1974

1974

Hi, everyone.

Matt Putnam checked in from his bucket list trip “to the outer Leeward Islands in French Polynesia. I have heard from many who feel increasingly fortunate to be able to travel as we enter retirement. For Ann and me, our visit to the South Pacific is a dream realized with hopes to return. Beyond swimming with countless fish—including friendly sharks (reassurances aside I never turned my back on these guys)—one of the more amazing realizations is that the peopling of Polynesia is less than 1,200 years old and the region’s first explorers arrived by outrigger canoe crossing four weeks of oceans carrying all the necessary supplies. A second realization is that Gauguin’s paintings (such as Three Tahitians') accurately capture the people. Hoping that all of us can share our adventures with one another in June 2024.”

1971-1975

Unfortunately, we can’t post pictures here, but ifyou’d like to see his amazing photos, contact Matt directly.

Peter DeNatale and Jerry Bowe want you to be thinking about “our 50th reunion beginning June 7,2024, and ending June 9. We are now 13 months away from what we hope is the best reunion ever. Your reunion team has begun to reach out to all our classmates and hope that you will join us. Save those dates! Typically, the 50th reunion will be one of the last times before Father Time takes more of us away. To date we have lost just more than 100 ofthe 861 classmates. At matriculation in the fall of1970 we were 18and 19-year-olds. Now we are pushing our 70s. Let’s celebrate with a fantastic time in June of 2024. The best place to get information about the reunion is 1974. Dartmouth.org.”

Mike Thomas and Bill Geiger sent the following update on their workto implement our new class project supporting undergraduate research in health equity. “Our mortality working group has made great strides. What is now the Class Health Equity Fund has raised more than $300,000 in commitments to establish a program providing yearlong research opportunities for up to five undergraduates. A partnership formed with faculty researchers at the health equity and advocacy lab (HEAL), housed within the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, has the enthusiastic endorsement of leadership at Geisel and the College.

“A second short film (complementing the first video, Too Many Too Soon, and describing details ofthe new program) will be completed by early summer and feature the deans ofthe College and medical school along with HEAL faculty. If you haven’t seen the initial video, please see the class website for more information. The target launch date for the first undergraduate research assistants is September.”

I would also add a plug reminding all to remember our 45th reunion class project, “The Class of 1974 Scholarship.” We hope to raise at least $500,000 for each of these projects prior to our 50th reunion.

—Philip Stebbins, 17 Hardy Road, Londonderry, NH 03053; p.stebs@gmail.com

Philip Stebbins