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April
2007 AN ALLIANCE WITH '53 Over the last 53 years, it has been evident that the admissions schemes at Dartmouth in the late 40s were designed to pair classes which would be at each other's throats constantly after graduation. The assumed purpose was positive - to spur each class to outdo the other in contributions, in reunion attendances, in providing Trustees and active participants in alumni activities, in reputations for doing great things. Selecting the Classes of 1953 and 1954 for this modern-day jousting was masterful. Oh yes, there are a few '53s we find less objectionable, but on the whole, with the caterwauling of '53's newsletter editor, Don Goss, the enmity has blossomed. We, of course, are well in the lead, having provided a Dartmouth president, holiday luncheon invitations for aimless Boston area '53s and their most attractive wives just for starters. We are tied at 11 for the distinguished Alumni Award (and they gave the wall on which the names are inscribed). They are one ahead in number of Trustees, but we had a Chairman of the Board and the first elected petition Trustee. But now, in our eighth decades, perhaps it is time to put aside the natural instincts and try to live in in a more harmonious state. The Alumni Council has provided a means for achieving this by designating one JOHN SPRINGER '53 as the Council representative for both classes. John dropped me a note in this respect at the suggestion of his Harbor Ridge/Sunapee neighbor, CHARLIE MORRISON. Thirteen years of newsletter editing has required me to develop an intelligence system which puts; the.. mechanisms of the CIA to shame and I put John's name into the hopper. Here's what came up . . . . A native of Ashland, Ohio, John was an active undergraduate at Dartmouth: -Sociology major -VP, Beta Theta Pi -Sphinx -Kappa Phi Kappa -DCU -A 4-year stalwart on the football team who confirms the Kazmeier nose hit described by our Class Luddite, JOE MESICS. Following graduation, John served as a Marine officer, flying jets and choppers from 1953-1958, then served with the reserves, retiring as a Colonel in 1976. His early training in Pensacola was in the company of Lt. Mesics. After earning an MI-IA in 1960, John plied a career in hospital management, the first 12 years at Mary Hitchcock, then 25 at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, mainly as President and CEO. Since 1996, he has been the Chairman of Medspan, an HMO. He and JANE have 4 daughters who have expanded the clan with 10 grandchildren. So we got us a good one. John's report of his first Alumni Council meeting included: -multiple presentations by various deans -presentation of the Master Plan for the campus -long discussion of the reasons the proposed new constitution failed -John's assigned membership on the Student Life Committee, which concerned itself with a series of campus programs to deal with student abuse of alcohol and drugs - "prevention, intervention and treatment." -discussions about the exaggerated flap about the U. of North Dakota's hockey team and its nickname, "Fighting Sioux." -announcement of the 3 Council-nominated candidates for the open Alumni Trustee seat. -lots of interchange with undergraduates -2 disagreeable guests who quibbled loudly about perceived faults in most everything associated with the Council, the Association of Alumni and the administration. In conclusion, John observed: "Having lived in Hanover 1959-1971, I feel that Dartmouth continues to be a place where energetic young people can spend 4 enjoyable years and have their minds and lives enriched for life." Let's provide John Springer with our comments and questions so that he can represent us with spirit and feeling at the next Council meeting. Write to him at 27 Birch Point Lane, Sunapee, NH 03782. Like Joe, he eschews email as a form of communication. The Trustee election is underway. We have received privately financed promotional material regarding Mssrs Smith and Alderson. The College has provided an excellent issue of Dartmouth Life which not only presents background sketches of all four candidates, but also garners': some :expository commentary from five sitting Trustees which gives us a superb look into the issues and responsibilities a Trustee takes on. In addition to being a high honor, the "job" of a Dartmouth Trustee is a monstrously heavy load to bear. Please study the candidates and vote! GREENCARDS -DAVE MANDELBAUM has retired again and this time he means it! He and ROSEMARY kicked off the new freedom by renting a house at The Boulders in Arizona for six weeks of March/April. JERRY and PEGGY BARTON are nearby as are RICH and JUDY LEDERER. The Dartmouth connection is