In Pursuit of Excellence

Dartmouth College Recognizes with Deep Appreciation the Extraordinary Achievements of

Benjamin W. Day, Jr. ’66

2016 Class Webmaster of the Year

This citation honors the best of Dartmouth class websites by recognizing the Class of 1966 website and its webmaster, Ben Day D’66 TH’67 TH’69.

The Class of 1966 continues to achieve excellence with its well-organized and updated website. After your 50th reunion this year, you archived and catalogued the special weekend including a podcast of your classmate’s reading at Friday’s dinner on Baker lawn. For those classmates who were unable to attend reunion, you provided a way to connect with the event; and for those in attendance, a way to keep the connections and memories alive. Given the flurry of reunion events and all the other happenings of life, it is easy for these major updates to fall by the wayside. You have not let that happen; your homepage prominently displays your “Reunion Recap” as well as your current newsletter, class notes, and other updates from your class. It also seamlessly integrates your Twitter feed, showing that a website and social media need not be mutually exclusive.

Your website includes all of the “best practices” in content and function as recommended by the Class Webmaster Association. This is only the beginning of your website, as it goes above and beyond best practices. Some of the notable features you have added are the '66 Earth Map and the Classes of ’66 and ’16 webcams. You have also kept your classmates updated on your class gift, the ’66 Bunkhouse at Moosilauke with the inclusion of photos showing the process of building the bunkhouse as well as the many ’66s and other volunteers who helped with its construction.

You not only showcase what it means to have an exemplary website, but you provide an outstanding example of dedication, perseverance, and creativity by continually maintaining it. You have done this as your class webmaster, but also as class communications coordinator, using your website as the centerpiece of your efforts. As part of these duties, you coordinate e-mail blasts for your class. You also coordinate with your newsletter co-editors to lay out newsletters. Your former class president, Al Keiller ’66 has stated, “[Your] skill is evident in the layout, color and general professionalism of our newsletters.”

In addition to wearing multiple hats for your Class Executive Committee, you have shown your commitment to volunteerism. Your service to the Webmasters Association as the representative to the Alumni Council is greatly appreciated, as well as your service as a councilman to your town of Rumson, NJ. You also did a beautiful job co-editing your full-color, 400-plus-page reunion book, published and distributed in March 2016. Your co-editor, Bob Serenbetz ’66 had this to say:

“Ben is the consummate team player, easy to work with and lacking in even a smidgeon of ego.”

Ben, your contributions to your class, to the Dartmouth Class Webmasters Association, and to Dartmouth College are greatly appreciated. We congratulate you on being named 2016 Class Webmaster of the Year.