1938

Greetings! Again we come to the beginning of a new publishing year. And what an auspicious year it promises to be for our class! A mere nine months from now it will culminate in our 50th reunion. Impossible, of course. But true.

It's a promising year for the College, too. As I write this for a mid-July deadline I am keenly anticipating going to Hanover to attend the inauguration of Dartmouth's new president, James O. Freedman, on July 19. The unanimous choice of the College search committee, Mr. Freedman enters his new office with the confidence and enthusiasm of the entire Dartmouth community behind him. Having been in Hanover several times recently, and having talked to College-connected persons of several different persuasions about the College, I found unanimous agreement from all quarters: Mr. Freedman is the right man in the right job at the right time. As the class that will have the good fortune to be the first 50-year reunion class to be greeted next June by President Freedman, we all join, I am sure, in welcoming him and wishing him a dynamic and successful tenure as president of the College.

A note from Gil Tanis encloses a letter he recently received from Sid Cardozo from Tokyo, where Sid has lived for the past 36 years. "In case the class would be interested in news of this never-heard-from '38er," Sid writes, "I have just had published a book on the potter Rosanjin Kitaoji whose work I collected extensively and who is now, I suppose, the most noted of modern Japanese potters. It's a handsome book and . . . is being released in the States this month." In his covering note Gil adds that he and Fran hope to see Sid in late September while they are in Tokyo on a Far Eastern cruise. We'll await further news. Meanwhile, congratulations to Sid on his new book.

A note from Earl Ward contains a comment which is, I think, worth recording. When he and Bob Reeve and Gil Tanis agreed to call classmates in the annual Alumni Fund telethon last June, Earl writes, "We got many different reactions from our calls. Some classmates felt very strongly that they do not approve of the administration's actions, but most, fortunately, appreciate the old College and, although they don't approve of all the changes, still have a warm feeling and are willing to support Dartmouth." And that, I rather suspect, tells it like it is, warts and all.

Earl also reports the recent illness of another Hanover-area classmate, Jim Towne of Woodstock, Vt. That unwelcome news also came to me directly from Jim himself, who says that though he had been ill, the doctors "think they can get a handle on assorted problems and square things away." But by far "the best medicine," Jim says, was a surprise visit from three classmates, Bob Reeve, Gil Tanis, and Earl Ward. All the rest of us send our best wishes too, Jim.

And then there's a card from Dave Duffy recording a unique event. Last January, Dave writes, "Jim Hastings from Chicago and I from Hartford skied with Tom Macey and his wife Nancy in Colorado. Five fabulous days of big mountain skiing together for the first time since 1938. Truly one of life's beautiful moments!" Beautiful, for sure.

Finally two reminders Dick Francis wants passed on: (1) our mini-reunion occurs this year on the weekend of Dartmouth Night and the Yale Game, Oct. 30-Nov. 1; (2) get your biographies and photographs for the 50-year book back to Dick right now. By the time you read this, you'll probably already be late!

THE-WAY-IT-WAS DEPARTMENT Fifty years ago this month The Dartmouth reported the opening convocation of the College for the academic year 1937-38: "Pres. Hopkins Opens/Dartmouth Year With/Convocation Address. The College will assemble at 9 this morning for the ceremonies, as members of the senior class occupy the two middle sections in the center of Webster Hall, the juniors and sophomores take the remaining floor seats, and the freshmen fill the balconies. ... At the conclusion of the address, the seniors will file out of the hall alone while the remainder of the student body remains standing." Those grand old seniors in the center seats who filed out first: they were the class of 1938, gentlemen. Our final year had begun.

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