December 2007
www.alum.dartmouth.org/classes/54/
PGBarker54@aol.com                    (203) 661-7611 

 

"I'M LOVIN' IT!"

 

            Former ad man JAY DAVIS borrowed the slogan of a well-known burger chain to describe his perception of the spirit of the many '54s who joined with other Classmates during the last several months. 593 Classmates and widows served to date! The increased numbers gathering and the new faces (Tom Malcolm, Stan Clark, Jack Smith, Lon Chaikin, e.g.) is an indication, perhaps, that we have entered a new phase of our lives. As we hit 75 or have come within hailing distance, there has been an inaudible "dick" or "ping" that signaled the need to step back and take stock. All or most of us are acknowledging our mortality, reveling in our reasonable health/mental acuity and recognizing the value of pleasant memories and re-connecting.

            Homecoming, as reported by TONY KANE, was a fine fall weekend replete with parade, bonfire, meals and a football game. See the bonfire on the Class website at the address at the top of this page. The meeting of the Executive Committee on Friday included, along with the regular agenda, a discussion of the recent actions of the Board of Trustees. After serious, involved discussion, the committee moved and adopted a resolution indicating strong support for the Board's increasing its membership by eight charter trustees. The Executive Committee (listed in the left-hand column) stressed the fact that the resolution was put forth by them and did not necessarily represent the will of the Class in its entirety. The time required to poll the Class would have compromised the immediacy of the events. The amount of positive mail received on the explanations of the functions of the Association of Alumni and the Alumni Council in the October newsletter demonstrated that The Class of 1954 does, indeed, pay attention and cares about The College on the Hill. Former Trustee JOHN STEEL posited that the Executive Committee was "poorly informed." The situation relative to the Board of Trustees continues:

-at this writing, the suit filed by members 'of the Executive Committee of the Association of Alumni with the New Hampshire court remains pending. Trustees Smith, Zywicki, Rodgers and Robinson have files an Amici curiae with the court which contends that the Board resolution of 1891 guarantee parity between alumni-elected Trustees and Charter Trustee even though the resolution makes no mention of such intention.  Balancing this action, the Alumni Council files an amicus curiae supporting the Board's actions.

 

            -Trustee Todd Zywicki, a law professor, presented a speech at a scholarly conference in North Carolina in which he derided the Dartmouth Board, demeaned Dartmouth volunteers and declared former President Jim Freedman a "truly evil main."  The taped presentation became instant tinder for myriad screams of protest and resignation or ouster. The Alumni Council voted to condemn Mr. Zywicki's comments  ;. Perhaps more naive than deliberate, but it keeps the activists of December 18, Ed Haldeman, Chair of the Board of Trustees, issued reported 'The Board voted to reprimand Mr. Zywicki. The Board concluded exercised poor judgment and had violated his responsibilities as a th eCollege, which include acting in the best interests of Dartmouth mouth positively in words and deeds."

            - the Alumni Council conducted a Q & A session with the members of the Executive Committee of the Association of Alumni and gained little insight into the motives of the Board of Trustees. The most bizarre aspect of the situation is to know who is funding the activist activities (full-page newspaper ailing, etc.). One of the A of A people went so far as to declare that he "didn't want to know…." 

            Enough.  This will all blow over in time. Talk to an undergraduate. There are miles to go before we sleep. 

Class Projects

        A far more positive presentation in Hanover involved the always enthusiastic rid the subject of Class Projects. In addition to our memorial book program and athlectic recruiting support, the focus was primarily on our sponsorship of internships (as described in the August newsletter). Mid-way through here's an area which deserves a larger percentage of our attention back" in very specific ways - support of the most deserving their quests to make the world a better place. The Executive Committee approved an expansion of our program to (1) upgrade funding of the Rock raining program to a full internship and (2) addition of a domestic unction with the Tucker Foundation (Domestic Partners in Community Service).  Not only are we helping students, but we are also honoring s by naming the internships for them. Gracious notes from BETTY DESCOMBES and Rick SAYLES (Tom's son) reflect the warm feelings generated.   DICK TROWBRIDGE provided the following well-written piece about the current ambitions:

 

Three Outstanding Young Men

        We had privilege of hearing from two international interns and our

our Homecoming dinner. A fine demonstration of why what we are doing is right and worth the attention of all '54s.

