MARCH 2003

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MARCH 2003
PGBarker54@aol.com

LODGING ALERT!!

Reunion chairman John LODGE Gillespie, with a look at the calendar and with his expert knowledge of the conditions of Graduation Weekend in Hanover, has ordered up a special alert designed to catch the attention of every ‘54 and to stir each of you into action. The subject is where to stay during our June 11-13, 2004 reunion. Here are the important considerations:
-there are over 1000 parents, grandparents, etc. in competition with 250-300 of us for the same rooms. Some of these reservations may have been made when the ‘04s were accepted in Spring of 2000 or even when the kids were born.
-while Spartan, the comfortable air-conditioned dorm rooms are inexpensive , conveniently located and obviate the need for a car. The details for such housing will be supplied by the College in early 2004. And .... they are available!
-it is a tight, fun-packed couple of days, leaving minimal time for hanging around the room, regardless of where it is.
-many classmates have houses in the Hanover area and are regularly generous hosts to other classmates during Homecoming weekends. If such ‘54s plan to welcome classmates as guests during the reunion, those invitations should be issued now in order to relieve friends of the possible embarrassment of asking. This is a presumptuous request, but one that makes a lot of sense.
-the short list of local hostelries in the January newsletter has borne little fruit, so a more extensive list is included herein on Page 2. The numbers in parentheses are the total number of rooms. The listings below the two townhouse/condo rentals are smaller, "lesser" accommodations.
So ...... if you have even the slightest thought of being with us in June 2004, tackle the lodging situation immediately. Let me know how you have made out on a Greencard.

[Lodging data removed 8-3-2005 because of complaint from vendor. PD]

Staying with the 50th reunion for a moment - let’s get those 50th Book write-ups done NOW! and sent in to Wayne Weil. To stress a key point: if you submitted a write-up to Reflections, we already know about your first 25 years after graduation. Start your current submission in 1979 and bring us up to date from there. If you were just a name and address in Reflections, give us the whole half-century story! For those many of you who didn’t hold onto the specs listed for the write-up, contact me, your faithful editor, by email or telephone (203) 661-7611 and I will either supply the information or get another copy of Bill White’s letter to you. Don’t forget to send a flattering photograph.
While a formal request for your intentions relative to June 2004 will be forthcoming later in this year, - here’s this Greencard! Why not write down your current intention (Definite, Probably, Maybe or No) and help give us an early estimate. ‘52 drew 267 classmates to Hanover. ‘53’s shooting for the moon and we should be capable of more. Include some news.

