Fifteenth Reunion of 1926
"Dartmouth there is no music for our singing,No words to bear the burden of our praiseYet how can we be silent and rememberThe splendor and the fullness of herdays?"
FOR THOSE OF us privileged to return to OUr 15th there will be no dimming of memories of three happy days spent together on the Hanover Plain. Fortunate indeed is the human faculty of being able to pick up where we left off five, ten or fifteen years ago. Familiar faces, warm greetings—and life went on as before.
Except that instead of being scattered around the campus we were all together in Middle and South Fayerweather except that waistlines were a trifle more rugged, hair slightly thinner and somewhat grey .... except for the presence of many charming and attractive wives, one might have imagined that the class of 1926 was back again in college, living once more in the familiar halls of Dartmouth.
It was by all odds our most successful reunion, both by the weight of numbers and on the score of the complete enjoyment of all concerned. One hundred and thirteen men and seventy-eight wives jam-packed the two Fayerweathers and thronged the tent conveniently near by. To Chairman Bob Salinger, and his committee of Don Norstrand, Nick Nichols and Carl Schipper go our hearty thanks for their immense energy, careful attention to countless details and unfailing solicitude in our behalf. Our appreciation also to the Hanover contingent of Red Merrill, Dan Drury, Sid Hayward, Hugh Morrison, and Paul Allen who handled the program from their end.
By noontime Friday the dorms were well filled and the tent teeming with activity that never ceased until the wee small hours of Sunday night. That first afternoon was occupied with excursions to points on the campus of particular interest to the throng. "There's the old dorm, Mary, and it was right there in the corner room that Joe and Charlie and I lived together junior year."
The dinner dance at the Outing Club House on Occom Pond Friday evening proved to be no small occasion. Not only were all one hundred and eighty-nine '26ers there but numerous visitors, including two '21ers who inadvertently attempted a station-wagon tour of the golf course. Music was supplied by Bob Carr, Jack Roberts and others of our own old Barbary Coast stalwarts, and by Jack Kaiser, the strolling minstrel and accordionist extraordinary obtained for the week-end by Bob Salinger.
Following our own party many moved on to the Inn where the Hanover Holiday farewell dance was held. Others returned to the tent and carried on the pleasant task of refreshing old memories and associations. "Daisy Chain" Chaffin and our whispering baritone, Perk St. Clair, provided some novel and momentous suggestions as to future reunions, all of which have been referred to our "Beat Smith or Die Department." Brother St. Clair will be glad to answer all queries on the subject.
Saturday, being another fine, clear (and hot) day, opened with a spine-tingling ball game with 1921 in which Captain Tubber Weymouth led our heroes to a glorious victory. It is said by some doubting skeptics that as a contest of skill and daring the game did not measure up to World Series standards, but nevertheless the 1921 scalp hangs triumphantly in our tent for another five years.
The class picture, general milling about in the tent, plain and fancy singing led by Ritchie Smith, visiting about the town and other reunion tents, occupied the remainder of Saturday morning.
At one the class moved en masse to the reception and barbecue luncheon given by President and Mrs. Hopkins on their lovely lawn and gardens adjoining Tuck Drive. As always, we are grateful for the opportunity of being with them and appreciative of their gracious and unfailing hospitality. It is my pleasant duty to report to those of the class who were unable to attend reunion that both Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins appear in the best of health and that the President's arduous work in Washington seems to agree with him.
The remainder of the day was occupied by the class picture (copies may be had from Paul Allen at nominal cost) visiting in the dorms and tent, and roaming around town and the other reunion tents. It being a hot day—yes, Hanover can be just as hot as other spots—many took to their bathing suits and moved out to Palaeopitus Pool, a natural rock swimming hole on the Pompanoosuc River which for some reason was undiscovered during undergraduate days.
The class dinner took place Saturday evening in Thayer Hall—the new and attractive College eating hall which in contrast recalled vivid memories of Freshman Commons and the pats of butter spotted on the ceiling. I wish that every man of 1926 could have attended the Dinner. It was gay but it was charged with a seriousness that stemmed from a general realization that the world is changing rapidly and that one is in a thoughtful mood in being back again with one's fellows in friendly Dartmouth.
