1961

Dave Birney currently is playing the part of Bernie in the television program "Bridget Loves Bernie." The show can be seen on Channel 7 at 8:30 on Saturday night. Bill Blue has become president of Archon Pure Products, Los Angeles, Calif. Among those recently promoted at Piedmont Airlines was Phil Kerce, who is now an administrative assistant. Phil, his wife Joyce and their two sons live in Winston-Salem, N. C.

This month we are pleased to devote most of our column to Jack Reno. He writes: "I wonder how many of you know about a program started and currently sponsored by Dartmouth's Tucker Foundation called A Better Chance (ABC). I suggest you familiarize yourself with it as it could well be a worthwhile project for your local community. It is a long range program to help educate a number of disadvantaged high school students from around the country yearly in your own local high school.

"The ABC Public School Program was started in 1964 by Dartmouth and Phillips Academy. Both schools were searching for a way to broaden the base of their student bodies by including students who are educationally disadvantaged but still inherently capable of doing first class college work. A nationwide talent search was begun (and still continues) to identify students with academic potential, maturity, and personal initiative who will hopefully benefit from a different environment.

"You and other residents in your community typically buy a house, find a resident director and possibly two local college students to live with and tutor the boys or girls, a cook to prepare the evening meals, maintain the house, purchase some clothes, all the food, etc. The budget annually approximates $25,000 to $30,000, and the financial support comes entirely from individual contributions and local foundations.

"Few Dartmouth Alumni probably realize what a major impact this program already has had nationally, and more significantly its future potential. Twenty-two towns across the country will have a similar program this year (plus numerous private schools who operate under a similar private school ABC program). If successful, in a few years literally several thousand black, American Indian, Eskimo, Puerto Rican, and white ABC students will graduate from our first-rate preparatory and high schools and go on to some of our very best colleges. Many of these students certainly would not have finished high school; few would have gone to our finest colleges.

"If you are interested, you can call or write Doc Dey or Tom Makula at the Tucker Foundation in Hanover. It is a real opportunity for you not only to find out about a very successful, local Dartmouth-initiated program, but also for you, your wife, and friends in one way or another to become active in helping it.

"Suzie and I (more Suzie than me) helped start one in our home town and I know Bill Haynsworth has been very active in getting one started in Wellesley, Mass."

Secretary, 14 Glen Rd. Winchester, Mass. 01890

Treasurer, R. R. 2, Windsor, Vt. 05089