1944

While lots of us these days are content with hammock time and watching the grass grow, those Norwich, Vt, dual carburetors, Leonard Rieser and Clint Gardner, while firmly retired, are still putting the pedal to the metal. Clint is cuxrendy president of a trans-national society promoting education in areas of Russian culture and philosophy, and last spring he campaigned vigorously against the inclusion of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary into NATO. Meanwhile, wife Libby continues her painting career and exhibits in galleries throughout the area.

Next door, Rosemary Rieser keeps Leonard's suitcase at the ready. He was in Budapest during the winter, speaking at a ceremony honoring famed Hungarian atomic physicists John Von Neuman, Leo Szilard, and Dartmouth's late president, John Kemeny, all three of whom, amazingly, grew up within a few blocks of each other in the Buda half of Budapest. Then in June, Leonard was in Chicago as chairman of the board (his 12 th year) of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist, moving the Doomsday Clock five minutes closer to midnight because of the Indian and Pakistani nuclear tests.

And speaking of suitcases, those Caldwells, Hardwick and Betsy, wear out a set of Samsonites every year, witness their report from 1997: "We hunted quail in South Texas, turkeys in Alabama, spent five weeks in Ocean Reef, crossed the Atlantic 14 times between us, played golf in Morocco, visited Prague, Budapest, and Vienna, took seven grandchildren to Kenya, hiked in the Azores, played in several USSGA tournaments, visited Santa Fe and beautiful Yosemite National Park. And I had my first hole-in-one after 62 years of trying."

We checked with John Bird after tornadoes roared through Alabama, but he said they hadn't a twig or a hair out of place. John says he's been reuning regularly, San Diego, New Orleans, etc., with the crew of his LSM, which saw duty in Okinawa, Guam, and the Philippines.

Liz and Bill Craig, in a down-sizing mode, have sold their lovely home in Etna, N.H., six miles out of Hanover, and moved into a condo just a mile from the campus. Bunches and bunches of '44s have been graciously wined and dined at the Craigs' hilltop home over the years.

Two dandy Hanover ceremonies to report on: 1) the Berry Library groundbreaking May 5, and 2) a gala dinner for all past recipients of the College's service to Dartmouth's alumni awards. The Berry affair was diminished only by the fact that John himself was ill and couldn't attend (sadly, he died in Dayton two weeks later), but his wife, Marilynn, and three of his sons were on hand, as were some twenty '44s, most of them with wives.

The May IS whizz-bang for alumni awards saw Liz and Bill Craig, Betty and Ben Jones, and Anne and Fritz Hier at the '44 table, Vinnie and Jack Jenness having signed on but been kept away at the last minute by a faulty automobile. Other '44 award winners over the years include Rog Antaya and Bill Hale.

College representatives at John Berry's Ohio funeral service included provost and president-elect James Wright, vice president Stan Colla, and head librarian Margaret Otto.

Too many deaths: Bill A. White, Bob Geist, Ed Fitzgerald, John Berry, Chuck Rendigs, Phil May, and Dick Sholl. Our sympathies.

That's it. Blessings.

P.O. Box 24, Lovejoy Hill, Cornish Flat, NH 03746

Clint Gardner lias campaigned vigorously against the inclusion of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary into NATO. Fritz Hier '44