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1954 As many of us have during the last two weeks of February, to date the time of this writing, I've spent countless hours glued to our HDTV screen watching the 2010 Winter Olympics from Vancouver, British Columbia. Having the opportunity to cheer on the U.S. hockey team in its first victory over Canada since 1960 or watch the tremendously exciting, first-time Olympic event of ski cross, I keep reflecting on the importance of sports – and at this moment winter sports – in the history of Dartmouth. It was great to see Andrew Weibrecht '09 win a bronze in the super-G race. Noteworthy is the fact that Andrew joins the elite group of eight other Dartmouth-affiliated Olympians participating in the 2010 Games and the other 109 Olympic alumni who have competed in the Winter Olympics since 1924, the most of any of the Ivies. When asked to comment on his impression of the current games over the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics in which he participated as a member of the U.S. alpine ski team, Olympian Tom Corcoran said: "In 1956 half the Men's Alpine Team (four of us) were Dartmouth guys; in 1960 I was the sole Dartmouth guy." "Secretary's Note: See Tom's complete, highly interesting and informative comments as the first addendum to this issue's online column.
Hockey stars Seaver Peters, Dan McCarthy, Irv Sherwood and John Titus still keep in touch and maintain an e-mail circle to share thoughts on Big Green hockey.
Former '54 class president and varsity lacrosse player Bill White, who is to this day an incredible Dartmouth sports aficionado, devotes Sunday evenings to writing a timely and highly readable summary of Dartmouth sporting events concluded over each weekend. Bill has graciously agreed to expand his rather limited list of column readers to any classmate interested in being kept up-to-date on Big Green athletics. To join Bill's privileged list, simply e-mail him at njwhitehouse@verizon.net and say: "Bill, please put me on your list."
With our shortened in-print column, the online addenda represent the fastest and most efficient way of promulgating timely news of classmates. Your contribution via e-mail can be shared with classmates within 24-48 hours of your message to me at akane32@nyc.rr.com.
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MAY/JUNE CLASS NOTES ADDENDA
Here's Tom Corcoran sharing his thoughts on the Olympics
"I was a member of the U.S. Alpine Ski Team in the 1956 & 1960 Winter Olympics. In '56 half the Men's Alpine Team (4 of us) were Dartmouth guys; in '60 I was the sole Dartmouth guy on the Alpine Team, and got a 4th in the Olympic Giant Slalom, the highest placing in that event for an American guy until Bode Miller got a Silver Medal 42 years later, my 15 minutes of fame.
"During the 50 years since then I've watched the sport evolve, as an elected director for many years of the U.S. Ski Association, and as a guy who built a ski resort, Waterville Valley, that hosted 11 World Cup races, including two World Cup Finals.
"In the Olympic years when I raced our travel, room & board, and uniform expenses were covered. We had to buy our boots, but Anton Kastle in Austria gave us a pair of racing skis for each event: slalom, giant slalom & downhill. In '60 we got Scott poles. That was it. No money for training. No equipment contracts, no bonuses for performance results, no commercial endorsements. No way for American racers to make a living based on racing success. We were the last of the real amateurs, a dying breed.
"The good news was that we didn't have to devote full time, year-round to our sport. We could go to college and graduate school and still ski on international teams for the U.S. Between the two Olympics I skied in, I got an MBA from Harvard. Not a chance in hell you could do that now. I felt that I skied better because it wasn't a single-minded focus, and I wasn't on the U.S. Ski Team payroll, as racers are today.
"Can a Dartmouth guy or gal get on the U.S. Ski Team today? Yes, but it's a real uphill climb. The U.S. Ski Team recruits talent while in high school, and expects a year-round commitment to the sport. College racers feel that they are discriminated against and that there is a glass ceiling, tough to get through regardless of talent and results. Can the ceiling be punctured? Yes, but it's hard and rare. Andrew Weibrecht '09 did it in this Olympics, getting a chance to race and winning a Bronze medal in the Super G, a spectacular performance. He is one of the very few college racers to break through an overt bias against college skiers.
"And from the U.S Ski Team's point of view, it's hard to argue that they are wrong. Their results in this Olympics are off the charts, so much better than ever before that there is no comparison, even getting 4 medals in Nordic Combined versus zero until now. They used to claim that the U. S. Ski Team was the best in the world, which was not even close. Based on this Olympics, they really are the best overall, at least right now."(March 8)
A Celebration of the life of John Heston, who passed away on March 2, will be held at the Church Of Christ at Dartmouth College on Saturday, May 15 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Montshire Museum of Science, Montshire Road, Norwich, Vt. 05055.(March 8)
Class Agent Shelly Woolf reports that the Class of 1954 is effectively tied for first place among all alumni classes with a DCF participation rate of 43%, as opposed to total Alumni participation at 27.1%, as of February 20. At that date, considering total dollars pledged or contributed, '54 was running second to '52 in our Green Derby group, having raised $179,565 to '52's $208,607. Shel went on to say: "I want to encourage all our class donors for our 55th to make a pledge for this year. We need all of those classmates to come through this year in order meet our 86% goal. I also want to thank some of our former holdouts for stepping up and supporting the DCF this year. It means a great deal to have everyone's support, so please join in and help make 2010 a year we honor Dartmouth with our generosity and participation. The STRS program has brought in $40,000, and I am getting enthusiastic support and encourage all who are eligible to stretch and sign up for STRS so we can really make the program as big a winner as possible." (March11)
Above-mentioned sports aficionado Bill White, also apparently a music buff, read that "Dartmouth President Jim Yong Kim shocked the audience of a campus talent show recently when he appeared onstage ... dressed as Michael Jackson." For a few minutes' entertainment that will put a smile (or frown) on your face, click on the link below, view the video and then e-mail me and put SMILE or FROWN in Subject line.
Dartmouth President Does His Best Michael Jackson Impersonation (WATCH) (March 13)
Word has just been received that Albert Keith Tirrell died suddenly of a heart attack on April 9, 2009. Notes of condolence may be sent to Keith’s wife of five years, Julia, at One Carson Court, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054. DAM obituary to follow. (March 30)
Anthony Kane, 650 Park Ave., 18A, New York, NY 10065; (212) 628-2147; akane32@nyc.rr.com