CLASS OF 1955 | 2015 | ISSUE 2
A big “thank you” to John Sheaff for playing the role of Acting Secretary and submitting commentary on our 60th Class Reunion! His submission is quoted verbatim!
“The Honor of the Wesleyan Class of 1955 was upheld by the presence of five members at our 60th Reunion this past weekend. Loyal Class Members George Edwards, Charles Smith, William Gordon, Theodore Stein and John Sheaf had the good fortune of being able to attend and enjoy the pleasures of reviewing past good times, wonderful weather, and college-provided events. The enjoyment of our gatherings was enhanced by the presence of Wesleyan staff members who were able to answer questions regarding Wesleyan’s programs. The Class of 2015 has 799 (hope I got the number right) members. The largest ever.
“At meal times our group was joined by alumni of other years close to 1955, which added to the enjoyment of the gathering. In the Alumni Parade we had ahead of us one member of the Class of 1951 and ahead of him two members of the Class of 1950. We are getting near the head of the line.
“At the end of the parade we attended the Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association which include the presentation of awards for service and an address by David B. Potts ’60, which covered the history of Wesleyan presidents.”
John wrote that he and Lois were pleased with the entire program and commented that, as Wesleyan is only approximately a three-hour drive from their home, the whole trip was not a problem for them.
Sadly, this month (June), I received notices of the passing of two of our classmates. Charles Little died June 20, 2014, in Albuquerque, N.M. Charles was an advertising executive with Foote, Cone and Belding until 1963, when he became chief executive officer of the Open Space Institute and then on to several other executive positions involving land use issues. His entire life’s work was dedicated to the appreciation and protection of American landscapes. He authored many books devoted to his life’s passion.
Arthur Coppotelli passed away March 5, 2015. He received a MA in literature from Yale University in 1960. During the course of his career he was a speech writer for President John F. Kennedy Jr., and he authored the proposal for the youth training corps used in President Kennedy’s State of the Union Address. He also was an instructor of English and humanities at Wesleyan. Please see magazine.wesleyan.edu for a more detailed obituary.
I continue to swap notes with Gail Clarke, George Edwards, and Brad Miter via Facebook and invite you to say “hello” when you get a chance.
Marianne and I continue to enjoy life in Florida and are well. As you might imagine, biking is still a major part of my routine and at this point (June 11, 2015) I’ve logged just a tad less than 2,700 miles for the year. Always hopeful of reaching the 5,000-mile annual target.
To you and your loved ones, my sincere best wishes for health and happiness.