Enrollment Guess

A MIDST ALL THE uncertainties, the College was willing to hazard a guess that total enrollment for the 182 nd year would be close to 2,800 men. This is a drop from last year's 2,936 and a further easing back to a student body of "normal" size after the peak enrollment of 3,001 in 1947.

Undergraduate enrollment will approximate 2,600 men, including 720 freshmen, with an additional 190 men registered as graduate students in the associated schools. The graduate figure includes 70 secondyear and 16 first-year men at Tuck, 26 second-year men at Thayer, and 24 men in the Medical School's second-year class.

The Medical School will also have 54 young doctors training under its supervision at the Mary Hitchcock Hospital and at the Veterans Administration Center in White River Junction.

The Class of 1954 has the chance of becoming the largest first-year class in Dartmouth's history after it picks up an undetermined number of dropbacks, but it will take the honor by the slimmest of margins if it does. Entering freshmen are expected to total 720, as compared with 719 for the Class of 1952. With dropbacks, 1952 had 724 men and the Class of 1945 had 723.

Among the new freshmen will be 116 sons of Dartmouth alumni; 22 others who were admitted have sent word that they will not matriculate. The fathers of these '54 sons represent classes from 1901 to 1931, with 1929 leading the way with 14 boys in the new class. Geographically, the freshmen represent 38 states, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Canada and a dozen foreign lands. Five DP students who formerly lived in Russia, Germany, Hungary and Latvia will be among the new men coming to Dartmouth this fall.

The vanguard of the freshman class made a fleeting appearance in Hanover on September ig when 170 booted and plaid-shirted yearlings arrived for the DOC's annual Freshman Trip and were whisked away by truck to Moosilauke, Moose Mountain and seven other Outing Club bases, from which points they engaged in a sort of Going-to-Jerusalem game by exchanging overnight bases during the four-day program. All hands spent some time at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, where President Dickey, Dean Stearns Morse and other college officials met informally with the newest members of the Dartmouth family. With a special class meeting Saturday night, September 23, the Class of 1954 made a start on its corporate existence. Then followed proficiency tests, physical examinations, and matriculation before the sophomores arrived September 26 to register and make life miserable for the wearers of '54 beanies.