Class of 1972

Dear ’72s, Andy and Adrienne Harrison visited Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio. They soaked up local culture and cuisine and attended Phillies, Pirates, and Guardians games. Andy met up with his roommate during senior fall, Hank Moore, outside of Pittsburgh.

Wade Judge and Fred Crossman joined up at a Chicago Cubs game. Wade and Fred were freshman baseball teammates. Wade is leaving Chicago and will split time between Maine and New York City.

Give a rouse for John Burke, whose horse, Seize the Grey, won the Pennsylvania Derby. John is thinking about running the horse in the Breeder’s Cup.

I attended the Fordham football game with Jack Crowley ’56. I talked to a guy who played baseball for Springfield College and remembered trying to hit off of our star pitcher, Peter Broberg. Peter’s dad, Gus ’41, was a first-team All-American basketball player. Gus’ basketball team lost to Wisconsin by one point in the national championship! Gus served as a Marine pilot and was shot down, losing his right arm. Both Peter and Gus were inducted into the Palm Beach County (Florida) Hall of Fame in 1984.

I learned that there were 11 Liberty ships in WWII named for Dartmouth men who contributed to the greatness of the United States: Eleazar Wheelock, Samson Occom, Daniel Webster, Levi Woodbury, Salmon P. Chase, Redfield Proctor, Richard Hovey, Charles Augustus Young, William Eaton, George Angell, and Moses Gerrish Farmer, related to Merrily Gerrish.

Woodbury served as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, a U.S. senator, the ninth governor of New Hampshire, and secretary of the Navy for Andrew Jackson and secretary of the treasury for Martin Van Buren.

Proctor, from Proctor, Vermont, served as the 37th governor of Vermont, Benjamin Harrison’s secretary of war and a U.S. senator.

Young was one of the foremost solar spectroscopist astronomers in the United States. Demetry Papadopoulous knows of Young. Young’s image is inscribed on the Loomis Observatory, the oldest observatory in the United States. Mount Young in Sequoia National Park was named in his honor.

Farmer was a pioneer telegraph operator. Farmer constructed and exhibited “an electro-magnetic locomotive,” constructed an electric fire-alarm system, and invented several forms of incandescent electric lights. At 39, Farmer lit the parlor of his Salem, Massachusetts, home with incandescent lamps—the first house in the world to be lit by electricity.

Eaton was an Army officer and the diplomatic officer consul general to Tunis. Eaton led the first foreign U.S. military victory at the Battle of Derne. Eaton also gave testimony at the treason trial of former Vice President Aaron Burr.

Angell was a lawyer, philanthropist, and advocate for the humane treatment of animals and for laws safeguarding public health and against adulteration of food.

As Richard Hovey, class of 1885, wrote, “They have the still North in their hearts.”

—Shel Prentice, 2311 Tradition Way, #102, Naples, FL 34105; shelprentice72@gmail.com