December 2011 Newsletter

WINTER 2011 SPECIAL CLASS OF 1978 NEWSLETTER
Class of 1978 Life ScienceS Center
D E D I C AT I O N A N D M I N I R E U N I O N
Weekend Wrap-Up
Standing: Gerry Widdicombe, Wilson Neely,
Brooks Clark, Anne Bagamery, Bill Wechsler
Front: Tom Alexander, Bernie Bernfeld,
Bernie Drury
FRIDAY
My mini-reunion weekend began at noon on
Friday, when Steve Ceurvorst and Chip
Coleman generously met me at the USAirways terminal at Logan. I had flown up from
my home in Knoxville, Tenn. Karen had a
rowing event, the Head of the Hooch in
Chattanooga, and sent her regards to all.
By Brooks Clark, newsletter editor
During a pleasant drive, it was nice to
hear about Chip’s daughter, Rachel, a UNC
grad working on websites in New York City,
and Steve’s four kids—one in high school in
Pittsburgh; one at Penn State, one at Carnegie-Mellon, one rowing at Oxford. Chip is a
professor of biochemistry at East Carolina
University and Steve is an institutional investment manager who lives in Pittsburgh and
commutes to Manhattan. Steve and Chip
were part of a Russell Sage mini-mini-reunion
that included Jim Lattin, Eunchung Park and
Steve Bova and their Hanover hosts Pat
and Tim McNamara.
At the Courtyard Marriott in Lebanon, I
met up with Class President Dave Graham
and Vice President Barbara Dau Southwell and headed over to set up the Zimmerman Lounge in the Blunt Alumni Center for
the single-malt tasting later on in the evening.
Dave and Barbara had put in a remarkable
amount of time and effort, in coordination
with Alumni Relations, to put the entire
weekend together. “Now we can just enjoy
the party,” said Barbara.
Celia’s Lecture
Later on Friday, we went over to the Class
of 1978 Life Sciences Center, where many
78s were gathering in the Arvo Oopik
Auditorium, starting with Kathy and Rick
Kimball, whose gift made it possible for
the auditorium to bear Arvo’s name. I also
enjoyed seeing Marga Rahman and her
husband Lee Michaelides, the managing
editor of the Alumni Magazine.
The place was packed with 78s as Celia Chen gave a fascinating presentation
entitled “Factors Controlling Mercury Fate
in Aquatic Food Webs.”
Coal-burning power plants spew inert
mercury into the atmosphere. When it
comes down and joins the ecosystem, it
gets a carbon molecule and becomes methyl-mercury. As it goes up the food chain,
methyl-mercury gets more concentrated.
Therefore, at the top of the food chain—
in tuna, swordfish and sharks—the levels
are high enough to do damage to people
who eat too much. Celia cited one man
who had eaten tuna sushi every day and
found himself paralyzed. Continued on page 2
For ID’s, go to the Class website www.dartmouth.org/classes/78/
1
Celia’s Lecture continued
Celia’s extensive research reveals different
variables in methyl-mercury getting into the food
chain. Pristine lakes tend to have fish with higher
concentrations, while lakes with lots of nutrients
and algae are better able to diffuse the methylmercury. Who knew?
I enjoyed watching Jim Lattin scribble notes
on his ipad.
Afterward, Rick Kimball read a few words
about Arvo and introduced his widow, Jenn
Brown, and their four daughters, Krista ’05, Krisanna, and twins Kara and Kasey.
Weekend Wrap-Up
The Biology Department then hosted tours
and an excellent reception, in which the professors were effusive about how much they love the
building. Everyone had a great time catching up,
which continued at every event throughout the
weekend.
Tom Ostertag and Tripp Peake reminded
me about putting on a French version of West
Side Story on LSA in Bourges. Ann McLane
Kuster gave the latest on her run for Congress.
Ellen Meyer Shorb updated me on one son at
Colby and one at a wilderness school and headed
continued
FRIDAY
Dinner at the Salt Hill Pub
and Single-Malt Tasting at
Blunt
We then walked to dinner at the Salt Hill Pub
behind the Hop (and the Visual Arts Center,
under construction). Anne Bagamery and
Bob Marino breezed in from Paris; Willy
Weschler came in from Serbia, where he
teaches international peace.
I confirmed with Marc Farley, Bob Shuman, Jim Bassett, Jim Bullion and Bernie
Drury that we would join Rick Beyer, Dave
Graham and Mike Jacobson at the Friends of
Dartmouth Rowing Boathouse at 7 am Sunday
morning for a reunion row. They doubted their
own fortitude. “We may still be in the Phi Delt
basement at that hour,” said Bob and Marc.
Nonetheless, I urged them to be steadfast and
show up at the boathouse on Sunday morning.
Maggie Fellner Hunt, accompanied by
husband Jim, mentioned that she was happy to
have passed the Class Notes baton to Dave
Hov, so she could relax and enjoy the company
of Lissa Howell McCallum. Dave, by the
way, was there with his new bride of two
to Carleton, a daughter in high school and a
youngest in middle school.
I thanked Victoria and Wilson Neely for cohosting—with Karen Fagerstrom—a 78th
Night Mini-Reunion in Manhattan. Wilson remembered his leave terms on internships in
Washington, D.C., when he stayed with my parents in my old room. I was gratified that Wilson—like Jeff Petrich, who also lived with my
folks—thought the green shag rug in my room
was cool.
Tom Alexander (l) and
Ray Boniface
weeks, Shaun Smith ’80.
On Facebook Duane Peterson wrote that
he would not be joining us for the weekend
because his son Cole, a student at Essex (Vt.)
High, had been the victim of a hate crime by
schoolmates: “The inadequate response by
school and police officials led some of his supporters to take matters into their own hands,
yielding reprisals on both sides. Some more
thoughtful students organized a sit-in for tomorrow that has 800 people pledged to attend with
full media in tow. You can imagine how much
more attractive hanging out with you sounds,
but I'll be modern parenting here instead.”
Another Vermonter, Robin Barone, had
earlier emailed her regrets, offering the pretty
good excuse that her husband, Sydney Lea, was
being installed as poet laureate of Vermont.
At nine o’clock, the party moved to the
Zimmerman Lounge where several different
single malts were supplied by Dave Graham
who led those interested in the nuances of single malt whisky nosing and tasting. The Rev.
