Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss

Leonard Frey, Dartmouth class of 1949, lived at 201 Streeter, one of the older dorms, in the so-called Gold Coast, west campus, closer to the river, by my sense. When Harry Hillman died, Frey contributed $5 to a memorial fund. In 2003, when Richard Thorner, my classmate, sold me Hillman’s scrapbook, I researched other info on the famous coach and Olympian, and on a hunch cross-referenced his name with Blunt Alumni records, who reported then-current contact info, in San Diego. Ten minutes ago, for no reason whatsoever other than, as Shakespeare sometimes suggests, storms portend, I fished a 2003 notebook from my storage space, here at Oak Creek. This is the first item in the book.

here is a prologue, courtesy of a recent Dartmouth Alumni Magazine class notes, for 1949s Dr. Frey’s class:
Gene Miller, with his health (no pills or walkers) and memory intact, found an old reminiscence of the 49 ’49ers (including me) who entered in March 1945. Some tidbits: “[We] were housed mostly in Richardson, Wheeler or a barely habitable Crosby. The campus was awash with ‘Swabbies’ and ‘Gyrenes.’ War raged in Europe and Asia. The immediate future looked grim [for us] mostly 16- and 17-year olds. For [us smokers] begging inferior brands at Allen’s Drug or the Indian Bowl was a major pastime. The pool table in the back of a basement barbershop was the center of a pitiable recreation effort (which included water fights. dodging Wormwood (campus security) and carrying the Dartmouth tradition to Smith, Colby, et. al., usually by hitchhiking on gasless, deserted roads).” Gene currently resides in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.


“Interview with Dr. Leonard Frey, PhD ’49”
(619) 295-XXXX – I tried the number but it is disconnected; the search-injun offers little immediate clue to my main question: How is Dr. Frey?

“In the package sent by Barbara Krieger at Rauner/Baker, I noticed that one of the correspondences was a donation to the Hillman fund from Dr. Frey. Written at the bottom of the letter was “$5 – 201 Streeter” — a dorm address — and I inferred first that this donation was from a student and second that the student may still be living. Sure enough, a check of my alumni directory (2001) showed that Dr. Frey lived in San Diego. I called directory assistance and then reached him.

First, he hung up on me when I said I was calling from Dartmouth. Then I called back and said I was calling about Hillman and he did indeed want to talk to me. ”

Ok, I am interrupting the flow here, of transcribing my notes from 2003 to Plastic Alto, to paste in a woman, Meisue Francis, who in 2006, i.e. during the time I was more avidly a Hillmanite, won the 2006 championship 4×400 with some LSU teammates and she went to the same high school Brooklyn Boys and Girls, as did Hillman 100 years prior. This was in my notes, or the version of such I posted here in June, 2014. Not sure how I got there but worth noting.

Brooklyn Boys and Girls, since 1886, is the oldest public school in Brooklyn, in Bed-Stuy and has 3,600 students. I recall taking subways and buses to get there, hoping to flip thru the yearbook archives to find more info on Hillman, and when I got there the guards had no record of my appointment so I was denied access. So meeting a Dartmouth student, in front of Hanover Inn, waiting to get home for holidays, from the same school was kind of a thrill for me. For a second here, 11 years later I thought the LSU athlete and the Dartmouth co-ed were the same person. I wonder if the 2006 female athlete was as fast as the 1904 male Olympian. Will check that. 1700 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11213

Well, no, the 2006 NCAA women’s featuring Meisue on leg 2 and Brooklyn Morris on leg 1 they each ran about 51 seconds to Hillman’s 49 and one-fifth.

And not to detract from our subject, dear Dr. Frey, but here is more of Meisue so to speak in 2010 tweeting under the name “tracshortie01” which I think translates into “attractive person who runs fast, the first”:

I was noting, at Phil Hanlon’s lecture, that times have changed a wee bit since my day but I am fairly certain that this former track champion is someone “Men of Dartmouth” and alumni would give a rouse for.

