The "Secret" of Success

SCARCELY a week passes here in the Alumni Fund Office without some request being received from other colleges for the "secret" of Dartmouth's Alumni Fund success. We always answer, and quite truthfully too, that we don't know the full secret, but that we are sure that one major ingredient is the willingness of Dartmouth alumni to take and exercise responsibility and leadership on behalf of the College. The volunteer nature of this effort, involving over goo men as workers and almost 15,000 as contributors, is the best answer any man could give as to the "secret" of our success.

If you could have the opportunity to read the letters we receive from other colleges and to talk with others engaged in this work, you would be proud, as we are, to have played a part in making the Dartmouth Alumni Fund a nationally recognized leader. The table showing results of other colleges, which appears elsewhere in this issue, makes clear that Dartmouth is far ahead of any college in terms of participation and I can assure you it is likewise far ahead of most in the matter of dollars contributed.

LEAD LOST IN DOLLARS

In recent years, Yale and Princeton have outstripped us in dollars, particularly in terms of the average gift. This is quite a different matter than a football game and no one will want to enter a competition in this respect. Nevertheless, so long as better than half our classes fail to make their objectives we must face the fact that the substantially greater giving to these other colleges indicates that they have gained an understanding of the financial predicament of institutions like Dartmouth which we have not yet achieved.

Turning now to those who made possible the results we report in this issue, I should like first to re-state the debt we owe to John R. Mason '15 and Charles J. Zimmerman '23. Mr. Mason resigned the chairmanship of the Fund in December 1949 for reasons of health, but prior to his resignation he had done much to guide the planning of the 1950 campaign. A particular tribute is due to Mr. Zimmerman for his willingness to pick up the arduous duties of the chairmanship in mid-stream and add them to an already crowded schedule. It was he who brought the planning to completion and provided outstanding leadership during the campaign.

Before going on to the achievements of the teams of agents it would be highly appropriate to acknowledge here the debt which Dartmouth and the Fund owe to a group of wives and secretaries. Whether through active participation or just through patience and forbearance, they contribute to our success far more than any single person can appreciate. Dartmouth may not carry any alumnae on its rolls, but it has them and they are tremendously loyal.

In touching briefly on individual class performances I shall associate the name of the agent with the class. This is a recognition of the leadership which he exercised, but his name stands also as a symbol representing the team that worked with him and the responsiveness of his classmates which made his achievement possible.

There are many bases upon which classes might be selected for comment here, but none combine so many significant elements as the Green Derbies. The classes beyond their 50th Reunion do not participate in this friendly rivalry, but if they did we should find such names as James W. Newton '86, Clifton S. Humphreys '90, William F. Geiger '92, G. Woodbury Parker '94, John R. Spring '98, and Philip H. Winchester '99 at the top.

In the classes from 1900 to 1908 Clarence G. McDavitt '00 was first for the seventh time, continuing a truly outstanding record. Richard Ward '01 has long produced records second only to Mr. McDavitt, and this year he was followed by Morton B. French '03 and Charles I. Lampee '04. Both of these men have produced consistently fine records through long periods of service.

Marvin L. Frederick '15 turned in the outstanding performance among the classes from 1909 to 1917. In doing so he maintained a record started by his predecessor, John R. Mason, in 1947. During those years the class of 1914 has been but a little distance short of 1915, and this year Raymond H. Trott, a new agent, carried on the tradition. Third place in this group went to Andrew J. Scarlett '10 in one of the most amazing performances of the campaign. In honor of their 40th Reunion Professor Scarlett led the class to its finest records in both dollars and contributors. William H. McKenzie '16 came but little short of 1910's record.

A FRONT-RUNNING PRESIDENT

Roger C. Wilde '21 was elected President of the Class Agents Association last May and he proved the wisdom of the choice by leading the classes of 1918-1926 for the third time in a well-balanced performance. Albert E. M. Louer '26 and Leon H. Young Jr. '23 finished closely behind him, and it should be noted that 1923 gave the largest dollar total''of any class—$16,005. Richard A. Holton '18, frequently a Derby winner himself, was just a little behind 1923.

With the second largest dollar total of any class, $14,700, and a participation of 92%, Carleton G. Broer '27 had little difficulty in capturing top honors among the classes of 1927 through 1935. Of the next three classes, represented by Richard W. Bowlen '30, Robert W. Naramore '35, and George B. Redding '29, Bowlen and Redding were numbered in the first seven classes for total dollars, while Bowlen and Naramore were both in the select group having 90% participation or better.

In the classes 1936 through 1944 it is significant that three of the top four were classes in the Forties. These classes all number around 700 men, presenting a great organizational problem. In addition they are still overcoming the disruption of military service and facing the problems of establishing homes. Scott A. Rogers '40, took top honors, followed by Addison L. Winship '42, Robert L. Paterson '36, and Lewis K. Johnstone '41.

YOUNGER CLASSES MAKE PROGRESS

The youngest group has all the problems of the previous group and have enjoyed fewer years in which to provide solutions. Donald deB. Campbell '45, Edward P. Scully '47, and Robert Y. Kimball '46 demonstrated how much progress can be made with these problems, all with good solid performances-. We have unusual res pect for Mr. Kimball's achievements because the size of his class, 928, presents the greatest organizational problems; furtherm ore, no class has felt the disruptive influence of the war to such a great extent. The fourth class in this group was the newest of all, 1949, under the leadership of John F. Stockwell, who turned in a splendid firstyear record in spite of the fact that he got married in the middle of June!

The records of these classes and these men, although outstanding, are yet typical of the whole in many ways. The complete record of these accomplishments are contained in the following pages, and I hope you will give them more than a casual scanning, partly out of respect to those who have wrought so well for Dartmouth and partly to get a better perspective on the relative accomplishments of your own class in an effort of critical significance to the College.

THEY DIRECT THE HANOVER END of the Dartmouth Alumni Fund: George H. Colton '35 (right), execu- tive secretary of the Fund Committee, checks a detail with Nichol M. Sandoe Jr. '45, Alumni Fund Associate.

ALUMNI FUND EXECUTIVE SECRETARY