1939's 30th
You will note from the headings above that the guard "has changedeth." Reliable Henry Conkle, requesting relief, has been gently set to pasture amongst his familiar hills of Cashiers, N. C., where we hope he will fatten and rest against the probabilities of another term. He was an outstanding scribe, and our hat is off.
It is our purpose this month to recount the gay doings of our 30th Reunion. The first order of business, though not the first activity within the tent, must be to officially record the results of the class elections. BertMacMannis, voted the most outstanding class president in college elections this past May, has fortunately succumbed to a second term, and remains as our Prexy. Sam Thurm becomes our treasurer, Dusty Rohde takes on the arduous task of class agent, and two encumbents, Walt Darby Newsletter editor, and Bob Kaiser, bequest chairman remain in' harness for another term. Our executive committee contains eight new names, but we'll run down the entire list for your edification. Joe Batchelder, Tom Brooks, Henry Conkle, Jack Coulson, Robb Degraff, Jay Diffenbaugh, Bob Gibson, Bill Green, George Hanna, Lou Highmark, Sam Hird, Bozo Noland, Al Tishman, and Moose Wyman, along with the aforementioned class officers and your new correspondent, make up the membership. At a meeting of the new executive committee directly following the class gathering, our president advised the new members that this would be a working committee, a statement that was perhaps reannual report. This included the following progress: 1) Regular executive committee meetings held each year in Hanover and New York City, as well as one in Peoria, 1ll. 2) An annual fall reunion established in Hanover each year. 3) Regular attendance of class officers at class officers' meetings in Hanover each May. 4) Regular participation for the Class of 1939 in a Memorial Book program to memorialize every deceased classmate. 5) The Class of 1939 Scholarship Fund was founded. Funds now total $7,000. The sum of this fund will be an unrestricted gift to the College at our 35th reunion. 6) After an investigation of the most presing needs of the College, the football scoreboard was provided at Memorial Field. At its base is a plaque commemorating the Class of 1939. And, finally, we were advised that our class had been voted the "runner up" as the Class of the Year in last month's college meeting. Two other items of business were accomplished by the executive committee. It was voted to make clear on all class dues notices that "everyone in the class, including widows, receives the ALUMNI MAGAZINE as part of the dues receipts." It was also agreed that in place of a 35th reunion book (which would have to be under- written by the Class at a guesstimated figure of some $20,000) a class directory similar to the one just published be furnished as a substitute.
NinetyNinety-one men in all were in attendance, most with wives, and some with issue. This did not qualify us for an attendance cup according to our early advices, nor even for a class photo which was strangely a break with custom, but neither did it hinder the fellowship amongst our hardy group. Conviviality was centered about the tent located under the shadow of Hitchcock on the Gold Coast side, and after registration was completed and cocktails at the top of the Hop, we dined in Alumni Hall. We were treated to an extraordinarily fine address by our traveling cartoonist, Dick Brooks, whose introduction by Bob Davidson was a hard act r follow Brooksy's blend of humor with a serious contemporary message skillfully interwoven, was more than equal to the task. He concluded by suggesting that if any group or organization contemplated issung an ultimatum for the destruction of the College in "three hours," he would be up in "two" to defend it.
After breakfast in the tent on Tuesday, some repaired to Spaulding Auditorium to witness a panel discussion and an address by retiring Dean Seymour (who later cut a mean rug to lively music in the '39 tent). Then it was time for a relaxing picnic at the "new" Bonnie Oaks, so appealing, in fact, that it was decided to hold our fall reunion at the same location in late September.
Both Monday and Tuesday night, different members of the class were titillated by an unusual Glee Club concert, billed as a "celebration of song, picture and story," and written by Dartmouth's leading historian, our own Zeke Hill. More informal song was heard at our final class dinner Tuesday night in the main dining room of the Inn, when the Dartmouth Injunaires softened us to the consistency of a California grape with those familiar College Aires. Run, girls, run!
Bob English, and the organ, set the tone for a splendid Memorial Service in the newly renovated Rollins Chapel, Wednesday morning with the Reverends John Evans and Steve Bachelder co-officiating. And then it was a final brunch in Hopkins Center, and the long trek home. The 30th was voted as the "best ever" and credit properly given to Moose Wyman and his merry men who arranged the party.
We'll leave the individual tidbits to the competency of Walt Darby's Newsletter, but we did note some highlights which can bear repeating. It was learned that Dave Lilly had suffered a mild heart attack at his home in Minneapolis, and, hence, had to cancel plans to reune. Dick Brooks sketched a hasty and giant "get-well card" which was signed by all 91 reuners, and was dispatched to Minnesota. Bob and Mary Dickgeisser, who have the most resplendent new summer home overlooking all of White River Junction and environs, learned on Monday that they were grandparents, courtesy of their eldest daughter, who had an eight pound, one ounce second daughter of her own. And Joe and Peggy Batchelder had arrived with the information that they had just become grannies for the first time when their second son, Bo, became the father of a nine pound, two ounce boy. There is nothing small about those with a 1939 heritage! And finally, a unique piece of information; Mert and Alma Tarlow's third daughter, Lisbeth, became (to our knowledge) the first class daughter to formally be admitted to Dartmouth College. She'll be spending her senior year on the Hanover Plain as a transfer from Smith. Ah, it's an unusual world.
Until our next in September, when we hope you'll bury us with enough information for a dandy fall column, we remain, all thumbs, and more than a little concerned at following the gracious reports of such a master as the North Carolina squire.
CLASS SECRETARY
