To the Editor:
Buried in Wednesday's story ("Orgs. fund Trustee, AoA Campaigns," Mar. 31), which discloses for the first time that Dartmouth Undying was organized in 2008 by Dartmouth Director of Alumni Relations Emeritus Michael Choukas Jr., is at least one statement that alumni should find amazing. Henry Nachman, Jr. '51 a fellow officer of Dartmouth Undying with Choukas responds to questions about the secrecy of the group's origins and management by saying, "We just think it's better that we be very behind the scenes."
What possible reason could there be that things would be "better" if this group's operations were "very much behind the scenes?" Why, indeed, in this moment of unusual candor would Nachman admit that there had been an effort to shield from alumni Dartmouth Undying's provenance? How could that design to conceal assist Dartmouth alumni as they evaluated governance matters and the leadership of their own Association?
Only one answer is credible: the group needed to hide the ties straight into Blunt Hall and the Dartmouth administration represented by Choukas' service as Director of Alumni Relations, in order to perpetuate the myth that Dartmouth Undying was "completely independent" of the College. The administration needed at all costs to defeat an embarrassing lawsuit, and Judge Vaughn's 2008 denial and order on the Trustees' dismissal motion had dashed hopes of courtroom success. Only a new slate of Association leaders, pledged to withdraw the suit, could save the Trustees. Dartmouth Undying was formed, and one-half million dollars later outspending the other slate by a factor of ten to one it delivered. Mission accomplished.
J. Michael Murphy '61Dartmouth United candidate for Association of Alumni president