Scott Axford spoke in a thick brogue as he
tasted six different single malts and expounded
on the many virtues of lowland Scots, of whom
Dave Graham’s forebears were particularly
warlike.
Another proud Scot, Paula McLeod described the house she and her husband have
bought and renovated on Nantucket. Rick Spier described his first and second novels, and
promised to send me the first one, O’Sullivan’s
Odyssey. (He did, and I am reading it now.)
Dee Flint described what it was like to
coach Peyton Manning in youth basketball. Nick
Sakhnovsky discussed the world of education
in Florida. Don and Sandy Rendall and Gift
Planning Chair Paul Ehrsam and Denise St.
John made the scene, as did Bill Petit and his
guest Christine Paluf. Ray Boniface, our new
Alumni Council representative, and his wife, Dr.
Nancy Gantt, chatted with Tom Alexander.
Barbara Snyder Martinez noted the
improbable fact that she and Chris Simpson
Brent had both spent 30 years at IBM.
SATURDAY
Life Sciences Center Tours
and Dedication
If you weren’t able to make it for the dedication
and haven’t yet had a tour of the Life Sciences
Center, make a point of getting one the next
time you’re in Hanover. The light streams
through, even in the basement lab area. There
are dozens of eco-friendly features that would
make our own LEED-award-winning builder
Michael Chandler proud. The public spaces
have been cited as great places for the exchange of ideas and sparking of insights. Or, as
President Kim said places “where ideas can go to
have sex.”
As 78s chatted beforehand, it was nice to
see: Jeff Crowe, Anne and Mark Hansen,
Laurie and Dave Hodgson, and Trustee Sherri
and Curt Oberg and their daughter Ali. Buck
Kelly thanked me for encouraging him to sign
up for Facebook, which has enabled him to see
cats dressed up as tacos and similarly important postings.
For the dedication ceremony, the Oopik
Auditorium was filled with Trustees, major donors, 78s and their families. The theme was
“Thank you, Class of 1978.”
left to right:
left to right:
Brooks Clark,
Elisa Ostafin
Barbara Dau
Southwell and
Rick Spier
Bill Petit, Susan
Wright, Cecilia
Chen and Jim
Wright
2
Saturday continued
Naturally, appropriate recognition was given
to major donors to the Life Sciences Center,
who are named in this newsletter. Unfortunately,
Ann and Les Chao, Andrea and Jeff Immelt
and Diana and Bruce Rauner weren’t able to
be at the dedication. They and those present
were appreciated by other members of the class
for putting the gifts in the name of the class.
In an email encouraging 78s to come to the
mini-reunion, Mini-Reunion Chair Mike Jacobson said it well, writing that he and Kirsten were
coming “because of the significance of the dedication and to recognize and appreciate those individuals that made it happen. Because of their
efforts, our class will be memorialized for perpetuity. Some of our classmates could have donated
individually and had their name appended to the
building, but instead they put our class first and
themselves into the background. In my opinion,
there is no greater gesture than such a community-building gift.”
In a video presentation during the dedication,
Class President Dave Graham, Vice President
Barbara Dau Southwell, Co-Head Agent Bill
Daniel and Trustee Steve Mandel spoke eloquently about what the building means to the
College and why our class took a leading role in
bringing it forth. Go to the Dartmouth YouTube
channel to view the video.
After the ceremony, I said hello to Trustee
Annette Gordon-Reed
’81. At an Alumni Council meeting last year, I
had told Gordon-Reed
how much I enjoyed The
Hemingses of Monticello
and asked her some
questions about the suicide of Sally Hemings’
brother, James, who had
been trained as a French
chef in Paris when Jefferson was stationed there.
Outside the Life Sciences Center we posed
for a class picture, then
Go to our class web page for a listing of classmates featured in this photo.
headed on buses to the
lunch at the West Gym. On my bus Joey Bish- class web page.)
op talked about going to Italy to support the
At lunch we heard inspiring words from PresKnox family as they worked to get poor Amanda ident Kim and President Dave. I mentioned to
exonerated of her murder charges. Joey said it Nick Scheu that I had fixed an incorrect letter
was another roommate of Amanda’s, a male, on his email address so messages no longer
who actually carried out the grisly sex murders. bounce back. He said that was nice, although he
You never know what you’ll learn on a mini- allowed that, as a landscape architect, he doesn’t
reunion bus. At our 25th reunion, Marine Col. look at emails for six months out of the year.
Burke Whitman told Joey that he could make
After lunch, outside Alumni Gym, we posed
a difference by using his engineering skills to get for another class picture, in which I stood near
Iraq’s power plants back online. Joey took up the Mary Lee and Jack Kiernan who came to the
call and wrote about his experiences in our April event partly to see their daughter, a ’15.
Continued on page 6
2005 class newsletter. (You can read it on our
WATCH DEDICATION VIDEO ON YOU-TUBE: http://tinyurl.com/1978dedication
Cornell Is Vanquished
Under a bright blue autumn sky, members of the
class assembled in Section 5 of Memorial Stadium
to watch the Big Green defeat Cornell 33-24, as
senior running back Nick Schwieger—a history
major from Norton, Mass.,—rushed for 257
yards.
At halftime Bob Ceplikas, in his role as
associate athletic director, led a group of class
officers to midfield, where we stood with President Kim and Dean Carol Folt, an honorary ’78,
for an announcement about the Life Sciences
Center dedication. At the appropriate moment,
Section 5 roared its approval.
In the second half, at the end of a
65-yard touchdown run, Schweiger
performed a front flip as he crossed the
plane of the end zone, costing the Big
Green a 15-yard unsportsmanlikeconduct penalty on the kickoff. With
more than 3,350 career rushing yards,
Schwieger is the Big Green’s all-time
leading rusher.
In the stands I enjoyed talking with
Caroline and Tim Harrison, Phyllis
and Cotton Smith and Lenny
Weiser-Varon and many others. After
the game, I walked with Sarah and Tom
Johansen to the Canoe Club
to catch up and enjoy some
peach-brandy-laced hot apple
cider. There we saw Kirsten
and Mike Jacobson catching
up with Nancy and Walter
Malmquist.
