1947

Our class supports the To-pliff-New Hamp dorm cluster, and in a way, they support us too. The students host our annual meeting, they prepare us a cookout, and we are included in the planning for the cluster programs of music, tails, dining, or whatever they feel best serves as social life for the dorms. John Trethaway is our coordinator and in February he worked up a program with our two students, Neel and Judy, called "Dartmouth in the War Years." John lined up a crew of civilian, navy, and marine classmates: Townes Harris was our swabbie representative, Ham Chase the civilian student (the word is used loosely), and our ever-active marine was to be Ed Grady. But Ed was traveling at the time, so we quickly scooped up Walter Snickenberger '46-much older and wiser, and a former Topliff resident.

This crew gave a good account of those days, of early morning exercises and marching, the burning of the Nugget, the long weekend jaunts to New London, Holyoke, or Northampton, the walks to Norwich or Lebanon for Saturday night square dancing, the super football teams. We spoke of more involvement with the town folk than they see nowadays, and of more closeness to the professors. Possibly even more closeness together due to weekend activities, although navy, marines, and civilians were separate islands for sure. There were a lot of questions and good exchange and the conversation lasted an hour after the program concluded. John is planning other programs for May and September, so let him know of your desire to participate.

For more nostalgia, treat yourself to an hour at Baker Library if you're ever by and find the November 1988 issue of the Dartmouth College Library Bulletin. "Growing up Green: A Kaleidoscope of Heroes," was written by Phil Booth. His reminisces of campus life and personalities from 1938 to our own time, seen through the eyes of a growing and wondering boy, are fascinating, and will be very close to home for some of us. It's like deja-vu, repeating itself.

All of us noted with sadness the passing last November of A1 Colton, our class valedictorian. A 1 is still doing things for our class, since a lot of my correspondence in past months has been from friends and classmates remembering and caring for experiences relating to A1. We have a note from Bud Nossiter in London who forwarded a tribute to this magazine. Joe Eisamandid and continues to keep a close circle of campus friends informed. Joe and Karren, with kids, flew to London during school break, and planned to visit the Nossiters.

From Allen Bildner came a note sharing a vacation trip he and Joan made with the Coltons, Liz and Al, and Danny and JulieCarroll, through Brice and Zion National Parks and the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Danny and Al took mule rides to the canyon floor and encountered a 5" snowstorm and freezing weather—July 1, 1988. Allen, after conversing with his mule and realizing he was over the weight limit, agreed to stay on the rim with the ladies. A memorable experience and borne out with a photo of Allen, A1, and Danny in ankledeep snow in the summer of '88; A1 will be missed but always with us in memory.

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