1917

October has been a very busy month on this old campus. There were the Campaign for Dartmouth convocation and Alumni Fund head agents' meetings from October 9 through 11. Classes from 1917 to 1980 were represented. The program was extensive and included all meals, meetings, and the presentation of many ideas. The best part of it all was the spirit of cordiality and liveliness of all the people of many ages. It was all most inspiring. On October 23, it was miserably rainy and Dartmouth Night was almost washed out, but the spirit still survived. The songs, cheers, and speeches were held in Webster Hall instead of in front of Dartmouth Hall. The bonfire did manage to burn and was still smoldering the next morning, when many class presidents were wending their way to Alumni Hall for a 7:30 breakfast and meeting. Informative talks and a lot of questions asked and answered made for a great experience. The head of your class was the oldest class representative there, as he also was in the parade. Our new president, David McLaughlin, gave us several of his ideas about what he expected and hoped to do.

A letter from Ralph Sanborn on the last day of August gave some interesting thoughts about the Hanover of today and the old town of our day. They are worth your time to read.

"Hanover on a given Wednesday when last we saw it a couple of weeks ago, is nothing short of a mixture of Times and Barclay squares, the Loop section of Chicago, and the madness of New Year's Day in Philadelphia's Market Street. One may stand on the corner of your Main and Wheelock streets, close one's eyes, and easily imagine oneself, midst the clatter of traffic, the clamor of kids, and the bellows of stoutlunged students, to be as near the 'madding crowd' as one would care to get. Of one thing the Sanborns are confidently sure: Our first smell of Hanover in over three years (the longest time I have been away since graduation) afforded reassurance that despite hub-bub or danger, the old village could be dimly seen among the remnants and ruins of its former simple glory. The sky was at its loveliest cerulean. The air was full of autumnal vigor. The scent was assuredly rustic and rural. Hanover was truly there, but behind the gawdy facade of metropolitan glitter that has to be rudely and roughly overlooked."

Marion O'Leary, widow of our late classmate Don, has written to us about one of her second-generation nieces as follows: "Her name is Anne Ready, and having given her all for basketball at Exeter, she is now going all out for crew. Her sister being a junior at Yale now, grandmother Ready said, 'Wouldn't Uncle Don be pleased if Anne chose Dartmouth?' to which I replied, 'No, he would not, because when the College took in women he was furious and said, 'Can't they leave anything for us guys?' Probably sore because they did not have them in Reed Hall when he was a freshman!"

Here is a brief note from David H. Wells, son of our very late classmate Ralph Wells. "Although Dad's eyesight had failed in recent years, he always enjoyed having me read him your articles in the DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE about the class of 1917."

A pleasant Christmas and a great New Year to all.

Village Apts. #l2 Hanover, N.H. 03755