Nick Schwieger ’12 with a Big
Green Score
CLASS OF 1978 LIFE SCIENCE CENTER LEADERSHIP DONORS
Standing, left to right: Bill Daniel, Wilson Neely, Jack Kiernan, Kevin Hoffman, Gerry Widdicombe, Mary Kendall Brown, Scott Brown, Bill Petit, David Southwell, Jim
Wright, Jim Yong Kim, Bernie Drury, Carol Folt, Kathy Kimball, Damian DiCostanzo, Rick Kimball, Greg Melvin, Michael Mastanduno, Frank Governali, Jim Hunt, Donna
Gaut, Cris Gaut, Caroline Diamond Harrison, Mark Hansen, Tim Harrison, Steve Mandel, David Hodgson
Seated, left to right: Lucia Hoffman, Kathy Sewell ’77, Elissa Von Heill Hylton, Barbara Dau Southwell, Pauline Sameth, Dick Sameth ’59, Terry Ann Scriven, Maggie Fellner
Hunt, Anne Hansen, Laurie Hodgson
3
Dartmouth Class of 1978 Donors —LSC and DCF
Thank you to the classmates listed below who have supported the 1978 Life Science Center and/or this year’s Dartmouth College Fund. Classmates
who have gifts to both efforts are in bold; donors to the DCF only are in green. Those classmates in black have made gifts solely to Class of 1978 Life
Science Center. To be part of the monumental achievement that is the Class of 1978 Life Science Center, please contact Sandra Swain-Bromwell
at Dartmouth, 603-646-3206 or [email protected]. Gifts of any size are valued. Donations of $25,000 or more receive
additional recognition.
J. Craig Alexander
Todd K. Anderson
Timothy A. Andrews
Catherine K. Anson
Douglas M. Antaya
Mark T. Arnold
Susan F. Assmann
Owen L. Astrachan
W. Scott Axford
Anne E. Bagamery
Todd H. Baker
Bruce Kerry Barach
Anne E. Barschall
Sarah Bayldon Beaman
Clifton C. Below
Amy Simon Berg
Richard J. Beyer
Ralph S. Blanchard, III
Carter W. Blough
Raymond John Boniface
Steven Dean Boulanger
G. Steven Bova
Elizabeth W. Brady
Andrew J. Breen
John F. Brenner
Christine Simpson Brent
Mary Kendall Brown
Scott Sinclair Brown
David S. Bury
James W. Byers
Vicki J. Camerino
Michael P. Carroll
Robert A. Ceplikas
Stephen P. Ceurvorst
Leslie T. Chao
Celia Y. Chen
Peter J. Christie
Brooks Clark
William C. Cody
Samuel R. Coffey
James P. Coleman
Sharon Lee Cowan
Geoffrey B. Crew
Jeffrey M. Crowe
Valerie J. Cummings-Andrews
William R. Daniel
Thomas C. DeCarlo
Dennis A. DeVaux
Clark B. Dickson
Damian P. DiCostanzo
David G. Dietze
James A. DiNardo
Mara J. Dinsmoor
Gregg E. Dougherty
Craig B. Douglass
Pamela Daniels Drumheller
Bernard V. Drury
Amy K. Dunbar
Hugh H. Dyar
Sarah M. Eastman
Andrew D. Ebbott
David W. Eisele
Sanford E. Emery
Peter B. Endicott
Knud Eric Engelsted
Carolyn Kelley Evans
Karen R. Fagerstrom
Marc W. Farley
Edmond J. Ford
Francine M. Foss
James H. Fownes
Thomas L. Fox
Mark Norman Frank
William F. Fritz
M. Rose Gasner
C. Christopher Gaut
Duana M. George
Rob Gilbert
Ian C. Gilchrist
David J. Goldmeier
David L. Graham
Jerry H. Gurwitz
Barbara K. Hack
Mark C. Hansen
Carol McKey Harrington
Timothy C. Harrison
Paul E. Heising
S. Todd Hemphill
Lincoln R. Hess
David C. Hodgson
Kevin Thomas Hoffman
Edward L. Hogan
C. Peter Holekamp
Ann Hurwitz Forster
David T. Hov
Jane T. Horton
Christine Hughes
Margaret Fellner Hunt
Elissa Von Heill Hylton
Jeffrey R. Immelt
Michael S. Jacobson
Craig A. Johnson
Eric G. Johnson
Lea Bolling Johnson
Whitney L. Johnson
John S. Jordan
Stephen J. Kaiser
Melinda R. Kassen
Bruce A. Kaufman
Jonathan P. Keeve
Margaret A. Kelleher
Heather Mayfield Kelly
W. Robert Kelly
John B. Kiernan
Richard Kimball
David R. King
Kenneth J. King
Pierre C. Kirch
Amy J. Kolan
John S. Kortvelesy
Margo J. Krasnoff
Charles R. Kreter
Jeffrey M. Krolik
Frederic T. Kutscher
Kenneth M. Landau
Derek Lawson
Wanda Ryan Lazarus
Miles J. LeBlanc
Claudia E. Lee
Katharine Leggat
Peter B. Leone
Samuel D. Lippin
David A. Lloyd
Richard W. Lougee
Helen A. Lukash
Scott C. Lundstrom
Elizabeth Howell MacCallum
Anne Bigelow MacFarlane
Alastair M. Mackay
Ann H. Maddox
Jane Lowenstein Mairs
Steve Mandel
Jacob A. Manheimer
Jordan H. Manker
Barbara Snyder Martinez
David Gordon Mathews
Ian McColough
Keith R. McCrae
George E. McDavid
William R. McLaughlin
Timothy J. McNamara
Gregory M. Melvin
Brook G. Milligan
John C. Moriarty
Richard P. Morse
Katherine Anne Moss
Athena M. Moundalexis
Jay Murphy
William M. Murphy
Charles F. Nadler
Wilson S. Neely
James H. Newman
George W. Niedt
Richard J. Nikonovich-Kahn
Helen Andrews Noble
Kathleen A. O'Connor
Thomas Isaiah Odinak
Margaret A. O'Donnell
Arvo J. Oopik
William A. Origel
Steven M. Ornstein
Judith A. Osher
Elisa A. Ostafin
S. W. Pacala
William C. Paganelli
L. Stevenson Parker
Word D. Peake
Steven M. Peseckis
William A. Petit
Andrew J. Petrie
Michael Louis Pope
Marianne Bond Price
Robert E. Price, Jr.
