Class Note 1973
Issue
May-June 2026
Class Note 1973. Odd winter ends.
This year’s winner of best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was a Doberman pinscher named Penny owned by Fran Sparagna. As recounted in The New York Times, Penny “had an impossibly sleek coat, irresistible over-eye markings—a breed standard—and a stature that rivaled that of a Marine. But for all of Penny’s obvious discipline, it was her TV-antenna ears that were most noticeably standing at attention.” Congrats, Fran. Nice diversion from SoCal workers’ compensation law practice.
Wanderer Bill Nisen is still on the road since renting out his Lebanon, New Hampshire, home in April 2023. An email in January from a public library in Vancouver, Canada, noted his “first challenge was to circumnavigate North America” in his 2025 Saab with an overarching goal of seeing places that he had only read about, including the Galapagos Islands, Komodo National Park, and Antarctica. Bill has visited nearly 40 countries. “The biggest surprises were the beauty of Big Bend National Park (Texas), the allure of the Indonesian islands, and meeting the grandniece of the first person to receive the distress message from the Titanic (Newfoundland).”
Three classmates attended the Dartmouth Lawyers Association program at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in February: Hilary Miller, who serves as the organization’s treasurer and was accompanied by his daughter and grandson; Richard Merrill; and your scribe. Unfortunately, conditions were treacherous, and Richard fell his first day skiing, breaking his left collarbone and a rib.
The shared ’61 and ’73 virtual presentation by Dan Rockmore, director of the Neukom Institute for Computational Sciences, attracted more than 70 participants. Dan highlighted the 1955 Dartmouth proposal for a grant that coined the term “artificial intelligence,” citing its introduction: “We propose that a two-month, 10-man study of artificial intelligence be carried out during the summer of 1956 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The study is to proceed on the basis of conjecture that every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it.” Dan noted the role of faculty is to make students curious. Machines do not do that, and it is fun to have one’s own ideas. Machines are fallible. You can say “no” to the machine. AI will take over if people keep retreating to their devices. Maintain an agile mind because it “will keep you in the room!”
President Beilock’s inaugural “On the Road” event on the San Francisco waterfront, featuring Ben Vagle ’22, coauthor of Command of Commerce: America’s Enduring Economic Power Advantage Over China with Professor Brooks, was well attended. Updates on several key priorities were shared. Yours truly encountered and chatted with classmate Jeanne Clinton, who enjoyed several weeks traversing Italy this past year.
Architect Martin Lange died in New Carlisle, Ohio, in October. His brother, David ’70, would appreciate any remembrances classmates care to share about Marty at www.kindredfuneralhome.com. His obituary may be found on that website as well as at dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/obits.
—Val Armento, 227 Sylvan Ave., San Mateo, CA 94403; valerie.j.armento.73@dartmouth.edu
Back to 1973 Class Year
More of 1973 Class Notes
This year’s winner of best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was a Doberman pinscher named Penny owned by Fran Sparagna. As recounted in The New York Times, Penny “had an impossibly sleek coat, irresistible over-eye markings—a breed standard—and a stature that rivaled that of a Marine. But for all of Penny’s obvious discipline, it was her TV-antenna ears that were most noticeably standing at attention.” Congrats, Fran. Nice diversion from SoCal workers’ compensation law practice.
Wanderer Bill Nisen is still on the road since renting out his Lebanon, New Hampshire, home in April 2023. An email in January from a public library in Vancouver, Canada, noted his “first challenge was to circumnavigate North America” in his 2025 Saab with an overarching goal of seeing places that he had only read about, including the Galapagos Islands, Komodo National Park, and Antarctica. Bill has visited nearly 40 countries. “The biggest surprises were the beauty of Big Bend National Park (Texas), the allure of the Indonesian islands, and meeting the grandniece of the first person to receive the distress message from the Titanic (Newfoundland).”
Three classmates attended the Dartmouth Lawyers Association program at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in February: Hilary Miller, who serves as the organization’s treasurer and was accompanied by his daughter and grandson; Richard Merrill; and your scribe. Unfortunately, conditions were treacherous, and Richard fell his first day skiing, breaking his left collarbone and a rib.
The shared ’61 and ’73 virtual presentation by Dan Rockmore, director of the Neukom Institute for Computational Sciences, attracted more than 70 participants. Dan highlighted the 1955 Dartmouth proposal for a grant that coined the term “artificial intelligence,” citing its introduction: “We propose that a two-month, 10-man study of artificial intelligence be carried out during the summer of 1956 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The study is to proceed on the basis of conjecture that every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it.” Dan noted the role of faculty is to make students curious. Machines do not do that, and it is fun to have one’s own ideas. Machines are fallible. You can say “no” to the machine. AI will take over if people keep retreating to their devices. Maintain an agile mind because it “will keep you in the room!”
President Beilock’s inaugural “On the Road” event on the San Francisco waterfront, featuring Ben Vagle ’22, coauthor of Command of Commerce: America’s Enduring Economic Power Advantage Over China with Professor Brooks, was well attended. Updates on several key priorities were shared. Yours truly encountered and chatted with classmate Jeanne Clinton, who enjoyed several weeks traversing Italy this past year.
Architect Martin Lange died in New Carlisle, Ohio, in October. His brother, David ’70, would appreciate any remembrances classmates care to share about Marty at www.kindredfuneralhome.com. His obituary may be found on that website as well as at dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/obits.
—Val Armento, 227 Sylvan Ave., San Mateo, CA 94403; valerie.j.armento.73@dartmouth.edu