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Sections: Bartlett Tower Society, Green Cards, 55th Reunion, Lost in 2015

'61s: Anderson, Baum, Bleyler, Bosworth, Cohen, Cogswell, Damon, Denniston, Daley, Fields, Fink, Gazzaniga, Greenfield, Hargraves, Holbrook, Horan, Hughes, Kaplan, Kola, Lieblich, Loughran, McArt, McKee, Mills, Mooney, Murphy, Palin, Rozycki, Roussel, Schlachtenhaufen, Serrell, Thompson, Wheeler, Whitehead, Wright

WWW - So, whatcha doin' in June? After Reunion, that is...? Less than six months from now, a horde of '61s will converge upon the Plain to show the moxie of which they are made, and maybe even a little wisdom they might still possess . . . This occasion calls for early-week timing (right after the 50th kids are there for Commencement weekend), and we are in good hands. A centerpiece of the reunion will be the Frost Statue, including rededication of the upgraded surrounding area, a college-wide art contest to select the best rendition/interpretation of the statue, and a personal visit by the sculptor himself, George W. Lundeen. [has it already been 20 years since we donated that landmark to the college? Murphy hardly looks 20 years old, e'en at this late juncture...! ed.]  An educational program, titled "Life After," chaired by Ted Tapper (Jake's pop), will feature a panel of religious leaders associated with Dartmouth, and a session on The Brain & Cognitive Issues will include our own Mike Gazzaniga (former Dean of Faculty) who is recognized worldwide in this developing field.  We will reprise the very popular musical review (last staged in Moore Theatre) at the dinner in Alumni Hall @The Hop, and you would be awed at the dulcet tones still produced by our ancient fingers, lungs, and vocal cords; this will be augmented by the Jolly Coachmen group who entertained you so well in Williamsburg. There's a visit to the improvements at Mt. Moosilauke, which won't even require that one ascend the slope afoot.  And lots, lots more.

In terms of costs, Chairdude Jim Baum reports: "The College has now taken over the entire reunion registration. This is true for all classes with the exception of the 60th and older.  It is a package.  Pete Bleyler and I met with the new head of alumni relations (Denny on the phone) to review with staff the budget.  At this time we believe a $400 registration, plus housing, is what will be announced in the registration letter. All registration is on line.  If someone needs a scholarship, they should contact George Whitehead or me. (Pete and I have built in to the $400 price some real savings using our class money to cover any expenses not covered by the registration. If classmates need financial help they should talk to me, and if they cannot make a dinner, again talk to me.)" 
Geo. W. avers that present response indicates 62 classmates and their spouses/SOs plus 31 "Strong Maybes" (13 couples and 5 singles); Jim Baum will ID these avid '61s in the upcoming Reunion Letter [in March]. Start packing up the ol' kit bag...!

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Green Cards:  The Bleyler Times is a year-end newsletter which chronicles the many adventures undertaken by Pete & Ruth during the prior twelvemonth. Last year they not only traveled abundantly, but also drank a lot of good wine, ate a plethora of bivalves, and agonized over a close cardiac call with daughter Tracy, who eventually emerged from Hitchcock Hospital (where she volunteers) only slightly worse for the month-long experience and resumed her life's endeavors of volunteer work, horseback riding, art lab, and workouts at the gym.  

Jerry Greenfield <jgreenfield61@alum.dartmouth.org> sent a newsy card, initially responding to a wiseacre comment in last WWW: "Indian Wells, CA—brought back good memories. I grew up in Palm Springs, and helped survey Indian ["Native American"?] Wells Golf Course summer before our freshman year. A few years later, while visiting folks, an architect I'd worked for took me on a tour of Pres. Eisenhower's house, then under construction.That too wasn't far from, [um, "Original Settler"...?] Wells. I think fondly of good times at D. I still interview candidates for admission at local [Richland, WA area] high schools. My brag: Corky (wife) & I recruited young women for freshman class that entered in 1972—first class that included women. I gave a speech to my Toastmasters Club re. history of women at D. We have some women activist members. I told them what it was like to be at all-mens' college in late '50s—Colby Jr., Skidmore, Wellesley, and the other weekend trips seeking girls. Also the discovery of nurses' program at Mary Hitchcock Hospital!"

