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September, 2000 |
Dear '65 Classmates: |
In this year of the non-summer, at least here in New England, we're already seeing some reds and golds among the leaves
- a handy reminder that our mini-reunion is not far away. You should already have the weekend of October 27-29 marked on your
calendar, so be sure your reservations are made and your football tickets (Harvard!) are ordered. I hope I won't have to eat
my words by the time you receive this, but the opening football game, a 42-24 loss to a good Colgate team, showed definite
promise and an exciting new offense. I'm hopeful we'll have lots to cheer about this year. |
Here in Hanover, the major topic of discussion is a proposed swap of Dartmouth College land out on Reservoir Road, across
from the golf course, for the construction of a new Hanover High School and middle school. Dartmouth would receive in return
the present school property on Lebanon Street, which includes the two schools plus the present high school football and soccer
fields. This property acquisition would fit with the already-proposed expansion of the Dartmouth sports complex which would,
among other things, add a 50-meter swimming pool on the present site of Red Rolfe Field. Acquisition of this property would
allow the convenient relocation of baseball, rather than moving it to Sachem Field as originally proposed, and provide additional
athletic flexibility as well. As you are sitting in Memorial Field on our mini-reunion weekend, you can look out the open
end of the stadium to the south and see the proximity of this property. And speaking of the mini-reunion, here's the full
schedule, courtesy of Larry Duffy and Mike Bettman. |
Weekend-long Activities: |
Golf at Lake Morey: contact Larry on e-mail or 603-353-2166 Horseback Riding: contact Sharon Blake on 781-235-3139 Canoeing:
contact Ledyard directly on 603-646-2753 Tennis: bring your own equipment and play at Pierce's |
Friday, October 27 |
6:00PM Family style dinner at Pierce's (or on your own) 7:30PM Alumni Parade - Class of '65 meets on Lebanon Stree near
St. Denis Church, to board the traditional Griffith Haywagon 8:30PM or so the bonfire will be torched |
Saturday, October 28 |
7:30AM Breakfast at Pierce's 10:00AM Tailgate brunch at Sphinx 12 Noon Kickoff for the Harvard rout 5:30PM Hospitality
suite at Pierce's, and dinner for kids under 13 7:00PM Dinner for 50-somethings, kids over 13, and legacies, followed by
entertainment and whatever happens |
Sunday, October 29 |
8:00AM Breakfast at Pierce's, followed by Prexy Amon's first Class meeting. Stick around for golf, horses, canoes, etc |
Our official mini-reunion headquarters is, as usual, Pierce's Inn, and if you haven't reserved space yet for rooms or meals
contact them at Pierce's Inn, 261 Dogford Road, Etna, NH 03750 or give Reg and Nancy a call at 603-643-2997. Duffy's group
reservations have expired, but if you're stuck you can still try the Best Western in White River Junction (802-295-3015) or
the Lake Morey Inn (802-333-4311). |
Steve Waterhouse, one of our most active participants in College activities, forwarded to me a copy of the 2000 Commencement
Program which includes the annual awards for Native Americans, sponsored by our Class. I will paraphrase Steve's report: "For
the past eight years the Class of 1965 has sponsored two awards graduating Native Americans. The Charles Eastman award is
for the best contribution to the activities of the Dartmouth community. Eastman, Class of 1887, was from a reservation in
Dakota and is often referred to as Dartmouth's most outstanding Native American graduate . . . a medical doctor, author, lecturer,
and humanitarian in his time. The Daniel Simon award is for the best academic achievement by a Native American. Simon was
a Narragansett Indian and the first Native American graduate of the College in 1777. |
After the graduation ceremony, the graduating class of Native Americans and their guests gather for lunch and another special
award ceremony. Each native American is presented with a "blanket" as a symbol of their success at Dartmouth, and our award
winners are recognized again. I usually go and try to talk to some of the graduates and family members present. Each year
the size of the group has grown; in 1993 there were only about 50 to 75 folks attending, and now there are around 200. Some
have never been outside their home area before, so it is a big adventure to come to Hanover. |

Native American graduates receiving their Class of '65 blanket awards. |
This year the graduating group was under 20, the smallest in many years. However, this was somewhat of an anomaly as the
incoming Class of 2004 has close to 30 members, the largest-ever class of Native Americans and a source of great pleasure
to Michael Hanitchak, Head of the Native American program. The new Dean of Students, Jim Larimore, is also a Native American
and brother of Colleen Larimore, who in turn was Head of the Native American program when our Class first began these awards."
