DECEMBER
2004
CLASS OF THE YEAR!
At the Homecoming Class meeting, President
JAY DAVIS announced that he
had accepted the laurels for the Class at the annual gathering of Class Officers
in
Hanover
.
The essence of the award: “In Pursuit of Excellence, Dartmouth College
Recognizes with Deep Appreciation the Extraordinary Achievements of THE CLASS OF
1954 - 2004 Class of the Year”, followed by a long recitation of those
achievements, including our participation stats for dues and the Class gift, 11
mini-reunions, the website, Pen Pals, the Rockefeller interns, number of
newsletters and the time capsule.
Once the applause died down, it picked up again as Jay announced
that HARRY ROBINSON had been honored as Treasurer of the Year. President
of the Treasurers’ Association, Harry worked
tirelessly to help younger classes get their fiscal priorities in order.
Noted , appreciated and awarded. A
well-deserved accolade.
Click here for large
enlargement (1.5MB)
1954
Does Homecoming!
Courtesy
John Gillespie
The mixture of new/old officers and functionaries informed, entertained
and cajoled the capacity crowd of ‘54s who had journeyed to
Hanover
in spite of the
less-than-spectacular record of the football team:
-BRYCE BASTIAN obtained easy approval of the BERLIN-penned ‘03 minutes,
then named the seven Classmates lost since the prior Homecoming.
-HARRY ROBINSON reported that we had finally pruned some 50 Classmates
from the subscription list for the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine (DAM) and the
newsletter mailing list due to nonpayment of dues and general non-interest.
A second list of 50 who are in the near-expulsion category will receive a
letter from Harry and be given the opportunity to repent. Concurrently, the
subscription rate for the DAM has decreased due to our entering the “Older”
category. Balancing this lowering of expenses, the decision has been reached to
send the newsletter by first-class mail - a move designed to “get us all on
the same page, timewise”. Harry handed out a table showing dues participation
by class and ‘54 is the third highest (to the classes of ‘40 and ‘44) at a
pride-inducing 72.18%! No wonder he won the award! Other uses of Class funds
were discussed later in the meeting, except for DICK PAGE constantly asking:
“Does that mean we have a $10,000 surplus?”
-HUGH NOLIN, our dauntless Head Agent, tossed out an ‘04/’05 gift
target of between $260,000 and $300,000 (versus $295,000 achieved in our last
non-reunion year). While most contributions to other
Dartmouth
activities that were
counted for the 50th gift will not count this year, the thrust will be to
continue the participation achieved for the 50th gift. Don’t make me come in
there!
-continuing
newsletter editor PETE BARKER (me) proclaimed that he had been authorized to
write as many newsletters as he wanted. Editor’s note: the lateness of this
newsletter is only slightly excusable due to a switch to a
less-than-user-friendly new iMac. STEVE
MULLINS suggested that the June ‘05 newsletter contain a summary of all
deceased Classmates and directory changes.
-under the watchful eye of JOHN LODGE GILLESPIE, Dr. JOHN FENN rose to
discuss mini-reunions. The turnout for Homecoming was 58, including spouses and
playmates. One of the draws was the continuing enthusiasm of the many who had
cruised the
Dalmatian
Coast
in the company of a group
of adventurous ‘54s. They had a fine looking-at-pictures gathering and a
lovingly-prepared brunch at the MANDYs before heading home on Sunday. That
particular cruise was two years in the planning (
Don Berlin
sharing the burden) and
served as a good model for laying out the next one. John reported that those on
the cruise held a brief service on board in memory of DAVE McLAUGHLIN and that a
tape of the College memorial was to be played for the Homecoming participants
the next morning. The next such
Class gathering may be a river trip, or even one on land. From the 38
questionnaire responses, 75% showed a preference for the West Coast, so
DON DESCOMBES’ name came to
the fore and Dr. Fenn is in touch
with him for a (maybe) late March/early April event. Maybe golf, Catalina, great
food, a MESICS Shiraz and other attractions on that side of the continent.
