1951 Fantastic Fifth
THE green light was burning in the little octagonal windows near the top of Baker tower all weekend.
You'll remember the green light burns only on special Dartmouth occasions, and I believe everyone who drove, flew, walked or crawled away from '51's "Fantastic Fifth" on the Sunday of June 16 will agree this was indeed a special occasion.
We arrived on Friday to find ourselves bunked in Wheeler and Richardson, with a spacious tent erected for us between Wheeler and the Chapel. Dave Hilton signed us in, we picked up green hats with " '51" emblazoned across the front, someone else shoved a foaming beer in our paws and we were off.
All afternoon they continued to arrive, with wives, dates, sweethearts and even a few children in tow. There were an even 200 of us before it was all over, and it was a fine gang.
It was mighty good to meet fellows you hadn't seen in six years, and it was also fun to watch others find each other again - everything from shouts to bear hugs. Even Chattanooga Jim Robinson blew in, drawling "Ah haven't met anybody in ouh class in the whole six yeahs."
After a while there were some much-appreciated cocktails, and then a darned elaborate buffet from the Inn was laid for us right in the tent. During the evening many of us took the opportunity to greet President Dickey at his reception in the library, while scores more just spent the evening catching up on everyone else.
It was only a couple of steps over the hill to the '52 tent beside Ripley and the '53 layout near the gym, so we checked in on them and found their beer was also good.
Chuck Collins showed just for the evening to tell that he apparently had the reunion baby - daughter Lauren Lee was born to Barbara in Weymouth, Mass., June 10, "and I've got to be back tomorrow before visiting hours."
Half the contingent, like me, had had to leave pregnant wives behind us for the week- end. But Dome Balderston and a number of others were on hand to remind us that no one looks better than an expectant mother. Turned out Dorrie's obstetrician is a Dartmouth man who really laid down the law - "you can't go anywhere, except to Hanover."
About that time we began to realize that others had overcome some large obstacles to get back, including Bob and Lizabeth Jackson from Pasadena, Cal. and Jerry and Madeline Lindsay who made it from Seattle. Wash.
The evening was gone before we knew it, and some didn't know it. When I sacked out in Richardson about 2:30 a.m. I could almost believe it was just a Saturday night six years ago. That dull party roar was still on the campus. Somewhere somebody was pounding a piano, someone else was howling and a gay soul was rolling beer cans on the pavement.
The first order of business Saturday was the class meeting at which an 11-man class executive committee was named. This group will administer the affairs of the class until the 1961 reunion - we'll run the names in the next ALUMNI MACAZINE when not so pressed for space.
The executive committee then elected officers, who become the class officers. They are: president, Gary Mansur; secretary, Loye Miller; treasurer, Pete Henderson.
The class picture, included in this issue, was taken on the green, and then we moved on to the gym for the alumni luncheon with '52, '53 and some older reunion classes.
There was a short program, including a speech by President Dickey, and then everyone spread out for the afternoon. Hap Person, Charlie Russell, Paul Myer and some other chubbers hit out for Hinman Cabin. Many, including Don Smith and Al Markson, put in a hot 18 holes on the golf course. There was also tennis, Softball, and all the other ways you can enjoy a pretty June afternoon in and around Hanover.
We dressed up a bit for cocktails and a fine dinner at the DOC House, set for us on the lawn by Occom Pond and attended by President Dickey and most of the deans.
When we were full, John Boardman softened us up with a few digs, including the observation that there are so many '51 offspring we must have been playing "Vatican roulette."
Then Al Karcher took over for a sidesplitting "Return of the Sachem" address in which nobody got off lightly and few got off at all.
There were also certain presentations. Hilton received a used but useful bit of DCAC paraphernalia, Henderson a photograph of Yul Brvnner, and Bill Boynton, honeymooning according to Boardman, got a big jar to put beans in.
And so to our tent, the '52 tent, the '53 tent and back to our tent for more and more of the warm bull sessions. We discovered that a cute little chick well dressed in black had adopted our class, and in an hour knew most of us even better than we knew each other.
Somewhere along the line Dave and Mary Leslie and Read and Esther Perkins took off for a midnight swim at Storrs but ended up in the Connecticut. The boys got Dave Wiggins going at the piano again, just as he used to in the Tri-Kap house. On toward daylight there was a bodacious drag race along in front of the White Church.