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Friends and relatives of the new grads memorialize this big event. |
The Commencement Program reports that the Charles Eastman Award this year was shared by Diandra Benally and Casey Sixkiller,
and the Daniel S. Simon Award went to Tracey Deer. |
NEWS FROM THE MAILBOX . |
I was sure when I took this job on (and my greatest appreciation to Allen Zern for all his help in the transition)
that I would be hearing news from long-lost classmates from exotic locales. It must be Murphy's Law that the first two responses
I received were from former neighbors in Hanover! The first, including one of the many "life changes" reports that I'm sure
will become the norm in our Newsletter for us late-50-somethings, was from John McGeachie: "I lived in New York City
until I retired in 1997. My wife Emma and I returned to Massachusetts, where our children are located. We live within walking
distance of our eldest son, John '88, and his two children, Jack and Alex. Our daughter, Michelle, is moving to a house about
2.5 miles away, with her son Andrew and another on the way. Our youngest son, Andrew, lives in Cambridge, MA. In 1997, he
and two friends founded a company called Engine 5, to do web-related Java programming, and in January of this year sold the
company to the Vignette Corporation (Austin, TX). I served on their board until the sale was completed. Now I'm starting an
Internet venture with an old friend . . . and so one thing or another has kept us busier since retiring than we ever were
when I was working." |
John was always on the cutting edge of technology and is clearly one of our successful participants in e-commerce. He is
now at 21 Bishops Way, North Reading, MA 01864 and can be reached at eldestgeech@yahoo.com. |
Then I got a lengthy and fascinating letter from Richard Joseph, who stayed long enough in Hanover to contribute
a most talented son to our local soccer team before moving on to a life of varied experiences of which we will eventually
hear more. Richard explains: "My cycles never seem to coincide with the official ones. I will therefore start planning for
our 40th reunion now. This is another time of transition. In July, instead of our 32nd anniversary, Jennifer and I legalized
our separation. Our grandson, Malik, joined our granddaughter in February. After a year of planning, I am taking leave from
Emory University to direct an institute for Caribbean and International Studies at St. George's University in Grenada, my
late father's native country. A working visit to Cuba in May marked the shift in my central focus from Africa to the Caribbean,
also after 32 years. I hope to write several books based on my experiences. In order of their likely completion, the first
is a collection of my articles and essays on Nigeria from 1977 to the present. The second is a synthesis of writings and consultations
on key issues of the African predicament. And the third is the first volume of memoirs tracing my experiences from Trinidad,
where I was born, through Brooklyn, Hanover, and Ruleville, Mississippi, then to several European cities, especially Oxford,
and thence to teaching, research, and activism in Africa. As I turn to the Caribbean, having now acquired Spanish language
(alongside my French) for that venture, I am also creating a private firm named after my birthplace, Arima, to pursue economic
development initiatives in that region. Sic mundi gloria transit." |
Thus passes the glory of the world, if I remember my high school Latin. We look forward to having yet another '65 author
in print. |
So that gets my old Hanover neighbors out of the way; I was ready to move on to news from classmates previously not well-known
to me. Not to be, Murphy's Law #2 for Newsletter Editors dictated that I hear from my old fraternity brother Dr. Jack Kabak.
