Student Letters

Dear gad and Mother:

Well, it's all over. Exeter has won and that makes Andover feel very unhappy. But we a can always say that we won a moral victory. It rained every day last week and the field was covered with mud although it was a pretty good day. The game was uninteresting to saikE watch because it was so muddy. The players couldn't get started at all and if they did get going they couldn't dodge much. Exeter came down here feeling sure to win and went back on the long end of a 6-0 score. The touchdown came early in the second quarter after a couple of poor kicks by Andover and a fumbled kick gave Exeter the ball deei in Andover territory. They put it over with several running plays. Andover didn't have a chance offensively. I dont think they got the ball within Exeter's 30 yard line. The score would have been much larger if it hadn't been for several goal line stands by Andover. However I think Andover did very well considering the unfortunate breaks that she got and the bunch of "ringers" that Sxeter is supposed to have.

Uncle Frank and Aunt Helen were at the game with Richard and by some„streak of luck happened to find me afterwards, I got permission from Mr. Heely to ride up with them to Exeter. We left about five a&ax o'clock, ate in Haverhill and got up to Exeter a little before seven. Rich and I rode up in the rumble seat and it sure was breezy. I had my heavy overcoat on and was plenty warm enough. Had a long talk with Rich on the way up. He's getting along giSS and likes it a lot Says he's got some riood teachers and a good program. Rich had to go out for the big celebratidin as soon ae we got there. He had to put on paiamas and then go out and pull the football team around town area-then go~-out to a big bonfire and fraxs help rip off everybody else's clothes in a fight between the new and old fellows]! In the meantime I set out to try to find Dick Benner and Al jjlayer. I went out the door and by some strange coincidence 1 almost bumped into Dick. He did something to his kidneys playfng footbill and couldn't take active part in the celebration so we went up to his room and h8*d a long talk on everything imder ihe sun . While we a were up there the fellows began s breaming in all covered with mud and in various states of undress. I stayed there almsst an hour, jfeiiKa went back to Rlcli's room for a few minutes and then started home. We discussed the political situation most of the way home and debidid that it didn't make much difference which way the election came out. I do know,by the way, who did win the election. That and the fact that Yale has a pretty bum football team this year is about all I know of what's going on ouside of Anjiover as I don't get much time to read the newspaper.

There has been quite ?a lot doing during the last week. Wednesday the varsity soccer team went up and played Exeter. The field was a mess from the rain and Exeter scored the first goal that has been scored on Andover this year when our gaalie slipped in the mud. The score ended 1-1 and from what I hear, Exeter wouldn'vplay an overtime period as I they should have. Andover would surely have beaten them if they had Dlayed the overtime. The team is still undefeated however. Our club soccer team won the league without playing the final game. V/e didn't havjs a chance to play it, either because of the weather of*because of a faculty meetings, so they gave us the championship and the privilege of wearing a numeral hat. Thursday night Dr. Moorehead, the head df the Archaeology dept. gave a lecture on some secret service work among some Indians in Wisconsin. It was very interesting and he had some pretty good slides. Friday night we had the usual football rally in the gym/ There was certainly a lot of noise and some pretty dirty cracks about Exeter and her football team. After the rally I went to see the "Merchant of Venice" which was given by a group of players in the meeting room, it HHH I thought It was pretty good, Saa Las-t Wed. we had the first snow of the season. It rained most of the day but for a while in the morning it was snowing pretty hard, It has been colder than usaal since then. I'm going to save the paragraph oh the comparisons of high and prep schools until some other time. I Intend to write my next theme oni that subject and will send you a copy of it, I got all the stuff you sent me O.K. and it was all darn good but it didn't last very long.Kifeh I wish yo\} would thank Agnes and Grandma for the candy. I was dropped from the choir last Sunday but it wasn't much of a surprise as my voice isn't behaving as well as it might. I guefes there is no doubt about coming home Shanksgiving. I don't know what time I'll be there but you'll see me drop in sometime during the day. Bob's folks came up for the game and took us all to Shawsheen Manor for Sunday breakfast, I think they looked for me Sat. for dimner but I had gone to Exeter. I think that's about all I have to say know. I'll send the pictures that mother sent me w ith this letter but I'm keeping one for myself. I'll also < send a football "extra" with my laundry, ^^ K

.6

Phillips Academy Andover, Mass. Sun., Nov.20, 1932

Dear Dad

and Mother:

