The Unforgettable Seuss

Good Doctoring

Wow. I couldn't put down the Winter issue of the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, which arrived just about one and a half hours ago. I had to read the whole of the Dr. Seuss piece before I could do anything else. Robert Sullivan's piece is at once moving and memorable; it helps tie together the often disparate threads of understanding about the life of Theodor Seuss Geisel '25.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

I commend you and the College for recognizing Theodor Geisel as a talented writer. The honors he received are in sharp contrast to the fate of Ogden Nash. Mrs. Nash once told me in an interview that although Nash never expressed his disappointment, she felt he was hurt by his alma mater's (Harvard's) failure to honor him in any way. Apparently his humorous verse was not considered poetic.

New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Robert Sullivan's generally excellent essay on Ted Geisel '25 was marred by a mistake in its description of Geisel's year at Oxford. "During one particularly burdensome lecture by the Oxfordially named Professor Oliver Onions—Onions's pedantry having to do with the punctuation in King Lear, and how everyone since Shakespeare had simply missed the point—Geisel took to doodling."

The don in question was Charles Talbut Onions (1873-1965), one of the four editors of the Oxford EnglishDictionary and then at work on completing the great dictionary. An authority on Shakespeare, Onions was "an astringent scholar" (according to his student and successor as OED editor, Robert W. Burchfield) but he was neither humorless nor a pedant. Geisel's becoming smitten by the charms of his future wife during Onions's lecture was simply the usual triumph of biology over learning.

Sullivan's celebration of Geisel's adroitness with dactylic dimeter (typographically confused as dactillic diameter in the magazine) recognizes that the youthful poet-artist was not as indifferent to the fine points of English structure as the dismissive treatment of Onions might suggest. Syd Lea was entirely right in praising Geisel's "great talent as a formalist," and Onions's lectures on English poetry certainly had something to do with Geisel's developing his remarkable sensitivity to the nuances of our language.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

On page 40 of the excellent story on Dr. Seuss there is a black and white photograph of one of Geisel's beasts, carved in the snow during the 1932 Winter Carnival. The location of this snow sculpture is at the old Phi Gamma Delta House on West Wheelock Street, two doors from the Deke House—and not at Sig Ep—whoever that may be. I speak with some authority inasmuch as I was a student at that time and a proud member of this particular fraternity—long since torn down.

Syosset, New York

Robert Sullivan's article on Ted Geisel in the Winter issue was an excellent account of a fascinating man. In Mr. Sullivan's article, however, there is one reference that should be corrected. Ted's mural, "Rape of the Sabine Women," was done for the bar at the old Dartmouth Club on 37th Street in New York, before the club moved to the building next door to the Princeton Club, on 39th Street. I am unaware of its ever having been in the Yale Club. My father, Jib Dingwall '16, was instrumental in having the canvas removed from the wall when the club moved. It was stored in the basement of the home of an alumnus in New Jersey, where it remained until the spring of 1964 when my father arranged to have it brought to Hanover. In a tongue-in-cheek "presentation" held at the home of Al Snite '32 in Norwich, it was given to Ernest Martin Hopkins. When Mr. Hopkins died later that year, the mural was left to the College. In 1975, at the time of Ted's 50th reunion, thanks to a group of his classmates, I was provided with a fund to have the mural cleaned, repaired, and framed in order to hang it in the Hayward Lounge of the Hanover Inn during the 50th reunion weekend in Ted's honor. It was made part of the College's permanent collection, and is presently stored with the collection in the basement of the Hood Museum. Incidentally, the Alumni Magazine used a photograph of the mural for its cover on the February 1975 issue.

Norwich, Vermont

Thank you for agreeing to let Robert Sullivan "do Seuss." It is a warming, informative, and delightful piece. I was one of the "many Spring fielders" sent Dartmouthbound by Real Smith. Seeing him at work thrilled me and brought back many wonderful memories.

In successive years—1933-34 at Central High and '34-35 at Dartmouth—I was blessed with two kindred teachers: Red Smith and Sidney Cox.

No matter how much gets stuffed in my mailbox with the Alumni Magazine, it is always my first order of reading. It is better now than ever.

Northport, New York

I enjoyed reading Robert Sullivan's portrait of Dr. Seuss—except the reference to Africa, where our most influential author conceived the Lorax, as "the dark continent." As a matter of fact, Africa is home to all of us, the birthplace of civilization, and its moment is not past, but ongoing.

Let's get with it folks. It's 1992. (Isn't it?)

