Dartmouth recognized five outstanding alumni volunteers at the annual Alumni Awards Gala on November 16 during the 217th meeting of the Dartmouth Alumni Council.
Harris B. McKee ’61 Th’63, Edward S. Heald ’68, and Lynne Hamel Gaudet ’81 received the Dartmouth Alumni Award in honor of their long-standing and meritorious service to the College and their community, as well as achievements in their careers. Alumni are eligible for this award, established in 1954, after their 25th class reunion.
John E. Valdez '07 and Melanie A. Pastuck ’11 received the Dartmouth Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award. This award, established in 1990, recognizes breadth, depth, and length of volunteer involvement. Alumni are eligible the first 15 years after graduation.
DARTMOUTH ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS
Harris B. McKee '61 Th'63
Life and Career
Harris grew up on an Iowa farm far from the hills of Hanover and attended a one-room elementary school. In high school, he stood out from the crowd for his straight As, and his prowess on the football field drew the attention of Dartmouth coaches. Interested in both engineering and business, Harris was attracted to the dual Tuck-Thayer program offered at the time and packed his bags to head East.
Once in Hanover, Harris attacked his schoolwork with the same ferocity he displayed on the football field, drawing out a schedule that accounted for every hour of every day. “I had a high school teacher suggest that you should spend two hours of study for every hour of class, so I planned it around that – I even scheduled in an hour of independent reading a day,” he explained. His efforts were rewarded with the William Churchill First Year Prize for outstanding academic achievement, and Harris remembers that “When I received the award, the dean asked me about my schedule, so I shared it with him – I later heard he thought it was too rigorous and couldn’t recommend it to anyone.”
That academic dedication continued throughout Harris’s time at Dartmouth, leading him to induction in Phi Beta Kappa and to deliver his class’s valedictory address, but it didn’t stop him from leading a full life outside of the classroom. In addition to playing football, Harris ran varsity track, pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and joined Judiciary Committee, Green Key Society, Paleopitus, and Casque and Gauntlet. He also joined the debate team and participated in student government.
The passion for thermodynamics that Harris discovered at Dartmouth led him to a master’s degree at Thayer School of Engineering and a PhD at Stanford. During his time in the army, he worked with NASA at the Ames Research Center, and later he went on to McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, where his work on heat transfer protected space shuttles. Harris then took his expertise to the snack food industry, working at Frito-Lay to maximize the throughput of machinery; and on to the printing and outdoor products industries, where he held a variety of executive roles. After living in 11 different states and tired of moving, Harris made another big shift, switching industries entirely to work as a broker and compliance officer for Edward Jones for several years before retirement. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife, Mary. They have two daughters, Laura and Margaret.
Memories from the Green
“I was a sophomore on the football team when Dartmouth won the 1958 Ivy League Championship. I didn’t play very much that year, but I was part of the team. Even though we had not been dressing for away games, we got to go and be there for the Princeton game. It was a very exciting game and we had to win it to get the championship. Though I didn’t play, I got to be there on the bench cheering the team on.”
For Dartmouth
Harris jumped right into volunteering for his class, serving as president for his first five years after graduation. Despite his busy career, he can recall only one three-year period of time in which he didn’t volunteer for the College. His roles for his class have ranged from webmaster to president, and his volunteerism has also benefited the Dartmouth Club of St. Louis. Harris didn’t let his frequent moves stop him from giving back to the college – he’s been an alumni interviewer in five different cities and served as the District Enrollment Director for Eastern Missouri. A proud Thayer graduate, Harris has also volunteered for the engineering school’s annual fund. “I had the feeling that Dartmouth had given so much to me that I had a lot to give back,” he explains. “The comments I get back from classmates keep me going – from all of the class emails that I send, whether it’s an obituary or a notice of an upcoming event, the thanks that comes back from those keeps reinforcing why I do this.”
Highlights of Volunteer Service
“I think there are three volunteer highlights that I'd like to share. The first was serving as District Enrollment Director for the eastern half of Missouri when we lived in St. Louis. We had the largest number of accepted applicants of any district west of the Mississippi River. The alumni who helped me were just spectacular in their willingness to visit schools and represent Dartmouth. The second highlight has been my webmaster duties. Taking over the class website after becoming a webmaster for my Rotary club for a year and making it into a key part of our class communication system has been very satisfying. Finally, helping our class achieve the highest participation in the DCF of any Dartmouth class has been especially satisfying.”