If we could catch her, I mean.
“Frey entered Dartmouth in the summer of 1945. Hillman died shortly thereafter, in August of 1945. (August 9, 1945) (Frey had gone up early)

He was from Northern NJ. Near Morriston. He went to public school (a good one, that offered six languages). His family summered in New Hampshire so he knew the area. He was an English major, but switched to linguistics. He went on to teach German and linguistics at San Diego State but is now — as of 2003 — retired. He’s 76. (Ok, he is 86 or 87 by now, lwatcdr.).

He also did some work as a journalist. He worked for the New York Herald Tribune, as a sportswriter. He worked with Red Smith. He called Smith “a really nice guy…from Notre Dame”.

He contributed to a Sports Encyclopedia published in Iowa, by a David Porter. He said he wrote 40 to 50 stories. He said there is an article on Hillman which he is sending along. He is also sending an article on Guy Broberg the basketball player, father of Pete Broberg. Ok I gotta paste in a Topps Broberg or I may have one in my apartment to Swede in, Rangers, 1972.

Meanwhile and this is egregious Plastic Alto bull roar here is a book on Palm trees recommended by Pete Broberg, the former Dartmouth and Rangers hurler, because Dr. Frey told me what a hero Broberg’s father was, the War hero pilot who lost his arm in a crash but went on to be a lawyer and judge and father of another Dartmouth hero. Gus Broberg had just passed away when I researched all this.

And I did spend 90 minutes today bending the ears of Steve Staiger of PAHA warming up for being the moderator of a panel on jazz history; I said worst case scenario I read my 20,000 word treatise, or repeat half of what I said just now. And I pulled a copy of Errol Morris “Fast Cheap and out of Control” out of my pack: Rod Brooks of MIT robotics, the lion tamer, the topiary gardener and expert on mole rats, 1996, re-wired me brain.

the cap is airbrushed because Washington had just gone to Texas, worth $3

I am sparing you the link to the Errol Morris film but here is info on Streeter, which I presume still has a 201 although my old dorm Richardson went from about 50 rooms to about 30, because they added fire escapes and took out all the end singles:

Heat Control in Streeter Hall
For Streeter, each room has a small thermostat that is usually tan or gray and has numbers on it. It is located on one end of the radiator. This thermostat is really a valve that allows differing amounts of steam to enter your particular radiator; the more steam that enters the radiator, the warmer you will be. As noted above, the times steam is delivered to your building is controlled by a computerized program, and that steam is either all the way on or all the way off. Your room thermostat will only affect the heat output of your radiator when the building is receiving steam. If you have trouble setting this thermostat, call the ORL Operations Office at 6-1203 during normal business hours, 8 AM until 4:30 PM, M-F. Report the problem and we will send someone to your room to check it with a digital thermometer. If it is found that the heat is below 66°F or above 70°F, we will call Facilities, Operations and Management and ask them to send someone to correct the problem. After business hours and on weekends, you may call 6-2344 to report heating problems.
If you have any questions, call or blitz: Woody Eckels, Director of Residential Operations, 646-1203.

Streeter has 67 beds to 61 for Richardson. The second floor is now all female, I think Streeter was still all-male in my day. For comparison, Dartmouth was all male, 1769 to 1972, for instance for Dr. Frey. Here is a floor plan, 124 square feet.

Here is a picture of the glorious Richardson, where presumably Frey sometimes called on friends:

richardson, not streeter, and I’m sure we beat them in football

I lived in 204 Richardson, with Teddy Conway of New Orleans and David Williams of Greenwich for freshman fall and winter, 1982-83, then switched up to a double with Brian Gaul of Chevy Chase or DC area, for the spring. Our 204 is probably now part of 202, which they call a three room quad to our two room triple.

