1937

President Ernest Martin Hopkins shook hands with each of us when we matriculated in September 1933. Some traditions have not changed at Dartmouth, for President Freedman told us at our class meeting that the day before from eight in the morning to six at night he shook the hands of 1,040 freshmen. They came to his office in 12 groups of 90 students.

We were privileged to have President Freedman speak to us and then answer questions. He said, "Students remain the heart and soul of what makes Dartmouth as strong as it is. We face growing competition from other institutions with whom Dartmouth never used to compete. We now compete with public institutions like Berkeley, Michigan, Texas, and Illinois—which offer education often at half the cost of Dartmouth." In response to a question on college costs, he said, "The increase this new school year in tuition, room, and board was 6.2 percent, the lowest in the last 18 years. Some of the Ivies went up 8 or 9 percent."

The mini-reunion co-chairmen CharlieBlaisdell and John Johannessen planned a great program for the more than 60 classmates, wives, and widows who attended. A delightful dinner at the DOC house gave everyone an opportunity to see and be seen. Our guests were James Wright, dean of the faculty, and his wife, Susan, assistant dean of the College.

Dean Wright said that many of us worry about our College. He refreshed our memory that on the occasion of our graduation in June 1937 the class of 1887 was in town for its 50th Reunion. They remembered the construction of Wilson Hall and Bartlett Tower, that in their freshman year Dartmouth played the very first football game with Harvard, and compared their college to 1937. They were loolcing about and listening to things and really didn't know if they liked what was going on.

He told us that the education of the classes of 1990-93 is the purpose of the College. He spoke about tradition and purpose and that we must not confuse them, we must not forget that purpose is primary and that traditions are maintained or not depending on their continuing validity and usefulness. This sometimes creates difficulties, tensions, hurt, pain, and anger between alumni and their College. "I would suggest it has always been so," he added.

In addition to those listed in the November issue, Wilcox and Natale Brown were present Friday evening. Will was preparing for the 50th anniversary of the Ravine Lodge at Mt. Moosilauke. He was graduate manager of the Dartmouth Outing Club for two years during the Ravine Lodge construction. Seen in the class section at the Princeton game were Phil and BerniceConti, Bud and Margaret Griffin, and Bob and Kay Crabb. Bob's granddaughter, Christie Crabb '90, was with them.

Mini-reunion will be on Septemberl4- 15, 1990, for the Penn game and on September 27—28,1991, for the Bucknell game.

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