Tag: 1950

Categories Class Notes | 1950sPosted on

CLASS OF 1950 | 2018 | ISSUE 3

Cliff Milner wrote, “Just reached 90 and am continually grateful for my good fortune with my good health. This despite my frequent visits to a wide variety of doctors! Keeping busy with many different things has been my secret. This is the third year I have taken a two-week cruise to somewhere. First, I did the Viking Cruise of the Danube and Rhine. Last year it was Norway and this June I hit my 50th state by cruising to Alaska. Back here at home, I am a volunteer at WXXI, our local PBS station helping at special events like last week’s open house or answering phones during fund drives. I get out to as many concerts (free ones!) as possible. I have a good friend with whom I share driving chores. That does remind me that my latest health annoyance is neuropathy, in which the feet become numb, which, in turn, makes me pay special attention to my driving!

“My wife, Lynn, passed away four years ago but I have my youngest son (56) living with me. As my daughter says, You can look after him and he can look after you! Good luck to all and stay out of those listings in the back pages of the alumni magazine.”

The Rev. Allen W. Scott died Aug. 20, 2018. After Wesleyan and Yale Divinity School he pastored his hometown church in East Lyme, Conn., and was a leader in the community. He is survived by his daughter, Margaret Watson, and sons MacKenzie, Alan, and Jonathan.

BUD DORSEY | margiedorsey5@gmail.com
121 Renegar Way #105, St. Simons Island, GA, 31522 | 912/638-5616

Categories Class Notes | 1950sPosted on

CLASS OF 1950 | 2018 | ISSUE 2

Dear classmates, we regret to inform you that three of our classmates passed away. Richard W. Ahlers, from Pittsburgh, Pa., died March 14, 2018. He was an Alpha Delt at Wesleyan. Dick worked for U.S. Steel Corp. for 34 years in Ohio and enjoyed his cottage on Lake Manitou in Canada. He is survived by a large family, including one great-grandchild.

Roger W. Haskell, from Hempstead, N.Y., died Dec. 28, 2017. He was a Sigma Nu at Wesleyan. After an internship in Toledo, Ohio, Dr. Haskell spent 25 years with the public health service in Seattle and was awarded the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Meritorious Service Medal twice in his life. He retired to a 140-acre farm in central Oregon. He is survived by his wife, Edna, and their family.

John C. Roy, from Paterson, N.J., died May 30, 2017. He was a Psi U at Wesleyan. After medical school and orthopedic training in NYC, Dr. Roy practiced at Morristown Memorial Hospital in New Jersey, serving as chairman of various committees. He retired in 1993. He was affiliated with the Lutheran Church in Mendham, N.J., and Lebanon, Tenn. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn, two sons, a son-in-law, and six grandchildren.

BUD DORSEY | margiedorsey5@gmail.com
121 Renegar Way #105, St. Simons Island, GA, 31522 | 912/638-5616

Categories Class Notes | 1950sPosted on

CLASS OF 1950 | 2018 | ISSUE 1

Classmates: I regret to inform you that Bob Fithian died in June 2017. Bob was president of Delta Tau Delta, and the summer after graduation he and I toured Europe together. He was employed by Sears for 40 years, and lived in Marietta, Ga. He is survived by his wife, Becky, two children, and two grandchildren.

BUD DORSEY | margiedorsey5@gmail.com
121 Renegar Way #105, St. Simons Island, GA, 31522 | 912/638-5616

Categories Obituaries | 1950-1959Posted on

Roger W. Haskell ’50

Dr. Roger W. Haskell died on Dec. 28, 2017. He was 88. Roger was born in Hempstead, N.Y., on March 11, 1929, the third child to Merritt S. and Kathleen (Rayner) Haskell. He attended the Hempstead school system, graduating in 1946. From there he went on to Wesleyan University, graduating in 1950 with a bachelor’s degree in bio-chemistry. He entered the medical school at the University of Liege in Belgium in 1952 for a six-year program of intensive medical studies given in the French language. Only an intense dedication to his dream of obtaining that degree in medicine saw him through the rigorous days of study for which he also had to learn French.

