Dear Classmate:
I hope that Spring has finally settled in to your part of the woods and you are making plans for that well-deserved summer vacation. And paying your class dues and/or making a contribution to the Alumni Fund, because doing either one will keep you on the mailing list for the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine.
As you may remember from the Fall newsletter, at the class meeting that took place during reunion a vote was taken that made receipt of the magazine dependent on a classmate's having either paid his annual dues or made a contribution to the Alumni Fund within a given fiscal year. The reason: the College charges our treasury for the magazine, and it is neither feasible nor fair for those who contribute to the class and/or the College to continue to subsidize those who do not. Of course, we would like you to both pay your dues and make annual Fund donations, but we will live with your doing either one for the sake of keeping you on the subscription list.
I am bringing this up again now because the fiscal year ends on June 30, just a few days away, and those of you who have not responded to the dues or Fund solicitations by that time will no longer receive the Alumni Magazine until you become a "financially active" member of the class.
So don't miss out! If you fall into the non-paying group, now is the time change all that so you can keep getting one of the best college magazines in the country.
Class News
The green cards keep flowing in. Bob Booms wrote from Santa
Fe, NM, (PO Box 8819, 87504) to order a copy of the reunion book, one
of many who were unable to attend but are still interested in what's
going on with everybody 30 years out. Sorry your first check got lost
in the mail, Bob -- I promise that we'll only charge you once. By the
way, Bob Serenbetz has produced a quantity of extra books so
he can fill orders right away for those of you who want one. The cost
is just $25 (including shipping), and you can reach him at
RVDD11A@prodigy.com or by phone at 510-450-9399.
Reflecting on the many classmates who have died since reunion, Peter Dorsen noted that "this is the concern we all have at 52" and offered a possible offset to aging: his book "Fitness in Men Over 40," which he hopes to get excerpted in the Alumni Magazine. A doctor in Minneapolis, Peter reported that he has "just recently been through a painful review by the Medical Board but finally they have turned me over for monitoring of manic depression."
Those of you who attended the memorial service at our 30th will remember the moving sentiment expressed by Gaylord Hitchcock that that hour in Rollins Chapel belonged to those classmates who have passed away -- it was their time, their reunion with the rest of us. Gaylord has since moved back to New York City from New Jersey to become the Rector of the Episcopal Church of Saint Ignatius, where he finds the new work more rewarding and enjoys a revitalized Big Apple. Gaylord can be reached at 175 West 93rd St., Apt. 6-G, NYC, NY 10025; phone 212-316-1247 (home) or 580-3326 (work).
More good news from the career front. Don Graves was recently appointed Vice President - Sales & Marketing for Artisan House, Inc., a subsidiary of Decor Group. The company, based in Mt. Vernon, NY, designs and manufactures decorative accessories for the home.
Rob Cleary had a chance to visit with Kevin Trainor and
daughter Whitney when they were in Denver as part of a college tour:
"we dined and discussed the impacts of thermo-nuclear physics
(how's that for casual dinner table chatter?) ...and, as
always, had a great mini-reunion on the high plains."
Another voice from west of the Mississippi: William Koelsch reported that he and wife Amanda were planning to spend "the weekend of April 24-27 in NYC with Brad Stein and others from the 1966 production of "Once Upon A Mattress" to see the same on Broadway and have a mini-reunion with '67 and '68 cast members." Now that's a road trip! I wonder if the person who played the lead in Hanover 31 years ago bore any resemblance to Sarah Jessica Parker, who is getting rave reviews for the revival. William and Amanda are at 546 La Loma Rd., Pasadena, CA 91105.
Paul Semple and family spent part of March at the Serenbetz's condo in Wild Dunes, just outside of Charleston, SC -- the condo he won in the silent auction over reunion weekend (see, it pays to show up in Hanover once every five years). Paul wrote that "it's right on the water with good golf and tennis and should be included in next reunion's auction -- so I can get it again at a great price."
The Pennsylvania crowd has been busy. Scott Wright is living in Villanova (1300 Prospect Hill Rd., 19085-2117) and "still practicing gastroenterology at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia." His wife, Mary, will graduate from Bryn Mawr this Spring and finish her second four-year term on the Lower Merion school board in the Fall. And keep an eye out for their daughter Katie, who is currently doing 23 episodes as "Chelsea" on Melrose Place (past credits include 3 made-for-TV movies, Wonder Years, Malibu Shores and many commercials. Daughter Amy is a freshly-minted graduate of William Smith and son David is a high school junior who may be headed for Dartmouth.
