Reunion Week: Panels and Sociability

CLASS reunions this year, as last year, were characterized by stimulating panel and group discussions besides the usual good fellowship and fun. Old friendships were renewed over beer in the class tents and at outdoor barbecues, but new facets of former classmates were also discovered in group symposia.

During Commencement weekend, reunions were held by the Classes of 1899, 1904, 1909, 1914, and 1919, the fifty-year class. On Monday, June 16, the rest of the "Old Guard" classes arrived for two days, as well as 1929, 1938, 1939, and 1940. On Thursday, June 19, the 25-year class, 1944, arrived for four days, to be followed on Friday by 1959, 1963, 1964, and 1965. Altogether 1,220 alumni returned to the College in this Bicentennial year, and the grand total of alumni and their families in attendance during Reunion Week was 2,716.

The Class of 1894 Cup for the class with the greatest percentage of living graduates in attendance went to 1899 with 66%, or 2 out of 3 class members, present for their 70th reunion. The Class of 1944 with 206 men back for their 25th reunion was awarded the 1930 Cup for the largest number of class members present. The Class of 1919 had 103 men, or 59% of its living graduates, return for its 50th.

The lead-off symposium for all classes in Hanover the first part of the week was held Tuesday morning. Entitled "The Role of the Humanities in a Scientific Age," the panel discussion was moderated by Joseph D. Harris, Professor of Physics. Contributing their views to the discussion were panelists Roger D. Masters, Associate Professor of Government; Charles T. Wood, Associate Professor of History; and Young P. Dawkins Jr. '38, vice president of IBM Corporation. That panel discussion was followed by Dean Thaddeus Seymour, who provided "A Look at Dartmouth, 1969."

The symposia for the second group of returning classes began Friday morning when the Class of 1944 sponsored a panel discussion entitled "Is There a New Ethic?" Moderated by Arthur E. Jensen, Professor of English Emeritus, the panelists included Clark MacGregor '44, Congressman from Minnesota; Dr. Edward A. Mortimer '44, Professor of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico School of Medicine; Edward W. Gude '59, Instructor in Government; and James W. Fernandez, Associate Professor of Anthropology.

In the afternoon the Class of 1959 sponsor ed another discussion open to all the classes. The topic for this session had been listed as "Bridging the Gap - National Turmoil: Student Response," but

the discussion leader, Charles F. Dey '52, Dean of the Tucker Foundation, decided to focus on black student problems. In the presentation that followed, he had the able assistance of Alfred W. Sloan '69, Coordinator of the Bridge Program at Dartmouth.

A related topic, "The Conflict in Generations," was considered Saturday morning. Dean Seymour was the moderator of this panel discussion, and the panelists were Edward W. Gude '59, Instructor in Government; Louis V. Gerstner Jr. '63, of McKinsey and Co., Inc., management consultants; and several undergraduates.

Earlier in the morning Edward T. Chamberlain Jr. '36, Director of Admissions, discussed admissions problems and policies in a forum open to all classes. Another well-attended activity was the open house and tour held by the Medical School on Friday afternoon. Saturday morning the Tuck-Thayer breakfast for its alumni in the returning classes drew over a hundred men.

Because of the launching of the Bicentennial Year, the reunion program last month had a special added feature in the return of alumni from all the classes that had been graduated more than fifty years ago. More than 200 persons representing classes from 1901 through 1918 were in Hanover for three days, June 16-18, for this combined gathering. Many of the class groups had their own small get-togethers, but the two main events of the joint program were a luncheon on Tuesday and a Bicentennial Reunion Dinner in Thayer Hall that night. Prof. Arthur E. Jensen, coordinator of the Bicentennial Program, presided over the luncheon gathering.

President Dickey was the main speaker at the luncheon, which also included one of the first showings of the College's new Bicentennial Movie. At the dinner that night, J. Michael McGean '49, Secretary of the College, presided and reported on some of the highlights of the college year; and Allen R. Foley '20, Professor of History Emeritus, was the principal speaker, mingling his celebrated Vermont humor with some of the history of the College.

Reunion Attendance Class TotalClass % of Grads Members People 1899 66% 2 40 1904 35% 5 15 1909 57% 25 49 1914 48% 53 97 1919 59% 103 201 1929 31% 127 247 1938 15% 77 175 1939 18% 87 195 1940 11% 51 129 1944 39% 206 664 1959 22% 140 256 1963 19% 155 294 1964 14% 101 194 1965 12% 88 160 1,220 2,716

A view of the special Bicentennial Reunion Dinner for classes prior to 1919.

Hopkins Center spelled out a welcome to alumni classes for each of the reunion periods.

At the 1944 class banquet, highlight of the reunion program of the 25-year classPresident Dickey chats with class president Bob McLaughry (I) and class agentPhil Penberthy (r), two leaders in achieving 1944's record total of $1,450,000 in25-year giving, surpassing 1942's previous mark of $1,270,000.