1963

Wonderful thoughts of our 40th reunion last June were receding in the swirl of daily issues when I received a book from SteveSwirsky, Something to Write Home.About, by his son, Seth '82, whose childhood was spent on the Dartmouth campus. The book is a compendium of photos and letters to Seth from ballplayers and fans including the senior George Bush and Steve himself, who writes to his son about a character-building lesson he learned from a big high school game. Seeing the book connected me back to Hanover, and the many classmate encounters and programs that made this reunion so enjoyable.

Two hundred sixty classmates and guests were on hand, including first-timers Doug and Charlotte Kerr and Londoners Walt Zwick and Tom Holzel. Four Alpha Chi Rho brothers, Tom Jester, Bob Haubrich, Denny Emerson and Vaughn Skinner, swapped tales at dinner like the one about the vodka and orange juice-inspired conga line on Webster Avenue or the time they woke up in a car following a flash nighttime blizzard. John Bailey recounted his rise from sandwich man to pilot for U.S. Airways. Steve and Sharon Brenner from Portland, Oregon, stopped in Philly to see grandchildren. Chuck and Marilyn Racine day-tripped from their farm 50 miles to the north.

We presented Alan V. Davies Soaring Pine awards to Roy Benson, author and running coach to Olympians and amateurs; John Merrow, America's No. 1 TV" education journalist; and Ken Novack, philanthropist and key player in the merger of Time-Warner and AOL.

Dick Swett, a Bangor, Maine, orthopedist, who's had heart and gall bladder surgery, won the Predictors Mile by making his goal of 9:40. Hank Rodgers and Jim Bell were close seconds. Twelve out of 48, including Hank Booth and Bill Gerchick, braved rain to golf. Kyi Jones and Lenore Bowne (Marty) gave trophies for first place to Ed and Nina Comiskey, and Clay and Susan Herring and runner-ups Dick Berkowitz and Gary Lange. The Herrings also won closest to the pin, while Dave McCollum and Charlene Mazer (Ed) made the longest drives. Dave Schaefer presented the Bass Ackwards Fishing Award to Bill Horner, who caught a large-mouthed bass, a small-mouthed bass and a yellow perch. Schaefer said he never heard of these fish, but it didn't matter because it was the first time '63s, including Bill Lamb and Pete DeForth, had caught anything. Wet weather brought tennis indoors at beautiful Thompson Arena where Sam Cabot, Dave Smoyer, Fred Crabbe, Rick Hashagen and Randy Reetz showed they still had it. Peter Stevenson organized rowing on the Connecticut with Bob Baxley, Dick Swett, Pete Gina, Sam Cabot and Bill Horner.

Jim Bell conducted a powerful program on retirement. John Merrow's panel on accountability in education featured Tom Berger, English professor at St. Lawrence University; Jim Linksz, president of Bucks County Community College; Frank Finswaithe, teacher at Westminster School in Atlanta; and Peter Andre, a math instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy. The Rev. Ken Kvistad officiated at a moving memorial service for 60 departed classmates, assisted by Jim Ferguson, Mike Leone, Steve Lewinstein and Tim Ratner. Bob Bysshe presided over his final class meeting, which included an impromptu speech of gratitude from George Richardson, whose daughter, Christina '02, was the first recipient of the '63 scholarship. Alexander Horn '04 (Andrew) has been named second winner.

Next big mini-reunion is October 24-26 for the Homecoming Columbia game in Hanover. For details contact mini-reunion chair Rick Hashagen, (802) 254-9613, jdhashagen@aol.com.

60 Madison Ave., Suite 910, NewYork, NY 10010; (212) 447-9292; harry@zlokower.com