1943

THIRTY-FIFTH REUNION

Your newly elected class secretary, whose first task is to provide a reunion report, managed through unfortunate circumstances (now fully remedied) to have to scrap long-made plans for joining the festivities. As always, however, classmates can be counted on to come to the rescue. Reunion chairman Don Reich proudly reports that 97 classmates participated, with a grand total of more than 200 reuners, including wives and children. This is just about 50 per cent better than we did at the 30th reunion.

Committee members who helped Don to make things run smoothly were Church and Dorothy Leonard, Bob Ehinger, Stan Lambert, Roy Coningswood, Paul Young, Jim Doucette, Bob Clark, Jud Waldron, John Koslowski, Bob Pelren, Charlie and Jane Does, and George Graham. The class offers its appreciation.

The committee and early birds started things rolling on Sunday, June 12 with cocktails and buffet hosted by the Leonards, and then geared up into full action on Monday. Not to be overlooked was the "official business" of the reunion for election of officers for the next six years, viz., Paul Young, president; ChurchLeonard, treasurer; Bob Field (who did such a great job as reunion gift chairman), head agent; Eddie O'Brien, newsletter editor; Fred Lent (after a record-breaking stint as head agent), bequest chairman; Peggy Winters Everett, women's affairs; and Herb Marx, secretary. The new crew is on board and rarin' to go on to new heights - but only with your help!

But we digress. The fabulous 35th reunion was held in perfect weather (quite a contrast to the chilly atmosphere of the 30th), with classmates attired in reunion T-shirts and spouses in class scarves. A most novel feature, conceived, produced and directed by BillMaeck, was a poetry reading, with reuners from other classes participating as well. To a goodly size crowd in the Tower Room, Bill introduced Dartmouth poet and Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Eberhart. Bill himself did some of the reading, and with great effectiveness. Says Bill, "The audience was larger than I expected. They were extremely attentive and enthusiastic."

Bill also reports: "The class picnic Tuesday was a tremendous success. Everything clicked. To be there was to feel a sense of joy, fun, easy friendship, unhurried pleasure of seeing and talking to classmates. Another unexpected highlight was the Barbary Coast orchestra playing in the '42 tent Tuesday night. It seemed as if everyone in town gathered there. We were all singing and dancing to the band and the tunes we knew so well in the early '40s."

Class dinner Tuesday night was made complete by the unquenchable Doc Fielding. Says Doc, "Classmates were as kind as always in their reception to the old jokes. Will make my five-yearly resolution to get new material for the next reunion, but don't count on it." Dinner entertainment also featured a parody of Hello,Dolly written by Suzie Fielding and "performed" (shall we say) by her and ten other wives. A couple of hard acts for Whitey Burnham, assistant athletie director, to follow in his talk at the dinner.

Let Church Leonard tell you about the finale: "The luncheon on Wednesday at the Bema was delightful. Then the ceremony of smoking the clay pipes, marching to the old stump and each classmate breaking his pipe as the more musical members of the class sang 'Men of Dartmouth' - a dramatic way to end a perfect reunion."

And a footnote, not to be overlooked, from Church, concerning his experiences in working with the three undergraduate student workers assigned to the class: "Don't sell these kids short today. They really made the reunion run smoothly. If these student workers are any sample of what the College is producing, then we should be real proud of it. They worked hard to make our reunion a memorable one. At the class meeting it was voted to have Amy return and run our fortieth reunion. Amy was our chief worker who had graduated the day before and stood all of 4' 11" tall."

If you were there, you know how great it was. Greatest thing about reunions is to find that classmates, far from being strangers or oddballs, are really quite like you, with similar or compatible attitudes, accomplishments and dreams. If you weren't there, try it next time. Better still, come to the '43 fall mini-reunion, Cornell game weekend, October 22-23. More details later. Football ticket applications must be in by September 30 (and you'll find 'em in the centerfold of the June ALUMNI MAGAZINE).

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