Class Note 1969
Issue
Nov - Dec 2015
The following is from a blast to the class by Rick Willets late in August to get us moving to 2019: “Fifty years ago next month we arrived in Hanover. After a week or so of meetings, testing and chanting we each went to the Tower Room in Baker and met John Sloan Dickey.
“After a brief chat he signed our matriculation documents and we officially became members of the Dartmouth class of 1969. This fall we are starting a four-year journey to our 50th reunion in June of 2019. We hope you can join us. Homecoming is October 9-11 and is the official start of our march to that reunion.”
Unfortunately, you will be reading this after the early events have taken place; however, there will be reports in this column, the newsletter and occasional emails from executive committee members. As this is being written our class connections program with the incoming freshman class is taking place at the Grant, where the ’19s will be receiving daily meals prepared by Norman Jacobs, Dona Heller and several volunteers from our class. We will report on that and our presence at their matriculation as well as the wide array of events taking place during Homecoming in subsequent columns.
Dimitri Gerakaris served double duty by providing a review of class projects and a report on a summer mini-reunion in Maine. Dimitri stated our class annually provides a grant to “inculcate the skills and joys of organizing philanthropy. Previous recipients include, but are not restricted to, Dartmouth for Clean Water (Haiti earthquake relief), Project Right Choice (uniting veterans with family at time of surgery and hospitalization), Philanthropic All American Rush (for victims of Hurricane Irene relief), Dartmouth Undergraduate Veterans Association (short-term loan relief on government payments), Athletes United (Dartmouth athletes building self-esteem for local kids from challenged circumstances) and, most recently, Women’s Information Services @ Dartmouth.” He further noted that Homecoming will provide us with the next opportunity to name a new annual recipient. His class gathering was a group of nine ’69 Betas who met for the last few days of July in Biddeford, Maine, at Tom Parks’ home. Guests included Gary Goodenough, Tom Weldy, Mark Schleicher, Tom Cronan, David Boyle, Scott McGinnes, Tupper Kinder and Dimitri.
Our most recent conference call included a report by our Alumni Fund head agent John Myers, who announced the great news that we exceeded our goal by raising $339,139 and accomplished it with an astounding 41.2-percent participation, just shy of our 42-percent goal. Our recent class activity report submitted to the College gives some perspective on the participation number as our original 808 members have shrunk to 701 active people as a result of deaths, lost connections or refusal to participate. John and his co-chairs are to be congratulated for their efforts and accomplishments.
Regrettably, we must report the loss of another classmate, Jeffry A. Katz, who succumbed to cancer on August 6.
Please send your stories to Allen or me.
—Steve Larson, 465 Miller Road; Winchester, VA 22602; (360) 770-4388; wheat69@outlook.com
“After a brief chat he signed our matriculation documents and we officially became members of the Dartmouth class of 1969. This fall we are starting a four-year journey to our 50th reunion in June of 2019. We hope you can join us. Homecoming is October 9-11 and is the official start of our march to that reunion.”
Unfortunately, you will be reading this after the early events have taken place; however, there will be reports in this column, the newsletter and occasional emails from executive committee members. As this is being written our class connections program with the incoming freshman class is taking place at the Grant, where the ’19s will be receiving daily meals prepared by Norman Jacobs, Dona Heller and several volunteers from our class. We will report on that and our presence at their matriculation as well as the wide array of events taking place during Homecoming in subsequent columns.
Dimitri Gerakaris served double duty by providing a review of class projects and a report on a summer mini-reunion in Maine. Dimitri stated our class annually provides a grant to “inculcate the skills and joys of organizing philanthropy. Previous recipients include, but are not restricted to, Dartmouth for Clean Water (Haiti earthquake relief), Project Right Choice (uniting veterans with family at time of surgery and hospitalization), Philanthropic All American Rush (for victims of Hurricane Irene relief), Dartmouth Undergraduate Veterans Association (short-term loan relief on government payments), Athletes United (Dartmouth athletes building self-esteem for local kids from challenged circumstances) and, most recently, Women’s Information Services @ Dartmouth.” He further noted that Homecoming will provide us with the next opportunity to name a new annual recipient. His class gathering was a group of nine ’69 Betas who met for the last few days of July in Biddeford, Maine, at Tom Parks’ home. Guests included Gary Goodenough, Tom Weldy, Mark Schleicher, Tom Cronan, David Boyle, Scott McGinnes, Tupper Kinder and Dimitri.
Our most recent conference call included a report by our Alumni Fund head agent John Myers, who announced the great news that we exceeded our goal by raising $339,139 and accomplished it with an astounding 41.2-percent participation, just shy of our 42-percent goal. Our recent class activity report submitted to the College gives some perspective on the participation number as our original 808 members have shrunk to 701 active people as a result of deaths, lost connections or refusal to participate. John and his co-chairs are to be congratulated for their efforts and accomplishments.
Regrettably, we must report the loss of another classmate, Jeffry A. Katz, who succumbed to cancer on August 6.
Please send your stories to Allen or me.
—Steve Larson, 465 Miller Road; Winchester, VA 22602; (360) 770-4388; wheat69@outlook.com