1951

With the arrival of May, the promises hinted at in April become fulfilled. This winter in New England has been the long and hard one of proverb so this spring is a blessing more than usual. The College, too, has had its trials this year, but those, as with all in nature, are passing, to be replaced with the new: at some point during the year, Dartmouth will have a new president; we already have a new football coach; and the campus has spawned a new "game board," "The Dartmouth Graduate Game!" This last is an indication of the seriousness with which today's undergraduates take life. Do you remember our contribution, ForMen Lonely, the Ivy League dating guide? Its advice would probably seem pretty tame now - and biased!

On the weekend of February 20-22, the College held its "Second Annual Alumni Winter Festival." I have lost count of the number of years 1951 has been meeting informally for a late-winter mini-reunion, but it must be up to six or seven by now. Certainly the number of returning classmates is up: this winter we had 27, who, with spouses and friends, amounted to a total of 45. For most of us, the weekend began, as before, in high style at the home of Al andDottie Mori and daughter Nina's up the mountain from Etna Villiage, where we brunched once again in the best New England farm tradition. The day was bright and clear, and from that elevation we could see the ski slopes on Killington to the west in Vermont. Many of us had been there before: Bob Hopkins, Dave Batchelder and Schatzi Ludwig, Joe and Donna Welch and daughter Amy (now a Dartmouth senior), Dave and Babs Hall, Mike Choukas, Boband Joan Shannon, Hank and ShirleySanders, Henry and Amy Nachman, Joeand Marcia Caldwell, Bob and ShirleyLangworthy, Nase Hurowitz and MarthaGrace, Haviland and Dolores Smith, Boband Judy Larigan, Dave and Susan Saxton, and Bill and Skip Brooks. In addition to such regulars, it was good to see Charlieand Sarah Breed, Mike Harris, and Daveand Linda McDonough at the Moris' as well. The McDonoughs live in Brookfield, Vt., and although retired from the diplomatic service in 1982, Dave continues to consult for such governments as Haiti and Guinea. Haviland Smith, lately of the CIA, also lives in Brookfield. And during brunch, Dave Hall explained to me that his company, Science Applications International, was involved in the hydrodynamic design calculations of the hull and keel of Stars andStripes, this year's America's Cup winner.

Following dinner at the Inn and various athletic and cultural events, many of us met again at Pete Martin's office in Webster House, where he and Lu hosted an evening social for our class. Pete had recently had an exciting breakthrough for his SouthNorth News Service, which specializes in news emanating from Third World countries. One of Pete's contacts in Iran produced the only reliable information about the detention of Gerald Seib, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal charged with spying, including the news that Seib would soon be released from custody, information that no other news service had learned. Literally overnight, Pete's SNNS became itself the subject of interviews and articles by the journal, New York Times, Christian ScienceMonitor, and Boston Globe, and such radio coverage as National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" and the CNN News. Though still struggling as a nonprofit organization, Pete's vision of the need for accurate news from the underdeveloped countries he has 175 contacts in 82 countries has been vindicated. The Globe's headline on Sunday, February 8, put the matter succinctly: "Journalism's little giant: N.H. based agency presents world news through non-Western eyes."

Other news items gathered during the weekend: Bill and Pamela Monahan are conducting "controlled environment farming" and running a B & B on Maui. Should you be thinking of a trip in that direction, here's his idyllic address: 25 Kaluanui, Makawao, Maui, HI 96768 (I'm glad I'm writing this, not saying it!). Hank Sanders has been elected to the Darien, Conn., board of finance. Joe and Marcia Caldwell were about to leave for Florida, where Joe was to talk to a retirement community about American art. Joe, of course, is a professional art dealer, and the Sunshine State is a long way from Manlius, N.Y., but Joe says he is willing to make the necessary sacrifices. MikeHeyman was in town for a Board of Trustees meeting. Howie and Pat Allen were at the Martin's "office party," as were Jerryand Nancy Mitchell, who now direct the Dartmouth Travel Bureau (once owned by Joe D'Sopo when we were in college). MikeChoukas has a new skating rink at Vermont Academy named after him.

Finally, the class executive committee 15 of us! — met late on Saturday afternoon to discuss a full agenda, prominent on which was Bob Hustek's thorough report on developing a new class project. He has had an excellent response from several members of our class who have offered over two dozen suggestions which will be considered in detail this spring before arriving at a final few from which one will be chosen.

Take care, and keep in touch.

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