Cited as Class Agent

Roger C. Wilde, 1921 class agent, was honored at the Chicago Alumni Fund dinner on March 26 when for the first time a Special Citation was awarded to him in recognition of his distinguished Fund work. The citation follows:

Each year it is the privilege of the Alumni Fund Committee to recognize the achievements of three outstanding class agents by the award of the Reynolds, Hood and Mason Trophies. In most years this number of trophies has seemed to suffice. This year, however, the Committee feels compelled to make a fourth award. Having no additional trophy at its immediate disposal, it has prepared this Special Citation in order to honor, without regard to past or future precedent, a man whose past accomplishments have already won him the Reynolds Trophy, thus making him ineligible to receive that award again, and whose most recent achievements merit our extraordinary acclaim.

The man whom we honor tonight is a man of many Alumni Fund distinctions. Last June he completed five years as the agent of his class. On April Ist he begins his second five-year hitch. In four of the five years he finished first in his Green Derby group. In all years he substantially exceeded his assigned objective. Not once did he fail to achieve at least 90% participation. In 1948 he was awarded the James B. Reynolds Trophy. In 1949 his fellow agents elected him President of the Class Agents Association. He is at the present time the only Class Agent from the Chicago area. Chicago has just recently recognized his many talents by making him its nominee for election to the Alumni Council.

But these things, impressive as they are, were not enough to move the Committee to make this unprecedented award. A review of the 1951 campaign record, however, was all that was needed. Last spring this man at- tained 101% participation against the over- all Fund average of 80%. That in itself is a mark equalled by few agents of the larger classes. Beyond that moreover, as if by some great magic, he increased the dollar gifts of his class from $ll,BOO, a new record he set in 1950, to $20,150, virtually a 100% increase in one year. He achieved 163% of his assigned objective. By only a few dollars did he miss the top dollar figure given the Fund by any class at any time.

It is one thing to take a class whose record has been poor and improve it. It is quite another matter to take an outstanding record and in one year make it look poor by comparison. By doing this he has set a mark for all agents and all classes. By his example he has shown that no matter how good the record may be, it can be bettered; that no matter how fine and strong Dartmouth College may be, it can be made even greater.

For his extraordinary service to the Alumni Fund and Dartmouth College, the Committee is proud and happy to award for the first time a Special Citation to this distinguished class agent, ROGER C. WILDE of the Class of 1921.