Florence Delbridge Quartarone
Katherine McKusick Ralston
Peter E. Raskind
Bruce V. Rauner
David B. Reiser
Peter A. Renner
Pamela H. Rey
Allan S. Reynolds
Harriet T. Reynolds
Scott A. Riedler
Jane Frederick Rodas
Jordan M. Roderick
Nicholas A. Sakhnovsky
R. Nichols Scheu
Harriet S. Schwartz
Randy K. Schwartz
Julie B. Schwarz
Terry Ann Scriven
Frederic Lee Seligson
James D. Senger
Frank J. Setian
Michael A. Sheffield
Patricia Zikes Shemkus
Friedrich A. P. Siekert
Victoria L. Smith
Gary A. Sobelson
Mark A. Solomon
Barbara Dau Southwell
Rick Spier
Steven F. Strauss
Elin Peterson Sullivan
Mary-Ellyn Tarzy
Stephen L. Thompson
Foster M. Vail
James C. Vailas
Carol Hillman Van Dyke
Peter W. Vaughan
Dale E. Walsh
Jonathan T. Walton
William A. Wechsler
Jeffrey Renwick Weeks
Harvey B. Weinberg
Leonard Weiser-Varon
Burke W. Whitman
Gerard C. Widdicombe
Terry Wilbanks Carter
Robin R. Wildermuth
Douglas G. Wildes
Robert E. Wilkes
Charles G. Wise
Alan F. Wohlstetter
David D. Wright
Steven Yarinsky
Catherine Colligan Yates
Names as of 11/29/2011
4
We Built It, Now Let’s Keep the Lights On
As important as our gifts to build the LSC have been, the most important gift we can make to Dartmouth is our annual contribution to the Dartmouth College Fund which provides approximately 10% of the College’s operating budget each year. If you haven’t
given yet, please make a difference by visiting dartmouthcollegefund.org/lightson or using the enclosed card. Your contribution is vital to the ’78 goal of increased participation. Alumni participation is a key factor in determining both college ranking and
Foundation support for Dartmouth. Please do your part for Big Green today.
Jody Dietze, Bill Daniel, Elissa Von Heill Hylton, and Barbara Dau Southwell
1978 ONLINE
You-Tube Videos: youtube.com/user/Dartmouth
Facebook: Dartmouth Class of 1978
Dedication Video: http://tinyurl.com/1978dedication
Alumni Web Page: dartmouth.org/classes/78/
Rowing: http://tinyurl.com/1978rowing
To Make A Gift: dartmouthcollegefund.org/lightson
Words by Rick Kimball
Our classmate, Arvo Oopik, died tragically in a small-plane crash on February 24, 1994, in Minot, North
Dakota. A cardiologist and commissioned officer with the U.S. Public Health Service, Arvo was making a
regular visit to the Indian Reservations served by the Indian Health Service when his plane went down in a
snowstorm killing the pilot and three doctors on board. It was supposed to be his last trip for the Health
Service as he had just the week before moved his family to North Carolina where he was to start
private practice.
Arvo always wanted to be a doctor perhaps in part due to his father’s medical studies in Estonia having
been interrupted by World War 11 when he was forced to flee. Those of us who were lucky enough to
meet and befriend him over thirty years ago could already tell that he would be a compassionate, caring
Rick Kimball and the Oopik family
and outstanding practitioner of medicine.
Arvo left behind his wife, Jennifer Brown, and four wonderful and beautiful daughters, Krista (’05), Krisanna, and twins, Kara and Kasey. Many of you
may remember the courageous and moving speech Krista gave to our class in the Bema at our twentieth reunion. Arvo would have been very proud.
Arvo loved Dartmouth and the opportunities it afforded him. He was clearly someone though who felt it was his duty to give everything he could back
to the community and to the world at large. It is only appropriate that Dartmouth honors this loyal son with the Arvo J. Oopik, M.D. ’78 Auditorium in the
Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center.
Note from Jenn Brown
It is much harder than one can imagine to try and sit down and thank so many for so much with mere words. The Class of 1978 and Dartmouth carried our family through with such gentleness and respect; the seventeen plus years since Arvo's passing have not diminished the sadness carried within our
hearts. Each and every person who guided us up to and through the dedication service exhibited sincere kindness that allowed us to welcome all the new
and wondrous stories of remembrance, some of which we had never heard before. Our bank of memories have been expanded because of the generosity
sparked by dear friends who thought beyond themselves and wished unselfishly to honor a Dartmouth brother—Kathy and Rick Kimball are the heroes in
our family because of the way their hearts worked years ago with an idea to name the
Arvo J. Oopik Auditorium after my husband, and the father of Krista ’05, Krisanna,
Kasey and Kara (K1 through K4). I truly believe our family has been gifted what matters
most in life, which is to love and to care for one another. There was a distinct moment
when I turned around and saw the four K's arm and arm with warm smiles scampering
down the street after the football game. This moment told me I knew they were OK,
they would be OK and that this special Class carried us all forward helped in immeasurable ways to bring life full circle in remembrance. These gifts form and flow from the
heart which was what Arvo stood for in his lifetime and for which this extraordinary
Class of 1978 exemplifies.
"Think where man's glory most begins and ends and say my glory
was I had such friends." —William Butler Yeats
With heartfelt gratitude,
Jenn
5
Saturday Continued
Beer Tasting
Milwaukee native Lisa Kaeser, whose father
worked in the brewery business and whose first
job out of law school was at the U.S. Brewers
Association, arranged an elegant beer tasting.
The brew master was Scott Shirley, a graduate
of the American Brewers Guild and UC Davis
brewing courses. For the past 11 years, he has
been the Head Brewer for Harpoon Brewery in
Windsor, Vt. For our event, Scott poured off four
of Harpoon’s finest (two different IPAs, a Belgian
White, and an Imperial) and provided some
history on the origins of each beer with suggested
pairing details. It was similar to a good wine tasting.