        Armeen Poor '08, our 2007 BRYCE BASTIAN Dickey Intern is a History a history major and pre-med who aspires to be a cardiologist after medical school.  After learning extensively about the U.S. Healthcare System in a Dartmouth History he was intrigued to see how different approaches to solving various healthcare issues manifest4ed themselves in other nations.  Thus, his internship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he volunteered in a pediatric surgery clinic. This hands-on experience was truly inspiring and enabled him to understand the impact one could have as a physician in developing countries. As he said: "It really showed the kind of care and compassion that transcends the decisions regarding whether medicine is public or private" - certainly a competent and emphatic future physician in the making!

            Emmanuel Mensah '09, our EDWARD M. HOBAN Tucker Intern for 2007 made an outstanding presentation at the Class dinner. A double major in Biology and Math with honors, he too hopes, with financial aid, to enter medical school. His comments were most enlightening about his "Education and Youth Empowerment" project in his native Ghana. In addition to teaching science, math and French at a rural elementary school, he planned, organized and conducted leadership seminars under his founded organization, Ghana Youth Leadership Alliance (GYLA). His goal was to encourage youth in Ghana to excel in school and to give them the confidence to assume leadership positions in their respective communities. He also described, with considerable interest from our Classmates, his involvement in the project to eradicate Guinea Worm. Emmanuel was quite humble and felt blessed about his commitment to his cause. As he said: "Vocation is the place where one's deep gladness meets the world's deep needs - I make sense of my life when I help others and give them opportunities to make sense of their lives."

            Our Class Athletic scholar this year was a young '11 from Poway, CA, Joey Coleman. A gifted lacrosse defenseman, he lettered all four years on a team that

finished in the final four every year. Joey was also on the CA all-academic team every year and, his senior year, was team captain, plus an Academic All-American. He relayed, with conviction, why he chose the "Big Green": campus, coach, teammates, people "much cooler than those at Yale, Harvard, etc." Obviously the Sponsor Recruiting program pays big dividends - Joey couldn't be happier and neither could we!

            Funding for the expanded Class Projects will begin in the 2008-2009 fiscal year.  You will be hearing more about the program in the next several months. Think about the differences certain people made in your lives and join with your Classmates in giving deserving undergraduates similar opportunities to fulfill their ambitions.

 

Alumni Council

The Alumni Council tweaked its constitution a bit. One change was that each class, up until its 55th reunion, will have its own representative. The rep will be elected according to procedures yet to be revealed. After the 55th reunion, all classes will be represented by a group of only three alums. Since John Springer '53, our current representative, has another year-and-a-half to go, the point becomes moot for us. Over the years, we have been repped by '54s from Adnopoz to Woodberry and many have assumed important responsibilities, induding STEVE MULLINS' election as Council president.

 

Nominations

Following a meeting of the 55th reunion committee prior to the New York holiday luncheon, the Class Officer nominating committee convened to discuss plans for developing a slate of officers and functionaries who will lead us during the 2009-2014 period. The committee consists of past presidents MANDELBAUM, MULLINS, KELSEY and DICK PAGE and is chaired by Mandy. Every position listed on Page Oneof this newsletter is up for grabs, so contact Mandy (rmmandy@optonline.net) and nominate a Classmate, or - better yet - nominate yourself! MESICS-style Luddites can contact me for Mandy's address. Note - we could probably use a new newsletter editor.

            Then there was Dan……..

    

                                                    CLASS OF 1954 AWARD

                                                 DANIEL JAMES McCARTHY

                                                    

 

Dan,

            Few men exude the joys of life as enthusiastically as you do! Your achievements shine in every endeavor you have tried. Your classmates marvel at each new announcement of success - and at this age!

You matriculated at Dartmouth after a fine record at Maiden Catholic High School as a three-letter athlete, class president and Boys State. In Hanover, you were on all the A-lists: Green Key, DKE, Sphinx, plus the contrasting heavy involvements of hockey and The Tuck School. On the rink, Coach Jeremiah moved you to the front line of his new artificial ice and the term "hat-trick" became closely associated with every mention of your name in the press. And you won the Robert Muihern Award.

 

You packed up both your MBA and your beautiful bride, Peggy, and served a four-year hitch in the U. S. Navy. Then it was a Harvard doctorate and small business leavening that finally brought you to the brink of your present calling: from professor at Northeastern University in Boston to the exalted title of Distinguished Professor of Global Management and Innovation with a proliferation of honors and accolades as your reputation continues to grow.

You and Peggy are surrounded by family and dose friends in Hamilton, MA.

