Thanks to Shel Woolf’s creative marketing skills, Dartmouth College can now add a unique fundraising tool to its already extensive array of successful techniques. Beginning his first year as 1954 head agent, Shel was struck by the fact that he had contributed to the Dartmouth College Fund 52 out of the 55 years since our class graduated. Coming up with a set of parameters and convincing the powers-that-be that it could work, Shel conceived the Set the Record Straight (STRS) program, designed to enable those classmates who wanted to receive credit for 100 percent participation, i.e., 55-year consistent giving record, to make a special, one-time contribution. Starting with himself and yours truly, Shel convinced a total of 64 class of ’54 “exemplars” to join the STRS effort. Here’s how it played out: The class of 1954 set a non-reunion-year participation record of 88 percent, raising more than $340,000 and thereby establishing itself as the all-time years-out contributing leader, exceeding 1942’s 84 percent. For his outstanding achievement Shel has received the Andrew J. Scarlet ’10 Award for outstanding class leadership for classes more than 50 years out. Congratulations, Shel! Oh yes, the DCF will be happy to share details of the STRS program with other interested classes. 


Questions have been raised regarding the discontinuance of printed obituaries in the DAM. In line with last fall’s announced budgetary cuts at the College, the Alumni Magazine was forced to make some hard decisions with regard to its mandated expense reductions. One of the areas that represented a possible cost-savings was the section including obituaries of deceased alumni, whose deaths had been reported since the most recent edition. It was decided that the printed obituary section would be eliminated and that starting with the January-February 2010 issue obituaries would be run online only. At the same time the word limit for obituaries was increased from 150 to 250 and, as announced, “there is now the opportunity to post additional remembrances and memorial information on the website.” Sadly, since our last Class Notes column we have learned of the deaths of five classmates: Joseph Thomas Murphy III, January 29; Robert Edward Gilman, February 2; Perry Cotton Weston, July 20; Michael Hurley Biggs, July 31; and Clark Spaulding Davis, August 7. The class sends its condolences to the families of our recently departed classmates, and their obituaries can be read online at www.dartmouth alumnimagazine.com/obituaries. Additionally, celebrations of their lives appear in the September newsletter.


—Anthony Kane, 650 Park Ave., #18A, New York, NY 10065; (212) 628-2147; akane32@nyc.rr.com