1935

This column is written at the peak of the turmoil in Washington (August), and readers of these notes will enjoy hearning that there are still good, honorable gin's "within the beltway," and without (see below ). First is a story about classmate Jim Berkey. Jim and wife Marion have lived all their married life (55 years) within five miles of the White House, "greatest place to live in the world," Jim wrote in his report for 60th Reunion. So be it. The reason I mention Berkey is because of a phone call I received from a lady named Carol Provost in Rancho Mirage, Calif., about Jim coming to her financial rescue after she lost her husband. Dan Provost '41, a year ago. "I could not have managed without Jim (and Marion)," Carol said. "They were just marvelous."Jim devised an estate plan for Carol, who, like many women, knew little about money matters when Dan died. Last month I reported on the Widows Program; it would appear that Jim Berkey has taken this fine class activity to another level.

Next, and equally interesting, is a letter from a fellow class secretary. Dan Sisson '45. who sent me the jacket from Lou Bookheim's new book titled Understanding the Bible: You Can Without Cant. It seems that Sisson and his wife, Ruth, have been special friends with Lou and wife Harriet since they met at the first Dartmouth Alumni College in 1964. Lou's work, reading from the jacket, "is aimed at any reader who wants a relatively brief synopsis of (Genesis. Kings, and Chronicles) in easy-to-understand language. "Sounds like a good fit for '35 libraries. Lou gave up a legal career as special assistant to the U.S attorney general to pursue his study of the Hebrew Bible.

Lou Bookheim, by the way. was among the group of 11. the brightest of the lot, who graduated summa cum laude. He was No. 2 on the Great Class summa list, after Al Brush, to receive highest academic honors at Commencement. Others were Jules Bromberg, Bill Butts, Bill Fitzhugh, Charles Fleming, Charles Heckel, Bill Krieg, George Margulis, Dick Aluzzy, and Tom Wilson.

One obituary this month, Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, 85, a giant in the automotive industry, died July 6, 1998, in Royal Oak, Mich. Bunkie left Dartmouth after freshman year and moved to MIT, from which he graduated in 1936.

-Paul Cummings, 7 River Mead Road, Peterborough, NH 03458;

Robert Boehm '35 helps undergrads study public policy, p. 61