CLASS OF 1964 | 2023 | SUMMER ISSUE
Some news from classmates:
Dan Davis wrote: “Suzanne Schmidt and I have been at Homewood, a CCRC in Frederick, Maryland, for one year. We enjoy good health, full mobility, and tennis five hours a week. After 20 years at the FDA, I do some consulting with pharmaceutical companies and am active for women’s reproductive rights and maintaining access to affordable contraception and medical abortions. Pastor Suzanne is very active for racial and environmental justice.”
Joel Johnson shared: “Like my classmates, I’ve managed to turn 80. Had a typical Wesleyan career: MPA from Princeton, 16 years with the feds (State, Treasury, Senate Foreign Relations Committee), 16 years VP International of the Aerospace Industries Association, then failed retirement 101, so still doing some aerospace and defense consulting, which gets me to Paris and occasionally London. Have six grandkids—youngest batch (via my son) are all teenagers; oldest batch (via daughter) includes a chemical engineer doing hydrogen power, a middle granddaughter working as a school day therapist, and the youngest who is about to get certified as a jet engine mechanic. Now living in what was my weekend house on Nats Creek, an estuary of Chesapeake Bay that is an hour and a half from D.C. Lovely lady with house in Georgetown, so some shuttling back and forth.”
Jim Relyea reported: “Submitting my notes after all these years to meet the March 15 deadline reminds me of taking my Philosophy 101 final exam freshman year at 9 a.m. then running back to Andrus Hall to type my term paper and submit it by the 12 p.m. deadline. (Some sort of record in procrastination!)
“Life post-Wesleyan: I have worked full time since September 1964: audiovisual publishing; insurance/financial services; helped start two highly successful wealth management firms; married to Betsey for 55 years—we have three wonderful daughters and seven grandchildren (we adore them all); have lived in Briarcliff, New York, since 1970; semiretired (2016)—own small insurance consulting firm; very active with extended family, church, photography, guitar playing, tennis, and being a grandpa.
“Looking forward to seeing everyone at our 60th Reunion. Great memories of Wesleyan days. Sorry for the 59-year delay in sending this in. I’m sure it will cost me in drinks/desserts at the 2024 alumni dinner!
“Thanks to all for your patience.—Jim Relyea”
Russ Messing contributed: “I am still alive and well and have been visited by an imp who is dwelling somewhere in my frontal lobe and shrinking it a bit. The result is that my short-term auditory memory is affected. This hasn’t stopped me from being as funny as ever, going to the gym six days a week, taking care of all my business affairs, and, most importantly, writing poetry. I am now in the process of finishing my fifth book of poetry (all self-published)! I love writing and am ever grateful that I have this in my life. Writing has been with me ever so long (my senior thesis at Wesleyan was ‘Nine Short Stories’ and my mentors were Kit and Joe Reed). Four years ago I retired from years of being a clinical psychologist, and years before that I was a cofounder of, and teacher in, Synergy School, a K–8 school in the Mission District of San Francisco. I am blessed with the best wife, three very creative and smart kids, and six saucy, self-assured, and, of course, brilliant grandchildren, ages 21 to 4. I am more than happy to send any of my books to anyone who might want them and at the cost of $15.00 each they are a real bargain.”