“Walking tour” also garnered many votes - something cultured, culinary or
challenging. BILL MURANE, one experienced in such adventures, volunteered to
investigate. The planned holiday luncheons in
New York
and
Boston
were urged upon those in
atten
dan
ce.
-DICK PAGE spoke for the Fly-fishing team and mentioned that the group is
looking for new recruits (and wives).
-Vice President Berlin exercised a negotiated prerogative of his rank and
exhorted all activity planners to coordinate calendars through Jay Davis. Our
award-winning penchant for connecting, occasionally runs afoul of conflicting
schedules.
-Ski-meister Jay Davis reviewed plans for the winter:
-January 9-11 at
Mount
Snow
(and
maybe Stratton and/or Okemo)
-February 27-ish at
Aspen
, 28th at Snowmass and
March 5-8 at Vail.
Dates are still tentative, so Jay suggested
“think early March.”
-JIM TOFIAS bragged on the last golf outing, then passed the putter to
MORT GALPER. Since the Plantation
Inn was “getting a little tired” for the group, a move to
Fort Myers
seemed appropriate -
cost, ease of access, etc. Country Inn and Suites, March 6-10. Golf and tennis.
Croquet is “abridged” due to the lack of a pitch. The hotel survived
the hurricane and offers plenty to do in the area, including
Sanibel Island
and Red Sox spring
training. So far, ten have signed up toward a capacity of 25 (plus the local
‘54s). JOHN HESTON suggested that Classmates in other winter golf-friendly
areas organize similar outings. Have at it! Details of the outing will be laid
out later in this document.
-TOM TYLER, as Gift Planning Chair, explained the mechanics of presenting
the College with a deferred gift and receiving income from the gift until death
(one-third tax-free). Gifts may be
in the form of an annuity or a trust. During
the months of May and June, two Classmates established charitable gift
annuities, one with a cash gift of $25,000 and the other with securities valued
at $10,000. When both plans
terminate, the College will receive the proceeds for unrestricted use.
As a whole, the Class of 1954 has established over $4-million in such
gifts. For more information, call
the Gift Planning Office (800-451-4067) or call Tom. Additionally, Tom announced
that the Sanborn House Fund (set up by Jay Davis) is now in the form of an
endowment. Tom has out-raced the
publication of this newsletter and has already put a letter into your mailbox on
the subject of charitable gifts.
-Awards Guy
BO
B ADNOPOZ
declared the Class of 1954 Award “dead” in that all 54 of the
MARGE TOMCHUK prints have been awarded.
We will continue to recognize deserving Classmates for outstanding
service and accomplishments in other ways yet to be determined. The coveted
Gillespie Award will continue to be presented as a “tip o’ the hat” to
‘54s who conjure and manage connecting events. Bob received a round of
applause for agreeing to continue in this sometimes sensitive position.
- wide-ranging Class activities are gathered under the general term
“Class Projects”. PETE KENYON reported on the many aspects in which he is
involved. A book is placed in Baker Library in memory of each deceased Classmate
with a nameplate inside its cover. While the library usually picks the book, the
selection of the book to memorialize DAVE McLAUGHLIN carries special
significance. The library people offered two choices: one about Red
Cross-related Clara Barton and a book of photos, celebrating the outdoors. A
vote was taken and the outdoors book was selected by the Class as a symbol of
Dave’s lifelong love of “places”.
Next, Peter discussed our annual $500 contribution to
Dartmouth
’s athletics programs.
It was decided to continue the contribution and, at Steve Mullins’ suggestion,
to increase it to $1000. Steve said
that the move would put us into a more acceptable ranking among other classes.
He also mentioned that ‘54 ranks 6th in numbers of individual Classmates
contributing to the Athletic Sponsor Program (32).
We have a long history of supporting student internships and fellowships
in public service. Most recently, our contributions have been made for
Rockefeller interns and it had become a custom to have one or more of those
students speak to us at Homecoming. This
past summer, with a great amount of assistance from DICK TROWBRIDGE, four
separate campus organizations were reviewed as potential alternatives to our
present program: The Dickey Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Tucker
Foundation and Partners in Community Service (PCS).
