CLASS OF 1965 | 2021–2022 | WINTER ISSUE
John Dunton writes: “Dutch Siegert’s note about meeting Tim Lynch in the Philippines brought to mind my unexpected encounter in a restaurant in Cincinnati in 1967. Walking to my table I spied fellow Foss Hill 1 friend Rich Young. For a reader not in the class of ’65, Rich was totally blind. Freshman year I occasionally was a reader for him, but we never had a class together and we hadn’t kept in touch after graduation. The second I said seven words: ‘Rich, what are you doing in Cincinnati?’ he instantly replied, ‘Dunton, what are you doing in Cincinnati?’ He was attending a program attempting to teach the blind how to access computers through touch: reading punched paper tape (remember punch cards?) like braille—instead of punching holes in the tape, the impact rollers were wrapped in (no kidding) ladies garter material to make an impact instead of a hole. Of course, better technology rendered punch cards and tape obsolete very quickly; unfortunately, Rich died several years after our chance meeting. He was hands down one of the most fascinating people I met at Wes.”
Congratulations to three members of our class (Jerry Melillo, Phil Russell, and Hugh Wilson) who have been rated among the top 0.1 % most-cited researchers worldwide, according to a recent study by PLOS Biology. The study, led by Professor John Ioannidis from Stanford University, combines several different metrics to systematically rank the most influential scientists as measured by citations. More than six million scientists, who were actively working between 1996 and 2018, were analyzed for the project. Our classmates are joined by five other Cardinal alumni and thirteen Wesleyan faculty to be honored through this study. The study reinforces Wesleyan’s reputation as an exceptional liberal arts institution, said Hugh, who is professor emeritus of spatial and computational vision at York University. “It is sometimes questioned whether a liberal arts education is really optimal for an aspiring scientist. After all, wouldn’t it be better to take just science and math courses rather than spending part of one’s time with literature, philosophy, history, or art,” he said. “So, [this study shows that] liberal arts continue to attract outstanding scientists as dedicated faculty members who espouse both teaching and research.”
In May, the class had a Zoom meeting and a number of us participated. Good discussions about various topics including Wesleyan memories, gun legislation, and important climate change predictions regarding permafrost thaw and hurricane increases and decreases in China and the United States, respectively. Jerry also offered kudos to the Wesleyan students he’s mentored at Woods Hole over the years.
Bob Barton (New Hamburg, New York), Ellen and Ted See (West Hartford, Connecticut), and Chuck Hearey (Orinda, California) visited with Cindy and me recently, and it was wonderful to have us together again. The six of us are retired and are now focused on our families, grandchildren, homes and gardens, volunteer work, and sports.
Chuck and I then went on to Rhode Island for a US Tennis Association senior singles and doubles grass court tennis tournament. We held our heads high against the best 75-plus year-olds in the country. Always great playing with Chuck!
As of this writing, a number of ‘65ers—led by Hugh Wilson and Win Chamberlin—are at work to gather our classmates for an entertaining Reunion weekend on campus during this year’s Homecoming weekend in October. Hope many of you had the pleasure of joining us!