1939

"'39 Out in Force," was hardly an empty phrase as just shy of 50 percent of living members of the class, most with wives, were on hand for our 50th Reunion in Hanover over graduation. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 185 men and six widows enjoyed the festivities despite the predominantly damp climate. For this celebrant, the emotional high for the weekend was the warm reception the class received as we made our way through the jammed graduation-day audience in a procession that preceded the class of '89. For BobCushman, the emotional high might have been his complete surprise at receiving the 1989 "Classmate of the Year Award." He was surrounded by seven of the eight previous recipients, with the late Zeke Hill being the eighth.

The check that Bill Tomkins and JimCorner handed over to President Freedman amounted to $825,000, representing gifts from a whopping 74 percent of the class, a truly marvelous participation effort. Beyond this, class president Bert MacMannis presented the College with a $25,000 addition to the 1939 Scholarship Fund in a continuing effort to support athlete/scholars. A private donation to the scholarship fund from a classmate brings the total to $110,000. The class also presented $1,989 to the class of 1989 to assist in starting its effort to support the College. You may recall that at our 45th we bought a $1,939 zero-coupon bond due to mature at our 75th Reunion. This year we added another $1,939 bond due to mature at our 100 th Reunion. Bert explained that if perchance none of us are around it is an excellent way to be remembered.

We wallowed in nostalgia at Bill Webster's and Sam Hird's slide presentation at the Center Theatre. This was followed with a symposium, moderated by Dave Lilly, presenting four faculty members and entitled "The Faculty in the College: Role and Responsibility." That evening President MacMannis chaired a welcoming dinner in Thayer at which Bill Tomkins carried off the original painting of Dartmouth Hall rendered by Dick Brooks.

A stirring memorial service in Rollins remembered the 219 men who have passed on, with the Reverends Steve Bachelder and John Evans presiding. This followed a brief ceremony to the south of Rollins where a young ash tree, complete with a tasteful bronze plaque, has been placed to memorialize the life of Bud Blunt, who died on January 26 of this year.

The College treated the class to a lunch, at which John Steele delivered the major address. That evening, after a cocktail hour in the Trophy Room of the Gym, we descended to the west wing for our class banquet. Here the entertainment commenced with toastmaster Bob Davidson dispensing "valuable" awards, Dick Brooks dispensing his downeast humor, and Mike Ellis wowing the class with enchanting legerdemain.

On Saturday afternoon, at the Phi Beta Kappa initiation, Ev Woodman made the "Remarks to the Meeting" and was himself the sole alumni member initiated.

The sun finally appeared in time for the graduation exercises on Sunday and shone upon us on the Outing Club lawn as we broke bread for the last time before departing for home.

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