Upon graduation with honors, Roger returned home to serve his internship at Mercy Hospital in Toledo, Ohio. He honored his military draft obligation by joining the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) and was assigned to the Indian Health Service (IHS). He was posted as the sole on-site physician at the clinic of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in central Oregon. There, with only a one year of internship experience as a licensed physician (as was typical in that era for incoming IHS) doctors), Roger served a population of 2,000 Native Americans from 1959-1961. In his autobiography, written over 50 years later, Roger vividly described this time as an intense personal and professional experience.

He went on to complete a USPHS general practice residency in Galveston, Texas, in 1963. Roger was then posted as service unit director to the Tuba City Clinic on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. In this combined clinical and administrative position, Roger demonstrated remarkable skill in health care planning. He saw the critical need for data on which to base assessment and improvement and became the prime mover for development of a large computerized health data system, which was ultimately implemented nationally throughout the entire Indian Health Service. For this achievement, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal of the USPHS by C. Everett Koop, U.S. surgeon general. While serving on the Navajo reservation, Roger also completed his master’s in public health at the University of California Berkeley in 1966, deepening his expertise in health care planning.

In 1969, Roger was appointed deputy area director of the IHS Portland area office, responsible for the health care services of tribes throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. There he became an early adopter of problem-oriented medical records in that three-state service area. Along with a pediatrician colleague, Dr. Jean Gorman, Roger developed an innovative set of well-child clinic forms and preventive health care records, which both implemented a standard of best practice and allowed for data collection for subsequent rounds of improvement. Problem-oriented records and the use of standardized preventive medicine forms were early and extremely valuable innovations, which heralded a revolution, still ongoing 50 years later, in the deployment of electronic health records. We now recognize data management and information processing as among the fundamental challenges of our society. Roger was among the innovators in applying these ideas to medical care.

The preventive health care templates developed by Roger and Dr. Gorman proved so valuable in what came to be called primary care practice, that they were eagerly adopted by young IHS physicians who, after two or three years in the IHS, returned to primary care residencies and then to clinical practice. Thus, these useful forms were disseminated to other health care settings, including the Department of Public Health Primary Care clinics in San Francisco, which later became the citywide  universal health care program known as “Healthy San Francisco.”

In his final eight years with the USPHS, Roger served as director of ambulatory care at the USPHS Marine Hospital in Seattle, and subsequently at the USPHS outpatient clinic in Portland. Roger was justifiably proud of these  accomplishments and considered his Indian Health Service years the most productive and creative of his work as a physician.

Music of all kinds was most important to him, from his high school days through college and medical school. He played trumpet, and while in medical school, he often sat in with a jazz group that played in a lounge in Liege. He also had a love of classical music, attending recitals and concerts as often as possible. Throughout his travels, his trumpet accompanied him.

While living in Europe, Roger married his first wife, Muguette, who predeceased him. His second marriage to Edna Alfonso, lasted through Roger’s last days; they made their home in Greer, SC.

Roger completed his autobiography, A Rewarding Life, shortly before he died. It is a surprisingly complete account of his life, from his earliest years to the present, showing an amazing memory for events and people, and a wonderful glimpse into his innermost thoughts and feelings. He shared his love and care for his nuclear family—mother, father, and siblings, Merle and Stratton. His career with the Public Health Service is thoroughly recounted, many details of past experiences beautifully told. He had the book printed, published, and distributed to many friends, family, and professional acquaintances. A Rewarding Lifeis perfectly named—his life was just that. Those who have read his story have to be grateful for its timing.

Roger leaves his wife, Edna, his brother, Stratton (Virginia) Haskell, nephews, Robert (Kathy) Miller and Warren (Lynn) Haskell, and nieces, Priscilla (Jim) lvler and Holly (Kenton) Youngstrom, along with many grand-nieces and nephews and great-grand nieces and nephews. A memorial service was held in San Francisco and in Greer, S.C. 

We thank the family of Dr. Haskell for this information.