He brought news of his own contribution to society, the timing of which gave him an acceptable excuse for missing our 35th:
"Geri and I are sorry to have missed such a good time, but were at that moment participants in a volunteer surgical mission
to Namibia. Seven ophthalmologists from four continents and I operated on 224 cataract-blind patients in Ovamboland, close
to the Angolan border. Participating in this sight-restoring effort and observing the results was transcendently rewarding
for both of us, and we hope to do more in future years. We passed through Hanover briefly last fall. Viewed the Webster study
galleries, and felt moved to be a small part of this fine Class project. Found the town and campus to be as attractive as
ever, but remarked on the surprising and unexpected traffic congestion. We should have said hi then." |
Darn right you should have, but I appreciate the news and it was good to hear from you on such a worthwhile topic. I checked
out the www.globaleyecare.org Website that Jack mentioned and it was fascinating. Jack's address is 10 Coyote Hill, Portola
Valley, CA 94028 and he uses the Dartmouth e-mail system at Jack.Kabak.65@Alum.Dartmouth.org. |
Well, okay, so I have a connection with all those guys, but surely the next item I receive will take me someplace I haven't
been - no such luck, it's from Ossining, New York where I lived for seven years before relocating to Hanover. Seems that Bill
Burton was elected Treasurer of The Bethel Homes, which operates a continuum of health care for older adults in Westchester
County including a new 200-bed nursing home in Croton, NY. He had an impressive political career, being elected Supervisor
of Ossining for three successive terms from 1992 to 1997, and my news source points out that "In five of the six years of
his tenure, he managed to cut taxes and consolidate government, saving some $2 million over the six years." Perhaps I can
persuade him to move to Hanover, where we might use some of those skills to afford the new local schools mentioned earlier!
After his retirement from that position Bill was appointed staff director of registration and enforcement of the Westchester
County Taxi and Limousine Commission. In 1999 he founded Burton & Co. a consulting firm advising on government and community
relations for clients in the electric power generating industry. The article goes on to mention the Dartmouth connection as
well as Bill's master's degree in City Planning from Yale. |
So I've heard from Hanover folks, fraternity brothers, and a sort-of hometown boy - now surely I'll have something from
someone with whom I shared nothing but the Dartmouth experience. Nope - it's Charlie Strauss this time, with whom I
share a 1967 MBA from Columbia. The Greenwich, CT Times reports that Charlie has been appointed president and chief executive
officer of Unilever Home & Personal Care - North America. Charlie's unit of the Netherlands and British-based Unilever
NV has about 7,900 employees in the US, with one estimate of sales in the $4-6 billion range. The article charts Charlie's
progress in the organization from 1986 when, as CEO of Ragu Foods, his company was acquired by Unilever. He was then successively
(and presumably successfully) became CEO of the German subsidiary, then the New York City-based Lever Brothers, then the Latin
American business group, to his present position. He'll be responsible for brands such as Chesebrough-Ponds, Helene Curtis,
Elizabeth Arden and Calvin Klein. In keeping with one of the themes seen above, one of Charlie's strategies for growth is
quoted: "We hope to have opportunities for Internet commerce with our businesses shortly", and he talks further about targeting
up to $40 million of his marketing budget this year on developing interactive venues such as e-commerce. |
Larry Hunt reports in that "Last fall, I married Katherine Collins Werner, a Manhattanville graduate ('67) and a lawyer.
My daughter Caroline '00 left Hanover in June (Ed. Note - there's the connection, Dartmouth daughters in common) and son Darwin,
age 15, will be at Deerfield. May daughter Laura, 19, is at Michigan, so I get to see a range of athletic events during parental
visits. Caroline was active in SHEBA, a dance group at the College". |
The ubiquitous Steve Waterhouse sent me some material on Ixion Biotechnology, Inc., which might interest only a few of
us except for the fact that the chairman and CEO is none other than our own Weaver Gaines. Weaver was interviewed online
some time ago by WallStreetReporter, and talked in depth about his company. Ixion is a development-stage company developing
treatments and diagnoses of oxalate-related disorders such as kidney stones, Crohn's disease, and cystic fibrosis, and is
also developing treatments for the cure of type 1 diabetes. In line with our recurring theme of e-commerce, Ixion was the
first biotech company to offer registered stock over the Internet. You might enjoy visiting their Website at Ixion@Ixion-biotech.com.
