A Strong Start
In order to reach the 1951 Alumni Fund objective of 1500,000—an increase of 25 per cent over last year's goal—larger gifts than ever before from the rank and file of alumni contributors are the essential key to success. In the light of this basic requirement, the April 14 report of the Alumni Fund Committee was highly encouraging. Although the number of contributors at that early point in the campaign was down 241 from the total at the same time last year—2,216 as compared with 2,457—the amount contributed was $37,829 greater than in 1950—1126,077 as compared with $88,248. These figures made the average gift $56.89 up to that point, a healthy increase of $20.97 over the $35.92 average in mid-April last year and an even greater advance over the $27.76 average of the entire 1950 campaign.
The favorable report of April 14 was partly due to some sizable year-end gifts, but that was by no means the full story. The Fund Committee was happy over the fact that 42 per cent of all gifts received were increases, whereas a year ago increases were running at the rate of about 23 per cent. In its appeal to Dartmouth men this year the Alumni Fund Committee has emphasized thoughtful giving—that is, gifts determined not by habit but by fresh thinking about the greater need of the College and about the contribution it has made and is making to Dartmouth men individually and to the free world in general. Early returns indicate that the alumni are taking that appeal to heart. Class agents, who carry the full brunt of the campaign work, will be striving to hold the solid gain in average giving, and every Dartmouth man in his own decision about his 1951 contribution will have a chance to play a vital part in what ought to be the finest achievement in the long history of the front-running Dartmouth Alumni Fund.
To set the stage for the 1951 campaign, dinner meetings of class agents and assistant agents were held this spring in New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, with the first two gatherings setting new attendance records of over 100 men each. President Dickey and Fund Chairman Charles J. Zimmerman '23 spoke at all four meetings and contributed greatly to their success. As is customary at these pre-campaign dinners, awards for outstanding performances of the previous year were announced. The James B. Reynolds Trophy for the top performance by a class agent more than 25 years out of college went to Prof. Andrew J. Scarlett '10 of Hanover. The Harvey P. Hood Trophy for classes 11 to 25 years out of college went to Class Agent Carleton G. Broer '27 of Perrysburg, Ohio; and the John R. Mason Trophy for the best achievement in the ten youngest classes was awarded to Scott A. Rogers '40 of South Euclid, Ohio.
