Class Note 1953
Issue
January-February 2026
Class Note 1953. As I write this, our part of New Hampshire is suffering from a “high-alert” drought. We’ve had very little rain all summer and have been asked to conserve water wherever possible. Danger from forest fires is a real possibility, and outdoor burning has been prohibited. So, the traditional Dartmouth Night bonfire was replaced this year by an elaborate laser light show on the Green. Spirits were high but Homecoming was definitely not the same. Fortunately, Dartmouth beat Yale, 17-16, in the last two seconds of a real cliffhanger!
We’ve seen a great many changes take place this year—and some of them have been welcome. The newly renovated Hopkins Center opened with a gala weekend in mid-October that showcased the wonderful new additions to the College’s performance spaces. Now there are dedicated spaces for dance, theater, recitals and design projects and space at the Top of the Hop for after-performance gatherings—including a bar! All this, plus improved classrooms and an enhanced Spaulding Auditorium. Dartmouth-Hitchcock continues to expand its footprint every year and has grown way beyond its original size. But the class of 1953 must view all these changes from a perspective that today’s students don’t have; these enhancements and renovations have been done to buildings that weren’t even here in 1953! I expect Fred Whittemore and Paul Paganucci would be greatly amazed. Both played a large part in bringing them into existence!
I received calls from Barbara Sayres, Elaine Hitt, and Lore Dodge recently and enjoyed delightful chats with each of them. I’d like to hear more from our class widows. It’s great to catch up and discuss our current activities and family news. I hope you will always feel free to call or email me.
Sadly, the class has recently lost Hilty Rosen, Alden Purrington, and Tom Ritner. Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families.
By the time you read this it will be 2026. Let’s hope this new year will be a healthy, safe, and sane one for all of us who share this precious planet.
—Donna Grant Reilly, 32 Penn Road, Apt. 418; Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-7281; reillys5357@gmail.com
We’ve seen a great many changes take place this year—and some of them have been welcome. The newly renovated Hopkins Center opened with a gala weekend in mid-October that showcased the wonderful new additions to the College’s performance spaces. Now there are dedicated spaces for dance, theater, recitals and design projects and space at the Top of the Hop for after-performance gatherings—including a bar! All this, plus improved classrooms and an enhanced Spaulding Auditorium. Dartmouth-Hitchcock continues to expand its footprint every year and has grown way beyond its original size. But the class of 1953 must view all these changes from a perspective that today’s students don’t have; these enhancements and renovations have been done to buildings that weren’t even here in 1953! I expect Fred Whittemore and Paul Paganucci would be greatly amazed. Both played a large part in bringing them into existence!
I received calls from Barbara Sayres, Elaine Hitt, and Lore Dodge recently and enjoyed delightful chats with each of them. I’d like to hear more from our class widows. It’s great to catch up and discuss our current activities and family news. I hope you will always feel free to call or email me.
Sadly, the class has recently lost Hilty Rosen, Alden Purrington, and Tom Ritner. Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families.
By the time you read this it will be 2026. Let’s hope this new year will be a healthy, safe, and sane one for all of us who share this precious planet.
—Donna Grant Reilly, 32 Penn Road, Apt. 418; Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-7281; reillys5357@gmail.com