Surprise Gift at Pow Wow

As this issue of the MAGAZINE goes to press information comes from Chicago that a gift to Dartmouth of $lOO,OOO was presented to President Ernest Martin Hopkins at the Pow Pow banquet Friday evening, November 23. A check for that amount was sent to Chicago by the widow of William Pierce Johnson, a former resident of San Francisco, Calif., and an alumnus of Dartmouth in the class of 1880, who died in Paris August 24, 1926. The check was brought to the national gathering by Selden C. Smith *97 and his announcement of it came as a complete surprise to the 1000 Dartmouth men at the dinner, including President Hopkins.

Mr. Smith said that just previous to his death Mr. Johnson had written a rough draft of a letter he intended to send the President. His untimely death cut short this action and the memorandum was found by Mrs. Johnson among his personal effects. Dean Craven Laycock, toastmaster at the banquet, called upon Mr. Smith, in concluding his introduction of President Hopkins, and after explaining the circumstances surrounding the gift by Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Smith read the letter, unsigned, which follows: Dear President Hopkirfs,

Herewith find N. Y. Draft. This is my donation to Dartmouth College to be used as its President Ernest M. Hopkins dictates. It is given during my life instead of by testament so that its use may begin now—it is further given because of my interest in you and your very unusually competent administration as President of one of the oldest and in my judgment the soundest College in America and also because I wholly endorse your ideas in regard to properly educating the boys of Dartmouth.

Sincerely yours,

A tremendous ovation greeted President Hopkins as he accepted the gift. He then addressed the alumni as the final speaker of the program which included Dr. Irving S. Cutter, dean of the Medical School of Northwestern University, Prof. Leland Griggs,'o2, the Hon. George H. Moses '9O and Dean Craven Laycock '96, as toastmaster.

Seven hundred and fifty Dartmouth alumni registered for the second national Pow Wow and more than 1000 attended the banquet Friday evening. In addition to this number many members of Dartmouth families participated in the events of the Pow Wow week-end. There will be a complete account of the Dartmouth meetings and of the social activities in Chicago November 22, 23 and 24, in the January issue of the MAGAZINE.

Even before the more detailed account of the Pow Wow is available a word of commendation should be given the hard-working and capable committee for its efforts in making highly successful for a second time this significant event in the history of the College. Warren C. Agry 'll, who has served Dartmouth well on the Alumni Council and as a member of the alumni fund committee, directed the Pow Wow as chairman of the committee. He was assisted by the following chairmen of committees:

Committee Chairmen PUBLICITY E. Russell Palmer, 'lO ENTERTAINMENT. .. .John R. Childs, 'O9 HOTEL AND REGISTRATION Bertrand C. Wheeler, 'll FRESHMAN GAME. .Russell A. Pettengill, 'O9 TRANSPORTATION. .Charles Kaxminski, 'lB Music Robert C. Sweetser, '25 DINNER DANCE Frank Coffin, '24 PROGRAM Henry K. Urion, 'l2 PRINTING Robert H. Loomis, '26 RECEPTION Hamilton Gibson, '97 FOOTBALL TICKETS. . .Russell Carpenter, '23 FINANCE George T. Leach, 'll BANQUET Robert Borwell, '25 LADIES' RECEPTION. . .Park W. Stickney, 'OB Mrs. Everett T. Marsh

The honorary chairman, known as the "Father of the Pow Wow" was Henry H. Hilton '9O, and the vice chairman of the committee was Edwin R. Keeler 'll, the treasurer Warren D. Bruner 'l2, and the secretary James D. Vail, Jr. '2O. The officers of the Chicago Association are: president, E. T. Marsh 'OB,, vice-president, Edwin R. Keeler 'll, and secretary-treasurer, Leslie Wagner '22.

Conducted by the Dartmouth Association of Chicago under the auspices of the Alumni Council of Dartmouth College, the Chicago committee was assisted by the following members of the Council: L. G. Hodgkins 'OO, E. F. Clark 'Ol, Harry K. Thrall 'O6, H. M. Haserot 'lO, and W. C. Agry 'll.

DEAN CRAVEN LAYCOCK A speaker at the Dartmouth Pow Wow in Chicago and for years the Dean at Dartmouth. He is well known to all alumni.