Assistant Dean and director of PCS
Lynn White Cloud and two interns spoke and gave clear illustrations of the
experiences to be gained and the benefits provided by the program. After some
protracted discussion, it was decided to fund a David T. McLaughlin ‘54
Fellowship under the Dickey Foundation and a domestic fellowship under the
Tucker Foundation. While this is a slight shift in direction, it is contained
within the same Class dues structure.
-heaving an audible sigh of relief, BILL WHITE rose to announce that the
new Class Directory, some 660 in number, had been delivered to the Post Office .
The larger-than-the-Class number was necessitated by the growing number of
‘54s that have more than one “place”. At this writing, the following
changes have already arisen:
Austermann - d6s8ilm@webtv.net
Felter - jfredf@earthlink.net
Koivun - (in geographic section)
Arkansas
!
F. Page - fredpage54@aol.com
C. Reed - cmreed654@socal.rr.com
- fax (714) 969-8804
R. Grundman - grundman@countrynet.net
-Tel (903) 856-1300
N. Ross -
2507 Dogwood Ct
,
Clearwater
,
FL
33761
; (727) 723-3252
-Dick Page has agreed to chair a committee for the determination of an
appropriate David T. McLaughlin gift to the College. The initial thought is to
fund the gift privately. The committee, consisting of Dick, PETE GEITHNER,
John Heston
,
Don Berlin
and Pete Kenyon will
report back within a year.
-Jay mentioned and made available copies of a recent Dartmouth Review in
which the lead story was entitled “Reconsidering David McLaughlin”. The
thrust of the rather well-written piece was that Dave’s “fanaticism for
Dartmouth
” had been both his
strength and the underlying cause of some of the problems he encountered during
his time as president of the College. Bit of a hearkening back to Barry
Goldwater’s “fanaticism in the pursuit of freedom .....”
-the
questionnaire item regarding the provision of individual support for Classmates
in distress drew 30 positive replies. Each responder has received a note of
acknowledgment from Jay. RIP COFFIN has agreed to chair the Classmate Health
Support Team and will develop the means by which it will function. Dr.
John Fenn
correctly posited that
moral support was fine, but that we should refrain from offering medical advice
(not sure whether that applies to the many ‘54 physicians ...). Meanwhile,
continue to report the names of
Classmates needing a boost to the newsletter editor.
-the meeting adjourned to a hearty Thayer lunch and Bloody Marys (Mr. T,
not Old Maude’s Juice) with an indeterminate number making the trek downhill
to Memorial Field. At this writing, the dismissal of Coach John Lyons has been
announced. The firing of Buddy Teevens (Stanford) at the same time has generated
some obvious “back to the future” prognostications on the part of some.
-the Class dinner at the
Inn
was a nicely arranged
affair. JUDY McLAUGHLIN graciously joined us. The evening was capped with the
presentation of Gillespie Awards to two dynamic duos: HERB HILLMAN and Pete
Kenyon for the post-reunion vacation at the Basin Harbor Club; and
Don
Berlin
and
John Fenn
for their flair and
determination in organizing and managing ‘54 cruises. The applause was loud
and long.
So
Endeth the Homecoming Report
****************************************************
-MEAD
and DIANE METCALF cruised the beautiful coast of
Alaska
from
Anchorage
to
Vancouver
aboard the Statendam :
“Great weather, calm seas and incredible views of giant glaciers
‘calving’ into the ocean. Shopping in
Sitka
,
Juneau
,
Ketchikan
and
Vancouver
where a huge totem pole
was purchased. Stay tuned!”
-Kicking over the age of six dozen years will allow DANA LOW to ski for
free at France’s Courcheval in
January, but he’ll still have to pony up
for younger wife ANNE. As chairman of the World Road Federation (IRF), Dana led
a delegation of senior
representatives from many countries to X’ain,
China
for a discussion of the
refurbishment of the ancient
Silk Road
.
