"Good works ... are lasting"—The Koran

The reunion gift of the class of 1958 arrived in Hanover on August 7, but unlike traditional class gifts this one required no installation or on-going maintenance. For the class decided that the most valuable thing it could give to the Collegeand particularly to the student body was the unique expertise of some of its members.

A search quickly showed among 'sBs there was an unusual amount of experience in Middle Eastern religion, politics, and culture. And because the Middle East is regularly in the news, the topic was a natural. So, for four days, three '58s sponsored by the class returned to the College to teach and share and learn.

The range of their experience was extraordinary, even for Dartmouth.

• John Voll chairs the history department at UNH and is one of the few Western experts on Islamic fundamentalism.

• Rear Admiral Hal Bernsen commanded the U.S. Fleet in the Persian Gulf from 1984-88.

• Mahdi El-Baghdadi was a member of the Iraqi Foreign Service for almost 20 years.

Still another '58, former U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Reg Bartholomew, was unable to attend at the last minute. Working with several members of the faculty and with the Dickey Endowment for International Understanding, the three '58s took part in student seminars, met with faculty groups, and were featured in a public forum which attracted more than a hundred students, faculty, and area residents. Clearly the breadth of knowledge and hands-on experience of the '58 specialists provided a valuable real-world perspective to a complex and important part of the globe. The class hopes the visit may be a model for future programs in which alumni share with Dartmouth what they have learned since Dartmouth.

From left, El-Baghdadi, Bernsen, and Voll