1957

We parked and hurried past the gymnasium and around the corner where Dartmouth Night was about to start. Sure enough, the crowd was assembling: class signs, an oompa-pa band on the back of a truck, flags, and fur coats. Monk Bancroft held our sign. The '57 marchers included BobAndrews, Monk and Marcia Bancroft Jackand Liz Kramer, Bill and Ann Edgerton,Dan and Connie Goggins, Clark andHappy Griffiths, Hanney Mason and Carrie Von Paltim, Tom and Terry Paterson,Tom Schwarz and Susan Athwal, Jim andCarol Taylor, Adam and Gittan Block, and George Cox and family.

It was a good crew, later to be joined by several others on Saturday. After speeches, songs, and cheers, the bonfire, off to a shaky start, finally shot through to the top and created that tremendous image we all remember, complete with freshmen running in an ever-widening circle to avoid the more and more intense heat.

Saturday morning Clark Griffiths did a great job creating an interesting class meeting. Dean of Students Lee Pelton, who has been at the College for a year now, joined us. He is a wonderful, warm person who worked well in our small group, answering our concerns and questions about Dartmouth. While each of us may have concern or frustration with some aspect of the College, Lee's message is clear: the core of the College has not changed. The true emphasis at Dartmouth is on teaching. In spite of the changed family-life issues and pressures on the teachers' time, they still make time for individual relationships with the students. A statistic of note: 95 percent of the matriculating students graduate. Harvard is the only other college that comes close. What can we draw from this? The students are good, and they like the College, so they stay.

Hanney Mason told us there is $9,147 in the treasury, most of which will be used to keep the Alumni Magazine coming to our classmates. Hanney will send more detailed information on this. Dues for next year were voted to be $35.

Jack Kramer, our wonderful head class agent for the last several years, has agreed to do die job for one more year. He has assembled 104 class agents, an impressive new record. Dan Goggin and Jack explained that one of your options for die capital campaign is the class scholarship fund, which has broken the $50,000 mark. Please consider this option.

After the meeting we went off to lunch and to a terrific football game with Yale which the Big Green won. It was a beautiful, colorful, blustery fall day. The hills of Hanover were filled with color. The Dartmouth quarterback established a new passing record. It was a fun game to watch.

Afterwards, Joe and Janie Stevenson hosted us for a nice gathering at their home. We had a good dinner at the Norwich Inn and we all agreed that we have a good class and that it is fan to gather. We look forward to future mini-reunions that Monk Bancroft and Bill Edgerton are planning. Monk Bancroft hopes to bring us all to Mad River Glen, Vt.: "Ski it if you can."

Cheers and let's hear from you.

333 Red Acre Road, Stow, MA 01775-1185