Class Awards 2013
IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

Dartmouth College
Recognizes with Deep Appreciation
the Extraordinary Achievements of

Ervin Burkholder '66
and Robert M. Cohn '66
2014 William H. Scherman '34 Award
Class Newsletter Editor of the Year
26 Years Out and Older

Inspiring. Effective. Iconic. These three words describe the historic U.S. Route 66--the famous "Mother Road" and one of the original routes of the U.S. Highway system. They also describe the continuing excellence reflected in the Class of 1966's newsletters. By providing a regular and thorough fare of issues, the co-editors of the Along Route '66 Newsletter, Ervin Burkholder and Robert Cohn,help sustain the pride and carry on the traditions of their Class. Anyone reading their newsletters would surely "get their kicks" along Route '66. Both Dartmouth and the Class of 1966 must take special note of their excellence.

Erv and Bob became newsletter co-editors full-time after their 45th Reunion in 2011, taking over the steering wheel when the classic Bob Serenbetz retired after ten years as class newsletter editor. So far, in their three short years, Erv and Bob already have found many new stories, photographs, and events along Route'66 to make home delivery of their newsletter itself always an event.

Of special note for Along Route '66 is how the class mini-reunion events form a fundamental newsletter core. For example, this past July the Class of 1966 celebrated their 70th Birthday Party as a mini-reunion in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The newsletter was central to that event's communication plan; a "Planning the 70th Birthday Party" cover story appeared in November 2013 followed by advance registration information in February. Many other mini-reunion events for classmates and "Dart-mates" were also featured throughout the year, including a Boston mini-reunion, Dartmouth Homecoming, a European River Cruise, and 66th Night festivities at Hanover's Canoe Club. Every issue contained an updated, multi-year "Coming Events" calendar listing that allowed for superb advance planning by classmates. Besides mini-reunions, all the other ingredients for a successful newsletter were there, including class officer reports, news of undergraduate support by the class, classmate updates, classmate obituaries, Dartmouth College Fund status reports, and Dartmouth history (such as feature on the "50th Anniversary of Time Sharing and BASIC," which were developed while the Class of 1966 was on campus),

Originally from Cozad, Nebraska, Ervin graduated from Dartmouth with a major in international relations. As an undergraduate, he played both football and lacrosse and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and the Casque & Gauntlet Senior Society. After graduation, Erv earned his MBA at Stanford University. He recently retired as the chief financial officer of StreamCenter, Inc. He also volunteered as a Dartmouth alumni interviewer for many years. Erv lives with Christina, his wife of more than 46 years, in Montclair, New Jersey. They have two children, Zoe and Tai.

Coming from Scarsdale, New York, Bob graduated from Dartmouth with a major in government. As an undergraduate, he wrote for the Jack-O-Lantern and worked for the WDCR/WFRD radio station. After graduation, Robert earned his MBA at the Tuck School of Business. When not editing his class newsletter, Bob serves as the senior consumer marketing director for the Bonnier Corporation, which publishes many magazines, including Popular Science, Field & Stream, and Outdoor Life. Bob lives in New York City and is married to Andrew Tauber.

Ervin and Robert, your celebration of the Class of '66 community sets the standard for what a class newsletter can do both for any class and for Dartmouth. It is with the greatest pride that the Class Newsletter Editors Association honors you with the 2014 Class Newsletter Editor of the Year Award.