Vox in the Box

Dear All-Knowing Vox, How come I see some Dartmouth sonls with the date 1769 and others with 1770? don't people know when the College was founded?

Signet!, John Wentworth

Dearjohn, Dartmouth's charter is dated December 13,1769. I WheijiEleazar Wheelock got around to discussing a seal with the Irustees heraldic designs were supposed to lend prestige it was already 1770. For 184 years that was the date used on the College seal (actually it took until 1773 to get it designed and approved). In 1957 administrators noticed the error, and a year later the I rustees authorized a backwards revision to 1769. Note that the very busy College seal, the original use of which was to impress sealing wax as well as donors, has nine Native Americans and the Hebrew : & words "El ShaddaP (God Almighty), while the simplified Dartmouth shield has only two Natives and no Hebrew.

Scores of alumni may recall Vox, Baker Library's basement-level oracle. Seekers of truth, knowledge, or afew chuckles-would leave their questions inside a wooden box mounted near the phone booths by the Reserve Room, Later, neatly typewritten responses would mysterioushly appear on the bulletin board near the box. One day Vox fell silent. But now Vox is back, reincarnated you might say, in the pages of this magazine. Got a question for Vox? Send it along via e-mail toOr you can fax your question to (630)646-1209, or send it in the mail to Vox in the box, c/0 Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, 38 North Main St., Hanover, NH037553762