You have taken on several Class chores and served the alumni on both the Alumni and Athletic Councils. At our 50th reunion, you were singled out for a "fifty-years-late" Phi Beta Kappa key. And most recently, you have stepped up and added muscle to the 1954 Intern Program.

            All in all, a man who reflects exceedingly well on all of us! We are proud to present you with The Class of 1954 Award.

(signed) Jay Davis, President

 

55th Reunion

            Okay, okay, we know it's a year-and-a-half off, but it's June 16-18, 2009 and we all fall into one of three categories: Definitely, Depends and No Way. If you are in the first two categories (and "Depends" is not meant to be a double entendre), put it on your calendar and start feeding us ideas about special things you'd like to see on the agenda. Specifically, let us know whether you would be interested in a extension gathering similar to what we did after the 50th. Chair JOHN FENN is investigating several places within easy driving distance and the earlier we can book, the easier the planning. John already has the hats stored in his attic. JOHN GILLESPIE, bless him, has agreed to bring his expertise to bear on the food planning and execution. We are studying the structures and results of the '51 and '52 55ths for dues to what works and what doesn't. We'll be 76-77 years old!

            LON CHAIKIN joined the New York area '54s at the holiday lunch as a break iii the trek from Florida home to Vermont home. Keep in mind that the first Thursday ol each month is a '54 lunch at the Yale Club. Let TONY KANE know you'll be in town and join us! JOE MESICS requests a mini-reunion credit because BOB WOODBERRY bought a Greek lunch for him and Father GEORGE FITZGERALD in San Francisco Joe was impressed with the fine physical shape of Fitz, recalling his frenetic jumping around as a painted-Indian cheerleader. JOHN GILLESPIE called in to report that MacDonald's serves a "Senior Coffee" at reduced prices. You just have to ask for it. hi Greenwich, I get a senior discount on dog food! (Senior owner, not senior dog). CHARLIE and CHRIS ACKER have seven granddaughters, all under 5! WIL and ZELDA WILKINS bounced from their Florida place to RI for the holidays, then "off to the UK for some shooting in early January" - shooting what? The CHANDLER's grandson, Mike, had fallen for the deceptive lures of Yale as his next step from Deerfield, but a visit to an '11 buddy turned him around. If he makes the cut, he'll be a fourth generation Chandler at Dartmouth.

            A great Chubber story from ROGER GILMORE: "Sophomore year roommates BILL BRYAN and LARRY TAYLOR (semi-retired geologists) and I (a would-be philosopher and retired art college dean and president) celebrated our 75th birthdays by spending three nights at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge in early October, succeeding in climbing the mountain on a lovely mild day, up the Snapper and Carriage Road trails with a side trip to the South Peak, lunch on the main summit, then down the Asquam­-Ridge trail, a total of ten miles. Not bad for creaky old geezers. We enjoyed meeting the all-woman crew at the Lodge (all impressive recent graduates) and the usual good food and camaraderie with other visitors. Bill and I explored Jobildunc Ravine the next day while Larry rested a knee, read local lore and took photos of the lovely colors. On the way home on Saturday, we had an unexpectedly challenging time nursing my '87 Subaru Outback over several miles of an increasingly rough and hilly Old Warren/Glendiff Road, a thin red line that really should not be on a road map! So ii was with some relief when we emerged from the rocky woods into a farmyard, celebrating still another memorable adventure together. Cheers!

            DICK and BARBARA BARKER really know how to celebrate: "We left Octobet 24th for an anniversary/birthday cruise, Tahiti to Honolulu. Very relaxing on the Pacific Princess. Nice table-mates from California. Nobody from Dartmouth as far as we could determine. We stopped at Moorea and Bora Bora (had a Bloody Mary at Bloody Mary'5 read Hawaii by Michener if you don't know about these). Crossed the equator iii beautiful weather! We expected to stop at Christmas Island, but could not due to prohibitively low tide. Several people were disappointed at not going ashore at cruise day #5, but not us! Barb won $100 at Bingo! Barb explored Waipo Valley on Hilo behind a mule-drawn wagon. Upon arriving at Hawaii, we rented a Chevy Malibu and went to Pearl Harbor to visit the USS Arizona Memorial and then I went on the USS Bowfir submarine. On Tuesday, I walked up Diamond Head, a 560 foot climb in 83 degree heat! Very memorable! We arrived in Honolulu on November 7 and flew out at 4:35 pm. We were swimming at Waikiki in the am! Arrived in Atlanta on November 8 at 6:20 am - an 8.5 hour flight. Caught the 8:50 to Boston and the 12:15 pm bus to Barnstable. I'm still not sure what day it is!"

