The Reunion Week

Reunion Winners 1907, 1917, 1937 1932 and 1952 Receive Awards

MOIST and steamy Eastern heat wave did not dampen the enthusiasm of some 1200 reuning alumni in Hanover from June 10 to 16. The first influx poured in on Monday, the 10th, with the second beginning on Thursday. Wives and children swelled the total well beyond the 2,000 mark, a new high for Reunion Week.

Nine classes were represented: 1917, 1926, 1927. 1928. 1932, J947' W. 1952. '1953- The first four staged their festivities from Monday through Wednesday, and the latter five, including the Twenty-Five Year Class (which had an extra day of its own on Thursday) from Friday through Sunday.

Hanover Holiday lectures began promptly Monday morning. Speakers for the first part of the week included George Saul, instructor in zoology, Professor Richard Eberhart '26, Hugh Morrison '26, Robert Riegel and Wing-tsit Chan, and Hadley Cantril '28. Attendance and reception were uniformly high.

The Alumni Luncheon, on Tuesday, held in the newly remodeled Thayer Hall, brought in virtually everyone on the Plain. At the College Hall program which followed, Ralph L. Rickenbaugh '28, vice president of the General Association of Alumni, presided, and Secretary of the College Sidney C. Hayward and President Dickey spoke.

Tuesday afternoon, the four early classes watched the freshman and varsity crews go down to defeat at the hands of and the unfortunate events were repeated for the later classes on Saturday.

Cocktail parties in the tents, picnics, buffets, and banquets, plus The Players' Tuesday night performance of FromRags to Riches rounded out the early week activities. A few intrepid athletes braved the heat on the golf links and tennis courts. The '26s ended on a note of affirmation at a memorial service in the White Church on Wednesday morning.

On Thursday, the Twenty-Five-Year Class, 1932, arrived, followed the next day by the five and ten-year reunioners. Throughout their stay, members of these classes took periodic refuge from the increasing humidity in the cooling waters of Storrs Pond, and then pitched into the happy round of picnics, buffets, and cocktail fests.

The youthful '53s sponsored a "Bean Hole Feed" at the Canoe Club on Saturday, and both '52 and '53 held milk punch parties Sunday morning, demonstrating that they are not so very far from undergraduate days.

The Hanover Holiday program continued, with Prof. Bancroft Brown speaking on "Dartmouth: Past, Present, and Future," and Carlos H. Baker '32, chairman of Princeton's English Department, leading a panel on "The Attack on Moral Standards in the Professions." Prof. Herbert Hill concluded the intellectual schedule at the head of a panel discussing "The Refugee: Windfall for the Free World." The three secondround sessions were held on Baker's baking lawn, but, even so, all drew attentive and interested audiences.

President and Mrs. Dickey were at home to alumni and guests Friday evening, and an alumni dance was held in College Hall late in the evening. Saturday night The Players produced again.

Saturday's Reunion Luncheon was presided over by Howland H. Sargeant '32, president of the General Association of Alumni. President Dickey and Secretary Hayward again spoke at this 103rd annual meeting of the Association.

After memorial services for all the classes in the Bema, Rollins Chapel, and Dartmouth Hall, the second of the annual exoduses began, and workmen stowed away the tents for another year.

HONORS for attendance at reunions this June went to the 50-year Class of 1907, which won the Class of 1894 Cup for having the largest per cent of graduates present, and the Class of 1952, which won the 1930 Cup for bringing 171 of its members back to Hanover. These two classes were over-all winners for the three different reunion periods, with 1907 taking both cups at the Commencement weekend, boasting not only the largest percentage of reuners - 61 per cent — but having also the greatest number - 69 men - gathered in Hanover.

For the second reunion period, Monday through Wednesday following Commencement, the Class of 1927 had the largest number returning - 105 men. The Class of 1917 claimed the highest percentage, with 31% back. On the final weekend, June 14-16, the Class of 1932 surpassed the other reunion classes (1947, 1951, 1952 and 1953) with 37% of its graduates returning.

Runners-up for attendance records in the overall competition were the Class of 1902 which had 49% of its members reuning at Commencement weekend; and the Class of 1932, which took second place for the 1930 Cup with 162 men back in Hanover.

Roads leading to Hanover were well marked with 1947 signs.