Class Note 1957
Issue
Sep - Oct 2017
The 60th reunion of the great class of 1957 is behind us, so let’s get to the news. During the 60 years since our graduation we have given Dartmouth more than $60 million!
Eighty-two classmates, 77 wives and significant others and five widows returned for the 60th. At our 105 Dartmouth Hall class meeting, outgoing president Bernie Bernstein passed the gavel to Tom Macy and presented a special citation to Happy and Clark Griffiths for their exceptional class service. Special sessions included the evolution of “Great Issues,” moderated by Bruce Bernstein with panelists Gordon Bjork, Jay Greene, Larry Silberman and Chris Wren; and an Arctic-Antarctic presentation featuring adventurous classmates Bob Creasy, Bill Fiero and John Hobbie. Class dinners offered good food, extra treats and surprises: President Hanlon’s uplifting remarks, Dartmouth Aires performances, Barry Rotman accompanying his mother, Ida Rotman, a 60-year Dartmouth donor, on her 104th birthday as she became the first female member of the class of ’57.
Lyn and I arrived a day early for another inspiring Commencement. Honoree and speaker Jake Tapper ’91 received a standing ovation from the class of 2017; but for us, the real highlight was conferral of doctors of humane letters to Dottie and Bob King, whose endowment provides full scholarships to exceptional students from developing countries.
Equally impressive was our class memorial service, sensitively designed by Mike Lasser and Jack Stempel’s widow, Judy. Profound and dramatic, the service included music by Jay Greene, Ellsworth Wheeler’s widow, Kay; class singing led by Clark Griffiths; and readings by Hanny Mason’s widow, Carrie, Bernie Bernstein, Ted Jennings, Jack Hall, and Joe Stevenson. The names of classmates lost since our 55th reunion were read by Tom Macy, Wendie and Howie Howland.
Closing dinner at the Hanover Inn included Mike Lasser’s insights into songs of the 1930s, professor Jacob Strauss on piano and our incomparable Dave Cook on clarinet.
Finally, Bruce Sloane tells me that the toughest part of the scribe’s job is extracting information from classmates. One solution might be to create a new section: fake news. So keep those cards and letters coming!
—John W. Cusick, 251 Sabal Palm Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32963; (772) 231-1248; johnwcusick@aol.com
Eighty-two classmates, 77 wives and significant others and five widows returned for the 60th. At our 105 Dartmouth Hall class meeting, outgoing president Bernie Bernstein passed the gavel to Tom Macy and presented a special citation to Happy and Clark Griffiths for their exceptional class service. Special sessions included the evolution of “Great Issues,” moderated by Bruce Bernstein with panelists Gordon Bjork, Jay Greene, Larry Silberman and Chris Wren; and an Arctic-Antarctic presentation featuring adventurous classmates Bob Creasy, Bill Fiero and John Hobbie. Class dinners offered good food, extra treats and surprises: President Hanlon’s uplifting remarks, Dartmouth Aires performances, Barry Rotman accompanying his mother, Ida Rotman, a 60-year Dartmouth donor, on her 104th birthday as she became the first female member of the class of ’57.
Lyn and I arrived a day early for another inspiring Commencement. Honoree and speaker Jake Tapper ’91 received a standing ovation from the class of 2017; but for us, the real highlight was conferral of doctors of humane letters to Dottie and Bob King, whose endowment provides full scholarships to exceptional students from developing countries.
Equally impressive was our class memorial service, sensitively designed by Mike Lasser and Jack Stempel’s widow, Judy. Profound and dramatic, the service included music by Jay Greene, Ellsworth Wheeler’s widow, Kay; class singing led by Clark Griffiths; and readings by Hanny Mason’s widow, Carrie, Bernie Bernstein, Ted Jennings, Jack Hall, and Joe Stevenson. The names of classmates lost since our 55th reunion were read by Tom Macy, Wendie and Howie Howland.
Closing dinner at the Hanover Inn included Mike Lasser’s insights into songs of the 1930s, professor Jacob Strauss on piano and our incomparable Dave Cook on clarinet.
Finally, Bruce Sloane tells me that the toughest part of the scribe’s job is extracting information from classmates. One solution might be to create a new section: fake news. So keep those cards and letters coming!
—John W. Cusick, 251 Sabal Palm Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32963; (772) 231-1248; johnwcusick@aol.com