1951

A half century ago, reverberations of the new Korean War shook the campus in a thousand ways. At the final (for us seniors) convocation in Webster Hall, President John Sloan Dickey urged that we stand ready to serve. "I see no probable prospects that this generation of college students can escape the heavy personal burden of bearing arms in their country's service," he said. "...The men of Dartmouth served the cause of the American Revolution and they have well and calmly met every national call made on them for almost two centuries now." The '51s returning from the summer NROTC cruise told of being dumped unceremoniously in Norfolk by the battleship USS Missouri, to spend their hitch instead in lowly Little Creek LSTs, while the "Mighty Mo" made flank speed for Korean waters. Weekly, buses began to haul large numbers of us to Manchester for draft board physicals.

Our final football season had a most rocky start, an opening tie with Holy Cross, lop-sided losses to Michigan and Penn ("Reds" Bagnell 42, Dartmouth 26) and a mistake-riddled defeat by Lehigh. Victory finally came over Harvard, 27-7, in Cambridge. On an unforgettable play, John Clayton faked the entire Crimson team out of their private garments, chugging (like a Moran tugboat) untouched for 18 yards into the end zone on his patented quarterback bootleg.

This past August Amy and Henry Nachman threw a great buffet dinner at their Hanover home for '51s resident and visiting, and I took the occasion to mention that coup to John. An irreverent bystander, who shall remain anonymous, cracked, "Yeah, that was a busted play." "Oh no, it wasn't," said John.

The Nachman party was a memorable '51 gathering. It was good to get reacquainted with Mike Harris, who drove over from his lair in Ogunquit, Maine. I enjoyed chatting with Nan and Dick Pugh, who were just finishing up their annual months stay at Lake Fairlee in Vermont; Dick said he'll hang in a bit longer teaching law at the U. of San Diego. Pete Henderson reported that when the Chicago contingent made its annual pilgrimage to Wrigley Field (the Cubs actually won on a Sammy Sosa homer!), Reed Badgley's chronic magic tricks entranced a little boy sitting next to him. "How old are those guys?" said the kid, looking at Pete, Herb Knight and Milwaukee's Dave Wiggins. "We're all 100," said Reed. Pete also mentioned recently visiting Doris and Jerry Underwood at their home in Eaton Center, New Hampshire, where Jerry is foraging into new territory after retiring from the lumber business. Other Nachman attendees included visitors/summer residents Liz and Jack Weingarten, Nat and Howie Allen, Nancy and Herb Knight, Lori and Tom Trolle, Betty and Ed Weisenfeld, Donna and Joe Welch, and locals Pete Martin, Connie and Jack Skewes, Barbara and Dave Hall, Nan and Jerry Mitchell, and Peggy and Dick Price.

1672D Beekman Place NW, Washington, DC 20009; (202) 462-6216; loye.miller.51@alum.dartmouth.org