Dinner
On behalf of Co-Head Agents Barbara Dau
Southwell and Elissa Von Heill Hylton and
Participation Chair David Dietze, Co-Head
Agent Bill Daniel offered his sincere thanks to
our devoted corps of class agents: Stephen
James Adnopoz, Amy Simon Berg, Raymond John Boniface, Christine Simpson
Brent, Mary Kendall Brown, Walter A.
Callender, Michael P. Carroll, James P.
Coleman, David C. Corey, Jeffrey M.
Crowe, Miguel Damien, Gregg E.
Dougherty, Paul A. Ehrsam, Carolyn Kelley
Evans, Marc W. Farley, Delos E. Flint, Jr.,
Elizabeth Putnam Flint, M. Rose Gasner,
Kevin Thomas Hoffman, Christine Hughes,
Melinda R. Kassen, Bruce A. Kaufman,
W. Robert Kelly, Susan A. Kepes, Richard
H. Kimball, Charles R. Kreter, Jeffrey M.
Krolik, Helen A. Lukash, Elizabeth Howell
MacCallum, Peter B. Maglathlin, Steve
Mandel, Barbara Snyder Martinez, John B.
McGrath, Paula H. McLeod, Lawrence N.
Murray, Judith A. Osher, Andrew J. Petrie,
Harriet T. Reynolds, Margaret McGrath
Sherman, Ellen Meyer Shorb, John R. Shuman, Jr., Gary F. Traynor, Harvey B. Weinberg, Gerard C. Widdicombe and Kevin B.
Wilkey.
Silver coins commissioned by Greg Melvin
were presented to each agent as an expression of
the College’s gratitude for their service.
President Dave Graham introduced his
former Sports Information Intern partner and
now Trustee Chair, Steve Mandel, who gave an
excellent four-point speech about what the Trustees are up to.
Dancing
Anna and Bruce Kaufman, Mary and Pete
Renner and Anne and Mark Hansen did a great
job on the dance floor. Steve Ornstein posted a
grainy video of Elisa Ostafin, Barbara Dau
Southwell, Dave Graham and me dancing
after our class dinner. Since Dave and I have both
had hip surgery—I had my hip replaced in January
and Dave has now had two hips resurfaced—we
appear to be doing the robot. In fact, that’s the
way we dance.
Truly, though, if you are not among the 200
members of the Dartmouth Class of 1978 Facebook page, you are missing out. For example, you
would have seen the Dartmouth Aires’ amazing
Queen medley on NBC’s hit show The Sing-Off,
and you would know that Harvey Weinberg’s
son Ethan is a member of the now-famous Aires.
On Facebook you might also have seen a photo of
action figures posed with a foot on a dead squirrel,
in the manner of Teddy Roosevelt with a dead lion.
Join the group today!
Continued on page 8
With Love and Gratitude from the Petit Family
The Petit, Hawke, Renn and Chapman families are very thankful for the kindness and generosity bestowed upon us and Jennifer, Hayley, and Michaela. The
Class of 1978 Life Sciences Building is a testament to the altruism, loyalty and love that exists within the Class of ’78. The facility is simply amazing. As
several classmates have suggested perhaps the new learning situations will help foster the environment to allow a Nobel Prize winner to come from “our
building” at Dartmouth. Jennifer’s mother, Marybelle Hawke, was excited about the tour of the Life Sciences Center, improvements of the lab equipment,
and revision of classrooms to facilitate group involvement in the learning process. She is hopeful that such changes will result in improved health care in
the future. She was a nurse as was Jennifer. Overall 15 of my relatives attended the ceremony.
The ceremony honoring Arvo, Professor Croasdale
and my family was well-done and touching. The videos
were well-done—I was happy to see ours but it also
made me cry. It brought back wonderful memories to
see Hayley in front of Dartmouth Hall when she was just
shy of her first birthday-she learned to love the College.
It was the only school she applied to. I asked what if you
don’t get in? She said “don’t worry Dad.”
I would be remiss in not thanking Mrs. Rice, parent of
an ’11 who made the quilt and mailed it to me. Perhaps
some of you found the two oars hidden in the brickwork
at the base of Dartmouth Hall in the quilt.
I would also like to sincerely thank all my classmates
for their kind words and gestures throughout the weekend. As I sit here in the New Haven Superior Court
during week 3 or 4 of the penalty phase with 3+ more
weeks to go, I do feel like a voice that cannot cry out in
the wilderness. Our system affords few rights to victims
especially those not present who cannot speak for themFeatured left to right: Carol Folt (Provost), Jim Yong Kim (’82a), Bill Petit, Anne Hansen, Mark Hansen,
selves. Thus I truly appreciate all the kind thoughts,
Donna Gaut, Cris Gaut pose in front of the Petit Family Gallery.
words, and prayers offered by my classmates. Hayley
would have been a superb Dartmouth ’11 and Jen and
Michaela loved to visit campus, especially at reunions or during a bonfire weekend. Thank you all.
As Michaela finished the 5th grade she studied Gandhi and loved his paraphrase, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” The Class of
1978 is sure filled with generous, loving big-hearted people who are making those changes and the world a better place.
Much love and gratitude,
Bill and the rest of the Petit, Hawke, Renn, and Chapman families
6
Excerpt from David Graham’s Luncheon Remarks
“So, from now on, I will ask and encourage my fellow class officers to ask to be introduced as from
the “ACCOMPLISHED AND GENEROUS CLASS OF 1978.” Finally, let’s not let this new Class of
1978 Life Science Center be the culmination of our efforts, let it not be the swan song of our dedication to Dartmouth, the final chapter. Rather, let it be another milestone, a broader platform upon
which to build, for we, as a class, have much more to ACCOMPLISH and an even greater legacy of
GENEROSITY to convey to this place and institution that we love.”
To read David’s full speech, go our class web page.
Class VP Barbara Dau Southwell (left) and President Dave Graham (above right) at the post-dedication Luncheon in West Gym
WHY I GAVE
•
•
Like most other classes 30+ years out, we have
a very low propensity to overwhelmingly agree
on the merits of anything, let alone a Dartmouth initiative that involves something new
and different. As reflected by the dedication and
celebration earlier this month, the Life Sciences
Center is that rare and wonderful exception.