You Know You Bleed Green When…
“…you send emails to other class officers at 3 o'clock in the morning.”
Edward S. Heald ’68
Life and Career
Ed was born in Mary Hitchcock Hospital and can trace his Dartmouth alumni descendants back to the class of 1793. “Dartmouth was part of the family,” he explains, “but I was never pressured to go there.” Growing up he attended many fall football games in Hanover and grew to love exploring Dartmouth’s campus. When it came time to think about colleges, early decision at Dartmouth was an easy choice.
“Dartmouth to me was the epitome of everything I ever wanted to accomplish,” Ed explained. “Having arrived here, why would I need to worry about going to classes or studying? I didn’t give much thought to what came next.” Despite an academic road that was bumpy at times, Ed dove deeply into campus life, joining the men’s soccer team and becoming an active member of the Dartmouth Outing Club and Delta Upsilon.
Ed spent his summers working in financial services, and continued in the field after graduation, until he was called up to the Navy. Upon completing his service, with the encouragement of his father Ed became a financial advisor. “In my early- to mid-30s I finally realized why I was put here – to enable other people to accomplish things that are important to them,” he explained. “If I can do that, I will live a fulfilled life. That fit perfectly well in my profession as a financial advisor, because there I could work with families to help them achieve their long-term goals.” That passion kept him in the industry for 47 years, during which he worked for companies including Wells Fargo Advisors and A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.
Ed and his wife Sue are firmly entrenched in the Concord-Carlisle area of Massachusetts, where he serves on the boards of several local institutions and has been an active supporter of schools, performing arts, and youth sports. They have two sons, Andrew and Tim.
Memories from the Green
As a math and economics major, Ed was particularly struck by the energetic and attentive teaching of Professor William Slesnick. Nevertheless, he insists that “My attentiveness to a number of important things – like studies – really was not of the highest accord. But I loved sports and playing soccer here, and I absolutely loved being active in the Outing Club.”
For Dartmouth
“There were classmates I had at Dartmouth that were unbelievably accomplished, and I was intimidated by their accomplishments,” Ed explains. “After we graduated and established ourselves, I felt like giving back to the College was a way to prove myself to my college, since I didn’t feel like I did while I was a student.”
His start as his class’s newsletter editor five years out, however, quickly ignited a real passion, and Ed soon became involved in more and more roles for his class, for the Dartmouth College Fund, and for the admissions interviewing program. He organized three class Reunions and numerous mini-reunions, which led him to the idea of a 50th birthday gathering from his class. The idea was a hit and created a new tradition, and his class has since celebrated with birthday weekends in Napa Valley in California; Williamsburg, Virginia; and New York City. Always eager to spend time with classmates and friends, Ed also initiated annual ski and golf trips for the ’68s. That organizing energy also led him to initiate an annual men’s soccer alumni weekend that’s been going strong since 1972.
Highlights of Volunteer Service
“I thoroughly enjoy doing things with and for people. I enjoy bringing people together, I enjoy being the one who’s responsible for making things happen.” For Ed, reigniting classmates’ passion for the college is his passion. “We’ve had people go on these skiing and golf trips who’ve never been back to Dartmouth and for whom the College was a figment of their past imagination – and it reignited their interest in Dartmouth. I hope this can generate a feeling among these classmates that can somehow come close to matching my feelings about Dartmouth.”
You Know You Bleed Green When…
“There’s no ‘when.’ I bleed Green, and people who know me know that. It’s just the way I am – Dartmouth just pervades my life.”
Lynne Hamel Gaudet '81
Life and Career
Growing up in Maryland, Lynne had her heart set on attending Duke. Her parents, however, insisted she toured the Ivies, and visiting Dartmouth on the Saturday of Homecoming weekend quickly changed her list. “In those days when we played Harvard we would only play in Hanover every four years – so those games were huge,” she explains. “I loved the campus and the spirit and instantly knew it was my top choice.”
Once on campus, Lynne dove into Dartmouth life, joining a sorority and volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters through the Tucker Foundation. “Dartmouth was very different than it is now, since the student body was 75 percent male. Joining Kappa Kappa Gamma at the end of my sophomore year was one of the things that I enjoyed most since that was the only time I’d be in a room with all women – especially since my major, economics, was almost all men.”
Despite thriving in her economics class, Lynne also nurtured other academic interests. “The most meaningful classes to me actually weren’t in my major,” she explains. “One was documentary filmmaking – economics was a pretty dry major, and I wanted to look for classes to use my creative juices. Professor Maury Rapf '35 – who had worked in Hollywood and had been blacklisted in the McCarthy era – was an amazing and brilliant man. Years later, my daughter double majored in film, and received an award for a screenplay that had been funded by the family of Professor Rapf, which was a nice full-circle moment.”
It was also at Dartmouth that Lynne met her now-husband, Bob Gaudet ’81 – their friend groups overlapped from freshman year onwards, but they started dating during the winter of their senior year.
After graduating, Lynne worked in Boston as a commercial marine underwriter. Once she and Bob were married, they moved to Hanover for Bob to work as an assistant men’s hockey coach. Lynne began working at the College in human resources and later in Alumni Relations. A shift to Brown University brought Bob and Lynne to Rhode Island, where Lynne raised her three children, Joe ’10, Jim ’12, and Kelly ’17, and kicked off a career in real estate. Eventually, the Gaudet family was drawn back to Hanover, where Lynne returned to Alumni Relations, leading the Alumni Leadership team for nine years. Bob is still the head coach of the men’s hockey team.
Memories from the Green
“One of the other things I really enjoyed at Dartmouth was going to France on my LSA sophomore fall. I ended up making such good friends on that trip. This past year when I organized the Future of Work symposium in Boston, one of the presenters, Kirk Arnold, had been on my LSA. My friends know to be careful because I’ll ask them to do anything.”
For Dartmouth
In addition to her service to Dartmouth as an employee, Lynne has taken on a wide range of volunteer roles, including secretary and newsletter editor for her class (and entertainment organizer extraordinaire for Reunions). While living in Rhode Island she was the president of the Dartmouth Club of Rhode Island, and she’s been on the board of the Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley three times. Lynne has always been involved with fundraising for the Dartmouth College Fund and was a member of the Association of Alumni before she worked with the association as an employee. Last year she joined the Native American Visiting Committee. “The people on the committee are just extraordinary,” she says. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them.”
Highlights of Volunteer Service
“The part that I’m most proud of crosses back to my work – I worked with the Association of Alumni, Alumni Council, and the Nominating Committee on their project to revise the process for the nomination of alumni trustees. That was a very challenging and difficult time for Dartmouth College and I'm very proud of that outcome.
You Know You Bleed Green When…
“All five members of your family have graduated from Dartmouth. You also bleed Green when you’re married to the Dartmouth men’s hockey coach!”
Dartmouth Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award Recipients
John E. Valdez '07
Life and Career
Growing up in California, John dreamed of exploring the rest of America and felt called to the East Coast for college. A native of San Francisco, he was drawn to Dartmouth’s rural setting, as well as the chance to go beyond the Hanover Plain through the D Plan.
On campus, John majored in Spanish and minored in geography. From a Mexican-American family whose roots in the U.S. are several generations deep, he relished the chance to connect with his heritage through the Spanish language. He did so through an LSA in Mexico – an experience he loved so much that he went on to spend a term in Argentina through the Buenos Aires FSP. Outside of the classroom, John was an undergrad advisor and worked for Green Corps raising money for the Dartmouth College Fund. “I enjoyed talking to alumni, hearing and learning firsthand about how impactful and memorable Dartmouth was.”
After graduating, John headed to back to San Francisco, where he got his first job through a Dartmouth connection. He’s worked in event and marketing roles in the tech space, and currently works in marketing for a life sciences company in South San Francisco. “There’s a huge Dartmouth community out here in the Bay Area that’s doing a lot in the startup and tech space,” he notes. Outside of work, he and his husband Chris Abrecht ’08 enjoy making the most of the Bay Area’s natural beauty.
