Noting in last WWW the passing of belov`ed Dean Thaddeus Seymour, John Beckert submits this remembrance: "Jean and I did name our second son after Thad Seymour. Were it not for [Dean Thad], I probably would not have graduated from Dartmouth. His understanding and guidance led me to take some time off to work on Wall Street, rebuild my education fund and take some useful evening courses for Dartmouth credit.
Many years ago when we were vacationing in Florida, we visited Thad while he was President of Rollins College. He and Polly hosted Jean and myself and our three children at their home for iced tea and homemade cookies. President Thad did magic tricks for our children. It was an unforgettable visit and a special opportunity for our son to meet the person who inspired his name. This story goes on. Some years ago while we were with our son Thad, who lives close to Winter Park, we were able to spend some time with Dean Thad and Polly at their retirement home. The warmth of their hospitality was memorable and it was fun to reminisce about Dartmouth times. He was quite interested in the robotics program that his namesake had organized in the Seminole County high schools on a volunteer basis.
In another related story: our son Thad was participating in a national conference outside of Florida some years ago where he met Thaddeus Seymour, Jr. by chance. Also, on one of our many flights from CT to FL we talked with Thad, Jr's wife. On another flight we sat next to the operating head of the Habitat organization that Thad, Sr. co-founded in Winter Park and Maitland, FL. His leadership was highly praised.
We are grateful that it is a small world and for all the good that people like Thad Seymour do. He was much loved at Rollins College and in the local community, to say nothing of what he meant to many of us." The girdled earth truly doth shrink…!
Upper Valley residents Ruth & [60th Reunion Chair] Pete Bleyler attended the concert composed for the college's 250th Anniversary celebration: "Dartmouth and the Hopkins Center commissioned a symphony for the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble, and gave the project to composer and Dartmouth alum Oliver Caplan '04. Its premier performance was on Saturday, November 2.
Prior to the concert, Mary Lou Aleskie, Executive Director of the Hopkins Center, invited Bentley Fellows members to a private dinner at the Hanover Inn, and Ruth & I attended. Attendees included the composer and his spouse, the new director of the Ensemble and Marching Band, Brian Messier, and the couple who set up a foundation in memory of their son, to provide funding for wind ensemble commissions. During the dinner, Oliver explained that each of the four movements of the symphony were meant to represent "places" that are near and dear to Dartmouth students and alums. To make his decision on which "places" to highlight, he interviewed many students and some alumni. He said the first movement is named "Misty Morning on the River." At the performance, an image of a misty morning on the Connecticut along with rowers in boats, was displayed on the large screen behind the Ensemble. The second movement was called "Summiting Moosilauke," and a second image showed a snow covered summit of our favorite mountain.
The third movement is called "FROST AND THE LONE PINE," and the image displayed was a great photo of our Robert Frost statue. The picture is taken looking up at the upper half of Frost from behind a boulder, and behind Frost's head the maple leaves in September green, orange, and yellow are displayed. 
The fourth movement is called "Finale: The Green at 6 PM." The image was the Baker Library Tower (but the time indicated 10:15, not 6:00!). During this movement, the Ensemble stopped playing and a recording of the Baker Tower bells gave a rendering of the Alma Mater. When the Ensemble started playing again, the themes of the alma mater were used throughout.
The symphony received a standing ovation from the audience."
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Nyla Arslanian lauds Frost statue success: "Take a well-deserved bow… Talk about a feel good moment! I can think of no other class project or major accomplishment (short of donating a building) that has had such an impact on campus life as the Frost statue. As Art Kelton and Mike Murphy will attest, what seemed like a 'slam dunk' required grit and determination to bring to fruition. Could there be any better location than overlooking Bema? Talk about a gift that keeps on giving—inspiring students and alumni for generations to come. This is public art at its best."
To which Mike Murphy replied: "Nyla, thanks so much for your accurate and kind words. I am sure that Art will join me in saying that what initially might have seemed like a 'slam dunk' ended up being sort of like Stephen Curry driving to the basket when it was guarded by Shaquille O'Neil and another seven-footer. But it all worked out, with the wonderful consequences you describe.