[Horrors! Would that qualify him as a sexist today? I mean, why didn't he cherchez la dude as well...? Must also reiterate the ol' "Indian" question, to wit: what're we s'posed to do about landmarks, etc. that were named "Indian" before Dartmouth took it upon itself to purge the Indian symbol? Ford Daley reports: "A Weather Channel meteorologist just explained to viewers that 'Indian Summer' is now incorrect—cannot be used by any of them. 'Second Summer' is the new name. 'Cleveland Seconds' were mentioned..." ed.]   Old Faithful Tony Horan promises that: "Marcie & I have put the reunion in our appointment books. My project there will be to find my father's (D'22) 'Brief' against allowing Jas. Joyce's Ulysses to enter the country. The US Attorney lost that one. The book came in & the republic did not fail."  

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Otter <rlalaw2012@gmail.com> submitted a rare card, which proved also somewhat troubling: "Son Cole applied for Early Decision at D and was deferred. He is a senior at The Thacher School in Ojai, CA, has solid 4+ grade point average and great SATs—including perfect 800 in Math. He is Captain of his basketball team and also plays middie on the lacrosse team.

"Still selling lots of wine through broker in Los Angeles; business consulting for a few start-ups..."  Now, what disturbs us: having worked for many years as District Enrollment Director and recently taking on special cases for applicants we felt were the kind of young people Dartmouth truly needs, we have to ask: what's not to like about Cole's credentials?  Granted, He is neither female nor foreign, and does have a genetically low melanin count, but his father did put Dartmouth on the map back in the late '70s—and he is a fine young man [in spite of that]; I know him and, in all candor, would certainly accept him before... well... me, for one . . .

On a happy note, John Schlachtenhaufen advises: "Fifty nine years after one JS matriculated in Hanover, a John Schlachtenhaufen will be again—joining the class of 2020. Proud grandparents are a pain in the ass but we are happy for him."

In class news that didn't make the [space limitations] cut last issue, we can now announce that Mike Mooney has arranged with Amazon to offer Names, A Scottish Tale, originally published by Macpherson & Co, available as a Kindle book through Amazon. The order number:  #BOOBY8928S.  Mike: "You don't necessarily need a Kindle to read it, and it costs $2.99. Need I add that the book includes an afterword by the author?" [we urge you to avail yourself of a copy—fine writing, fine reading! ed.]

Likewise, Peter Holbrook had an exhibition at The Marshall Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ, which went thru December 10; obviously you cannot hie thee to the show, but here is a sample selection:

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Al Rozycki submitted a fine photo of "three handsome '61s" at the Alumni Council meeting in late October:

(LtoR) Alan Rozycki,MD, Pete Bleyler, Rog McArt. ("Pete is rep for the Assn. of Alumni, Roger is our class rep, and I go for the free food! [one of 2 reps for the Med School]")

Another old pic shows Bob Hargraves at a great seminar on "Radiation Limits to Energy Innovation":

Maynard Wheeler: "Bob stayed away from 2300 projections but mostly talked about how misguided we are about radiation, particularly low dose radiation, and how that obstructs any USA advancement in this area. After Fukushima, more people died from the stress of evacuation than from radiation; nuclear ship workers had a lower death rate than similar workers not working near those subs; a Taiwan building using steel contaminated with radioactivity had a lower cancer rate than predicted; radon in the lower level of your home may have a protective function !!!  Our DNA is being repaired at a much higher rate than that  caused by low dose radiation."

While displaying Maynard's photographic skills, here are some views of the improvements to the Frost Statue setting, which should be of interest. "A crushed stone path extends from behind the observatory.[see statue] The [other] is looking toward the Tower...The trail is wheel-chair accessible...I did not count on all the oak leaves!"

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In a previous issue we mentioned that Chip & Wendy Serrell had relocated to the booming town of Austin, Texas. Selections from their 2015 year-end note observe:
"Wendy and I enjoyed a wonderful summer in Vermont, but were both anxious to return to our vibrant city of Austin, and did so in the middle of October...Since October, we have had quite a bit of rain, especially over the Halloween weekend when 14 inches fell at the airport, flooding the FAA control tower. In true Texas style, 11 inches of that rain fell in about two hours. 2015 set a record for the most rain ever in Austin, with over 60 inches recorded... Sorry, California!
The continued growth of both people and the economy here is amazing...We don't know where all this is headed, but at certain times of the day, traffic is awful. In perspective, the fact that Dell, Apple, Samsung and Oracle each have huge operations here is a contributing factor to the explosive growth...Austin is really a young people's city, and they do a great job of keeping all the bars and restaurants packed on any day of the week. Once a month the local paper runs a chart showing which joints have sold the most booze, kind of like a badge of honor.
For us, life here continues to be entertaining and interesting. We've seen several events, of which there are hundreds that represent the spirit and quirkiness of the city. While running an errand I came across a function called the "Stiletto Challenge." Over 100 women were racing in a parking lot in their most dramatic high heels, clattering around to raise money for some charity. Wendy has signed up for next year's event...attitude is part of what makes this state so intriguing. With its huge economy, size and self-sufficiency, the state doesn't like to be pushed around by anyone, especially the Federal Government. Our governor just called for a convention of all states to amend the Constitution so as to protect states against overreaches by the Fed. Think Presidential executive actions. Go to Top

