1947

Welcome back to another college season and another season of class columns, I'm looking forward to a soft September morning when we'll be reading this, but I'm comfortably seated on a rainy mid- June day. I've just come from a one-day visit to Hanover, which was bathed in brilliant sunshine, blue skies, varied lightand dark-green background a truly beautiful scene. I visited the Class of '46, having their 40th, located in a tent behind Dartmouth Hall, as a preview to our own 40th, to be held June 15-18, 1987. I also visited the class of '50, '51, and '52 at their 35th, in tents along Tuck Drive. Many of us left the College in '48 or '49 (myself in '49), so that we know many of the younger set.

We were able to solidify plans for some exciting events at our own 40th next year the Hanover Inn Dining Room for our banquet, a real in-depth tour and study of special displays at the new Hood Museum, and much, much more super stuff. More on that later, but set the dates aside. This one will be memorable.

I would like my next two columns to be a series, in which I would like to share with you as classmates something we were all close to. At our 30th reunion, I was given a book, The Dartmouth Experience by John Sloan Dickey. We all realize the effect on the College, and on ourselves, of that fine college president. I took the book from the shelf and started rereading, and it became like a story to me: interesting, flowing as the years, and vitally meaningful. The messages given by this man were lessons in manhood, in morality, in duty, in loyality, in responsibility, and much more. These messages were strong stuff for his times and our times and are especially meaningful in the present times, yes, even over the past decade. They should be taught or reread by all freshmen and seniors, if not each year. John Dickey had a mastery of language, such that he could almost spell out for us the meaning of the Dartmouth Spirit, by simply saying what it was not, and that it could not be spelled out by anyone other than each individual for himself.

The book is easily organized by the years, giving the convocation address, delivered as classes began in fall we were all there. This was the talk containing the ideas. Each year built upon the previous year and recapped briefly and then went on to dwell on the dangers of rash action, the duty of the student at Dartmouth, or the responsibility of the student to those around him, and for the hopes for the future. Inspiring is the word which comes to my mind. Then follows the graduation address, usually brief, but with no doubt as to the message of who they are, what they owe the world, Dartmouth, and themselves. Each chapter then concludes with the honorary degree citations, usually four or five, all researched and written by John Sloan Dickey. They were eloquent. The only words comparable to Mr. Dickey's in recent Dartmouth history were put together by Mike McGean '49, as he served for years introducing Dartmouth men as they received honors from their college. Mike is a master of elocution and grace, just as he skates, and if we hear no more of his words, the College will be the poorer.

John Dickey usually honored at least one of Dartmouth's son's at commencement and also a New Hampshireman, sometimes in the same person. He was held in tremendous respect by the academic world, and especially in the sociopolitical world. President Eisenhower and his right arm, Mr. Sherman Adams '20, were his honorees in 1953, Robert Frost in 1955.

Mr. Dickey's convocations always welcomed freshmen to the "184 th year of Dartmouth College, although for the United States of America it is only the 177 th year," (1952) and usually used the words, "You are more than welcome; you are now one of us."

It has occurred to me over and over that the major need for Dartmouth is precisely what John Sloan Dickey gave: the leadership, the inspiration, the magnificent splendor and simplicity of his words. Finally, the exhortation to greater duties, expected "by your college, your country, and your friends at Dartmouth." I would like to go into some of his words in greater detail next column.

You may know John Dickey suffered a stroke a few years ago and is now confined to Dick's House. He can not receive visitors, but can receive letters (but will not reply) and is able to communicate to others. Dartmouth owes him much and could certainly benefit from the leadership and inspiration he showed all of us, were these qualities to be emulated today. It's not too late.

63 Maple Avenue Keene, NH 03431