Class of 1968 Grand 75th Diamond Birthday Celebration
The Greenbrier Resort
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
September 18 through September 21, 2022
See All of Ed Heald's Photos
Testimonials
Dan Bort: It was a delight to greet old friends and, oddly enough for a "reunion," to meet new ones. Ed's gracious thoughtfulness gave it some depth with us sharing our thoughts on various topics at the three dinners. The venue was very nice, and the activities fun, but clearly the highlight was our time together in the evenings. And Warren Cooke's piano playing was the cherry on top. What a treat!
Robert Bonner: I really enjoyed taking part in the event, an having meaningful interaction with many of your classmates. A great group! I also was bowled over by the Greenbrier, which definitely lived up to what I had imagined. It's been a place I've read about many times (especially in its 19th century existence) and now I've absorbed what sort of stunning place it is.
Ted Kuss: Thank you, Ed and classmates, for organizing and making our 75th Birthday Celebration at the Greenbrier such a great experience. In addition to being historic, the Hotel was fabulous, the Bunker tour educational and enlightening, and Bob Bonner’s presentation so inspiring that I am going to again try to read Lincoln at Gettysburg, something I failed at miserably in August.
Friends frequently tell they do not go to their reunions if their friends will not be there. I respond that, while reunioning with friends is great, what I liked best about our 50th was meeting classmates I never knew in Hanover. I felt the same way with the group at the Greenbrier, and it has reinforced my resolve to attend our 55th next year. What makes it even better is that, with my Half-zheimer’s, I’ll be meeting many of them for the first time again.
I do have to relate one rather embarrassing incident. Pat and I joined Leslie Cosgrove and Mark Waterhouse for lunch at the Greenbrier golf course restaurant on Tuesday after we went for a walk. Norm and Deborah Silverman and others eventually also joined us. As we ate, I noticed someone I thought I recognized so I went to his table and asked “Are you Bob Woodward?”. He responded “No, I’m the other one”. After watching me wipe the mud off my face and wondering how the Greenbrier would ever allow someone like me in, Carl Bernstein invited me to sit down. We chatted for a few minutes and others eventually drifter over. As we got up, someone (Leslie?) asked Carl if he thought if Democracy was safe in the US. It was a bit of a downer when he replied that he wasn’t sure.
Warren Cooke: It was really wonderful to join and have some time with you and Leslie, and all our other classmates and partners who were in attendance, at the Greenbrier. Cathy and I enormously enjoyed this mini-reunion.
As I run my mind back over Dartmouth Class of ‘68 get-togethers I have attended — I think of Williamsburg, the Elbe River trip, of course our monumental 50th reunion, and various other events and gatherings preceding the Greenbrier — every one has been an absolute treat, and always because of the extraordinary, special array of people in and connected to our Class.
Extra thanks to Ed Heald for the great initiative and coordination involved in putting this together. And ongoing thoughts and best wishes to Norm and his family, whose sad news after our get-together hit us all hard.
As we approach or have passed our collective 75th birthdays (if you're 76 by the time September rolls around, what's a year among friends as old as we are?), we have lots to celebrate. Our children, for the most part, are out of the house and on their ways to establishing themselves in the world, many of us are having fun with grandchildren, we are thoroughly enjoying the return to being able to get together with family and loved ones again, and travel plans can now be realized. We have lots of favorable trends working for us as we approach September: most if not all of us have been vaxxed and boosted, the COVID virus is currently in decline and the elimination of required masks are all sure to produce an excellent environment for us to finally celebrate together. So, it's time for us to celebrate us! Forget the inheritance you want to leave the kids; let’s spend some of that on us! Also, be sure to read Ed Heald's informative and entertaining summary of activities at Greenbrier.
In our last information blast to you, we covered many of the programming and activity plans we are developing for you. The information we want to provide you with now relates to what your investment in this celebration will run you. Information that follows includes event costs for your planning. Before getting to the details, be assured that we understand how expensive this event is and that we have explored ways for interested classmates to participate at a lower cost. It's time to register and pay for the event.
- Lodging The “traditional room” rate is $318.32 per night, which is what we have on hold (all room rates include taxes and fees). Room upgrade choices include “superior” at $364.68, and “deluxe” at $411.03. Parking by valet is $25 per day. Self-parking is free. We give you this information so that you will not be unpleasantly surprised. When you call to make your room reservation, you will be asked to cover your first night’s cost as a deposit. To learn more, see Greenbrier Resort Policies.
- Group Dinners Breakfasts and lunches will be on your own, to enable you to custom-tailor your time with classmates. We are planning three class group dinners for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. See the schedule of events for details. Please remember that the Greenbrier has a dress code. Although we are not in the Main Dining Room, we call your attention to the need for jackets (no ties) for our dinners - after all, this is a celebration truly worth doing well and looking good! The total cost of meals is $440.
- Social Hours Prior to each of our dinners, we will have a social hour with a cash bar offering a selection of beverages for your choosing.
Stay up to date with the latest information
End of August Update - Last Call
May 2022 Update
Event Registration
and How to Pay
Book Discussion Overview
Ever Wonder What a Day at the
Greenbrier Would be like?
Activities
- Bunker Tour This is a must see tour of the facilities built for a disaster location for our government. We are planning on group tours. Each group is a max of 25 people and lasts about 90 minutes. The cost for this tour will run $40 per person, which includes a gratuity for the tour guide. When you let us know you are attending the celebration and want to do the tour, we will build this into your class tariff (which will include the dinners as well).
- Golf/Tennis For golfers, tennis players and other activities, you should contact the resort now to reserve what you want to do. If any of you are willing to step up and coordinate any of these, especially golf or tennis, your participation is most eagerly sought. Contact either Ed or Gerry.
- Other Activities Of the other activities offered at the Greenbrier, some involve an extra fee and some do not. You can check on these on the Greenbrier website, to be paid for individually a la carte.
- Lincoln at Gettysburg Book Seminar We've invited Professor Robert E. Bonner, the Kathe Tappe Vernon Professor in Biography of the Dartmouth faculty to facilitate a group discussion of the book Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America by Gary Wills. Join us on Tuesday afternoon at 4 pm for what will surely be a lively discussion. Read Prof. Bonner's overview of the session.
This covers the bulk of what your investment in this celebration will entail. Regardless, this will be well worth it, and a grand recognition of us passing a serious milestone - 3/4 of a century! As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, do not hesitate to contact either Ed Heald or Gerry Bell.
Be sure these dates are on your calendar today-and be sure to join us in this well deserved party!
Dartmouth Sites
Class of 1968