Co-Presidents:                         Bill Higgins, 5360 Miami Road, Cincinnati, OH 45243
                                               Steve Warhover
, 33 William Fairfield Drive, Wenham, MA 01984
Vice-President & Webmaster:  Chuck Sherman, 3100 Rittenhouse Street NW, Washington, DC 20015
Secretary:                                Larry Geiger, 93 Greenridge Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605
Treasurer:                                Jim Weiskopf, 13125 Willow Edge Court, Clifton, VA 20124
Head Agent:                            Bob Spence, 16 Surrey Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
Bequest Chairmen:                  Rich Daly, PO Box 39, West Boxford, MA 01885
                                                Steve Lanfer, 178 Sea Meadows Lane, Yarmouth, ME 04096
                                                Alan Rottenberg, 24 Gould Road, Waban, MA 02468
Mini-Reunion Chairman:           Al Keiller, 7 Elcy Way, Simsbury, CT 06070
Newsletter Editor:                     Bob Serenbetz, PO Box 1127, Newtown, PA 18940
                                                            Phone: 215-598-0262  Fax: 215-598-0770
                                                            Email: BobSerenbetz@prodigy.net
Class Website:                         http://www.alum.dartmouth.org/classes/66

 

 

October 2002

 

 

News from Classmates

 

Bob Vogel writes, �It has been awhile since my last touch base. In the intervening years my son has morphed from a �little kid� to an almost teenager in middle school. Even though I postponed the family experience for as long as decently possible (or longer than that some would say), it is passing entirely too quickly to suit me. I have also changed jobs. Not particularly remarkable except that I had been with Keyes Associates for almost thirty years. I began in my new position with Design Partnership of Cambridge, Inc. last year and it is going well. DPC is an architecture and planning firm with about 60 staff members specializing in design of educational facilities, public and private, at all levels from preschool through college and university. My charge is to lead the marketing and design efforts of the K-12 Group in the Boston office (we also have an office in Albany, NY). So to all the educational professionals who may read this and any of you who may be on a school study of building committee, I would love to hear from you at rvogel@tdpc.com. Our small family will be making the annual pilgrimage to Hanover for one, maybe two football games this fall and look forward to hanging out on the AD porch. On that general topic, I am very heartened to glean from various sources that the Greek system at the College is alive and returning to wellness, incrementally changed for the better but still recognizable.� Bob, thanks for your note; I wish I could share your optimism about fraternities, but having walked Webster Avenue

a couple of weeks ago and peeked into a few of the houses, I�m not so sure there has been any change for the better.

 

From Bill Hobson�s wife Nancy: �Have just concluded ten straight years of college tuition, most years two, one year three. We took a picture of that last check. Meanwhile, Bill has pursued his woodworking passion for Windsor chairs. He apprentices every summer with Peter Scheffer of Straw Hill Chairs, West Unity, NH and now enjoys a wide range of styles in his home including a Windsor settee. Other projects include a cherry bed and end tables, bureaus, and clocks. All much more fun than the practice of law (at Stolar Partnership), which continues uninterrupted. Most recently he was elected a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).� Bill lives in Clayton, MO and can be reached at whh@stolarlaw.com.

 

Tom Steinmetz writes, �I�ve attached a photo of George Valley (my junior year roommate) and myself. Earlier this summer, George saw a news note in �Along Route �66� which included my email address and emailed me suggesting we get together. We had dinner earlier this month when George was on a business trip to DC. It was the first time that we had seen one another since college, and it was great fun catching up. George is a research physicist working (at Raytheon Systems) in California where he has lived (at 2827 Wigtown Road, Los Angeles, CA 90064) with his wife, Marcy, for 25 years. His field of research has been in light and radio wave communications. His newfound passion is golf. Aside from appearances, we agreed that we hadn�t changed all that much.�

 

 

 

George Valley and Tom Steinmetz

                                               

 

Bill and Jane Higgins are grandparents�..again! Of twins�.again!! But this time, Andy and Mac join sisters Claire and Haley, children of daughter Molly �91 and Rich Aube �91. Anyone else with two sets of twin grandchildren? The Higgins are slowly catching up with Wayne and Kathy LoCurto, but at 11�4 still have a long way to go!

