January-February,
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THE GEORGIA TECH ALUMNUS
President Van Leer Honor Guest at New York Club Dinner Colonel Blake R. Van Leer was the honor guest at a dinner given by the New York Georgia Tech Club of New York City, at the University Club, on the night of December twelfth. A number of prominent Atlanta alumni attended the dinner meeting; they included: C. L. Emerson, president of the Georgia Tech National Alumni Association and Foundation Trustee; F. H. Neely. president of the Georgia Tech Alumni Foundation; Frank Spratlin, member of the State Board of Regents and Foundation trustee; George W. McCarty, trustee of the Alumni Foundation; R. B. Wilby. trustee of the Alumni Foundation and Athletic Board member. Mr. George T. Marchmont, Foundation trustee of Dallas, Texas, was another prominent out of town alumnus present at the gathering. James E. Davenport, vice president of the National Alumni Association and a Foundation trustee, entertained Colonel Van Leer and the visiting alumni at a luncheon, prior to the meeting, to introduce them to the officers and executive committee members of the New York alumni. In an interesting letter of December 14, 1944, President John L. Davidson of the New York Club reported, as follows: "Mr. R. J. Thiesen, Executive Secretary Georgia Tech Alumni Association Georgia School of Technology Atlanta, Georgia "Dear Jack: "Our dinner meeting at the University Club on the night of December 12 was highly successful, and there were many expressions of approval after the meeting of the selection of Col. Blake R. Van Leer as the new President of Georgia Tech. He made a most favorable impression on everyone. "I asked Charlie Sweet to introduce him, and I don't believe I could have made a better selection, because Charlie's introduction and Col. Van Leer's speech fitted perfectly. "In addition to Col. Van Leer, we had short addresses by Frank Neely, Cherry Emerson, Frank Spratlin, George W. McCarty, and George T. Marchmont. Each of these men had very interesting and worthwhile messages which I believe will go a long way toward furthering the relations between our alumni group and the college. "It was a great pleasure to greet Paul Yopp from Atlanta who happened to be in New York on business. "At the suggestion of Col. Van Leer, a resolution was unanimously adopted providing for an annual meeting of our members during the week in which the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is in session. With Col. Van Leer as the guest of honor and with as many of the out of town alumni joining us as possible, we should have a large attendance. I believe that in the early fall of 1945 this matter should be publicized through the alumni publication and through the Atlanta newspapers, so that. the Atlanta group and those from other cities who happen to be attending the Engineers' meeting can meet with us. "At this time I want to extend to you the thanks
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Alumnus 5-Star Company Director Mr. George W. Woodruff, Georgia Tech 1917, of Atlanta and Birmingham, is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Continental Gin Company which has been notified that its Birmingham plant has been awarded a fifth renewal of the Army-Navy "E" award for outstanding service in the production of war material. The company received its first "E" award in October 1941, it was announced; and the present citation, together with four other stars that have been added since the original one, gives the Continental Gin Company the distinction of being one of the first plants in the nation to be awarded five stars.
Reunion Held in England Somewhere in England on November 25, a group of Georgia Tech and University of Georgia Alumni, together with all other available Georgians in the area, gathered for a most impressive and enjoyable get-together. The grand gathering was arranged by the distinguished service publication "Stars and Stripes," aided by the respective alumni officers of Tech and Georgia. Captain Bruce Ravenel, B.S. in E.E., 1941, former alumni office assistant while at Tech and now somewhere in France, along with Captain R. C. Anderson, B.S. in E.E., 1940; First Lieut. Harold T. Gaymon, B.S. in M.E., 1940, and other alumni of both Tech and Georgia were active in the arrangements for the great meeting which was originally planned for last April, but was postponed for reasons unknown at the time but, perhaps, on account of the approach of D-Day. The Tech alumni office sent banners, pennants, songs and music, records and publications, as long ago as March for the reunion. Then, too, the Georgia Tech-Notre Dame game was broadcast on November 25; reports, however, stated that the group could not get the game over the radio. First Lieut. Gaymont, who has been overseas for over 15 months, now a base ordnance officer, wrote that the reunion was a great success and that he never would have thought Tech and Georgia men would attend a joint reunion dinner; and added that it was great to yell across the table at each other and they were truly glad to be together. N e w York Club Dinner—(Concl'd.) of the entire New York Club for your helpfulness." Sincerely your, Signed: J. L. Davidson President Georgia Tech . Club of New York" Officers of the Georgia Tech Club of New York are: President, J. L. Davison, B.S. in M.E., 1915 and M.E., 1928, Vice President Valve Pilot Corp., 230 Park Avenue. Vice President, Roland Gooch, B.S.M.E. '20, E.E. '21, Elec. Dept. N.Y.C.R.R., 70 East 45th. Secy.-Treas. Allan T. McNeill, Comm. '27, Bell Laboratories, 463 West Street; and Asst. Secy.-Treas. J. F. Hohmann, B. S. Chem. Engr., '36, Union Carbide Corp., N. Y. City.