1955

The class is to be congratulated on its response to the College for our reunion effort for the Alumni Fund. From around the world we gave $363,000 with 74 percent participation. A "well done" to all concerned. A great effort.

One indication of our shrinking world and our increasing global interdependence is in letters received from overseas addresses. In the early fifties taking the summer to go to Europe was the thrill of a lifetime and a long, much anticipated event. How many of us remember searching out the cheapest way to make it across the ocean and ending up on a student ship? It was nine days in each direction and a round trip cost of $360. Heinekin beer was fifteen cents a bottle and the ratio was 700 girls to 200 men. Cunard was right. Getting there was half the fun. Now it's quicker but no less interesting to hear of international postings.

One of the latest of this group is Dick Blodgett, sent to London by IBM for another tour of duty. Dick moved during the summer to take up his new position as director of finance and planning for IBM Europe's Entry System Unit which is responsible for the IBM PC and related products throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. As Dick comments, "This is a very dynamic part of IBM's business and should prove an interesting assignment." Dick and Ruth have two daughters; the elder, Susan, just graduated from Mt. Holyoke and their younger, Karen, is Dartmouth class of 1986.

Jim Wallace also writes from London where he is vice president with Citibank. Jim is presently the marketing group head for Citicorp institutional banking activities in the United Kingdom. Jim's daughter, Karen, class of 1982, was married in April. The occasion was the chance for Bob Hayes to appear. Bob is with the investment department of the Equitable Life Assurance Society out of New York City. That, plus the attendance of JudHale, shows how easy it is to cross the ocean for an event of importance. I didn't hear if they flew over for the day or stayed on for breakfast the following morning. Also present was Roy Pfeil. Roy arrived the easy way because he lives in the United Kingdom, where he owns his own business, distributing housewares.

Speaking of Jud Hale, I know he returned home, for on May 13 he was the recipient of an honorary doctorate of journalism degree from New England College in Henniker, N.H. Jud is editor of Yankee Magazine and the Old Farmers Almanac and Inside New England. With all that, he also serves as president of the board of trustees of Monadnock Community Hospital and is chairman of the Task Force for Historic Preservation in New Hampshire. This is obviously a merry chase, typical of so many of the class.

Closer to home but not much closer to Hanover is Eric Bergstrom, now a permanent resident of the Cayman Islands where he is a director of tourism for the Cayman government. Eric recently built a house on the ocean (is there any other place on the Cayman Islands?) and then, of course, installed a swimming pool between the house and the beach just in case. Sounds like overkill. Eric did mention that snorkeling offshore is just as spectacular, something you can't do in your own swimming pool. We needn't worry that Eric and his wife Nancy might get island fever, for they are frequent travelers back to the United States.

Going from sea level to the high plains, David Flitner, a rancher in Wyoming, has been elected to the board of directors of Mountain Bell Telephone Company. Dave has been on the Mountain Bell Wyoming Board of Advisers since 1973 and also serves as chairman of the board of the Mountain States Legal Foundation and president of the Western Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, both headquartered in Denver. He is also on the board of the National Legal Center for public interest and director on the executive committee of the Media Institute in Washington, D.C. There is, obviously, more to ranching than merely watching one's cattle graze.

Peter Knoke, who lives in Melbourne Beach, Fla., came back recently from seven months spent in the Philippines. Peter says, "It was interesting what with typhoons, earthquakes,, and the assassination of Aquino."

Cyril Muromcew, whose home is based in Washington, is another man who continues to circle the globe. Cyril visited Tokyo last April to visit his son Alex (an exchange student at Keio University) and had the good fortune to attend the Dartmouth Club of Japan dinner hosted by Chick I gaya '57. Many of those present were young Japanese students headed for Dartmouth. It's still a long way to go to school. As Cyril said, "It was a memorable evening."

Ace Hall was well in evidence at our reunion in June where he completed his term as president of the General Association of Alumni. His employer, General Dynamics of St. Louis, took note and on Wednesday, the day we left Hanover, announced that Ace was promoted to vice president and general manager of the Data Systems Division of General Dynamics.

Another person who's making things happen is Larry Hagar. Larry and his new wife, Paula, have recently become the parents of a brand-new baby boy, Christopher. Larry has obviously opted for ongoing youth.

Three generations of the Goss family were represented at Commencement in June. Pictured, left to right,are Lane Goss '55, Charles Goss II '84, and C. Lane Goss '25. Charles Goss wore the Sphinx pin ofhis great-grandfather, Edward Woodworth, class of 1897.

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