1942

Fifty-something years ago I was lucky enough to share an inexpensive room on the third floor of College Hall with Edward Chalfant. Even without Ed the room would have been an extraordinary bargain. The rent was, as I recall, $90. The location was superb, especially for those of us who waited on tables downstairs in Freshman Commons. And the windows provided easy access to our "veranda" (the roof of the College Hall porch) and an unforgettable view of the Green and Dartmouth Row. Since College Hall and Collis are currently undergoing extensive renovation, I should perhaps note for historical purposes another bonus of our room: a straight metal fire-ladder located just to the right of the front doors of College Hall that gave us an unorthodox (not to say sophomoric) alternative access to our room via a hatch in the porch roof. We used it frequently, probably imagining ourselves in old Douglas Fairbanks movies.

It was Ed Chalfant, however, who was clearly the most valuable, stimulating and offbeat "asset" of the location which, as I recall, was either room 307 or 305. Though I had listened to a good deal of classical music before Dartmouth, it was Ed who really fostered my appreciation of it. He did this by playing his fine collection of records at almost any time of the day or night. Then, not content with instructing only one student at a time, he mounted die largest speaker I had ever seen on a window-size baffle board, placed it in our Green-facing window and bounced Bach, Beethoven and Mozart off the walls of Dartmouth Row.

I don't recall that anyone ever objected, but then again, that was some time ago. About Ed, however, I do remember thinking that here was a lad who would probably do something very special in his life. That's why it was such a pleasure to learn recently that Ed's Better inDarkness is nearing publication. After reading a bound copy of the manuscript, Arthur Schlesinger Jr. wrote, "Better in Darkness, the second volume in Edward Chalfant's full and fascinating account, establishes his work as the life of Henry Adams for this generation meticulous in research, thoughtful in judgment, crisp and readable in style, a first-class historical biography."

I know enough about Ed to assure you that as you read this he is already hard at work on the third volume.

56 Cityside Drive, Montpelier, VT 05602