In less than two weeks, he has already met with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, R-Ga. and received a birthday card from President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.
Charlie Bass '74 is quickly becoming acclimated to the hectic pace of life as a politician in Washington, D.C.
Bass, a freshman Republican Congressman, beat incumbent Dick Swett in November to become the representative from New Hampshire's second district, which includes Hanover and the rest of the western side of the state.
But when Bass first arrived at Dartmouth in the fall of 1970, he said politics was the last thing on his mind.
"I don't think I focused on politics at all until my junior year," Bass admitted.
In fact, he planned to be a French major -- not something associated with soon-to-be politicians -- and went on the Foreign Study Program to Toulouse, France.
Although Bass eschewed many of the "traditional" Dartmouth experiences -- he did not go on a freshman trip and he was not in a fraternity -- he still has fond memories of his alma mater.
His most vivid memories of the College include the football games and the concerts by the Steve Miller Band, B.B. King and the Allman Brothers.
Remembering the fall of 1970, Bass said, "I remember the day I arrived at Dartmouth, I saw a sign that said, 'Welcome Class of 1974' and I thought that was a long time away. And now we're more than 20 years later."
His career in politics began after his four years at Dartmouth.
Bass was never a class officer and the activity he remembers most vividly is the Dartmouth Flying Club. In fact, he received his pilot's license while at the College.
Bass began considering politics as a possible career during his junior year, when he decided a government major would be more useful later in life than a French major.
Ten years later, Bass found himself embroiled in a bitter campaign against Swett.
The campaign was a difficult one and, Bass said, it was "more negative than it should have been."
But he is still proud of his accomplishment.
"It's not easy to defeat an incumbent Congressman, especially with the amount of money available to incumbents from special interests," Bass said.
Many incumbents lost re-election bids in the historic midterm elections of 1994, and Bass is excited by the new Republican majorities in both houses of Congress.
"When I won in November I was thrilled," he said, "but that excitement was magnified and made all the more important to me as I realized that I would be part of the first Republican majority in 40 years."
"Instead of complaining about what's wrong with this country, we now have the opportunity to make it better."
Bass said that he felt "proud" to make it to Congress and was looking forward to representing Hanover and the College in Congress.
But even though he is an alumnus, Bass said it doesn't necessarily mean he will fight tooth and nail for education bills that may be favorable to Dartmouth.
"The issue of education is one that is not necessarily tied to the college which you attended," he said.
Bass said there are two goals that he hopes to achieve in Congress -- a balanced budget and campaign spending reform.
"It's hard to turn the trend of federal spending in the other direction," he said of the current budget deficit.
"It's a hard undertaking, but I think that's what motivated many Americans to elect certain people," he added.
Bass added that he is a proponent of campaign spending reform.
"The way that Congressmen are qualified to run for office, their ability to raise money and their ability to run negative campaigns, the standard has to be changed," he said. "It's not an easy challenge, but it's one I'm willing to undertake with my colleagues."
Bass serves on two important House committees -- the Budget Committee and the Government Reform and Oversight Committee.
He is also the vice-chairman of the Civil Service Committee, a subcommittee of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee.
Only one other freshman in the entire House holds a vice-chairmanship, Bass said.
Bass started his careers in politics immediately after he graduated from Dartmouth.
He was a delegate to the New Hampshire Republican state convention the year he graduated .
He also ran an unsuccessful campaign for the United States Congress in 1980, when he was defeated in the primary.
Bass served three terms in the New Hampshire legislature, from 1982 to 1988 and two terms in the State Senate from 1988 to 1992.
Bass is not the first member of his family to hold public office.
Bass's father, Perkins, represented the same district in the U.S. Congress from 1954 to 1962.