China
, as the newest member of
the IRF, hosted. Unbeknownst to Dana (not wearing headphones), he was introduced
as “Excellence” as he rose to deliver his closing remarks. Anne didn’t
tell him about the honorific until they returned
to
Connecticut
. So .... Excellence it
is!
-Tucson TOMMY THOMPSON, while visiting a VA hospital for some adjustment
to his dialysis therapy, slipped, fell and broke his ankle. He contracted a
staph infection from the surgery and the several screws used to reconstruct the
joint and threw a few blood clots. BETH estimated that it looked like a good 6-8
weeks (from October 6) before he would be released. Reporter DICK BARKER
suggested that the moral might well be to stay away from VA
hospitals. Here’s a good time to get the Health Support Team into
action. Dig out your new directory and jolly up Tommy with a note or a card.
-Concurrent Greencards from
Bill
Murane
and HOWIE ARONSON
described the same event in
Venice
. The Muranes were warming
up for the Adriatic cruise and the Aronsons were on their way home from a
Venetian vacation - three tables apart at an outdoor restaurant on the
Grand Canal
! Howie’s card mentioned
that he had just returned from two weeks in
China
where he was studying
Mandarin (“... keeping the brain active”). On the other hand,
Bill
cited an encounter with
BO
B RAFELSON at the Denver
Film Festival where several of Bob’s films were being showcased, including
Five Easy Pieces and The King of Marvin Gardens - both featuring a very young
Jack Nicholson.
-A post-reunion card from MEREDITH MYSERIAN virtually glowed with good
feelings and memories. A prime example of the positive aspects of Connecting,
her only regret was not having enough time to swap stories with CHUCK’s old
buddies and the newly-made friends from
Cape Cod
. The Class welcomes all
widows to our activities and owes a great deal to DOT FITCH for her leadership.
-LUKE CASE
serves as
the Secretary
and Treasurer of the Dartmouth Club of Northern Ohio. He forwarded an
extremely well-written event announcement (nice blend of wit, sarcasm, detail
and calls to action) he had put out to the club members regarding a September 30
fish/eat/listen gathering at the Pine Lake Trout Club. All sorts of fishing
rules, including “you catch, you keep it ... and you pay $10 a pound.” Also
you can use anything to interest fish in your hook on the lake, but only flies
in the stream. Luke had arranged for Dean Tommy Lee Woon to address the alumni
on the subject of Diversity (the area which he “deans”). In Luke’s
estimation: “The only College administrator to speak intelligently of and on
the subject in 25 years.” In spite of its confusion in counting votes for
President, being Green in Northern Ohio sounds like a good thing and place to
be.
-Dr. DAVID LEVINE was coaxed out of a busy retirement (furniture-making,
cooking) by The Hospital for Special Surgery to assume the post of Director of
Alumni Affairs. “Affairs” in this case refers to activities, communications,
reunions, etc. - not adulterous adventures. From the two “From the
Director’s Chair” newsletters I have read, it appears that David was born to
the job. He has expanded the definition of alumnus/alumna beyond orthopaedic
surgeons to include rheumatologists, anesthesiologists, psychiatrists, etc. -
the well-known alum-expanding technique that both builds the treasury and blends
related experiences into the camaraderie that is the lifeblood of such
organizations. Wonder what special
surgery psychiatrists perform - on the psyche? A satisfying post-retirement
activity with a good vibes payoff.
-ROGER GILMORE, the constant chubber, recounted a memorable 65th birthday
celebration of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge in August. Much was contributed by
alumni activists - contra-
dan
cing, group singing and
the retelling of many of Ross McKinney’s Jean Baptiste stories. The student
workers were still in awe of the aged ‘54s who climbed the mountain before our
50th. Roger “explored the recesses of Jobildunc Ravine and the old
Asquamchumauki Nature Trail”, plus he found the Pleiades Cascades on the
“now trail-less” Gorge Brook enroute to the summit. As a nice continuance,
he mentioned a visit by his ‘04 Pen Pal, Julia Payne and boyfriend. Lastly, he
and BETTY anticipated a reconvening with VICTOR and MIMI MAHLER after a 50-year
lapse.