            RICH and JUDY LEDERER, another two-home couple, have taken traveling to tn extreme: "We started with our usual October trip from MA to AZ, then a trip to (Yosemite, followed by beginning a new tradition of hosting daughters and grandchildren over Thanksgiving in the Poconos. Next came a week in Cabo, to be followed by a week in MD to assist a daughter recovering from surgery. The trick is to prevent bi-coastal from becoming bi-polar!" CHARLIE and BIRDIE REED were feted )y their kids, drawing 100 people on their 50th wedding anniversary last June in Huntington Beach, CA. Tom and John BAIRD, sons of REED BAIRD (deceased in .1991) both wrote to thank the '54s who have donated to Dartmouth in their dad's tame. Tom receives the '54 newsletter and looks for familiar names from accompanying Reed to reunions and listening to his stories about our time in Hanover.  John is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Michigan. Per PHYLLIS ROBERTS, HUGH is down to a svelte 155 pounds following his too-long bout with lung cancer and pneumonia, but regaining strength, slowly, but surely. They are both back into their many community activities in Las Vegas and have traveled quite a bit to visit friends and relatives. Good to have you back, Hugh!

    We are, to a man, members of a number of alumni groups, ranging from kindergarten to athletic teams to interest groups to common disasters. But none of us has gotten the related press exposure comparable to PETER GEITHNER's  coverage by the New York Times  "

Starting a New Chapter After Foundation Jobs End" - a full page, including the photo. After flying with the Navy, some graduate degrees and a couple of years in the corporate world,  Peter began a career international commitment to bettering the world, first with U.S. A.I,D., then 28 years with the Ford Foundation.  Founded in 1936 by Edsel Ford, the Foundation has distributed over $15 billion "to advance human welfare - strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation and advance human achievement." Peter and DEBORAH moved constantly - mainly in the middle and Far East - with their four children and developed lasting friendships with associates at every assignment. In 1991, a thoughtful alum of the Foundation founded  LAFF (Life After the Ford Foundation) as an alumni association with all the usual functions of gathering and remembering.  Peter is the current president of LAFF. The name of the organization is a bit of a pun, based on a mass firing of program officers and staff in 1981 (the Mother's Day Massacre) and occasional strained relations between he foundation and the society. Peter, during his term, has added chapters in New Delhi, Bangkok and Manila with plans to expand to Cairo, Mexico City and Rio. When queried about the site of his photo shoot, Peter replied that, because of the beautiful sunset, the NYT photog decided to shoot it at the beach at the Town Cove in Orleans, MA. A larger, color rendition of the photo can be viewed at "the LAFF society" on Google. 

Rafe!

The following from BOB RAFELSON is too energetic to be edited:

 

There are only 14 alphabets in the world and Georgia has one. No other country speaks Georgian. This plus the Caucasus mountains and the Black Sea can isolate a place. They are a fierce, independent, gracious, artistic people. They make wine and at times think they invented it. To emphasize this they have you drink enormous quantities. And before you start a meal there is likely to be brandy and vodka but most of the vodka is from grapes so it's grappa and all this will be poured in the same glass, what difference does it make. You get loaded and then you tell a story. One of the playful conversations is to tell a brief story(brief is not a designated amount of time, nor is drunk a designated state)and then someone picks up where you left off and the story and drink go on. And on. Suddenly there will be singing.  One night I had dinner on a boat. There were just men, maybe ten of them. They were weird looking. One about 70 wore huge dark sunglasses. Another looked like a wrestler. They were funky at best. One however looked like how i imagined God to look . Silver white hair and long beard, a powerful torso, a deep voice and the angry pointing of a finger to topple an argument. There would be many arguments during the course of an eternal meal. God had in fact just recorded the new and old testament. He is a part time writer, actor, who knows.I had been invited to this party so I wanted to know who the hosts were. I asked who are you people? God said, here... have a drink. It would matter little who they were.  And I never really found out. The boat was baroque, chintzy, torn gold curtains. One could rent it ,cruise around the Kura river or party. The crew stood freezing on the deck smoking cigarettes to keep warm. This was December...Tbilisi gets cold in the winter, although not that much snow. Georgia has a lot of climates and geological aspects...i only saw a few like the wine country in the east...and occasionally the Caucasus mountains would peep though on a sunny day and they are like a conga line of bumps and cones across the entire nation. Beautiful. Stately. High. Anyway Georgians eat big hearty not necessarily identifiable meals....and on the party boat it started with white wine and stayed that way for kidneys and whole small fish and then switched to red for the sake of a color change. Good wine, not as good as the ancient vineyard i visited would have you believe(bottles in the vast cellars dating to early 1800's) but good enough to be the basic supply for Russian consumption. Except right now when the two countries are not talking. You can't even fly there from Russia which was tough on the contingent of filmmakers at the festival i attended. The Godlike man at the dinner hates Russia. All Georgians hate the Russians since their Northern neighbors not only have mauled the place throughout history, but because Stalin was a Georgian and the soviet era marred the landscape, the tombs, the cathedrals, everything you can see....and remember the Russians have always thought Georgia was the most beautiful destination available to their hemisphere. They vacationed there. They have raped the Georgians forever while stealing their dancers, writers, wives. On Boat night I found out i was invited because i had told someone i loved Georgian music and dance and i guess the someone called around and figured this would be an interesting thing to check out. Well God sang....they all sang and they all danced... the man with the dark glasses was nimble beyond belief except his glasses fell off and another dancing fiend stepped on them. I was expecting old Georgian folk music but these guys were into Sinatra and there was a keyboard player there and a couple of mikes and they thundered " My Way" like it was their anthem. And it could easily be given their survival instincts.

