he would draw from the fact that, almost unanimously, members of our armed forces out there come back with the conviction that we must continue to help the South Vietnamese resist domination from the North. My son just returned with the same message.

"But now it seems more important to answer Charley Boak's questions about Joe Fanelli's representation of Hoffa in the Supreme Court proceedings. Charley says that he would be 'more indignant about the Post editorial if I were dead sure that Hoffa was innocent. Is Joe sure?' The answer is that we can never be sure whether a person is guilty or innocent unless he gets a fair trial, and Joe is arguing that Hoffa could not get a fair trial if the prosecuting agencies really did what had been alleged in this case.

"Charley Boak also says, Is the question of guilt or innocence 'important or relevant'? Of course the answer is 'no.' While the guarantees of a fair trial and other constitutional protections are most important for the innocent, like me, the great landmark decisions by the courts are likely to arise out of the treatment given somewhat sad specimens of humanity, frequently people who probably actually committed the crime charged. This does not make the Gideon, Durham, and Mallory cases any less im- portant, nor does it reflect any less credit on the lawyers who presented the arguments. It may be the highest recognition of a lawyer's professional responsibility to help a conspicuously unpopular client to obtain a fair trial."

Bob Harrison sent me a kindly-worded card that I will record, but I believe he must and will have more to say next time: "I like what you're doing and would like to help you out, but there is little or no 'class news' as far as our family is concerned. Name of wife, number of children, type of job doing - these are not of much interest to the class at large, so I shan't even catalogue them. Opinions held? Ferry seems to have enough of these for the whole class, and it might be better if most of them were kept 'under wraps.' Again I say I am sorry, but good luck to you with the rest of our class."

Bill Bowman gets current from Lewistown, Pa., where he has been in the family retail furniture store since college. Bill Jr. (Lehigh) is associated with him. His son Dave (Lt. U.S.N.R. Medical Corps) is taking his residency at U. of Pittsburgh. Daughter, Mary Jane, is at the National Cathedral School in Washington.

John Weston reports from Fryeburg, Me., that he is on the Harness Racing Commission and that his son is to be married in June.

Max Wolff says succinctly (and with a degree of activism): "More bald, more gray, more bored from 9 to 5, happier from 5 to 9 - but then, who isn't? [Speak for yourself, Max - I'm not - J.C.] Active American Civil Liberties Union, Democratic Town Comm., Amateur Radio (W2AJM), United Nations Ass'n; wife Gladys and I to Italy again in July. . .

Al Gerould reports from Philadelphia that he is "librarian of the central building of the public library in Philadelphia." He is also local chairman for the Sierra Club. Al is leading a trip for them down the Allagash next August. His oldest daughter is a sophomore at Philadelphia College of Art, Rosey goes to Reed in the fall. The twins, Steve and Sarah, attend Cardigan Mountain School and Germantown Friends, respectively.

In what Art Mayes describes as his "first letter on '32 news, there is considerable news. After a hitch in the Air Corps in W.W. II, Art and his wife Margaret, returned to Montclair, N. J., where they still reside. Daughter Peggy, graduated from Wells, Class of '65, and is a Systems Engineer with IBM. Art says, "My life has been a full and rewarding one culminating in my election to the presidency of American Foreign Insurance Association in December of 1962." The business of the company is underwriting of insurance outside The United States and Canada. With over 200 branch offices in 80 countries of the Free World, traveling takes up at least four months each year. He has just returned From Australia, New Zealand, Djakarta, Saigon, Singapore! Manila, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Hawaii. Mrs. Mayes is able to make all the trips with him. Later this year, they will so to South Africa, Beirut, Istanbul, and home through Europe.

Tom Lott writes from Detroit that he and his wife Jane have just returned from a three-week tour of the Caribbean. Their only child graduated from Dartmouth in '64 as a chemistry major, now has a teaching fellowship at U. of Michigan while he works on his doctorate.