Categories Obituaries | 1950-1959Posted on

Edgar B. Moore ’50

Edgar B. Moore, a professor of history at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, for 45 years and a member of the town’s City Council, died Oct. 16, 2017, at age 89. He was the grandnephew of Robert M. Moore of the class of 1892 and the son of Robert M. Moore of the class of 1920. A member of the John Wesley Club, he received a bachelor of divinity degree from Drew Theological Seminary. He also received a master’s degree in sacred theology and later a PhD from St. Andrews University in Scotland. After coming to Baldwin Wallace as chaplain, he moved to the history department and rose to become department chair. During his tenure he helped to broaden the scope of the department’s course offerings, introducing a course on African history and then one on women in history, especially during the 19thand 20thcenturies. His interest in politics, which stemmed from his PhD thesis, led him to his position on the city council. He was also an avid genealogist. His wife, Gracelouise Sims Moore survives, as do three children, six grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and his sister.

Categories Class Notes | 1950sPosted on

CLASS OF 1950 | 2017 | ISSUE 3

NEWSMAKERS | 1950s
NEWSMAKER

ARTHUR CHICKERING ’50

Arthur Chickering ’50, an educational researcher, received the Teachers College Distinguished Alumni Award on April 8. This honor is presented by Teachers College, Columbia University, to graduates who have distinguished themselves in their fields and whose impact has been felt on a regional, national, or international level. Chickering has worked as an educator and administrator in higher education for over 40 years. He is the author of many publications relating to student affairs and college student development theories. After earning his bachelor’s from Wesleyan, where he majored in modern comparative literature, Chickering earned a master’s from Harvard University, and a PhD from Columbia University.

Frank Binswanger writes in with fond memories: “With luck I graduated in 1950—but most importantly: I married Sue Hirsch (Wesleyan’s first football queen—but obviously those were the “old days”)—then went into the service for 3.5 years. I started working for the Binswanger organization—an industrial and commercial real estate organization representing many of the national and international corporations in the U.S. and worldwide. Over time, I had three very mature children (two of whom went to Wes) and six grandchildren (three of whom went to Wes). How lucky we have been for the 67 years since graduation.”

Jud Miner reflected on a special moment: “On August 9 I was one of 107 Korean War and World War II veterans on the Honor Flight from Chicago to D.C. It was a memorable day followed by a welcome home at Midway and a parade that included dozens of flag bearers, a naval cadets marching unit, a bagpipe band, and thousands of greeters. I had at least 100 greeters shake my hand and say, ‘Thank you for your service.’ It made me more deeply proud to be an American and proud of my service as an army medic with the 9th Hospital MASH Unit.”Then we heard from

Roger Haskell, who has finished writing an autobiography: “It contains a lot about my baccalaureate days at Wesleyan and Sigma Nu. I am not having it published, but I’ll have copies that I can send if anybody is interested.” Roger was in touch with Bud Tracy ’51 and reports that he is well and enjoying retirement in Suffield, Conn.

Sadly, Bill Johnson passed away at the age of 89 on Sept. 26. After graduating from Wesleyan, he entered the U.S. Army and was in the Army Reserves for several years. He later joined the pharmaceutical firm of E.R. Squibb & Sons in 1955 as a sales representative, and spent 18 years in various sales and sales management positions in the greater New York area. Bill was predeceased by Nancy, his wife of 66 years, and leaves behind his sons, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

From a personal point of view, we survived Hurricane Irma. Margie and I have moved from our home on St. Simons Island to a very nice retirement community a few miles away, called Marsh’s Edge. I think that we will be happy there. It’s country-club living with no household chores. The new address: 121 Renegar Way #105, St. Simons Island, GA, 31522. Phone number and e-mail remain the same.Best wishes to all our classmates.

BUD DORSEY | margiedorsey5@gmail.com
121 Renegar Way #105, St. Simons Island, GA, 31522 | 912/638-5616

Categories Class Notes | 1950s, newsmakers | 1950sPosted on

Newsmaker: Arthur Chickering ’50

Arthur Chickering ’50, an educational researcher, received the Teachers College Distinguished Alumni Award on April 8. This honor is presented by Teachers College, Columbia University, to graduates who have distinguished themselves in their fields and whose impact has been felt on a regional, national, or international level. Chickering has worked as an educator and administrator in higher education for over 40 years. He is the author of many publications relating to student affairs and college student development theories. After earning his bachelor’s from Wesleyan, where he majored in modern comparative literature, Chickering earned a master’s from Harvard University, and a PhD from Columbia University.