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Palaver
Over the past few months, the magic of email has made possible a spirited debate among several classmates on the subject of "What’s Going On Up There in Hanover?" As the temperature and intensity of the discussions increased, so did the number of other ‘54s copied. Many were included only because they were friends of the combatants and had no idea or opinion relative to the subjects in question. While a gentlemen’s "agreement to disagree" has calmed things somewhat, the greater good has been unwittingly been served by the inadvertent Connecting! There is a general suspicion that the Newsletter Editor planted the initial seeds in order to create some copy.
Advancing age has not slowed psychotherapist MIKE PAPANTONES one bit. As a matter of fact, in that particular profession, the wealth of knowledge gained through counseling others over time is a plus! In addition to working with the mind and its diversities, Mike keeps after his body with a well-defined plan. Recently, he celebrated ten full years of fasting one day per week - the 18 hours between Sunday dinner and Tuesday breakfast. The thesis is that when the stomach has no food to work on, it jumps on the toxins and poisons in the systems and gets rid of them. Lastly, Mike is a devotee of Body for Life, a program of resistance weight training and sensible eating. Check it out at BodyforLife.com or check it out of the library.
JIM and JOAN ADAMS checked in from the island of Ko Samui in Thailand, offering solace to the snowbound Easterners and a yahoo to those in Colorado. "Although trout don’t rise to dry flies here, the turquoise sea, satay, grilled prawns and the five dollar per hour massages seem adequate compensation." From Ko Samui, the duo moved to the islands of Lombok and Bali in Indonesia, "declining a nightclub tour of the latter." Back to Arizona around April 1 and lots of anticipation over the ‘54 team gathering on the San Juan River in July.
The February 13 edition of the New York Times had a fine article on retired Dartmouth president, Jim Freedman. Promoting his recent book, "Liberal Education and the Public Interest", he put forth some observations worthy of John Dickey’s legacy: "Liberal education opens our eyes to what life is principally about. It’s about understanding yourself and having some resources to deal with everything life throws at you. It’s about developing a moral compass and some understanding of how society works, how democracies work."At 67, President Freedman lives in Cambridge with his wife, Sheba and is regarded as an elder statesman in the field of education.
Dr. DAN WEIDENTHAL felt that the superb Class 70th birthday "quarterbacked" by JERRY GOLDSTEIN served to underline his gratitude for continued good health and the love and attention of JUDY and his family. An ophthalmologist in Beachwood, Ohio, Dan continues his practice as a specialist in the field of retinal disease. He has seen a great amount of medical and surgical progress over the past 25 years and revels in "having all his marbles" as he tends to patients. The Weidenthals meet up with buddies DAN and ARLENE NEIDITZ occasionally. The men hit enough good golf shots between them to believe they could be great if there was enough time. They have been referred to Dr. DON BRIEF for advice.
Among the increasing number of fund-raising letters from various activities on campus, I (editor) recently received a letter and newsletter ("Takedown") from the Dartmouth Wrestling Club. This particular sport has had a constant on-again, off-again existence over the years. In 1953, under the mentoring of Author-in-Residence Corey Ford, it sprouted once again. There were several former champion high school wrestlers on campus and a goodly bunch joined in, including CHUCK ENNIS and my inexperienced self. The younger classes were well-represented. We managed our only meet for the year with M.I.T. and won! - see page 173 our of Aegis. As a result, Chuck and I have been able to claim, correctly, that we were undefeated college wrestlers.
Well .... they did it! Leveraging the outcry from athletes, parents, students and alumni, STEVE MULLINS, TOM KELSEY, and John Ballard ‘55 convinced the cost-cutters in the College administration to reverse the decision to downgrade Swimming and Diving as varsity sports. A commitment was put forth to raise $2 million in pledges from alumni to finance the annual operating budget of the aquatic programs over a period of nine years. The Dean’s office agreed to finance the initial year, based on such pledges. While the logic of hitting a single varsity sport with the entire cut for the Athletic Department (versus cutting all sports by a common percentage) was easily understood, one might wonder whether swimming was selected with a diabolically clever sub-plot in mind. "Let’s target the sport which has the most intense, the most fanatic and the most dedicated alumni - those who are the most likely to solve our problem for us." It worked. Congratulations!!
Staying with things Mullins-esque, letter from Steve and TOM TYLER that follows, inviting you to join them at a "connecting" Midwest Weekend in early September. The effort already expended toward creating an extraordinary several days exploring the highpoints of Chicago and environs is evident and appreciated.

