Origins | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000–09 | 2010–2019 | 2020-2029
1980: The Council received an update on the year-old search for the College's 14th President, and was lauded for its assistance in naming two alumni members of the presidential Advisory Search Committee: Robert D. Brace '52 and Robert P. Henderson '53. The Council called on the Board of Trustees to expedite filling the alumni trustee vacancy on the Board, which had been deferred pending investigation by the Association of Alumni of alleged irregularity in the balloting for a petition election involving Alumni Council nominee Ray Rasenberger '49 and petition candidate John Steel '54. There was much discussion about this balloting. As a result of an Alumni Council recommendation calling for an advisory board on public affairs, the trustees established the Public Relations Council to advise the President. An ad hoc Study Committee was charged to examine the purpose, function, structure and operation of the Alumni Council. The Council called on the trustees to adopt a statement of residential policy for the College and to approve the formation of a College Council on Residential Life.
1981: The Council was successful in having its alumni trustee candidates, Ron Schram '64 and Bob Field '43, elected to the Board of Trustees in a petition election. President David McLaughlin had his first opportunity to address the Council. The Council stated its strong support for Alumni Continuing Education and urged the College to expand the program to reach more alumni. The ad hoc Study Committee recommended that the Council be enlarged to include class representation, with those members elected by each class. The committee recommended other changes in the composition of the Council to bring the total from 61 to 92 members, and recommended that a new purpose of the Council should be to encourage and maintain a relationship with the trustees which provides for regular input of alumni concerns. In addition the committee recommended that the Council vice-presidency be eliminated and the office of president-elect be established, that the Nominating Committee be changed to the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee (with membership and term of office designated), and that individual committees elect their chair and vice chair during spring Council meetings. Additional recommendations: new makeup of the Executive Committee to include committee chairmen and at-large; and rules for nomination of alumni trustees, including a petition process. The Council approved the report, and the Council Constitution was subsequently amended.
1982: The Association of Alumni approved the new Constitution of the Council. The Council renominated Norman E. McCulloch Jr. '50 to a second five-year term on the Board of Trustees. Councilors were assigned to specific clubs and club areas to increase two-way communications. An ad hoc committee chaired by Jonathan Strong '56 was authorized to study the entire alumni relations program. Another special committee was established to study the position, purpose and editorial independence of the Alumni Magazine. The Public Relations Committee was renamed the Communications Committee.
1983: The ad hoc Alumni Study Committee spent a year exploring the vice presidential office, the office of the Secretary of the Alumni, communications, Alumni Fund and Admissions involvement, regional organizations, alumni continuing education, electronic media, and programs for young alumni and parents. An Alumni Council poll showed that the majority favored a return of ROTC programs on campus. Councilors worked successfully with the Board of Trustees to involve them to a greater degree in both Council and Dartmouth Club business. The Council endorsed a five-year study of regional organization. The Council expressed concern that reforms to the Greek system were not progressing quickly enough, and that fraternities and sororities were not being included fully in residential life plans and discussions.
1984: As part of changes in the Council Constitution, new College officers became ex-officio members of the Executive and Nominating Committees: the Vice President for Alumni and Public Affairs would sit with the Nominating Committee; and the Director of Alumni Affairs would sit with the Executive Committee. The ad hoc Committee to Review Alumni Affairs, chaired by Jonathan Strong '56, presented its final report.
1985: The newest Council committee was established: the Young Alumni Committee. Holders of the Dartmouth Alumni Award (111 in total) were honored at a special dinner. A Council-run Young Alumni Survey indicated support for alumni continuing education, and interest in admissions work. The Council endorsed a plan to have video become a major part of the College's alumni communications program.
1986: Changes in the Council's makeup were approved: increasing the number of at-large representatives from 15 to 24, reducing the number of club officers' representatives from three to one, and adding two undergraduate representatives from the junior class. Robert Field '43 and Ronald Schram '64 were nominated to second five-year terms on the Board of Trustees. Councilors discussed the report on the ad hoc Committee on Diversity, which was formed by President McLaughlin after the moratorium of classes in response to the "shanty incident" of the winter of 1986. With the advent of coeducation, the committee recommended that the alma mater, Men of Dartmouth , was no longer appropriate. An Alma Mater ad hoc committee was convened to consider changing or adapting the Alma Mater.
1987: The Young Alumni Committee developed a new publication Keep in Touch , a guide for recent graduates on ways to get involved with the College President McLaughlin bid farewell to the Council on the eve of his retirement. President-elect James Freedman was introduced to the Council. A new Council committee was established to help foster linkages between alumni/ae and faculty: the Academic Affairs Committee. Joseph Mathewson '55 was nominated to a first five-year term on the Board of Trustees. The Council supported the Board of Trustee's goal of promoting healthy interaction among . The Council heard about plans to build a new medical center/medical school complex. An ad hoc Study Committee was formed to study the composition and effectiveness of the Council. The Council nominated Robert Reich '68 for Alumni Trustee. The Council endorsed minor modifications to the words of the alma mater to be more inclusive and representative of the men and women of Dartmouth ... The Council Constitution was amended to change the nominating procedure for chair of the Nominating Committee, and president-elect.
1988: The Council endorsed the creation of the Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award. The ad hoc Study Committee presented thirteen areas of concern with the current function and structure of the Council, and continued its efforts to develop recommendations. An ad hoc committee was created to study the issue of class dues funding subscriptions to the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, a topic of great import to the oldest and youngest classes. Robert A. Danziger '56 was nominated to a second five-year term on the Board of Trustees.
1989: The Council began debate on the recommendations of the ad hoc Study Committee and also heard from the Trustees' Committee on Board Organization (CBO), which made a series of recommendations on changing the manner in which Alumni Trustees are selected. The CBO favored changing the 75-year tradition of a single candidate nominee by the Council to a multiple-candidate ballot nomination in which all alumni would participate. Richard Page '54 was nominated to a first five-year term on the Board of Trustees.