First just a bit of history! In the class of 1940 there were four members who had been there for 5 years!! Dick Bard, Herb Lyttle, Murray Smitheram and Bob Thomas (better known as Shovel).

Of the other three, my relationship was closest with Herb. He was sure that the funniest thing that happened in our five years was Headmaster Morgan Barnes giving me my nickname regarding my signature (“It looks like Shovel to me!”). We shared our moment of fame when Life magazine went to a Gymkhana! Thacher vs Cate – WE WON!! My business career was with Chevron and in 1961, I was working in Fresno and had Herb and Noble feedlot as a customer!!

At present, Marion, my wife for 69 years, and I live in a very fine retirement complex in Bellevue, Wash. The only change in our lifestyle is that we are no longer snow birds. We bought a house in Palm Desert in 1975 and spent about five months in the winter there. This year for a number of reasons we sold the house and are no longer snowbirds.

Bob “Shovel” Thomas CdeP 1940