As our dinner speakers Professors Nemiah and McCallum sat with Toastmaster Red Merrill, and Bob Salinger, A1 Louer and others active in the affairs of the class. Both of our principal guests were known well to us when we were undergraduates. Both continue to have many warm friends in the class of 1926. Their words of greeting and their remarks of more serious nature were universally enjoyed. We were glad to have them with us and would wish that we could enjoy more hours with them and other members of the faculty.
The high spot of the evening was a visit from Mr. Hopkins and his words to the class. As always he spoke with stimulating vigor, this time on the essential part played by the alumni in the welfare of the College. It's always pleasant to be told of our important position in the Dartmouth fabric and particularly so to hear it from Mr. Hopkins.
CLASS MEETING
At the class meeting after the dinner program the new officers and members of the executive committee were elected to take over for the coming half decade. Resolutions of appreciation were addressed to Charlie Bishop and Clarence McDavitt for their unceasing efforts and hours of hard work in behalf of the class. Bob Salinger and his committee were thanked again and in formal fashion for making possible our most successful reunion. And A1 Louer again received the appreciative recognition he so well deserves for his untiring labor and devotion to the Alumni Fund—the prime cause for the tremendous record achieved by 1926 over the past few years.
It was with sadness in our hearts that we recorded the loss of four members of the class during the past five years: Donald French Bennett, Edward Joseph Duffy, Ralph d'Entremont Holman, Albert Linscott Manning. Our sympathy and an expression of our sense of loss has been conveyed to their families.
The class was enriched by the acceptance by Prof. Royal Nemiah of honorary membership in the class. He will be welcomed by all of us.
Hal Marshall as chairman of the nominating committee presented to the meeting the slate of officers for the ensuing five years. Being duly approved with no more opposition than could be conveniently stifled, the class henceforth can look to the following gentlemen for proper discharge of its affairs:
Treasurer, Robert D. Salinger—United Shoe Machinery Corp., 140 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Secretary-Chairman—Robert E. Cleary, Holsapple & Co., go Pine Street, New York City.
Members of the Executive Committee (now comprising fifteen rather than nine members): Clarence G. McDavitt, Winchester, Mass.; Walter M. Rankin, Andover, Mass.; H. Donald Norstr and, Boston, Mass.; Charles S. Bishop, Short Hills, N. J.; Robert M. Stopford, Bronxille, N. Y.; Douglas N. Everett, Concord, N. H.; Hugh S. Morrison, Hanover, N. H.; Clark Weymouth, Rochester, N. Y.; Hubert A. DesMarais, Palo Alto, Calif.; Carleton Blunt, Winnetka, I11.; Albert E. M. Louer, Chicago, I11.; John P. Heavenrich, Detroit, Mich.; Kenneth W. Weeks, Hartford, Conn.
While the class dinner was in progress in Thayer Hall, the girls adjourned to the Outing Club House on Occom Pond for dinner. Part of the group attended the Players "Our Town" in which our Sally Drury played the lead. Others played bridge.
With the resumption of activities in the tent the fun went on throughout the evening, interspersed with several showings of our class movies in nearly Dartmouth Hall. The boys looked much the same then as now, but lo the plus four knickers, the gaudy golf sox and the changing styles of the gentle sex! Carnival girls may come and go but their clothes are (fortunately) not the same now as they were in the the good old days.
The final event of a long and richly satisfying Saturday came in the form of the complete collapse of the tent. It is said, and not without reason, that sabotage was committed, that the perpetrators of the ugly deed are known to us and that swift and complete justice will be done in due course.
Once again the luck of the Green held and Sunday was another clear, warm day. The Inn did tremendous traffic in leisurely breakfasts on the lawn. The attractive and distinctive jackets provided by Don Norstrand (each with name on the breast pocket) predominated in a gay but somewhat weary group.
We were gladdened by a visit during the morning from Jim and Madeline Oberlander. Medical work kept Jim in Montpelier through Saturday night but they were able to get away Sunday morning.
Circumstances likewise required Paul Ide, Frank Van Eiszner and Ralph Jones to make brief visits and Walt Armstrong sent these greetings:
ENTIRE NEVADA MEMBERSHIP DARTMOUTHS MOST FAMOUS CLASS ASSEMBLED IN TELEPHONE BOOTH HERE TONIGHT MAKING WALLS REVERBERATE WITH WHOOWAHS FOR DARTMOUTH FOR PREXY AND FOR 1946.
