Class Note 1953
Issue
November-December 2026
Class Note 1953. Just when we were beginning to think that Dartmouth had somehow managed to avoid current government scrutiny, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Investigations decided in July to investigate Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, along with five other U.S. medical schools (three of which are headed by women), to determine if they violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by racially discriminating in their admissions procedures. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2023 (Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard) that universities and graduate schools may not consider race in admissions policies.
According to Iris Weaver Bell, writing for The Dartmouth, College spokesperson Jana Barnello responded that the College “will respond to the … request in due course, consistent with applicable law. This is not a finding of wrongdoing; we remain confident in Geisel’s admissions process.”
On its website, Geisel outlines its admissions policy (in part): “We employ a holistic review process that places value on applicants who possess a strong academic foundation, diversity in all forms, a broad range of the experiences and traits known to promote success in the field of medicine.”
Faced with a dwindling supply of expertly trained healthcare professionals in our nation today, does it really make sense to limit medical school enrollment to white males? It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Once again, I have the extremely sad job of reporting the deaths of classmates Clinton Chin, Sylvester “Buzz” P. Johnson III, Gerald M. Avanozian, Colman W. Kraft,and C. Blair Law. The College has also reported the following deaths after receiving no known contact addresses for several years: Stephen S. Brown Jr., Carl D. Dilsaver, William H. Lantz, Demetrius S. Latchis, Robert D. Marsh Jr., John A. Taylor, Sherman R. Tratten, John R. VanWagoner, and H. Daniel Webster.
Save the date: The next class Zoom meeting will be at 4 p.m. (EST) on Friday, November 13. Stay tuned for more information from class president Ron Lazar.
—Donna Grant Reilly, 32 Penn Road, Apt. 418; Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-7281; reillys5357@gmail.com
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According to Iris Weaver Bell, writing for The Dartmouth, College spokesperson Jana Barnello responded that the College “will respond to the … request in due course, consistent with applicable law. This is not a finding of wrongdoing; we remain confident in Geisel’s admissions process.”
On its website, Geisel outlines its admissions policy (in part): “We employ a holistic review process that places value on applicants who possess a strong academic foundation, diversity in all forms, a broad range of the experiences and traits known to promote success in the field of medicine.”
Faced with a dwindling supply of expertly trained healthcare professionals in our nation today, does it really make sense to limit medical school enrollment to white males? It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Once again, I have the extremely sad job of reporting the deaths of classmates Clinton Chin, Sylvester “Buzz” P. Johnson III, Gerald M. Avanozian, Colman W. Kraft,and C. Blair Law. The College has also reported the following deaths after receiving no known contact addresses for several years: Stephen S. Brown Jr., Carl D. Dilsaver, William H. Lantz, Demetrius S. Latchis, Robert D. Marsh Jr., John A. Taylor, Sherman R. Tratten, John R. VanWagoner, and H. Daniel Webster.
Save the date: The next class Zoom meeting will be at 4 p.m. (EST) on Friday, November 13. Stay tuned for more information from class president Ron Lazar.
—Donna Grant Reilly, 32 Penn Road, Apt. 418; Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-7281; reillys5357@gmail.com