Class Notes 1929

Search Class Notes Prior to 2010

Sept - Oct 2010

For those of you who wonder how many members of the class are still living: Rip is it. He is fond of telling others that I sleep with the entire class every night. Much has happened in Hanover during the past months to Dartmouth’s benefit. An anonymous donation of $35 million was given as seed money for the Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science. This will be of far-reaching proportions—from classes for undergraduates, Tuck and Thayer schools, to the curriculum of Dartmouth Medical School. This should put Dartmouth on the front line.

We attended the Commencement held on the Green in spite of clouds and some very light rain. For those with computers I urge you to download the whole affair. There were four male valedictorians, each allotted three minutes to speak (varied and well). As always, worthy recipients of honorary degrees and from whom the main speaker’s wonderful call to service for fellow men to the graduates. As first-year president Dr. Kim gave a most meaningful—citing past and future—valedictory, and for the whole student body graduating he shook more than 1,700 hands!

How can we not mention the country’s big tragedy, the oil spill, to which Rip adds:

“God gave us oil

And wisdom to express

Right use of wilderness

Not to despoil”

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464

Sept - Oct 2009

As always June was a busy and fun month in Hanover. There was the president’s break for students on the lawn in front of Baker Library while listening to the Dartmouth Wind Symphony. This happened to be the very last concert led by Max Culpepper after his 25 years at Dartmouth. President Wright was awarded two citations for his work with wounded Marines in hospitals and supporting their efforts toward higher education. The honors were both presented through “The President’s Own” by the National Marine Band. 

Class Day in the Bema was a first for us both. There were the students, parents, families and friends with barely standing room. Honors and awards were given—the Bartlett Cup among them. This year there were two valedictorians—one male, one female—both having had straight 4.0 through four years. (I do hope they had time for some fun too!) 

Commencement Sunday arrived with gentle rain, not enough to move the ceremony, which is fully televised on our local channel, so we, as usual, watched from our living room. 

Among the honorary degree recipients were Bill Russell, the distinguished Boston Celtic, U.S. Army Gen. John Abizaid and Louise Erdrich ’76, the Commencement speaker. Ed Haldeman ’70, chairman of the board of trustees, on behalf of the board bestowed honorary degrees on Susan and Jim Wright. The valedictorians’ addresses were inspiring, as was that of Louise Erdrich. With a sea of wonderful memories we listened to Jim Wright speaking to students for the last time as president. This year the presence of Edward Connery Latham ’51, dean of libraries, emeritus, proudly carrying the Dartmouth Cup, was missed. He had died at his desk in Webster Hall just a month prior at age 82. In spite of his wishes for no memorials, President Wright ordered the flags on the Green be flown at half-mast for two days. 

Rip says, 

“The force that threatens Mexico is ours. 

We send them cash for pot and evil drugs 

Until we cut that force’s evil power 

We need to give our problems more than shrugs 

We have to make drugs legal and then come 

To face our awful problems here at home.” 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

Jan - Feb 2010

We have received a new list of ’29 widows—there are many and we would enjoy hearing from you. 

The big news the weekend I am writing this: The Dartmouth football team left its losing streak behind. They played well in pouring rain and defeated Columbia 28-6. By the time you read this the season will be over, but we had to include what an exciting time it was to be in Hanover for Homecoming Weekend. 

Rip and I both attended Class Officers Weekend, where we as always enjoyed seeing and being with fellow officers. 

We treasure hearing from professor John Cavanagh, younger son of “Ellie,” who wrote that his older brother—Class of ’29 Baby—Jim and his wife, Susan, still regularly enjoy tennis matches in Tallahassee, Florida. He also mentioned remembering as a child living for a few years, in the early 1930s, on Reservoir Road, Hanover, in a house belonging to Ford Sayre, who at that time was manager of the Hanover Inn. 

Rip shares: 

“I knew Jim Wright our president 

Was great as he could be 

And hoped Jim Kim as resident 

Could be as good as he. 

I know Jim Kim now well enough 

And thank the stars above 

He is already one of us 

Who does his job with love.” 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

Nov - Dec 2009

Where, oh where did the summer go? Too much rain and not enough time to get ready for our move to Kendal at Hanover, where we are now living. Life here is good—even better than that! The staff who work here and most of the inhabitants are extremely friendly, the food varied and delicious—it is a daily joy. 

In the midst of unpacking and still living among boxes in our apartment, we are so very sad to note tragedies happening around us. Dartmouth and the communities of Hanover and Norwich lost a most faithful servant: Angus MacDonald Russell ’52 died suddenly just two weeks after his co-workers and many friends gave him a rousing retirement party. A beautiful memorial service was held for Angus at the Dartmouth Outing Club and attended by a multitude. The speakers quoting Angus’ wit had us laughing through tears. 

We are glad to know that when we are finally unpacked and settled in here we won’t think about moving again. 

