THE FUND O UTLA WS PRESSURE
THE FUND COMMITTEE of the Alumni Council, acting for the alumni of the College, builds solidly for the future and understandingly for the present in announcing its second "No Quota" campaign, with all its implications of strictly "freewill offerings" and with its underlying philosophy removing for a second year the urgency upon those individual alumni who in the past have often given more than they should have given, to make Dartmouth always a better college. In the great stress of last year, "No Quota" was a wise policy. There is abundant evidence that alumni were grateful. Now again in 1934, a brighter and more hopeful year, "No Quota—Again" remains wise policy.
Almost uninterruptedly, the Fund has grown in achievement from its foundation in 1915. The Alumni Council, that Dartmouth generations might go into the world ever better prepared, set ever higher goals. The class agents passed the challenge along to their classmates, strove to outdo their contemporaries. Those whose ability to help was inelastic contributed with faithful regularity and those who could, banded together generously and guaranteed class quotas. Eagerly and aggressively, to overcome the heavy weight of inertia and to disseminate the Alumni Fund idea among those less ready to respond, the class agents worked to build up the living assets of the College. And Dartmouth alumni were ever in the forefront of the graduates of other colleges in the unanimity of their response.
Last year, large institutional deficits were almost universal, and Dartmouth faced a substantial one. But while under emergency stimulation most institutions were appealing to their constituencies for extraordinary contributions, President Hopkins urged the Fund Committee to remove all quotas, and to avoid all urgency upon alumni, many of whom had acute personal problems of their own and all of whom were anxious to alleviate the depression suffering in their own communities. That the alumni were appreciative of this understanding policy was warmly attested by countless letters to [he Fund headquarters—and, in a few cases, doubled gifts!
How will this year's Fund campaign be conducted? Wholly by the class agents, to whom the Committee has delegated the entire responsibility following the opening announcement of April 16. These agents gathered in Boston, New York and Chicago in larger numbers than ever before, generally enthusiastic. Some were reluctant to accept the restraint of a "No Quota" policy, and all were eager to improve their class standings by the measure of improved conditions. But all accepted the wisdom of the "No Quota" idea, and all will leave their classmates to judge their own individual circumstances and contribute what they can, if at all. All agents, however, will ask each classmate for at least a reply, and they deserve to receive this promptly.
In thinking of "No Quota—Again" for 1934, one is prompted to think ahead to 1935 (the Fund's twentieth anniversary) and 1936 and the coming years, and every Dartmouth man hopes that next year will be a new story for the Fund and the beginning of a new period of high achievement in maintaining what Dartmouth is and adding always to what Dartmouth can be. But for 1934, and for the present moment, perhaps the first thought should be given to the task of the class agent and the lightening of this by letting him know what one individually is able to do. He will be sorry if he does not receive at least a nominal gift from all but a few of his classmates, because this year's success will be measured largely by the percentage of participation. He will be deeply disappointed by any classmate who fails to reply at all.