everywhere! -Father GEORGE FITZGERALD has moved from UC Santa Barbara to San Francisco - "Working in Vail during the winter months since 1998 -keeping busy at a couple of parishes (Vail Interfaith Chapel & St. Patrick's). I keep busy skiing in Vail and bicycling around the San Francisco area - also help out in the Bay area. I've led 2 trips in the last year: Egypt and Turkey/Greece 'In the footsteps of Saint Paul." -ERNIE DAHL made a jump-shift: "At this late date, passed exam for a California real estate license and first week listed 2 houses and sold one the next week. Beginner's luck! Helping wife KATHY. -DICK SHELLEY waxes a bit comically: "Flushing the monthly rental dues down the drain finally got to me, so I purchased a new townhouse duplex south of town. Believe that, at 75, moving is the pits! Not again - they'll take me outa here in a box. Female companionship has occurred again and life is good. TV gets worse, but I've staved off arthritis with near-constant use of the remote. With lots of construction here, the cable gets cut frequently, so that helps too. Hope to get to New England and a campus visit after I'm sure the duckboards are up. A special Hi! to 'ol roomie PIERRE KENYON!" -BILL GROVER is undaunted in his campaign to get ballroom dancing going again at Collis. He states that Dartmouth is the only Ivy without a ballroom dance club. Apparently, the activity thrives at Harvard, Brown. MIT, UNH, etc. The dancers do, indeed, compete! -BOB COLLINS is our vaunted expert in the goings-on in Africa and has just (in January) had his History of Sub-Saharan Africa released by Cambridge University Press. A very cheap edition is being prepared in paperback (no royalties) which students and general readers in English-speaking Africa can afford. Keeping at it, Bob recently finished his Darfur background brief for the International Criminal Court at the Hague. We only read about the atrocities in the area, but Classmate Collins is into it with a passion. -From GEORGE HASKINS: "We were at a Dartmouth cocktail party at TOM and DAPHNE CORCORAN's the other night. They also have a home on Seabrook Island in South Carolina outside of Charleston. Six couples. T and D recently returned from an extended trip to New Zealand, Australia~ arid other South Pacific islands. He still skis and will soon venture to the west for a week or so. He still has business interests in Waterville Valley, NH, but not in the ski operation itself." -Rev. RIP COFFIN "recuperates" in ways that would exhaust younger men: "Just back from two-plus weeks in Costa Rica and Nicaragua where this correspondent gained eight pounds on rice and beans plus other goodies at every meal." -From England, JIM COLBY suggests that the Class save some money by merely notifying him when PERRY DAVIS has the newsletter posted on the Class website. In addition to getting it earlier, he points out that the photographs are in color! CHANGES & CORRECTIONS The information below is only the changed data (tel#, email, street) -Father George Fitzgerald - Old St. Mary's Cathedral, 660 California St., San Francisco, CA 94108-Ernie Dahi - (912) 419-2679 -Dick Shelley - 4100 Arbor Greenway, New Bern, NC 28560 -Jerry Barton -58 Terra Nova Circle, Westport, CT 06880 -Bob Collimore - 1434 Blume Drive, Elgin, IL 60124; 847-695-6445 -Tom McConnon - mcconnon@stny.rr.com -Don Meltzer - 341 Old Lancaster Road -Mike Papantones - Camp Springs, MD 20748; 301-449-6532 -Mike Payson - mpayson@maine.rr.com -Bob Rafelson - curly@aspennights.com -Bill Bullen - Bullenww@msn.com -jack Felter - jffels@verizon.net -Dan Weidenthal - Pepper Pike, OH 44124; 216-464-5606 -Dave Dyche - 941-918-1974 -Bruce Classon - 1080 Fifth Ave. #4C, New York, NY 10128; 212-426-1666 -Pete Bullis - where are you? PHOTOGRAPHS Over the years, because of the propensity of many of our Classmates to snap pictures on any and all occasions and of aging "hoveys" of '54s, the newsletter office has accumulated shoeboxes crammed full of of photographs. Only a few of these have found their way into the newsletter. Then Came Perry -sounds like a new prime time show - and a vast arena for the display of photos opened ... the Class website. JOHN GILLESPIE and BILL GROVER have been the main contributors to the trove, while there has generally been at least one lensmeister on every '54 outing who provides visual evidence of the joy experienced. When photos are sent to Perry, they are posted immediately and ia. color! Therefore, I am instituting a more efficient approach to photographs. Only distinctive pictures will be presented in the newsletter - a measure which will eliminate many of the stand-in-a-line, tall-guys-in-the-back pics. This measure, however, will not deny unique photos of '54s