Center Campaign Opens
A"KICKOFF" DINNER to mark the opening of Dartmouth's $4,000,000 Ernest Martin Hopkins Center Project was held October 23 in Hanover. Heading the group of fifty national and regional committeemen and local alumni who attended was National Chairman John W. Hubbell '21. Speakers included President Dickey; President Emeritus Hopkins; Laurence Whittemore, governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston; John R. McLane '07, regional chairman for New Hampshire; and Prof. Russell R. Larmon '19, chairman of the Hopkins Center advisory committee.
In giving his views on the project, President Dickey said in part:
"The principal thought that I would like to leave with you is that the validity of this project, as the validity of any project in an institution of this sort, has got to be tested against the validity of the institution itself. That is the basis on which this project must be 'sold,' if you want to use that term
"I have said that I think this project must be seen by those whom we approach as an aspect of Dartmouth's purpose and Dartmouth's performance before it can have any real validity in the eyes of men who are not personally attached to Dartmouth by sentiment, obligation or interest. I see no reason myself why such people should be particularly interested in Dartmouth's needs. I believe that fund raisers often get off on the wrong foot when they prepare a brochure which simply emphasizes to strangers, if you will, the needs of a college or institution, or whatever may be the cause. I do see every reason why such people should be interested in Dartmouth's opportunities, and that is what, I think, we have got to offer the American public.
"I have spoken up to this point about the American public, and I am going to continue to bear down on that because I simply assume, for the present, an effective approach to the Dartmouth public. I think we are at a point in the broad strategy of Dartmouth's relationship to the public where Dartmouth must, and is entitled to, look to a broader public support of Dartmouth's work
"Then you come to the question of capacity. I do not see why a man who has money to invest in America's future, if he also has brains, should invest it today, with the time factor being what it is, in anything except a going institution which can produce today, and not ten, twenty or twenty-five years from now. I think that is an aspect of Dartmouth's case which cannot be overemphasized: Dartmouth is strong; Dartmouth leads today from strength; Dartmouth does not ask money or help in order to stay the hand of death. She is not asking money or help in order to be created. Dartmouth simply asks help and interest in order to do a good job more adequately and more responsively to the demands of today."
NATIONAL AND REGIONAL CHAIRMEN GATHER IN HANOVER FOR "KICKOFF" OF HOPKINS CENTER CAMPAIGN: In front row from left to right are John R. McLane '07, senior member of the board of trustees and regional chairman for New Hampshire, President Emeritus Hopkins, John W. Hubbell '21, national chairman, President Dickey and Sigurd S. Larmon '14, chairman for special alumni gifts.