 

In an unusual move, Mike Masin has left the Board of Citigroup to become Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of the Company, where he will oversee all corporate functions other than the operating business units. Mike will share responsibility for Finance with Citigroup�s Chairman and CEO and serve as Chairman of the newly created Business Practices Committee. He has resigned his position as Vice Chairman and President of Verizon Communications, a position he has held since the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, his previous employer. Before joining GTE, Mike was Managing Partner of the New York office of the law firm O�Melveny and Myers. Congratulations, Mike. Now I have somebody to complain to when Citi�s on-line banking site goes down!!

 

Paul Darling writes, �I am still living and working in Switzerland. I am a professor of information systems at the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne. I must say as a hotel school the food is better than I remember at Dartmouth. I�ve also purchased a traditional Swiss chalet in a small village in the Alps as preparation for retirement. My significant other, Anita Walker, and I make the 42nd and 43rd residents there.� Well, Paul, how would you like to expand the population further by hosting a class mini-reunion??? Al Keiller and others can reach Paul at paul_darling@hotmail.com.

 

Speaking of overseas, Edward Grew writes, �I have just returned from the International Mineralogical Association meeting in Edinburgh, where I presented a paper on beryllium in rock-forming minerals. I have edited a volume on the geochemistry, petrology, and mineralogy of beryllium for the Mineralogical Society of America. My second such volume; I co-edited my first on boron in 1996. I am a research professor in the department of geological science at the University of Maine---so I hear a lot about Angus King in the news. My only direct contact with a Dartmouth grad is with Woody Thompson �68, who works for the Maine Geological Survey and visits Orono from time to time.� Edward can be reached at esgrew@maine.edu.

 

 

Class of 1966 Survey

 

This issue of �Along Route �66� will be the final report on the survey completed a little over a year ago in preparation for our 35th Reunion. Please keep in mind that only 80 or so classmates and approximately 40 spouses completed the survey, so it is not statistically reliable.

                                                                                                            Classmates            Spouses      

 

Did you serve in the military?       

 

Yes                                                                                         49.2%      0.0%

No                                                                                           50.8     100.0   

 

How many times have you been in the hospital since graduation?

           

0                                                                                              22.8%      15.4%

            1-2                                                                                          49.1          30.8

            3-5                                                                                          28.1          42.3

            6 or more                                                                              0.0            11.5

 

We seem to be a pretty healthy lot!

 

Are you taking any university level courses?

 

            Yes                                                                                         6.9%           7.7%

            No                                                                                           93.1          92.3

 

            Who did you vote for in the last Presidential election?

 

            Bush                                                                                      50.9%       45.0%

            Gore                                                                                       41.8           45.0

            Nader                                                                                     5.5           0.0

Didn�t Vote                                                                            1.8           10.0

 

There goes the myth of Dartmouth being an ultra-conservative college with even more ultra-conservative alumni!

 

 

 

What would you differently in your life?

 

            Stay closer to children/spend more time with children     8.8%        0.0%

            Nothing/no regrets                                                                    7.0           0.0

            Find religion sooner                                                                  3.5           3.8

            Study harder in school/take greater advantage of               3.5           15.4

                        educational opportunities/continue education

            Have more children/adopt children                                         5.3           0.0

            Select different career/change careers                                  7.0           15.4

 

 

 

Some of the single mention thoughts: �too many to list�, �apply to Princeton�, �move to Tuscany�, �learn more foreign languages at an earlier age�, �love more, work less�, �laugh more, like more, live more ---seize the day�, �eat better, stay fit�, �marry later�, �join the Peace Corps before graduate school�.