 

A few days later i was teaching a masterclass. One student tired of movie chat and asked unflinchingly if i cried...if i ever cried. Other students were puzzled and booed. I said yes.  On a boat a grand man with flowing white hair took me up to the deck. We had no coats on. The boat was moving and as we passed under a bridge and saw the old ramparts lit up in the distance the Godlike man crushed me in an embrace. He said his son had been murdered just six months ago...shot in the head in little Odessa. And he wept. And I did too. I told this to the student and then told him he should mind his own fucking business. Weirdly a woman came up to me after the class. It turned out she was God's daughter. It was her brother who was killed.

During this trip i often took out pictures of E.O. and Harper. Georgians have an overwhelming context of family. You will come back, they said. You will bring your boys.

 

One morning i went to an old rehearsal hall...the state folk ballet had allowed me to watch them rehearse. Between the singers, musicians, boy drummers, and the corps, there had to be 100 of them. I sat alone watching this. But the balletmaster rarely instructed. The performance went on for two hours. Huge leaps, swords sparking, acrobatic formations, the most beautiful of women in delicate ensemble movement. All dressed in black rehearsal gear. I had seen this company perform when they were proudly exported by the Soviets during the cold war. I had seen them in fact many, many times. In Paris, New York, Istanbul. I must have been 8 the first time, about the age of their young athletic drummers. The music swirls and the show is very dramatic and theatrical. At the end the host asked who was I? Well from the boat i had learned an immediate answer wasn't required. I'll tell you a story, i said. And the host beckoned the troupe to sit at my feet like at a kid's campfire. 100 kids anxious to hear a story. "I used to eat at a large table when i was growing up. But we normally ate in silence. My father , a powerful man sat to my left. Across was my brother. And sometimes, if she could wobble to dinner, my mother. The table was thick and heavy, and had a scalloped underside. By placing his thumb on one of the curls, my father could slide it heavily to the the next curve. It made a huge thumping sound. . One day i asked daddy where are we from...who are our people? Thump. Then, in a moment ,another thump. We are,he said, from the Caucuses."

Then I paused. The company looked around . They were at once mystified and pleased. The host jumped up. Then you are one of us. You are Georgian! No one in my family has ever verified the genealogy. For this trip, I thought, i might as well go with it. No one had told the dance company i was a movie director. And yet they had performed the entire ballet for me. Because i was what, an American? A celebrity? A politician. Well now they knew." AhhhPostmannnnn."

 

I could not get into the hotel one evening. It was surrounded by security police. President was there. Well not exactly president. Saakashvili had to quit just a few weeks before . There had been protests, rioting , he had closed the main tv down, and then under forceful persuasion from the Americans he had promised to hold re-elections. So for now he and the country were in a spate of tensions. The cop had a baton. He searched me under the arms, asked for i.d. (I only carried my room key) He searched further and discovered my braced up knee. He tapped it with his baton. What is that he asked. Well tap it one more time you pig motherfucker and you'll know it's my knee in your balls. (I can't get away with this bluster any longer...It's just an old reflex.) A sergeant rushed in and separated us. The hotel ,a Marriott was fine, but had no hot water. Plenty of warm water, but not the balm for my anger. There were always big guys standing around wherever i went. Giant round shouldered men. Mustachioed. I figured security--they must be protecting someone. But it wasn't always the case. At a feast near the Azerbaijani border the host was general manager of a very old vineyard. Outside we stood about a fire eating barbecue. Off to the side an old woman baked bread in an upside down bee shaped oven. Strips of dough pasted to the inside. The best bread i ever tasted. Better than Paris the manager asked. Yes! We bonded. But around us men ,big men drifted. Watchful eyes.

