1931
Oops! Read the following complaint from Bob Baumrucker: "I am already embarrassed by an excess of recent exposure in your good column, but I feel I should refute your February claim that I am taking a 'wife' to Johannesburg next September. Once I get there, my friend and his wife have volunteered a five-to-seven thousand mile escorted tour and, while I intend to pick up as many tabs as possible en route, I wondered if some other single '31er might like to join us. I might add that Larry Allen bewildered the hell out of my Eastern relatives by checking out this 'wife' lead - and me, too, until I saw the item in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE yesterday afternoon!" Well, all I can say, Bob, is "Sorry about that!"
I'm still waiting for another pound of that damn Worcester cheese from Ed Hutchinson, but he's probably so busy now master-minding preparations for the Petersham (Mass.) forthcoming town meeting that he doesn't have much time for his business. I know how it is, for I was a selectman myself, once upon a time.
The papers are full of Red Rolfe's retirement, so I will not duplicate the verbiage here, except to say that Red has been laid up in the hospital with a something-or-other that prompted surgery. While recuperating he was interviewed by a Boston radio station, which broadcast I chanced to overhear. He talked about his great days with the then great New York Yankees.
Received a great letter from Bedell Moore, on the engraved letterhead of an investment house in San Antonio, Texas—Funk, Hobbs, Hart & White, to be exact. He says: "I do hear from Linz and Zinn once in a while, but it's only through the Class Newsletter and the ALUMNI MAGAZINE that I learn what is going on.
"1966 was about average as to activity what with a daughter in high school and two grandsons to entertain once or twice a week. We were home until late August when my married daughter and her husband came down from Washington, D. C., for ten days. We all drove to Monterey, Mexico, for a week of sight-seeing and tequila sours. I spent several weekends in October shooting dove and quail. Christmas vacation was spent on a three weeks' cruise to the Caribbean. The first week of February we went to Colorado for a week of skiing. In a couple of weeks 'we are going to Taos, N. Mex., for a couple of weeks.
"So far as business is concerned, the investment business keeps me as busy as I will let it. If I can just keep my health for a few more years I may be able to relax and enjoy the fruits of my labor."
Bedell, you sound so relaxed now, that when retirement comes the change will be so imperceptible you won't know it happened!
Shep Wolff reports that Charley Briggs paid his Class dues twice, and that Shep returned his second check. A couple of other '3lers have done the same thing. Shep says, "Wouldn't it be great if some of the rest of us could and would get up the class dues payment more eagerly and promptly, and send a little note along with it Actually, the notes that Shep gets along with, the checks are the biggest source of distributive news we have. Without them, your scribe would have to depend on the Bostonians who always seem to be around. We need more correspondents like Bob Baumrucker and Bedell.
A note from Johnny Benson informs me that Gladys and he have moved to 190 Edgewater Drive, Needham —"a cozier nest now that our kids are married." John and Gladys spent a couple of those wintery February weeks in the Virgin Islands, which was a neat bit of timing, for Boston has been in the deep freeze continually since February 1. I quote Johnny further: "A classmate came to my rescue a couple of weeks ago. Joe Clough was recommended to me in connection with a stubborn infected eyelid, and he calmy relieved my pain and exasperation with an after-hours' operation in his office. I was certainly in the hands of an expert, and will always be grateful to him for that service."
Jim Swift is rolling up his sleeves and getting ready to roll. His first memo on the Fund Drive says "Dave Borkum and JohnCogswell, who did such a great job as coordinators on the East Coast last year, both agree that we should try to hold on to our winning combination in so far as we can. Bill Farley is going to be coordinator for the West Coast and Fred Slaughter will help me with the other areas.
"As you might have expected our quota for 1967 was boosted to a total of $54,310. Consider this not only a challenge to meet, but also a compliment to the Class. To encourage you I can already report that our early pledges and gifts are ahead of last year. And eight of these are increases. Remember, too, that with a little extra effort we can go over the 400 mark in the number of contributors."
Jim knows that we will be solidly behind him. My only comment is-the sooner the better. The sooner, the less work for Jim.
President Johnson presenting Congressman Tom Curtis '32 with the pen used to signthe Beirut Agreement facilitating the international exchange of films and othereducational materials. Curtis in turn has given the pen to Dartmouth's Office ofInstructional Services, where it will be on permanent display.
Secretary, 23 Coughlin Rd. North Easton, Mass. 02356
Class Agent, Apt. 2800, 777 N. Michigan Ave Chicago, Ill. 60611
