The Reunion Weekend
USHERING in summer and also the first hot days of the season, the reuning alumni of the classes of '13, '17, '18, '19, '37, '38, '39 and '43, accompanied by wives and children, swelled the population of Hanover June 19-21 by the record total of 1,500 some 300 above the number attending last year's reunion weekend. Most arrived early Friday afternoon, in time to register and settle in; and with events, both scheduled and unscheduled, filling to the brim the two days of reunion time, Sunday came with surprising speed. While 1,200 alumni and their families stayed in the dormitories assigned to the respective classes, an estimated 300 were in homes or inns in Hanover, Norwich and elsewhere.
Friday evening brought class cocktail parties, buffet dinners in the tents, and the first get-together of all the weekend's reuning classes when they with their families met each other and the faculty at the reception given by President and Mrs. Dickey. Following this garden reception, the alumni dance drew many couples to College Hall, while others chose to return to tent headquarters and the important business of reminiscing, singing, and making the discovery that the fellow you used to sit next to in class and never knew very well is now remarkably congenial. And so new friends are added to the ones made during the four years in college.
By Saturday morning reunion was in full swing, with class picture-taking consuming most of the time before the Saturday luncheon meeting of the General Alumni Association in the gymnasium. For the second year, wives were invited. Donald C. McKinlay '37, Vice President, presided, and introduced as speakers Sidney C. Hayward '26, Secretary of the General Association of Alumni; Robert Proctor '19, who spoke for the alumni; and President Dickey. In his speech, excerpts of which appear elsewhere in the MAG- AZINE, Mr. Proctor discussed the mutual responsibilities, in a college, of the faculty, administration and alumni. President Dickey reviewed the Commencement events of the previous weekend, and described the ingredients which go into making up the Dartmouth Spirit. A short business meeting, with election of officers, was held.
More than ever before, reunion weekend proved to be an al fresco occasion. By the middle of the afternoon on Saturday, Main Street had plenty of empty parking spaces following the exodus of the classes of '37, '38, '39 and '43 to picnics and barbecues to outlying spots about Hanover. Ross McKenney provided a feed at the Canoe Club for '37, while Bob Keene in Etna was host to '38, Oak Hill to '39, and the Country Inn to '43. Class banquets were held at the Lake Morey Inn, Thayer Hall, the Hanover Inn and the DOC House.
It was noted that in general there were fewer children in evidence, and the baby sitters provided by the thoughtful reunion chairmen did not make the profits of last year. There were, however, more wives attending than the year before.
Following the Players' presentation of Mister Roberts on Saturday night, reuning was resumed on a large scale in the class tents, continuing far into the a.m. hours.
On Sunday morning memorial services were held in Rollins Chapel and the Bema. The last official events scheduled for the reunion weekend were picnics at noon for the classes of '17 and '18. Several groups in different classes, loath to leave Hanover, stayed over until Monday, continuing their reunions on their own. Most of the departing alumni seemed to agree that though the Reunion Weekend of 1953 was hot and, for a reunion of eight classes, rather quiet, it set a new high for class and inter-class congeniality. A.P.
REUNION WEEKEND was hot and the gym's shaded spots were popular at the Alumni Luncheon,
