Ernest Martin Hopkins's "Greatest Contribution" Turns 75

The Alumni Council is 75 years old this month, which is cause for celebration in itself. But more important is its presence at a time when the alumni especially need to be informed—and to have their opinions knownabout this changing College.

The original Council, established in Philadelphia at the urging of President William Jewett Tucker and then-Secretary Ernest Martin Hopkins, had 25 members. Now more than 90 alumni form the group, most of them serving a three-year term. More than a third are elected by alumni clubs and represent geographical districts from Hanover to Tokyo. Classes, faculty, and the professional schools elect representatives, and the Council itself chooses another 24 members at large.

The entire body meets twice a year, in the late fall and in the spring, to:

• Nominate alumni trustees.

• Serve as a clearing house for alumni opinion and ideas.

• Provide oversight on projects carried out on behalf of the alumni, such as

the National Enrollment Program and the Alumni Fund.

• Act as a liaison between alumni and the administration, representing alumni opinion to administrators and providing access to the alumni as a whole.

President Hopkins once said that founding the Alumni Council was the greatest contribution he ever made to Dartmouth. Watch this space for updates on the Council's efforts to carry out the Hopkins legacy.