Snowbird Frank Bruni migrates with the seasons between Georgia and the New York suburbs. His 18-year-old granddaughter Leslie didn’t want him to make the drive by himself. So she flew from L.A. to Atlanta, hopped behind the wheel of her granddad’s gold-colored Cadillac, and the two headed north. That younger generation is remarkable! 


Jim Francis sent me a brochure of our Freshman Fathers’ Weekend, a three-day get-together in February 1954. With dads in attendance we saw freshman hockey square off against Harvard, the freshmen hoopsters face Boston College and listened to the freshman Glee Club.


We also had a smoker, went to regular Saturday classes (bet they don’t have either of those today) and attended church services led by the Rev. Diplock, father of Llewellyn Diplock. President John S. Dickey ’29, Dean Stearns Morse and Ross McKenney of the DOC spoke to the group. Our class officers were Edward Jennings, president; George Bixby, vice president; Robert Smith, secretary; and Kent Crane, treasurer.


Best friends forever, or BFFs. That describes Dick Perkins and Tony Carleton ’56. At Dartmouth they skied and were roommates. After college they remained close, living close by and sharing the successes, pains and foibles of families, careers and growing old and skiing together. A few years ago Dick, legally blind from macular degeneration, had to stop skiing altogether. Two decades earlier Tony had developed a neurological disorder that destroyed his upper body strength and made walking difficult, but he could still ski. 


Then three years ago Tony had an idea: He would serve as Dick’s guide, and they could ski down mountains together. Tony put on a bright green and orange vest that said “Guide” and attached colorful vertical stripes to his pant legs to help guide Dick, who followed him downslope with another orange vest that said “Visually Impaired.” And downhill they go!


You can see a short video of them skiing (they go fast, amazing other skiers), plus excerpts from an interview by Boston station WBUR at the class website, www.dartmouth57.com. 


—Bruce Sloane, 124 Hull School Road, Sperryville, VA 22740; (540) 987-8859; bsloane@wildblue.net