1954
As I write this, it is the middle of winter and the Northeast has just had its first real snowstorm. By the time you read this, it will be the first days of spring and your thoughts should be turning to more important things than shoveling the walk and skiing, and what more important thing can come to the front of your mind than the shock of realization that our 25th reunion is only 90 days away. And you know if the 25th is close by, so is a message from Dick Page:
"Hello out there! Especially to all of you south of the Mason-Dixon line, west of the Red River, north of Sault Ste. Marie, and east of Bermuda. Preliminary registration figures tell us that we're well on our way to a record turnout for '54s big 25th with over 285 classmates planning to be in Hanover June 14-17.
"But the key to our success is really with you guys who are truly 'out there.' The rest of us have seen each other off and on through the years at football games, in business meetings, or accidental encounters. You're the ones we don't see (and vice-versa) unless you're a traveling man, and most of us aren't. And time and distance have a way of eroding interest. All of which means many of you have lost touch with Dartmouth and your classmates.
"Speaking for those of us who have been able to stay close to both, you really shouldn't let this happen. The Dartmouth of today is a dynamic institution, changed and unchanging, forever a part of you and me. And the same can be said of our classmates. You owe it to yourself to come back to our 25th reunion and get reacquainted. You won't regret it and you won't be disappointed!
"If you buy everything I've said so far, the bottom line for your final decision has to be the cost. Common sense dictates that you can't beat the price for four fun-filled days for the whole family in Hanover. If the reunion were only 50 miles away, you'd jump at the package. The point is that all you should really be considering are your travel costs. Regardless of where you are, it has to be a small price to pay to turn the clock back to 1954, especially when you amortize it over 25 years.
"The time to make up your mind is now, not tomorrow or next week. It's got to be the best investment for you and your family in 1979. See you in Hanover!"
After six months of receiving constant communication from Dick Page about the reunion, I had really begun to believe reunion organization was his full-time job. So you can imagine how surprised 1 was to read in the business papers around the country that Dick Page has a corporate position and his employer actually feels he does productive work other than reunion publicity. This is a long way of saying that he has just been appointed managing vice president of Alexander & Alexander Inc., a leading worldwide insurance brokerage and financial services firm. His present responsibilities involve complete management of the New York office. Congratulations, Dick, on two jobs well done!
The business press has recently given the Class of '54 a lot of publicity. Forbes Magazine recently carried a full-page article on the ever-dynamic Dave McLaughlin and his Toro Company. According to Forbes, as chairman of Toro, Dave has turned it into one of the "year's hottest growth companies" by broadening the price line of Toro's traditional power-mower line; developing a new line of consumer gardencare products; and increasing emphasis on snowthrowers. Under Dave's leadership, Toro's corporate sales have increased by 40 per cent in the last fiscal year and its earnings nearly doubled. For the first fiscal quarter of this year ended October 31, sales for the company jumped more than 86 per cent and earnings more than doubled from $1.6 million for the quarter to $4.2 million. With that kind of performance, Dave deserved a whole issue of Forbes!
In an earlier edition of Forbes, Pete Johnson's accomplishments as president and chief executive officer of Trus-Joist Corporation of Boise, Idaho, were mentioned. But the article did not anticipate Pete's resignation in January from this very same company which he had led to a 65 per cent profit increase in one year and under whose direction the company's stock had increased from 12 to more than 50 in about six months. I guess you don't always win by winning. Good luck, Pete, in whatever you choose to do. You've already proven that you do most things well.
Don Miller has a new degree and a new position to go along with it. Don received his Ph.D. in educational administration and supervision in August from the University of Michigan, and on August 1 he started his second headmastership, this time at the Pennington School in Pennington, N.J., after five years as headmaster of the Valley School in Flint, Mich. Don writes that the Pennington School has 300 students, including boarding and day students. The school also has a specialized learning center program for students with learning disabilities and an international students program. Don's abilities and experience should help him to lead the school to new highs.
Remember to make those reunion plans. Time is getting short!
95 Plymouth St. New Bedford, Mass. 02740