proper exposure. Objections to this move will be happily considered. Meanwhile, put this newsletter down for a moment and go to your computer and put in the website address (see first page.) What you will see is a wondrous array of photographic excellence from the most recent Class activities. ON CAMPUS The annoying coterie of Dartmouth-bashers out there are consistent in their demands that athletic prominence be a priority for the various leaderships associated with the College. Apparently, they either do not read the mailings from Dartmouth or in the sports news: -Women's Basketball - 2nd in the Ivies and invited to the WNIT -Big Green skiers won their first NCAA title in 31 years -Men's Hockey made it to the ECACHL Championship -Three Ivy League Players of the Year -Jamila Smith won the shot and took second in the weight at the Indoor Heps; Natalie Todd-Zebell broke the college pole vault record -Women's Hockey took the Ivy title -The Dartmouth Figure Skating team continues its string of wins and has attracted the national championships to Thompson Arena -Men's Tennis is looking at a season start of 11-1 and the women were at 7-1 -Swimmers are breaking records on a regular basis -In March, the men's lacrosse team played the longest game in Dartmouth's history (assuming they kept records back in Eleazer's time). They bested Brown, 9-8. Both teams had 41 shots on goal and the winning shot was made toward the end of the fourth overtime. The 2007 graduation speaker will be Hank Paulson '68, Secretary of the Treasury There is a "New Pine" near the Bema. It was planted by the Class of 1927 in 1967, then turned over to the Class of 1967 for 40 years of tending. This year, the care of the burgeoning tree will be transferred to the Class of 2007. The Hill Winds Society, a group of students formed last year, is involved along with developing activities for student/alumni interactions "lest the old traditions fail." In an interestingly contrapuntal set of moves, Dartmouth has acquired the papers of Budd Schulberg '36 for the Rauner Special Collections and has opened a study room in Baker named for Theodor Seuss Geisel '25. Maybe "What Makes Sam-I-Am Run?" 14,176 applications were received for the Class of 2011, 2 percent higher than last year and ~.Q% higher than were received for the graduating Class of 2007. For the first time, women outnumber men at 50.4% of the pool. And just for perspective, next year's charges for tuition, board and mandatory fees will be $45,483! Former Alumni Council members will be pleased to know that Patsy Fisher '81 has been appointed the new Director of Class Activities in Blunt Center. Patsy has done over 19 years of yeoman's duty relative to every thorny alumni issue to arise. She is a friend of our Class. MULTIPLE
MINIS Skiing The lack of snow took the Mount Snow ski session off the boards, but it was made up for by Telluride, "the best ski area I've ever visited, bar none, including Europe", according to super-shusser JAY DAVIS. The group was smaller than prior years and composed of those with honed skills. Golf/Tennis SHELLY did it again - in spades! 22 Classmates, 20 spouses and 2 cameo appearances at the Tampa Palms Golf and CC took on the games of golf and tennis in ways that only '54s can conjure. Another 18 folks had planned to attend, but were deterred by various instances that are characteristic of our stage of life. BILL and DOT GARLAND handled the hospitality aspects magnificently, RON DOUGHERTY was superb in chairing golfing arrangements and ALEC GRAY managed the tennis players in fine form. This annual '54 event has more positive hues about it than any other in its magnetism to Classmates because of its weather, surroundings, opportunities to enjoy and the unparalleled planning management. On an odd note, Shelly spotted DAVE DAME snagging large bass from a water hole very early the first morning, joined him and got to know a 3-1 / 2 pounder up close and personal. On the links, virtually everyone played their best and fell into expected ranks. Top names cited included Dame, GALPER, KELSEY, ZWART, BERLIN, DOUGHERTY, HARTMAN, LYON, PAGE and KENYON. On the tennis courts, both JAY and MARTHA DAVIS prevailed with Shelly and MIMI PAGE taking second honors. A spectacular add-on was Ron Dougherty's arranging for a tour of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' state-of-the-art training facility and dinner at Hall-of-Famer Leroy Selmon's restaurant. At the final dinner, Ron was awarded the prestigious SCHENCK Shaft Award for meritorious service, following which he made what was deemed to be the longest speech in the Class's history. Former awardee HARRY ROBINSON had had the "Shaft" mounted on a stand with a plaque which names JOHN