They must be guarding the manager. Later, in a banquet hall large enough to feed 300(originally a large villa---remodeled to look like a bowling hall by the Soviets)...they sat near by to me. And when they sang I asked....who are they? Five part harmonies, beautifully voiced. Maybe six guys. Well 3 were dentists and the other three doctors. The manager had invited his best friends from Tblisi because they also had the best voices. They all smoked. Georgia smokes. Often they sing religious songs, but as old as its orthodox Christian faith is---I sense they are more like spiritual atheists. It suits the hedonism. On the late night drive home our Armenian driver drove like the normal driver. Fast and free. There is more road kill in this country than any place i have ever been. Every fifty feet there's a deer, goat, sheep, dog. I looked in the rear view mirror, and while it was raining I thought i could make out poor people retrieving the carcasses for food. There are lots of Armenians.(One Georgian assessed it this way---they are thieves and the only good looking one is Cher.)Georgia is tribal,and as such, there is much oppression. It's older than history.

 

When Stalin returned to his birthplace then in full power---he saw his mother for the first time in a number of years. This is how he greeted her: "So, mother, are you still a whore?"  I wondered about whores and dance clubs and what music the young people like. Of course they have modernized. They know about Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard and hip hop and rock. But still, I was told, the traditions of song and dance and hospitality carry on. Some day I will bring my children. And if they are lucky, these young people will show them what Georgia is.

 

Swimming

            The current issue of the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine contained a short article ,vhich revisited the impact of the decision to cut the swimming program from the college's budget five years ago. Faced with money restrictions, the Director of Athletics opted to cut swimming versus cutting allotted amounts from other sports. As you may recall, three former aquamen, STEVE MULLINS, TOM KELSEY and John Ballard '55 strode through the maelstrom of protest and founded the John Glover '55 Fund and proceeded to raise sufficient funds to continue swimming as a Dartmouth varsity sport for ten years. The '08 intern who wrote the article did a substantial amount of research md, not surprisingly, determined that:

-when the decision was reversed due to the Clover Fund, the team went to Middlebury and set 14 pool records (victory versus adversity)

-the strength of the team was greatly diminished by the loss of several promising men and women who would have matriculated in 2003 and opted for other institutions

-while the team has begun to regain some strength, its performance is not back to a level that attracts top prospects

-the experience was "character-building" for many students in their own rights and demonstrated that Dartmouth College can always count on their alumni when the chips are down.

            With the benefit of hindsight and the experience of business-related cost reduction programs, it is interesting exercise to put oneself in the shoes of Josie Iarper, Director of Athletics; and run through what were and how a decision should have been reached. The article mentions that the Glover Fund will continue to support the program for another 3-4 years, then the college will resume the financial burden. Considering other varsity sports, the maintenance of the outdated pool has to be enormous. Football is a large revenue generator. Huge gifts have kept ports like rugby and crew active. We shot-putters needed only a sward of untended grass to practice our craft. Then, there might have been some research that revealed hat there were a few well-to-do swimmer fanatics out there who would step to the ore. Might make a good script. Out heartfelt thanks to the '54s who dug deep for the cause.

            In a semi-related story in the Chicago Tribune, it was reported that only three of he Ivies (Dartmouth, Columbia and Cornell) retain the swimming test as a requirement for graduation. The director of phys ed at Cornell said that physical education is "probably the cheapest component of education that exists at any university." As we watch what we consider the old traditions fail, we can still take pride n the lasting power of the swim test.