As we returned to the dorms, signal service was contributed by Les Talbot in providing what was known, and long will be remembered, as Molotov Bread Baskets.
The class outing at Moose Mountain Lodge was quieted by the realization that a glorious week-end was fast approaching an end. We enjoyed an excellent barbecue and a superlative view of the mountains for which this feeble pen is incapable of description.
The fact that reunion was held the weekend after rather than concurrently with Commencement originally raised some question as to whether it would suffer in comparison with our earlier reunions. Certainly the consensus of opinion favored the change and most people seemed to enjoy the notable quiet and leisure that pervaded Hanover. Excitement and color were not lacking for three other classes were also reuning, plus the annual meeting of the class secretaries, treasurers and fund agents
Some of us were fortunate in being able to attend Hanover Holiday and hence enjoy a full week together. The lectures were uniformly interesting and well attended. An old fashioned class hum spontaneously developed on the steps of Dartmouth after one of the evening lectures and judging from the applause coming from all quarters of the campus, the class of 1926 is still capable of close harmony. In the appended list of those of us who enjoyed our Fifteenth Reunion together, the fortunate few who also attended the Holiday are indicated by an asterisk. We missed the men and wives who could not be back; we thought of them and on all sides the comment arose, "Gosh, if old Joe only could be here."
Those who answered "Present" to the roll call:
Charlie & Lois Abbott, Carl Allen, Pat & Nelita Allen, Paul Allen, Chris & Ann Bailey, Royal Baker Bud & Marian Banfield, Joe & Peggy Batchelder, *Jud & Marian Bellaire, Jack and Lydia Bickford, Charlie & Edith Bishop, Whit & Freda Blair, Bill Blanchard, Carle Blunt, Monk & Kay Bourne, Courtney Brown, George & Isabel Buck, Dick Burlingame.
Jack Cannon, Pren & Ruth Carnell, Bob & Ruby Carr, Ed Chaffin, Bon Church, *Bob & Pense Cleary, Russ & Dorothy Clark, Randy & Ruth Cox, Herb & Bertha Darling, *King & Irene Dickason, Ed & Harnette Dooley, Danny & Sally Drury, Bruce & Kay Eaken, *Henri Esquerre, Doug & Helen Everett, Tom & Rena Farwell, Warren Fellingham, Harry & Mary Fisher, Os & Dot Fitts, Tom Floyd-Jones, Wes and Dody Ford.
Tony & Thelma Gleason, Stormy Hartley, Hub & Det Harwood, Sid & Barbara Hayward, Frank Healy, *Tom & Pearl Herlihy, and Tommie III., Bill Hughes, Fred & Hope Hurd, Ted & Fritzie Infield, Happy & Pat Johnston, Larry & Jean Kennison, Granny Knight, A1 & Ellen Louer, Charlie & Lillian Macdonald, Don Mackay, Dick Mandel, Dick Mann, Hal & Marian Marshall, Mac & Billie McDavitt, Charlie & Helen McKenna, Red & Emmy Merrill, Hank & Kay Merry, Cupe Minuse, Steve & Dot Mitchell, *Mac & Ruth Moderwell, Hugh & Betty Morrison, Tom & Grace Murdough.
Russ & Louise Newcomb, Dick & Ruth Nichols, Nick Nickerson, *Don & Dot Norstrand, Bob and Clythe Patten, Fink Poor, Walt & Billie Rankin, Bob Kiotte, Jack & Dot Roberts, Gib Robinson, Mack & Lois Ryder, Perk St. Clair, (Jean St. Clair is comingnext time), Dick Sagendorph, *Bob & Dot Salinger, LJoyd Sanford, Carl Schipper, George Scott, Ed & Betty Simmons, *Ritchie & Betty Smith, Bob & Ann Stopford.