-JERRY GOLDSTEIN forwarded the following from the local
Palm Beach
,
FL
local paper: “Family
Ties - RALPH DESTINO, Jr. wanted so badly to live near his dear ol Dad that he
was willing to skip the piano music. Ralph Jr. bought a house in Bridgehampton
from designer Randolph Duke, but not before hammering a half-mill off Duke’s
asking price of $x.x million. The apple doesn’t fall, etc. The house was
supposed to be ‘fully furnished’, but the seller decided at the last minute
that he couldn’t abandon his baby grand. Junior said ‘whatever’ and closed
the deal. Now he can get into his new kitchen and bake an apple pie to take to
his next-door neighbor, his dad. The neighbor on the other side is Peter
Jennings. For him, he can bake a humble pie.”
-JOHN CUNNINGHAM regrets missing the
New York
holiday lunch - doing
School for Scandal on the West Coast.
-from GEORGE GRA
BO
YS: “I was terribly
saddened to learn of ‘JOE’ GRUEL’s passing. We lived together for two
years in Russell Sage. He was a bit of a wild man then, but was fun to be
around. He wisely left in 1952 for the service. When he re-enrolled, he had a
purpose - did well and went on to get his law degree. 35 years later, we met in
Grand Rapids
. He still had the swagger
and self-assurance of his college days, but by now, it had been earned. He was
almost legendary in a trial court - known nationally. He would have demolished
Perry Mason!”
-PETE GUTLON wrote his Greencard half in
Massachusetts
and half in
Florida
(
Highland
Beach
). As a precursor to the
Health Support Team, Pete asks that any ‘54 who has been afflicted with
Pulmonary Fibrosis please contact him in order to compare notes. He and SUE are
at PS@Gutlon.com.
-Super-Steve Mullins does not flag in his aquatic competitions all over
the globe, even though he despairs at the natural diminishments wrought by
advancing age (some 2% per year by his reckoning). After winning several state
championships, he attended both major
US
championships (
Ft.
Lauderdale
and
Indianapolis
) and garnered a bagful of
medals including a gold in the 1000 yard freestyle event. Then in June, off to
Riccione, Italy for the World Championships where he won a 6th, a 9th and two
11ths - the Worlds! Having done the 7-continent bit, Steve and CAROL did some US
travel in 2004 - Vegas, Death Valley, Santa Barbara, New Orleans, Vail, Kansas
City, etc. I get tired just writing about it.
-Ed Ballard, newsletter editor for the ‘49s, passed along the news that
the Dartmouth College Figure Skating Team were the 2004 National Champions in
intercollegiate competition. Coaching the team were Mike McGean ‘49, former
National and World Ice Dancing champ and his daughter Loren ‘92. Conjures up
memories of our first Outdoor Evening and the performances of Dick Button and
the Heiss sisters.
-Email commentary from ED SCOTT (
Vancouver
) is a virtual daily
occurrence on the Barker computer screen. Much
of it is related to his disregard for those who govern
Canada
. In his More Reflections
submission, Ed offered his opus,
Canada
101 for Americans to any
and all Classmates - an email request will get a copy in the mail to you.
For those of you who picked up one of Ed’s Maple Leaf pins at the 45th
reunion, you should further your perspective on our neighbor to the north with
Canada
101. On another note,
Ed’s dual citizenship gave him the opportunity to vote in the recent
Presidential contest. He had sent a humorous (?) conservative piece to DAVE
SICES who thought perhaps to make a bumper sticker of it.
The Sices live in mostly Democrat Carol Woods, NC - “JACQUELINE is a
member of an active political group here, Elders for Peace (mainly Quakers - you
know how they are ...); but I have remained politically apathetic ...”
