1940

Did you know that the College selected a member of the class of 1940 to be the representative Dartmouth undergraduate? The answer has to be "not many." The story appeared in the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine April 1940 issue. Charles E. Widmayer '30 was the author. We were, of course, not alumni then and not on the mailing list.

The first major problem was how to select one individual out of 475 seniors. It was decided that the choice should be made on the basis of dependable criteria such as scholastic standing, major study, geographic distribution, economic background, fraternity membership, and extracurricular activity. The hunt began. Forty-three seniors approximated the 2.4 average of the class during the previous year and the 2.65 average for the first semester of the senior year. The majority of students came from New York-Massachusetts-New Jersey-Connecticut area. Sixty percent of the class majored in social sciences or in English. Two-thirds of the class were fraternity members. Including extracurricular activity reduced the list to 18 members. Economic background, fraternity activity, and some hairsplitting reduced the list to two men. A coin finally settled it.

Bill Daniels was the fairly representative Dartmouth senior. He came to College from Newton High School—a Greater Boston young man. A C-plus student, social science major, Sigma Chi member and house manager, third-line hockey letterman, and varsity tennis manager. The story continues for four pages telling of Bill's four years in Hanover.

Les Nichols adds to the class travels with an extended European tour including Amsterdam, the Rhine, Basel, and "October Fest" in Munich. If interested in a November cruise of the Panama Canal, call Les. Lew Chipman writes, "nice two weeks in New England visiting University of Vermont, where Janet enjoys the lake effect, Hanover, Woodstock, and the ski areas. We still enjoy the winter and its beauty."

Responding to the class birthday card, Creight Holden said, "It was the big 80— who knows, I may be the oldest living '40. Whenever my age is mentioned, my Jean is quick to claim she was 9 when we were married."

Mark your calendar for the Cornell game mini-reunion on October 4, 1997.

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