Tom Holzel believes he knows now if Andrew Irvine and George Mallory were first to conquer Mount Everest before they perished on the mountain in 1924. The answer is no, says Tom, whose research was covered in July by National Geographic magazine and on film, Lost on Everest, on the National Geographic channel recounting the 2019 search expedition by Mark Synnott, a climber inspired by a 2017 YouTube video by Tom and a 2018 visit with Tom in Litchfield, Connecticut. In 2019 Synnott searched the north side of the mountain, where Tom predicted Irvine must lie. Mallory’s remains had been found earlier further down the mountain; Irvine’s body, believed bearing a small Kodak, was reported in its present location, but not confirmed, in 1960. Synnott’s book, The Third Pole, due in April, describes Tom’s work. “All-in-all it’s been a fabulous adventure for me,” said Tom. “I launched a search expedition to Everest in 1986 and met with nearly all the world’s great climbers, including Edmund Hillary and Reinhold Messner.”

For a lift go to 1963.dartmouth.org and scroll down to “The Gala Premiere & Cocktail Party Featuring the Revival of the Popular ’63 Reunion Cabaret” for delightful musical entertainment organized by Paul Binder with performances by Paul, Petie Subin, John Chamberlain, Steve Kurland, Marty Bowne, and Max Samuels, self-described “moderately tech-savvy member of the class of ’15.” The show was presented via Zoom July 2 to nearly 200 classmates, family, and friends, including George Scott, Alan Kravitz, Alan Flaschner, Ken Novack, Ensign Cowell, Fred Jarrett, Dick Berkowitz, Jeff Nothnagle, Tom Coghlin, Bruce Coggeshall, Frank Finsthwait, and Adam Heyman.

Music connected Chuck Stephany of Redmond, Oregon, in July with Alan Lieberman ’67, who emailed Chuck that he and wife Denise were moved by a 2018 letter to this magazine from Chuck regarding an article about Jerry Zaks ’67, who decided to become a Broadway director after attending a student production of Wonderful Town. Chuck attended the same production. His date that night was moved to tears by the song, “A Quiet Girl.” We were married “for 35 years before she died in 2001 at the age of 58,” wrote Chuck. The student who sang “A Quiet Girl” happened to be Alan Lieberman, singing to his future wife, Denise, who was also in the audience.

An overwhelming 54 out of 69 classmates objected to the College canceling certain designated varsity sports in a class-wide survey conducted by Ed Mazer on behalf of the executive committee. Conversely, in the same question respondents agreed the College should, if necessary, reduce the number of admissions slots set aside for athletic recruitment for those sports. The survey was shared with President Hanlon and the class.

Alumni co-head agent Bob Bysshe congratulated Pi Lam for its 81-percent participation in the 2020 Dartmouth College Fund campaign, second to Theta Delt with 93 percent. Class participation was 54 percent, fourth among non-reunion classes.

I regret to report the passing of Pete Bostwick, Jim Davies, and Alan Davidson. Classmate obituaries by Tige Harris appear in the magazine online edition.

—Harry Zlokower, 190 Amity St., Brooklyn, NY 11201; (917) 541-8162; harry@zlokower.com