Alumni Fund Passes $200,000

DARTMOUTH'S 1946 Alumni Fund stood on the right side of $200,000 on May 20 and was marshaling its energies for the June homestretch drive that is expected to send the final figure past this year's minimum goal of $350,000. The cash total on May 20 was approximately $25,000 ahead of the comparable 1945 total and the average gift was running about a third higher than at the same time last year; but in participation the 1946 Fund was trailing last year's by 714 contributions, indicating that class agents in the final month of the campaign will redouble their efforts to increase their lists of givers, whether amounts be large or small. Dartmouth's Alumni Fund leadership has always been strongest in the percentage of alumni who make free-will contributions each year, and greatest satisfaction will come to the Alumni Council and the College through a new high mark in this phase of the campaign.

The Alumni Council's Fund Committee sent its second mailing piece in late May to all non-contributors, ft was entitled "A Progress Report" and emphasized the 1946 lag in contributors as well as the importance of dollars to the College this year. "The gap between income and expense is widened by increased expense for faculty salaries, wages, veterans' housing, war-deferred plant maintenance and practically all other items," the report stated. "And then there are the Hopkins Scholarships, the Hopkins War Memorial, and the Physics Laboratories."

The May 20 report from Fund headquarters listed 5200,734 from 5,564 contributors, or 57% of the 1946 objective from 31% of the 17,685 alumni who figure in the participation index. Ten classes have already surpassed their cash objectives, led by 1889 with 289% and 1906 with 190%. Other classes, in order, are 1887, 1884, 1901, 1888, 1894, 1892, 1947, and 1890. The Class of 1906, with $9,526 contributed, holds a commanding lead in the cash total column.

Close contests are being waged this year in all six of the Green Derby races, based on a combination of participation and cash objective. The following were the leaders when the May 20 interim report was released: Group I (1898-1907)1906 led by Nathaniel Leverone; Group II (1908-1917)—1914 led by John F. Conners; Group 111 (1918-1926)—1918 led by Richard Holton; Group IV (1927-1935) —1930 led by Alex J. McFarland; Group V (1936-1943)—1941 led by Lewis K. Johnstone; Little Green Derby (1944-1948)—1947 led by Edward P. Scully.