1911

A card received from Troy Parker, in acknowledgment of birthday greetings sent him recently, indicated that he is still located in Eugene, Oregon, at 2422 Pioneer Peak, 97401. A change of address for Mrs. David W. (Marjorie) Swain has also been noted, Kendal at Longwood, Kennett Square, Pa. 19348. This represents the sum total of individual news items received over the past two months. What has happened to the members of the 1911 Family? There must be some events of interest occurring in your lives. So please give out with it and keep me informed.

Regarding our 65th Reunion in June, it should be pointed out that due to the limitations on space at the Hanover Inn, rooms will be available at the Inn Lodge and Russell Sage Hall. These are bjth dormitories and have the best facilities that the College has to offer, at the rate of $7 per night. If not already booked, the College will send out applications for reservations at these dormitories in April. As previously requested, please advise us of your reunion plans so that we can publish a final accurate list of potential attendants in the class notes for May.

By now, you have received complete information on the current status of the "ratio dilemma," as set forth in the February issues of the Bulletin and Magazine. Basically, the Trustees hold that Dartmouth cannot implement its fundamental purpose - "the education of men and women who have a high potential for making a significant positive impact on society" - under the guidelines established in 1971. Hence, the change to a policy of no fixed ratio commencing with the entering class in September 1977.

What type of "society" does this affirmation contemplate in the years ahead? A Gallup Poll was conducted in 1975 on the "Attitudes of College Students on Political, Social, and Economic Issues." It covered representative schools in all areas of the country, equal numbers of male and female students were interviewed and all classes from freshman to senior had equal representation. One Ivy League school was included - not Dartmouth. Due to space limitations, only a very brief summary of the results of the poll can be presented here. Probably the most outstanding factor in this survey was the impact of instructors, to the left of center in the political spectrum, upon their pupils. This permeated every phase of the poll and showed a constantly increasing influence from the first through the fourth year of the students' college careers.

Although an anti-business mood was prevalent, students showed a lack of knowledge of the basics underlying the free enterprise system to a shocking degree.. On all questions posed, the responses of the students from the Ivy League institution were predominantly more radical and far left of center than the "norm" for the other schools represented. The best summation can perhaps best be found in the conclusions of the polling organization in stating that "this survey presents cogent evidence that the four years that typical students spend in typical colleges and universities tend to disillusion them about their country and to increase their alienation with its institutions."

The above brings to mind an incident that took place in the first semester of our senior year. Economics 7 (Trusts, Pools, and Corporations) was a very popular course, usually conducted by Prof. Dixon, who headed the Economics Department. For the semester in question, Dixon was on leave of absence and the course was taken over by a new member of the Economics faculty who was reported to entertain ideologies of a somewhat socialistic nature. Towards the end of the semester this presiding instructor came up with a ruling that all students with classroom grades of 90, or better, would not be required to take the final exam. The ruling was carried out and several grateful recipients took the day off. Prof. Dixon returned for the second semester. His first announcement was to the effect that in all his years of teaching he had never excused any student from taking a final exam and he did not intend to change that policy in the future. So ended a possible trend, which, if extended, might have become devastating.

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