Most members of the Class of '20 are retired and spend some time working on a few civic or Harvard committees. For the most part, however, their lives are one long vacation. Herman Wiener said, "I just fish, hunt, and enjoy life and I plan to continue doing so as long as I live."

Two exceptions are composer Thompson and Eliot. Both men were professors at Harvard before they retired in 1965 and 1966 respectively. Thompson now has nine musical works in the process of being published. Eliot is currently planning the future layout of two towns, Harvard and Wilmington, Mass.

Advice to Teachers

Randall offered some advice on being a good teacher. "I don't think you can be a good teacher unless you feel on a friendly basis with your students. You've got to be sympathetic. You can't be sarcastic, defensive, or offensive. You can't learn, if a teacher is constantly discouraging or intellectually brow-beating."

Eliot talked about the enthusiastic attitude toward the first World War. In the spring of 1918, Eliot decided to sign up for overseas ambulance duty when he found he could get a commission and guaranteed front-line duty within a month.

When Harvard's President Lowell found out about Eliot's decision, he called the young man into his office. Lowell said that eager Eliot was doing the wrong thing. The President was especially angry because he had just arranged for French officers to train the voluntary Harvard regiment. But young Eliot explained that ambulance duty was the only way an 18-year-old could get a commission. Lowell said he could understand and wished his student well.

Ou Sont Les Neiges?

Mrs. Eliot said, "Before the first World War we were living in a peaceful world with a great deal more security than we've ever known since.We couldn't understand World War It's happening."

Her husband recalled an oath he took when a classmate was killed at 11 a.m. on the day of the World War I armistice. Eliot said the death occurred because a needless front-line charge was ordered. "I swore that day I would do my best to oppose nationalism and war." He denounced "this extraordinary arrogance of so many Americans who think that what they think is right is automatically right."

Eliot said, "I was very keenly interested in the League of Nations and then again in the U.N. I'm terribly concerned now that we've seemed to turn our back on the U.N."

"The changing times are not so very different," Eliot said. "The problems and the crusade to overcome them seem to be terribly repetitious. War is the main problem."