DAVE
Many Classmates have offered commentary on David McLaughlin, the man:
-
CLARK
DAVIS
: “.. the quintessence
of a ‘54 Classmate. Always had the time to chat and a sincere interest in the
lives of his ‘pals’. We all remember that wonderful smile and what he did
for us and for
Dartmouth
.”
-DAVE RANSOM: “There is so much more our world could have learned in
even another year of his life ..... he would always take the time to share a
hand, a word, a glance.”
-PETE BULLIS supplied a warm photo of Dave giving a ‘54 hug to his
daughter Eliza,
Georgetown
‘06. Other snaps from
the 50th captured his essence when in ‘54 mode.
-Of the “Dave stories” received to date, DICK PLUMMER hit a homerun:
“I remember one of the early days when Dave first came aboard and asked that
the Business Manager (my boss) accompany him on a tour of the campus. A few days
later, in spite of a busy schedule, the two met on the Green and proceeded to
walk the circumference of the campus, with Dave leading the way. As they walked
and surveyed the lawns, trees and buildings, Dave would break away and walk
aside to pick up bits of paper, trash, etc. and carry it to the nearest
receptacle. This impressed the Business Manager, and when told about it, also
impressed us at B & G. Soon after, our grounds became noticeably cleaner.
And Dave was not one to leave it alone as he personally persuaded the Trustees
to fund an additional $50,000 for the grounds budget, making possible such
improvements as a sprinkler system for the Green and, of course, many more trash
receptacles.”
Other
Stories
-Pete Kenyon proffers a slightly eerie “Tommy” story: “On the
Monday at
Basin
Harbor
, I was playing golf with
BO
B LEVINE, Herb Hillman and
RAY FREUD. Walking up to the 12th tee in the midst of an agonizingly mediocre
round, I spied a tee lying in the grass. Not being of the high income level as
enjoyed by our group of Classmates, I picked it up. On the tee was imprinted ‘Baltusrol”,
the
New Jersey
country club to which
T-Babe (THOMAS D. SAYLES) belonged for many years. Pocketed it and the rest of
the round took on a very different meaning and flood of memories. Quite
incredible.”
-PETE SCHENCK’s is a heartwarming one. First, he left
Hanover
early in order to gain a
little maturity at the hands of the Marine Corps. He then returned and graduated
under the aegis of John Kemeny. In June of 1958, however, Pete was in a
financial bind which did not afford him the luxury of hanging around campus
awaiting the formal graduation ceremony, so he departed early to begin with IBM
and got the diploma by mail. Then, for almost five years leading up to our 50th,
LYNDA conspired with Dick Page and DICK LEWIS to bring some sort of closure to
Pete regarding his missing the graduation rituals. So ... following the Class
luncheon in front of Baker, former Trustee Page rushed up to Pete and said:
“C’mon, there’s someone who wants to meet you!” Shortly after, President
Jim Wright gave Pete his graduation handshake and the two discussed their common
bond of being fellow Marines. According
to Pete: “Marines make good leaders. The college is in good hands!”
-Dr.
John Fenn
can’t stay away from
it. In addition to teaching a course in medical ethics in conjunction with the
Yale New Haven hospital, he now serves as treasurer of the Yale Surgical
Society.
-At a recent Cape Cod Dartmouth Club gathering, Dick Barker greeted TOM
and BARBARA HALL and ED and BRENDA HAYES at the seminar, Ethics in Leadership.
-Pete Barker’s appearance as butler to Paris Hilton in The Simple Life
is scheduled for January 26 -
8:30
on Fox. A reality show
with no script nor rehearsals - the director just suggested an idea and we
improvised the rest. Recently had a chance introduction to actor Eli Wallach at
Gail’s alumni dinner at City College of New York. He was most gracious to a
“freshman” actor and capped the conversation with the advice: “Change your
name!” Suggestions are welcomed. I’m toying with W. Griffith Barker, Jr. -
more distinguished.