DARTMOUTH CLASS OF 1954
MIDWEST WEEKEND
SEPTEMBER 4-9, 2003
(weekend after Labor Day)
During the final days of the D’54 Greek cruise, positive interest was garnered for an extended weekend in Chicago and Southwest Michigan (the "Hamptons of the Midwest"), to be hosted by Carol and Steve Mullins and Kay and Tom Tyler. Enough classmates have now committed to make it a go! We hope you will join us in visiting our beautiful city and nearby Michigan playground during this best time of the year.
Following is the prospective itinerary. Please contact Steve Mullins, per below, if you have interest in the gathering.
THURSDAY-TUESDAY - SEPT 4th-9th
We wish to emphasize that we do not anticipate that you will be able to participate in all of the events, but will pick and choose and proceed according to your own pace.
THURSDAY - SEPT 4th
Arrive on your own schedule (the earlier, the more of Friday-Saturday venues you can experience on Thursday.) Check in at a downtown hotel (‘54 block of rooms.) Cubs baseball game (1:20pm, vs St. Louis). 6:30pm Cocktail Reception - dinner on own. (Or arrive Friday morning).
FRIDAY - SEPT 5th
(With the use of $39 City Pass and free trolley system) - Field Museum ("Sue" the dinosaur); Art Institute (Seurat’s "Sunday in the Park at Grand Jette"); Museum of Science and Industry (Coal mine, submarine, etc.); Aquarium and Oceanarium (largest in country); John Hancock Observatory (U.S.’s second tallest building). Other options: Sears Sky Deck - world’s tallest viewing area; New Millennium Park (spectacular); Stroll and shop Michigan Avenue’s "Magnificent Mile"; Tour of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and Ernest Hemingway’s home in Oak Park; Architectural walking tour; Navy Pier Amusement area (Giant Ferris wheel, Stained Glass Museum) and more.
7:00 pm cocktails and banquet in downtown restaurant.
SATURDAY - SEPT 6th
9:00 am - 3:00 pm: Continue venues of Friday
3:00 pm Bus tour of Chicago North Shore: Northwestern University, Bahai Temple, Classical lakefront homes, Emma Willard House and (of course) the American Toby Jug Museum (guided tour).
6:30 pm: Cocktails and Bar-B-Que at Mullins’ Victorian house in Evanston.

10:00 pm Bus departs for downtown. (Andy’s for jazz or House of Blues, if you’re up for it.)
SUNDAY - SEPT. 7
10:00 am: Architectural boat ride along Chicago River (a must)
12:00 noon Picnic lunch along river. (Those wishing to return home after could do so).
1:30 pm: Pick up autos (shared) and depart for Mullins’ beach house or Tyler’s lake house (40 minutes apart) or local inns in southwest Michigan’s "Harbor Country" (90 minutes from Chicago). For generations, the beaches and resorts here have drawn visitors seeking relaxation and recreation.
6:00 pm: Cocktails at Tyler’s lake house, nestled on tranquil Indian Lake.
8:00 pm Dinner at local restaurant overlooking a vineyard.
MONDAY - SEPT. 8
A time to relax: Antiquing (lots thereof), fine shops, art galleries, boating, water skiing (?), golfing (numerous courses), fishing (Lake Michigan Coho), stroll endless miles of soft sand private beaches, swim in Lake Michigan or Indian Lake, or meander through orchards, vineyards, fields or woods.
6:30 pm: Cocktails and buffet dinner at Mullins’ beach house on a dune overlooking Lake Michigan (fabulous sunsets).
TUESDAY - SEPT. 9
(optional) Tour of Notre Dame campus and/or College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, IN (45 minute drive), lunch at the University Club.
Afternoon departure for home (O’Hare Field 2 hours distant) after another wonderful ‘54 bonding event.
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Total estimated cost: $900 per couple (five nights hotel, $500; three dinners, $250; sightseeing and miscellaneous, $150), plus transportation; does not include shopping!
Please contact Steve Mullins, indicating your interest in this event at: 70 East Lake Street, Suite 620, Chicago, IL 60601, or fax (312) 553-0441 or email, Steve.Mullins@mindspring.com
Steve Mullins Tom Tyler