There were many great moments in this project, but for me the finest was when it came time to reach out to the Class to raise the money necessary – beyond what the Exec Committee had voted to take from our Treasury – to pay for the sculpture. You may remember, from the history of the project which I wrote for our 50th reunion yearbook, that I had to send only a single letter. Yes, JUST ONE LETTER, and the Class immediately responded with all the funds necessary. No follow-up solicitations were necessary; our Class support for the project was just outstanding."
Roz's Med School Roomie's Wife, Verifying That Something Doesn't Love A Wall…
Having read our obit for Joe Zinn, Ron Wybranowski appends: "So sorry to hear about Joe's passing from this world. It makes me feel very sad. I talked to him sometime shortly after he moved in with his sister and even then I could tell he was struggling; he was lighthearted and lively, but struggling just the same. I'm sorry I procrastinated about calling him again a short while ago when I took on the treasurer's job.
We made the trip back to Michigan together a couple of times, and caravan'd out there in Dec, 1961 when I took Joan to Grand Rapids to meet my parents. We were both at IBM Hartford at the time. We had a VW Beetle, quite sure Joe had not yet bought his first Corvette. It's time to call Duane Cox and trade some Joe stories with him.
PS - I forgot to mention that I got recruited by Elmer Lampe on the same trip as Joe. He stopped at Grand Rapids Catholic Central in Nov. of 1956, and asked the coach if anyone on the team was in the top 10% of the class. We met briefly in the locker room, he handed me a single copy of the 4-page application and said, 'If you're interested, send it in quickly. It's due pretty soon.' Got it in, got accepted, got the scholarship, met you and Joe in early September at freshman football, where most of our teammates were team captains and class valedictorians… remember when Coach Hamilton asked those who were to raise their hand? Fond memories... clearer now than whatever it was I had for dinner yesterday…"
As for football, here's a photo of John "Magpie" Walters '62 at Yankee Stadium for 2019 PU game, celebrating 150 years of NCAA football:
Man, look at those packed seats…!
Fritz Kern was in Arizona about that same time: "Janis and I celebrated my 80th with kids and grandkids a couple of months ago at what our youngest called 'a Great Big Hole in the Ground.' No, this photo was not taken with a blowup of one of Holbrook's masterpieces as a backdrop.
Notice the one wee cloud. Only one we saw in three days there."
The Kerns then went really west: "Janis and I had a wonderful time in Kauai last month. BP dropped several notches in that very quiet place. Did us a lot of good…By coincidence, Tom McLaughlin's widow, Sonya stayed the same week in our hotel."
(LtoR): Janis, Fritz, Sonya McLaughlin on Garden Isle Kauai.
From an opposite global outpost, Rich Husband submits this report: "Grey, cold damp weather has set in to the UV. My disposition remains bright and cheerful. Christmas shopping done. Now to get them in the mail. Usual flurry of doctor appointments after the New year. Pamela 's piano business continues to prosper. Big Green winter sports are dismal, although hockey and bb are improving. Not sure if skill level going up or playing weaker smaller opponents. Jacksonville dropped football so need opponent for opening game. How about Portland State? Haven 't seen Ford [Daley] or Roz recently. Ford still hanging out at [Hanover] high school and now Elaine is working there too. They car pool. So sweet! Turnbull has dropped from sight and lots of my high school classmates are aging less gracefully than you and me." Kind, but oblique, compliment there at the closing. Yes, some of us octogenarians continue to live independently. However, a word of caution from lowly scribedom: Do not confess to modern medical bureaucrats that you took Uber to the ER . . .
We thrive on A. Garg's morning internet postings. Here's a direct hit on our proclivities:
A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg
This week's theme – Words about books
bibliophage
PRONUNCIATION:
(BIB-lee-uh-fayj) 
MEANING:
noun: One who loves to read books; a bookworm.
And ol' Garrison Keillor follows suit with:
"How is your bookstore doing?" people ask, and I say, "Holding its own." And they smile and say, Great. A bookstore is like an old father. If he has a nice day,
Goes for a walk: fine. It's enough to perambulate. No need to run a six-minute mile. A bookstore is for people who love books and need
To touch them, open them, browse for a while,
And find some common good––that's why we read.
