1932

Classmates who read the biographical sketches in 1932's 50th newspaper may have wondered as I did why there seemed to be such a shortage of people prominent in the nation's political life. Tom Curtis was a standout as the one classmate who had devoted extensive time and effort to politics as a member of Congress and in other political activity.

Tom said he thought I was right in believing he was the only member of the class who had held federal elective office. Why weren't there more who had devoted the kind of time to politics that is required of a U.S. representative?

"It is a sobering process," Tom says, "to work with people on the basis of persuasion, not coercion. Labor leaders have always been better politicians than their counterparts in business because essentially they had to resort to persuasion to gain and to hold their memberships.

"The election process is with the secret ballot one primarily of persuasion. Maybe the elite education Dartmouth provides trains its devotees to order, rather than to persuade, so they tend to go into professions where one can order people around. Tilling these fields is also more lucrative and involves less risk-taking, I think.

"Certainly representative government has been the loser because of the loss of this leaven. This was the real issue in dropping the R.O.T.C. program at Dartmouth, the weakening of leadership in the U.S. military."

It wasn't until I received this letter from Tom that Whip Walser reminded me that the results of the survey conducted prior to the 50th reunion showed that 40 of our classmates said they had held elective office. Unfortunately, while some respondents voluntered the information, the question didn't specify the kind of elective office; national or local, political or otherwise.

Such inquiries as I've made so far indicate that most of the offices held were local town moderator, school board, alderman or selectman, etc.

Whether or not the Great Depression of the thirties had anything to do with the graduates of '32 eschewing politics as a career or second career, I don't know. It may have. Certain!) World War II had an effect in influencing re" turning veterans to go into politics, either because their careers had been interrupted by the war or because they felt a moral responsibility) to do something to prevent their children from repeating such an experience in the nuclear age Another opinion on this subject came from Mike Cardozo, who pointed out that "in private organizations, election is usually the result of the office seeking the man. (In our class, it was only 'the man' no women.) In politics, however, 'the race is not to the swift, but to those who run.' 'Those who run' have to convince themselves that they will be the best persons in the posts. The conviction is not necessarily conceit.

"They may see that they have the most influence in the community or state and are most likely to accomplish the important purposes and programs they espouse. Our classmates may have been the former kind, more sought by the post than inclined to fancy themselves as the best bet to achieve results in the public arena. Both kinds contribute to their communities, which is what justifies acceptance by our fellow citizens."

As a long-time observer of homo politicus, I've regarded the political virus as one of the most virulent infections known to humanity, but one which affects only a few individuals. Repeated defeats have no effect on the individual who has an advanced state of infection.

As for the effect of the Depression on the class of' 32, it wouldn't be at all surprising if earning the family bread and butter became a primary preoccupation.

These comments are intended to bring a response from members of the class who have devoted extensive time to politics and seeking elective office. All contributions are welcome.

In other class news, John Swenson reports in a letter to Bo Wentworth that "my oldest son (the class baby) now is living in North Conway, N.H." Quite some distance from John's home in Green Valley, Ariz. An item in the December notes referred to Barbara Jeffery, daughter of Jeff and Dot Jeffery, as the "class baby." Bo supports the Swenson offspring for the title. Bo and Ginna visited his brother, Vin '36, in Arizona in January. They also had lunch with Art and Peg Mayes at the Wigwam outside Phoenix. Bo reported the sad news of the death of their 43-year-old daughter Linda, who had been ill for several years with renal problems. Among Bo's 'five grandchildren is a daughter enrolled as a freshman at Dartmouth.

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