1953

15 Huckleberry Lane Greenwich, CT 06830

It was a magnificent, sparkling weekend the kind that is unique to New England. Fall colors were in full array. The sky was cloudless. Temperatures were cold in the morning, crisp at midday and warm during mid-afternoon.

Homecoming, Dartmouth Night, and the fall meeting of your class. As in past years, the October meeting was well attended and much was accomplished. Setting aside the 42 to 26 football defeat by Harvard, where the only redeeming feature was the inspired performance of David Gabianelli, son of Nancy and GeneGabianelli, it was great!

The following classmates attended the Saturday morning meeting held at the Norwich Inn: Skip Adams, Forest Anderson, Wally Ashnault, Put Blodgett, TomBloomer, president Dick Blum, Father EdBoyle, Fred Carleton, Al Collins, OllieConover, Gene Gabianelli, Bill Gilges,Don Goss, Fred Hitt, Dick Joslin, RonLazar, Jack Morris, Tom Napoleon, JackNewton, Steve Pearsall, Bob Simpson,Don Smith, Fred Stephens, Bernie Sudikoff, Fred Whittemore, and Jack Zimmerman.

The class meeting included the following:

•Treasurer Bernie Sudikoff's report that we are solvent, but need more classmates to pay dues.

•An Alumni Council report by Ron Lazar highlighting the special role our class has in Alumni Fund activities and representation on the Council by Pete Reich and Don Goss in addition to himself.

•Newsletter editor Don Goss's report indicating the budget-cutting steps being taken by the College which affect the size of the newsletter and its cost to the class.

•Don Smith's mini-reunion schedule for the balance of 1986 and 1987.

•Head class agent extraordinaire Al Collins's report of the 1986 Alumni Fund, $253,000 and 83 percent participation. The dollar amount is a College and Ivy League record!

•Discussion of the management and ultimate disposition of $175,000 in 1953 memorial funds being held by the College.

•Put Blodgett's report on the guidebook to Dartmouth published by the class.

•Dbn Goss's efforts to memorialize Alumni Council Awards Winners, of which our class had four Fred Stevens,Dick Lombard, Blake Herring, and DickBlum.

•Announcement that Dick Cahn will chair our 35th reunion, to be held in June, 1989.

Many other classmates were not at the meeting but were in Hanover and attended other functions. Reports on some of them and their activities follows:

Trustee Bob Henderson and wife Carol: Bob is on the search committee to determine Dave McLaughlin's successor.

Lowell Holway, Ed Weltman, and Chuck Talamo have had their own mini-reunions in Hanover for ten years. They were there again. Lowell has a Ph.D. and is in research for Raytheon. He and spouse Loretta have a son, Lowell III, who is the third generation to attend Dartmouth. Ed works for the air force and Chuck is with the IRS.

Judge Bill Johnson had his wife, Nancy, on his arm and a brace on his neck, as he incurred a pinched nerve in an athletic injury.

Bill Gilges plans to retire from IBM. Sherm and Judy Horton were there with their daughter, Sally, Dartmouth '90. Steve and Marianne Pearsall with their twin daughters, Jennifer and Sarah, were on an extended trip through New England. This was their first time back in ten years. Steve has a marketing firm representing products used in home construction. They live in Incline Village, Nev., near Lake Tahoe, at 7,500 feet altitude.

Tom Napoleon has a unique career. He markets supplies and materials to piano tuners worldwide. He is also unique in a very different way, for he received a kidney transplant from his oldest daughter.

Bob Morris, M.D., is an obstetrician who has practiced and taught at the NYU School of Medicine. To this point, he has been an infrequent visitor to Hanover. This will change as his son, Richard, is in the class of '90.

Dartmouth Night begins with a parade and ends with a huge fire. There are songs, speeches, and tributes. With a cold, clear night and a full moon it was almost spiritual. Dartmouth classes and clubs from around the world send their exhortations. A few are read. Notably, our message, written by Don Goss, was read again, third year in a row. Reprinted here for you to share, it reads:

"To The 1986 Varsity Football Team: "In the 1986 Alumni Fund battle, we whomped our Harvard '53 counterparts by more than $90,000 on the way to a new Ivy Class Giving Record of more than a quarter of a million dollars and victory!

"That just sets the stage for a second and even more smashing victory tomorrow as you also begin to rewrite the Ivy Record Book by winning an unprecedented 14th Ivy Championship. GOOD LUCK. WE'RE WITH YOU ALL THE WAY!

"The Really Great Class of 1953."