1961

Our highly successful 65th birthday reunion party in Palm Springs, California, in April (73 attendees, including 40 classmates) is now a fleeting memory, which at our age isn't all that bad; the alternative is worse! Summer is now in full swing and fall mini-reunions at "D" are being planned and about to take place within the next few months. Don't forget ours, which is scheduled for the weekend of October 8-10. Our mini-reunion chairman, Maynard Wheeler, has put together an interesting and exciting weekend. Read his material. Try to attend.

As manyofyou now know, our own "homegrown" Mike Gazzaniga has stepped down from his position as Dartmouth's dean of the faculty of arts and sciences. Mike, however, has agreed to continue as the David T. McLaughlin Distinguished University Professor and as the director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, where he will continue his innovative work. He will also continue as the recently elected president of the American Psychological Society. Now, in 10 (ok, 20) words or less, how many of you can describe what is meant by "cognitive neuroscience?"

The class has recently had a changing of the guard, with Tom "TC" Conger resigning as class (and classy) co-newsletter editor of Wide WideWorld and John Wilkins replacing him, to share the responsibility with Bert Rowley. Our sincerest gratitude to TC, who through his decades of service displayed unique wisdom and entertaining wit.

The class of '61 now has a recently approved official constitution. Thanks to all of those numerous classmates who participated in its development and completion.

For our 45th reunion, the class executive committee has agreed to support the expansion of the Class of 1961 Performing Arts Legacy endowment fund at Hopkins Center as our class project. Our 45th reunion chair, Frank Ginn, wants everyone to put June 12-15,2006, in his calendar and plan to attend.

Some news about other classmates follows. Steve Bosworth, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and former Dartmouth trustee for 10 years (including four years as board chair), recently received the Rockefeller Distinguished Public Service Award in recognition of dedicated service to the nation and the international community. Ross Sander, director of the Center for New York City Law at New York Law School, is the co-author of the book Democracy By Decree, which analyzes what happens when the state and local courts attempt to run state and local governments by means of consent decrees. It is a thought-provoking book about the fundamental issues of democracy, federalism and separation of powers. Ken Walker, a former long-term Amityville, New York, school board trustee, was recognized by Salomon Smith Barney for his achievements as a financial consultant within the firm's private client group and has been given the rarefied title of senior investment management specialist. Hank Eberhardt, former director of the"D" Alumni Fund and current class head agent, retires from Mount Holyoke in September, after which he will be fully retired and out to pasture.

On a sadder note, our class continues to shrink with the passing of Bill Smith, who left Dartmouth and subsequently graduated from Allegheny College in 1961 and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1968, and George Ramming, who was an outstanding member of Dartmouth's basketball and track teams (including captain of the basketball team during our senior year) and a member of Green Key, Sphinx and Sigma Nu. They will be missed.

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