1951

April, according to one poetic persona, is "the cruelest month," but I have found few to possess a like opinion. True, the rest of the year may not measure up to the hopes raised by the promises of early spring, yet events are rarely as bad as the gloom and lowering skies of February and March would suggest. Mankind seems slowly to climb upward, one little notch at a time, and not without occasional slips backwards. How does this progress happen? What is the mechanism that causes our movement away from the primordial ooze towards perfection? Surely, it is accomplished through individuals like Peirce McKee.

Peirce has recently been chosen "Citizen of the Year" at Orinda, Calif., an honor bestowed upon him for his years of community involvement and service. Now, Peirce is not native to California; he moved there in 1965 with his wife, Roxy, and their three sons from the Midwest to become a stockbroker, after leaving a career in retail management with Sears and Krogers. Beginning with his interests in recreation and youth, Peirce contributed his coaching talents to the Scouts and Peanut League baseball, while also finding time to provide leadership in other local organizations such as Rotary, his church, and the Alcanes Educational Foundation, which he helped to start. Over the years, he has served on several groups and committees involved in Orinda's incorporation, its town planning, and the establishment of a civic community center. One of his proudest accomplishments is his role in starting the Orinda Rotary Club Endowment Fund to generate funds to be used for the betterment of the entire community. Well done, Peirce!

Bob Hopkins reports that he has had a letter from Jim Danaher, out in Palo Alto, who wrote to express his interest in our class project whereby we have provided tickets to a variety of College events for various members of the greater Hanover community. Jim is but one of the many classmates some distance from Hanover who sound as though they are beginning to think about returning in a couple of years for our 40th Reunion in June 1991. Your class executive committee is already making plans for your arrival, so perhaps it is not too early for you all to start making your plans as well. The 40th will be an important one for each of us to renew old friendships with classmates and families, perhaps a last opportunity to do so.

Mark Heifer, who went to England to study years ago and stayed on to marry and raise a family on a farm in Dorset, writes to tell us that after handing over the farm to one of his sons, he and Rachel have been busy with their B & B and doing "a bit of traveling," clearly a British understatement as they "in the past five years have had two long spells in New Zealand and longish stays in Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Kasmir, southern India (twice), and Kyoto. Next week we take off for six weeks in South Africa's wildlife reserves." Mark, we expect to see you and the entire U.K. contingent in Hanover in June 1991!

Look for a letter to the DAM editor from Russ Dilks sometime soon, perhaps in this issue. With all the mail the Magazine is receiving lately, they may not print it in its entirety, but I hope enough of it to provide the full flavor of Russ's historical perspective on current events at the College.

Take care, be good to yourselves, and keep in touch.

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