1954

Annual holiday luncheons were once again held in Boston and New York and attracted a total of 48 classmates and one spouse, as follows: Boston, December 5—Dick Barker, Bob Buchanan, Jim Clark, Phil Cooke, John Crowe, Jay Davis, Peter Dwight, Dick Gorsey, Bill Grover, Mort Haefitz, Peter Kenyon, Bob Osmond, John Pope, Harry Robinson, Dave Thielscher, Jim Tofias and Shelly Woolf; New York, December 6—Bob Adnopoz, Pete Barker, Jerry Barton, Don Berlin, Bob Berry, Brad Borden, Lon Chaikin, Bruce Classon, John Cunningham, Dick Davidoff, Perry Davis, John Fenn, Dick Franklin, Jerry Goldstein, Rick Hartman, Tony Kane, Tom Kelsey, Dave Levine, Dana Low, Mimi and Vic Mahler, Dave Mandelbaum, Steve Mullins, Bill Murane, Dick Page, Dick Pearl, Art Rauch, Harry Robinson, Dick Steinberg, Norm Veasey, Wayne Weil, Bill White and Ed Winnick.

President Jay Davis and projects committee chair Peter Kenyon have announced '54's new participation in Dartmouth Partners in Community Service (DPCS). Founded by the Dartmouth class of 1959 and now including participation by more than 40 other alumni classes, DPCS offers internships with nonprofits that address education, environmental protection, psychology, hunger and homelessness, among other community-based nonprofit organizations. Dartmouth students can now undertake the equivalent of a semester-long internship during their off-campus terms. Dave Mandelbaum and I will be serving as mentors this winter for two New York City-based interns. The addition of this program raises to four the number of class of 19 54-funded international and domestic internships and, including our one athletic recruitment program, increases our annual budget for special projects to $13,000.

Classmates are asked to take special note of 2008-09 dues statements requesting funding for our important special projects.

In its review of the new documentary film, Steep, TheNewYork Times highlights the daredevil extreme skiing of one of the film's stars, Bill Briggs, and tracks Bill's lone descent of Grand Teton mountain in Wyoming in 1971, with another review crediting him with being the first skier to accomplish the descent of 6,500 feet of the mountain. Bill explains that the risk defines the reason for living: "If there's no risk there's no adventure...and why am I living?" he asks. "Gee, it's to have an adventure." With Bill acknowledged as one of the originators of extreme skiing (indeed, he's considered by many the sport's "father") and after personally seeing this outstanding film it's easy to see how and why Bill has enjoyed his life's adventure. Classmates are encouraged to take the Bill Briggs run on Grand Teton mountain. Who knows, maybe "Father" Briggs will join you.

A reminder to classmates: Send your nominations for class officers for the five-year term beginning in June 2009 to Dave Mandelbaum: rmmandy@optonline.net. Also, don't forget to let Pete Barker know that you're agreeable to receiving bimonthly newsletters online, thereby helping '54 save megabucks in paper, printing and mailing costs. Pete can be reached at pgbarker54 @aol.c0m or (203) 661-7611.

Our next Class Notes column will be online in early March and in print in late April; please send your news to me at akane32@nyc.rr.com.

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