The tintinnabulation of the chapel bells rolled over the campus to announce that Spencer Morgan had drifted into his well-deserved retirement after toiling behind the secretary’s desk chained like Thomas Hardy to the furniture until he had reported the current Class Notes or hit 500 words, whichever came first.


Advancing, caparisoned with the news, albeit sparse, of the class since our last notes opus come I, your Musings Unlimited editor, to keep you all posted.


Alas, the hammer of death has struck down yet more of us. B. Franklin was spot-on about how taxes and death confront us relentlessly.


Herewith, the Dartmouth flag was flown at half-staff on Thursday, June 16, and Friday, June 17, to honor the memory of John “Jack” Baird, professor of psychological and brain sciences, emeritus, who died June 8. We’ve also learned from Craig Jameson that George Bruder also died that day after a fairly lengthy struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.


On a less definitive note, Jack Benson’swife, Scilla, reported as follows: “It didn’t seem like such a bad fall at the time. They found the eye was fine, but he had a lot of blood in the brain, which moved the brain way off center. Jack is now in Rutland, Vermont, in rehab, but it looks like it might still be a long time.” Thus do the fates test our tenacity.


On a lighter note, the class art purchase caper went off in smashing fashion in May. As you know, lo these 20 years our class has purchased art works from the fine arts students each year for cold hard cash. Frequently it is their first confrontation with the world of cash for art’s sake and they revel in it. Denny Goodman spoke eloquently as only a retired diplomat can about the history of the program and the uniqueness of the College’s dormitories being draped throughout their halls with “real” art by “real” students.


Julia Sak ’10 announced that the ’10s were stepping up to continue as partners with the ’60s in funding the program and, as the vagaries of age send us to the Big Gallery-in-the-Sky, this tradition. Emily Eckers of the dean of student affairs office stood in for said dean, who was indisposed with a tummy ache. President Kim was also invited but could not make it. Dozens of denizens of the undergraduate and graduate crowd were there, including Dudley Smith (a founder of the program), Jim Adler, Rick Roesch and assorted wives.


Check out Tom Ashby’sletter in the spring Dartmouth Medicine edition. He reminisces about the first female enrollee at the Medical School who joined the ’62 two-year graduating class in 1960. 


Our inexorable march to the front of the pile of Class Notes cannot continue unless you (plural) send me news. Therefore, send me news please.


—John M. Mitchell, 300 Grove St., Rutland, VT 05710; (802) 775-3716; jmm00033@comcast.net