The March issue of Vanity Fair features an article about Aspen. Prominent in the references is BOB RAFELSON, now a permanent Aspen-ite. He and young son Ethan-Otis are pictured hiking on the banks of Castle Creek. In addition to a story about rolling a jeep with passengers Jack Nicholson and Angelica Huston, Bob is quoted at length, descrying the ruination of Aspen by infusion of the outer world: "I’m appalled because it means the disappearance of the soul of the place."
STEVE FAST has finally "after 21 years running with the Wells Fargo Stage Coach" decided to switch gears and explore other challenges. In late February, in quest of something completely different, he and KATHY attended a morning lecture in Papua on cannibalism, then planned to have lunch with the "mudmen" in the afternoon. If we see them at the 50th, we’ll know that they were not the entree. After March 27, Steve’s email: dartmouthsteve@aol.com.
JERRY GOLDSTEIN uncovered two obscure newspaper references to classmates: an article on raunch-jock Howard Stern’s purchase of a mansion in the Hamptons - "The house’s traditional feel is the work of local architect FRANK HOLLENBECK (Robert De Niro’s one-time designer)"; and in an article about the third rising of Rheingold beer, the new CEO mentions that he made the karmic discovery that he was a distant relative of the founder, Samuel LIEBMAN, a less distant relative of our own PETE.
Another later-in-life retiree, WALT DINGWALL, left home and law practice in Fort Lauderdale and trekked to a farm in the mountains of North Carolina. The Rotary Club and some community affairs keeps him active and he and WENDY keep their minds active with the proximity of Appalachian State U. "The lovable, religious, warm, friendly hillbillies are a myth!" Assume "myth" refers only to the hillbilly part. 225 Ira Harmon Rd., Vilas, NC 28692; (828) 297-7100; wallding@msn.com.
Last September, DAVE MARTIN had the fascinating experience of being an observer of elections in the first free election of the president of Serbia since the overthrow of Milosovic. His description of his experiences are detailed in an article he wrote for the Cosmos Club Magazine - too long for the newsletter, but available upon request. Dave found his portion of the "strife-torn" Balkans surprisingly devoid of the ruination of landscape, property and spirit one usually associates with the events of the last decade or so. The elections went according to the rules and required a second round in which Dave also participated. His selection for the event came from his registry with an organization called PAE, Inc., that contracts with the State Department to supply monitors for elections in the Balkans. If you are interested, check out PAEchl.com. It’s the luck of the draw among a large number of aspirants, but Dave will tell you that it is both worthwhile and exciting.
Winter Carnival had some of the aspects this year of the times we enjoyed in the 50s. John Gillespie reported that the center-of-campus statue was the best he has seen in years. The New York Times ran a nostalgic story on the legendary drunken visit to campus by Budd Schulberg, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Walter Wanger to write the oft-played but terrible film, "Winter Carnival." I was interviewed by telephone by a reporter for The Dartmouth and was quoted rather extensively in her article about my memories. We all have those same memories of what was a spectacular happening in just the right place. Building statues, planning parties, driving the snow-bound five miles to White River to greet the bell-ringing steam engine and its gorgeous passengers from the many women’s colleges that provided the dazzle to our all-male environment, Outdoor Evening, skiing and jumping competitions, the big dance with the Barbary Coast playing. This year, for the first time in a while, the Dartmouth skiers won! Psi U’s keg-jump event is now prohibited. And BOB DALY’s never-broken record of 7 dates for the weekend got its annual mention.
Thirteen gathered for the January ski connection at Mount Snow and had great conditions and social interactivities. The seven classmates (JAY DAVIS, DICK GORSEY, DICK PEARL, JOHN MORAN, PHIL COOKE, NED FREEDMAN AND DANA LOW) were joined by four wives and two baby-boomers. Give more than passing thought to this convivial, convenient few days the next time it is scheduled.
REUNION EXTENSION
HERB HILLMAN and PETE KENYON have taken on the responsibility for planning an extended few days immediately following the 50th reunion. After investigating a large number of possibilities, they have settled on The Basin Harbor Club on Lake Champlain for June 13-15, 2004. You will be receiving a letter describing the club, its facilities and planned activities within the next few months. Peter had a dazzling career in the art of promoting things, so be aware that the letter you receive may well be a tad off the beaten path of communication you are used to. Fun reading, but pour a tall, stiff one before pursuing it.