Memories from the Green
“I started to date my future husband in Buenos Aires on the FSP. He was pre-med and I was not, so that was the opportunity that allowed us to connect. 10 years later, here we are.”
“Another highlight was just being in New Hampshire and developing an appreciation for outdoor activities, like kayaking and hiking. I also loved being in Hanover for Sophomore Summer and laying out on the dock.”
For Dartmouth
John was on the Senior Executive Committee for the class of 2007, and after graduation became the class secretary for five years. “ I primarily collected stories for DAM [Dartmouth Alumni Magazine] – it was a great excuse to keep up to date with people,” he explains. He followed with a term as class president, during which time his class broke the Dartmouth College Fund participation record twice. “Of course, without wonderful Head Agents and a really engaged class, that wouldn’t have been possible,” he adds. That role also allowed him to shift into volunteer roles outside of his class, and he joined the Alumni Council as the representative for the Class Presidents Association. While in Alumni Council, he worked closely with the Class2Class program, which paired rising Dartmouth seniors with young alumni in five cities for mentoring during the summer. Under his leadership, the program had 150 participants and held five major networking events. Eager to share his Dartmouth experience with West Coast students, John also volunteers as an alumni interviewer.
Highlights of Volunteer Service
“I co-chaired our 10-year Reunion, and one of my highlights was organizing a program called Dartmouth Journeys, which was a TED talk type event. The goal wasn’t to highlight the professional success stories of classmates but to share profound personal journeys, struggles, and accomplishments. I was glad we were able to tell the stories that may not make headlines but that still remind us how impressive our fellow Dartmouth classmates are.”
You Know You Bleed Green When…
“San Francisco weather doesn’t seem so bad because you’ve survived a Hanover winter.”
Melanie Pastuck '11
Life and Career
A native of Long Valley, New Jersey, Melanie was impressed by the enthusiasm of her tour guide and the beauty of campus during a summer visit. After her acceptance, participation in Dimensions weekend convinced Melanie that she could make Dartmouth her new home.
Once on campus, Melanie quickly joined the rugby team, which became a defining feature of her four years. She counts her teammates as some of her best friends to this day. She also joined Sigma Delta sorority and lived in the house for two years. In the classroom, Melanie studied biology, focusing on microbiology and molecular biology with an eye to graduate school.
With the counsel of a friend pursuing a PhD at Dartmouth, Melanie ultimately decided to explore other options before committing to biology and discovered a passion for marketing through Tuck’s Business Bridge program. “It’s a data-driven field," she explains, "and the practical application of the analytics and being able to see results in real time was appealing to me.”
After four years working in ad agencies, Melanie took a role with Google in New York City. She’s carried her passion for rugby to the city and is the current president of the New York Rugby Club, home to the defending national champions women’s team.
Memories from the Green
“Probably my favorite professor was Professor Ronald Greene from the religion department. He taught my bioethics class and my Kierkegaard class on religious existentialism. Both of them were very visceral, intimate classes, thinking about really deep life challenges and dilemmas that people have and ways that people have found meaning and been able to come up with real-world actions and plans and next steps in a way that feels meaningful for them. I found those to be absolutely life-changing classes in the way that I see the world and the way that I conduct myself.”
For Dartmouth
Immediately after graduation Melanie joined the board of the Dartmouth Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Alumni/ae Association (DGALA), grateful for the support the group had offered her while she was a student. Two years later, she organized an all-class DGALA Reunion that brought 200 alumni back to Hanover, after which she became DGALA’s vice president and Alumni Council representative. She’s now serving a term on the Alumni Liaison Committee and is also the President of Friends of Dartmouth Women’s Rugby. This year she chaired the team’s historic 40th Reunion. Melanie is also committed to helping students and young alumni develop their careers, hosting career events and running a resume review program.
Highlights of Volunteer Service
“The 2014 all-class DGALA reunion is probably one of the things that I’m most proud of. Bringing together that many alumni from different generations and having a unifying experience was really important, and we opened the Triangle House that weekend.”
You Know You Bleed Green When…
“You come back to Hanover, and you drive into town, and you’re right there on the Green and you start bumping into people you know, and it feels like yesterday.”
Eager for more? Check out a full album of images from the Alumni Awards gala.