1966

This short and hastily written to meet a tight deadline Reunion Recap is not for the more than 220 '66ers who made the pleasant pilgrimage to Hanover for our glorious 25th June 13-16. They know fall well how truly beautiful Dartmouth looked green and clean and just as you left it... only better. And they know full well how truly and surprisingly pleasant it was to greet old friends who were just as glad to see you as you were to see them. Steve Sloca, Gary Bryson, ChuckVernon, Gus King. Hundreds more. With wives. And children. Lots of children.

No. This report is for those who couldn't make it. Who missed the fascinating seminars on our kids at Dartmouth today, on Ethics, and on Families in Flux. Who missed the rock dances, the Storrs Pond and Memorial Field picnics, a chat with President Freedman and our class dinner in a spectacular new sports facility called Thompson Arena, built over about one third of Chase Field.

So what happened? Well, David Johnston, who has cornered the market on reunion chairmanships, and his chief lieutenants Treasurer (and a conscientious one indeed) Al Keiller, General Organizer and Yearbook to come in December Editor Allan Anderson, and Local Arrangements Coordinator PaulDoscher put on a spectacular show. (You should see the duffle bags. You can still buy a mug or key chain call Paul.) Even a prodigious thunder storm Saturday night did not dampen spirits or result in even one missed toast (though a few soggy socks were reported).

And Rich Daly smooth, calm, and effective and his hard-working crew of fundraisers squeezed every stone to push our class contribution to a total 0f... hold on ... drum roll... flash to Ed McMahon in front of the tote board . . . $1,101,966! How 'bout that? Rick MacMillan, Rich Reiss, RogerKline, Bob Sweet, and Alan Rottenberg all played major roles in the class giving effort which, you'll be interested to note (if you're interested in statistics), netted ten times more than we gave last year and was more than we had given in the first 24 years of our alumnihood. Thanks to all 440 of us who dug so deep.

Who came from farthest away? Not sure, but Jim and Nadine Yarmon came down from Anchorage, and a bunch came crosscountry from California, including Ann andKen Zuhr from Gilroy, home of the Annual Garlic Festival (I promised a free plug). Closest? One contender is Dick Birnie, from Etna. Dick's a professor of geology at Dartmouth and assistant dean of arts and sciences. And a terrific speaker.

Reunion marked the end of Steve Lanfer's very effective six-year stint as class president. Steve will continue to serve the class, now as Alumni Council representative. BobSerenbetz has picked up the gavel as president; Bill Higgins steps in as vice president; and, after an 11-year vacation during which Charlie Wilmot and others executed this column with style and skill, I'll be back as secretary.

We close with Thad Seymour's final words during his raucous and entertaining dinner remarks. "There are two Dartmouths: the Dartmouth in the press, described so cruelly and unfairly, a victim of the zest the press has for punishing institutions; and the Dartmouth that serves this generation of students. The Dartmouth students love this place. I love this place." Thad's happily back as an English professor this fall. Enjoy the rest of the summer.

This column succeeds on the strength of your contributions, so please keep me posted by letter, phone 212/546-1965, or (holy newfangled gadgets!), fax 212/546-1495.

93 Greenridge Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605

Young Big Greeners proudly carried the banner for their '66 dads as they paraded to adinner at Thompson Arena.