LETTERS

Double Team

I am dismayed that on page 29 of the March issue you gave such play to some guy by the name of Bush who couldn't get a hit in four at bats, while failing to identify the members of the most dazzling softball team ever assembled on the Green, pictured on page 19. Their sparkling play afield and awesome power at bat attracted huge crowds of onlookers from all over New England (notice the spellbound kid in the plus fours).

Those pictured, all from the Medical School class of 1944, include Earl (Tracy) Owen behind the plate, Ed Price at third base, Elmer Nystrom at second base, and, I think, Lou Savage at bat. My innate modesty forbids identifying the pitcher, who forsook a brilliant future on the diamond for a career in medicine.

Cleveland, Ohio

The photo depicts an interfraternity softball game in the spring of 1951 (or, possibly, 1950). The contestants are Theta Delta Chi and Theta Chi. Theta Chi is in the field. The pitcher is Ray Buck '52. The second baseman is, as I recall, Hap Person '51. I am the hitter.

The picture recaptures an instant of time, a wonderful memory of what I saw many times over four of the best and happiest years that any lifetime could bring to anyone.

Rye, New York

A Grocer's Legacy

As one who grew up on the Hanover Plain and its environs, I was especially moved by any number of the facets of life there recalled in the nostalgia issue. On page 37, however, the photo of the Tanzi brothers has them listed in the wrong order: it should have read Charlie, Harry, and Leon, left to right.

One of my enduring memories of Tanzi's store was the frequent presence of Nat Woodward, Hanover's version of Charley Grapewin. Nat had some kind of fetish regarding potatoes and could prate on for hours about them whether people listened or not. My father, who ran the Villaclara Inn on Lyme Road, was a regular customer and he liked to get Harry's goat by mentioning the beloved tuber to Nat as he left the store on other errands. When he would return some two hours later old Nat was still going strong, much to Harry's chagrin and annoyance.

The quiet old town hid any number of strange and fascinating stories and the excellent issue you have put together brings ever so many of them to mind. Thank you so much.

New York, New York

As a memorial to Harry Tanzi, a group of Hanover High School alums have created the Harry Tanzi Scholarship Fund to assist Hanover High seniors in their pursuit of additional educational or vocational training.

A collection of Tanzi-related and other memorabilia will be auctioned at the site of the old Tanzi store on Main Street on the afternoon of Friday, June 14. Thaddeus Seymour, former dean of the College, will be the auctioneer. All proceeds will benefit the Harry Tanzi Scholarship Fund. A brief "fun" parade will precede the auction.

There will be a silent auction as well, for those who will not be in Hanover on the 14th. Items to be auctioned, including many with College significance, will be displayed in the lobby of the new Ledyard Bank, adjacent to the original Tanzi store site, during Commencement and reunions.

If you cannot attend, but wish to contribute, donations may be sent directly to Hanover High School.

Hanover, New Hampshire

Gays Denied

At a meeting at the Dartmouth Club in New York on March 8, officials of the Dartmouth Gay and Lesbian Alums were told by Mike Choukas '51, Dartmouth's director of alumni affairs, that the College was denying official recognition to the organization.

Air. Choukas cited his philosophical opposition to the establishment of alumni subgroups, even though such groups already enjoy recognition. He went on to say that recognition of the Dartmouth gay organization would establish "a precedent and open the door to demands for recognition by other subgroups such as Hispanics or women."

Could it be possible that The Dartmouth Review has managed to plant a mole in President Freedman's office?

Treasurer Dartmouth GALA New York, New York

Michaei Choukas Replies:

Air. Gibb's letter tells only part of the story about the the Alumni Affairs Office's decision not to grant D-GALA's request for an exception to its policy of no longer granting "official recognition" to subgroups of alumni.

No subgroup of the alumni has been given "official recognition" since 1984, and it has been the policy of the Alumni Affairs Office since 1989 not to grant requests for "official recognition" from alumni affinity groups. The Alumni Affairs Office sees its responsibility as serving the Dartmouth alumni body as a whole. It is our belief that increasing the number of officially sanctioned alumni subgroups would fragment the alumni body. In the last two years two other organizations including the Dartmouth Environmental Network have not received such recognition.

Alumni Affairs will continue to provide D-GALA with the same support (such as arranging on-campus facilities for meetings and listing those meetings in official college calendars of events) that it provides alumni or any bona fide alumni affinity group that works to the best interests of the College.

Young Meryl

My husband, Marc Efron '65, brought home your March issue last night, and imagine my surprise. I discovered that Meryl Streep, a friend and classmate (Vassar '71), is now claimed by Dartmouth and purported to be the class of '81 to boot ("People We Wish Could Meet Each Other"). Although Meryl did attend Dartmouth briefly on an exchange program, surely a school as eminent as Dartmouth doesn't need to borrow distinguished alumni from Vassar.

By the way, my husband applauds your courtesy in pruning ten years off the graduation date (and hence the age) of your non-alumni, and he would urge you, please, to be similarly generous to actual alumni.

Chevy Chase, Maryland

Ms. Streep is an honorary member of theclass of 1981 and a subscriber to theDartmouth Alumni Magazine. By theCollege's lights, that easily qualifies her asan alumna.

Boy, those were the days. Now, if our readerscould just agree on which days they were.