1948

1948

The 2017 male winner of our scholar-athlete award was soccer player Wyatt Omsberg '18 of Scarborough, Maine. He earned All-American honors and was named first-team All-Ivy and Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year in both his junior and senior years. The female award winner was field hockey player Morgan Philie ofWest Friendship, Maryland. She was an academic All-American and All-Ivy in both her sophomore and junior years and is a member of the Dartmouth ROTC. Another ongoing, high-profile program is the maintenance of the ’48 rocking chairs on the Hanover Inn porch, which we pay for out of the class treasury, now funded with some $21,000. We need to plan how to handle these programs after our class is no longer active.

Two major issues facing the College include the question of whether to increase the undergraduate body by some 750 students and the problem of large deficits run by the Hanover Country Club. President Hanlon has set up committees to study both issues and come up with recommendations later this year. Bud Munson discussed the class size question in substantial detail in his newsletter, and I agree with his priority: “to ensure that the scope of Dartmouth’s academic programs and financial base matches the high-quality levels of other Ivy and top national educational institutions.” Currently we have the smallest student body in the league. Space for a housing complex is available only in the College Park wooded area and may eliminate Shattuck Observatory. The Bema ambiance, however, is precious. As for the other issue, the golfing facility is losing some $500,000 annually and membership recently has dropped from 400 to 300. The golf course is a significant asset that should be preserved.

Correcting my previous column, Sonny Drury’s phone number is (281) 531-8608.

—Dave Kurr, 4281 Indian Field Road, Clinton, NY 13323; (781) 801-6716; djhurr@verizon.net