Golf
The annual ‘54 gold outing has grown into a sizable connecting event
and one that has drawn Classmates who have not participated in Class doings in
the past. As stated above, this year, it’s at the Country Inn and Suites at
Sanibel-Gateway in
Florida
. Make reservations
directly as soon as possible. The direct telephone number is (239) 425-9292;
toll-free national number is (800) 456-4000. Identify yourself as part of the
Dartmouth
‘54 group and request
the special
Dartmouth
‘54 rate. Dick Lewis is
in charge of the golf arrangements and has been reviewing and selecting courses
in a range of challenge and enjoyment. If you plan to attend, notify
Mort Galper
(m.galper@att.net; (727)
773-2138) so he can make tee-time and meal reservations.
-DAVE MARTIN journeyed to
Macedonia
in mid-November on his
fourth tour as an international election observer.
Just prior, he was in
Denver
to help his daughter in
her race for the Colorado General Assembly.
The results of both of these endeavors will be reported in the next
newsletter.
Jay and Harry Robinson:
Click here for an
enlargement (798 KB)
====================================================================
IN MEMORIAM
JILL
SHELLEY
The Class extends its condolences to DICK SHELLEY on the loss of his
beloved JILL. The onset of pancreatic cancer earlier in the year progressed
swiftly and she passed away on September 14. A dynamo in several areas, Jill
worked with a successful travel
agency and was very active in their church in
New Bern
,
NC
. She was a Board member
of the American Association of University Women and her giving nature was
demonstrated in her teaching of Bosnian and Montagnard refugees and her
philanthropic trips to
Haiti
. We join with Dick in
wishing her restful peace.
GEORGE
FRANKLIN MURDOCH
Word has reached us that George Murdoch died on April 30 in his hometown
of
Marion
,
Iowa
. He had gone into cardiac
arrest on March 26 and was in a coma until his passing. He had led a healthy,
active life until that time and there had been no indication of a problem.
Condolences have been forwarded to MARLYCE.
George Murdoch joined us in
Hanover
from
Marion
High School
where he had been a most
active athlete. He roomed with PETE DWIGHT during freshman year, majored in
history and was a brother of Kappa Sigma. Following graduation, he spent two
years in the Marine Corps (2nd Marine Air Wing). After discharge, he returned to
Iowa
and joined the family
business of funeral parlors. He became general manager in 1960 and grew the
business from three funeral homes to nine. As a local boy making his living in
the community, George was tremendously active: president of the Chamber of
Commerce, president of the YMCA Board, 10 years on the School Board and
appointed to the State Board of Examiners by the governor. He retired in 1992
and he and Marlyce abandoned their motor home in favor of
a second home on a golf course in
Gulf Shores
,
AL
, They spent their time
between the two places, plus regular visits to a farm on the
Minnesota
border. Three children
have produced five grandchildren, three of whom are in college and one of whom
is a fourth-generation legacy at Marlyce’s alma mater,
Coe
College
. George had heart by-pass
surgery in 1990 and again in 2003.
We are diminished by his loss. A memorial book will be placed in Baker
Library in his memory.
KEHNROTH
SCHRAMM
Ken Schramm passed away from a heart problem on September 24 in
Vancouver
,
British Columbia
,
Canada
.
He had lost all connection with the College and the Class and it was
through the searching of his former roommate,
BO
B BEAN, that he was
located in spring of this year. Bob’s daughter found a poem Ken had written
that had been posted on the
University
of
British Columbia
website and contact was
reestablished.
Kehnroth Schramm was born in
White Plains
,
NY
and came to campus from
New Canaan
High School
in
Connecticut
.
At
Dartmouth
, he majored in philosophy
and found the outlets for his interest in the Outing Club and Dartmouth
Christian Union. Vic Mahler
remembers him as a man of strong spiritual beliefs. As he moved through his
studies, his thoughts of his later
life became clear and he told Bob Bean that he aspired to become a “medical
Margaret Mead” and from all the information received, it appears that he was
successful.
