The Great Dartmouth
Class of 1956 Internet Home Page
the very first Dartmouth Class home page on the Internet [originating in 1995]
Updated 7/3/2009 at 1600 hours Nantucket time (EDT).
Submissions are now being accepted for the Ocober 2009 WWW. Send historic Class photos, news releases, or personal postings to Hon. Ed. at flintr@denby.com. Deadline is September 1, 2009 or before.
REPORT on CLASS MEETING AND DINNER, JANUARY 30, 2009, NEW YORK CITY
On January 30th, the Class of 1956 renewed its tradition of a Class Meeting and Dinner as part of a weekend in New York City. The Yale Club was the site for the meeting and dinner. A number of the attendees took advantage of theatre and other activities on Saturday, closing out the weekend with a restaurant dinner. Many thanks to Tom Rosenwald and Roger Schumacher for arranging the weekend.
We didn’t break any attendance records, but over 25 Classmates and wives attended either the meeting or the dinner or both: Tom and Sandra Harper, Flint and Corky Ranney, Roger and Sharon Schumacher, Doug and Ginger Keare, Elliott and Alice Weinstein, Buddy and Rona Schattman, Paul and Marcia Kreindler, Al and Diane Friedman, Tom and Abbey Rosenwald, Harold and Joan Gordon, John “Dutch” and Lile Rosenberger, Jack Tamagni, Doug Bleiler (in from Arizona), Harvey Litt, and Clem and Ann Malin.
The Class Meeting was opened by Clem commenting on the increasing mail and e-mail communications from the College, ranging from letters from President Jim Wright, updates on the search for the President-to-Be, Dartmouth ski weeks in Vail, to “Healthy Class Metrics” a new system for ranking Class Activities. The Great Class of 1956 rated a “Good” for the year 2008. With “very good” and “excellent” above us and “fair” and “poor” below us, we would seem to be a “gentlemanly C.” In the absence (late plane from wherever) of Elliott, Doug provided a few perspectives on the Alumni Council and the Association of Alumni. He spoke with approval of the determined efforts being made by the College and by the Council and the Association to “reach out’ to the Alumni body through the new Board Liaison Committee. Doug also noted that Alumni support is needed for both the Association Executive Committee election and the proposal to revise the “nomination process” for Alumni Trustees. Both Secretary Stew Wood and Treasurer Bob Faulkner were absence from the meeting, but submitted reports that were discussed. Sadly, deaths continue to reduce our numbers. The names and obits have been printed in the WWW newsletter and the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine.
We took special note of Sam Fry, a Regional VP in Seattle, who, with Les Reid, hosted the September 2008 wonderful Mini Reunion in Seattle. Sam lost a long and courageous battle with cancer shortly after the event. Bob Faulkner reports that our Treasury is in good shape with a total balance, in savings and checking accounts, of slightly over $41,000. The third and final Class dues mailing will be in the mail shortly.
The Class of 1956 Scholarship has launched another Dartmouth graduate. Fernando Orta, a Rufus Choate Scholar, graduated summa cum laude in June 2008. Our current scholar is Hillary Mimnaugh ’11, from California, majoring in history with a minor in Spanish.
H. Flint Ranney, newsletter editor and webster, received well deserved praise for the quality, content, humor, pictures and contests that continue to interest and amuse us all. Flint was anointed for the second (or third) time by the College as Newsletter Editor of the year 2008, another well deserved honor, again. Wha Who Whisper provides all the news that’s fit to print, and some that isn’t, both fiction and non-fiction, news about the College and about the Great Class of 1956. Thanks and more thanks to Flint.
An event is being developed by Les Reid on the “real” West Coast for some time in 2010 . Another New York Dinner is also under consideration for 2010. Don Davidoff was not able to make the NYC meeting this year but he is already actively soliciting contributions to the Dartmouth College Fund. The annual DCF drive is important in meeting the financial needs of the College. We need to respond positively.
Early plans for our 55th Reunion in Hanover were introduced by the Reunion Chair and Assistant Chair, Tom Rosenwald and Tom “Poon” Harper. These two have not yet resolved who is which, but they reject the Co-Chair title. Nonetheless, plans proceed with the possibility that we may have a post-Hanover continuation as we enjoyed at the Trapp Family Lodge after the 50th. Guest speaker invitations have already gone out to the Governor of Alaska and the recent Governor of Illinois. Suggestions and offers to help can be forwarded to Tom, whichever! You will not want to miss the 55th!
