Class of '49

The tenth reunion of his college class is where a man discovers with quick amusement that his classmates are married, harried and potty as aldermen. It is also where a man realizes, in dismay, that he is too. Perhaps with the idea of softening the shock, Princeton's class of '49 mailed questionnaires to its 760 members. From 510 anonymous replies, tabulators last week could sketch the sort of old Princetonian who will make the nostalgic trip to Nassau Hall this June: he is plump, prosperous, has most of his hair, is worried about the state of the world, yet comfortably sure of his own place in the sun. Items:

P: Four hundred men are married, 53 still bachelors (not all of the 510 answered every question); 317 have gained weight and 162 have thinning hair, but only 19 are bald. Beatniks and arctic explorers seem poorly represented; there is only one beard and one mustache in the lot.

P: There are few malcontents; nine of the men are dissatisfied with their jobs and seven with their home life, but almost 400 graduates are pleased with both. Only 15 report that they love their wives less than when they were married. Perhaps coincidentally, there have been 15 cases of ulcers. Eighteen of the men have been under psychoanalysis. P: At least on their own estimate, they are a restrained lot; 140 drink more than they did in college (Scotch is preferred to bourbon or gin), but 137 drink less, and 27 sit stoutly on the wagon. Card playing is preferred to sex as a favorite indoor sport (181 to 47), with squash (29) and table tennis (12) not too far behind. Three hardy Princetonians say they still play football, and one ropes calves for fun, but 131 like golf.

P: The class of '49 has four millionaires, and it has 37 men who make less than $5,000 a year, but most members live in the lower reaches of the upper middle class; 210 make between $5,000-$10,000 a year, and 136 between $10,000-$15,000. The college men own--or are owned by--50 boats, five airplanes, 14 horses, 265 dogs and "a few turtles, ocelots and raccoons." Six men are union members, and three graduates are in Who's Who in America.

P: Fifty forty-niners felt that Princeton's greatest gifts were social polish, prestige or contacts, but 251 soberly testified that from their college years they got an "education and ability to think." Naturally, education did not solve all problems; 20 believe that World War III is inevitable and 172 think it likely; 374 tax-ridden Princetonians are convinced that the U.S. will become more socialistic. Gloomiest statistics: 80 happy men find living within income "a snap," but 328 say it is a struggle, and for 40 desperate graduates it is "impossible."

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