1950
The carousel goes round. Reactions whirl. Winter, refusing to let go, furiously pummels mountain and shore. Crocuses hide in the snowbanks'. A day later, spring reasserts its time; the sun warms and freshets run. Holding back, the forsythia bide their day.
Some minutes burn bright endlessly. One such memory recalls an unknown halfback dashing eight yards into the end zone in the closing seconds of the Brown game in Hanover in 1947. That touchdown in the twilight of a gray day converted certain defeat into a 13-10 victory; The band led a traffic-halting parade through town, and our class hailed its new hero, Hal Fitkin. Last fall Hal returned for our mini-reunion, and we shared that memory with him. Perhaps recalled is a better word than shared. Hal later wrote, "It was great seeing everyone again. But my recollections [of that game] are rather sparse ... although I recall finding a hole on a dive-tackle play that had never had one. Some years later Jud Hannigan '48 told me that for the extra point he knew that I was 'out of it. . . . ' I played tackle for that play, and he played my position on the outside in the backfield." We also replayed some old tapes of the Kimball Union game our freshman year. The coaches first noticed Hal during that game. And your tapes, Hal, were quite accurate.
After retiring from Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Ben and Joy Shaver moved to the shores of the Chesapeake at Arnold near Annapolis. Ostensibly, so the story goes, the site is the intersection of several loci: Joy's northern perimeter, Ben's southern perimeter, and a point near the shore. All the news revealed that retirement was a revel, until suddenly the news changed. Ben unretired. The offer was not refusable. Other reports say the job was a natural for him, one that he could manage without significantly changing his chosen life-style on the beach. The job: executive director of the $3.5-billion Maryland State Retirement Agency, which manages all state and municipal pension and retirement programs. "Retirement was fun," notes Ben, "but unretiring has merits, too." If the pressure mounts, the beach or boat is only a step away.
Few of us have a chance to deliberately pull up stakes and re-orient our lives. Joe Medlicott did. After 20 years as an English professor at the University of Connecticut, he quit. The reasons, if you could elicit them, were simple. The university was changing. Liberal education had lost the race to job training. No one cared for English. The poor preparation and disinterest of the students reflected this lack of care. Joe's reaction was simply to look for interest, perhaps dedication, elsewhere. He found those qualities in students at Deerfield. "An awful lot of teaching takes place outside the classroom," Joe reflects. "I'm in a position to teach values and to push people in the right direction in life. I feel I can make a real impact, not because of what I know of books, but because of what I know of life's experiences. I have a genuine fondness for Deerfield students and believe that the best of them have a unique commitment to society." Joe plans eventually to retire to New Hampshire to raise and train German shepherds. But not now. He is again enjoying himself.
The carousel still spins, and April comes round with the official start of the annual Alumni Fund. Actually, the drive is now a year-round process. Spring is the last lap. As usual, 1950 has started fast, but the sprint to the finish is most important. Participation (in early April) stands at 30 percent; the goal is 64. We used to hit 72 percent regularly. About 60 percent of the $145,000 objective has been counted; a tough 40 percent remains. The class needs everyone's help. Yours, too.
As a class we have many role models. We can cite the work of our head agents over the last 34 years and the specific efforts of BillSullivan since 1981. We can look with pride upon the dedication of Sandy McCulloch as the intrepid leader of the Campaign for Dartmouth. Now we have a special reason to succeed, since Jack Harned guides the development activity at the College. Jack wants to point to 1950 as an exemplary leader.
But we all have a personal reason to respond to the fund's appeal year after year. The fund provides 16 percent of the operating budget. Therefore, the strength of the College is directly related to the strength of the fund. And our diplomas are dated only 1950; their significance and their value depend upon the strength of Dartmouth as a place of learning, as a place of excellence today - in 1984. Enhance your diploma's value; keep Dartmouth strong.
Tidbits here and there: Bill Balderston was elected chief executive officer of both the holding company and the bank of Lincoln First Banks (more later). The chaplain of Sunland, Larry Huntley has mapped out the 1984 seasons: spring with visiting friends from New England; summer holidays in Scotland; fall trips to the North Country in foliage time; and winter visits from Yankee fliers. As a point of reference, Sunland is in Florida. After years in Miami Dick Hollands has migrated to Washington to become the senior vice president for television for the National Association of Broadcasters. Still holding forth in Raleigh, Stan Schneider dusts the seldom-used welcome mat and stands ready for wayfarers. Escaping last summer's Orlando weather, Jean and Marland Benner were last seen drifting from Ketchikan to Anchorage.
Still round and round the carousel. No brass ring, not yet. And no more tries for now. If it's April, despite snow and storm, it's IRS time; and the taxman looks askance at baubles and carousels. So we are off. Off until next month. Stay cool. Write. And cheers.
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