POPE as the innovator of the coveted award. Next year, the event will be held again at Tampa Palms from April 2 to April 5, 2008. Call Jennifer Roark (813-972-1991) for reservations. New Orleans Two dozen Classmates and wives made jazz Festival time for our communal 75th birthday party in The Big Easy. STEVE MULLINS had prepared all for the high points and the low points. JAY DAVIS reflected that the Katrina disaster was far more a human failing than a natural disaster -confirmed dramatically recently in the New York Times. The gathering, however, was , indeed, another successful re-connecting and attracted some faces less often seen. A different twist from the New Orleans event became apparent from a thick packet of "No" responses Steve had received and forwarded to me to be combed through for address changes and news. Those of you who could hear my remarks at our 50th banquet in Hanover may remember my kvetching about the cheery notes Harry Robinson received on dues remittances, while I got mainly sterile salutations with the news sent for the newsletter. Well, Steve got ~2 cheery notes saying NO!! And ... many were from people we never hear from - BOB RAFELSON, WALT TUMENIUK, TOM McCONNON, etc. Somethin' wrong here The reasons given for non-attendance ranged widely, but there was a major concentration of conflicting travel plans, coming and going: Zwart - Henley Regatta Myers - Seattle with grandkids Chandler - from England/Scotland, then to Vegas Berlin - family reunions in Boston and North Carolina Kingsley - Israel Kramer - China and Thailand Galper - permanentizing their move south Malcolm - visiting granddaughter in Latvia Adams - returning from SE Asia Kirkpatrick - to Europe Cliff Evans - France for a baptism Many either protested that they were too young for a 75th birthday or that they had already crossed the mark. LEO MURPHY proudly declared that he was 82.9! John Gillespie expressed concern about the possibility or being arrested, related to his and DICK FRANKLIN's over-partying in the French Quarter before reporting to Lackland AFB in September 1954. A few Hurricaneglasses were "borrowed". A lunch at The Court of the Two Sisters was fondly remembered. MIKE CORCORAN also recommended the restaurant. Only one '54, DON SIMONDS, noticed that Steve had asked for a response about our "75th BIRTDAY PARTY". The lack of an "H" may have been noted by others, but A few mentioned health problems and joint replacements, but the general tenor was upbeat and indicative of a joy in being a '54 …. 55TH REUNION (June15-17, 2009) In mid-May a quintet of '54s will convene at the Page enclosure on Cape Cod to consider potential innovations for our 55th. JOHN FENN and I are designated as co-chairs. Attending will be Party-Master JOHN GILLESPIE and SANDY, coaxed from their primitive alcazar in Boothbay Harbor, the BERLINs, FENNs, DICK PAGEs and the DICK BARKERs. Cousin Dick will be subbing for me as I attend to an emphysema-plagued GAIL. The '49s will be on campus with us in addition to overlaps with the '64s, 69s and '74s. Studying recent 55ths, we have found that the College provides all sorts of activities - tours, Reunion College, lecturers, etc. What we're looking for are those "special" things that The Class of 1954 wants and is capable of organizing, so think about it and send us your thoughts. There are several dynamics at work at reunions -some related to the past and memories and as many related to what is happening today and anticipated in the future. What would it take to lure you to Hanover, particularly if you have never attended a reunion? HUGH ROBERTS had his whirlwind community activities in Las Vegas interrupted in a disturbing fashion. During a biopsy of his right lung in mid-February, the lung was "nicked" and he endured a 3-day rehabilitation. Upon his release from the hospital, he and PHYLLIS jumped right back into their favorite Vegas activity - a Philharmonic concert. Then, an x-ray of the lung indicated cancer and he had a 3.5 hour operation for the removal of the affected portions. The cancer was completely removed. Although tired, he appeared to have conquered the problem and returned home. Beginning March 2, however, he began to suffer coughing fits and congestion to the point where Phyllis had him 911-ed into the hospital with diagnosed pneumonia. Monster amounts of antibiotics were heaped on and the the beast was put to bay. Finally home on April 6, High is going through a long period of rehabilitation and breathing therapy. Sounds like things are on an even keel. JAY CHANDLER, attending a medical convention in Las Vegas, planned to look in on him - as a friend / Classmate, not in a professional capacity. THE DICKEY CENTER The Class supports interns