1933

I am going to fudge a bit in these notes. This past month, I have found myself too busy to do the things a class secretary must do to dig up news about his classmates. Instead, I have what I consider an important message from Mannie Sprague, our head agent, as to the accomplishments of the class of 1985 Alumni Fund drive. He says, "The class did very well again, as it has for a number of years. Total gifts, including memorial gifts and corporate matching gifts, amounted to $116,777, another first for years-out-of-college. Again it must be said that the largest contributions to our success came from the two dozen large ($1,000 and up) contributions and about three dozen agents, quite a few of whom spent hours on the phone getting pledges and dollars to Hanover.

"I congratulate the class and all givers, large and small, and thank them as I have many times in the past. What is discouraging is the always small number who refuse to give for a specific reason, which, in my opinion, is all out of proportion to what the College gave to them and to its position at the top of undergraduate liberal arts college in America, in both quality of education and extracurricular activities."

Mannie mentioned some of those who were so much help to him: Page Worthington, Bob Niebling, Bob Allen, WesBeattie, Bill Clark, Wood Foster, BillHitchcock, Jud Pierson, Hank Smith,Gene Schwartz, and Don Voorhees.

I heard that a young friend of mine whom I've known since a little boy didn't want his daughter to try for Dartmouth next year, even though she wants a New England coed college with a heavy skiing potential. Her parents read or heard that there was too much drinking and carousing at Dartmouth. I sent the family a long-ish letter, covering David McLaughlin's and the fraternities' own work in the cleanup, and, I hope, pointing out that Dartmouth's efforts in this area have caused the media to force its readers to believe that Dartmouth is extra bad, bad, bad. In truth, I said, it's probably average, but more caring.

To bolster my argument, I sent them a copy of the Summer issue of the AlumniMagazine, pointing out especially the picture of the President and his supposed fraternity row enemies after they had serenaded him with "Men of Dartmouth" and fine valedictory address of W. Brian Barnes '85. The "Undergraduate Chair"

page will probably be a big help. Maybe I'll get fired, but, if I'm still your class secretary in '86, I'll let you know how it turned out. I see the grandson of Jeff and Bea Davis, name of Peter Delano, is a freshman this year! Any other courageous heirs?

I expect to attend the mini-reunion, September 20 and 21, well-planned by Jack Manchester. I'll give you a more class-conscious column next issue.

Blessings.

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