The last item on the agenda was a discussion of Veterans at Dartmouth and the Class of 1956 link with them. The initiative was launched by President Wright in 2006 and resulted in the arrival in September 2007 of three Marines, who had met Wright when he visited military hospitals to encourage veterans to continue or renew their education. Responding to Wright’s initiative the Class of 1956 invited the Marines to our Homecoming Dinner in November 2007. We have continued to communicate with them as they and other veterans created DUVA, the Dartmouth Undergraduate Veterans Association at the College. We invited all DUVA members to join the Class for the Homecoming Dinner in October 2008. We have offered to help them in various ways, but there is considerable support from the College as well as the Federal Government that provides them with adequate funding for tuition, room and board, plus tutoring where necessary. We have assured the veterans of our continuing willingness to help. We have also been in touch with President Wright to regularly advise him of our continuing interest, particularly after he steps down as President of the College in June of this year. The support of the Class in its response to our efforts has been most welcome and heartwarming. Clem appointed Norman “Tex” FRIDLUND, who lives in Hanover, to be our liaison with DUVA and its members.
Tex provided the following: “Hi Clem-You asked me to send you some info on the above subject which is on your agenda for the class meeting on Jan 30th -here goes.
1) DUVA gave a presentation on 1/20/09, at the Top of the Hop for the Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley. a) The entire 1.25 hour session was devoted to DUVA. Approx. 75 Dart. Club members attended. b) A 3-vet panel provided info on military service and Dartmouth experiences:
1) Tom Richardson, Marine, infantry, 3 tours in Iraq, combat, 25, single
2) Greg Agron, Marine, infantry, 3 overseas tours - 2 in Iraq, combat, 25, married
3) Ore Koren, Israel Defense Forces, special forces - engineer - redrafted to serve in the Lebanon conflict, combat, 25, single
c) Samuel Crist, Pres. of DUVA, was in Wash. DC attending the inauguration.
d) Tom R. said that DUVA has (approx) 15 members - 10 US vets and 5 foreign vets (3 Singapore, 1 Norway, 1 Israel).
2) Comments by the vets (edited quotes):
a) Before I applied to Dartmouth I had heard Pres.Wright speak and I was very impressed.
b) At first (a year ago) I was reluctant to divulge anything about my mil. service.
c) Common civilian comforts that I still appreciate include long hot showers and good, unrushed meals.
d) My main challenge is to try to slow down and be more thorough.
e) If war is mentioned by others, outside of DUVA, I tend to hang back and to try to respond as a human being-not as a (combat) vet.
f) There's great support for us at Dartmouth.
g) I love to see the"support the troops" bumper magnets and stickers.
h) On my 21st birthday I led my squad, backed by $7 million in equipment and special hardware in a raid on a group of Sunni insurgents - I was the oldest guy there. (This was the response to a Q put by my tablemate,Whit Spaulding - Linc's son - on the subject of leadership and responsibility in the military).
i) A main Marine Corps objective is to keep pushing leadership down to the lowest level that's possible.
j) I may pledge a fraternity-I never ever pictured myself doing so.
k) It's sometimes been a challenge to speak up in class and to be open about my opinions.
l) After doing several combat tours-getting to class on time or handing in a paper promptly doesn't seem like pressure to me.
m) I'm possibly interested in State Dept. work-foreign service -after graduation.
n) My freshman roommate was 18 - I was 24. We were-well, different.
3) Some observations & add'l info: a) The vets were placed at a head table. They seemed quite at ease in speaking to the mostly gray-haired assembly. Some wry humor peeked thru, too. b) During the Q&A session, a Tuck School prof. mentioned that there are 25 vets there. c) People seem to take notice of the vets. Example - the next day I attended a college-sponsored presentation -"Foreign Policy Issues Facing the Obama Administration" by R. Nicholas Burns, former Under Sec'y for Political Affairs, now teaching at Harvard. He mentioned that he'd attended a Dart. undergraduate seminar that morning in which the most cogent opinion was expressed by "one of your veterans." d) Sue Young, '77 has informed me that Dartmouth has assigned (retired) Prof. John Rassias to be the advisor to the DUVA. (If there are any shy vets now - there won't be for long.) e) I exchanged Tel.#s with each vet and encouraged them to call me for help or advice. f) The vets still don't have a regular meeting place. They like to get together once a week and have an informal session and a few beers. I suggested that they might make a good arrangement with one (or several) fraternities. g) They seemed confident and appeared well settled-in. I bought them each a drink at the cash bar- with best wishes from the class of '56. h) A show of hands indicated that over 50% of the Dart. audience were vets.”
