Esty now lives in the Mad River Valley of Vermont. At 72, he still finds himself applying his energies towards various non-profit organizations and to the ski patrol. These activities do not stop the busy father and grandfather from making the annual trek back to his hometown of Amherst for the Homecoming game, where he has regularly represented his class for the past 50 years.
Country Life
Raised in the of South Amherst, Esty lived the college-town experience long before he enrolled. "I was a townie," said Esty. "A country boy."
While he was growing up, the town of Amherst only boasted a population of about 1,000 people, excluding the influx of students every fall. "It was a wonderfully-rural place," Esty recalled. "There were fewer buildings, fewer roads, more animals, more apple trees, more fields."
Esty's father, an apple farmer and entrepreneur, taught Esty his early appreciation for both rural life and industry. Meanwhile, the Tinker Hill skiing range of Amherst's Holyoke Range, fostered Esty's love of winter sports. Esty remembers the many benefits of living in a small, rural college town. In addition to the hunting, fishing and sporting opportunities offered by the area, the colleges often sponsored lecturers and art exhibits which helped further Esty's educational growth. It's no coincidence that, given the environment in which he was raised, Esty-as well as all three of his brothers-ended up attending Amherst College.
Town versus gown
Having lived in Hampshire County his entire life, Esty was certainly due for a unique experience when he began his first year at Amherst.
Esty entered the College knowing the faculty not only as educators, but also as townspeople. He recalled taking frequent hunting and fishing trips during the summers with the head of the history department, the dean of admissions and the president of the College. Before most students even had the chance to worry about making new friends in their own class, Esty was branching out and learning from his professors as fellow residents of Amherst and friends of his parents. "I learned a lot from professors that I didn't even have classes with," he remembered. "Amherst was a 12-month experience for me."
It is his amiable nature, fostered by his status as a "townie," to which Esty attributes his success in life. He remembered having no hierarchy in his class and no elitists; everyone was equal. "It wasn't an oligarchy or a hierarchy or a monarchy," he said. "It was just Amherst." For Esty, it was possible to meet and become good friends with all the people at the College-fellow students, faculty and administrators.
Good hours with Robert Frost
Esty recalled one of the educators who influenced him the most. "Professor [Robert] Frost … was a close friend of mine," he said. "We'd walk downtown with his irascible, mongrel of a dog-they were equally disagreeable-and we'd go into town and have a few beers."
"He was very private, a man without many friends, but we warmed to each other … neither of us had an agenda," Esty continued. The two would often visit at Frost's house during the fall, holding conversations in front of the fireplace.
An "Age of Innocence"
With World War II behind the nation and Dwight Eisenhower in office, Esty entered the College in a prime era. His classmates, like the United States as a whole, felt a unity like few other classes before or since. The "100-percent rushing" rule-which forced fraternities to extend bids to all students who applied-left all students at Amherst feeling like they were on equal standing with each other. Furthermore, many students were united by their common experiences in the armed services prior to attending the College. "Most of us wore uniforms. The College was very patriotic. … There was a mutual trust and mutual dignity between the students," he said. "Our class used to love each other."
Esty spent his time at Amherst as a full-time student, fraternity brother, hunter, fisherman, skier, college tour guide and Coca-Cola truck driver. The driving job was his favorite because it allowed him to travel to the other four colleges in the area and other areas of Western Massachusetts.
Before the end of his academic career at the College, Esty would become president of Amherst's chapter of the Gamma Psi U fraternity-foreshadowing his later responsibilities as president of his class. Not content to stop there, he made his presence known all over campus by helping in the laundry room, working on The Student and even selling hotdogs and drinks at athletic contests. "And when the College was too much I could always just jump in my jeep and go home," he said. "I had the most wonderful, unique experience as a townie. From my experience in Amherst, I just assumed people would be nice to me the rest of my life."
Small-town boy in the city
After graduating from Amherst, Esty decided to try his luck in New York City. Utilizing the sizable alumni network and maximizing his country charisma, it was not long before Esty was hired for a marketing and communications position at Jay Walter Thompson. Throughout his 35 years in New York City, Esty always found himself thankful for the experience, education and contacts he received from Amherst. "My career directly and indirectly had to do with Amherst," he said.
Coming back home
After retiring from the business world and retreating to the pristine Mad River Valley, Esty still found himself participating in various non-profit ventures, especially those working to preserve the environment. He is currently president of The Friends of Tuckerman Ravine, a citizen effort in New Hampshire organized to help protect both Tuckerman Ravine and the Cutler River Area enveloping it. Combined with his active duty on the ski patrol, it seems that this homegrown Amherst man just can't stop devoting himself to the things he loves.
Being the president
One of Esty's favorite offices was the one he held for 30 years-president of the class of '54. Ironically, he never actually ran for the office. "It felt pretty good to have the support of the entire class," he admitted. Esty, with some deliberation, attributed winning to his special brand of self-confidence. "I don't know, I guess I'm just one of those lucky people who doesn't need an ego. Confidence is better than ego," he said. "I'd rather rely on results."
Esty has always been proud of the decisive and spirited contribution he helped inspire in the class of '54. Since their graduation, the class–participation rate has never slipped below 60 percent, with a record 90–percent participation registered one year. They have never lost the class reunion cup, awarded to the class with the highest number of class members returning for reunion.
Although Esty found that it was "very easy" to plan class events and raise money for Amherst, he was prouder of the various, lasting contributions he has made to the College. For example, a plaque awarding the 10-youngest classes with the highest participation rates was made of wood selected and carved by Esty.
The Teaching Fund, still available to Amherst students, was established by the class of 1954 to assist any aspiring Amherst teachers. In order to make use of the money, a student must agree to intern as a teaching assistant within inner cities. The program benefits underprivileged children and Amherst students alike.
What advice would Esty give to people aspiring to be presidents of their classes someday? "Communication. … I wrote an average of 10 letters a year, and endless e-mails. … By the end of my term, I had written 282 letters," he said. "I was in touch with my classmates 12 months a year. … It was an ongoing conversation with my class."
Closing words
Despite stepping down from the position, Esty will always cherish the years he spent as president of his class. "I miss being president," he said. "Frankly, it's not just your classmates but [also] their wives and kids-it's a huge constituency. The loyalty we all had to each other, and to the college, was a neat thing."
Esty won't retreat from the Amherst scene anytime soon; he still has plenty of things to say. He hopes, for example, that all students at Amherst will recognize that President Anthony Marx is a "fantastic president" who will bring many "great years" to them during their time at the College. He also hopes that all Amherst students-despite the schism characterizing the politics of the country at the moment-will be able to overcome their differences and achieve a sense of solidarity not unlike that of Esty's own class. Finally, he urges everyone, whether student or alumnus, to contribute to the College in any way possible and to return during the Homecoming season.
After all, it's been 50 years since he's graduated, and David Esty hasn't missed one yet.