For me, the reasons include its cutting-edge
sustainability, its spaces designed to inspire and
benefit faculty and students, and its galleries that
honor two beloved classmates and their families. I am very thankful for the visionaries in our
class who conceived the plan and for our generous classmates who made its funding and execution a reality. Marc Farley
My belief is that giving is an integral part of life,
and as with life, participation is key. When each
individual does his or her part a shift occurs.
Ideas that are coupled with action then transform into reality, i.e. into tangible results. After
all, the big picture is there because each pixel
lights up, right? This building is the “Class of
1978 Life Sciences Center” and as a member of
the class, giving seemed simply the right thing to
do; for myself and in support of students and
scientists for years to come. Helen Lukash
•
Giving to the LSC was a way of thanking Steve
Mandel and others for leading the way, not only
with their time, but with lots of zeros as well.
Wilson Neely
•
I decided to attend the mini-reunion because of
the significance of the dedication and to recognize and appreciate those individuals that made
it happen. Because of their efforts, our class will
be memorialized for perpetuity. Some of our
classmates could have donated individually and
had their name appended to the building, but
instead they put our class first and themselves
into the background. In my opinion, there is no
greater gesture than such a community-building
gift. Our class officers recognize that not every
classmate feels a part of the Class of 1978 Life
Science Center. But do not let this deter you.
We have been invited into the ‘inner circle.’
The gifts of others have enabled each of us to
be recognized as part of the accomplished and
generous Class of 1978. But if you are like me,
you will take great satisfaction in making your
own contribution in whatever size is right for
you. Michael “Jake” Jacobson
•
I gave because I believe in Dartmouth. I gave to
help future students have the best liberal arts
education possible. Steve Strauss
•
My gift to the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center was motivated by my desire to be part of
something special. As a small donor, I knew that
I could never afford to have the opportunity to
make such a special gift by myself. I feel great
pride in this contribution due to the possibility
of a personal dividend that I might receive in the
future. The dividend may come in some ground
breaking solution to a world problem that affects me personally as well as my community
and the global community. If Dartmouth can
attract just one more student or top quality
Professor because of the Life Sciences Center,
that opportunity can become a reality. My
hopes were re-confirmed when I saw the building, heard the enthusiasm of the Professors and
saw the twinkle in the students’ eyes. It was a
memorable weekend and the Life Sciences Center is a special gift because of the ability to see
the immediate, tangible results of its existence.
Kevin Thomas Hoffman
•
I gave to honor our small # of wealthy classmates who truly funded the building but honored us all by recognizing us as one. This is a
truly different paradigm than that that funded
other buildings at Dartmouth, and indeed
across all of academia. Steve Ornstein
7
Sunday continued
Reunion Row
At 7 am, with the temperature at 21 degrees,
Rowing Coach Topher Bordeau met our group at
the boathouse. Hanover High coach Heidi Lange
was kind enough to cox, which made all the difference for a pleasant row.
Former Big Green oarsman Mike Carroll had
emailed his regrets, so the lineup was Bob Shuman at stroke, Jim Bassett, Dave Graham,
Rick Beyer, Brooks Clark, Marc Farley,
Mike Jacobson, Jim (Sarge) Bullion and Bernie Drury. In a strong early-morning show,
Harriet Travilla Reynolds and Ann Hoover
Maddox showed up to watch from the boathouse porch. Thanks to Marilyn Beyer for posting
her nice pictures of the event on Facebook, you
may view them here:
http://tinyurl.com/1978rowing
Breakfast
Those still in Hanover on Sunday morning gathered in the Collis Center dining room for a tasty
brunch, offering a chance to chat with Chris
Cummings. During brunch, Cathy Cates reminded me about meeting my older sister at a
Junior League meeting in Houston.
WHY I GAVE
•
I wanted to support the Life Sciences Center as
our family, as Hanover residents, have lived and
breathed its birth and evolution over the
past couple of years. Watching it grow from its
inception to the incredible complex that is now
a landmark at the north end of campus
was enough reason to join forces with those
who had the vision and resources to undertake
this project. But now with a child enrolled in
the Class of 2015, I more personally understand
the impact this facility will have on his and many
others’ education. It is both humbling and inspiring as an alumna, a community member, a parent
and now a supporter, to share the pride in what
has been accomplished here. Thank you all for
this lifelong gift. Mary Kendall Brown
•
It was a pleasure to participate with the class in
helping to build this latest addition to the Dartmouth campus. I was fortunate to be the fifth
generation in my family to attend Dartmouth
from New Hampshire starting in 1826. Many of
my ancestors, including my great-grandfather
who graduated in 1845 with a MD degree, and
my grandfather (Class of 1888 who later earned
his MD from NYU,) served as country doctors
utilizing what they had learned at Dartmouth. It
is harrowing to read their accounts of early
medical practices and impromptu surgeries and I
know they would be fascinated to see the progress and advances in medical care and the life
sciences. While my small contribution, supported by a larger family foundation grant, was a tiny
part of our class effort, I was proud to do what I
could to honor their memories and other Lougees,
Jewetts and Wheelers who served their communities
as doctors here in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. I am equally as pleased for the opportunity to
support all those Dartmouth students who will go on
to serve their own communities as doctors in the
future or perhaps help fulfill President Kim’s vision of
advancing science and the level of medical care
throughout the world. Certainly Arvo and Bill took
on these tasks in their own lives and I am grateful for
chance to honor them and Bill’s wonderful family.
Rich Lougee
1978 CLASS OFFICERS AT THE 50-YARD LINE AT HALFTIME
At halftime of the Cornell game, (l-r) Dean Carol Folt and President Jim Kim were joined at midfield by Board of Trustees Chair Steve Mandel, Class of 1978 Vice President and Co-Head Agent Barbara Dau Southwell, Co-Head Agent Elissa Von Heill Hylton, Secretary Dave Hov, President Dave Graham, Gift Planning Chair Paul Ehrsam,
Co-Head Agent Bill Daniel, Newsletter Editor Brooks Clark and Alumni Council Representative Ray Boniface. (Officers not pictured: Mini-Reunion Chair Mike Jacobson,
Treasurer Mike Pittenger, Webmaster Hunt Melville and Co-head Agent and Participation Chair Dave Dietze.)
