Class Note 1978. As our year of turning 70 draws to a close, I bring news of birthday celebrations, mini-reunions, and milestones. It was, as the song goes, a very good year.
Sharon Lee Cowan earned an M.A. in art history from John Cabot University in Rome with a thesis on “The Lost Silver of S. Agostino in Campo Marzio in the 1527 Sack of Rome.” She presented her research at the New College Conference on Medieval and Renaissance History, and her illustrated article was published in the scholarly journal of the Augustinians. Auguroni, Sharon Lee!
Steve Strauss sent a photo of a South Mass mini-reunion on July 27 at the Norwich Inn, Vermont, including Peter Bedini, Curt Conroy, Gregg Dougherty, Hugh Dyar (who was celebrating his 70th), Arlo Frost,David Lemay, and Trish Singer. You’ll have to go to Helen Lukash’s newsletter to see it. But take it from me, everyone looked happy and in fine shape.
This summer our class pulled off two spectacular events: a mini-reunion on campus with the class of 2028 on July 25, and a trail work week at Moosilauke from July 26 to August 1. More than 100 classmates participated and at least as many contributed behind the scenes. I asked the valiant honchos, who devoted months to planning, for their impressions.
John Jordan, who is spearheading our ongoing partnership with the ’28s, described a mini-reunion full of learning, connecting, and enjoying great food and music. Class of ’28 student leaders moderated a panel discussion featuring three amazing ’78 women: Ann McLane Kuster, former six-term member of the U.S. Congress; Ellen Meyer Shorb, nonprofit strategy and leadership consultant; and Chris Simpson Brent, who followed a 30-year career in tech with leadership of local and international nonprofit boards.
The conversation centered on “the positive and some negative ways in which their Dartmouth experiences prepared them to succeed,” John writes. “Dozens of classmates and 50 or more sophomores were wowed by their insights.”
A joint 70th-20th birthday barbeque on the Robinson lawn and Collis porch featured Vermont maple creemees (look it up) and the talents of Bernie Drury and his On the Bridge band. “Classmates were delighted with how eagerly ’28 sophomores engaged with us.” Well done, John, and thank you.
Doug Wildes, who with Charley Wise pulled together the Moosilauke trail work week, wrote a lovely long ode to teamwork, hard work, vision, and courage, with “a particular shoutout to David Hathaway for his expertise with a chainsaw.” I can’t do justice to Doug’s full report in this space, so please read it in the newsletter.
“We hope that we have set a precedent that other classes will follow,” Doug writes. “Dartmouth outdoor programs needs funding for the student trail crews for the next several summers. The trails on Moosilauke, and the rest of the Dartmouth trail network, need plenty of work. We demonstrated that a group of 70-year-olds can do trail work without injury, get a lot done, and have fun in the process.” Thanks, Doug.
Happy holidays—please send news!
—Anne Bagamery, 13 rue de Presles, 75015 Paris, France; abagamery78@gmail.com; Rick Beyer, 1305 S. Michigan Ave., #1104, Chicago, IL 60605; rickbeyer78@gmail.com