Rip adds: 

“The field was full of candidates 

Who saw our job as one more crown 

Our Jim brings stature of his own 

To join with Dartmouth’s ever greats.” 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

Mar - Apr 2010

It isn’t officially winter yet we have had several snowstorms and the grounds are all white. Christmas will have come and gone when you read this, and we still have it to look forward to. The Christmas tree on the Green was especially beautiful this year and it was shining brightly at the time of the Alumni Council meeting. 

In mid-December we attended the gala banquet in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Dartmouth Outing Club. More than 200 people sat down to a fine dinner at the McLane Ski Lodge, Dartmouth Skiway, in Lyme, New Hampshire. 

The reminiscences and speeches were many, and the highlight was former dean Ralph Manuel ’58 presenting the Alumni Award to Put Blodgett ’53—a true Mr. Dartmouth. Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley held its annual Christmas party in Thayer Hall, where friends gathered for holiday cheer. 

Rip: 

“If my address were White House, USA 

And I were master of the speaker’s art 

I’d try to be so careful what I say 

And keep my brass and congressmen apart 

One knows the facts and doesn’t try to hide ’em 

The other truths, but simply can’t abide ’em.” 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road #411, Hanover, NH 03755 

May - June 2010

Carnival came and went with very little snow in Hanover, yet the resourceful students managed to build—as always—a respectable middle of the Green statue, this year a small replica of Rome’s Coliseum. And we know that Dartmouth students won five Carnivals. 

New Hampshire, the Upper Valley and Dartmouth all played a big part in this year’s Olympic victories, and with my Norwegian background, I was proudly watching the medal counts with Rip. 

As I am writing this it is snowing hard, and this morning we woke up to a winter wonderland. Just the right kind of snow for building a snowman or having a snowball challenge. 

Rip: 

“The evil that men do lives after us 

The good is often buried with their brains” 

The headlines shriek to tell us what’s disastrous 

The good we have to dig from what remains. 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

July - Aug 2010

Spring came early to our area this year, and all savored the beauty of color once again. 

College sports picked up—baseball, with both players and fans thrilled with the new (as of last year) Red Rolf-Biondi Park, comparable to any such facility anywhere. 

A letter from John Cavanagh ’55 tells us of the death of Marion, widow of Bill Keyes, at 105. Before marrying Bill, she had a distinguished career during the 1920s designing costumes for Broadway musicals, then later for Hollywood stars such as Judy Garland and Greer Garson. Marion and Bill were best friends with John’s parents, Marjorie and Ellie Cavanagh, and John kept up the friendship with her by mail and phone. 

Did I mention before how lucky we are to have Dr. Jim Yong Kim choose to accept Dartmouth’s presidency? Well, we are—extremely! 

Rip adds: 

“My phone rings each four seconds 

That’s just no time at all 

You should wait 10 rings I reckon 

Or I just won’t get your call.” 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

Nov - Dec 2010

We had been away from Moosehead Lake, Maine, since 2007. The first year due to illness, and last summer downsizing to move into our apartment at Kendal (where we are extremely happy). This summer we were at our camp from July 1 till Labor Day. Family visited with grandchildren and grand-dogs. During the glorious weather-wise summer we enjoyed many activities and seeing longtime friends. However, we suffered the loss of many friends and a dear son-in-law. Rip and I are looking forward to Dartmouth’s fall sports. A winning season perhaps!!! 

Rip adds: 

To you who leave no message from your  past 

And leave no farewell but an empty blast 

Give me the grace to speak when I depart 

And let my word be spoken from the heart. 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, Kendal at Hanover, 80 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

Sept - Oct 2011

How could it have slipped my mind that Class Notes were due this month? Come to think of it, I know why. As a Mother’s Day gift my older daughter gave me a week with her in Bermuda! Needless to say it was a wonderful vacation. Rip stayed home at Kendal. 

As chance would have it, we arrived back in Boston just in time for the Bruins Victory Parade for winning the Stanley Cup. It was total madness with planes and helicopters overhead and thousands of people dressed in Bruins shirts or their colors. Is there a city anywhere that takes its athletic teams as seriously as Boston does? The Bruins, Red Sox and Celtics all are almost revered. Here in Hanover we missed the Commencement, but have been told it was as beautiful as ever. This year the main speaker and one of the recipients of an honorary degree was Conan O’Brien, who was his funny, irreverent self. He made much to do about the tree trunk/podium representing the Old Pine, a treasured College tradition. 

The Dartmouth rugby club became the national champions this early summer, and there was much reason for celebration at the beautiful Corey Ford Rugby House on Reservoir Road in Hanover. 

Rip adds: 

“Love is God’s language and his rule 

Shared with us freely, sage or fool 

Ours to give fully, never finished 

Our store of love does not diminish.” 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

Nov - Dec 2011

What a beautiful summer we had! Some hot, humid days and enough rain to keep grass green and gardeners happy. The rest sunny, spirit lifting, and with lots of smiles. 

We heard from several people associated with our class. John Cavanagh ’55, son of Ellie, wrote us from San Antonio, Texas, where he and his wife moved from Lexington, Massachusetts, in April after his five decades as a history professor. They love their year-round backyard swimming pool. His brother Jim, the ’29 class baby, attended the 60th reunion of his Dartmouth Medical School class in June. 