Well, I see that Yale didn't have as bad a team as I thought they had, or else Harvard's was worse'than I thought. Tell Karl*that I was sorry not to be able to see the game with him, and -tell him also that Harvard has a pretty punk team. I didn't hear the game as I was out playing touch football most of the afternoon. We have some great games out here in front of the dorms. There are almost always two or three games going on. There are two or three teachers that come out often and some of the football team that live around here play. V.'e are going to have inter-dorm touch^fpotball starting next Monday in place of athletics. Our dorm hasn't much of a team but we'll feax&H have a good time at, it> The gym tests started last- JIon4ay and1 continued through the week. There were four events to pass, the high jumo(4'3"), the pole climb v!8'), the half mile rum g (2 min. 50 sec), and twelve belly grinds, holding on to a horizontal bar and lifting your feet uo to the bar. I didn't do as well as I should have done. In fact I just barely passed the test with a 70. I got A in the half mile, B in the highj(Jump, C in the Dole climb, and D in the belly grinds. If I practice some I think I can get A in everything. We have to take the test ap;ain next term. There hasn't been much of anything doing on during the past week. Things have quieted down some since the Exeter- game and now nothing is said about it. Last „ the movies we had Will Rogers in "Down to Earth". I thought. £fter the night for It movies Mr. Heely had us down and gave us cider and cookies. He was good to his read us a-nifty we were there. We had our* second history test lastj rooms story week. I got 90 but I should have done better. He feave us a set) of while 50 questions to study and tested us on those. I'll be h§me for Thanksgiving all r^ght. I think someone is coming uo for Norm early Wed. and if fcaafc so I'LI be name between 12 and 1, but If not I -won't get heme until late in the afternion. I htink it will be best to keep my laundry and let me take it back with me If thereg is room. I'll have those new pieces ready to p^ay to you when I get home although I feakaX&fc Haven't played them yet. x Bill Handing, the first fellow that we met up here if you remember., and I went down to Peabody House last Wed. He played th4 clarinet and we went along O.K. Here are a few suggestions if you want too to get some more pieces; Let's turn off the light .and go to sleep, How deep is the ocean, and Pink Elephants, That's about all now. T,ll see §iou ^ed. You might tell Bruce that I'm coming so I'll be sure to see him. Give my regards to the kid brothers. t\o^.W

^

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Phillips Academy Wed., 11, 1933

!*

Jan.

Dear Dad and Mother: I wanted to practice a little on the typewriter so I think I will write you a few words. There isn't mftch to say. I started classes Saturday and It seamed as if there was a lot of work to make up for the three days that I missed but I didn't have to overwork myself making it up. It is true that I had the second highest marks in the class. In the American history classes, there were ten who'got marks above 90, and I stood sixth. In our English calss there were only five honors, tfte highest being and 87. I got '88 in my final exam, with one higherE mark. All this Is Incidental and I doubt if I will be' able to do as well again, ^although I'll try hard enough. The rlu epidemic has hit the school hard. Pdte hss / got It and one other fellow in the dorm. Aboilt six others are feeling pretty bad. From what I hear, the> infirmary is full and they are using the upper floor of Pe'abody House to keep the rest of the sick. I'm taking care1* not to get it. I toqjk gym for the first time Monday and they sure give us workouts. Right now almost every muscle in my body that I touch is' sore, from the sudden strenudps use. It hurts to bend down and to walk, but x& I'll get over it after a couole more workouts. We work on the parallel bars, the horse, the rings, HS the low horizontal bar, forffc fifteen minutes ,HKL& then hays ten minutes of setting'up exercises and then four laps around the track. It's gocjd for reducing.

j^

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There)? s nothing else to day and I'v,e to the Beanery Jhow so I think I will close. lit rained all day Monday and now there is quite 'a I'll write agafcn Sunday, maybe.

got to snowed lot of t»

go over and slush.

Sun., May 14, 1933 Phillips Academy Andover, Jass.

