1961

It looks like we're set for our class 65th birthday bash in Palm Springs, California, during the weekend of April 22-25,2004. More to follow. The Palm Springs reunion committee consists of the formidable foursome of Sheldon Baroff, Bill Blue, Duane Cox and Art Jacobson. All we (other classmates) have to do is to stay healthy until then and show up.

As our formidable class president Pete Bleyler winds down his career, his wife has started on a new career path. Ruth was recently elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Not only is this a fine achievement in politics, but Ruth has also become the top breadwinner in the family—with her annual compensation of $100 (that's right, one hundred dollars). Apparently, one does not enter New Hampshire politics for the compensation!

Hank Eberhardt is doing a great job as our new class Alumni Fund chairman. However, he needs the broad support from all of us. We're already ahead of last year. Let's all help Hank achieve our goals so that he won't become depressed.

Our Class of 1961 Arts Initiative Program is doing well and garnering increasing publicity from the College. The 1961 Arts Initiative Award was recently granted to two college seniors majoring in studio design, Sheridan Fox and Jessica Tam. Their financial grant will be used to assist them to conceive, design, lay out and construct a work of children's literature comprised of both original text and illustration.

With the College deficit looming ever larger, the administration took the now controversial step of eliminating the swimming and diving team. Little did they realize that this would create such a flashpoint of broad opposition from so many alumni as well as students. There are obviously strong positions to both sides of the issue. The end result of all of this was a compromise decision wherein both the mens and women's swimming and diving teams will be continued as full intercollegiate varsity sports supported by a $2 million fundraising effort by alumni, students, parents and friends of Dartmouth. Congratulations to the administration on its willingness to be flexible on this sensitive issue.

John White, an internationally known author of 15 books, was the guest speaker at the Veterans Day parade and celebration in his hometown of Cheshire, Connecticut John spoke on the esoteric topic of "American Patriotism and Global Society." A Vietnam veteran, John served four years as a naval officer, primarily in antisubmarine warfare and nuclear weaponry. The depth of his speech, however, pales in comparison to the depth of the topics covered in his books, with such titles as The Meeting of Science and Spirit, APractical Guide to Death and Dying and What is Enlightenment?, as well as a children's book, The Christmas Mice. His books have been translated into 10 languages. John lives in Cheshire, Connecticut, with his wife, Barbara.

As class secretary, what I have learned most to date is the incredible diversity of accomplishment within our class. Most classmates seem to have accomplished something, many have accomplished several things, and some have accomplished a great deal. I stand in awe of you!

Victor S. Rich, 5 Red Ground Road, Old Westbury,NY 11568; victor rich@rsmi.com