The class of ’61 recently completed its 60th reunion, held from June 14 to 17. The amount of effort and preparation put into this four-day event was monumental and involved many classmates, with Pete Bleyler (reunion chair), Maynard Wheeler, and Harris McKee leading the way. There were 24 distinct sessions, of which 14 were formal programs lasting an hour or more: five classmate panel discussions; two panel discussion segments each involving multiple students who had received financial grants from the class; a formal memorial service for deceased classmates; a “passages” classmate discussion session, which the class has had at every major reunion since our 15th; an extensive business meeting segment led by Don O’Neill, outgoing class president; a panel discussion exclusively for classmate spouses and widows; several art segments with original artwork from classmates, spouses, and widows; three evening entertainment segments, two of which consisted of classmates; multiple classmate breakout groups and several open-mike conversation group sessions; and election of new class officers, with Maynard Wheeleras incoming class president. This entire reunion, online via Zoom, was the most extensive virtual reunion or mini-reunion conducted by any Dartmouth class or by the College to date.

Overall the entire reunion went smoothly. Everything was well thought out, planned, and rehearsed and preceded by three virtual Zoom mini-reunions from October 2020 through April 2021 used in part as learning and training sessions. The approximately 45 classmates, spouses, and widows directly involved in the reunion program were all well prepared. A total of 232 people registered, including more than 40 spouses and widows of classmates. There were strong turnouts for each segment. The reunion was educational, informative, and entertaining.

In conjunction with our 60th reunion, all classmates and widows received a revised class directory (Harris McKee, editor), a 60th reunion booklet (Nyla Arslanian, editor), and, currently at the printer, an archive book of Dartmouth-related awards and formal awards, recognitions, and appointments bestowed upon the class as a whole and upon individual ’61 classmates during the six decades since graduation (Vic Rich, editor).

Finally, during reunion the ’61 special recognition awards committee (Dave Prewitt, chair) bestowed four additional awards for outstanding classmate service to the class of 1961, Dartmouth College, and the wider community, in that order: No. 10 Gerry Kaminsky, No. 11 Ron Boss, No. 12 Don O’Neill, No. 13 Pete Bleyler. All these awards were well earned.

—Victor S. Rich, 94 Dove Hill Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030; (516) 446-3977; richwind13@gmail.com