Last week we checked off a major item from our bucket list and went to hear [Maui resident] Willie Nelson's New Year's Eve celebration. Willie is an Austin treasure; whenever he comes on stage here, the place goes wild. At 82 he played for over an hour and is still rocking. And his sister, Bobbi, can really play the piano at age 86. Tough act to follow.

May your 2016 be filled with Biscuits and Groovy. Speaking of which, come visit us – we will take you there for breakfast!"

Though we hate to cast a pall over these proceedings, we must note recent losses to our ever-dwindling roster. Harris sends a Bulletin obituary with each death notice we receive, but here are the fine young men we lost in 2015:

Andy Cohen, December 29, 2015
Bill Cogswell, January 20, 2015
Jack Fink, October 20, 2015
Sam Hughes, December 11, 2015
Paul Francis Kaplan, January 31, 2015
Arthur Kola, February 16, 2015

Robert Ernest Lieblich, February 3, 2015
David King Loughran, February 25, 2015
Richard Leroy Mills, September 11, 2015
Errol C. Thompson, March 12, 2015
Richard W. Wright, August 28, 2015

Lately we were stunned to learn of the passing of Ambassador Steve Bosworth on Jan. 3 of pancreatic cancer. Man, it's tough saying Aloha Nui to anyone, but we were especially close to Boz, and so pleased when he served as Chairman of the D Trustees.

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Y'know, speaking of 76-year olds, it is true that sometimes we do experience little slippages in the memory department—some like to call that a "senior moment"—so Puddin Roussel, in the throes of fretting over her man in the ICU, did submit this insight:
"Brains of older people are slow because they know so much. People do not decline mentally with age, it just takes them longer to recall facts because they have more information in their brains, scientists believe. Much like a computer struggles as the hard drive gets full, so, too,  do humans take longer to access information when their brains are full. Researchers say this slowing down process is not the same as cognitive decline. The human brain works slower in  old age, but only because we have stored more information over time. The brains of older people do not get weak. On the contrary, they simply know more.
Now when I reach for a word or a name, I won't excuse myself by saying, 'I'm having a senior moment.' Now, I'll say, 'My disk is full!.' "

A coupla grown-up '61s, who claim to be compos mentis—at least momentarily:
tc & Fred Fields Reunite in San Francisco (FSF then went and retired...)

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One '61 who dodged a major bullet, and apparently won his recent tilt with the Grim Reaper, is Jim "Roach" Roussel who is now home recovering from a major dust-up in the ICU, and surgery to install a new valve in his heart. These aren't simple procedures, esp. for a 76-year old with lifelong diabetes, but Roach is a fighter, and wasn't gonna knuckle under w/o showing what he's made of. Granted the whole ordeal may dictate that he back off a bit from his admiralty law practice, but he's probably just very, very happy to be on this side of the grass . . .

Roach Rousssel waiting for the gals from the beauty saloon to show up . . .

As we home in on the 55th, our intrepid Bartlett Tower Society directors, "Pale Pete" Palin and John Damon are making progress toward our modest goal. Gents, this is about as painless a way to make your mark in Dartmouth history as any we can conceive. Here's how:

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Further, Jerry Wunderlich '59 simply offers:

Or, maybe we should suggest:

And, to complete the Christmas trilogy, we submit:

Ellis Naegele, on her 12/25 birthday, surrounded by sturdy grandsons

Our old and trusted buddy from Providence, Allyn Freeman B'61 (the man was not only Rex of Pi Lam, but a stalwart rugger as well), laments: "Another Injun mascot bites the dust as North Dakota opts for the Fighting Hawks, replacing the fighting Sioux. Meanwhile in PC land, some carnivores want to picket Brown, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia for their mascots."  When will they ever learn . . . 

Th-th-that's all, folks.
Malama pono, 
tc

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