Madison, Wisconsin

Robert Sullivan '75 has just about told all there is to know about Dartmouth's Dr. Seuss in that fine Winter issue, but I'd like to add a few words as a member of the Jack-O-Lantern Board shortly after Ted held forth thereon.

I sent Ted the first review copy of my new novel, Always in Love, when it appeared last year. I knew he'd won three Hollywood Oscars and I wanted his advice on selling it to the movie moguls, as a possible sequel to "Winter Carnival" because of its Dartmouth-oriented content. Ted wrote: "Thank you, Jackobite, for the pleasure of reading your interesting autobiographic novel accompanied by the thoughts you thought about life, love, sports and selling as you make your way. It is strong in the elements that should make it successful in the bookstores. The problem of selling a property to Hollywood today boils down to this: The only way to do it is through an agent. And if a film is made of it, it may not be at all the film in praise of Dartmouth that you've set your heart on. Hollywood is the factory that can turn meanings into who- knows-what. But great good luck to you, Jackobite, if you decide to give it a try."

Based on Ted's knowledgeable advice, I stuck to the bookstores. Sales have been brisk, accompanied by several autograph parties and an appearance on NBC-TV. I only wish that Ted had lived long enough to accept my thanks for giving an Old Jackobite a good steer.

Shaker Heights, Ohio

Verbing a Cow

I think you spelled heifer wrong on page 19 of the February cover story on food, or I'm hopelessly out of date with modern usage. Gawd. I'm humiliated that you folks are such city types. I mean, geez, it's even a GLOSSARY!! For shame.

Norwich, Vermont

Ms. Rahmann clearly knows her cows,but only as nouns. The verb form of heiferis spelled "heffer." Who says? Studentsdo, and they're the only ones we knowwho are using the word.

Sickening Patronizing

James O. Freedman's essay "Honest to God Accommodation" (October) is a sad example of the thinness of thinking in higher education today. It does show how the politicalcorrectness rationalization works.

Freedman presents a sickeningly patronizing and self-congratulatory noblesse oblige argument. Namely, he says that Dartmouth has an obligation to minority groups to train the next generation of leaders. If Dartmouth does not make special efforts to include these groups, somehow the minority communities of this country will be irreparably hurt. I think Dartmouth is a fine school, as capable as any of educating young people. However, President Freedman's delusions of the necessity of Dartmouth to the eventual success of minorities just is not connected to reality. If Dartmouth does nothing but promote getting the best-qualified student body it can, minorities in this country will do just fine. They have a wealth of educational opportunities. Moreover, most who do find their way to Dartmouth very well might have done so on their own.

If Dartmouth were really trying to promote diversity, it would seek out the politically incorrect: creationists, National Rifle Association members, strident anti-feminists, white racists, and Christian fundamentalists. But that is not going to happen. That would make those in authority too uncomfortable. And making those in authority uncomfortable is definitely not what "diversity" is about.

Diversity, whether of politically correct or incorrect variety, as a goal is dumb. Whatever happened to trying to find the best qualified, those most likely to have an impact in the world, irrespective of what group they come from?

Los Altos, California

Unzipping

I commend Jim Collins for his article in your September issue about Nelson Ham as gatekeeper for the College Grant. Jim's assertion that Nelson would receive mail addressed "Nelson, 03759" or simply using "03759" struck me with horror, however. Readers using that zip code will never succeed in getting any new jokes to Nelson, who will continue to inflict the same old ones even on his friends. The correct zip code is 03579.

Here's some original Nelson Ham material, at least ten years old. When ice and the spring surge of the Dead Diamond River took out the footbridge at Diamond Four Corners, users of Stoddard Cabin no longer had a good way to cross the river. An aluminum rowboat was then placed at the old bridge site. Nelson's assessment of the choice facing Stoddard Cabin users: Row versus Wade.

Nelson continues to be in residence at the Gate Camp for the 26 days of deer season. Please send him some new jokes.

Warner, New Hampshire

The zip for "me" is 03579. 03579.1 have awaited with bated pen the hoped-for deluge of mail. It never came. I am inconsolable.

Furthermore the author has taken much of the fun out of the story by indicating that the "Nelson" is necessary. It is not!!! My only claim to fame is that I have the world's shortest address.

A full-page retraction, correction, and apology might help in righting this dreadful wrong. Is it now clear to you that my address (the world's shortest, with cards and letters from as far away as Norway and Germany to prove it) is not Nelson 03759? It is simply the number 03579.

Just this, and only this is all that is necessary. No name, no town, no return address, no anything.

03579

Mr Ham enclosed a self-addressed envelope with only the zip code 03519. Wesent it to him. He got it. We're very, verysorry.

