Class of 1973

Enjoy flora!

Bill Nisen is on a two-and-a-half-year odyssey courtesy of “a friend of a friend needing a place for his family while their house is being built.” The rental was supposed to last only one year; Bill now believes he will return to New Hampshire in September “just in time to chop some wood and enjoy autumn in New England.” Since April 2023 Bill has visited 21 countries and expects to add a few more before his return. Highlights include Petra (Jordan), Hallstatt (Austria) and Hobart (Tasmania). If anyone is interested, he is happy to share which countries he thinks are best for nature, antiquities, scenery, and overall value as well as other helpful travel hints.

After graduation Mark Elmer went to graduate school at UMass; while he loved learning math, he decided becoming a researcher was not his calling. Mark turned to college teaching, first as an assistant professor at the University of Portland in Oregon and then at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and finally, in 1985, at SUNY Oswego in New York, where he remained until his 2018 retirement. Mark resides on a 109-acre farm in Sterling, bordering on the Village of Fair Haven. The farm has a winter view of Little Sodus Bay and many active bird feeders. “In middle age I became very interested in classical and especially Baroque music and still ran until my back gave out, then later bicycled for hours and hours. I have read weekly to students in the Red Creek elementary school now going on about 20 years!” Mark is especially proud of his daughter, who is pursuing a doctorate in linguistics, and a nearby son he describes as “the best person I know.” Despite mobility limitations, Mark reports, “I am a fortunate person.” Indeed!

President Sian Beilock visited San Francisco in mid-February and more than 400 people gathered at the Palace Hotel. Alas, no classmates were spotted in the crowd. Among other salient points in her presentation: “Dartmouth is doing things differently,” “Your major does not dictate your career path,” and “In a strong community no one feels unwelcome.” Item of note: The mission of the College is that of an educational institution, teaching students how to think, not what to think.

After eight years in the position as dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, adopted classmate Elizabeth Smith will step down from that post in the fall and resume her role as a professor. She will continue her leadership as director of academic partnerships and faculty engagement for the Dialogue Project.

The end of 2024 and early 2025 was not kind to the class. On December 7 college skier Garson Fields passed away at home in Lakewood, Colorado; on December 26 football player Kevin Thompson died unexpectedly in Marlborough, Massachusetts; on January 12 swimmer Bob Jones succumbed unexpectedly in Naples, Florida; and a few days later runner Les Fabuss died of a heart attack. Obituaries for all four sturdy sons of Dartmouth may be found at https://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/obits.

—Val Armento, 227 Sylvan Ave., San Mateo, CA 94403; valerie.j.armento.73@dartmouth.edu