1944

40TH REUNION

As we all get mellower and mellower (and, of course, better and better looking), so do our reunions mellower and better looking. Our 40th, June 11-14, was the epitome of mellowness and good looks.

Where to begin? For starters, we suggest the erection on campus of a 60-foot marble statue in honor of Ezz Hale, our reunion chairman. Never has anyone more thoroughly organized, overseen, and motherhenned a Hanover gathering. "For the past one and a half years," said his wife Pat, "I've been having breakfast with a notebook, a clipboard and a list of phone numbers."

Other statues should be erected, naturally, of Ezz's aides and abettors, here listed: Dave Eckels, treasurer; Bill Craig, reunion giving; Bob McLaughry and Rod Morgan, food and drink; Joe Vancisin, tennis and golf; Bob Rader, memorial service; Ann McLaughry, women's activities; and Phil Frost and Penn Penberthy, attendance.

The '44 Big Top was located by the Fayerweather dorms, with sleeping accommodations in the dorms of the same name. Snugged right alongside the tent, as it has been since the beginning of time, was generous, congenial Frank Parker's limitless supply of the foamy, and this year in a brand new rig a giant six-pack on wheels, with each of the "cans" replete with spigot and suds-catcher.

Monday was registration day, cap-and- name-tag day, hello-you-old-son-of-a-gun day. Festivities, for a cast of thousands (all reunion classes together), got underway with a boffo buffet in the Thompson Arena, followed by mild fun and frolic back at the tent.

Tuesday at 0800, before most toothbrushes got wet, a foolish five of us showed our heels to the opposition in the 2.6-mile Reunion Run. The rest of the morning was jampacked. First, a U.N.-like class meeting, led with a light gavel and lots of class by class leader Ben Jones. A number of reports and a new slate of officers . . . well, not so new, most of them are pretty barnacled: Ben stays on as president for at least a couple of years, Bill Craig remains treasurer, Merle Hagen reassumes newsletter editorship, John Berry continues as bequest chairman, Warren Leopold takes on head agentship, and Hier keeps pecking away- as secretary. We've also got some new executive committee members: Mrs. Karl Musser, Bob Riggs, Buzz Bensinger, George Bruce, Bob Rader, Bob McLaughry, and Alex Gillespie.

Then came a question-and-answer session with President McLaughlin; the class picture on the Webster Hall steps; a moving memorial service in Rollins Chapel, organized by Bill Hirons, who gave a eulogy, and conducted by Fred Berthold '45. Dale Brougher, Jack Weeks, and Howie Price read off the names of the 102 members of our class who have died a heavy and sobering statistic. Twenty-four were killed in the war, but that still leaves 78 others who haven't made it to age 62 and our 40th reunion. Ouch...

Reunion planners came up with a splendid concept for the three days: lots of free time, notably free afternoons. After a Chinese delight of a lunch in the Bema Tuesday or a Storrs Pond cookout on Wednesday, the troops could just sit back and relax, prowl old haunts, sack put, or go climb a mountain.

Ann McLaughry and Liz Craig, besides decorating Alumni Hall, along with June Morgan and Lu Browning, as it has never been decorated before, laid on a bus to Woodstock, Vt., for touring and antique-ing, and that safari was a rousing success for a gaggle of wives and a couple of their husbands. And a "retirement" panel discussion, featuring Buzz Bensinger, Harry Morse, George Ives, and Rusty Hirons told us how we were enjoying, or would enjoy, life after work.

We had two more memorable dinners, steamers and lobster at Chase Field Tuesday evening and roast beef and trimmings at our final banquet Wednesday in Alumni Hall. As mentioned, the hall was festooned to the nines with flowers, balloons, flags, banners, you-name-it. And festooned it should have been for the blockbuster announcement made after dinner by President McLaughlin. After he had been presented with a '44 check for $444,444.00, representing the class's reunion gift, the president brought down the house with the word that John Berry had that afternoon donated $5 million for the establishment of the John W. Berry Sports Center, to include a new multi-purpose sports pavilion including a 2,500-seat basketball court and renovation of the old gym and Davis Varsity House.

John said in response that he considered it a privilege to share his good luck and fortune in supporting an institution such as Dartmouth.

It was a tough act to follow but there were some nice final touches. Dick Mayberry and Bill Craig received due credit for their fundraising efforts (as head agent, Dick led the class in breaking the all-time giving record for a class 40 years out); Class of 1944 Awards went to Walter Burke, Ezz Hale, and Fritz Hier (Walter's was presented Tuesday morning); and the Nairobi Trio (Russ Budge, John Callow, and Bruce Dean) scored again, just as it had at our 35th.

Following the banquet, there was dancing and prancing at the Top of the Hop. With breakfast/brunch/farewells the following morning. All very lovely. AH very right. All very '44, at its best.

That's it. Blessings.

The 142 reuning members of the class of '44 feasted on lobster and clams at Chase Field; then they had the opportunity to work it off by rowing, joining the Alumni Run, or challenging partners on the tennis courts.

Lovejoy Hill Cornish Flat, NH 03746