Dear Mother and Dad: My Mother's day greetings are a little late, but they express the same spirit that something else would have done at an earlier date. Now that ratings are over and we have a little time to relax a bit, everybody is thinking about home and vacation. I would like to have you come up but it probably wouldn't be worth the trouble. Yesterday was a pretty full day for me. In the morning I had three classes in a row, one a physics exam, and another with MS. Tower, who is just about the dearest teacher in school. The glee club concert with Bradford was last night at 5111 Harding. Wirt Cates and I had planned to take the bus with the rest at 3:30 after the track meet. The track meet lasted longer than we expected, so we decided to take the train into Easton at 6:30. Bill and Wirt took first and second place in the track meet pole vault respectively, and John Badman came within a quarter of an inch of equaling the school record. He holds at six feet, one and one eighth inches. After the meet we dressed and packed our evening clothes and started out to get to the 4:38 train, but on the way down we decided to wait until 6 :00 and went to the Abbot tea dance in the meantime. At 6:00 we ate the food. There wouldn't be a train until 7:00 so, having been joined by another, misinformed, Bud Moyer, we had a bite to eat and waited for the train. Upon arriving in Boston at 7:50, we took a taxi and rushed to Jordoh Hall where the concert was held up about ten minutes while we dressed. It's a lot of fun trying to get into a tux in a hurry! After the concert, which went over very well, not having heard or tried to hear what the program afterward was, we changed into our other clothes, and went out to have a bite to eat and fool around in the big city for an hour or so. I don't like beer! Then went back and danced with the Bradford girls until 12:00. We took the bus and got home about 1:30. Walking across the squad rangle, we three felt so sleepy that we lay down on the grass for ten or fifteen minutes while we gained enough strength to go on. Took a shower, got in bed at 2:15, woke up at 7:00 from force of habit, got up at 8 to wait, went to chapel and here I am. What a Day! I suppose you got the rating report.? If I didn't honor in English, it was a mistake as it has been changed. Since Bob came through with four. Which was quite a surprise! Ray only flunked 8 hours, and Norm passed French with a 65, partly due to my help no doubt! I am sorry to hear how your back turned out O.K.

Phillips Academy Andover, Mass May 21, 1933

Dear Mother and Dad: j This morning the whole school Is enthused over our victory in the Harvard Interschoolastics. We are the defending champions and at best *It was thought that we wduld do no better than a third. However the track team came through and won 53 points while Exeter came in second with 36 points. This almost insures a victory f^r us In the Exeter track meet in two weeks. Fe took six firsts and scored in every event but two. Bill Harding won the pole vault and Kingman who is captain or tennis and has only been out for track about two weeks won the mile in a beautiful race so I hear. The baseball team meanwhile was losing a close game to the B.C. Ireshmen. The baseball team has been having rather tough luck . Two fellows have been injured playing first base and another first baseman quit so 1 trying to get we're stil... that winning qomblnation. Billhart seems to be saving me for the prom or something

Not much else has been happening. I got 95 In a history exam the other day. The pri tomorrow and ze exam is it, but I have a chance of winning not a very, big chance it's

, One room in the dorm here is developing into a regular zoo or something. These two fellows have each £501 a large aquarium with tropical fish, several plants, and a recent addition, two baby squirrels. He keeps them in a large wooden box with wire netting on the front which they climb all over if they're feeling playful. He takes them put for exercise often and they have got so now they come when he calls them. The$ make wonderful pets.

iI KK got the shoes, cookies, -and check.

ftLj

ti-W*kto.-

HarttflM

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Phillips Academy Andover, Mass. May 28, 1933

Sear Dad and Mother: This week has been rather unfortunate in some respects but everything is all right ndw. To begin with, I lost my pocketbook with about four dol lars in it. There was an identification card in It but I found that a few days later lying on a walk, 'so I guess there is pot much chance of recovery. That's the first money that I've ever lost, I think. Then,I lost a room in Paul Revere by .04 points and have got a double room In Foxcroft instead. They gave the Ifirst rooms th the finat ones who were highest on the" schol arship list and I was third. On top of that Tom^1 uampion couldn't get a scholarship room so I have to fllnd another room mate.

i

I took the hist&jyy prize exam along with nine others last Monday. It was for two hours and by far the hardest exam that I have ever taken. A prof at Yale made it and he thought that it was for college students I guess. I did pretty well in it but I haven't much chance of the priZB. My studies have been going along as usual, we are reviewing in most subjects and It's pretty easy. &xams will be coming thick and fast these last few weeis. I am going to spend about all day to-day writing a long iheme.

* I don't know yet whether I shall come home with tau or earlier with Normand. I understand you will be coming home about three o'clock Friday afternoon. Is that right. Your letter was somewhat indefinite. There Is plenty of time to decide that. I rather think I'll stay.

˂v* Last night Miss ftarx gave a banquet for all the waiters in the Commons. It was a wonderful full course dinner with steak and strawberry shortcake as the main features. Free tickets for tie movies went along with it and a gook time was had by all. That's about all the news; we're expecting to trim Kxeter in track nest week. It won't be long before I'll "be seeing you.

