Letters to the Editor

Oh, Eleazar!

The ALUMNI MAGAZINE for June again reminds us that persistent echoes are still fulminating from Dartmouth men on the Indian symbol dispute. Now, it seems, the Glee Club has eliminated "Eleazar Wheelock" from its repertoire. No one has as yet come forth to explain with logic or cogent reasoning as to exactly why this unusual step was taken.

In this once popular song of rollicking adulation (similar to the Amherst sentiment for Lord Jeffrey), I see nothing outright offensive or defaming to the character of the Indian. Surely, no one takes the words of the song seriously. "He mixed drinks for the heathen in the goodness of his soul." Nothing malicious about Eleazar. Does the word "heathen" bother the reformists? The Indian of the plains and the forests had his own tribal gods. Does it make sense to call him a heathen simply because he didn't worship the Christian God? I think, as has been pointed out, that old Eleazar was merely exerting his missionary zeal. He probably diluted the rum, anyway.

Eddie Elmer and I were the only freshmen in our class who-made the varsity Glee Club in the fall '27 tryouts. Under the direction of Professor Homer P. Whitford, our club twice won the Inter-Collegiate Glee Club Contest at Carnegie Hall. No one of that talented group ever to my knowledge voiced the slightest objection to singing "Eleazar Wheelock." Rather, we always sang it with gusto and our concert audiences as far west as Denver loved it.

By the way, have you ever tasted New England rum? It rides soothingly on the palate. I'll always remember D. Gordon Graham '28, then the leader of our club, as he lustily sang, "Rum's alone the tipple and the heart's delight to an old bold mate of Henry Morgan." Much to my surprise, a few years later, Gordon showed up in a vaudeville act on the stage of a Washington, D.C., theater.

Kamakura, Japan

[We have been told repeatedly (and have soreported here) that the Glee Club - not someoutside authority made the decision not tosing "Eleazar Wheelock." The reason given wasthat parts of the song were deemed offensive toIndian members of the Dartmouth community.

Last spring we asked a senior member of theGlee Club if the stand taken four years ago stillheld. The answer was a qualified "yes." Theseniors still were generally opposed to singingthe song, the Glee Clubber told us, but the samecouldn't necessarily be said of the underclassmen who weren't around when theoriginal decision was made. Apparently, therehas been some recent sub rosa singing of"Eleazar" in "unofficial" Glee Club gatheringsin reunion tents and private homes.

Around the same time, James Campion Inc.offered to sponsor a Glee Club recording if"Eleazar Wheelock" were included. The GleeClub asked the Native American Council aboutit. The Native American Council replied thatthe second verse was the offending part andsuggested the song be recorded without it butthat they would understand if the Glee Clubwanted to go ahead and sing it anyway. TheGlee Club decided against it, and the recordwasn't made.

The issue of "Eleazar Wheelock" is a knottyone, and it may be that it defies logical solution.There is not much getting around that if thesingers don't want to sing, who is going to forcethem? A more serious worry would be ifsomeone not connected with the Glee Club forbid the song. Ed.]

A Vision

On July 1, 1917, when I went to work for Dartmouth College in the office of the Treasurer, the financial position of the College was perhaps best described by Treasurer Halsey C. Edgerton who concluded his introduction to his annual report to the Trustees for the 1916-17 fiscal year as follows: "Any report of the year would be incomplete without directing attention to the showing made by the Dartmouth College Alumni Fund on the Tucker Foundation. In 1914, the then newly organized Council of the Alumni assumed responsibility for an Alumni Fund, and starting with the Tucker Fund as a foundation, so broadened the purposes and so directed the appeal that each year has been a year of accomplishment. The entire deficits of the College for the years 1914-15 and for 1915-16 were paid; and in the year just closed in addition to providing for a Fellowship of $500 and making a payment of $5,000 on the Gymnasium debt, the fund provided $100,000 to help meet the extraordinary expenses of the year and added $5,400.61 to the permanent funds."

On June 30, 1917 Total educational plant and endowment funds $ 6,219,847 Gifts for immediate use 47,486 Balance due on notes payable 40,000 Total income 450,566 Deficit for 1916-17 20,470

On June 30, 1976 Total endowment assets $163,718,129 Total gifts and bequests during the year 16,364,209 Gifts for current use (including the

Alumni Fund) 8,652,333 Gifts for endowment 6,992,956 Gifts for plant 718,920 Total revenue and transfers for the year 59,736,244 Total expenditures for the year 59,758,396 Excess of expenditures over revenue and transfers 22,152

I am enclosing this comparison of Dartmouth finances of today and 60 years ago in the hope that the figures will prove of interest to your readers. I see them as a tremendous salute to the Alumni Council of some 63 years ago, which had the vision of what Dartmouth alumni would do for their College.

Hanover, N.H.

The ALUMNI MAGAZINE welcomes comment from its readers. For publication, letters should be signed and addressed specifically to the Magazine (not copies of communications to other organizations or individuals). Letters exceeding 400 words in length will be condensed by the editors.