1925
For the first time in many years the class and club officers, the Alumni Fund volunteers, and the associated alumni groups met together for Leadership Weekend in mid-September. With over 500 participants, the campus was full of activity, and many exciting ideas were exchanged. Whether this will continue annually beyond next year has not yet been decided, but many positive comments have already been made.
The Class of '25 was in evidence, as always, with the John H. Davis '25 Trophy for the highest non-reunion dollar total awarded to the class of 1952, which happens to be the class of Ken McDonough's son, Dick. Two more '25 awards were given, the Lawrence G. Leavitt '25 Award for outstanding standing achievement in memorial gifts and the Charles F. Moore '25 Award for best donor improvement. These awards all emphasize the philosophy of the great class of 1925, as shown by some fascinating facts found in books loaned to me by William "Pete" Barker '54, son of our own BillBarker.
In 1925's 25th Reunion book, published in 1950, Ford Weldon says, "On June 22, 1925, The Dartmouth on page one headlined '1925 to repay $350,000 to College,' estimating that this sum represented the amount it cost the College to educate the class, over and above tuition paid—this is the first time in the history of American education that a college graduating class has promised to pay in full the amount it cost to educate its members." That of course was in 1925 dollars. With the giving record of our class going on for almost 75 years, as they say, the rest is history.
Our head agent, Larry Leavitt, noted in his letter of September 3, 1998, that the '98 Alumni Fund campaign was a $2.2 million increase over 1997, and part of that came from 67 classmates, widows, and friends, including income from endowments established lished by some 30 of our classmates. Thanks to all of you and Larry for a job well done in the spirit of supporting Dartmouth that '25 has shown for almost 75 years.
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