Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-04
Ddcor House
Continued From Page BID

about Is members living. In adj
dition to those already men,
toned, they include Presidential
Assistant Robert Cutler, former
Chief of Protocol Stanley Wood
ward. former Ambassadors F.
Lammot Belin, Pierre de L. Boal,
James Bruce, Henry P. Fletcher,
Herschel v. Johnson, William
Phillips, and Samuel Reber;
Ambassadors David K. Bruce,
Harold H. Tittman. jr., and
Francis White; and Mr.. Joseph
Alsop. Mr.. Frederick N. Brooke,
Mr.. Bruce Howe, Mr.. Nelson
Dean Jay, Mr.. Frank r. Kent,
Mr.. Arthur w. Page, Mr.. Phil
lip H. Patchin, Mr.. Robert H.
Patchin, Mr.. Eliot Wadsworth,
Col. Hugh Waddell, and Gen.
c. c. Williams.
Naturally, The Family was
most reluctant to sell the house,
but they feel very happy about
turning it over to Dacor. This
group bought all the furnish
ings as we'll, and while they
plan certain amount of redec-
grafton, they hope to keep the
spirit of "1718 H Street" alive.
Actually, the suggestion that
Dacor buy the house originally
came from former Ambassador
Grew. who proposed it to Mr..
George Gregg Fuller, a retired
foreign service officer and now
executive director of Dacor.
The agreement finally reached
was that The Family would be-
come life members in Dacor and
thus could have the use of. the
house for as long as they wanted.
Dacor was incorporated in
1852. and has about 500 active
members and 100 associate
members. Active members have
voting privileges and include only
retired foreign service officers.
Associate members are those still
working in the Foreign Service,
including reserve and staff mem
bers. and also the widows and
families of foreign service off,
GERS, as well as any other per-
sons who now or formerly have
served the Government in the
field Of international relations.
Types of Membership
Membership in Dacor is not
synonymous with membership
in the house. There will be three
types of house membership
resident, nonresident and tenn
porary, the latter to take care of
people on active duty abroad
who are in Washington between
assignments.
AS Mr.. Fuller explained, 1--WE
hope to see Dacor House become
the center for both active and
retired foreign service people. It
will be a place where they can
live temporarily or entertain
and at least be a permanent ad-
dress through which their
friends can keep in touch with
them"
Since 80 per cent of Dacor's
members are retired. this nom
profit organization is naturally
interested in assisting its mem
bers to best meet the problems
of retirement.
1--WE have succeeded in Secur-
ing group insurance which is Of
great benefit for people of this
age group" said Mr.. Fuller.
Also among Dacor's detectives
are sponsorship of legislation to
aid the Foreign Service and
State Department and adjust
ment of retirement BENEFITS to
preSent-day cost Of living.
In addition to using this his
toric house as q club, Dacor
plans to set up q museum there
making it a repository for all
articles. letters, photographs and
other memorabilia relating to
teh foreign service and our Dip
lomatic history.
Despite the fact that 1718 II
Street Is surrounded by nothing
but business property, Mr.. Full
Ter said Dacor wanted to keep
that one place as "a little gem
in the middle of town"
And certainly with the fury
and frenzy of the twentieth cen
tury everywhere in evidence, it
will be nice sometimes to escape
from it into the relative peace
Of q Victorian atmosphere rep
resenting q much gentler era.