for the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding. PETE KENYON and DICK TROWBRIDGE dedicate a great amount of time to this project and have been successful in finding superb students for the honor each year. Dick attended the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Center on February 1 and reported an extraordinary lecture by Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway's first woman prime minister. A doctor by training and former director-general of the World Health Organization, Dr. Brundtland captivated the audience with her call for world action on environmental, health and poverty issues. A new plus for '54 in this arena is the designation of former UN Ambassador JON MOORE as a visiting Dickey Center Fellow through the winter and spring of 2007. Jon's accomplishments are legion and have been cited in several publications noting the appointment. Jumped immediately by the Kenyon/Trowbridge duo, Jon has agreed to participate in the selection process for our intern for 2007. Then, miraculo, mirabile!, they snagged Dr. DANIEL McCARTHY, Distinguished Professor of Global Management and Innovation at Northeastern University for the selection committee. Can you just imagine the awe of the potential interns as they interview with these world-knowledgeable and highly respected men? Separately, Jon sent a note about the 1951 Dartmouth-Princeton game during which he was a DCAC heeler. He knows the danger of disagreeing with JOE MESICS (and, per above, John Springer), but assured me that I was right - it was George Rambour who "whacked" Kazmeier on the play in question. Jon visited the Princeton locker room to borrow a pair of crutches for JIM MILLER and witnessed Kazmeier's statement to his incensed teammates that it had been a clean hit - that he was running and was off-balance. Occasionally, our progeny find their way into the press and the latest to hit my desk (from several '54s) via the New York Times concerned David RATTRAY, son of EV and HELEN and editor of The East Hampton Star. The paper was founded in 1885 and has been run by Rattrays since 1935. Now, a competitor is entering the area, charging nothing and publishing a day before the Star. A fine color photograph of David and a ton of speculation about who, why, how much, when. etc. It appears that the Rattrays have things well in hand. Then there is the HILLMAN hand-off of The Golden Eagle to the management skills of their daughter, CAROL and her husband, NEIL VAN DYKE, both Dartmouth grads.. An article in Business People - Vermont chronicles the history of the Inn, bought by HERB and ANN in 1963 with the money they got from the sale of their ice cream company. Its growth from 12 units to 94 rooms with fabulous amenities, plus the loyal long-term staff and guests describes a satisfying life.
BITS -Dr. DAVE LEVINE missed New Orleans because of a hospital fundraiser for a Chair in his name. -Dr. JOHN MORAN takes a daily swim in the ocean off of Plymouth, MA -BILL BULLEN (born in Louisiana), after two cataract operations, had his right shoulder replaced and will have the left one done in six months. See next newsletter for a story about Bill's relations with a male dolphin -A herniated disc has limited BILL GROVER to "slow dancing". Working on it with medications and rehab. -DON SIMONDS sent a quote from a study relative to asymmetrical wars and an observation pointed at our involvement in Iraq . Beginning in 1808, the likelihood that powerful countries, such as the United States, can defeat an insurgency has fallen steadily from 85% to 21% today. "If you want to catch a mouse, you need a cat, not a lion." -After a lengthy period of dealing with the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, JOEL LASKY, DON KENNEDY and Dan Anzel '55 were successful in having their article "Pumped Up" published in the January/February issue. The early, primitive days of weight training were described versus today's rank upon rank of machines, weights and trainers. All three men have continued physical training into their 70's and are the better for it. -MIKE BIGGS was asked by a San Francisco organization to come up with notable quotes from famous musicians. He came up with 30 (including a couple of philosophers). Here are two of them: -"I think I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to sound like a dry martini" Paul Desmond -"Do not fear mistakes. There are none." Mile Davis -I still use my 25th Reunion Whiny coffee cup when in the car. Best one ever made by the CONARRO/SOKOLSKI team. The STEINBERG-supplied Parker pen still works, too. -Anybody out there reading Thomas Pynchon's Against the Day? My playing with offbeat words in this letter is derived from this 1100-page book.
