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Roger Jackson sends us one of the better travel updates of all time:

“As has been our wont in recent years, my wife, Pam, and I oscillated between travel hither and yon and time in our lakeside home in Minnesota. In the spring, we visited relatives on the East Coast, and in June saw family in the Bay Area (where, as a Universal Life Church minister, I presided over my nephew’s wedding). Throughout the year, we enjoyed delightful visits in various settings with our son and his wife and two young children. I made a solo trip to Oregon for a Buddhist retreat amidst 1,000-year-old Douglas firs, and Pam and I spent a month this fall in India, taking in a number of Buddhist pilgrimage sites we hadn’t seen in a while: Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Dharamsala. We were happy to be out of the U.S. on Election Day—indeed, as Trump passed 270, we were listening to a Tibetan monk discoursing on emptiness amidst the ruins of an ancient Buddhist university. Gave us a bit of perspective. The culmination of the trip was being part of an audience with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala. He did not promise that on my deathbed I would attain total consciousness—but he held my hand for a few moments, so I have that going for me. Now that we’re home, and in the heart of the Minnesota winter, Pam is back to her online studies of Buddhist philosophy, while I continue to research and write; my book on the Buddhist poet-saint Saraha (dedicated in part to the memory of Professor James Helfer [Stone]) came out on Election Day, and I’m now in the thick of a project on Buddhism and the Beats. In the spring, inshallah, I’ll teach again on Buddhist meditation systems at Maitripa College in Portland, Oregon, and have been invited to lead a weekend seminar at a Buddhist center near Pisa, Italy, in the fall.”

The elusive Lenny Kalman reports that he is “still at it” as executive deputy director and chief medical officer of the Miami Cancer Institute. “We have,” he says with justifiable pride, “built a wonderful new ‘clinical academic’ cancer center to serve the patients of the region and beyond.”

Bob “The Whizzer” White attended the 2024 Newark Athletic Hall of Fame induction dinner in October, the first since his own induction last year. The Whizzer sponsored the Newark Wrestling Scholarship, which he hopes will be an incentive to bring wrestling back to Newark high schools.  And, even more importantly, Bob just completed his 700th lifetime dive, at Christmastime in Grand Cayman. He plans to dive on to 800.

George Surgeon attended Homecoming weekend and gives this report on the full slate of events:

“Our class was well represented at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony during Homecoming weekend. Rob Calhoun, Tom Halsey, and I were there to honor Phil Calhoun ’62 who was being inducted as the initial coach of the crew team and for his many other contributions to Wes over the years. Phil led the men’s crew to its first New England championship and the finals of the Dad Vail Regatta, the national championship back then, in 1967. In addition, Phil’s crews were victorious in four of the first five Little Three championships. If that was not enough, Phil also served as secretary of the University. Also honoring Phil were Vin Broderick ’75, Dave Siegel ’71, Larry Green ’74, Brian Mahoney ’73, and Nancy Collins ’74. Four members of the 1967 New England championship crew—the founders of Wesleyan crew—rounded out the Calhoun contingent (Bob Svensk ’68, Harrison Knight ’68, John Lipsky ’68, and Wallace Murfit ’68).

“At the next table was Joe Summa ’71, who, at long last, was being honored as the best point guard in Wesleyan history. Joining Joe were Bill Donovan, Jim Akin, and Jock Burns from our class and Frank Leone ’71. Also in the house were Peter Hicks and Mike McKenna ’73.  

“The 1978 women’s crew team that won the 1978 Dad Vail Regatta was honored as well. Introducing the crew was their coach, Pat Callahan ’71. Sitting with them was Adrienne Bentman ’74.

“Everyone looked fabulous, was full of life, told unbelievable stories, and when required, delivered inspiring speeches. There was something very special about being with all these wonderful people. The pains of the world seemed very far away that night.

“Speaking of Nancy Collins and Adrienne Bentman, they were joined by Ann Williams ’75 for the christening of a new women’s crew shell, the Spirit of ’74. It was a terrific event honoring these exceptional women and their coach, Brian Dawe ’70. While there, we celebrated the crews of the past and the NCAA Division III silver-medal-winning 2024 women’s crew and the gold-medal-winning 2024 men’s crew.  Hats off to the women’s crew coach, Pat Tynan, and Phil Carney, the head coach of the men’s crew.”  

Mitch Willey and his wife, Emily, introduced by former Wesleyan dean David Adamany, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary hosted by their daughter and son-in-law, Leah Willey ’03 and Seth Chokel ’03, in Charlottesville, Virginia, and co-hosted by daughter and son-in-law, Anna and Miles from Los Angeles. They were surrounded by their grandchildren and many members of their original wedding party, including 12 family members, Wesleyan friends, and others from around the country. After 20 years of practicing international corporate law, Mitch transitioned into the luxury hospitality industry, was the founder of Time and Place (a precursor to Airbnb) and was owner of the iconic Clifton Inn, a Relais et Châteaux hotel and restaurant. Mitch considers himself lucky to have been able to indulge his passion, undertaking the restoration of 89 historic private luxury residences on three continents over the last 47 years. Following her career as an executive in the aerospace and defense group of Honeywell, Emily transitioned into family mediation and yoga instructor in her retirement.

Steve Scheibe reports he is in good health, still doing a bit of consulting, and, as usual, just returned from Brazil. He is also playing pickleball and enjoying Encinitas.

John Manchester, while awaiting the next inspiration from his muse, has been playing a lot of Bach on the piano. After auditioning with an iPhone video of him playing a piece, John is starting lessons with a local pianist who studied with Claudio Arrau. “One of the premier pianists of the20th century,” John reminds those who need it. (Not I! I once heard Arrau in person!)

Bonnie Krueger spends half the year in Truro, Massachusetts, on the outer Cape. It’s a good place to receive visitors, including the family and her grandson, Oren, now five and a half. She published a New Cambridge to Medieval Romance in 2023 and is completing a monograph, Fictions of Conduct in Late Medieval France. But she’s happily distracted by a platter of oysters, a Portuguese fish stew, a swim, or a sunset. . . . Come visit!

Dr. Peter J. (“Jaigunda”) Clark was recently promoted to associate professor at the UCL School of Management in London.  His latest book (in progress) is Acquirer Success Program: Masterminding Mergers in the Era of Buyer Primacy. And his grandson, Bryce Caulfield, plays tight end for the Oregon State Beavers.

SETH A. DAVIS | sethdavis@post.harvard.edu

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