Class of 1972

Dear ’72s, “That voice. It dazzled. And it rang out like a trumpet,” wrote U.S. Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story of Daniel Webster, class of 1801. “He argued 223 cases during 38 years….And once his reputation as an advocate and ‘defender of the Constitution’ had been established, particularly after the Dartmouth College case, the galleries of the Congress and the small chamber of the Supreme Court swelled to overflowing with visitors whenever he was scheduled to speak. We watched the struggle of the giant to relieve that incumbent pressure of his thoughts, to deliver out the stirring workings of his soul, and to uproot the very foundation of the opposing argument.” An associate of Webster’s wrote to Dartmouth President Francis Brown: “I would have an inscription over the door of your building: ‘Founded by Eleazar Wheelock, Refounded by Daniel Webster,’ ” according to Robert Remini in Daniel Webster: The Man and His Time.

Jack Manning wrote of his next big trip: “Son Johnny and his girlfriend will go to Turkey with me. Peggy will go to Greece for two weeks with a friend. Then we meet in Ireland for a trip with Peggy’s family. Then Peggy and I will finish in London and Wimbledon, our seventh international trip in 30 months. If I’m going down, I’m going down swinging.” I take Jack at his word.

Dan “Coop” Cooperman wrote about a 12-day adventure he and Linda took to New Zealand in mid-January with a small group of Stanford alumni and friends. Coop said the trip was a perfect blend of natural beauty, cultural richness, and adventure.

Gary Shanley and Gary “Dico” Dicovitsky traveled together with wives Ginny and Laura to New Zealand as well. I saw Ginny recently at a ’71 mini-reunion in Naples, Florida, hosted by Jim Rager ’71, and his wife, Yola. David “Fuzzy” Thurston joined in and Priscilla and Hans Stumm were also in attendance. Hans has a granddaughter who is a first-year tennis player at Bowdoin. Mickey Stuart ’71 relayed that he hosted our class president, Joe Davis, on his recruiting trip to Hanover.

Andy and Adrienne Harrison went to a Dartmouth event at New York’s Morgan Library along with Barry and Carol Weeks. Andy sent a nice picture of him alongside my daughter, Amanda ’06.

Our class lost a tireless reunion worker and helper in all ’72 endeavors with the passing of Lauren “Duffy” Cummings. The hill winds know the name of this humble Dartmouth servant.

—Shel Prentice, 2311 Tradition Way, #102, Naples, FL 34105; shelprentice72@gmail.com