1961

By the time you read this, you may already have received our 1961 reunion yearbook; if not, it's coming soon. You'll see fairly complete reports on about 360 classmates, which exceeds the class of 1960 by well over 100 people, a phenomenal improvement. (OK, 1962, match that!)

I think it's worth mentioning the tremendous blitz that book editor Alan RauhOrschel put on to entice you to send in your entry. He sent letters. He sent postcards. He got mentions in this column and in the newsletters by Bert Rowley and Bob "Otter" Anderson. He sent telegrams. He even solicited many members of your executive committee to participate in a last-minute telephone blitz to ask for participation. He sent out the phone lists by computer pages in class listings rather than by geography, so my phone bill reflects calls to Anchorage, Pasadena, Calif., St. Cloud, Minn., Chicago, and Dover, N.H., as well as to folks who could be considered from the Southeast. I suspect other members of the executive committee could report the same pattern.

So when the book comes and you're not in it, don't blame Alan and his able committee for not trying. They went beyond the call. Blame forgetfulness due to advancing age.

Alan reports Marsh Ledger has rounded up eight essays. And it will include President John Sloan Dickey's Convocation and Commencement addresses. But mostly it will be 360 discussions that in the composite tell how the bulk of your classmates are living as we head into our late forties. (If ages 40, 41, and 42 are early forties, and 43-46 are middle forties, doesn't symmetry require 47 to be late forties?)

When we spoke in late January, Alan already had gotten the first set of proofs and was preparing to gather his committee the first weekend in February to lay out the book. From there, it was to take about a month at the printers, and another two to three weeks to be bound and mailed. Bob and Linda Rosier and their company, A. Horowitz & Son, are contributing the hard-backed cover and the quality binding.

Remember to block out dates in Hanover beginning June 10 so you can go on the repeat of the Freshman Trip, as well as attend the regular reunion from June 12-15.

Other notes: Henry Eberhardt, whose engagement was announced here two issues ago, is now married to Laurie Burgess; Mike Steinberg says, "I'm now making investments for large pension funds in real estate after practicing law for 19 years. I'm particularly happy to have both a son at Dartmouth and a reunion to bring me back to Dartmouth many times this year."

John Manske, who has a son, Hans, in the class of 1989, is in the Coca-Cola business and lives in Wyomissing, Pa.; BobDaly writes that daughter Kristen, also an '89, is "now giving us an excuse to visit Hanover even more frequently." He says he's a "few years away from the emptynester set," and adds, "I'm struggling with the vagaries of the electronics industry as vice president, engineering, of Lexidata Corp." (which is in Billerica, Mass.).

Writes Ron Boss: "Martha Boss '89 enjoying college and playing field hockey for JVs. She loved her freshman trip. I had a great time with [Cleve] Carney,[Bill] Glenn, [John] King and [Denny]Engelman in Chicago recently, asking them for money. We need all your help in our campaign."

Finally, Bob Naegele sends along a newspaper article on Jim Olds celebrating 56 years in the dry goods business on Excelsior's Water Street, the town's main shopping street. The article includes these notes: "Jim Olds went to the East Coast for college where he studied architecture. 'I never wanted to do it [run the business],' Olds said. But after becoming disillusioned with his first choice of profession, Olds came back to Excelsior in 1963 to 'kill some time and help out' while thinking about his next step. 'I realized there was a lot of potential for growth,' he said."

Bob adds, "The article doesn't begin to tell of Jim's leadership role in the business, civic, and governmental affairs of Excelsior, Minn. He has been an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, a leading participant in the merchant activities and promotions, a member of the planning commission, and a present member of the Excelsior City Council, often bringing wisdom, reason, and a sense of calm to potentially explosive issues. He has a reputation for being a cool head and is extremely well respected. Tiger is a kind of unsung hero of the class of 1961 who is making a mark in his arena. Daniel Webster would have been proud." Whew.

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