Class Note 1959
Issue
May - Jun 2017
Many of us know that we have a class poem, written by Doug Wheeler. According to the “Class History” section of our 50th reunion memory book, Doug wrote the poem on the occasion of our 25th reunion and that original version, titled “’59 Remembers,” endured without significant change for about 30 years. Then, for our 55th reunion, Doug re-wrote the poem and titled the new version “’59 Still Remembers.” The current version, which appears on the class web page, is almost completely revised from the first except for the refrain “We are a lifelong company of fellows….”
Doug was a professor of history at the University of New Hampshire for about 40 years, including several years of teaching after reaching emeritus status. He is currently featured on the class web page as the author of a children’s book. What many of us may not know is that, in addition to his poetic contribution to the class, his creative talent was important in the revision of the lyrics of our College’s anthem in the 1980s. According to a history of that anthem—known to members of the alumni body of our generation as “Men of Dartmouth” but now commonly known as the alma mater—the words and music go back to the late 1800s and early 1900s and remained untouched for many years until the College admitted women. At Convocation in 1972, with newly admitted women as undergraduates, President Kemeny addressed the “men and women of Dartmouth” and the ceremony concluded with the singing of “Dartmouth Undying”rather than the traditional anthem. The traditional “Men of Dartmouth,”seen by many as inappropriate for the now coeducational institution, remained in limbo for more than 10 years. Finally, in 1986, the College sought recommendations regarding the traditional anthem. In 1987 Doug Wheeler composed new, more gender-inclusive lyricsand proposed them to the College. Although his proposed changes were not adopted verbatim, they were important in leading the way to a resolution of the issue and he is credited as being among those most instrumental in the ultimate revision of the lyrics.
—Dick Hoehn, 845 Union St., Marshfield, MA 02050; (781) 834-4113; rhoehn@choate.com
Doug was a professor of history at the University of New Hampshire for about 40 years, including several years of teaching after reaching emeritus status. He is currently featured on the class web page as the author of a children’s book. What many of us may not know is that, in addition to his poetic contribution to the class, his creative talent was important in the revision of the lyrics of our College’s anthem in the 1980s. According to a history of that anthem—known to members of the alumni body of our generation as “Men of Dartmouth” but now commonly known as the alma mater—the words and music go back to the late 1800s and early 1900s and remained untouched for many years until the College admitted women. At Convocation in 1972, with newly admitted women as undergraduates, President Kemeny addressed the “men and women of Dartmouth” and the ceremony concluded with the singing of “Dartmouth Undying”rather than the traditional anthem. The traditional “Men of Dartmouth,”seen by many as inappropriate for the now coeducational institution, remained in limbo for more than 10 years. Finally, in 1986, the College sought recommendations regarding the traditional anthem. In 1987 Doug Wheeler composed new, more gender-inclusive lyricsand proposed them to the College. Although his proposed changes were not adopted verbatim, they were important in leading the way to a resolution of the issue and he is credited as being among those most instrumental in the ultimate revision of the lyrics.
—Dick Hoehn, 845 Union St., Marshfield, MA 02050; (781) 834-4113; rhoehn@choate.com