A note from BOB "Whitey" WHITE "...looking back on my first and part of my second year on this earth, at the peak of the Depression, my father and mother were loaned a house to live in free of rent, good general store, pretty countryside. The lender was their friend John R. Tunis, sportscaster and novelist. The place was in Rowayton, CT. I’d tell more, but it was before I’d developed verbal skills and I can’t remember much. While many people were huddled under bridges, covered with newspapers and cardboard, we were warm and well-fed. My mother always recalled that haven as providential! ...... Retired professor Bob views the world from the perspective of a bagging person at Shaw’s Market in Canton, MA and passed on the following in a previous card: "One of our regular customers is a fairly handsome chap, with gray moustache and sideburns. In patrician tones, he usually announces ‘Make that paper inside plastic, if you would.’ He has passed by at least 11 times and has no clue who I am. He was my dean for 12 years or so! Perception is all in the setting!"
From ROBERT DURHAM, writing from Haverford, PA: "I am retiring from the practice of law effective January 2003. Hope to stay more in touch with my classmates. I have a date to meet ED and BRENDA HAYES in Philadelphia to enjoy the opera. Have already had a nice reunion with YNGVAR HVISTENDAHL. Hard to believe we’re coming up on our 50th reunion, but look forward to it!"
LARRY RUSSELL, of Olympic torch-carrying fame, reports no ‘54s in Atlanta (or all of Georgia, for that matter). Now retired, he spends time house-sitting on St. Simons Island, playing golf and touring the Sapelo and Cumberland Islands. He laments that the Atlanta Dartmouth Club holiday party was great, but a little lonely without any others in the ‘53-’55 era. With a winter storm down to 10 degrees forecast in early January, Larry finds his Hanover snow-driving skills help to keep him out of trouble.
CLARK and DONNA DAVIS continue to be over-busy in spite of several health ambushes on Clark. After reading through Donna’s various credentials and responsibilities, she appears to be the queen of all flower-growing and judging in the country. Clark has taken the dangerous step of being elected to his condo’s board and is doing some part-time marketing of the Northwest PA Industrial Resource Center. We should see the Davises return to Homecoming next Fall and will once again be able to enjoy Old Maude’s juice to kill the taste of the vodka at our pre-game luncheon.
DON SIMONDS has both the creativity to write truly intriguing prose and the curiosity to find equally interesting material. Recently, he re-delivered "The End of the Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe’s cat" to the many who had requested it. Then he penned "The Plea", which is a cry for relief from the constant influx of jokes, photos, articles, cartoons, etc. forwarded on email by well-meaning friends. Both are probably still available from the retired CIA agent at DMSimonds@aol.com.
Knowing of his extensive files of things Dartmouth, we asked Don what he had on the Great issues course we all had the privilege of enduring during our senior year. The entire syllabus arrived in the mail, along with the schedule. Over the next several newsletters, various segments from this material will be excerpted.
First, the structure. Great Issues convened every Monday night in 104 Dartmouth with a speaker of note, followed by a Tuesday morning discussion with the speaker. We also met on Thursday mornings, generally with professors as speakers. We were required to read the New York Times and the Herald Tribune regularly in addition to a variety of assigned readings. For the first semester, F. Cudworth Flint was the director, followed by Robin Robinson for the second semester. We sat alphabetically. President Dickey opened our course with "Liberal Arts and Great Issues."In Bulletin #3: "A few members of the class have complained about a disturbing ratio of coughs per lecture hour. While this ratio results in large measure from the activity of cold germs over which the staff of the Great Issues Course has little or no control, the complaints are passed along for whatever action individuals may be willing and able to take. It is often possible to cough with the mouth closed with minimum acoustic and maximum altruistic results."

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RICHARD C. TWEEDY died of leukemia on October 4, 2002. Minimal information is available about Dick. Please pass on any recollections you have to the editor.