Led by Seamus Malin, Bruce Johnstone, and others, the soccer team piled up five victories in nine contests; and the cross country team finished 6-3. Coach Bill McCurdy described Mark Mullin, at that time undefeated and improving every week, as "one of the best Harvard has ever had."
Before he was through, Mullin would captain cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track as a freshman and senior; end his career with a 4:06.4 mile, a University and IC4A record; win the outdoor Heptagonal mile three times and the indoor century once; and receive the Bingham Award as the Class's top athlete.
Two freshmen started in 1958-59 with new records in their events--Ted Bailey in the weight throw and Sarge Nichols in the shot; both went on to greater feats in the next three years. Two undefeated teams for the Yardlings that year were in swimming (11-0) and in tennis (9-0).
With an 8-1 record as freshmen, the Class indicated that it was to be big in lacrosse in the future. The '62 trio of Watts, Pete Sieglaff, and Woody Spruance dominated varsity lacrosse for three years. On the hockey rink the Class was one of the best groups at the College in the history of the sport. With Jim Dwinell, Bob Bland, Bill Beckett, Dave Morse, Dave Grannis, Chris Norris, Dean Alpine, and Tom Heintzman, its record as freshman was 18-3. The soph-dominated varsity in 1959-60 ended 17-7-1 and second in the Ivy League; in 1960-61, the Junior-dominated team won the title, as the senior-dominated team did this past winter.
In the four-year athletic career of the Class there were an Ivy co-championship in football as seniors; a Harvard-Yale track win over Oxford-Cambridge as juniors; track upsets over Yale; revenge in football over Yale as sophomores and seniors (with another televised debacle in between); a big soccer win over Yale that brought the Ivy title as seniors; and Beanpot Hockey tournament victories in the junior and senior years.
Probably no single event produced as much excitement as the varsity swimming team's 48-47 upset over Yale last winter, the Elis' second loss in their last 220 meets and their first to Harvard since 1938. Heroes from the Class included Kaufmann, who set a University record in the 50-yard freestyle, Bill Zentgraf, who set a University record in the 220, and Fred Elizalde, who won the butterfly.
Meanwhile, back in the freshman year, the usual happened: the Jubilee Committee Chairman (Henry Appelbaum) announced plans for the biggest and best weekend ever; 1000 residents of the Yard signed a petition seeking liberalization of parietal hours (it failed); room rents went up by 15 per cent; the Student Council proposed self-reform; and 66 per cent of the Class was admitted to first-choice Houses in May.
There were long lines in the Union seeking an interview with Master John Bullitt of Quincy, but the freshman class did not flock to Quincy House as much as expected. Although the newest House led the pack, the Class distributed itself rather well in applications and 90 per cent were happy with a first, second, or third choice.
In general the Class was behaving well. On March 14 Dean von Stade revealed that the lowest number in his memory--12 students or one per cent--had voluntarily withdrawn from college; and two days later the Class innocently read about Yale freshmen rioting at a St. Patrick's Day parade.
The Class of 1962 had its fun two years later when it followed '61 in a little two-day affair in Harvard Square over non-Latin diplomas.
By June 4, it was all over: the last meal in the Union, the exam, the last of "freshman adjustment," the last of life in the Yard, the last of PT, and the last of some unforgetable experiences. It was also the beginning of tutorial, slumps, more exams, House life, varsity and interhouse athletics, participation in extra-curricular affairs, and more enlightenment.
Sophomore year also marked the coming of the hula-hoop to Radcliffe and the coming of the frisbee to the River banks.
Meanwhile, Radcliffe was having a change of the guard that symbolized a new era of Harvard-Radcliffe relations that affected the Class in many