Clubs, Events, Places

No Excuses Necessary

The Dartmouth Alumni Club of Northern California and Nevada has never been hardpressed for excuses to throw a party, but on the night of April 4 it had a fine one: the club's 100 th anniversary. It was a warm San Francisco night, one of the first of an early spring. Before the backdrop of Picasso sketches and M. C. Escher prints in the Vorpal Gallery, Dartmouth alumni representing classes from 1918 through 1980 gathered to renew acquaintances, to see old friends, and to generally bend an elbow for the honor of Dartmouth.

The crowd jammed the gallery, a mixture of elegance and informality black ties and Addidas. Whether it was planned or not, the tight quarters facilitated the mixing of classes. Movement was restricted, so people were prodded into conversation with those around them. "Is that your foot? Sorry." "Watch out, I'm going to take a sip." The heat rose, but few seemed to notice.

The line for dinner ran up the stairs and around the corner to the buffet. Eleanor Smith, wife of trustee David P. Smith '35, stood near the dining room entrance, taking air and observing the throng. A recent graduate, noticing the " '35" on her nametag, said, "I thought Dartmouth was an all-male institution back then." With a gleam in her eye she responded, "I've been going to Dartmouth since I was one I'm from a dark-green Dartmouth family."

Toasts at dinner were numerous and greetings were called from table to table, classmates seeing each other for the first time in the open dining room. After the meal, Dave Stanley '6B, outgoing president of the club, bravely tried to get the attention of his fellow alumni to introduce the night's honored guests. His success was moderate. The crowd was too festive to take much notice that it was being addressed.

After brief salutations the guests were introduced: J. E. Wallace Sterling, chancellor of Stanford University; Ira Michael Heyman '5l, chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley; and Dartmouth trustees Dr. John F. Steel '54 and David Smith '35. The crowd paid attention long enough to give the well-deserved applause, and then Smith stepped up to the mike. While he had the audience, he gave a brief history of the club, telling about the 60 Dartmouth alumni who lived on the Pacific Coast in 1881, the 18 who started the club ten years before Stanford "an institution of higher learning down the bay a bit from here with a no-no symbol similar to ours" even opened its doors, and about the achievements of those early Dartmouth pioneers who "set a watch for Dartmouth here on the Pacific Coast a century ago." He closed his speech by invoking an old Dartmouth song, and to make sure that "Eleazar Wheelock" had not been forgotten, he had the words printed and placed at every seat.

Following the singing, President-elect David McLaughlin '54 was introduced as the main speaker. "Eleazar Wheelock" is a tough act to follow, but McLaughlin performed admirably. He addressed the need to reunite the Dartmouth community following a decade of change and mentioned the need for more money to assure Dartmouth's continued excellence. In appreciation of his presence and in support of his ideas for Dartmouth's future, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

The program closed with an introduction of Dick Gale '6O, the new club president, and a presentation to outgoing president Dave Stanley '68 from Quentin Kopp '49, San Francisco politico, for his dedicated service to the club over the last few years.

The program completed, it was time for more mingling and for dancing. The San Francisco Boptet, an eight-piece swing band, started up and the party continued on into the night. The club didn't need any excuses members just-came out to have a good time.

Honored guests at the April 4 100th anniversary party in San Francisco for theDartmouth Club of Northern California and Nevada were (from left): Dartmouth TrusteeJohn F. Steel '54; Ira M. Heyman '51, chancellor of the University of California atBerkeley; President-elect David T. McLaughlin '54; J. E. Wallace Sterling, chancellor ofStanford University; and Dartmouth Trustee David P. Smith '35.