 

Bill White

          Even at 75, the the urge to create, manage and develop continues to barge into ur lives of retirement. BILL WHITE, for instance. "After four years of extensive planning and restructuring, I am headed back to the workplace to launch a company I co-founded back then, a company that we originally thought would focus on selling Long Term Care Insurance only, but all has changed since then and it is now a Consumer-Directed/Driven Health Care company centered around a proprietary patent-penidng website that connects consumers with medical providers offer an array of all kinds of health care services.  It also offers a so-called 'blended' healthcare product that includes Health Savings Accounts, High-Deductible Insurance Plans

Long-Term Care Insurance. We should be off and running by the first of the year (2008). Our chairman is a highly regarded big-time marquee name, well-connected ii the world of finance/Wall Street. His coming aboard signaled the strength of our business plan and mission. Sometimes I find it hard to believe all that is unfolding at this particular juncture in my life. Almost like I won a version of the lottery. JANE's major foot fracture a year ago, after a good half-year of surgery, rehab and rest has evened out and our capacity for overactive grandparenting has not been affected in the least.' Bill's editorship of two '54 books, directories and his constant role in the leadership of our Class almost warrants the creation of some penultimate award, Anyone?

 

Hands Across the Ivy

           Per Dr. JOHN FENN, the Yale University School of Medicine was founded by a Dartmouth professor of medicine, one Nathan Smith – recruited by Yale I 1812 for this specific purpose.  Long-retired as Chief of Staff, John continues to inspire today's medical students in a variety of classes. One group of 50 student have professed an interest in careers in surgery. John advises this particular group, which has adopted the name "Yale Surgery Interest Group." A few innovative students sought to bring notice to their group by developing a distinctive logo. They failed, so John, quite logically, turned to another Dartmouth dude - WAYNE WElL! The graphics expert produced a magnificent logo that was immediately accepted and admired. It is now a permanent representation for the group. John describes the logo as being both Yale blue (the official color of Medicine) and a deep green which looks suspiciously like Dartmouth Green. Wah-hoo-wah!

 

Keep Moving!

            The Class linksters will gather in Tampa in early March under the leadership of SHELLY WOOLF. The emailing campaign to help him ifil a few rooms left open by the competitive Mediterranean cruise prompted a few wry responses. TED NOVASCONE possibly in a different venue: "Desert heat too much for golf, so will spend six months in Coronado on the Bay opposite San Diego city skyline. Nice Muni for $18 fee (???)". BOB SILVERBERG, however, was on point: "Thanks for the info, however, we don't golf. Never go to Florida. AZ has it all. ROBYN doesn't fly, so we vacation by motorhome with our Airedale and cats."

            Like a top sergeant, JAY DAVIS works at making sure the '54 schussers are ready for the ski season.  "On January 7-8 a young group of '54's met at Mt. Snow, Vermont for two days of spring skiing. With temps pushing 60 degrees, winter gear was tossed aside, SPF 15 slathered on as the group 'warmed up' for the current winter ski season. CLIFF EVANS flew cross-country for the event. NED FREEDMAN again graciously hosted his annual apres-ski gathering at his ski house. DICK and ELLEN GORSEY, recently back from an orphanage in India where they worked with HIV kids DANA and ANNE LOW, soon to leave for their annual ski trip to France. JOHN MORAN and his son Tom had many stories to tell us about BILL BRIGGS, the father of extreme skiing. The philanthropist DICK PEARL. And a '55 infiltrator, Bob Fanger. I fit into this distinguished group somewhere as their humble ski instructor from the

Dartmouth Skiway. The hilarious sendoff dinner in the 'Fireplace Room' at the Deer Hill Inn ended with the wineglasses not being tossed into the fireplace.  We are, after all, gentlemen."

            LINDA got rather specific in DULAC's family holiday letter from Wintrhrop, WA:  In February, DALTON noticed we had a little excess baggage that we were trying to cram into our clothes. So he got us started on the South Beach Diet. He has lost 20 pounds and I am down 34 pounds! Dalton's cholesterol and blood pressure are down significantly and our energy is up. We have supplemented our diet with more exercise. In the summer we hike and bike and continue to x-country ski in the winter. Dalton has started a training program to prepare for the World Masters X-Country ski races in March '08. He really got into terrific shape in spite of difficulties in remaining upright. Yes, he had a couple of great falls - one on his road bike and then fast-walking down a steep trail on the butte behind our house. The ladies at the gym have spurred him on with their comments about what a hunk he is getting to be. Tough to be a sex symbol at 75, but someone has to do it!"

