Dartmouth's 214th

The College celebrated its 214 th consecutive Commencement on Sunday, June 10th, on the lawn in front of Baker Library with the awarding of approximately 1,350 degrees, 1,019 of them to undergraduates. An audience estimated at more than 9,000 listened in scorching heat as Christine Burnley '84, one of the seniors featured in this issue of the Magazine in "Nine from '84," delivered the valedictory address. Among the honorary degree recipients was Sen. Howard Baker (Rep., Tenn.), who told the audience that relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were in great disrepair. Baker, awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree, suggested a series of face-to-face meetings between President Reagan and Soviet leader Chernenko to take place at once. It's time we opened new lines of communication at the highest levels," he said, to "avoid annihilation at each other's hands."

Others who received honorary degrees included the noted American painter Andrew Wyeth (doctor of fine arts), National Public Radio broadcaster Susan Stamberg (doctor of humane letters), botanist Harlan P. Banks '34 (doctor of science), and John C. Woodhouse '21 (doctor of science). Stamberg, the first woman to anchor a nightly news program in the U.S., is also a recipient of a Media Award from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration. Banks, who was in Hanover for his 50th reunion, is a professor at Cornell and has published more than 200 scientific articles. A member of the National Academy of Science, Banks specializes in the origin and evolution of plants which date back to the earliest efforts at colonizing dry land some 405 million years ago. Woodhouse, who was featured in the AlumniMagazine last September, worked for DuPont for 35 years where, among other things, he invented latex paints, hydraulic fluid, nylon, and lucite. He also served the College as Trustee from 1960 to 1968 and as a past president of the Dartmouth Club of Delaware.

In related Commencement events, 125 members of the Class of 1984 were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa along with Jameson W. Doig '54, a professor of politics and public affairs at Princeton. Dartmouth's chapter is the fourth oldest chapter of the academic honors society. In addition, 20 women and 27 men were named charter members of an honorary society founded this spring by the William Jewett Tucker Foundation for their contributions to society through outstanding community service.