1935

This is written mid-January (for April issue), a notoriously slow period in the news business, and I'm supposed to come up with fe fe 50 words or so about the "Great Class" that can pass muster for a secretary's column. The best I can offer are a few excerpts from a letter by Bill Gahagan addressed to Bill Mathers, who passed it on to Don Radasch, who forwarded it to me with instructions to keep it moving to Dero for the Tear Bag. Gahagan tells about his fall adventure to the East Coast that included a tennis match on the White House courts, overnight with the grandaughter of poet Robert Frost, breakfast in Washington with Sen. Diane Feinstein, and on his return to California visiting an old friend, just before she died, legendary Helen Wills Moody. I agree, Gahagan's document is solid T-B material.

A situation which seems to have faded, and I assume only class officers knew about it, was a rumor the College was about to take over hands-on management of this magazine. I was barraged with e-mail warnings of what might happen if President Freedman & Cos. began calling the editorial shots.

Few of you probably have seen or heard of Dartmouth Medicine, a magazine for alumni and friends of Dartmouth Medical School and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. The current issue (Winter '97) has great stories, the type that don't make DAM. Editors of this publication, take note.

Our class once again posted impressive numbers in the tally of college "philanthropy" for 1997. Credit John Todd, Alumni Fund chairman, Al Brush, John Wallace, and Dave Smith's widow, Eleanor, who handle bequests, for bringing in some $2.6 million. Now it's 1998 with the same team at the helm; you will be hearing from them soon, if not already.

Our heavy-hitters this past year were Bill Blakeslee, Bob Boehm, Julie Bromberg, Al Brush, Dean Couper, Cam Duncan, Jack Egan, Chick Harrison, Jim Hughes, Doug Mook, Will Ogg, Herb Ostrow, Yank Price, Neil Roberts, Irving Sager, Dero Saunders, John Todd, and Paul VanAntwerpen. Dud Russell and Al Richie, both deceased, were also on the philanthropy "honor roll," as were the widows of Bucks Weil, Cols Hillier, Charlie Sewall, Dave Smith, and Ralph Lazarus.

Please, please send me material for next issue. Who'll be first to use e-mail?

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