Tom reports that his law office, Watson, Lott, and Wunsch, was 15 years old last October 15, and continues to grow from day to day. It is a general practice including the rather unusual phase of the law known as "admiralty."

Whip Walser writes that he and Adeline were in New Zealand in 1963 traveling from Auckland in the North Island overland to Wellington and then visiting several cities in the South Island. Whip attended the Dartmouth-Cornell game in Hanover last fall. He sat next to the Bill Allyns and saw Butch Modarelli, Bill Morton and Jay Whitehair. Whip went up with his son Conrad, who is a Junior at Hartwick College, Oneonta, N.Y. and met son Eric '68 for the Same- |

He and Adeline plan to attend the Alumni College in Hanover in August and look forward to a reunion with other '32's who may be going to Hanover then.

Fritz Browning reported in April that he had just returned from a week at Wellfleet and Truro, Mass., endeavoring to set up a medical center. He is leaving Cleveland after 27 years, to help bring necessary medical care to the Outer Cape. This presents many challenges but he hopes to overcome them; the rewards will be obtaining the objective. The dedication of the new center is June 26. Everyone is invited.

Carlos Baker writes that since they returned from London, Nov. 19, his life has been supersaturated with Hemingway, on whose biography he is now working. Some 500-odd pages into the first draft, trying to get it all said before cutting. They have two grandchildren, Michael and Catherine "Carter, two fine sons-in-law and daughters. Son Brian is a sophomore at Rollins College, Winter Park, Fla.

Sid Alexander writes from Clearwater, Fla., that he and his wife live a quiet, uneventful life and hopes to retire soon to devote some much-needed effort on his golf game, bridge-playing, and violin-playing. He is agency manager for Aetna Casualty and Surety Company, with whom he has been associated since 1939.

John Sheldon reports that he has seen many classmates in recent months. BobAckerberg is their company attorney. John was in Winter Park, Fla., visiting his mother, and while there, Joe Robinson and his wife had a dinner party for Midge and John. He had dinner a few weeks ago with the Steve Harwoods at the Hunter Hicks '33. Steve is in the RR Supply business with Poor and Co., and had just returned from Australia, visiting one of the Poor Companies, of which he is chairman of the board. John also had dinner recently with John and Evie Wright, and Dave and AdieKirby.

Ben Cowden reports from Honolulu that he is the management assistant for the Naval Air Station, at Barber's Point. He does a little surfing with sons John, age 15, and Charles, age 13, who virtually live on surfboards. He sees Roger Benezet frequently. Ben also read in the local paper about Reuel Denny, who is prominent at the U. of Hawaii. The Cowden's expect to visit in Washington this summer.

Newell Kurson reports that he has gradually been divesting his theatre interests and become active in developing commercial real estate properties. His older, Jane, graduated from Wheaton last June, and now is working in London. The younger, Nancy, is a sophomore at Wheaton.

Newell spends his leisure time dubbing around the golf course and recently was elected president of the Belmont Country Club. He and Elly left in mid-April for Europe and plan to visit England, Holland, and France.

Bob Black reports from the U.S. Consulate in Halifax, Nova Scotia: "This is my second year as Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Halifax, for Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Harrison Dunning '30, president of Scott Paper, was here recently to speak at Board of Trade dinner. His company is building a $5O million pulp mill in Nova Scotia. But no one from '32."

More seriously, the thread of thinking comes through in a pragmatic way, albeit in seemingly trite reporting. I suggest that the capacity of commitment extends to the actions of offspring you have reared.

This is the last column for the current season. Perhaps not enough was done to encourage more demonstration of the thinking that does go on. I appreciated your response with the cards. Have a good summer.

(l to r) Marty and Maralyn Kerwin '33,Bill Chapman '35, and Pete Grace '33at the annual St. Louis Alumni Club fete.

Secretary, 3154 Kenney Dr. Falls Church, Ya. 22042

Class Agent, Route 3, Box 3331, Issoquah, Wash.