1941

During the summer doldrums a short questionnaire was mailed to 20 classmates who had not been able to attend the 55th. The idea was to check their pulse on the upcoming election and the future direction of our alma mater. The respondents (18) were about evenly divided as Republicans, Democrats, and independents, but their vote (in early August) was for Clinton, two to one. They also favored prochoice over a pro-life position on abortion, 15 to three, but they were just equally divided between agreeing with"most" of Clinton's foreign policy actions and "very few" of his actions. As to Dole being too old, the vote was again split evenly among "yes," "no," and "maybe." Support for the present Dartmouth administration's policies was equally divided between answers at the positive end of the scale and those at the negative end. However, a lops-sized vote of 17 to one was recorded for retaining Dartmouth as a liberal arts, undergraduate-oriented college versus expanding in size and interest in graduate studies. So the survey responses seemed to showthat we '41s have diverse opinions on many subjects except where it comes to altering the small-college atmosphere we loved as undergraduates.

And now a few recollections from the 55th. Dick Cords and his bride of 52 years, Ginnie, returned to Hanover from Long Beach, Calif., where he labored for years as a law consultant for management on labor matters. He still swims, golfs, and downhill skis. His former roommate and fellow swimmer Bill Cashel was on hand with wife Marie. The former president of Pennsylvania Bell and vice chairman of AT&T calls Gladwyne, Penn., his home now. Another Californian on the Plain was Dr. Bill Dignam with wife Wini. Bill modestly allowed that he was only one of the deans at UCLA med school. Quite an honor in my estimation.

Not traveling quite as far, but deserving a special medal were Dick Paul and his wife, Jackie. Dick had misplaced his driver's license so Jackie had to drive their 37-foot RV all the way from New Mexico with a broken foot!

George Middendorf, retired in 1985 as an editor of school textbooks, was at the 55 th from Long Island, N.Y. George and this scribe conversed about our Commencement ceremony and tried to recall the principal speaker, to no avail. So George revisited his haunts in Baker Library and found a copy of the 1941 program, which named the honorary degree recipients, including N.H. Governor Blood, Carl Sandburg, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, and Wendell Wilkie. And none of them had made a speech! But I think we'41s did all right without any inspirational advice to guide us. All who agree, say "Amen!"

5975 Camelot Drive North, Sarasota, FL 34233