 

 

Class Officers� Meetings

 

Rich Daly, Bill Higgins, Chuck Sherman and I attended the annual Class Officers� Meeting in Hanover, September 13-14. The most important sessions had to do with comparing experiences among your peer group (for example, Newsletter editors with other Newsletter editors) and comparing overall class activities with classes of a similar age (we were in a group representing Classes 1950-1969). In addition, there was a session of all officers from all classes discussing alumni governance (Alumni Council vs. the Association of Alumni), Board of Trustee elections, and the growing apathy among alumni, as demonstrated by continuing falling participation rates in class dues paying, alumni trustee voting and Dartmouth Fund contributions.

 

Most attendees felt that the responsibilities of the Association (it supervises alumni trustee elections) should be passed to the Alumni Council, a body of just under 100 representatives of the classes, clubs, and at-large appointees�and then be eliminated. Most also felt that there should be more class reps on the Council (for example we alternate representation with the Class of 1965).

 

The issue of apathy can be most closely demonstrated by the drop in Dartmouth Fund contributions. For the year just completed, participation dropped from 45.6% in 2001 to 41.3% in 2002. The Class of 1966 participation was 41.4%. The College admits that part of the problem was the move away from the Assistant Class Agent network to a focus on wealthier alumni. The Fund plans to make changes in its structure and also offer alumni the opportunity to choose among eight different categories to focus their giving. Other means of addressing apathy, which an ad hoc committee of the Alumni Council (including Chuck Sherman) is working on were unfortunately not yet ready for discussion.

 

As the Alumni Council class rep, I would welcome your thoughts and recommendations to reawaken the loyalty of Dartmouth�s alumni. Feel free to write on the green cards or by email�or on the class website.

 

Mini-Reunion Activities

 

In addition to the Homecoming activities highlighted on the Class website and in the August Newsletter, we have been invited to join with the Classes of 1964 and 1965 for a post-game cocktail party (Cash Bar) in Room 116 at the Hanover Inn. This is a great chance to see dorm mates and fraternity brothers from the older classes.

 

Al Keiller is in the midst of putting together a committee for the 60th Birthday Party in San Francisco/Napa. More news will be forthcoming.

 

 

 

Dartmouth Athletics

 

At the time this Newsletter is written (October 10), the Big Green has lost its first three football games. Hopefully, by the time of the Harvard game, the team will be winning and not be an embarrassment as it was last year. I recently saw a report on Big Green athletics through the 2001-2002 season. While it is true that the Dartmouth women have performed admirably in many sports, check out the record of the current coaches in the men�s major sports:

 

            Football                     (51-50-1 over ten+ years)

            Basketball                 (125-164 over eleven years)

            Baseball                    (240-255 over thirteen years)

            Hockey                       (60-74-20 over five years)

            Lacrosse                   (22-32 over four years)

            Soccer                       (7-7-2 over one year)

 

With the exception of football (and just barely), all sports have a .500 or below record. While clearly the coaches are not totally to blame, it would seem that all aspects of recruitment, admissions, and coaching have to be examined. Maybe just part of alumni apathy has to do with continuing poor athletic performance by the men�s teams. Any opinions?

 

The Dartmouth Fund

 

In a recent email Patricia Jackson, Associate Vice-President for Individual and Organizational Giving, announced that Sylvia Racca has been appointed Executive Director of the Dartmouth College Fund, replacing Robert Caldwell who resigned prior to the start of the 2002 campaign. Currently Director of Development at Scripps College, Sylvia has past experience as Director of Annual Giving at Scripps (where participation surpassed 50%) and on the annual giving staff at Smith. She is a graduate of Burlington College. Can�t we find any Dartmouth graduates to fill this important position?

 

Class Notes

 

Given that many members of the Class do not receive the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, the Class Executive Committee has decided to include the latest Class Notes written by Larry Geiger in each Newsletter. Larry and I will try to avoid duplication of news; the other benefit is a chance to see the notes from classes around us. This will be an experiment; we hope that Class dues payments do not take a tumble!

 

[The September/October issue was not available at the time this was posted on the web.]

 

Final Words

 

My backlog of class news has dissipated, so please classmates, spouses, significant others, children, etc., let us know by green cards or email �what�s happenin��; any editorial comments about the College, the world, life in general or whatever are more than welcome!!