Readers and writers are two sides of the same gold coin.
You write and I read and in that moment I find
A union more perfect than any club I could join:
The simple intimacy of being one mind.
Here in a book-filled sun-lit room below the street,
Strangers––some living, some dead––are hoping to meet.
Speaking of growing old, Elliott Weiss submits empirical evidence:
"Elliott Weiss celebrated his 80th birthday on December 7th with a dinner at a local restaurant in Tucson at which a good time was had by all. Present were Butch Small and Jeff Conn. At a brunch the following morning they took a picture that replicated one they had taken in the spring of our junior year. A close look at the two photographs makes clear that they have hardly changed at all.
Elliott spends most of his leisure time playing duplicate bridge. He became a life master late last year."
Then & Now (above, LtoR): Weiss, Small, Conn. (below): Same Trio, Same Order, No Geritol . . .
As we opened, so should we close with the almost-upon-us Big 6-0. Chair Pete Bleyler is organizing a crackerjack committee, and offers these selected initial thoughts:
•Dates: Monday, June 14 to Thursday morning, June 17, 2021. The 55th reunion class will be the only other class on campus at the same time.
•Goals: Here are some tentative goals, which can be edited, added to, or deleted during our [planning process] discussion:
- Every attendee has a great experience.
- Increase total attendance from 160 at our 55th reunion to 170.
- Every classmate receives at least one phone call encouraging attendance.
- Depending on circumstances, contact widows to encourage attendance.*
- Focus attention on the 60th reunion project, the Robert Frost Endowment and the students who have benefited over the past 20 years from the class' financial awards.
- Consider contacting all widows who: 1) have attended any reunion or mini-reunion of the class since their husband's death, 2) have made donations to the College or contributed class dues since their husband's death, or 3) became widowed since our 50th reunion.
•Theme, catch-phrase, and Logo: At our 55th reunion the Frost statue was our logo and the theme centered around the statue, including Sculptor George Lundeen's presence and speech, and the Frost statue art contest. At our 50th, the theme or catch-phrase was "Paths We've Taken." At the 40th and/or 45th reunions, we used the word "Reconnections" and a logo showing two arrows facing each other. Prior to a recent Class Officers monthly conference call, a couple of suggestions for the 60th were "Sharing our Life Experiences" and "Paths Traveled."
Perhaps we should continue using the Frost statue as our Reunion Logo as it's now definitely our class logo or "mascot."
•Program: A brief review of our our 55th reunion program:
Sessions:
- Class meeting: Monday PM
- Memorial Service (and class photo), Tuesday AM
- Class of '61 Panel: Is there an afterlife? Ted Tapper moderated, Tuesday PM
- Passages, George Bland leading, Wednesday AM
- 1961 Women's Gathering, Wednesday AM
- Going with your Gut: How gut bacteria influence health and disease, remarks by Dr. Francesca Gazzaniga '07, Mike's daughter
•Other: There were numerous activities sponsored by the College for both reunion classes.
For the 60th reunion we will definitely have a Class Meeting and a Memorial Service. Do we want to continue the tradition of holding a Passages session? (George Bland is agreeable to leading it again.). What about a Women's Gathering?
I'm suggesting two sessions as follows:
- Have a panel discussion with three Dartmouth Alumni who received the Class of 1961 Arts Initiative Award. Each could describe the project that our funds supported and what they've done since graduation. Maynard Wheeler and I, who have been involved with the program since it inception, have several people in mind who we think would be great.
- Have a second panel discussion featuring current undergraduates who have received the Stephen F. Bosworth award from the Dickey Center. These students could talk about their projects with the Dickey Center, and we might consider having Director Dan Benjamin moderate the session, if he's available.
Those of us who have attended the mini-reunions in Hanover over the past 20 years have benefited greatly by meeting and listening to the students we've supported. Unfortunately, the majority of our class who have not been able to attend the mini-reunions have not witnessed the results of our significant financial investment in this program.
Well, fellas: (and Winkie): What think you?
