There’s lots to anticipate as we wait for March Madness and the Major League Baseball season to be finally and fully defined. We also await the publication of Bill Woolley’s book, titled Creating the Modern Army: Citizen Soldiers and the American Way of War, 1919-1939. After time in the Navy, Bill earned his Ph.D. in history and then spent more than 30 years teaching history at Ripon College which is in Ripon, Wisconsin. The book is the result of a long-term research project. Bill and I have not discussed the winter weather in our respective locations—Germantown, Wisconsin, and San Diego.

We all continue to wrestle and define the new normal, and the baseline keeps changing: masks on or off, vaccinations yes or no, baseball yea or nay. All are overshowed by the uncertainties and horrific war conditions between Russia and Ukraine, with the possibility of even wider involvements. But there are constant and reliable sources of peacefulness for us, and they reside in our memories of and thankfulness for our time in Hanover. Whether it was “the crunch of feet” or Green Key or catching a nap in Baker’s Tower Room or the fall colors on the hills of New Hampshire or classes in physics or rocks, I think we all day- or night-dream of the peace and protective environment that enveloped us on the Hanover Plain. Few understand our attachment to Dartmouth.

How sad we all are to hear of the passing of Jimmy Lee Bybee. Jim was a wonderful classmate for us and roommate for me. His work as our class secretary was unparalleled, and the marvelous book he produced on the occasion of our 50th reunion is a towering tribute to his incredible purposefulness and love of Dartmouth.

Be well and stay well!

—Charlie MacVean, 3528 Liggett Drive, San Diego, CA 92106-2153; (619) 508-4401; crmacvean@msn.com