A little further north in Bucks County, Bruce McKissock has "started construction on the Lookaway Gold Club, a private championship course designed by Rees Jones." Bruce wrote that, when not surveying the links, he practices law "with concentration in product liability, insurance and commercial litigation. Nina and I still spend time working our small farm when not hauling our three kids to sports, school and equestrian activities." Those of you who want to book a tee time can reach Bruce at Box 162 in Carversville, PA (sounds like a good spot to hold a mini-reunion).
From Satellite Beach, FL (480 Trinidad Dr., 32937), John Harbaugh dropped a line to say that he is completing his 27th year of high school teaching and still loving it. "I still coach H.S. crew and even rowed with our three other coaches in the Masters-4 event during the Biscayne Bay Regatta over Easter weekend. Remember me, Bob Serenbetz? My students convinced me to sponsor a Chess Club and a Sci Fi Club (by the way, would you classify Gulliver's Travels as Sci Fi or fantasy?) P.S.: I cried when I saw my entire family walking the Hanover Plain during last summer's visit."
One of the wonderful things about this job is getting to read first-hand what amazing, esoteric and fascinating things some of our classmates are doing. Knowing that the world is not waiting for me to crank out another marketing plan, I am continually impressed by the breadth and depth of accomplishment that many of you are achieving. Take Ed Grew, for example. Ed and his wife, Priscilla, sent a copy of their annual holiday letter that I wish I could reprint in its entirety. Last year, the Grews trekked through The Netherlands and Norway in search of a possible new mineral entirely unknown to science -- and they found it! (Now I understand what they were getting at in Rocks class.) Ed named the mineral "boralsilite" for boron, aluminum and silicon because it is the first mineral ever found to consist only of these three elements plus oxygen. The result of a quest of significant duration and effort, spanning more than 16 years and at least two continents, the new find has been officially approved by the International Mineralogical Association. In addition, Ed published an 862-page book on boron and continued his search for rare elements by going mine-crawling in Manitoba. And Priscilla keeps a schedule that would make the most hardened road-warrior blush, as Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Nebraska, a member of the National Science Foundation, and part of an advisory group to the Nebraska Legislature that studies the electric power industry -- to name but a few of her professional activities. When not in the field, Ed can be reached at the University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469.
Talk about spanning the globe and Jim Cason comes to mind. Jim wrote in April that he will finish up two years as Special Assistant for International Affairs to Supreme Allied Commander NATO Atlantic and to Commander-in-Chief Atlantic Command this September. At that time, he will transfer for three years to Kingston, Jamaica, as Deputy Chief of Mission, where he expects to get in some good deep sea fishing and hopes "to see any 66ers passing through."
Steve Hayes checked in with an idea that might appeal to some of us: "I'm alive and well and still living in the Washington, D.C. area. Took early retirement from the Federal Government a year ago and since then have been working for the AAA as their Managing Director - Public Relations. Barbara and I, married 25 years in January, have two kids: Emily 14 and Peter 11. Any of our classmates that need a tow or a place to stay in D.C., give me a call!" Steve is at AAA, 1440 New York Ave. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005 (phone 202-942-2060, fax 783-4798).
Finally, in the category of "we love them anyway," news from the last Alumni Council meeting on the search for a Dartmouth mascot: "Dick Jaeger '59, athletic director, reported that a good mascot can help with spirit and pride but that the issue should be in the hands of the students. Jonathan Heavey '97, president of the Student Assembly, said that the subject is of great interest to students generally. A student committee was established and after extensive consultations and lengthy debate, came up with the four most popular candidates: Indian, Moose, Mountaineer and...the present Big Green. But it was pointed out that the use of moose or mountaineer might re-inforce a stereotype of Dartmouth as being a place in the wilderness (Did someone relocate the campus from the wilds of New Hampshire since last June?) And restoring the Indian is counter to the national trend to abolish human mascots on the grounds of potential abuse (Ever wonder how U. Penn gets away with being known as the Quakers?). The director of admissions is very concerned about the impact of an inappropriate symbol on the admissions process. It was pointed out that a symbol must accurately and positively portray the College. The search continues." We invite comment.
Hope you all have a great summer -- and any version of "What I Did Over My Summer Vacation" that you want to send along for the Fall issue will be greatly appreciated!
Jim Lustenader
7 Boudinot St.
Princeton, NJ 08540
Home phone: 609-924-5935
Business phone: 800-526-8712 x3307
Business fax: 201-984-2320
E-mail: jlustenader@dvc.com