Class Note 1961
Issue
January-February 2022
Congratulationsto the class of 1961 for receiving a letter of achievement from the Class Officers Association Executive Board (COAEB) and alumni relations for achievement by the class during the fiscal year ended June 30, with special emphasis on our virtually held and well-attended four-day 60th reunion. The June 2021 event was outstanding, with about 230 classmates and others attending the 24 diversified and distinct sessions. The primary classmates responsible for our 60th reunion success were Pete Bleyler (chair), Harris McKee, and Maynard Wheeler.
The next class activity receiving specific mention was the effort put forth and the success achieved by the class of ’61 women’s initiative committee, led by Nyla Arslanian and Patti Rich. During the five-year period leading up to the 60th reunion they built up a subcommittee of 10 active ’61 spouses and widows who, because of their social bonding and communication efforts, were a significant reason for the successful attendance at the 60th reunion and added to the diversity of the reunion programs, including the production of an excellent 26-page 60th reunion booklet (thank you, Nyla). The growth of the women of the class of 1961 reached a peak in 2019, when the class, under the leadership of former class president Don O’Neill, formerly amended the ’61 class constitution, designating all of the spouses and surviving spouses of ’61 classmates as fully participating members of the class of 1961, a first in Dartmouth’s history.
Finally, the class of 1961 was recognized in the citation for its continuous and record-setting leadership in the important area of Dartmouth College Fund participation. This effort, led by the class officers and executive committee members Harris McKee, Henry Eberhardt, and Rog McArt, along with the assistance each year of Denny Denniston, Gerry Kaminsky,and Don O’Neill, has led our class to consistently become the class leader with the highest DCF giving percentage among all Dartmouth classes and a consistent recipient of the College’s annual DCF participation awards. This past year the class of ’61 (again) had the highest DCF participation rate among both reunion classes and non-reunion classes.
To conclude, we ask only why the awards for class of the year and reunion class of the year and all of the individual class officers of the year (president, secretary, treasurer, reunion chair, etc.) were cancelled. We await a viable answer.
—Victor S. Rich, 94 Dove Hill Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030; (516) 446-3977; richwind13@gmail.com
The next class activity receiving specific mention was the effort put forth and the success achieved by the class of ’61 women’s initiative committee, led by Nyla Arslanian and Patti Rich. During the five-year period leading up to the 60th reunion they built up a subcommittee of 10 active ’61 spouses and widows who, because of their social bonding and communication efforts, were a significant reason for the successful attendance at the 60th reunion and added to the diversity of the reunion programs, including the production of an excellent 26-page 60th reunion booklet (thank you, Nyla). The growth of the women of the class of 1961 reached a peak in 2019, when the class, under the leadership of former class president Don O’Neill, formerly amended the ’61 class constitution, designating all of the spouses and surviving spouses of ’61 classmates as fully participating members of the class of 1961, a first in Dartmouth’s history.
Finally, the class of 1961 was recognized in the citation for its continuous and record-setting leadership in the important area of Dartmouth College Fund participation. This effort, led by the class officers and executive committee members Harris McKee, Henry Eberhardt, and Rog McArt, along with the assistance each year of Denny Denniston, Gerry Kaminsky,and Don O’Neill, has led our class to consistently become the class leader with the highest DCF giving percentage among all Dartmouth classes and a consistent recipient of the College’s annual DCF participation awards. This past year the class of ’61 (again) had the highest DCF participation rate among both reunion classes and non-reunion classes.
To conclude, we ask only why the awards for class of the year and reunion class of the year and all of the individual class officers of the year (president, secretary, treasurer, reunion chair, etc.) were cancelled. We await a viable answer.
—Victor S. Rich, 94 Dove Hill Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030; (516) 446-3977; richwind13@gmail.com