Solidarity has always been an undercurrent to our class philosophy. Here's Semper Fidelis! to all:
USMC Ball (LtoR): Capt. Rusty Sachs (Organizer), Joan Jaffe, Capt. Roz, USAR (ret.)
And here's the lovely Bosworth award, by Simon Pearce:
Dartmouth College Fund Update
Congratulations to all of you have contributed already to the 2019-20 DCF. For the first six months of the year, our class led all non-reunion classes in participation That's fitting because of 72% target is one of the highest for any class.
Thanks to an innovative accounting system, any gift of $1,000 or more will be counted not only in this year's campaign but in next year's reunion year as well!
In case you haven't had a chance to contribute here's a website that includes all the various options for making a gift:
https://www.dartmouthcollegefund.org/how-give
Bartlett Tower Society (BTS). Dave Armstrong, Bequest Ci-Chair reports as follows: any classmate who leaves a bequest to Dartmouth, in his Will, Trust or IRA beneficiary designation(including gifts to our '61 Legacy and gifts to one of the Dartmouth, sports groups such as "friends of football") becomes a member of the BTS.
Currently, we have 66 classmates Who are BTS members which I believe makes his number two in the classes within five years of us. Not only does your bequest benefit Dartmouth At your death but you also help the class in it's competition to be named "Class of the Year" again.
Some other facts that may be relevant including:
1)There is no minimum gift amount required to become a member.
2)You can change your mind later just by changing your will, trust or IRA beneficiary designation.
3)Making the bequest is, of course, simple if you are revising your estate planning documents.
4) In the alternative your attorney can easily prepare a simple Codicil to your will or a simple amendment to your trust agreement or your attorney or investment officer can help you add a bequest to Dartmouth in the beneficiary designation portion of your IRA.
5) I will be pleased to provide you with a sample language upon request.
A recent example of a generous classmate making a bequest to Dartmouth, reconfirming his membership in BTS and receiving meaningful tax benefits Is outlined in The following note I received from Gerry Kaminsky:
"You have suggested I write a brief note explaining how and why I joined the Bartlett Tower Society. Not only did I reconfirm my membership but also I receive full credit for a gift to the current capital campaign, the Call to Lead. All I did was to list Dartmouth, as one of the beneficiaries of my IRA rollover. I can and will even direct the gift which will be received by the college only after I pass on-To a specific project rather than leaving it to the discretion of the college trustees (they do have to agree of course). In short, I have tremendous flexibility in making such a gift, get credit (if it is important to me) and as your tax advisor can explain, get meaningful benefits in my Estate planning. Gerry"
If you would like any additional information concerning becoming a BTS member please call or email me (561-573-6316; DG armstrong***bellsouth.net )
Or Vince Wilson at the Dartmouth, college fund (603-646-3078; Vincent.A.Wilson***Dartmouth.edu).Thanks for giving the BTS your consideration.
'61 Warriors Gone Missing Since Oct. WWW |
 Ellis Alden
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 Christine Noel
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 John Wooster
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Class Virtual Reunion. Most of our classmates are unable to attend our Mini-reunions, whether in Hanover or in exotic places like Charleston, Williamsburg or the upcoming 2020 event in San Diego. As an alternative, we plan to have our Fourth Virtual Reunion on the 61st day of 2020. Here's how that works. Get together with as many '61s as you can and take a picture of the group including the flier on the next page. Even if you can't find another '61 who is willing to join you, take a selfie with the flier or get someone else to photograph you with the flier. Then send the photo to Harris at h4mmckee***sbcglobal.net. (If you haven't sent a photo, ask your grandchild how to do it.) We'll post the collection of '61s celebrating the Virtual Reunion on line and/or in the next WWW.
If you have questions, send an email to Harris at the email address above or call him on his cell-phone 479-619-7324. (Remember to replace the *** with @ in the email address.)
Let's call it a wrap.
CU in Coronado - make your room reservation by Feb 24th, and get your deposit in to Prew-dads!
Aloha,
tc
Take a picture of this poster that includes a '61 (preferably you) and send to Harris McKee ( h4mmckee***sbcglobal.net )
With that, we think we'll call it a wrap . . .
Aloha,
tc.
