1949

It rained on our parade, but it didn't stop some 50 or more '49ers, wives, and friends from joining with several thousand alumni, students, and townspeople to celebrate Dartmouth Night and unveil our new class banner. The banner, as previously reported, is a gift from GretchenVanderhoof in memory of Dave, and was prominently displayed at all class functions during the mini-reunion weekend.

Fourteen members of your new executive committee met on Saturday morning and their deliberations will be thoroughly revealed in the newsletter. San Francisco's Quentin Kopp logged the most mileage for the weekend and, as our Saturday night after-dinner speaker, provided some economic insights into why Proposition 13 probably will work in California, discussed the political gyrations of Governor Brown, and informally announced his own candidacy for mayor of San Francisco in 1979.

Ed Leede was also in town for the weekend. He has just recently been named chairman of the DCAC, thus joining a growing list of '49ers who have made significant personal commitments to the College.

From Bennington, Vt., comes word that Loomis Dana has become the full-time coordinator of volunteer services for the Putnam Memorial Hospital. Lou had most recently been student activities director at Southern Vermont College, but for 21 years he was associated with the YMCA as a youth director.

Burgess Standley writes that he is in his fourth year as director of planning at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and relaxes with meetings on the Medfield Zoning Board of Appeals and as secretary of the Medfield Historical Commission.

A lengthy letter from John Stearns proves once again that the way to rejuvenate old classmates is to challenge them with a new assignment. A year ago John accepted the job of class campaign coordinator, which means that for the next four years he will be involved in making sure that the Campaign for Dartmouth and the Alumni Fund don't work at cross purposes. A second, equally compelling, reason for John's resurgence in interest is that daughter Winky (Winifred) matriculated in the Class of 'B2.

When John last corresponded for the 25th reunion book he was just back from two years in Switzerland for American Express Inter- national Banking Corp., and was adjusting from a line job to a staff position as vice president-general administration. John says that "after three rather dry years, I'm back doing something that's fun: correspondent bank- ing, with a 'beat' that begins in Bangladesh and extends west to the Arabian Peninsula, excluding Saudi Arabia. It means traveling three or four times a year for two to three weeks at a crack in climates that leave a lot to be desired. There are tremendous compensations, not only in dealing with bankers and others from such different cultures and backgrounds, but also in taking off spare moments on the Khyber Pass, in the ruins of Babylon or at the mosque-university in Damascus, where Columbus probably learned that the earth is round. So long as I continue to arrive between assassinations in North Yemen, revolutions in Afghanastan, and shellings in Beirut, it makes for a mind-blowing life after the adventurous years are supposed to be over. I eat it up."

For all you smokers, John adds that he has kicked a 30-year, three-pack-a-day habit and has taught 80 other people how to do it at Smoke Ender sessions.

Our '49er profile for the month is John (call me Paul) Erwin, class treasurer. Paul and wife Cathy live in Marion Station, Pa., where Cathy is a part-time medical secretary and Paul is a full-time partner in the Philadelphia law firm of White and Williams. He has been with the firm for 23 years and specializes in malpractice and products-liability defense work for local hospitals and the I.N.A. among others. Paul is past president of the Dartmouth Club of Philadelphia and, as though five kids in the house weren't more than enough, the Erwins have been an A.B.C. host family.

The oldest Erwin offspring, Sharon, is 22 and after graduating with distinction from Penn State is following a family tradition at Temple Law School. Both Paul and his father, Dartmouth Class of '18, received their L.L.B.'s from Temple. Sons John and Mark are at Albright and Penn State in their sophomore and freshman years respectively, and Anita and Brian are still in the nest. When things get too hot around Philly you can probably find Paul and family relaxing at Cape Anne.

Have a happy holiday!

2 Cornfield Rd. Simsbury, Conn. 06070