A welcome phone call from Marsha Ingram Lamb, daughter of Mason Irving Ingram, commenting on our Class Notes. Her father was Dartmouth comptroller, and they lived in Norwich, Vermont. As an aside: Did you know that Hanover High School is shared with Norwich, one of the few in the country where two states share a school! In leafing through the “Eastman 40 Years of Community” insert in the Valley News, we found that classmate Dudley Orr was instrumental in Eastman’s creation. 

Rip adds: 

Most good things come to those who wait 

But this time I over hesitate. 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

May - June 2011

We had several lectures on climate change at Kendal during the winter, and it has been hard to imagine global warming. In our fourth (top) floor apartment we looked out at icicles reaching from the roof to beyond the floor below us. I would not have been able to put my arms around most of them. We had snowstorms every few days as did most of the rest of the country. 

For the first time in some years Dartmouth Winter Carnival had snow and ice available for all the races, snow sculptures and fun events, and the College did very well on home “turf.” Both men’s and women’s hockey teams had a super year, and the basketball teams are building. 

Now that I have three married granddaughters and three (soon to be four) great-grandchildren living in New Jersey, it was fun to receive a note from Chris Wiedenmayer ’63, son of Gus and Peggy. It brought back memories of the ’29 class parties Larry and I hosted while we were stationed on Governors Island in N.Y.C. harbor through the years. They were fun, popular and attracted classmates and wives from many states and gave us chances to visit in addition to reunions at Dartmouth. 

Rip is very much alive, and this month adds a verse he wrote for President Jim Freedman: 

“We have a thing on presidents 

We chose them with great pain, 

But when they are once in residence. 

It’s something else again, 

We blame them for the things we hate, 

And find their methods grievous, 

The good they do we deprecate, 

Then chide them when they leave us. 

So if you think you’d like the job, 

Have brilliance and acumen, 

Be ready to appease a mob, 

And, yes, be superhuman. 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

Mar - Apr 2011

As I was write we were readying for Christmas, and much of our world was at a standstill. Snow, snow everywhere, but very little in Hanover. The Christmas tree on the middle of the Green looked beautiful, as always, especially after dark with multicolored lights and at the top the golden star. A bit of sad news for shoppers in Hanover area and returning alumni: The last of Campion’s stores is going out of business (by choice), and we shall miss it. 

John Cavanagh ’55 wrote us about being invited to dinner at then President John Dickey’s home along with all the sons of the class of ’29 at the time. We agree it was a very gracious touch. 

He also mentions that his brother James E. Cavanagh Jr. ’51, the class of ’29’s baby, teaches one course per year, anatomy, at the Florida State University Medical School. 

Mary Burke, widow of Dick, who lived in Wayne, Illinois, when Rip did, writes she so much enjoys receiving the Alumni Magazine. 

Rip adds his verse: 

Love is God’s language and his rule 

Shared with us freely, sage or fool. 

Ours to give freely, never finished 

Our store of love does not diminish. 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

Jul - Aug 2011

Spring had a very hard time arriving in these environs this year. One warm day, three or four very cold and windy. At least there weren’t tornados, and we feel so very sad for the people affected by them. However, the usual spring flowers popped up in spite of the cold, and were we ever glad to see them after our long, cold, snowy winter. Have I mentioned before how much we love living at Kendal? If anyone considers retiring to Hanover, this is the place with so much to offer. 

As of the weekend this was written, Dartmouth’s women’s lacrosse team shared the Ivy crown with UPenn after defeating Harvard. We hope they make it all the way to the NCAA playoffs. Amy Patton, Dartmouth’s coach for her 19th year, had her 100th Ivy League and ninth league title with this game. The Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley hosted a barbeque before the game. 

Is Rip feeling his age? He writes: 

If you have lived 

to a hundred and four; 

have a loving wife, 

there’s nothing more. 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 

Jan - Feb 2011

From time to time we receive complimentary notes from other classes, and we want you all to know how much they are appreciated. 

At the time this was written the Dartmouth football team had won four games, real nail-biters. We had attended just one game, but listened faithfully on our radio and acted as though we were present: “Yeah, Dartmouth! Go Green!” 

As per usual, leaf peepers were aplenty during foliage season, which, due to such a dry summer, lacked some of its brilliant color. They however bring a lot of business to the area, and those of us who live here know to stay away from restaurants at noon when we see those big buses parked around the Green. 

We were looking forward to seeing November 2 come and go so we could resume life without media “dirt” slung by most politicians. Are we supposed to know from such behavior who is right? Rip says until they learn to speak the truth, put in more gin and no vermouth. 

And for his verse: 

Now when you first 

get out of bed 

(I know of what I’m speaking) 

Don’t dare to take 

that crucial step 

Until your knees stop creaking. 

—Mary Lougee Ripley, 80 Lyme Road, #411, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-6464 