Progress in Bequest Program Reported at Hanover Meeting
THE solid progress made by Dartmouth's Bequest and Estate Planning Program in its first two years of organized effort was reported September 11-12 at meetings of more than thirty class representatives in Hanover.
The College received $650,000 of additional endowment as a result of estate provisions maturing this past year, the class bequest leaders were told by J. Ross Gamble, executive secretary of the Alumni Council Committee on Bequests and Estate Planning. This figure is two and a half times the total for the previous year.
Mr. Gamble also reported that the number of persons alumni and widows and descendants of alumni who have indicated their plans to provide for the College in their estate programs has risen from 125 to 470 in the last year. He stressed that these 470 are "known expectancies," and that an unknown number of other men and women have also made provision for Dartmouth but have at this time preferred not to inform the College or the classes of their actions.
"We have every reason to anticipate that through estate provisions to be made this year the capital funds of the College will ultimately be increased by not less than $1,000,000 and quite probably by a great deal more," Mr. Gamble said. He based this on the fact that the past year's total of $650,000 was realized through 35 provisions for the College.
The report on the progress of the Bequest and Estate Planning Program was a highlight of the general business meeting held Saturday morning, September 12, in Sanborn House library. Carleton Blunt '26 of Chicago, chairman of the Alumni Council committee sponsoring the program, presided at this session, as he had at the general meeting the evening before. Justin A. Stanley '33, Vice President of the College, spoke on "The Long-Term Development Program of the College" at the Saturday gathering. At that time the class representatives also heard a panel discussion by four prominent alumni of the College: Thurlow M. Gordon '06, New York lawyer and chairman of the Dartmouth Development Council, whose topic was "Gifts Subject to Life Income or Annuity"; John C. Sterling '11 of New York, publisher of ThisWeek magazine, "Participation by the Class Family"; Warren Currier '08 of Verona, N. J., class bequest chairman, "A Class Program in Operation"; and Charles J. Zimmerman '23 of Hartford, Conn., insurance executive and Trustee of the College, "Use of Life Insurance in Estate Planning for Dartmouth."
The Saturday session was followed by luncheon at the Outing Club House, where President Dickey spoke informally to the bequest leaders. The evening before President and Mrs. Dickey met with the group at the Hanover Inn reception and dinner that preceded the 8:30 meeting in Sanborn House. At this meeting, speakers were Robert K. Hage '55, Assistant Director of Admissions and Executive Secretary of the Committee on Scholarships and Loans, "Dartmouth's Scholarship Program"; Prof. Donald H. Morrison, Dean of the Faculty, "Future Faculty Requirements"; Robert A. McKennan '25, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Northern Frontier Studies Project, "The Northern Frontier Studies Program"; and Francis L. Childs '06, Winkley Professor of the Anglo-Saxon and English Language and Literature, and Chairman of the Committee Advisory to the Tucker Foundation, "The Tucker Foundation."
Class representatives who attended, many with wives who were invited to the Friday evening meeting, were:
Ralph S. Bartlett '89, Prof. William F. Geiger '92, Philip S. Marden '94, Fred C. Cleaveland '95, Thomas C. Ham '96, William H. Ham '97, James R. Chandler '98, Davis B. Keniston '02, Morton B. French '03, Edwin R. Bartlett '04, C. C. Hills '05, Thurlow M. Gordon '06, John R. McLane '07, Warren Currier '08, Laurence M. Symmes '08, Arthur B. Rotch '08, Leland Powers '10, John C. Sterling '11, Henry B. Van Dyne '12, John J. Remsen '13, Martin J. Remsen '14, H. Clifford Bean '16, Archie B. Gile '17, F. Dusossoit Duke '18, Roger A. Clark '19, H. Sheridan Baketel Jr. '20, Stanley P. Miner '22, Dr. Colin C. Stewart '23, Charles J. Zimmerman '23, John R. Wheatley '24, Ford H. Whelden '25, Carleton Blunt '26, and Leon C. Greenebaum '27.
The Bequest and Estate Planning Program, organized in the fall of 1951 under the joint sponsorship of the Alumni Council and the Development Council, is carried forward primarily by the bequest chairmen of the Dartmouth classes out of college 25 years or more. Its purpose is to bring to the attention of alumni and friends the endowment needs of the College and the methods by which Dartmouth may be included in estate plans.
ALUMNI COUNCIL COMMITTEE on Bequests and Estate Planning shown with President Dickey at the conference in Hanover last month. L to r: Edward Winsor '24; John F. Meek '33, Vice President and Treasurer of the College; Carleton Blunt '26, committee chairman; President Dickey; John H. Davis "25; and Ross Gamble, executive secretary of the committee. John L. Ferguson '15 is also a member of the committee.
PANEL MEMBERS who spoke at the meeting of class bequest leaders were (l to r) Thurlow M. Gordon '06, Development Council chairman; John C. Sterling '11, class chairman; Justin A. Stanley '33, Vice President of the College; Warren Currier '08, class chairman; and Charles J. Zimmerman '23, College Trustee.
