Now It's Reunion Week
WITH every day a reunion day from June 10 through June 19, this year's innovation of bringing the Classes of 1909, 1910 and 1911 back to Hanover for reunion during the first part of the week instead of the weekend was voted an outstanding success. The record-breaking crowd of returning alumni and their families had good accommodations and lebensraum. The new plan increased the comfort and sense of individuality of each reuning class to such a degree that all indications point to Reunion Week's becoming a permanent feature.
In all, members of nine classes returned - to be warmly welcomed by the College, friends and their own lively memories of days on the Hanover Plain.
Arriving officially on Monday, June 13, the Classes of 1909, 1910 and 1911 found that if they had registered early enough, they were on time to attend the first class on the Hanover Holiday program, Prof. James A. Sykes' lecture on "Contemporary Music" at 10:00 a.m. It was agreed that one of the dividends of the first-of-the-week reunioners was that they were able to attend Hanover Holiday, and to go to class again with contemporaries. Many alumni from these classes came on Sunday. As has been increasingly noticeable during recent years, not only Hanover, but the countryside about it, has become part of the reunion picture. With graduates returning to nearby communities upon retirement, the hospitality of these North Country classmates brings alumni back to reunion early and keeps them late. In addition, the popularity of class picnics and barbecues has annually increased, and the out-of-doors for twenty miles around has become an adjunct of reunion activities.
Monday evening brought buffet dinners and at 8:00 President and Mrs. Dickey met alumni at a reception at their home. On Tuesday the Reunion Luncheon took place in Thayer Hall. At a speaking program in College Hall afterwards, Nathaniel G. Burleigh '11, Secretary of the Class, presided and the Rev. William C. H. Moe '10 gave the invocation. Sidney C. Hayward '26, Secretary of the Association, spoke on alumni matters and President Dickey gave the main address.
In his talk, President Dickey told the men of 1909, 1910 and 1911 that liberal learning is the work of a lifetime; that the return of Dartmouth men to Hanover is testimony of this fact as well as of the importance of fellowship in the Dartmouth experience. He thanked the three classes for their willingness to try the experiment of reuning early and expressed pleasure over the evidences of success in the new arrangement. In conclusion, President Dickey discussed briefly the ingredients that make up the Dartmouth Spirit.
Class picture-taking, meetings and socializing took up Tuesday until time for cocktail parties and banquets in the D.O.C. House, Hanover Inn and Hovey Grill. At 9:00 p.m. The Players presented their well-received production, Sabrina Fair. Following buffet luncheons on Wednesday, most of the first-of-the-week reunioners were on their way, with the pleasant conviction that they had come to the right place at just the right time. A goodly number from the Class of '11, as is the class custom, went on to a post-reunion reunion at Whitefield, N. H.
Six classes reuned from June 16 through 19: the Classes of 1915, 1930. 1934. 1935, 1936 and 1945. For sheer numbers, the Class of '30, celebrating its 25th, and winner of the 1930 Cup Award for the class having the most members present, dominated the scene. Green and white hats and ties to match were the mark of the Thirty-man, his wife and child. As the graduating senior has the leading role during Commencement Weekend, the 25-year alumnus claims the limelight a week later. This year the Class of '30 was hailed for its exuberance, the generosity of its $ 150,000 gift to the College, and its contagious pleasure in its own übiquitous society. For the first time, a special compliment was paid a 25-year class in the invitation to the Class of '30 to return a day early to the campus, as the guest of the College.
For headquarters, the Class of '30 had all of Tuck Mall, with a Teen-age Tent, Main Tent and Pup Tent. It claimed the distinction of being the first reuning class to stress the studious side of things, with a literary exhibit of '30 achievements which filled eight show cases in the main lobby of Baker, an arts and crafts show in the Carpenter galleries, and a Class of 1930 Hanover Holiday program in which five members of the class participated with faculty members.
Following registration and settling-in on Friday, cocktail parties preceded buffet suppers for all nine classes. Later the getting-reacquainted groups met in the tents, where at first the name badges served as welcome visual aids in bringing into focus the hazy recollection of a name, but were seldom consulted afterwards.
At 8:30 Friday evening President and Mrs. Dickey's garden, at its loveliest for the occasion, was the scene of the reception for members of all the reuning classes and their families. Many later attended the Alumni Dance in College Hall; but even more showed up at the class tents, each of which boasted unique forms of musicmaking.
On Saturday morning, not too early, class pictures were taken and class meetings were held. The distinguishing characteristics of the various classes were by then recognizable, with the Class of '15 Cadillac, also dating from that year, provided by Dr. Jack Bowler '15, being much in evidence. The Class of '35 had an numeral-emblazoned truck which seemed to be everywhere at once; while the whiteness of the Class of '45 jackets was nothing short of dazzling. President Eisenhower later wore one, with a D.O.C. insignia, at the Dartmouth Grant.
At 12:30 alumni and their wives attended the 101st luncheon and meeting of the General Association of Alumni in the gymnasium. Nelson A. Rockefeller 30, president of the Association, presided at the speaking program. Charles E. Griffith '15 spoke for the alumni on "Forty Years Ago and After." In his address he paid tribute to the value of a liberal arts education in dealing with both the setbacks and successes of life. He said in part:
"Where did we acquire in the formative years our inner strength to meet whatever comes, to gain some successes, and to conserve some resources, both material and spiritual, after outright defeats and rearguard actions? True, we inherited most basic qualities of character from our forefathers, but in my opinion, we had our opportunity for permanent character building right here at Dartmouth.... The humanities give breadth and depth to the undergraduate in learning to live as a well-adjusted person. Learning to think, to apply and to enjoy prepared us for whatever specialization was to follow."
In conclusion Mr. Griffith cited three outstanding contributions to Dartmouth's development during the past forty years: the selective process of admission; the Great Issues course; and the forming of the William Jewett Tucker Foundation.
Robert S. Oelman '31, president of the Alumni Council, presented the 1955 Alumni Awards (reported elsewhere), and President Emeritus Ernest M. Hopkins, who last year received the first one, was called upon to express greetings to the alumni. Sidney C. Hayward '26, Secretary of the Association, spoke, and before the final singing of Men of Dartmouth, President Dickey briefly addressed the large audience.
Saturday afternoon was devoted to baseball games, early picnics, tenting and cocktail parties before the class banquets. The Class of '34 had its picnic dinner at Camp Interlaken; 1945 at Lake Fairlee; with the other classes choosing such nearby places for their banquets as the D.O.C. House, the Hanover Inn, Thayer Hall and College Hall. President Dickey enlivened these gatherings by making the "circuit," to extend greetings to each class.
The Players' production of Sabrina Fair was presented at 9:30 p.m. in order that late banqueters could attend. Singing, reminiscing, and the making of new friends continued in the class tents until the unrecorded small hours.
On Sunday morning, combined memorial services were held in the Bema by the Classes of 1934, 1935 and 1936, with 1915 and 1930 holding theirs at 10:00 and 11:00 respectively in Rollins Chapel. Buffet luncheons for 1915, 1930, 1936 and 1945 concluded the official events, although numbers of reunioners, loath to depart, stayed over until Monday, meeting at classmates' homes or in small gatherings.
Reunion Week, like Reunion Weekend of other years, was over all too soon. But goodbyes, reluctantly begun, ended cheerfully: "Will be seeing you at the next one!"
Once more it was loyally proved that time and distance do little to diminish a Dartmouth man's love for his college or the value he sets on lifelong fellowship with his classmates.
Members of 1909, 1910 and 1911 leaving the Thayer Hall luncheon
to attend the Alumni Meeting at which Prof. N. G. Burleigh '11 presided
