Evening star., 1934-04-22
OLD CLASSMATES
VISIT PRESIDENT
Harvard Days of 80 Years
Ago Discussed Informally
at White House.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
For a little while yesterday Presi-
dent Roosevelt laid aside problems of
the present to talk over the things
that happened at Harvard 80 years
ago with members of the class of
1904-his class.
Three hundred and nineteen men,
bers of Mr.. RooSevelt's class accepted
his invitation to hold an informal
reunion at the White House. With
them came members of their families
and myriad anecdotes of college days.
The Spring chill caused the Presi-
dent to receive his classmates in the
Blue Room Of the White House, in
stead of on the lawn, as was first
planned. The reception proceeded
slowly, for Mr.. Roosevelt paused fire.
quently to go over some event of col
lege days with the men who figured
in it.
Majority in New England.
Prominent in the group were Ed
ward A. Taft of Boston, secretary OF
the class of 1904; Robert H. Gardner
of Boston, Thomas B. Beale of BoS-
ton, Owen Winston of New York,
Thomas Jackson of Boston and Ed
gar c. Rust of Boston.
The majority of the surviving men,
bers of the class of 1904 live in Mas
sachusetts or New England, but its
members said almost every State in
the Union was represented at the
gathering yesterday.
"And most of them are still Re-
publicans, smiled one of the group.
Herbert Hoover invited members OF
the Stanford foot ball team which he
managed to the White House, but
veteran attaches of the Executive
Mansion said yesterday Mr.. Roose-
welt was the first President who had
invited his entire class membership.
1t was estimated about 500 survive
from the $50 or TOO who graduated
along with President Roosevelt. The
group began arriving at the White
House shortly after 4 o'clock. The
reception over. the guests proceeded
to the lawn, where refreshments were
served
The meeting yesterday was decided
upon after Mr.. Roosevelt told some
of his classmates he might not be
able to attend the thirtieth class re-
union.
Invites Glass Reunion.
Why not hold a reunion at the
White House, he suggested.
The official class reunion will be
held at Harvard in June.
1t was a day of reunions for Mr..
Roosevelt The class assembly was
followed by a dinner at which the
crew of the Amberjack, I'd, gathered.
The Amberjack I'd, was the fish
ing schooner in which Mr.. Roosevelt
sailed up the coast of New England
last year to his mothers place at
Campobello, New Brunswick.
The White House dinner guests were
Paul Rust. owner of the ship; John
Gutter and George Briggs of Boston
and James Roosevelt, the Presidents
son.
After the President and Mrs. Roose-
welt greeted the guests in the White
House, the class members and their
families were served punch and cake
on the south lawn of the Executive
Mansion Mrs. Roosevelt moved
among the guests, chatting and laugh
ing, and the President watched the
gathering from the south porch.
The reunion was over shortly after
o'clock.
Il don't know whether he actually
remembered all of us or not" one Of
the class commented as he left. but
he seemed to. The President was in
a genial mood"
Miss Eleanor Roosevelt, daughter of
Henry L. Roosevelt, Assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy, was at the White
House during the reception and
mingled with the class members.