1956

Yes, it's September; but the memories of our record-setting 50th are still veryclear! Two hundred and ninety-five classmates and a dozen widows of classmates made it for the Hanover portion, and a flock of them stayed on for three days in Stowe. Line Spaulding, who spent the past five years getting us ready, within hours of its conclusion was literally at sea in the Centennial Newport to Bermuda race.

Reunions are clearly great opportunities for renewing friendships, but a number of the active listserv correspondents expressed real pleasure in meeting and putting a face on folks with whom they've been jostling these past few years but didn't really know 50 years ago. Em Houck met Larry Morse, who in turn found he could have a great conversation with Art Zich, much to the dismay of those who had predicted a "third world war or something." Larry said it was "as if we had known each other for 50 years. This was the best part of all." Art, in the same spirit, observed, "The words we place here deliver only one dimension of a person. Meeting someone face-on suddenly balloons the image we have from his/her words into reality. We see his/her presence, their depth, their voice and facial expression, their tone of voice, their body language and so much else. It wasn't reality, but it was probably as close as we'll collectively get." George Hall reported, "The whole trip [from California] would have been worth it for the 20 minutes I spent talking with Sam Peterson."

Russ Cooper-Mead's wife, Kaye, "had never been to Hanover and was struck at first by its beauty; then, as the days went by, she realized what a special bond the College had given us and wished she might have experienced that instead of the vastness of large public universities." Karen Merrels sent along her "thank you" to Line and the rest of the planning committee for the good experience of each of the widows who attended. Brewster Blackall said that he and Ginny had such a good time both renewing and making new friendships they would welcome another Trapp Family Lodge retreat. I know I'm indebted to BobMackay, Jack Crowley and Doug Keare for the winning performance of our foursome at the Country Club of Vermont and to Ron MacKenzie, whose hole-in-one helped quench the thirst of each of us after the game. Although Herb Kleber had been in Hanover in mid-April to give grand rounds for the department of psychiatry at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center on "Marijuana: No Longer a Harmless Giggle," he and his wife, Annie, made it back for our 50th.

Harry Nutting had his fraternity brothers and spouses up for a pre-reunion get-together in North Landgrove, Vermont; and Bill Hamilton and Janet did the same for roommates Nate Metzger, George Fenner and me in Piermont, New Hampshire.

We've three new honorary classmates who seemed delighted to be counted among us: Ben Thompson, Jim Lehrer and Thad Seymour.

Bob Barry reported Harry Bieling's death in April. An obituary appears later in this issue.

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