Class Note 1975
Issue
The first snow has hit the ground on campus, and while not quite as momentous as the government shutdown and startup, it’s another reminder that no matter how crazy Washington is, Mother Nature has her own rhythm to it all. I think most of us would agree that’s a good thing, Sadly, I recently learned of the death of two of our classmates, Mark Torinus and James Cobb. Mark’s career spanned many areas—newspapers, the nonprofit sector, most recently as the president of the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges. His most prized accomplishment is the College Readiness 21 program, which helped more than 500 minority, low-income or first-generation college students graduate from high school and attend college. By all accounts it was a remarkable program. Our thoughts go out to Mark’s wife and three children. He will be missed by all. James dedicated his life after Dartmouth and graduate school to teaching and was a long-time social studies teacher in Greenwich, Connecticut, as well as a much-loved sports coach throughout Fairfield County. He will be missed by his daughter, two sons and extended family. On a happier note, I received an update from Duke Hart, who, as many of you know, received a Tony Award for the musical, Once. Once just launched its national tour in October and Duke’s latest project, The Glass Menagerie, starring Cherry Jones and Zachary Quinto, opened earlier in the fall. Duke’s many credits—film and theater—are impressive. For those who have not seen Once, I highly recommend it. We had the privilege of seeing it in rehearsals in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before it went to Broadway. Keep those emails coming. Nanc and I send our very best for the holiday season and look forward to seeing you in the new year. —Jim Bildner, 5 Boardman Ave., Manchester, MA 01944; (617) 495-6513; jim_bildner@harvard.edu
Jan - Feb 2014
The first snow has hit the ground on campus, and while not quite as momentous as the government shutdown and startup, it’s another reminder that no matter how crazy Washington is, Mother Nature has her own rhythm to it all. I think most of us would agree that’s a good thing, Sadly, I recently learned of the death of two of our classmates, Mark Torinus and James Cobb. Mark’s career spanned many areas—newspapers, the nonprofit sector, most recently as the president of the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges. His most prized accomplishment is the College Readiness 21 program, which helped more than 500 minority, low-income or first-generation college students graduate from high school and attend college. By all accounts it was a remarkable program. Our thoughts go out to Mark’s wife and three children. He will be missed by all. James dedicated his life after Dartmouth and graduate school to teaching and was a long-time social studies teacher in Greenwich, Connecticut, as well as a much-loved sports coach throughout Fairfield County. He will be missed by his daughter, two sons and extended family. On a happier note, I received an update from Duke Hart, who, as many of you know, received a Tony Award for the musical, Once. Once just launched its national tour in October and Duke’s latest project, The Glass Menagerie, starring Cherry Jones and Zachary Quinto, opened earlier in the fall. Duke’s many credits—film and theater—are impressive. For those who have not seen Once, I highly recommend it. We had the privilege of seeing it in rehearsals in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before it went to Broadway. Keep those emails coming. Nanc and I send our very best for the holiday season and look forward to seeing you in the new year. —Jim Bildner, 5 Boardman Ave., Manchester, MA 01944; (617) 495-6513; jim_bildner@harvard.edu