Following graduation, Ken received his medical degree in pediatrics from
the
University
of
Vermont
.
In 1967, he moved to
Canada
as a symbolic objection
to the involvement of the
United States
in
Vietnam
. He taught at
McGill
University
and the
University
of
Regina
. In 1970, he moved to
British Columbia
, then on to
Calgary
in 1973 to complete his
residency in psychiatry, then back to
Vancouver
to practice psychiatry.
He became deeply involved with the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada and, in time,
became a leading light for the sick, the weak, the needy and those
seeking gui
dan
ce through life. He was
named a fire-keeper of the UBC House of Learning. At the time of his death, Ken
was a candidate for a Ph.D. in Education. Many communications with his companion
of the last twenty years, Daisy Heisler, have revealed a most extraordinary man
whose priorities transcend those of most of us living a “regular” life.
There were two funeral services for Ken. At his request, he was buried in
his Great Spirit blanket along with his drum and a few symbolic items. Daisy
advised that one of these items, a bell, was heard to ring several days after
his burial.
A memorial book will be placed in Baker Library in Ken’s memory.
Classmates desiring more information about the organizations and causes
of Ken should contact the newsletter editor.
ROBERT
PHILIP CURTIS
Father
Bob Curtis died in
Los Angeles
on November 17, his home
for the last 33 years. Information
and memories about him have been received from many ‘54s - all of whom
describe a most talented and dedicated man.
Bob came to
Dartmouth
from the
Capitol
Page
School
in
Silver Springs
,
MD.
His freshman Greenbook
bio reflects a mover and shaker kind of guy with involvements in politics,
dramatics, academics and newspaper reporting.
He roomed with DICK FRANKLIN and shared the second floor of Hitchcock
with eighteen other ‘54s. The many
lines under his name in the Aegis reflect a whirlwind of a student leader -
president of Phi Kappa Psi, the Undergraduate Council, the Intrafraternity
Council, DCAC, manager of freshman basketball and AFROTC. He was able to keep a
balance between the “let it all hang out” aspect of college life and the
responsibilities of those who have accepted positions of leadership.
Father George Fitzgerald and Dick Franklin have supplied most of the
background which follows.
After graduation, Bob served as an Air Force navigator with planes
refueling other planes, based out of
Omaha
. After discharge, he
followed his driving desire to emerge himself in show business. He enrolled in
the
Academy
of
Dramatic Arts
in
New York
and managed to land a few
small commercial spots. As was the custom, he moved to
Los Angeles
to develop a career in
acting. As was the case with most such young people, he had contact and exposure
to many
Hollywood
“types” but never
caught hold sufficiently to move ahead. After attending a retreat at
Manresa
in southern
California
, he sought direction in
becoming a Catholic. Fitz sent him
to the Paulists Fathers in Westwood and he received his instruction from Fr. Bud
Keiser, the founder of Paulists Productions.
He was received into the church in
Los Angeles
, then a few years later
decided to pursue the priesthood, joining the Paulists (The Missionary Society
of St. Paul the Apostle). According to Father Fitz: “Bob was impressed with
the ministry of the Paulists in Communications and Television. The Paulists are
a distinctly American community, small, but well-known because of its national
character .. all over the
US
with important work,
providing campus ministry at non-religious universities.” The rumors of the
various
Hollywood
people who were counseled
by Bob range from John Wayne to Cary Grant to ....
His enthusiasm, his initial involvements in acting and his being a
believer in the causes of the Paulists made him a perfect person for his chosen
role.
Bob fell ill some 20 years ago and eventually left the Paulists,
“freelancing”. Dick Franklin had occasional telephone contact with him and
once, when I tried to interest him in a reunion his rejoinder was: “I would
rather remember all my
Dartmouth
friends as they were back
then and glory in the joy of those times.”
A man who moved in many more directions than most of us, his memory is a
fine one. A memorial book will be placed in Baker Library in his memory.
==============================================================
Pete Barker
PGBarker54@aol.com
(203)
661-7611
