1951
My contribution to this month's column will be brief, for I shall be passing the Class Secretary's baton to Bill Brooks, who will carry it for the next leg. I had expected to submit a full column for this summer issue, but the DAM editors decided to put off the usual dead line until June 15 to accommodate reunion news. Bill will have plenty of that to report below, so the information that several of you hve long since sent to me may not be seen here until September. As I coast toward the bench, let me say I know Bill, with his great interest in you, in our class, and in Dartmouth, will serve us very well indeed as our new class secretary. As for me, I feel privileged to have been a small part of what our class has done under the leadership of BobHopkins and our 28-member Executive Committee to be worthy of the special commendation we received from the College for our series of class projects which have benefited both Dartmouth and Hanover during the last five years. I am confident that our new class leaders will also accomplish much that will make us proud to be the class of 1951. Take care, be good to yourselves, and keep in touch.
... So starts my six-year sentence. Bill Boynton, the Class thanks you for your fine service in these columns over the past halfdecade. Thanks, too, for them kind words of introduction. 152 classmates and about as many wives and others thoroughly relished our 40th. One more carfull of '5 Is would have given us the College record for 40th's. All details were impeccably anticipated by cochairs Al Mori and Joe Boissy with major assists from Peirce McKee, SandyMcDonald, Dave Hall, Jack Sutton, Bill Boynton, Dave Batchelder, and their respective wives.
Time and space are too limited to do anything but skim our own class' high spots. The Newsletter, with its more luxurious helpings of both, will have more. We'll start with the '51 Seminar, "Where do we go from here?" We heard thoughtful and wonderfully entertaining challenges from moderator FrankSmallwood, panelists Pete Martin, HavilandSmith, Ed Landau, and Dave Hilton, as well as from the audience of 'sls and wives. The subjects included mid-life career changes, planning for retirement, and our new opportunities (read obligations) to offer skills for community service.
Most of us then went to Rollins Chapel for our first Memorial Service, honoring the 77 '51's who have gone on ahead. Rev. DickBucey and Rabbi Bill Leffler led a 45-minute service that also included Dave Hilton's touching tribute to those fellows. My wife, Skip, and I accompanied Barbara Renner, whose Bill my roommate for two years had died just two weeks before Reunion. The most stalwart in Rollins were misty, the rest nembarrassedly moved as we each privately dwelt for a moment on memories of other times. Then we were asked to sing "Dartmouth Undying." Some could; not all.
Moods swung up as the class dinner honored Bob Hopkins with the Spirit of '51 Award, not only for his extraordinary presidential leadership over these past five years, but for his unbroken record of service to us and to Dartmouth since 1947. (Citation prepared by Batch; presented by Boynton). We welcomed our new president, Joe Welch, and then remarked at Toastmaster Jeff O'Connell's courage as he took out after his somewhat larger target, featured speaker Pete Bogardus. Pete shared wisdom which will probably lose some of its humor as we move toward 'later middle age.' But it was on the mark this time.
The newsletter will have to deal with HankSanders' Nominating Committee Report (accepted), Red Balaban's tireless band, picnics, tent matters, golf and tennis champions, and other events. But for you who were not with us, try a little harder when a Mini-Reunion is in your region. If you're in a snit about some facet of life in Hanover, don't take it out on us. We want to see you, often. Remember to write.
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