The Class Officers Weekend

THE annual Hanover spring meeting of Dartmouth class officers was marked this year by a record attendance of more than 400 persons and by lively sessions devoted to the issues faced by Dartmouth and other colleges in these agitated times.

A total of 256 officers from classes ranging from 1904 through 1970 were in town for the working sessions and social events, May 1 and 2. They were accompanied by 179 wives for a grand total of 435 attendants, by far the largest crowd for this annual May gathering. The Class of 1936 took top honors with eight officers present. Four classes had seven, ten had six, and nine classes had five.

Friday afternoon's opening meeting heard reports from Dean Charles F. Dey '52 of the Tucker Foundation, Admissions Director Edward T. Chamberlain Jr. '36, and Prof. Franklin Smallwood '51, Director of Regional Programs. A cocktail reception preceded the annual banquet in Alumni Hall that evening, after which the class officers and their wives moved to 105 Dartmouth Hall for a panel discussion by the Trustee Committee studying the education of women at Dartmouth.

The post-dinner program, presided over by Dero A. Saunders '35 of the Alumni Council, had its heated moments when several class officers expressed the opinion that the whole presentation was too general and superficial and was not answering one of the fundamental questions bothering alumni: If coeducation is adopted by the College, how does the College propose to bring it about and what is the possibility of cost to other aspects of Dartmouth? The study of coeducation has not yet progressed to the point of being able to provide all the specifics the class officers wanted to hear about.

A joint meeting for all class officers took place in Alumni Hall on Saturday morning, presided over by Charles A. Rowan Jr. '45, president of the Class Agents Association. A progress report On the Third Century Fund was made by George H. Colton '35, Vice President of the College, and the status of the 1970 Alumni Fund was discussed by Fund Chairman Richard D. Lombard '53. Class president John W. Barto '52 and members of the Class of 1972 described the '52-72 Class Project, and class secretary Walter S. Yusen '58 spoke about a new type of class weekend in Hanover, built around skiing, golf, or tennis.

The rest of the morning, from 10:30 on, was devoted to the annual working meetings of the various class officer associations. These were presided over by the association presidents: Fred C. Scribner Jr. '30, presidents; Robert C. Bankart '37, secretaries; Dr. Theodore R. Miner '23, treasurers; Charles A. Rowan Jr. '45, agents and class giving chairmen; Roger C. Allen '37, newsletter editors; and Charles F. Bruder III '28, bequest and estate planning chairmen. The 1970 reunion chairmen had an early breakfast session on Saturday and 1971 reunion chairmen had their separate 10:30 meeting.

The weekend had its formal closing with a stag luncheon in Alumni Hall, with Mr. Bankart presiding. Those honored as Class Officers of the Year were presented (see the class columns for citations) and 1960 was announced as the Class of the Year. The luncheon also was the occasion for presenting a Dartmouth Alumni Award to Class President Richard W. Lippman '42 of Philadelphia (see following story).

President Kemeny's Remarks

President Kemeny, as the main speaker at the luncheon, stated that he had thrown away his prepared talk and intended to speak instead about some campus developments and issues that apparently were bothering the alumni. He had high praise for the undergraduates of the present day, who in overwhelming numbers, he said, are intelligent and responsible citizens, motivated by an admirable idealism but frustrated by having to live with a Vietnamese war in which they do not believe - and in which he does not believe, he added. Vietnam is the central reason for student unrest, he said, and until the country's announced policy of disengagement is carried out campus turmoil is not likely to stop.

President Kemeny spoke also of the coeducation study now in progress, enumerating the options open to the College, from remaining as it is to choosing full coeducation, and asserting that the final decision, once all the facts are in hand, will be made by the only body with the authority to make the decision - the Board of Trustees. Student, faculty, and alumni surveys, to help in the decision, are being made.

He allayed the fears expressed by some that the College's programs for disadvantaged students would mean a lowering of educational standards. This, he said, he would not allow to happen, since it would be a negation of the whole purpose of the effort Dartmouth is making to meet its responsibility to disadvantaged youth. He closed by stating the conviction that Dartmouth is unique among all the country's institutions of higher learning and that it has a rare opportunity to show the way to others. The Dartmouth Trustees pick a President with the expectation that he will lead, and Mr. Kemeny closed his talk with the ringing statement, "I will lead."

The class officers were on their feet in a prolonged ovation for President Kemeny, whose frank and forceful remarks brought the whole weekend to a memorable climax. For the remainder of their time in Hanover the class officers made the President's talk the main topic of their conversation.

Officers Elected

Association officers elected for the coming year were as follows:

CLASS PRESIDENTS ASSOCIATION: President, Leonard J. Clark Jr. '56; Vice President, Bertram R. MacMannis '38; Secretary, David E. Orr '57.

CLASS SECRETARIES ASSOCIATION: President, Thomas J. Swartz Jr. '49; Vice President, Arthur W. Hoover '62; Secretary, J. Michael McGean '49; Executive Committee, Hugh Dryfoos '40 and Joel B. Heathcote '61; Member of the Alumni Magazine Advisory Board, William H. Scherman '34.

CLASS TREASURERS ASSOCIATION: President, Willard C. Wolff '31; Vice President, Louis A. Young '41; Executive Committee, Dr. Theodore R. Miner '23, John T. Schiffman '62, and Richard D. Barker '54.

CLASS AGENTS ASSOCIATION: President, John W. Cogswell '31; Vice President, Edward W. Lider '43; Secretary, Clifford L. Jordan '45; Nominating Committee, Seth deV. Strickland '60 (chairman) and Roger S. Aaron '64.

CLASS NEWSLETTER EDITORS ASSOCIATION: President, Eugene H. Kohn '60; Vice President, Dick Dorrance '36; Secretary, Dennis A. Dinan '61; Executive Committee Member, Samuel G. Wallis '52.

ASSOCIATION OF BEQUEST AND ESTATE PLANNING CHAIRMEN: President, Jack D. Gunther '29; Vice President, Arthur E. Allen '32; Secretary, Robert L. Kaiser '39; Executive Committee, Thomas E. Wilson '35, Charles F. Bruder III '28, and John F. Rich '30 (ex officio).

Class Secretary of the Year, LeonardMorrissey '22 (r), with Class Treasurerof the Year, Richard Barker '54, at theweekend's closing luncheon.

James Bingham '18 (l), Class NewsletterEditor of the Year, and John Dwyer'50, Class President of the Year.