The Games Were Glorious

The Games Were Glorious

I enjoyed the piece about Dartmouth's 10 mostmemorable football games ["Big Green Glory," December 1999], including Dartmouth "beating" Yale 33-33 in 1931. My father, Charles O'Neill '31, was in Europe at the time and once told me that he had first read about that game in the European edition of the New York Herald Tribune, which reported the score as Yale 333, Dartmouth 3. It wasn't until Dad ran into some Dartmouth alums on Mallorca some weeks later that he learned the correct score.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

As soon as I received the December issue, I said to my wife, "I'm sure I know what the No. 1 game is." I was right: 1965— Dartmouth 28, Princeton 14. Iwas there at Palmer Stadium as a member of the band and remember the game well, especially the "pyramid" defense against Charlie Gogolak. The game was glorious. In celebration, Thayer served steaks to the entire student body. As I recall, the Lambert Trophy was incorrectly engraved "Dartmouth University."

AVON, CONNECTICUT

Actually they got it right. The trophy says DartmouthCollege.—The Editors

Thank you for the great surprise, joy and delightin seeing my father's picture on the December cover. He was Charles J. Boyle, class of 1900, shown in the bottom row, extreme right. He was one of only two Dartmouth football players to be awarded two varsity letters for four years on the varsity team. My late husband, Harry S. Connor, was also a Dartmouth graduate, in the class of 1938.

DAYTON, OHIO

As a freshman in the fall of 1940 I witnessed the famous fifth-down Cornell-Dartmouth game. Although the author placed that game as the third most memorable, it certainly was, at the time, No. 1 for this pea-green. Probably more memorable, however, were the remarks of then coach Earl Blaik, remarks which created for me an image of myself that I was not then, and in my dottering old age, assuredly am not now. At the rally following the game, Blaik intoned: "Dartmouth men are rugged, see, rugged!" Up until that moment I had no idea that I was rugged. With no coeducation at Dartmouth in 1940, the characteristics of Dartmouth women were, of course, unsaid. I wonder, if Dartmouth men are rugged, what are Dartmouth women?

EUGENE, OREGON

In 1944 I played in Dartmouth's game against Notre Dame at Fenway Park in Boston. Our team has never lived it down. We are still written up in many a class and College story. We lost that game by the score of 64-0, perhaps Dartmouth's mostignominious defeat. It certainly was and is "most memorable."

BOCA RATON, FLORIDA

The Notre Dame loss stands as Dartmouth'sworst of the 1900s. But the College's all-timeworst football defeat came at the hands of Yalein 1884. Final score: 113-0.—The Editors While it is hard to quibble with your top 10 selections, I am nonetheless reminded of another epic Dartmouth game, one which in my 50 years of football fandom has never been equaled' in my mind for sheer intensity and tension.

It was a cold, gloomy October day in 1962 when the Big Green took the field against its then-arch nemesis Holy Cross. Although it was early in the season, both teams were undefeated and were being touted as Lambert Trophy candidates. It appeared likely that the winner of the game would go undefeated, while the loser's season would be tainted no matter what its ultimate record turned out to be.

The game was a smash-mouth defensive struggle through three quarters and into the fourth, with Dartmouth clinging to a 3-0 lead. Late in the game Holy Cross mounted a drive deep into Dartmouth territory and appeared certain to tie the game, if not score a touchdown and hand us a heartbreaking defeat. However, Tom Spangenberg '64 picked off a Holy Cross pass and ran it back 90-plus yards for a Big Green touchdown. Incidentally, Spangenberg was a two-way player who also was an All-Ivy halfback.

The rest, as the saying goes, was history. The crowd went into delirium, we won 10-0 and we went on to an undefeated season under the leadership of Bill King '63, who is now chairman of Dartmouth's Board of Trustees.

One of the 10 best? Maybe not, but as I look back at my Dartmouth experience, that day always stands out.

POTOMAC, MARYLAND

CHRIS SANGER@TCNETWORK.NET

I appreciated Jack DeGange ranking the 1925 team's classic demolition, 62-13, of then-invincible powerhouse Cornell, where my father, twice-named All-America halfbackJim "Swede" Oberlander '26, set the still-standing Dartmouth record of six touchdown passes in a single game. Alumni football enthusiasts will be interested that the all-time great 1925 team had scored 199 points without giving up a single point in its first four games, en route to amassing 340 points to opponents' 29 during their brilliant eight-game march to the undisputed national title, as detailed in my 1996 book, Swede (with editing guidance from DeGange).

INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI

OBIE55@MCIWORLD.COM

Seated in the lower left-hand comer of the December cover photo is Joseph Wentworth, class of 1900, who quarterbacked that team and who later captained the 1899 eleven. "Little Joe" was his nickname. His paternal ancestor, John Wentworth, was governor of New Hampshire and was instrumental in granting the land that enabled Eleazar Wheelock to found the College.

After Little Joe graduated, he continued in football as coach of the team of Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland, Ohio. And what a team thatwas! At the turn of the century, Ohio State conceived the idea of proving it had the best football team in Ohio, so that it could become a member of the Big Ten. It offered a trophy to the Ohio college eleven that could win the state championship the most times in die next decade. Ohio State was confident it could keep the trophy. But Wentworth's Case teams proceeded to win the championship four times, defeating the Buckeyes in the process. This began a long series of triumphant seasons for Case, which finally won the trophy in 1910.

During Wentworth's five-year coaching career at Case, his teams won 34 games while losing only five. "Wentworth's success was assured from the start," wrote the captain of his last team. "His lovable personality, combined with his unusual coaching ability, had an immediate effect on how the team worked. His methods were new, including using a track starting pistol when we practiced to help the team get the jump on opponents. Always a perfect gentleman on the field, he expected the same from his players. His entire day and evening were spent with the team; he was at all times anxious to give us the benefit of his extensive football experience as captain and quarterback at Dartmouth."

After coaching, Wentworth became a trial attorney in the Boston law firm of Choate, Hall and Stewart. In his later years he commuted between Boston and his ancestral home in Sandwich, N.H., where his elaborate flower garden was open to the public for many years.

Little Joe was a shining example of the old spirit of amateurism, which still prevails at Dartmouth, at its best.

CLEVELAND, OHIO

JOHN-F-ANDERSON@PRODIGY.NET

More Sister Acts

We had to speak up when we read about the four Veniard sisters who attended Dartmouth ["Beyond the Hill," November 1999]. We know what it is like to have a strong legacy, as all four of us graduated from Dartmouth. Like the Veniard women, we all pursued additional degrees after Dartmouth: Betsy Brew Van Wetter '81, M.D. Brown/Dartmouth program in medicine '89; Perrin Brew Stewart '83, M.A., University of London '86; Kate Brew Colin '87, M.B.A., Kellogg/Northwestern '92; and Emily Brew'89, M.Sc., University of London '92. So far we have eight children among us who could be in the classes between' 12 and' 18. You might even say that Dartmouth was truly ingrained in us, as our father is David Brew '52 and his brother is Doug Brew '57. (As if that weren't green enough, Betsy married Bob Van Wetter '81 and Perrin married Brian Stewart '81.)

We know of at least two other families where four sisters graduated. Are there any more sets of four out there? Five maybe?

SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA

Greek Misgivings

Doubtless many of my fellow alumni will not share my view of fraternities and sororities, namely that they are poisonous and antithetical to the aims of higher education. This, in part, is why President Wright's much debated initiative, laudable for its aims, must be condemned for its measures. Attempting to negotiate a reform of the "Greek System" is akin to de-mining Cambodia.

Dartmouth should not be in the fraternity-sorority business.

The appropriate response to the justified misgivings the College, the faculty and (I dare say most) alumni have about these organizations is 'for the houses to be made independent. This means no College recognition, no "minimum standards," no underwriting the houses' insurance policies, no more shielding houses and their members from the Hanover police (especially where serving alcohol to minors, sexual assaults and rapes are concerned) and, above all, no more College billing for dues. College-owned houses should be converted to residences, affinity housing or work shops/common space for legitimate student organizations.

Compelling CFS houses to do as they like, on their own, without hanging on to the College's apron, will no doubt spell oblivion for most of the existing houses. Those which do survive the process of becoming independent entities should no longer be of any concern to Dartmouth College, other than the concern the administration would normally be expected to show for the safety and security of Dartmouth students who might enter these or any other premises in the Hanover area.

Cutting existing ties would do much to put a merciful end to the mind-numbing and seemingly interminable debate as to the supposed virtues and failings of fraternities and sororities. Whatever the administration, individual alumni and current students may think of these organizations, it is clear that the institutional supports—financial and legalprovided to them by the College are inappropriate and should cease. The resources and energies currently wasted in this fashion might be used to further Dartmouth's actual mission: providing a quality university-level education to young people.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

Apparently it is easy for a fraternity to of fend with a luau ["Letters to the Editor," November 1999] but Tridelt sorority could put on a sushi feast in November with no problem. And I just got an Alumni Fund request. Forget it. Nobody up there seems to have any common sense. I guess it is too intellectual now to expect that.

BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA

RWP30@AOL.COM

Kick Waseing

The writer of the note on ski waxing ["On the Hill," December 1999] got good information from Professor Francis Kennedy of Thayer School about how friction enables skiing but went on to show a significant lack of knowledge about waxing techniques. I can assure you that the ski teams at Dartmouth would not have enjoyed much success using "kick waxes applied at the ski's front, back and edges." And, technically the glide waxes are applied into the flat of the ski base, but the modern-day bases are all flat, with no groove, as one might infer from reading your explanation. Even so, the clever racers and coaches used to wax the groove of those older skis. Finally, these days almost all the glide waxes are ironed in, not "rubbed."

PUTNEY, VERMONT

According to Dartmouth ski coach Ruff Patterson, most cross-country skis still have a groove."We at Dartmouth do put glide wax in thegroove," he says.—The Editors

Tonga Patty

Patricia Ledyard Matheson's connections to Dartmouth go beyond being a descendent of John Ledyard, class of 1775 ["Beyond the Hill," December 1999], In 1973 she hosted 15 Dartmouth undergraduates while they were on a foreign study program I directed in the Kingdom of Tonga. Many of these students have remained in touch with her. I have been visiting Pat every other year or so and have convinced a number of alumni to meet her; most recendy Ted Apel, John Puter baugh and Kojiro Umezaki, 1993 graduates of the M.A. program in electro-acoustic music. Deirdre Brenner '01 will also be visiting Pat during winter term, when she serves as a teaching volunteer in Tonga. Pat is a voracious reader and there are no bookstores in Tonga. If any of your readers feel so inclined, please send her books on history, tropical plants and novels (especially by American women authors), and she will be happy as a clam. Her address: Patricia Ledyard Math-eson, P.O. Box 46, Neiafu, Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga, South Pacific.

ARTHUR R. VIRGIN

PROFESSOR OF MUSIC

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Behind the Music

Your article about Dawn Hudson being responsible for Pepsi's revitalized marketing campaign ["Beyond the Hill," January] prompted me to report that the actual songs in "The Joy of Cola" commercials were written by my daughter Mary Wood. She also co-authored "Generation Next," which the present campaign replaced.

Though a faculty child, not an alum, Mary did spend one term at Dartmouth, taking courses from the music department. That she has incorporated herself as 'Frisbie Tunes" relates to "Dartmouth's Unknown History" [January]. Via Margaret Frisbie Wood—my mother, her grandmother—she is descended from Levi Frisbie, Dartmouth's first graduate.

DANIEL WEBSTER PROFESSOR OF

HISTORY, EMERITUS

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Caffeine Question

With regard to "No Room for a View" ["On the Hill,"January]: Is that a Starbucks cup on Rachel Navarro's night stand? Since when are lattes and mochas freely available in Hanover? (And my serious doubts that any college student actually puts an iron to use.)

BOULDER, COLORADO

ERICKA.HOUCK@COLORADO.EDU

Navarro replies: "The cup is a Dartmouth coffee cup. And my roommate Emily Odegard '03irons almost every outfit she wears, and sometimes I do, too."

Smoking Question

Smoking appears to be on the rise at American universities. What is Dartmouth doing about the tobacco plague? Is tobacco sold, advertised, invested in, promoted, or actively opposed, on campus? If Dartmouth is like the rest of the country, tobacco kills more of us than anything else. CHRISTOPHER COVERT-BOWLDS '84, M.D.

CJCOVERT@HINET.ORG

A Walk in the Park

Goodness! Poor old Jon Waldman '00 ["Hanover to Moosilauke or Bust," November 1999]. He hasn'thad children yet, has he? Because, frankly, 53 miles and six mountains in 24 hours, with no sleep, and with hot meals cooked by someone else, is my idea of a day off.

COBHAM, SURREY, ENGLAND

AKHENLEY@GLOBALNET.CO.UK

We welcome letters to the editor. The editor reserves the right to determine the suitability of letters for publication and to edit letters for clarity and length. They cannot be returned. Letters should include die writer's full name, address and telephone number and refer to material published in the magazine. Write: Letters to the Editor, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, 80 South Main Street, Hanover, NH 03755E-mail: DAMletters@dartmouth.edu FAX: (603) 646-1209