As I write this Dartmouth Commencement exercises are taking place on the Green. Fortunately, the cool and rainy weather we’ve been experiencing all spring has lifted and the sun is shining on the class of 2025. May fortune be with them as they venture forth into this unsettled world.
Sam Francis has recently ventured forth from his 94th year, as have many of you. His family decided recently to throw him a birthday party here at Kendal. They brought along all of the food and beverages for an informal picnic luncheon, and we had a great time socializing with Sam and his family as we all celebrated this important event.
It’s with great sadness that I report the death of Fred Stephens on May 3. Fred was one of those people we instantly like the minute we meet them. He always saw the humor in any situation and was the kind of class leader who gave us confidence that matters entrusted to him would get done right. I know you will join me in sending Thelma our deepest sympathy.
One of the more interesting things about living in a college town is how aware we are of what’s happening on campus. This fall marks the completion of a project that it seemed would never end: the renovation of the Hopkins Center complex. The splendid, redesigned structure will provide attractive and spacious quarters for all of the performing arts at Dartmouth. Everyone has been invited to celebrate the opening in mid-October. We will also quietly rejoice in the return to normalcy of the street in front of The Hop.
These are troubling times for all U.S. colleges, and Dartmouth is no exception; but we’ve been through difficult times before, and we will do so again. Let us remember what Daniel Webster once famously said about us: “It is, Sir, as I have said, a small college. And yet there are those who love it.”
May your fall be pleasant and may all your teams win! Let me hear from you.
—Donna Grant Reilly, 32 Penn Road, Apt. 418; Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-7281; reillys5357@gmail.com