1945

I've heard it said that associating with young people will keep you feeling and looking young. Well, I can tell you that this theory seems to be working in the case of Richard Gilman. How do I know? Because I have seen his photo on the cover of the January 1984 issue of California Higher Education. And what's his picture doing there? Now, I'm glad you asked me that question. The cover story of the issue is entitled "The New Urban College" and asks the question: "Can an 'elite' liberal arts college flourish in an urban center (specifically, Los Angeles)?" The emphatic answer of Occidental College is "of course"; and its spokesman is its president, Dick Gilman. In career-conscious Los Angeles, Occidental College offers a curriculum stressing integrated studies rather than integrated circuits. As Dick puts it: "We don't have curricula sprawl . . . we don't try to be all things to all people." Despite the facts that there is no business school and that only four computer classes are available, the college has just completed a $60-million development campaign. Dick points with pride to his faculty, most of whom are graduates of the top institutions in the country, to the recent trimming of the faculty-to-student classroom ratio to 1:12, and to an increase in endowment to its current level of $55 million. Despite his many responsibilities, I would say that Dick looks some ten years younger than many of his contemporaries, who have come to be known as Joe Michael's "Old Goats."

Now, I'm not sure that Frank Aldrich is as young looking or as handsome as Dick, but I am sure of one thing: Frank picked a handsome wife and produced a handsome son and a handsome daughter. How do I know? Well now, I'm glad I trapped you into asking that question, too. I know because I received a nice Christmas greeting from Frank with a color photo of the family and news of the onthe-move Aldriches. Daughter Marion has recently returned from France, where she worked in a vineyard in Burgundy, while son Clinton will graduate from the Citadel in May. In November Frank and Dora dropped in on Marge and A1 Foster in Naples, Fla., where A1 is active in real estate. Then in December they were back in Caracas, where they spent some time with John Phelps. Frank reports that John, who has a summer home in East Thetford, Vt., is a "radio and television tycoon of great prominence in Venezuela."

Now for the question even I can't trick you into asking. How am I? Well, the most recent x-rays indicate that my busted-up leg is 80 percent healed. Fortunately the other 20 percent isn't holding me down these days.

And now I'm going to ask the questions: (1) Have you sent in your Alumni Fund gift or pledge yet? Your early response will save mailing costs and help reach the goals of over $10 million and 70 percent participation. (2) Have you sent in your $40 refundable reservation yet for our 40th reunion? That address again is: Dartmouth 1945, P.O. Box 1945, Reading, MA 01867. If you answered "yes" to both questions, go to the head of the class. And 1945 is a pretty good class of which to go to the head.

That may not sound just right, but at least the sentence doesn't end with a preposition.

R. D. Barney" Oldfield Jr. '45, left, recently represented Dartmouth at the installation ofFrederick Starr, right, as the new president of Oberlin College. Also present at the occasionwere R. D. Oldfield III '8l, center, and the elder Oldfield's wife Molly, "rather hidden by theold goat himself" in the picture, in the words of her husband. Another touch of Green at theaffair was provided by Richard J. Dunn '51, Oberlin's development officer.

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