IN
MEMORIAM In August 2006, we became aware of Rich's tragic accident in 2000, hit by a car while chasing his dog in New York City. The massive brain damage suffered and their aftermath life was chronicled in his wife's (ABIGAIL THOMAS) book, A Three Dog L~fe. After several years in a facility in upstate New York, Rich left us on January 1, 2007. A native of New York City, Rich prepared for Dartmouth at the Fieldston School where he starred as valedictorian and a three-letter athlete. In Hanover, he pursued roads less taken. He morphed his English major into the creation of The Quarterly along with BOB RAFELSON, a frustrating attempt to bring the joys of creative writing to the beer-drinking undergraduates of the early 50s. From Rafe: "I always thought of him as the editor. He was certainly the writer. I had reverence for him then and carry it in my memory today." DON AUSTERMANN roomed with Rich for the entire four years, possibly a record in macho compatibility. Don remembers: "One of the brightest people I have known, but he started out as a language major and managed to flunk French and made a D in Spanish. In spite of the rocky beginning, he.graduated Magna Cum Laude, and made Phi Beta Kappa. He won first prize in the ~Sidney Cox writing contest (judged by Budd Schulberg). As Class Poet, he delivered the Class poem at our graduation. I saw Rich only occasionally after graduation, then I heard snippets of news about him. Last I heard, he was a producer for ABC-TV, an unlikely pit stop for an essentially iconoclastic guy who preferred to toil in activities less involved with mass media - except as a writer, possibly." If you put Rich's name into Google, the website prominently displays a New York Times Magazine article entitled "Joe Kelly Reached His Boiling Point", a heralded cover story about the frustrations of the middle class in the '60s. While he was apparently not an athlete at Dartmouth, he reveled in running in his mature years and wrote for Runner Magazine. According to Abigail's book, he was a dedicated "birder." During the six years following his accident, Rich had miraculous recall of past events, words and poetry - "miraculous" because it belied his general condition of befuddlement and unwarranted fears and concerns. It was as if his mind had moved into a different sphere and permitted Abigail occasional intermittent views that demonstrated past brilliance. We have lost a Classmate of rare talents and interests. In his memory, a book has been placed in Baker Library: "The Art of Skiing: Vintage Posters from the Golden Age of Winter Sport" by Jenny de Gex.
WILLIAM BURKE SHERMAN WALT ANDERSON says it all (annotated): "My very dear friend, classmate and teammate, BILL SHERMAN, passed away on January 18, 2007. Bill and I were high school buddies in Hamden, Connecticut and roommates at Dartmouth for all four years. Additionally, we were brothers of Sigma Chi (now Tabard) together. We were both in the Air Force ROTC and Bill made the Air Force his career. He was a pilot and spent many 'hairy moments' getting shot at during the war in Vietnam. He retired from the Air Force in 1985 as Vice Commander of Air Force Intelligence Service and a full bird colonel. His array of awards and citations was capped with the Bronze Star. During his retirement, he drove a school bus and was known as 'Mi. Sherman'. Just being an excellent driver wasn't enough for Bill. By getting to know his student riders day after day, his aim was to pass on the same regard for respect and manners that he had learned in the Air Force. Over the years, ELLIE and I spent a lot of fun-filled vacations with Bifi and NANCY. Bill was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on March 5, 2007. He was a great guy, a true friend and we will miss him terribly." From Bifi's lovingly-written online biography: "Most of all, Bill loved to be on the beach. He and Nancy spent two months a year at the Florida beaches. There, he looked forward to spending time with his children and six grandchildren: Samantha, Loren, Jessica, Erin, Zachary and Trevor. Having raised his three children with his loving wife and then repeating that cycle of love with his children's children was the major reward of his life." With his Classmates, Bill took great pride in always being there to quaff the first beer at the Class reunion tent. A man for all seasons. The book placed in Baker Library in his memory is entitled "The Imprint of Place: Maine Printmaking 1800-2005" by David P. Becker. =======================================================
World-renown artist, Paul Cezanne, encountered by the '54 Dordogne tour group was dubbed an honorary member of the Class by virtue of Morton Galper's reunion hat.
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