Sunday breakfast in the tent was again catered by the Inn - steaks yet. Dick Dutton and Mike Harris stumped in to announce they'd been looking forward to it so much they didn't go to bed. Jim Balderston and Mace Weare showed up sporting face scratches for which they had perfectly plausible explanations ("ran into a building") which they said nobody believed. Certain others were not hungry and did not appear for breakfast.
And so we left, after a fine, fine weekend, congratulating Herb Knight, Bob Bowler, Hilton and other members of the reunion committee for a truly well-done job.
Present for the Fantastic Fifth were:
Kathryn and Vincent Albo, Howard D. Allen, Lyona and Dwight L. Allison Jr., Virginia and Douglas F. Bachem, Ruth and Al Anderson, Reed M. Badgley, Dorrie and James C. Balderston, Helena and Richard J. H. Barnes, Betty and Nelson F. Bellesheim. Berl I. Bernhard. Marcia and George S. Bissell, Audrey and Peter H. Bixby, John J. Boardman Jr., Jerry W. Bogdan and wife, James A. Bovaird, Robert A. Bowler, Gretchen and William Boynton, Dorothy and William M. Brooks, Norma and H. Richard Bucey, Mary and Robert T. Byall, Joseph Caldwell, Samuel Chu and wife. Juanita and Michael Choukas, Thomas Clark and wife, Pearl and Donald Clark, Marcia and John G. Clayton, Margaret and Marcus V. Cole, Chester Cotter and wife, Donald H. Cox, Carol and J. M. Culberson Jr., Noryne and Durward N. De Groff, Russell C. Dilks, Barbara and William M. Dow, Verna and Andrew M. Drury, Richard G. Dutton, Richard M. Eigner, William F. Flanagan Jr., John G. Gannon, Nina and Charles M. Geilich, Carol and John T. Giegerich, Irene and Carl L. Glassberg, Howard A. Glickstein, William T. Goulburn and Marie Snavely, Suzanne and David S. Hall, Gloria and Harry Hall '50, Richard C. Halloran and Carol Prince, William C. Halpin, Michael A. Harris, Edward E. Hazen, John C. Hatch, Kenneth M. Henderson Jr., John Higley, David H. Hilton, Orlando S. Hobbs, Paul A. Hodgdon, Richard K. Hulbert, Loismay and Nason A. Hurowitz, Robert G. Hustek and Irene Rogers, Lizabeth and Robert R. Jackson, Jean and Roger D. Johnson Jr., Stuart M. Johnson Jr. and wife, Alan R. Karcher, Peter Krehbiel and wife, Janice and David W. King, Herbert B. Knight and Joan Throckmorton, David S. Krivitsky, G. W. Laraade, William C. Lang, Robert Larigan and wife, William J. Leffler, Mary and David M. Leslie, Madeline and Jeremy C. Lindsay, Kenneth H. Little and Jeanne Finn, Gerry and Alan H. Loehr, Harriet and Justin H. McCarthy, Ursala and Robert J. McGill, Robert A. Maguire, Gary H. Mansur, Susan and Aldan A. Markson,' George H. Marshall Jr. and Pat Broaddus, Richard B. Mason, Paul R. Meyer, Loye W. Miller, Richard A. Miner, Nancy and James M. Mitchell, Carol and Donal F. Morse, Jean and I. Craig Murphy, Amy and Henry Nachman Jr., Patricia and Joseph F. O'Connor, Mary Lou and Milton Olander, Esther and Reed Perkins. Louise and Martin B. Person Jr., David F. Phillips, Peggy and R. J. Price, Nancy and Richard C. Pugh, Elizabeth and Fredrik J. Rannev, David H. O'Neill, James B. Robinson, James V. Robinson and wife, John Ross Jr. and Sherry Dinham, Mae and Willard C. Rowe, Charles L. Russell, Henry M. Sanders, Joyce and Walter R. Schreiner, Joan and Alfred M. Schmidt, Ann and Franklin Smallwood, Donald S. Smith 11. Joanne and Champney F. Smith, Sam Sparhawk, Paula and Joseph Spound. Carol and Paul R. Staley, Warren A. Stearns. Ellen and William S. Stout, Carol and E. P. Tolley, Gloria and S. W. Tompson, Merle Thorpe, Lorraine and F. Mason Weare, Ralph F. Watkins, Betty and Edward A. Weisenfeld, Donna and Josiah H. Welch, David Wiggins Jr., De Maris and Gordon J. Williams, J. R. Wolf, John C. Woods.
1951 enjoyed their delayed reunion on the Weekend of June 10-12.
The Class of 1952 won the 1930 Cup for having the greatest number of members back for reunion.
CLASS SECRETARY