Categories Class Notes | 1950sPosted on

CLASS OF 1950 | 2017 | ISSUE 2

I received the following messages from Bill Spanos and Cliff Milner:

Bill writes, “I recently became a professor emeritus of SUNY-Binghamton because of health reasons, but I continue to produce what I think is urgently needed scholarship about the benighted age we live in.”

Bill has published more than 20 books since graduating from Wesleyan. He writes, “For those who are not scholars in the humanities, I recommend my World War II memoir, In the Neighborhood of Zero (Nebraska University Press 2012), which tells the story of my witness as a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany to the Allied firebombing of Dresden, a memoir that might be usefully contrasted to my fellow regimental comrade Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Slaughterhouse Five.”

Hie is now writing an autobiographical account of his “errant education” tentatively entitled Thrown: Searching in the Void for an Intellectual Vocation.

Cliff writes, “From the new world traveler! Last fall I took a Viking Rhine and Danube River cruise and enjoyed it so much that next week I am going on a Prairie Home Companion cruise to Scotland and Norway. I’m a widower now (three years) and have been kidded by friends that I’ll probably come home with a blonde from Norway!”

BUD DORSEY | margiedorsey5@gmail.com
161 Shore Rush Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522 | 912/638-5616

Categories Class Notes | 1950sPosted on

CLASS OF 1950 | 2017 | ISSUE 1

Hello, classmates! It’s a new year—2017! In the last issue we enjoyed hearing from Cliff Milner, Roger Haskell, and Jud Miner. And now, how about hearing from you? Please call me or drop me a line with your latest news.

We are sorry to inform you of the death of our classmate, James Mutrie, on Oct. 26. He was a native of New Haven, and was well known in state political and journalism circles as dean of the Capitol press corps.

We also have been informed of the passing of Kenneth Widing on Oct. 16. Kenneth studied math at Wesleyan, then earned a master’s at Indiana University, Bloomington, and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as an astrophysicist for the Naval Research Laboratory.

We are pleased to hear from Arthur Chickering, who sent a clever and thoughtful poem that he composed, “Turning Toward Ninety.”

“I’m entering my ninetieth year,” he said,

Patting the old gray mop on his head.

Perhaps boasting a bit to have reached such an age,

bemused by peers who had called him a sage.

Books, papers, and speeches aplenty

triggered awards from diverse cognoscenti.

But now he seems to be all written out

except for an occasional shout

calling on leaders, politicians, and factions

for tough minded, timely, deliberate actions,

Now happily home loving renaissance wife

after sixty five years creating their life.

They traveled the world whenever the chance

always up for whatever the dance,

tackling new cultures, relationships, tasks,

harvesting knowledge, replacing old masks,

learning and growing

from seeds they were sowing.

Tennis, hiking, swimming, canoeing,

downhill skiing, moonlight snowshoeing,

living an active adventurous life

free from conflict or serious strife.

Then out of the blue it went up in smoke

when she was struck by a serious stroke..

It was two-twenty-three, nineteen- ninety- nine,

A cloudless sky, the weather was fine.

After tuna melts and good red wine

they were ready to go

out to enjoy the fresh fallen snow

never to do so they did not know. Left arm and leg had no sensation

Walking with help was a major occasion.

A brand new existence

would test their persistence.

Multitasking had been their norm

now one at a time is the dominant form.

Since that day their lives have been shrinking

more and more time for leisurely thinking.

Listening, reading, checking TV

enjoying each series from BBC.

Visiting friends provoke thoughtful talks

meetings in town cause occasional walks.

So thus the years keep rolling by.

Deaths of friends prompt heartfelt sighs.

Living wills and power of attorney

all in order for the final journey.

Comfortably ready for the years that remain

two lives well lived is their final refrain.

BUD DORSEY | margiedorsey5@gmail.com
161 Shore Rush Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522 | 912/638-5616