Frey lived at 201 Streeter for three of his four years meanwhile, back at the ranch, and then Butterfield. His father had seen Hillman compete so Leonard arranged to introduce him to Hillman “And he was thrilled.

“But I (Frey) only knew him (Hillman) briefly. He was an awfully nice man. Very kindly. A fatherly sort.”

He was succeeded at the helm of the Dartmouth track and field program by Elliot Noyes.

“I have a picture right here next to me of myself standing next to Elliot Noyes. It’s the 1945 Dartmouth cross country team picture ” he told me in 2003.

And then at the bottom of the page I write: I should ask him about Moe Berg!

And then at the top of the page I jot: “Earl Brown” in quotes and “Goering” not in quotes. I think I pulled this file when I was introduced or made aware of Goering a former basketball player of that era. As in a couple years later, ten years ago.

Dartmouth archive only lists 3 of 5 players, with Coach Brown

And continuing I realize that although I claim to find the new public radio Ira Glass stuff annoying maybe it is an influence Frey was a fan of basketball and said that Dartmouth had a dynasty won seven Ivy titles and played for the national championship twice, against Stanford in 1942 and Utah in 1944. He attended the games at Madison Square Garden in 1944 (i.e. before matriculation)

Well if you are still with me you are in for a real treat in that here is 27 minutes of highlights from that 1944 NCAA game, I was researching just the other day, Dartmouth versus Utah, so you can see what you Leonard Frey saw, and maybe you can actually see him in the crowd shots.

The other hoop athletes he mentioned were Jim “Chip” Coleman* and “Gut”. (I struck thru the second guy)

Broberg was a pilot during WWII got shot down, and lost his arm in the crash. He went on to law school and became a municipal judge in Florida. Frey interviewed him.

Frey was a classmate of Slade Gorton “of the Gorton codfish family”. He was a Senator (and I mean in Congress, unlike young Broberg the baseball variety Ranger and maybe Senator0 from Washington (I think we mean West Coast, above Oregon) for 24 years, “an awfully nice fellow”.

Dartmouth was national champs in football in 1925, undefeated (Swede Oberlander era, I write in later, should be a ?)

The track at Alumni Gym was “a big track”. It was 6 laps to the mile, compared to 11 laps at Madison Square Garden. He remembers Glen Cunningham’s record performance in Hanover as “4 minutes 4 seconds and 4 tenths” (4:04:04, I had not previously noted it, although there is actually a clip that Hillman had put in his book, loosely marking that event).

“It was so unusual to have a track that big and a real pleasure to run on it” Frey recalled, in my 2003 interview by phone.

He recalled that he followed Jessie Owens’ career and that Hitler snubbed him, but suggested that Roosevelt snubbed him, too.

He recalled that Marty Glickman later an announcer, was replaced from the mile relay in Berlin ’36 Olympics because he was Jewish, “two of them were Jewish”.

Frey remembers a Dartmouth Professor of German named “Schlossbacher” who was very strict — “he had a scar we surmised was from dueling”.

“Schlossbacher once called on a another ’49 Van Hamburg first and Van got the answer wrong and the prof said ‘You are a discredit to your name’ and called on me next.”

Frey reported that despite these fond memories he had not been back, as of 2003 to Hanover, New Hampshire campus of Dartmouth since the nineteen-fifties. He said he remembered, nonetheless, how remarkably beautiful is the campus. He was a Kappa Kappa Kappa “a luca” — no idea — but “went inactive”. It was a track team fraternity.

“I was in tears when I head that Harry Hillman died.”

He said Hillman seemed shorter than the 5’foot 11 I suggested.

