The new Class of 1956 correspondent will take this opportunity to thank Joan
Fuller Russell for providing a significant amount of news that wasn’t reported in
time to be printed in the past summer issue of the MAINE Alumni Magazine.
Sadly, Carolyn Bull Dahlgren passed away on May 3, 2020. Carolyn was a very
active class member serving as our class correspondent for many years, and
was a class executive committee member as well. At the university, Carolyn was
a proud resident of The Elms, and graduated with her degree in elementary
education. Her first job was in New Britain, CT. There she met Leland Dahlgren,
who worked in construction. They were married in 1957.
Aside from being an admired teacher, she was a den mother, a Girl Scout leader,
tutor, substitute teacher, and Sunday school teacher. Her busy life also included
being a hockey mom, volunteer for Dollars and Scholars, and going door to door
for the U.S. Census. In 2006 Carolyn received Yarmouth’s yearly community
service Latchstring Award for over 30 years as a coordinator for the town's
medical loan closet.
While all this service established a high bar, it was Carolyn’s ability to listen, ask
questions, and pull stories from people, that endeared her to so many.
Joan Russell reported that the Portland Alumnae, which meets four times a year,
held its August 6th meeting by Zoom rather than the usual luncheon. Vice
President, Student Life Robert Dana ’80 spoke on the manner in which students
would be returning to campuses in Maine in the fall. Future meetings of the group
for 2020 -2021 will be held by Zoom with a speaker from UMaine.
Congratulations to Joan: At the July meeting of the Yarmouth Lions Club, for
which she is the treasurer, Joan was chosen to receive the Lions Club
International Foundation Award “for dedicated service to Lionism.” Roar, Lions,
roar!
One of the greatest, if not the greatest cross-country runner in the University of
Maine’s history, is in our Class of ’56 — Paul Firlotte.
On October 10th, 2019, seven former stars joined the Ellsworth High School
Sports Hall of Fame. While in high school, Paul captured three individual cross-
country championships in 1949, 1950, and 1951 as well as the New England title.
In 1956 the University of of Maine cross-country team was probably the school’s
greatest. Paul was hailed by sportswriters as the “Ellsworth Express” Led by
Paul, the Pale Blue squad swamped the Yankee Conference meet posting a low
score of 25 and went on to capture the New England title at Boston for the first
time in 17 years.
The other Class of ’56 runners on the team were Paul Hanson and Stan Furrow
’62G, ’65 Ph.D.
Looking forward to our 65th Reunion in September 2021.