Class Note 1953
Issue
March-April 2020
Dear Dartmouth! How wondrous is it to be celebrating your 250th anniversary with you. You were a mere 180 years old when you warmly welcomed us into your loving arms way back then. And how you have matured since those special times. Yes, the elm trees along Main Street are gone, and so is freshman hazing.
But in their place has been the advent of women and with them a delightful and positive transformation in the dynamics of each and every aspect of the College. Gone is Freshman Commons, with its metal trays, and in its place is the glorious Class of 1953 Commons. Gone too is Robinson theater, and in its place are the wonderful Hopkins Center and the Nugget. Webster Hall and memories of its boisterous evenings of movies have morphed into the stately but accessible Rauner Library and its amazing collection of rare books. Upstairs Carpenter is now the Hood Museum and the Black arts building.
The frozen, unheated, natural ice Davis hockey rink is now the beautiful Thompson hockey arena, where you can enjoy a hockey game without fortifying yourself with layers of clothing and a spiked thermos of coffee. And baseball, football, lacrosse, as well as softball venues have become models for others to emulate. Dormitories are now clustered, and the September to June year has been replaced by that ingeniously created Dartmouth Plan.
And yet, through all of this growth, you have in a sense remained the same place of yore. Your professors, though scholars now, are still wonderful mentors. Your philosophy for living, learning through life, and giving to your community remains true and steady. You’re imbuing a sense of our place in nature’s home and of camaraderie and that continues to flourish. Above all, a desire to seek truth and knowledge remains the ultimate goal. Being a part of this small slice of 70 years out of your 250 years has been a privilege for our class.
It is our absolute trust that you will continue to grow and thrive as your current and future students and faculty join their not unimposing talents and energy. Happy anniversary!
—Mark H. Smoller, 401 Lake Shore Road, Putnam Valley, NY 10579; (845) 603-5066; dartmark@gamil.com
But in their place has been the advent of women and with them a delightful and positive transformation in the dynamics of each and every aspect of the College. Gone is Freshman Commons, with its metal trays, and in its place is the glorious Class of 1953 Commons. Gone too is Robinson theater, and in its place are the wonderful Hopkins Center and the Nugget. Webster Hall and memories of its boisterous evenings of movies have morphed into the stately but accessible Rauner Library and its amazing collection of rare books. Upstairs Carpenter is now the Hood Museum and the Black arts building.
The frozen, unheated, natural ice Davis hockey rink is now the beautiful Thompson hockey arena, where you can enjoy a hockey game without fortifying yourself with layers of clothing and a spiked thermos of coffee. And baseball, football, lacrosse, as well as softball venues have become models for others to emulate. Dormitories are now clustered, and the September to June year has been replaced by that ingeniously created Dartmouth Plan.
And yet, through all of this growth, you have in a sense remained the same place of yore. Your professors, though scholars now, are still wonderful mentors. Your philosophy for living, learning through life, and giving to your community remains true and steady. You’re imbuing a sense of our place in nature’s home and of camaraderie and that continues to flourish. Above all, a desire to seek truth and knowledge remains the ultimate goal. Being a part of this small slice of 70 years out of your 250 years has been a privilege for our class.
It is our absolute trust that you will continue to grow and thrive as your current and future students and faculty join their not unimposing talents and energy. Happy anniversary!
—Mark H. Smoller, 401 Lake Shore Road, Putnam Valley, NY 10579; (845) 603-5066; dartmark@gamil.com