1955

Our class newsletter editor, John Dinan, has announced a career change, something he has in common with a number of classmates these days. John, who gave up a private medical practice in 1986 when he joined the Veteran's Administration Hospital staff in Portland, Maine, is going back on active duty with the U.S. Navy. He has been a captain and surgeon in the Navy Reserve for over 20 years, following three years of active duty in the navy as a general medical officer. John's naval career has taken him to a number of interesting places, including Antarctica, New Zeland, and Tasmania. As you might expect, his initial active duty assignment takes him to Adak, Alaska, for a month, then to Oakland, Calif., where he will be group surgeon with the 4th Service Support Group, USMC. After graduation, John received his M.D. from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. His first day in the navy in the sixties was the day of the Cuban missile crisis. Let's hope that the first day of his new duty will be a little more relaxed for our senior captain.

Lyn Brock provided me with a report of the '55 mini reunion which took place over the weekend of February 17-18 in Hanover. In attendance were Bruce and Mary JaneAlexander, Hugh and Betty Brady,Brooks and Gale Parker, John Dinan,Jere Daniell, Woody and Nancy Goss,Pete and Bets Packard, Larry and PaulaHagar, Jack Cogswell, Bob and Iris Fanger, Lew and Joan Weintraub and their son Dan '93, Skip Hance, and Lyn andClaudie Brock. The class gathered in the Tavern Room of the Inn on Saturday morning for breakfast and a discussion led by Lew Weintraub and Jack Cogswell on health care, its cost, its delivery, and its availability. Lew is an M.D. and professor at University Hospital in Boston while Jack is secretary and treasurer of New England Telephone Company. Lew gave a doctor's perspective of health care in the United States from before the Depression to the present and outlined reasons why we find ourselves with escalating costs, disaffected doctors and other health care professionals, large numbers of uninsured, and increasing frustration as to the solution of this problem. Jack provided insights from the employer's viewpoint ana New England Telephone's experience during the recent major strike in which a significant issue was the cost for health care benefits and the question of who pays for it. While no solutions were agreed, the session was most interesting for those present.

Dartmouth history Professor Jere Daniell has been on sabbatical this year. He spent the fall looking at factories, coal mines, and auto plants in Pennsylvania and Ohio. According to Jere, it was a great experience.

Mike Gorton reports that he recently talked with John Harlor who proudly announced that he and wife Dawn are the proud parents of a son, David, who is eight months old and comes from Guatemala. Now that John is retired he no doubt will be a big help in taking care of David, who is a potential member of the class of 2011!

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