CLASS OF 1965 | 2025 | SPRING ISSUE
1965 ARCHIVES | HOME
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Dear Classmates,
Hope to see you at our 60th in May! It is important to recognize the extraordinary efforts of our prior Reunion leaders, namely Hugh Wilson, Win Chamberlin, Bob Barton, Dave Dinwoodey, and a number of others.
At Homecoming, I visited with Roy Fazendeiro, Mark Edmiston, Gary Witten,and their spouses, and we enjoyed the last-second victory over Williams to win the Cardinals’ third-straight Little Three football title. (Gary is also involved with the football program by providing a three-part series on financial literacy for graduating seniors.)
Thanks to all who responded to my request for news:
Arthur Rhodes: “Since retirement, my wife, Leslie Newman, and I are enjoying life and visiting her three sons and five grandsons in New Orleans and my two daughters and six grandchildren here in Illinois.
“If you have an interest in photography, check out my Instagram page: ArthurRRhodes_photography.
“As an aside, you all knew me as Rosenglick at Wesleyan, but I changed my name to Rhodes. My beloved German professor at Wesleyan, Chad Dunham, asked me if I knew about the origin of names in the Jewish ghettos of Eastern Europe. I learned that a Jewish ghetto occupant had to purchase a surname from the tax collector to replace their Hebrew name. If you didn’t pay, or couldn’t pay, enough for a nice name, you received an unflattering one. A fancy name, like Rosenglick—‘Lucky Roses’—probably cost dearly. Jeffrey (one of my three brothers) and I decided to change our name legally, to get rid of our ‘purchased’ ghetto name. In 1969, during my medical internship at Columbia, I changed my name to Rhodes. One day I was Rosenglick, and the next day I was Rhodes. I felt like a free man. When I was a medical resident at Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital, I often had to speak Yiddish to my Jewish patients to allay their fears that I might not be Jewish. Though I rejected the rules of the ghetto, I remain dedicated to my Jewish heritage.
“Incidentally, I especially miss three of my favorite professors, now deceased: Chad Dunham, Bob Rosenbaum (mathematics), and Richard Burford (chemistry).”
Gar Hargens: “Last June I reregistered as an architect. After 56 years in the business, I decided to retire. I came to Close Associates as an older student at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture. I’ve gone from intern, architect, partner, to sole owner, all in the same wonderful mid-century building our founders created.
“Three years ago, I started a foundation at the U of Minnesota to help fund the curator position at the university’s library. In the ’80s, I approached the archives about accepting our then over 40 years’ worth of construction documents for editing and storage. There was never a charge, so now I am helping make the acting curator’s position permanent.
“I’m blessed with five children and seven grandkids, four of them here in the Twin Cities—at least for a little while longer. My wife, Missy, keeps us socially active and serves on many local boards, most recently Macalester College, an excellent local institution but endowed with refreshing Midwest modesty.”
Bill Trapp: “We are enjoying life with our family and friends. I am almost back to a full recovery after a stroke. We are now making spring plans to visit the Wesleyan baseball team in Arizona. I could not have done it without the support and management from my wife, Marilyn, family, friends, and many doctors and physical therapists.”
Bill Knox: “We just keep getting older, watching our kids and grandkids do the same. The four-plus months a year at our place here in southern Italy are a blessing.”
Tom Bell: “Still in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My oldest child has just become a grandfather this December in Chicago. This made me the great-grandfather of Quinton Roger MacGregor. I’m looking forward to meeting him soon.”
Bob MacLean: “While having lost contact with so many classmates, I remain in regular contact with Phil Russell and Ralph Jacobs, having found one another at Stanford after Wesleyan.
“With pacemaker installed, I’m still flying after 61 years and am a certified flight instructor. While still certified as a ski instructor, after 48 years, I no longer teach but am still skiing with friends. Have taken up bridge again even after Dean Barlow suggested I take a year off to consider studying rather than playing bridge and brewing beer in the Eclectic basement.
“My path has been anything but linear, but a hell of a ride, thanks in part to the rigor of the old-style liberal arts program at Wesleyan and a few bumps and bruises on the football field. Forever grateful!”
Charlie Bassos: “Still kicking—just not as high as I used to. Glad to have our class notes, and glad for every classmate still around to read them. Wesleyan has shaped us all in ways great and small, truly ‘alma mater.’”
Bob Barton: “Playing old-guy tennis is an enjoyable new activity. I’ve sold my old foreign currency, coins, and other collections to fund cruises next summer on the sailboat I bought with three partners, including my distant cousin and Wes classmate Jay Clapp.”
Hugh Wilson: “Several of my obligations, including the publication of the book I’ve been working on for three years, have grown since our Zoom meeting in September regarding our Reunion. I do not feel that I can take the lead for planning our 60th, but Fran and I will certainly attend.”
Bill Brooks: “Work on the Winslow archives continues, with a full performance of Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights sometime in the next 36 months. Also, recently returned from five weeks in Kruger National Park—a life-changing experience (and I’m grateful that my life still can change)!”
PHILIP L. ROCKWELL | prockwell@wesleyan.edu