Coaches:
Tesreau (I was quizzing him, or cross-referencing my various notes): “I knew him well”
Eddie Jeremiah – hockey
Ozzie Cowles — hoops
“Gus” “McGloughery” I guess this means that I need to proof the names – football
and yeah so that I had Ozzie Cowles here, I must have pulled this when I got a chance to talk by phone to a former Dartmouth 1944 collegiate championship game player named Vince Goering, toward the end of his life, a year or so later. I had them ask him “did he play for Ozzie Cowles?” and the response was no, Earl Brown. Which I had to check later. Cowles had just retired.
Blaik — went to Army to coach, Blanchard and Davis slash West Point

Tesreau he noted was a teammate of Christy Mathewson. Big Six (and what was Griffin Boninis statement about an all-time great nickname of a pitcher of that era(“Meal Ticket” Carl Hubbell?)

45 minutes: 5:45 stop (and here I am about 7:30 or about two hours into this trip down a couple simultaneous memory lanes.

The next page in my book has NYAC New York Athletic Club, a 212 number, then below that, a separate entry, dated 11/5/03 four days later “Brooklyn Boys and Girls” some basic facts like A Train C Train a Ms. Bell librarian for 14 years x550 or x215 which again was a wild goose chase or dead end when I actually tried to visit. I remember being someone out of place on the bus.

The next page has two numbers in 603 for C. Everett Koop and I know in the file is a short note back that he barely knew Hillman. And then I have a cite about a new book in 2003 about the 1903 Word Serious “Autumn Glory”

and there is a listing for a current Class of ’49 columnist I may ring him or offer to fax this over, although people might be put off by the rambling style or lack of editorial discipline: John Adler, 1623 Pelican Cove Road, BA123, Sarasota, FL 34231; (203) 622-9069; note that he does not list an email address.

edit to add: Tesreau note the proper spelling, and he deserves his own post, even in Plastic Alto, died in September 1946 so if asked Frey would or may have to someone expressed sadness at being in close proximity to that occurrence, in Hanover. Here is a pic.

And Judge and former Titan hoops star Griffin Bonini is absolutely correct that the pitcher and HOF of the next generation of Giants Carl Hubbell was known as King Carl or “Meal Ticket” check out the plaque:

edit to add, next morning; I am tempted to call this number and tell Pete Broberg’s secretary that there is a Dartmouth alum writing an article about basketball and see if he picks up. (561) 655-5166, in Florida. I asked Rick Kimball a Dartmouth trustee if he thinks Murray Bowden the star of the 1970 football team would take a call from a writer asking him about Ed Marinero: “Of course!”. We shall see. But first, let’s get some update on Dr. Frey. I will have to go search for his clips he sent me. And I think not far from those would be a 1972 Topps Broberg, so I can say “I have your card, right here — I bought it when I was 8”. And Kimball ad libbed the other night after being introduced as a Yaz fan by Martha Beattie that he could also recite some stats on her man Jim Beattie.

later that afternoon: I did reach Mr. Adler the ’49 newsletter editor or class scribe who says that his records show that same phone number for Dr. Frey as of August of this year, as current, living and breathing and we hope supporting the Old Mother. He gave me some leads on other athletic memoirs of that era and, on another thread, set me straight about the V-12 program. Enjoying his winter in Florida when not in Greenwich himself.

*from Feb. ’47 Crimson: A revamped tribe of Dartmouth Indians will do its inhospitable best tonight to spoil the Varsity basketball team’s annual hegira to the hills of Hanover, where the teams meet in an Ivy League contest.

Since the Green suffered a 58 to 45 defeat at the hands of the Varsity earlier this month, Coach Elmer Lampe has lost the services of two of his players. Center Aud Brindley was graduated, and forward Paul Campbell was declared scholastically ineligible.

But the Indians’ new lineup, which includes Andy Carstensen at center and Emil Hudak at guard–Captain Chip Coleman was moved to forward–has shown surprising strength. Dartmouth gave Holy Cross a dogged battle before bowing by 11 points last week, and held league-leading Columbia to a five-point victory at Hanover Saturday night. Always tough on its home floor, the Big Green has lost only six games in ten years on native grounds.

edit to add: Ozzie Cowles lured away by Michigan, then featured on Wheaties box: