GENERAL CATALOGUE ON HOME STRETCH

PREPARING DARTMOUTH'S General Catalogue isn't Just writing down names, it's chaos. Transforming this chaos into order—with an immutable deadline to beat—is the task of Miss Charlotte Ford, Alumni Recorder, and her staff. Anyone but this determined lady would, at an earlier stage of the game, have stared glassily at the reams of gaily-proof, concluded that continuance was madness, and gone off skiing. Even Miss Ford went skiing once in January on her first Sunday off since September.

There are 32,000 names in this book, with occupations, degrees, classes, addresses of those living and a raft of other material. Of this total, 19,000 are living. Six thousand changes of address are received eachyear. Occupations of younger alumni are about as permanent as a snowball in July. People whose names are now locked in type and printed may move the day after the type is set. Putting all this in a permanent bound volume is like trying to pick up a river. Miss Ford, with the selfcontrol of a yoga-expert, is doing just this.

Scheduled for publication this month, the final frenzy of proof-reading and correction is in full swing. The last GeneralCatalogue was published in 1935, though less complete editions of the Register ofLiving Alumni were published in 1930 and 1935. The latter did not contain names of deceased alumni, nor did it contain occupational information except a general reference by categories such as "b" for business, "m" for medicine, "ed" for education, and so on. The GeneralCatalogue will contain practically everything available, with occupations listed in detail: i.e., a man formerly listed as "b" will now be "executive vice president in charge of production for lowa Tool Cos."

Getting together the names, classes, degrees, addresses, and occupations of 19,000 living alumni, besides biographical data on 13,000 deceased ones, is no picnic. The work of securing up-to-date information has been going on for over a year, and alumni, when necessary, have been circularized four times. Those not responding to the fourth appeal will be listed with the best available information already in the files. An unprecedented response to inquiries from the Alumni Records Office indicates, however, that this edition will be the most accurate ever published.

Bound attractively in cloth, the volume will be available to all alumni, and may be secured by addressing Dartmouth College Publications, Hanover. Publication is scheduled for the end of the month. Advance orders will be filled at the special price of $4.50; for orders received after March 15, the price will be $5.00.

D.J

Miss CHARLOTTE E. FORDAlumni Recorder of the College who, withher staff, is rushing work on the 1940edition of the "General Catalogue" tocompletion.