The Night Turned Ever Green

One of the great Dartmouth alumni events of the past two decades happened at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on February 23. On that evening, in the grand ballroom, some 1,200 men and women gathered for a black-tie dinner celebrating Dartmouth Night in New York and kicking off, in the metropolitan area, the five-year, $160-million Campaign for Dartmouth.

History is not supposed to repeat itself. But the dinner was strikingly reminiscent of an event held 20 years ago, also in February, in the very same setting. An alumnus who had attended the 1958 party could, with a little imagination, think himself back at that earlier gathering. Things were less crowded this time, because 2,200 had jammed the grand ballroom in 1958 to celebrate, three months late, the 80th birthday of President Emeritus Ernest Martin Hopkins. This time, there was a celebration, also three months late, of the 70th birthday of President Emeritus John Sloan Dickey.

Then, as now, the College was just lifting off the launch pad for a capital fund drive. The fact that the goal of the present campaign is ten times greater is some indication of what has happened in 20 years. Two of the principals at the 1958 dinner, John Dickey and Nelson A. Rockefeller '30, were again on the program. But more pervasively, the whole look and atmosphere in the grand ballroom came close to wiping out the 20 years that had intervened. A two-tiered dais was at one end of the ballroom and a stage for the Glee Club at the other, although a coed Glee Club, at full strength and in fine voice, was proof of one great change at the College. When, as a finale, the lights were dimmed for the Glee Club's singing of "Dartmouth Undying," the green of the table lamps (coincidence or nice planning?) cast over the hushed ballroom a glow that gave reality to the dinner's motto, "Dartmouth Ever Green."

For an hour and a quarter before the dinner, the Trustees of the College were hosts for a reception in a large anteroom. Bartenders at both ends of the room had the workout of their lives. After dinner, Frank W. Hartmann '43, chairman of the New York committee, welcomed everyone to the Big Apple and got the program under way by introducing the Glee Club. The singers contributed some Broadway flavor by doing a medley from "Annie" along with a half-dozen Dartmouth songs. The jovial spirit of the assemblage had a chance to come bubbling to the surface, somewhat irreverently, when Hartmann read greetings from Governors Carey of New York, Byrne of New Jersey, and Grasso of Connecticut, politicians all, and welcoming words from Mayor Koch of New York City. and Borough President Stein of Manhattan.

Then Hartmann turned the job of presiding officer over to David T. McLaughlin '54, chairman of the Board of Trustees, but not before announcing that the Class of 1977 had the largest attendance at the dinner. In fact, he announced, about one-fourth of all those in the ballroom were from the classes in the '70s, and with Ever Green spirit, the youngest Dartmouth alumni and their wives arose in the balconies and let out a whoop.

Joe Yukica, Dartmouth's new football coach, led off the roster of speakers. He laughingly pointed out that he was addressing the alumni as an undefeated coach, and he promised to make Dartmouth football interesting and enjoyable during his regime. He was given his campaign assignment by being told that at the start of both previous capital campaigns Dartmouth had had the lift of championship football teams.

The status of the current Campaign for Dartmouth was then reported by Trustee Norman McCulloch Jr. '50, national chairman. On the day of the dinner, he said, a total of $32 million was in hand or pledged. This included an unrestricted foundation grant of $4 million, the largest single gift ever received by the College; one pledge of $2 million; and eight pledges of $1 million or more. A major objective of the campaign, he stated, is to rebuild Dartmouth's endowment, which now provides only 13 per cent of annual income compared with 24 per cent ten years ago. To that end, half of the $160-million being raised will be allocated to endowment. The campaign organization is nearly complete, McCulloch reported, and regional offices are now in operation in New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, and San Francisco.

As principal speaker, President Kemeny elected to talk about teaching and its central importance at the College. "Teaching is what Dartmouth is all about," he said, and because of a great teaching faculty undergraduate education at Dartmouth is second to none in the nation. As five exceptional features of the College's educational program, he cited the vital and pervasive influence of the arts, freshman seminars, computing for all students, foreign study in 20 countries — "the most ambitious program for any undergraduate college in the nation" — and the new interdepartmental program in policy studies, which few institutions could bring off as well as Dartmouth, because the College is large enough to provide the needed faculty expertise and small enough to insure the harmonious cooperation of the teaching staff.

"By talking about teaching I seem to have passed over the campaign, but the Campaign for Dartmouth is what I have really been talking about," Kemeny concluded. "Without the success of the campaign we would see a gradual weakening and erosion of this very, very special College. If you start to compromise the quality of Dartmouth, there is no purpose in having a Dartmouth."

Governor Rockefeller followed President Kemeny and had the role of introducing President Emeritus Dickey and presenting to him a crystal vase as a token of alumni admiration and affection. He recounted his long association with John Dickey in varied fields and called him "a man I admire and love," embracing him warmly as he turned the podium over to him. A prolonged standing ovation for Dartmouth's only living former president was the emotional peak of the evening.

"I come tonight to witness that continuity of commitment that gives Dartmouth institutional life," Dickey said at the start of his brief address. Only through such a continuity does a true institution serve its purpose. "Dartmouth's purpose and cause," he concluded, "is the liberation of both man's mind and his spirit. It is in this purpose that our love of Dartmouth is rooted."

A bove: President Kemeny and Governor Rockefeller salute JohnDickey. Left: Mrs. Rockefeller and President Kemeny; GovernorRockefeller, the Kemenys, Msgr. Nolan, and yet another camera.

A slice of crowd before dinner (above)and two cheerful members of the Glee Club.