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2007 Update
In May
2007, Stephen Smith’88, stellar independent petition candidate, was elected
to Dartmouth’s Board of Trustees with 55 percent of alumni voting for him,
decisively defeating the three nominees of the Alumni Council: Richard
“Sandy” Alderson, Carol Oberg and John Wolf.
18,603
alumni voted in the election, roughly three thousand more than in the 2005
trustee election. Of that number, nearly 10,000 voted for Professor Smith.
The three
official candidates were outstanding candidates. They are to be commended
for offering to run for trustee. They are all accomplished individuals and a
credit to Dartmouth, as was the vote of alumni for Stephen Smith.
Smith ran
a race on issues, not personalities. And Dartmouth alumni made their
selection based on those issues.
Professor
Smith’s win is a great victory for the Dartmouth College and for reform.
Many
thanks to all of you for your efforts, your energy and your devotion to
Dartmouth.
2006 Update
In May 2004,
T.J. Rodgers, a petition candidate, was elected Dartmouth College
trustee. He was elected with fifty-five percent of the vote in a
four-way race.
Likewise, in
May 2005, Peter Robinson ’78 and Todd Zywicki ‘88 won a decisive
victory in the Dartmouth trustee election. For the alumni who
elected them this is important and exciting news. The HANOVER
INSTITUTE played a part in these great victories.
The election
of three new trustees presents a significant opportunity for change.
The election of TJ Rodgers last year, and now of Robinson and
Zywicki, indicates the growing concern of alumni over the direction
of the College. The relatively small group that has been at the
levers of power can be counted on to try to protect their advantages
and inhibit broader participation once again. But if we act now, we
can put an end to their persistent attempts to raise barriers to
alumni influence in College policy. Indeed, the momentum generated
in the past couple of years offers hope that, through officers truly
representative of the Association of Alumni Majority, we might
restore full alumni rights--taken away in 1990--to select one-half
of Dartmouth’s Board of Trustees.
No one can seriously doubt the strength of alumni sentiment
expressed this May 2005. 15,334 Dartmouth alumni participated.
Robinson received the votes of 7,376 alumni-- 48% of all the alumni
who voted in a three-way race. Zywicki--with 6,844 (44%) was close
behind.
This is an
extraordinary win.
It is a
decisive and dramatic win in a three- way race.
It is an even
more impressive when one considers that, as petition candidates,
they had no benefit from the Administration’s formidable
organizational machinery that worked all out for the Alumni Council
backed candidates. Indeed, the petition candidates faced a barrage
of hostile comment and disparagement by members of the
Administration and present and past alumni officers who have
vigorously supported, and been part of, the Establishment.
The Robinson/Zywicki
campaigns clearly endorsed neither the current direction at
Dartmouth College nor the current leadership of the alumni. In spite
of that fact--or more probably, because of it-- 48% of Dartmouth
alumni indicated support for them.
Anne D. Neal,
president of the American Council of Trustees & Alumni, was thrilled
when told of the election results.
"Alums have
had enough," Neal said. "They are part of a growing cadre of alumni
who understand that they need to step up to the plate. The 'go
along, get along' approach isn't the way you keep colleges
financially healthy and academically healthy."
These recent
trustee victories make it clear that Dartmouth alumni do not support
their so-called leaders, are in favor of change, and that they
understand the change they want can only be achieved through new
leadership. The HANOVER INSTITUTE will be ready to support such new
leaders.
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