Killer Chemical

I was dismayed to read arout "Confronting Chemophobia" in the Winter 1991 issue of the magazine. The article contains references to many toxic chemicals, but I want to respond to some misstatements of fact about just one—dioxin. Professor Gordon Gribble's position on dioxin supposedly evolved from being wary of dioxin and lecturing Vietnam veterans about its potential human toxicity, to "Now we've had a chance to study dioxin, and we find it's not as toxic to humans as we had feared." Well, I'm one of the persons who've had a chance to study dioxin, and I think it's every bit as toxic to humans as feared. In fact, new information about the toxicity and mechanism of action of dioxin suggest that it induces several in tra-cellular enzyme systems, suppresses the immune system, causes cancer in multiple species and in several organs of test animals, causes birth defects, and promotes cancer growth in cells initiated by other exposures. All this leads to the conclusion that dioxin has not been the object of "illogical and hysterical fears," but that it is toxic to humans even at very low doses.

Professor Gribble writes: "The worst dioxin accident in history, in Seveso, Italy, in 1976, has not resulted in serious harm to the health of the exposed population." Again, I beg to differ. There were children with chloracne in the immediate aftermath of the accident, and after ten years of follow-up, statistically significant excess cancer of the gallbladder and biliary tract, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and soft tissue sarcoma have been observed in various areas surrounding the site. I was co-author of two studies of Massachusetts veterans which showed statistically significant increases in soft tissue sarcoma in Vietnam veterans compared to other veterans of the same age who did not go to Vietnam. Because of these and other findings, the U.S. Congress passed the Agent Orange Act of 1991 compensating Vietnam veterans who got chloracne, soft tissue sarcoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs is now compensating Vietnam veterans with peripheral neuropathy and may add more conditions to the compensable list as additional scientific information is received.

Finally, Professor Gribble suggests several books, at least two of which are notorious in the environmental community for their vitriolic and onesided attacks on concerned citizens' organizations and scientists. My recommendation to the magazine's readers is that they also consider MakingPeace with the Planet by Barry Commoner, and State of the World,1991 by Lester Brown and others, before they conclude anything about "chemophobia."

Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

Gordon Gribble Replies:

Mr. Clapp is obviously ignorant of the latest scientific evidence regarding the human health effects of dioxin. Studies of Vietnam veterans reveal that their dioxin tissue levels are no different (11.7 parts per trillion) than those both of non-Vietnam veterans (10.9 ppt) and of a civilian control group (12.4 ppt) (American Journal of Public Health, 81, 344,1991), suggesting that "heavy exposure to Agent Orange or dioxin for most troops in Vietnam was unlikely."

Even more revealing is an extensive ongoing mortality and health-effects evaluation of the 1,200 Air Force Ranch Hands, the personnel who handled and sprayed Agent Orange and some of whom have relatively high concentrations of dioxin (>300 ppt) 15 years after exposure (Journal of Toxicol. Environ. Health, 27, 165, 1989). The authors conclude that "there is insignificant scientific evidence to implicate a causal relationship between herbicide exposure and adverse health in the Ranch Hand Group" (Journal of the American Medical Association, 264,1824,1832, 1990).

An October 1991 update recently sent to me by Dr. W. Wolfe, the senior physician in charge of this study, reaffirms these conclusions. Studies of more than 800 occupationally exposed workers in nine industrial plant accidents over a 30-year period, including those in the massive Nitro, WV, Monsanto accident in 1949, fail to indicate serious longterm health effects and no excess mortality in these men, some of whom have dioxin concentrations exceeding 1,000 ppt 30 years after initial exposure to dioxin (Chemosphere, 18, 417, 1988; 15, 1769,1986; Scientific American, 254, Feb. 1986, 29).

Dr. P. Bertazzi of the Institute of Occupational Health, University of Milan, has published a detailed evaluation of the human health effects of the Seveso, Italy, accident, involving 37,000 people (Sci. Total Environ., 106, 5, 1991). Although some of the children in "Zone A," the area of the heaviest exposure, had dioxin tissue levels generally between 17,000 and 28,000 ppt (and as high as 56,000 ppt immediately following this 1976 accident), to date, the only adverse health effect is chloracne (193 cases), a skin disease not unlike a severe, persistent case of teenage acne, and certainly not life-threatening. Other reversible effects were peripheral neuropathy and liver enzyme induction. Zone A children with levels of 1,700-10,000 did not develop chloracne. Although we need to continue to monitor the health of the people in Seveso, Dr. Bertazzi concludes that there are "no increased risks due to dioxin exposure