8
TOP TEN REASON TO BE THE 35th REUNION CHAIR
Our 35th is just around the corner in June 2013, and reunion chairs are needed. Why should you even consider signing up for this? Todd
Anderson, Reunion Chair extraordinaire, answers that question convincingly. Top 10 reasons to be the 35th Reunion Chair:
#10:
Eliminates that hemming and hawing about whether to attend the 35th—that decision is out of the way!
#9:
You are a guest of the College in Hanover in late April-early May for 2 weekends over the next 2 years for reunion planning
#8:
You get to put on a BIG party—but don’t have to write the check. This can be very therapeutic for those with daughters who may
have weddings in their futures
#7:
You know exactly what’s going on where—at all times! Steve Bova made the mistake of asking me where the Friday night scotchtasting at the LSC Dedication weekend was taking place. Not willing to admit “I don’t know,” I directed Steve to the Hop, honestly
believing I’d read it somewhere. I can only hope Steve paid no attention to me!
#6:
We are truly the GREAT Class of ’78—the College will often acknowledge this and respond accordingly, especially when we ask to
do something outside the norm.
#5:
There is a tremendous support network in place to help in the planning and execution—the blueprints and resources provide a big
boost.
#4:
The Class of ’78 has tremendous resources. Our class brewmeister and chaplain is a treasure in and of himself. PLUS we now have
our own building!
#3:
You get to make all of the decisions, and then you have a small army on hand that weekend to execute those decisions—a cadre
of student workers, alumni relations staff, etc.
#2:
You get to know the College better, and you get to know members of the Class of ’78 better—both are real gifts.
#1:
After it’s all over, you have the tremendous satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped bring together a fabulous group of people in joyous celebration. This was driven home to me by a note I received from Jeff Immelt after the 20th reunion (like he had nothing better to do!) thanking us for our efforts.
Todd K. Anderson, Office: 781-749-7910 x101, Mobile: 617-512-144, e-mail: [email protected]
Associate Professor,Tom Jack
Dear Members of the Class of 1978,
We were very flattered that almost 200 members of the Class of 1978 and their families came to Hanover to share the dedication of the
Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center with the members of the Department of Biological Sciences. Once again, I want to thank all of you for
your tremendous generosity in making this beautiful building a reality. For those of you who were unable to come to the dedication, we hope you stop by
soon for a tour of the building. For those who were here on Nov. 4 and 5, please come visit again.
Regards,
Tom Jack
Chair, Department of Biological Sciences
POST
DEDICATION
LUNCHEON IN
WEST GYM
left to right:
Diana Taylor ’77 (Trustee),
Rick Beyer, Christine
Hughes, Bill Wechsler, Jeff
Krolik, Anne Bagamery,
Elisa Ostafin and Lenny
Weiser-Varon
9
WHY I GAVE
•
Contributing to the Class of 1978 Life Sciences
Center was, for me, a no-brainer. It was a way
to express gratitude to Dartmouth for giving
me so much; to support a project that will
change the way future generations learn and
contribute to a vitally important field; and to
join with my classmates, yet again, to celebrate
our shared background, our continuing kinship,
and our love of Dartmouth. It was also a way
to honor two classmates and dorm-mates—
Arvo Oopik and Bill Petit—and show them
and their families that the class will never forget them. Anne Bagamery
•
I contributed to the LSC because I knew it
mattered. I wanted to thank those who made
it truly meaningful—especially my fellow classmates that in their generosity and vision remembered us all. They didn’t have to, but they
Class Meeting
did, so I was/am there. They don’t know me, nor I •
them, but I am proud of their action and grateful to
have an opportunity to join in. My contribution for
now won’t buy much, but my participation makes
an impact. I heard the cry that it was not the donation amount, but rather the class percentage of
contribution that was in need. In that, I could make
a significant difference. Any amount given would
register testimony to the world that I and our Class
value the greatness in humanity and the enabling of
present and future generations to be better off.
This opportunity is a big deal. If ever one wanted to
be part of something unbelievably great, this was/is
it. The existence of the LSC has in fact changed for
better the future of Dartmouth and its students. I
hope in time that all the voices in our Class ring out
as one to thank those in the Class who have offered
honor to us all and to us individually.
Steven Peseckis
•
After breakfast Class President Dave Graham
convened a class business meeting. Items discussed
were:
•
78th Night Mini-Reunion CoChairs
The Class of ’78 has two principal initiatives: (1) to
continue building camaraderie and cohesion
amongst classmates; and (2) to reach out to the
‘distant and disaffected.’ One means of supporting
both is to continue 78th Night mini-reunions across
the country in areas with high concentrations of
’78s.
To that end, Mike Jacobson is looking for at least
two more classmates to join him in helping organize 78th Night 2012. We are also seeking willing
hosts or city captains to lead 78th Night events in
their locales. The class was fortunate to obtain
interest from Marilyn and Rick Beyer in the Boston area (with an idea to host an event at a Lexington historical house of some kind), as well as help
from Barbara Snyder Martinez. Mara
Dinsmoor volunteered for Chicago, Susan
Kepes for Portland, Maine, and Scott and Mary
Kendall Brown for the Hanover/Upper Valley
area. Kathy and Rick Kimball are happy to cohost in San Francisco again, along with Chris
Simpson Brent and Michael Whitcomb.
Many others are needed. It can be any time
around the 78th day. Please contact Mini-Reunion
Chair Mike Jacobson [email protected] to
volunteer in your city.
•
We Need Reunion Committee Volunteers
The first topic was preparing for the 35th Reunion,
June 8-9, 2013. Please mark your calendars.
Todd Anderson, who has chaired many reunion committees, gave his list of top 10 things you
get out of chairing reunion committees (see pg. 9).
If you want to serve on the 35th Reunion
committee, email Dave Graham at
[email protected].
•
activities, please contact Dave Graham at
[email protected]. Leading up to the
35th reunion, we’ll have to figure out who will be
our next slate of officers. Does any position interest you?
What Activities We Want at
the Next Reunion
Dave asked for the assembled group what they
wanted to see at our next reunion. Happily, many
said they wanted it to be much like the minireunion, with plenty of time to socialize and enjoy
good meals.
Everyone likes going to classes with great professors. Everyone likes outdoor activities. Panels
on specific topics at our 30th were very popular.
Pretty much everything scientific I know about
global warming came from Celia’s presentation at
our 30th, just as everything I know about mercury
in the aquatic food webs is from her presentation
at the mini-reunion. The political panel was also a
success, with some insights—some from nowCongressman John Carney in the audience.
