1949

This summer several of your classmates went whitewater rafting. We know of at least two (the names Haak and Thomas come to mind) and would like to-hear trom any others who tested their testosterone against rapids and falls. Going down the river is exciting. Going up the river is less so, of course, and a recent third-hand rumor suggested that that may have happened to Gunther Perdue, who has not been heard from for a half-dozen years. On the chance that he might indeed have been the guest of some government or other, we decided to check with a classmate who worked within the corrections systems throughout his career: John Borys.

For 20 years John—with a degree in criminology from the College—was deputy director of Connecticut's Family Division, in charge of its section devoted to juvenile problems. Five years ago the state made him an offer he couldn't refuse, a.k.a. a golden handshake. Now happily retired, he lives in Milford with wife Eileen and enjoys digging in the yard (maybe we ought to say gardening) and traveling. At least once a year they visit son John, a music producer in Victoria, British Columbia.

"Actually, I never ran across Gunther professionally," says John. "Of course, it's unlikely he would have been in a juvenile facility." (So, OK, my investigation ran into a wall; perhaps someone out there knows what's become of Gunther.)

Changing the subject, I asked John about the then-pending Crime Bill Clinton was pushing. What would 100,000 new cops do?

"Nothing," says John. "Maybe 500,000 might help. The street scene was bad five years ago, but it's gotten worse and worse and nothing will happen until we break the cycle. You gotta get 'em early." Sound advice from someone who knows.

Now, someone who knows about sports is Don Scully, whose sound advice on that subject appeared on the inside cover of this magazine in the Summer issue. You could look it up. In an ad for the Dartmouth Athletics Endowment Don explained why he— a Green record-holder in lacrosse—supports the endowment: "It's pay-back time."

Don has retired to Eden, a town near Buffalo. As an undergraduate he captained a lacrosse team coached by Tommy Dent, who "probably influenced my life more than any other person other than my parents." No wonder Don encourages alumni to consider supporting intercollegiate and recreational sports at Dartmouth, where more than a thousand student-athletes compete on 34 teams. Don's gift to the endowment, within the Will to Excel capital campaign, is earmarked for lacrosse and soccer; perhaps it will help some future laxman break the all-time Green record of 20 three-goal games set by—who else?—Don Scully.

That same summer issue of DAM also carried an erudite letter from Ed Nickerson clarifying an item in the special April issue devoted to Dartmouth's Gifts to the World. Who better than a retired Ph.D. and former professor at the University of Delaware to nitpick a lit crit bit.

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