 

Planned Giving

            "You can't take it with you" was the credo posited by DICK PEARL as the basis for his and JANIE's most generous gift to Dartmouth for the support of Environmental Studies. A few terms back, Dick served as our Bequest Chairman. Now in that role is TOM TYLER, Gift Planning Chair, who passes on this inspiring message:

"Have you ever heard of the Bartlett Tower Society, also known as the BTS? It is the College's way of recognizing those who have included Dartmouth in their estate plans. There is no minimum dollar level to join the BTS. All you need to do is name Dartmouth as a non-contingent beneficiary of your will, a life insurance policy or a retirement plan, or any planned gift at any percentage, and then send a copy of the Dartmouth provision on to the Gift Planning Office. It's that easy! Gifts through estate plans have an impact of up to 1/3 of all gifts received annually by the College. BTS stewardship events are held every year all around the country, featuring distinguished alumni and College leadership. Please contact Rick, Susan or Angus at the Dartmouth College Gift Planning Office at (800) 451-4067 to become a Bartlett Tower Society member."

 

Gary Strikes!

            GARY McKEE has included Dartmouth in his will. Gary McKee? Yeah - he was our Class president during our sophomore year, a four-year track & field star (pole vault and high hurdles), Sigma Chi and other campus involvements. After receiving his diploma in '54, however, he had not been heard of or from. A phone call to San Antonio opened the door on a life filled with variety, satisfactions and enthusiasm.      

After some graduate work, Gary worked with a travel agency in Mexico in Mexico. After it was bought out, he worked with the government in the construction of hotels.  He was married south of the          border and reports that the 47 years have been ones filled with bliss. Three children: two physicians, an anesthesiologist, one with IDEX in Mexico and one working in the primary care of animals which have been abandoned -

PRIMATES. There's a ranch in Mexico and Gary was active in the Dartmouth Club in Mexico City. These days, he operates a landscape outfit in San Antone (explains his eponomous email address of Tecktreeint@aol.com). The capper, however, is his avocation - teaching seniors hand-to-hand combat based on Krav Maga, a technique developed by the Israeli military. Basically, it trains potential "targets" to consider and execute options when in danger. The farther away the threat, the more retreat is appropriate whereas a close threat can be greeted with deterrents including elbows, hairspray and knees. Gary is revered by his students and, in turn, keeps in marvelous shape. Send him a note.

 

From the Editor

            In my almost 14 years of newslettering (assuming "newslettering" is a verb), I have come to know what to expect from the Class. We are a steadfast group of men and seldom do something just because someone asked or told us to. My therapist has finally gotten me to accept this and to adjust accordingly. Ergo, pay attention to what follows.

            Changes of address. It has been my practice to list all changes received, assuming that you all immediately locate your copy of the Class directory and enter the changes. Reality dictates that this is nonsense and that a only a small percentage of you actually have the directory and know where it is. There are at least 40 changes sitting in my pile which would consume a good page and a half. No more. Here's the deal .... if you want to contact a Classmate and need his address, phone number or email address, Call me! When you're retired, every day is Wednesday, so it is likely that you will reach me at home. OK? OK.

            Newsletter delivery. This subject has been broached a few times. There are substantial '54 dollars which could be put to better use if the newsletter was provided to you via the Class website. Acknowledging that there are some 150 '54s who do not have email addresses (or haven't revealed them), savings could be realized in postage and production for the 400 who do. The initial suggestion that Classmates who would be "willing" to get the newsletter through the website notify me of their willingness goes massively against the pre-mentioned understanding of '54ness. It flat won't work! So ... we'll go with the "negative option" approach. If you do not notify me that you are not willing to go the website route, you will cease receiving the letter by mail. Obviously, non-email types will continue to receive the hardcopy version. When the letter is posted to the website, you will receive an email message from me that it is "up", then have the option of reading it on-line or printing it out. You will get it faster and the photos will be in color! The email address list stifi needs a little work, but it's coming. Note - in the next DAM Class Notes, disregard the request for the "willing" notification - Tony's deadline was too tight to change it.

 

The Guys

            As announced, HUGH NOLIN has had to step down as Head Agent and his shoes will be filled by veterans DON BERLIN and RICK HARTMAN. It's always good to honor your mother - DAVE and BETSEY METZ did it in a rather interesting way by upgrading the women's baseball field and adding an electronic scoreboard at the Loomis Chafee School and renaming it Audrey Field. Very nice. A a cocktail party on the Cape, DICK and JANE PAGE were introduced to a guest form South Dartmouth, MA -JEANNE PALLATRONI, widow of BOB PALLATRONI '54, our Classmate. He died of cancer at age 56 after a career as a Ph.D. psychologist and instructor at UMass. Jeanne receives the newsletter and Class Notes and, somewhat like the rest of us, enjoys reading about people she has never met or even heard of .... Last September, STEVE and KATHY FAST celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on a cruise and discovered that saving the word "anniversary" constantly led to bountiful rewards -