Les & Dotty Talbot, Reg & Caroline Thompson. *Warner & Helena Thompson, Sun Tilton, Tommy & Myrt Tomlinson, *Jim & Betty Traquair, George & Gladys Tully, Van and Dotty Van Duyn, *Paul & Grace Venneman, Brant & Thelma Wallace, Jack & Andy "Watson, Ken & Helen Weeks, *Tubber & Mary Weymouth, *Hank & Grace Whitmore, Art Wilcox, Bill & Florence Willard, Bleek & Marion Williams, Art & Esther Wollenhaupt, Jim & Anne Wooster, Doc Wright, and John Lawrence, ex '28 ! * Also attended Hanover Holiday.
" Who can forget her sharp and misty mornings,The clanging bells, the crunch of feet onsnow,Her sparkling noons, the crowding intoCommons,The long white afternoons, the twilightglow?See! by the light of many thousand sunsets,Dartmouth undying, like a vision starts.Dartmouth, the gleaming, dreaming wallsof Dartmouth,Miraculously builded in our hearts!
After the meeting we all adjourned to the Inn where we had a buffet luncheon, served as only the Inn can serve it. Outdoors, under the shade of two of Hanover's lovely elms, it was cool and comfortable, and it sure was good to sit down. The general trek for home began shortly after the luncheon, although many of the fellows and their wives decided that it had been so pleasant they were going to stay over an extra day. I only wish I could have joined them myself.
HIGHLIGHTS OF REUNION
Baseball game—sure the game was played. I don't know who won, but Greig says we did and he was the pitcher.
Saturday night—Frank Pope in his best summer formal, standing in the middle of the '31 Tent looking like a fashion plate, holding a foaming beer can and watching while a few of the boys passed his wife over their heads into the window of one of the rooms. You should have seen the green stockings she had on! What loyalty!
Bob Fredericks, after eighteen holes of golf, buying himself a quart of milk and going to bed to catch a four-hour nap before doing some plain and fancy snaking at the Inn dance that night. Rumor has it that Fredericks never did get to the dance.
Five o'clock Sunday morning Schuldenfrei going up the stairs at a 45 degree angle, soaking wet, bumping into Schneider and saying, "I'm through. I'm not going to police this place any more."
Jack Warwick's perpetual request, "Le's sing 'Som'uns in the kishen wi' Dinah.' "
Wolff and Clark, the blood vessel boys.
The rolling of empty beer kegs down the corridors just as the dawn was breaking, by Mickey Syrek, Sher Guernsey, Dan Denham and/or Ken Fraser. Then Dick Cukor steaming out with fire in his eye to make those blankety, blank blanks shut up, only to find it was Brother Guernsey and in a nice friendly way going up to him, putting his arm around his shoulder, saying, "Will you be quiet?"
Reno and Fisher's five o'clock golf game. Both came in with attested scores of 73 and 76 respectively. There seemed some doubt as to their authenticity, but as Reno said, "When you can't see where the hole is, there's no harm in picking the ball up and carrying it to the green, is there?"
The all-in look of a collapsed tent Sunday morning. The Lord only knows who tore it down, and apparently He won't tell because we still haven't been able to find out who did it.
The main reason why more men either didn't come to Reunion themselves or didn't bring their wives was because they were having children (the wives, not the men), Poor planning, say we, and we hope by the time the Twentieth rolls around you guys will all do better.
The gang looking like a million bucks in their green slack suits and dark green hats to match. As a matter of fact, the general consensus of opinion of the entire campus was that it was the best Reunion costume that had shown up in years, thanks to Bill Schuldenfrei and his assistants.
We are sorry that even more of you fellows couldn't have been there to enjoy it, but you can bet your life we had a beer to the good health of those who weren't able to come up and join the fun. Before signing off, I would like to ex- press again my appreciation and what I know is the appreciation of the entire gang who attended to: Bill Schuldenfrei Frank McCord Dick Holbrook Charlie Schneider Ken Anderson And their various assistants for the splendid job they did. Without them the whole party could not have run so smoothly. See you in the Fall.
NEARLY TWO HUNDRED AT THE 15TH REUNION OF 1926 WEEK-END AFTER COMMENCEMENT.
TWENTY-SIXTH'S REUNION MOVIES AH men who took either 8 mm. or 16 mm. movies during reunion are asked to send films to C. G. McDavitt Jr., Somerville Nat'1 Bank, Somerville, Mass., for viewing and possible duplication for the class movies. Thanks in advance for the loan of your pictures.