^xley

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7 Foxcroft Hall Phillips Academy Andover, Mass. sept 22, 1933 1 Dear Mother and Dad:

*

Well J school has started; that is, it has started officially, but I have donAJfery little more than I did at Vhome. We arrived Tuesday about 3-30 after having an excellent dinner at an inn at Framing-ham. Did nothing hthat afternoon except gfeet old friends. As I hadn't checked in at the office, I took the liberty of going to the movies in town with three other fellows. On 2 Wednesday, I did a part of every thing I should 1 have done. Unpacked part of my belongings, arranged part of my schedule, read a little, and waited at one meal. Yesterday was almost a repitltion of the day before except that I attended one class and waited at two meals, having^slept through breakfast. My schedule, although not exactly what I hoped for, is satisfactory. The main objection to it is not having an£ classes until five o'clock on Friday which is to-day. I am taking English 5, a three hour course, Chemistry with'Graham, Trig, and advanced Algebra with Tower, and German 1 with L.C. Newton. That makes fifteen hours in all and to complete the required 18, I am working with Leonard on a special innglish course. I did,'not get a head waiter's job, and I am ineligible for:- assistant head because I am a senior. There is still a chance of getting that Job as I don't think there are any uppers who can take the Job. I'll / have it

^

pretty"easy with Bill Harding as Head'waiter.

I am making a list of things for you to bring up when you come and shall send it sometime, t wlah you would send, a laundry bag, some soap, a comb, a the little dictionary which is in the trunk down cellar, in my laundry when you get a chance.

*

%X.

/

will be £bout x §120 to be paid by the two boys. I feared for my, job at first but nothing will come of it. TConversation has not lagged for several days. Do not fear for my attendence, at the reunion dinner. I wouldn't miss that above all things. Don't know yet jjjow many will be back but we expect a goodly number. A "fine dinner is planned for. * I wish before it is too late that you N&Guld send me the camera which 1 have asked sf for before. Also I should like one of the Central year books which are lying around somewhereMy. One more thing before duty calls me. X Myipen has given out after long service. I should be very much obliged if you would stop into Johnson's sometime before you come up and get me a Worthy, black pen of the fountain type. I should like K one that writes with a medium line, one that writes easily but which can be borne <&own upon with some pressure without inconvenience. Also not the longest variety. In all other oarticulars I rely absolutely onyour judgement. If you see Ladd you can tell him that I am thinking a -great deal about this summer job. In fact, it often occupies my mind when I am trying to .concentrate on something that is for thei moment more important. With best to all,

KdcK, 1

*■

Phillips Academy Andover, Mass. June 3, 1934 \

I

Dear Motherand Dad: I wish to apologize for being so lax in my correspondence lately, but my nose has been kept pretty much to the grindstone. I've almost got more work than I can handle this last two weeks. There is much consternation among some of the fellows at this time about getting diplomas. x8 I'm not worried about that, but it does look rather doubtful as to whether I'll get Cum Laude. My math which I was counting on to bring up mj average is slipping and there's not much I can do about it. I know the stuff but on exams, I either haven't hadftime or have slipped up on some simple little thing. There is still a chance, however slim it may seem at present.* Yesterday was a big day wif,h a victory in the track meet which you # have probably read about. We were pretty confident of winning by a large score, but Exeter sufe gave us a scare when we failed to score expected points in the w&ight events, we came through though in the end. Saw Dick Benner and Phil Eddy from Springfield while*! was there. Also got a free ticket and 'transportation through* the courtesy of Ur. Dye. The celebration in the evening was wonderful with a very orderly torchlight parade and huge bonfire afterwards. I was sure tired last night. Howie Johnson is Improving1 as well as can be expected. I think they are going to move him over -^—~^to the school infirmary to-day. I have met an£ talked /> ^)with his parents a few times. They are, of course quite ^—x~*^broken up about the affair but are standing up very well. The school I think is taking care of their expenses which relieves them a great deal.

t >4

This week Wednesday I shall be going up to Exeter again, this time to play with the All-Club baseball team. We have played three games with the Junior Varsity and have beaten them twice, which fact has given us some confidence. The Varsity game next Sat. promises to be a wonderful game as both teams seem to be very evenly matched. Hap Burdett has been up scouting Exeter several times, and Bill Piatt, Andover pitcher, knows every man on their team by name, and just what kind of,balls to pitch to him. They are certainly out to win this game. If so, it we.ll be a grand close to the spring season. I'm xBaxsifc looking forward to your coming up fully as much as you are. I probably wont be coming home until Sunday as we have a dance down at the house Saturday night. I may have to come hone on the train. Rock.