1936

Welcome, classmates, and thank you for the trust and honor you have conferred on me with my election to the office of secretary for the class of 1936. Several weeks ago, June and I pulled up six hours late, of course to a comfortable little house in a remote section of quaint Old Greenwich, Conn. The front porch looked like the bargain basement of "Toys-R-Us," but, as Paul and Cathy Lynch said, "You've got to have provisions for the grandchildren." So we helped the Lynches provide more space by gathering up 46 years of secretarial records and trucking them back to Wellesley.

What a wealth of well-documented nostalgia the meticulous records of all the members of the class of' 36, graduates and attendees, compiled by Norb Hofman, the jovial notes of Dick Morton, Milt Johnston, and others. Insurance persons such as I are not supposed to retire, but I'm going to have to ask for a leave of absence or pray for another one-week shutdown such as the famous New England blizzard of 1978 to allow me to pore over these records and realize how much of post-1936 Dartmouth I have missed by merely sitting on the sidelines, taking in an occasional football or hockey game, or just sending in an annual token payment to the Alumni Fund.

I am new at this secretary bit and am suffering from a paucity of current news about classmates, known and unknown, but I don't intend to resort entirely to the rocking chair syndrome and just spin yarns of yesterday. I can use help lots of help from all of you classmates, so if anyone has any item of interest about Himself or any other '36er, please send it on to me for proper distribution.

At the class officers' and executive committee meeting in May , much time was spent in discussion about the adequacy of the money stipend that accompanies the Class of 1936 Women's Award currently $100 plus a framed picture of Dartmouth Hall (taken by Andy Gait 75, son of Jesse M. Gait). It was the consensus of the meeting that this award, like the Barrett Cup presented to the outstanding male student, is more a symbol of prestige than a financial prize.

The award for the class of 1982 went to Linda De Renzo from Hillsdale, N.J., an outstanding all-round student, active in athletics and a summa cum laude graduate. In her gracious note to Phil Mclnnis and the class of' 36, the recipient wrote, "And I'm particularly honored by the achievement because it is clear from the description that President McLaughlin read at the Class Day ceremonies that you have set high standards of excellence. I hope that I will make the class of 1936 as proud of me as I feel in attaining this high honor. I will always treasure and be inspired by the framed picture of Dartmouth Hall that represents this award."

Spring of 1982 found a lot of'36ers attending 50th prep school or high school reunions before coming back to Hanover for our 45th, well-covered by the "Tithe" and the September ALUMNI MAGAZINE. I can report only on the affair in May at Phillips Exeter, where June and I joined up with Frank and Marge Curtis, Don and Jean Williams, and Jim Clark, who, as class agent for P.E.A. '32 for 19 years, was awarded an Exeter chair. It, as well as others like it all around, was a great affair, a pleasant warm-up for our 45th and a great dress rehearsal for what we all may expect in 1986. Word from Dick Dorrance from deep in the heart of Brazil indicates that at least he is giving some thought to our 50th. Incidentally, Dick further reports that they have an active Dartmouth ham radio network and that he talks regularly with Gene Kern and Dave Putnam as well as Dartmouth alumni from other classes.

Reports from far-off Maine tell of a great preretirement party by his friends at the Dunlop Agency for Pete Fitzherbert, who planned to have hung up his hard hat and manuals October 1. Ray Builter, Brad Chase, Tommy Thomas, and Bill Niss were among his many friends who joined the festivities.

And finally, at the class meeting at reunion, the members present elected a slate of officers which has been reported earlier. Classmates who will serve with them until our 50th reunion on the executive committee are: Raymond D. Builter, Frank M. Curtis, David L. Fox, Edward W. Highbee, Albert Gibney, Dean Gidney, Norbert Hofman Jr., Milton S. Johnston Jr., Robert T. Keeler, Paul B. Lynch, Monroe S. Fitzherbert, Philip D. Mclnnis, Boyce P. Price, William W. Marcurda, E. James Stephens, John S. Sullivan, John W. Wiesman, and Ann J. Sykes.

32 Lehigh Road Wellesley, Mass. 02181