John and I love serving as co-class secretaries on many levels. We get to establish new relationships, nurture old friendships, promote inclusivity, and tell the interesting, often little-known stories of our amazing class. John surfaced one such story when he approached his old friend Barbara “Barb” Smiley Bula about penning a Class Notes guest column. The two were engineering majors with a special bond deeply rooted in Dartmouth history, as you’ll now find out. Enjoy!

“I was inspired to attend Dartmouth by my maternal grandfather, Dartmouth class of 1918. As namesake of the H.P. Hood & Sons dairy company, he made many contributions to the College, including the Hood Museum of Art. My freshman year brought another, unexpected connection from my grandfather. John Currier’s family farm in Vermont delivered milk to Hood & Sons creamery in Boston and our grandfathers were acquainted decades before we met. Our friendship at Dartmouth brought that family connection full circle. I spent most of the last three decades in Austin, Texas, practicing my chosen vocation of ‘stay-at-home-mom.’ Running alongside parenting duties, I used the problem-solving skills from my engineering studies at Dartmouth and the organizational and finance skills from my M.B.A. in a variety of educational and nonprofit volunteer activities. As my kids got older and needed me less, however, I wondered, what next?

“My dad had been a lifelong physician and medical researcher, and in 2004, following his death, I filled a board position for a healthcare software company that he and my brother had started. I dove into the healthcare arena, serving on that board for six years prior to its eventual sale. In 2007 I was invited to join the board of the Charles H. Hood Foundation, which has been part of my family since it was established in 1942 by my grandfather, Harvey P. Hood II, and named for his father, Charles. I have been honored to serve as a trustee for the Hood Foundation for the past 12 years and help continue this part of my family legacy. Charles H. Hood was a pioneer in the New England dairy industry who was passionate about science, education, innovation, and health. Today the foundation (charleshoodfoundation.org) works with institutions throughout New England to support pediatric medical research aimed at transforming the quality of life for children. It has been amazing to learn about innovative breakthroughs in pediatric research and know that we make an impact that reaches around the country and the globe. Through relationships with researchers at the Geisel School of Medicine and work we supported through the Dartmouth Atlas Project, I have also been happily reconnected with Dartmouth.

“Now a grandmother, I find faith and family are still my mainstays. The Hood Foundation provides the chance to bring together many things that have impacted my life and the opportunity to contribute something meaningful through the next decade, as well as continue a legacy for my own children and grandchildren.”

And you thought “The Hood” was just about art! Many thanks, Barb.

—Stanley Weil, 15 Peck Road, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549; (917) 428-0852; stanno79@gmail.com; John Currier, 82 Carpenter St., Norwich, VT 05055; (802) 649-2577; john.h.currier@dartmouth.edu