I found it well designed and interesting even to a layman. |
My final news item comes from Ken McGruther who, as our new Class Secretary, attended Class Officers Weekend in
Hanover. Many of Ken's thoughtful observations centered on Class leadership issues discussed during the weekend (and to be
further discussed by your new Class officers), but I'll paraphrase his general remarks. "There were three '65 attendees for
part or all of the weekend: Bob Blake, Steve Fowler, and myself. It was a delightful event, with lots of information packed
into three days. Particularly useful for new officers (namely me). Events included: |
Dinner with remarks and welcome from President Class Presidents Association
Orientation for new officers
Explanation and tour of new Berry Library complex
Seminars on class support systems and use of cyberspace to improve connectivity
Dinner and remarks/Q and A's by President Wright
Football game |
President and Mrs. Wright hosted the Class of '04 at President's House (a la John Sloan Dickey). He referred several times
to the "sense of energy" on campus. His chief goals are to (1) build a common sense of purpose and direction; (2) expand the
physical plant to meet emerging needs of student body; (3) focus on student exchanges of views as a fundamental part of the
learning process; (4) build in alternatives to Greek social life (but not replace it). The College has acquired some property
in Hanover, but building will virtually all be to the north of the Green (one look at the construction going on there confirms
this). The President will not teach any more classes but will give periodic guest lectures on invitation to classes; too many
compromises would be required in scheduling a full class, and "students deserve better" than that. My observation is that
we heard an historian looking forward, someone who has gotten his feet well under him in his two years, and who sincerely
believes on focusing first and foremost on the undergraduate student body. |
Overall my sense was that it was delightful to be on campus again, especially in that I had not been there other than at
Minis for many a year. The degree of construction activity that has occurred and is ongoing is stunning. I was surprised by
the turnout for Class Officers Weekend (almost every class had representation, and in some cases there were as many as 25-30
classes represented at the various officer-association meetings)." Hank Amon also touches on the weekend in his letter below. |
In concluding my own first effort at this venture, I find there will be news that will not always be enjoyable to convey
to you. We lost classmate Jonathan Lee to cancer back in December of 1999, although the College was just notified. I have
no other details, although I remember an enjoyable conversation with Jonathan at, I believe, our 25th Reunion. |
All the best, see you in October. |
Bob Murphy |
DARTMOUTH CLASS OF 1965 |
Dear 1965 Classmates, |
I mentioned in my previous letter that plans were underway to improve the Class of 1965 web-site. I am pleased to report
that, through the efforts of Ward Hindman, our Class Webmaster, |
our website has a new and distinctive look. I urge all Classmates to go to www.alum.dartmouth.org/classes/65 to check out
the new site. It is full of information, and we intend to provide frequent updates. We also hope to eventually make it interactive.
Thoughts and suggestions for improvements are always welcome. Ward's email address is on the site and you can reach me at
camon@whitecase.com. |
Class Officers Weekend recently took place in Hanover. Although I was not able to attend due to business travel commitments,
Ken McGruther, Steve Fowler and Bob Blake represented the Class at the meetings. Among other highlights, Ken reports that
Bob Blake was elected President of the Mini-Reunions Association, that a new class officer position to be called "Webmaster"
was formally recommended by the Class Presidents (we are already ahead of the curve on this one; well done Ward), and that
the Class Presidents requested a mid-October weekend for Homecoming (it has fallen at the end of the month in recent years).
During the course of the weekend, President Wright reported that the Class of '04 numbered 1,085 of which 48% are women. Regrettably,
I do not believe there is a '65 legacy among those matriculating this month. |
By the time you read this, Steve Fowler, our new Class Treasurer, will have distributed the Class of 1965 annual dues letter
and appeal. I urge all classmates to read Steve's letter carefully and to pay the relatively modest class dues amount. Having
spent the past five years as Head Agent and, during the course of those years, having spoken with many of you regarding Alumni
Fund contributions and other financial support for the College, I understand that some have their reasons for not supporting
the College financially through donations. However, I hope this does not prevent those of you from paying Class dues which
help support the many worthwhile activities of the Class and fund distribution of the Alumni Magazine to all class members
who care to receive it. You will also notice that the dues appeal contains a place where donations may be made to the Class
of 1965 Scholarship Fund. |
We are still hoping to organize an out-of-Hanover mini-reunion in late February/early March in Colorado (hopefully Vail)
for ski and winter enthusiasts in the Class. More details will be forthcoming at the mini-reunion in Hanover on October 27-29.
Also, check the website for news of this event. |
See you in Hanover October 27-29! |
Hank Amon, President |
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