CLASS OF 1960 | 2015 | ISSUE 2

We were welcomed to our 55th Reunion by the sound of the bells of old South College. Dave Potts presented a WESeminar, “Only Yesterday? Wesleyan in the ’60s,” that was based on his recently published book, Wesleyan University, 1910-1970: Academic Ambition and Middle-Class America. At the Wesleyan assembly and annual meeting of the Alumni Association, Dave received the James L. McConaughy Jr. Award, which recognizes a member of the Wesleyan family whose writing conveys unusual insight and understanding of current and past events. In his acceptance speech in the chapel, Dave pointed out the stained-glass windows that commemorate past presidents and important benefactors to the university.

Myles Standish received a Distinguished Alumnus Award for his accomplishments at the California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he created and continually improved high-accuracy planetary ephemerides (orbital positions) that are vital to the successful navigation of planetary spacecraft. Those ephemerides are now the world’s standard, providing data to virtually all of the national almanac offices, astronomical researchers, and observatories.

At our class banquet, I led the singing of “Sentimental Journey,” which captured our feelings about attending the Reunion. That was followed by “Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight” which reminded us of those fabulous party weekends. The singing of some traditional Wesleyan songs was a fitting ending to the banquet. My thanks to Charlie Smith and Brittany Richard, our liaison on the Wesleyan campus, for all their planning that made it a successful 55th Reunion.

On the day after the class banquet, my extended family had a reunion in Cromwell at the home of my niece, Liz Pulling. With both college and family reunions, it was a memorable trip to Connecticut.