LETTERS TO THE EDIOR

The Original Alumni Fund

TO THE EDITOR:

The Alumni Fund Committee appropriately connects its campaign this year with the observance of the Golden Anniversary of the Alumni. Fund. Its mailing pieces tell us the splendid record of the Fund's achievements during these fifty years in an invaluable service to Dartmouth which its alumni can be thankful for and take pride in.

But in emphasizing this Golden Anniversary I fear there is an implication that the Alumni Fund began just fifty years ago in 1914. Actually there had been an annual campaign soliciting contributions from the alumni for several years previously. When Dartmouth Hall burned in 1904 the alumni responded generously to raise the money to rebuild it. The College had hopes that the alumni interest, having been once aroused, could be continued and in 1906 under the leadership of President William J. Tucker, 1861, Henry H. Hilton, 1890, and Ernest M. Hopkins, 1901, the Alumni Association sponsored a campaign to raise funds from the alumni for the College. In the first year, 1906-1907, $4700 was contributed by 553 alumni. Its success led to the campaign's becoming an annual affair and by vote of the Association a fund was established, known as "The Tucker Alumni Scholarship and Instruction Fund," the income from which was to be used to meet the urgent need for scholarship money. The article in the April ALUMNI MAGAZINE by Braman and Jordan, "A Blue-Chip Asset For 50 Years," gives a good account of this fund.

When the Alumni Council was formed in 1913 it was given responsibility for the management of the fund. Because of the differing needs of the College the fund was to be applied to meet the annual deficit rather than to become an endowment fund, and the name was changed to "Dartmouth College Alumni Fund." It is this change which the Golden Anniversary commemorates.

Though the earlier fund had a different name and a different purpose it was just as truly an alumni fund and a service to the College, and it seems to me that, though we do well to recognize the significance of this 50th anniversary, we should not neglect to do honor to those pioneers who first organized the alumni campaign nor to those who gave to it.

Newton, Mass.

Champion Success Predicted

TO THE EDITOR:

Dero Saunders' excellent and very interesting article in the May issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE might have included the 1926 Aegis prediction concerning George Champion: "He had guts and fight or whatever you care to term that stuff that works, no matter what the opposition. Anybody willing to take the punishment he did will make good later on in life."

Hanover, N.H.

Friends of Robert Frost

TO THE EDITOR:

On behalf of our budding new organization The California Friends of Robert Frost, I wish to thank you for the article in the May issue describing our first efforts.

Beyond the support of the Dartmouth Alumni Assn. of Northern California (and Nevada), we received an assist from Mark Lansburgh '50, who supervised the production of the luncheon's keepsake program, a very handsome collector's piece. Miss Peggy Knickerbocker, daughter of Paine Knickerbocker '33, helped to locate William Prescott Frost, grandson of Robert Frost. As a result of her conversations with the family, Mr. Frost agreed to come down from Eugene, Oregon and to bring his famous grandfather's collection of medals and "keys to the city" memorabilia with him. (These went on display for the first time at our recent Frost exhibit at the San Francisco Main Public Library.)

The plaque itself will go up in the Library here in the city's Civic Center, near which Robert Frost's family lived in the period 1874-1885. I am having a 3-inch bronze medallion struck from the handsomely sculpted profile of the poet. It will be available to those who contribute $2O to our non-profit organization, which now is engaged in making talks on Mr. Frost in elementary and secondary schools throughout the Bay area; conducting poetry-reading contests in junior high schools; showing the color film "Robert Frost" to schools and adult groups.

There are many possibilities if we have a good response to the medallion project. The medal makes a handsome gift to a student or Frost collector. We are offering several to schools in this area as prizes for English awards at commencement time.

Room 409, 251 Kearny St.

San Francisco, Calif. 94108

An Open Letter

TO THE EDITOR:

Almost two hundred years ago Thomas Paine, writing when the American Revolution seemed doomed to failure, noted that "These are the times that try men's souls."

Today the United States faces a decision of dimensions comparable to that faced by the colonists in their struggle against England. Now, however, the enemies are the segregationists rather than the troops of George III. But, as was the case in 1776, the forces opposed to change have supporters who live amongst those who wish to change the STATUS QUO. In the time of the American Revolution they were called Tories; today's Tories are the northern "segregationists" - the gentle people of prejudice, the moderate moderates. These are the people who concede that the Negro's lot is not a completely happy one, but who fear to move too fast, who see the civil rights bill as a constitutional problem, who are concerned about the property rights of the owners of public accommodations.

The next two months are likely to be crucial for the fate of the civil rights bill in the United States Senate. The success of the proposed legislation rests in part in the hands of a number of Northern and Western Republicans and Democrats who for a . variety of reasons may not support the vote for cloture. If you, or any of your friends, live in Illinois, Nebraska, lowa, Nevada, or Alaska, now is the time to urge the Senators from these states to support the civil rights bill. And, even though you may not live in one of the foregoing states, it would be helpful if you were to write to your own Senators telling them of your support for the administration's bill. ...

Now is the time to stand up and be counted. If we are indeed the children of the Judaic-Christian ethic there can be NO question of how we should act in regard to this bill which deals with the fundamental moral issue of our time.

The sands of patience of the Negro are running out. We must act in 1964 with the courage our forefathers exhibited in 1776. We must end the tyranny that enchains onetenth of our nation. Unlike Thomas Paine and his fellow patriots we have the power to make our "revolution" by means of legislation. If we fail - if we act like "summer soldiers and sunshine patriots" — we may face a revolution in the true sense of the word. Let us not try to walk backward into the future. Instead, let us face up squarely to the American Dilemma and walk forward boldly to create a new America where all men will be equal in the eyes of the law.

Springfield, Mass.

Mr. Bohlke is Associate Professor of Sociology at American International College.