At the Class Meeting in New York, Clem stressed the importance of the Class relationship with the Dartmouth Veterans. He will report further to the Class as our role develops. In a related thought, he also urged us to continue to contact Classmates to assure them of our continuing interest and concern, as appropriate. Show them you care. The meeting adjourned to a wonderful dinner with just the right balance of nostalgia and current economic and other issues facing the President of the United States.
Vox Clamantis In Deserto,
cbm (02/02/09)
From ourALUMNI FUND HEAD AGENT: Don DAVIDOFF (ddavidof@nycap.rr.com; 518-765-3041) (who, incidentally, interviewed Dartmouth '88 candidate Kirsten Gillibrand in 1984, who has now become the US junior Senator for New York, filling Hillary Clinton's former seat. Thank you, Don!)
A very happy and joyous Holiday season to you and yours!
The 09 Annual fund is underway, and many of you have already sent in your gifts, for which I thank you. The College, more than ever, needs our support this time. The economy has diminished our still substantial Endowment, resulting in a series of prudent management decision, while at the same time honoring the promise to provide appropriate support for our students. It is interesting to note that, so far, the number of donors is ahead of last year, but the dollar amounts are down slightly. Our primary objective, following our very successful 50th, has been and will continue to be participation. I hope that you will pitch in to help us, and the College.
Here’s my prayer: May the coming year be one of hope and good health for you and yours! Thanks! - Don
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CLASS OFFICERS (2006-2011)
1956 CLASS PRESIDENT: Clem MALIN (cbmalin@optonline.net; 203-226-4986)
VICE PRESIDENT: Elliott G. WEINSTEIN (Eweinz@aol.com; 914-591-6186)
SECRETARY: Rt. Rev. R. Stewart WOOD, Jr. (stewwood@aol.com; 802-295-8912)
TREASURER: Bob (the other) FAULKNER (robert.faulkner@ubs.com; 401-245-1934)
ALUMNI FUND HEAD AGENT: Don DAVIDOFF (ddavidof@nycap.rr.com; 518-489-2135)
ALUMNI COUNCILLOR: Elliott G. WEINSTEIN (Eweinz@aol.com; 914-591-6186)
PLANNED GIVING & REGIONAL VP (NE): Jon STRONG (j.jonathanstrong@comcast.net; 508-358-4623)
MIDATLANTIC VICE PRESIDENT & CO-CHAIR 55th REUNION: Tom HARPER (harpoon1@bellsouth.net; 336-227-1153)
CO-CHAIR 55th REUNION: Tom ROSENWALD (tomrosenwald@msn.com; 212 -734-6764)
SECURITY & SPECIAL OPS: Col. Fritz SIMMS (rnsimms5456@aol.com; 570-587-2574)
TRAVEL & CO-REGIONAL VP (NE): Roger SCHUMACHER (rsschu@verizon.net; 609-291-8688)
CO-REGIONAL VP (Mid-Atlantic): Dick WHITNEY (rewuncas@aol.com; 919-370-9435)
CO-REGIONAL VP (SE): John HIGGS (higgscom@comcast.net; 772-231-8700)
CO-REGIONAL VP (SE): Howard SODOKOFF (hosodie@comcast.net; 772-336-4447)
REGIONAL VP (Midwest): Bob SLATER (rslater3@wi.rr.com; 414-332-5654)
CO-REGIONAL VP (West): Les REID (larmer@mindspring.com; 253-756-5460)
WOMEN OF '56 ASSOCIATION: Karen MERRELS (kmerrels@sbcglobal.net; 419-861-7422)
[Women of '56 are invited to all Class functions as voters]
NEWSLETTER EDITOR and CLASS WEBSTER: H. Flint RANNEY (flintr@denby.com; PO Box 597, Nantucket, MA 02554-0597; 508-228-4236; fax: 508-228-3710)
ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE: has a FREE telephone number: 888-228-6068
Class of 1956 Highlights:
Wah, Who? Whispers! [Class newsletters, all in .pdf format]: