Modern Council History from 1969 to Present Day:  1969–1979

1969:  In June the Council concerned itself with the student protest. Forty undergraduates spent a night in jail following disorders in Parkhurst Hall in the spring. The successor to President Dickey was being sought, and the Council was urged to suggest candidates. Professor John Kemeny, chair of the Foundations Committee for the Third Century Fund, reported that close to $7 million had been raised. The council learned that Professor Kemeny was to receive the first Third Century Fund Professorship. Many council members became involved in bicentennial events, and a U.S. postage stamp commemorating the Dartmouth College Case was announced, with  issue to be September 23 -- the day that the Dartmouth College Case was decided by the Supreme Court.  The 14-member Study Committee on Coeducation, including trustees, former councilors, a current councilor, College officers, professors, and undergraduates, reported through its chair, Dudley Orr '29, a trustee. Dean of the faculty Leonard Rieser '44 and Professor Kemeny addressed the council on the subject.

1970:  The Council called for increased staffing in the Dartmouth Admissions Office. President Kemeny was the welcomed guest of the Council and much discussion was centered on the one-day cessation of classes in May when students gathered on the campus to express their concerns over U.S. military involvement in Cambodia. There was further discussion and analysis of the coeducation question. The Orr Study Committee recommended a goal of 900 women undergraduates by 1975.

1971:   President Kemeny asked the Council and other alumni organizations to bring alumni opinion to bear on the coed question. Dudley Orr met with the Alumni Council in January for a major presentation and long question and answer period concerning his committee's recommendation that Dartmouth become a co-educational institution.

1972:   The Council became familiar with the Dartmouth Plan as described by the trustees and the fall decision that Dartmouth should educate women beginning on September 1972. The Council learned about the Native American concern over the use of Indian symbolism and appointed a special committee to study the question. The Council assisted in the planning of a new undergraduate job development program, using alumni volunteers to secure opportunities for off-campus work. The Council requested the Board of Trustees to study the question of re-instituting ROTC. In May, Dartmouth admitted 230 freshmen women (175 enrolled in the fall). The Council study on Indian symbolism was distributed to all present and former members in advance of the June meeting. Key provisions of the report included a realization that issues raised by Native American students on the question of symbolism were genuine, that campus-wide initiatives by undergraduates eliminating many abuses of the symbol were positive, and that any action by fiat would be unwise.

1973:   Councilors initiated an Alumnus-in-Hanover Program that led to a major career counseling weekend entitled "Is There Life After Dartmouth?" This involved numerous alumni who came to Hanover to discuss their careers with undergraduates. The Council studied the "Dartmouth Experience" among minority students and women. It recommended a continuing committee of alumni to work closely with the Native American Program. The Council heard about a major withdrawal of Federal funding for medical education and the financial crisis that this had created at the Dartmouth Medical School. Following a thorough study the Council decided to increase its membership from 53 to 60.

1974:   Councilors brought reports of wide-spread alumni discontent on the subject of Indian symbolism. It heard some of President Kemeny's deep concerns about the financing of higher education with energy costs having thrown the current budget into a deficit situation. The investment portfolio had not appreciated in the last 5-year period. The Council debated and rejected a resolution calling for increased and dignified use of Indian symbolism at the College.

1975:   The Council called for full alumni participation in a study of the male-female ratio. The Council debated at length the question of its posture on the use of Indian symbolism. It voted to follow a course of careful study and review of alumni concern through its committee structure, or through specially appointed committees. The Council began to study the impact of the Dartmouth Plan on class unity. A committee to suggest qualified candidates for Honorary Degrees was established. In consultation with the Board of Trustees a new plan to include Council officers and selected committee chairmen at trustee committee meetings was adopted.

1976:   The ad hoc Ratio Committee recommended no significant increase in total enrollment of the College but a more even distribution of students through the four terms and a phasing out of exchange programs. To accommodate 200 more women within four years a small reduction in the number of male students was also recommended. The Council voted not to accept the report and turned over further study of the issue to its Enrollment and Admissions Committee. The Council also asked the trustees for a postponement on any ratio decision prior to July 1, 1976 . In June the Enrollment and Admissions Committee recommended holding male enrollment at the College to 775 men and to expand the size of the College as necessary to accommodate up to 25 additional women per class per year. Dean of the Medical School James C. Strickler '50 reported on the successful MD program at the School and the increasingly urgent need for a $25 million endowment. The Council was posted on plans for a major Development Campaign to begin in late 1977.

1977 :  The Council continued to strengthen its working partnership with the Board of Trustees as members and officers met frequently on matters involving budget, fund raising, class composition, and educational affairs. The Council, with the help of College officers and President Kemeny, began to focus on a new five-year look at the financial condition of the College and to plan its own role in the pending Development Campaign.

1978 :  The Council continued endeavors to improve communications both internally, and with the Board of Trustees. The planning process of the Council underwent streamlining. Councilors learned about a faculty study on curriculum and year-round operations that focused on the depth of Dartmouth education, the intellectual experience and the quality of teaching. The Council expressed concern over the lack of minority role models on campus, and called for more aggressive efforts to enroll minorities. Two new campus facilities were introduced, Collis Center and Blunt Alumni Center. The Council praised the fraternity community for responding constructively to the faculty vote to abolish the Greek system, and voted to work with the trustees to monitor improvements in the system. The name of the Academic Affairs Committee was changed to Alumni Continuing Education.

1979:   The Council lauded President Kemeny for his appointment to chairmanship of the Three Mile Island Commission of the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, and it urged the College to apply more resources and staff to alumni continuing education. The Council supported the recent trustee vote on Admissions policies to have a single pool of applicants as opposed to one for men and another for women . Retiring Director of Admissions Edward T. Chamberlain '36 was honored. President Kemeny outlined the challenges facing Dartmouth from worsening economic conditions and long-term budget strains.