What a 25th reunion we had in June! More than 370 classmates spent an amazing weekend in Hanover reconnecting and enjoying picture perfect New Hampshire weather. We traveled from 37 different states and least five foreign countries. As far as we know no classmate walked to reunion, but Michael Smithing earned the unofficial distance award by traveling from Budapest, Hungary, to attend. Including our families and guests, there were more than 800 people on campus celebrating with us.


For many of us, including John Street, this reunion was our first time to come back to Dartmouth. John lives in San Diego and is in the video production business. He reminisced with Sue Axelrod Emanuel about the swim team and shared wonderful stories and pictures of his family. If you “like” the Dartmouth class of 1987 on Facebook, you probably saw John added some photos from our freshman year bonfire and from Winter Carnival. Most of us haven’t changed a bit since then.


At our class meeting and lunch at the DOC house we showed appreciation to H. Randy Morgan, who served as class president for the past six years. We held elections and welcomed Tracey Salmon-Smith who will lead us for the next five years. We learned the status of our class projects that provide a direct benefit to current students: the Class of ’87 Scholarship Fund and Dartmouth Partners in Community Service (DPCS). We met two students who were able to intern at nonprofit agencies thanks to DPCS. The scholarship fund received a bonus contribution of about $1,000 with a first-ever sale of class of ’87 surplus items such as shirts, bags and umbrellas. 


H. Randy Morgan was proud to receive the first-ever post-reunion rabies vaccination at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Just prior to reunion H. and his family were surprised to discover a bat had been living in their bedrooms for an unknown time. Physicians from the disease control center advised for all to be inoculated since bat bites are often imperceptible to sleeping victims. To rid his home of the scourge, H. caught the bat between two tennis racquets but made an error, according to the center, when he released it into the night to conserve nature instead of killing it and submitting it for health analysis. 


Baker Library lawn was a beautiful spot to share a toast before dinner Saturday evening. President Kim paid us a visit that night and acknowledged our reunion-year gift to the Dartmouth College Fund of approximately $5.2 million, with close to 50-percent participation. Well done, Tim Bixby and Raffiq Nathoo and your team of class agents! A highlight of the weekend for many was the campuswide gathering on the Green near midnight. After the Dartmouth Rockapellas and Aires sang and fireworks filled the sky, a sea of alumni and friends, clad in neon-green glowsticks, joined together to sing the alma mater. As Tim put it, “Fate smiled on us all this past weekend with amazing people, outstanding natural beauty and unbeatable weather. A great reunion is one you don’t want to leave.”


Thanks again to Alison Bleyler McDonald and the team for a great reunion. Keep in touch!


—Lisa Pabich Damon, 2124 Ashwood Ave., Nashville, TN 37212; lisa.damon.87@alum.dartmouth.org; Allison Bleyler McDonald, 43 Hop Brook Road, Amherst, MA 01002; allisonmcd@gmail.com