1941

I wrote a form letter that I figured for sure would bring a reponse from somebody or other. The mailing I decided upon was to select, from the 1986 Dartmouth Alumni Directory, a few names alphabetically with one from the "A's" and one from the "B's" and so forth. For openers I dispatched a copy to RobbAlexander, Fred Begole, George Canfield,Quent Deming, Vin Else, and RowlandFrench. What did I hear in reply? A loud nothing, that's what, and I hereby designate them to be the first in my new category of "Newsless Names." (At least their addresses are presumably a matter of accurate record. Not so some others whose whereabouts both Don Hagen and I were asked to do something about. He did so in his December Dope and there's not much point to repeating the names here.)

A name that's in the news belongs to Gene Stollerman, recently named as a "Veterans Administration Distinguished Physician" one of only 12 in the nation so honored. The VA release notes that Stollerman, who is professor of medicine at Boston University Medical School, "is world renowned for his research on the prevention of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease." More pertinent to the class, I'd suggest, is Gene's turning to research and education in health care for the elderly, including his work as editorin-chief of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Right on!

I have letters to acknowledge. JackHayes says he will "get around to" that form letter I slipped him during Alumni College. George Herman reports that after his "trantrum in DFTD" he heard from Ira Skutch, Alan Stern, and Mills TenEyck among others. After CBS canned him I missed that he's had such a full agenda winging it that "I could end up continuing to do my old job ... on a freelance basis." If not, adds George, Cable News Network is a hot prospect and beyond that "a heap of notes in a drawer for my book." (Speaking of books, I'm in the middle of Murrow: His Life and Times and keeping a weather eye peeled for mention of George.) Bruce Brown keeps the letters coming with all sorts of good news, and John Bowers penned a note on the back of an intergenerational Xmas photo that shows a good-looking group of eight, including a dog that "came for the summer of '83 and never left." Dan Provost sent along a couple of items, and Hanover gave me a copy of Les Davis's "dues note" to Hugh Kenworthy about life in New Mexico where, as previously reported in this space, Sandy Courter is pitching a new tent. Finally, among odds and ends, let the record show that JohnAhlgren is hooked up as treasurer with "The Ernest Martin Hopkins Institute."

A footnote to my mentioning, in December, of having heard at the October mini of the death of Walt Kuhn: Something was amiss; Walt died in 1978 and his obit appeared in DAM not long .thereafter. No need to rehearse demises as new ones come along all too often. Peace and Joy to all the survivors.

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