Class of ’65 Executive Committee Meeting Class Projects Report Resulting From The July 10, 2006 Meeting At Bill Webster's Home in Old Saybrook, CT   Present Jim Griffiths, Bob Blake, Bob McConnaughey, John Sottile, Ken McGruther, Bob Murphy, Jim Hamilton, Mike Gonnerman, Doug Leitch, Stu Keiller, Tucky Mays, Bill Webster, Hank Amon, Brian Porzak and Roger Hansen    Steve Waterhouse Winter CarniVAIL Past: President, Treasure, Alumni Fund, Reunions   It Ain't Braggin' If It's So! Click On Image To Enlarge L>R:  Doug Leitch, Bob Blake, Jim Griffiths, Bill Webster, Steve Waterhouse, Hank Amon, and the late Sin-Sing-Chiu, who died shortly after this photo. Webster Hall / Rauner Library Restoration and Special Books   The 1965 Galleries will probably remain our most outstanding contribution to The College as a Class....  We are also on record to assist in any further needs of the Galleries such as providing display cases, or new tables, or whatever over time....  I am not aware of any current needs, but at some point we might revisit this.  We have talked about putting a bookcase in the Galleries with copies of all books published by members of the Class of 1965, but, so far, we have not actioned this.   Ken McGruther     WEBSTER HALL PROJECT WEBSTER HALL DONORS     The Great Class of '65 has several Class Projects about which to boast. It provides on-going annual support for the following programs.     Dartmouth College Sponsor Program  We are one of a number of classes who make an annual contribution to the Athletics Department budget via the Sponsors Program to bring talented athletes to Hanover as a step in the recruiting process each year.   Freshman Trips For the vast majority of our class who took the FT in 1961, this remains one of our great college experiences.  Today, almost 100% of entering Freshpeople do take one of many FT options.  We have undertaken 2 significant projects in this area so far.... 1) Our first important class project (c. 1976) was the funding of the construction of the "1965 Cabin" at Mt Moosilauke.  It is located near the base lodge, and is the biggest structure at the mountain other than the lodge.  It is used as a bunkhouse for freshman trippers.  I think it has been expanded by the College since we built the original, but they kept our name on it.  Over the years, I have been amused by how many FTs have stayed in the 1965 cabin, and speak highly of it... 2)  Our annual contributions to the FT now provides small FT scholarships to enable 4-6 freshpeople to participate each year.   Friends of Baker Library This is a modest support each year for Library, particularly the Special Collections acquisition program.  It continues a strong relationship with the Library where almost everyone in our class spent some time as an undergrad, and where, over the years, we have undertaken 3 significant projects.... 1) Memorial Books Program...  When we set this up in c. 1970, we chose to give a book on "Native Americans" for each deceased classmate...  Now some 35 years later, we have a significant number of books in one area of the stacks dedicated to this single subject.  One only has to go in to the NA section of the stacks, and open the front covers of a few NA books to find our class logo displayed frequently. 2) In c 1990, we spent a significant sum (c. $12,000) to restore the college's papers relating to The Dartmouth College Case and Daniel Webster's role in it.  These papers are amongst the most frequently looked at documents (and amongst the most important) in the Special Collections Library as they lay the basis for legal support in the USA on private property rights, particularly for institutions like Dartmouth College.  Since most of these papers originated in 1818-1819, they were a bit worn out by the time we helped restore them. 3) In c.1995, we took a lead role in first "selling" the unique concept of creating a Special Collections Library (there were only 2 other libraries like it that I was aware of.... One at Harvard and the other at Yale), and then in raising the roughly $13 million required to totally gut, rebuild and now maintain Webster Hall as the Rauner Special Collections Library.  For our class gift of roughly $1.3 million, we obtained the right to "name" 3 separate spaces (as the fund raising plan had them designated) under the single title of "The 1965 Galleries."  This was, and probably still is, the biggest single contribution by a class to a "capital project" in the College's history.   One major reason for many in our class to contribute was that the Class of 1965 was the last freshman class to participate in Robert Frost's annual poetry readings in May, 1962.  He never did another one because he died in January 1963.  And of course, this took place in Webster Hall and was one of the last 'big" events situated in Webster Hall because Hopkins Center opened in September 1962 with 3 auditoriums that eliminated what had been the principal need for Webster.  Many of us remember sitting in the then bleachers in what is now our 1965 Galleries to hear Frost talk....  This is why so many of us feel so strongly about Frost's poetry, particularly perhaps his most famous poem, "The Road Not Taken".....     Native American Programs 1) As noted above, we dedicated the Memorial Books Program to "Native Americans."   This has been a worthwhile effort that is a special activity of our class. 2) We also have....  The two "1965 Native American Awards" given out at every graduation to Native American members of each graduating class as a result of our annual contribution to the Native American program....  One is given to the leading NA academic student, and the other is given to the leading NA student leader.  Each is also named after an outstanding Indian Graduate from the 19th century.  As a result of this program, we are one of a handful of classes that gets prominent mention in every graduation program each June.      "Stewater"