• Adrian Weiss ’38

    Adrian Weiss '38 greets Melissa Matsuoka '14. (photo: Steve Smith)

    1938 Graduate Attends First Dartmouth Class in 75 Years

    Tuesday, October 8, 2013
    News Type

On the morning of September 30, Adrian Weiss ‘38 walked slowly but determinedly along the misty Green to his first Dartmouth class in 75 years.

After his presence was announced by John Campbell, the Class of 1925 Professor of Sociology, Weiss received a round of applause from the 50 or so students in Carpenter Hall room 13. Afterward, an undergraduate went out of his way to greet Weiss and wish him an enjoyable day on campus.

The previous two days, Weiss celebrated his 75th Reunion with fellow classmate Fran Mooney ‘38 and Jean Francis, the widow of Richard Francis ‘38. About 100 alumni and guests from the Classes of 1943 and 1948 were also on campus to celebrate their 65th and 60thReunions.

As if one walk across campus from the Hanover Inn wasn’t enough, Weiss did it again for a 12:30 pm class, when he accompanied Melissa Matsuoka ‘14, an economics major and a women’s tennis player, to a macroeconomics class in Silsby Hall taught by senior lecturer Marjorie Rose. Women’s tennis head coach Bob Dallis arranged the meeting, as Weiss is a longtime fan of the Dartmouth team.


Adrian Weiss '38
Siobhan Kearney, administrative assistant in Alumni Relations, and Adrian Weiss '38 on September 30. (photo: Steve Smith)


“It was a pleasure going to class with Mr. Weiss,” said Matsuoka. “He talked about his passion for Dartmouth College and the sport of tennis.  I think it's great that he continually comes back to the school and sees the next generations having similar experiences.  At the end of class, he went up to my professor and told her she was very charismatic and full of life.”

As he walked along the Green that Monday morning, Weiss quickly recalled the names of professors, the location of campus buildings, and the fact that the all-women’s school Smith College is exactly 110 miles away from Hanover.

Weiss said one of his treasured possessions is a signed book he received when he was a student from John Moffatt Mecklin, professor of sociology and his favorite Dartmouth teacher.

After reminiscing about Dartmouth and his family, he said simply, “I’m just happy to be going to this class today.”

Photos of Dartmouth Fall Reunions, 2013