1961

The Class of ’61 Legacy, established more than two decades ago to enhance the performing arts program at the Hopkins Center, has recently reached ever-new heights with its sponsorship earlier in the year of a gospel group called Sweet Honey in the Rock. The group came to Dartmouth for four days, which included two concerts, engagement with students and the larger Hanover community, a power of song workshop, luncheon with the Rockapellas, the College gospel group, and a series of classroom encounters. The internationally renowned all-woman a cappella ensemble sings with a repertoire of gospel, blues, spirituals, jazz improvisations, lullabies, African chants, hip hop and hymns that is simply outstanding. A typical sample of their sound can be found on YouTube, which is where I saw and heard them. This group is worth seeing and hearing. The class owes a debt of gratitude to David Birney, Oscar Arslanian, Pete Bleyler, John King, Cleve Carney and Charlie Brown for continuing to oversee the Class of ’61 Legacy.

The joint 1961/2011 Class Connections Program is now in full force and effect. Apart from several joint summer activities, including an etiquette dinner in July (I can only hope that our attending classmates learned something about etiquette!), the class members who attended our fall mini-reunion in Hanover last October (coordinated superbly by Maynard Wheeler) were engaged in several interactions with members of the class of 2011. Our thanks to Pete Bleyler for managing the Connections program for our class.

The Dartmouth Alumni Fund for the year ended June 30 on a very positive note for our class. We exceeded our class goal of $190,000 by more than $21,000, in spite of trying and uncertain economic times. However, it is in the area of participation where our class really shone. We increased our class participation to 77.2 percent, up from 74.5 percent last year, in contrast to a downward trend for the Dartmouth Alumni Fund as a whole. In fact, we actually exceeded the participation rate of all classes except for four, three of which were reunion classes and one that was preparing to have its 50th reunion the following year. This was achieved as a result of a lot of very hard work by 52 classmates serving as volunteer solicitors, the generosity and spirit of participation by 399 classmates and the outstanding leadership of Denny Denniston and Don O’Neil, co-head agents for our class, and Tom Mauro, participation chair. As a side tribute, our class was recognized by the College as the only class that this year broke its past non-reunion participation record.

In closing I urge all of our classmates to read the final letter written by our classmate Jack Heyde to his family and friends three days before he passed away on June 3. As a valued member of the class of 1961 Jack was both family and friend. The letter was sent to me by his wife, Barbara, and I forwarded it to Tom Conger, our class newsletter editor, and to Harris McKee, our class Webmaster, for insertion into their respective class communication vehicles. Also, see the class obituary section. Jack’s letter is very poignant and puts a lot of things in perspective.

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