Dave mentioned that Scott Axford’s memorial
services are always very well-done and meaningful,
which prompted Susan Kepes to remember the
late Will Yancey, who died unexpectedly in 2010
at his home in Dallas.
Barbie Snyder Martinez suggested picking a
book for everyone to read, as colleges do for entering freshmen these days. Dartmouth students
have read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by
William Kamkwamba ’14—about the young man
who brought wind power to his village in Malawi—
and Mountain Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder (in
which Jim Yong Kim is one of the three main characters). This summer the University of Tennessee
freshmen read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot, about the woman whose cancer cells were taken from her in the early 50s and
live on today, helping researchers all over the
world.
Here’s an amusing story about some of the
titles chosen around the country:
www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/books/review/inside
-the-list.html
We Need Volunteers to Serve
as Class Officers
Frank (Governali, D’77) and I have never forgotten the gifts the our Alma Mater gave us as
we traveled through our four years there, and
subsequently through connections, enduring
friendships, and achievements that continue to
impact our lives today. I hope that any D’78
that has not, will take the time to send back
appreciation in the form of financial support,
large or small, to the College that has, and
continues to make a difference in the way we
do, and will live our lives. We are indeed so
blessed to have been a part of it all! Dartmouth continues to have a profound effect on
the students today, and I believe the sense of
community and dedication to making a difference in the world, in small or large ways, is an
outstanding aspect of the Dartmouth experience today.
Terry Ann Scriven
•
Class Projects
We discussed the idea of placing several projects
on our class dues bill and allowing classmates to
decide to contribute to one or more as they
choose.
Bob Ceplikas proposed that our class support
the Dartmouth Athletic Sponsors a program that
helps fund on-campus visits for highly recruited
candidates. And by adopting a particular athlete, a
class can follow his or her career throughout their
tenure at Dartmouth thus creating new bonds
with current student-athletes.
Celia Chen introduced an idea for commissioning an innovative sculpture for the Life Sciences
Center. Sculptor Gar Waterman described his
proposed sculpture for the Life Sciences Center.
While such an option may exceed the $10,000
annual cutoff for Class Projects, general support
for the 78 LSC could be converted into undergraduate internships, invited speaker series, or
other programs important to the Dept. of Biological Sciences who have invited all 78s to view the
facility as their ‘permanent’ home on the Dartmouth campus.
Jim Bullion proposed an idea on behalf of
himself and Burke Whitman to support a lecture series about defense issues, national security
and the military.
•
Celebration of 40 Years of
Women at Dartmouth — Fall
2012
Nearly 40 ’78 women attended the last celebration
and had a terrific time. A fun and not-timeconsuming way to get involved would be to help
organize the women of the class for next year’s
celebration, which will be the first weekend in
November 2012. Contact Barbara Dau Southwell
at [email protected] for more info.
If you are interested in getting involved in class
10
Remarks from
Chair of the
Board of
Trustees, Steve
Mandel
Looking at the big picture,
I am very happy about:
•
The leadership team we have at Dartmouth;
•
The financial condition of the College, accomplished through lots of thoughtful work
following the 2008-09 financial crisis;
•
The quality of the discussion in the boardroom and level of commitment from, and
collegiality within, the Board;
•
The joint development of innovative and
impactful programs between the Faculty of
Arts and Sciences, Dartmouth Medical
School, Thayer, and Tuck; and
•
The high quality of our academic, athletic,
and residential facilities—which is a tribute
to the extensive work done under President
Emeritus James Wright’s leadership. The
openings of the Class of 1953 Commons
(formerly Thayer Dining Hall) and the Class
of 1978 Life Sciences Center are the most
recent examples.
Thus, we are in a good position to “play offense”
and take Dartmouth to the next level. President
Kim frequently cites the words of President John
Sloan Dickey when describing his mission at
Dartmouth: “The world’s troubles are your troubles ... and there is nothing wrong with the world
that better human beings cannot fix.”
Dartmouth can make the world a better place
both by producing those “better human beings”
and by developing and sharing knowledge and
insights about societal problems. Outstanding
faculty and outstanding students who become
future leaders are the ingredients to make this
happen. This is the symbiotic magic of a great
school: students who want to learn from active
teacher/scholars and teacher/scholars who want
to teach and work with talented students. Our
reputation, and thus our ability to attract these
terrific faculty and students, rests largely on the
strength of our faculty, on their skills as teachers,
and on their work as groundbreaking scholars,
measured primarily by their research and
productivity.
The “next level” for Dartmouth means supporting and celebrating faculty who are the true
thought-leaders in their fields, as well as attracting and retaining new professors who are at the
top of their respective fields. These scholars are
the magnets that attract other great faculty and
the students who want to work with them.
been working closely with them. While the process has another year to run, it is clear that one
of the key aspects of the plan will be to invest in
our stellar faculty and add to their ranks, with
the objective of increasing their capacity to lead
in their chosen fields.
Beyond the strategic plan, we are focused on
several things, and I would highlight the timely
completion of two critical facilities projects: the
Visual Arts Center and the renovation of the
Hanover Inn.
The Visual Arts Center will form the third piece
of an “arts block” along with the Hopkins Center
for the Arts and the Hood Museum of Art, enhancing what is already a vibrant arts community
at the College.
The Inn is the “front door” to Dartmouth. Having first-rate guest rooms and conference, meeting, and dining facilities will enable us to host
academic conferences and other events that
previously were not possible. The Hanover Inn
will then not just be a hotel, but will be
central to the intellectual life of Dartmouth. Renovations are slated to be completed by Commencement 2012.
The faculty and administration are in the midst of
a strategic planning process. We trustees have
After the Sunday Morning Reunion Row
Left to right: Brooks Clark, Bernie Drury, Mike Jacobson, Jim Bullion, Heidi Lange (coxswain), Marc Farley, Rick Beyer, Jim Bassett, Dave Graham and Bob Shuman
11
Great Class of 1978
GAME CHANGERS ALL
We Built It, Now Let’s Keep the Lights On
www.dartmouthcollegefund.org/lightson
For ID’s, go to the Class website www.dartmouth.org/classes/78/
12