Author: classnotes

Thankfully, I don’t have to report two consecutive months of no word from classmates.

Thanks to Jim Shepard for letting us know he survived the earliest flooding disasters that struck California. Obviously, I’m sure we all hope his good fortune carried through the remainder of the extraordinary downpours to date.

I continue to acclimate to the Maryland weather and almost found it a pleasant experience to witness snow for the first time in more than 20 years, even if it were only a dusting. I’m still waiting for the warmer weather to test my knees and bike the local area. I appreciate there are two friends in this area with whom I biked when they were in Florida. It will be interesting.

As always, my very best wishes for good health and happiness to you and your loved ones.

Dave Walden sent in this note from Ontario: “I have been retired (since 1997) from my position (faculty, Plant Sciences) at the University of Western Ontario (UWO), London, Ontario, now named Western University. I earned my MSc and PhD in genetics at Cornell University, joining UWO in 1961, after a two-year, postdoctoral fellowship at Indiana University, Department of Genetics. Retirement was required at age 65 in Ontario.” Dave also said that he is enjoying retirement activities and is well.

Bob Carey has retired from being your class scribe. We thank Bob for his many years of dedication and to keeping the Class of ’54 connected to each other and to Wesleyan. If any classmate would like to become the new Class Secretary, please send an email to classnotes@wesleyan.edu.

Robert Hoage Carrier, 90, passed away December 27, 2021, in Rochester, New York. He was a graduate of the University of Rochester Medical School and became chief of orthopedic surgery at Rochester General Hospital. On campus he was the leading golf member and continued the sport throughout life. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Myra, five children, 16 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by two sons.

My apologies for the belated report and condolences, caused by my misunderstanding of whom would report.

The older we get, the harder it is to receive class notes, but please respond with news for the next issue.

Ron Daniel just turned 93 and still goes to the office and gym two to three times a week but is not sure how long he can keep it up. Onward!!

My next milestone is 92 and still working full time, going to the gym three to four times a week, ballroom dancing two times a week, and occasionally hit tennis balls with son-in-law Samuel Bender ’82, MD. Granddaughter Maddie Bender—daughter of Sam and Ellen (Friedman) Bender ’82—a graduate of Yale 2021, with a master’s in public health from Yale 2022, is going to Sierra Leone in May for two weeks as an intern with Nicholas Kristof, American journalist, political commentator, and the op-ed columnist for The New York Times, who is a regular CNN contributor and winner of two Pulitzer Prizes. She was awarded this honor in March 2020 but the trip was delayed because of COVID.

PLEASE WRITE!

Just three responses since the fall when I last asked. We have all slowed down but what seems boring to you just might be of interest to the rest of us. I really like to have some “news” to share.

Now the “news.” From Richard (Dick) De Gennaro, “I am still alive at age 97. That’s my news.” You may remember that Dick and his brother George were members of Alpha Chi Rho. George had been in the service and Dick had studied in France prior to coming to Wesleyan.

Boardman “Barney” Kathan writes, “The only thing that I would add to the class notes is that after five years I have created an endowed scholarship fund at Yale Divinity School to help students with their tuition costs. I agreed to do this back in 2018, and I was received into a special donors’ group in a special dinner at the school in the fall. I had graduated from YDS in 1956.”

Charlie Selig, always the reliable correspondent writes, “All OK here at Boca West, Boca Raton, Florida. I had to stop tennis this year, but swim regularly and work out a number of times each week. Lots of bridge and social life keep me busy. Nothing like Florida weather . . . return to New York for four months in June. Enjoyed NFL season with my Giants finally hiring the coach and GM needed for future growth. Best to all Wes friends.”

Some of you may not have heard about the passing of Frank G. Binswanger Jr. ’50, P’76, ’78, GP’13, ’15 on July 6, 2022. Last summer, President Roth wrote fondly of him, saying, “Frank graduated more than 70 years ago, but he remained keenly interested in alma mater. He was a trustee during the 1970s . . . and over the years, I would receive questions, advice, and encouragement from Frank.” Frank and his brother John ’54, P’83, GP’ 06, ’10, ’16 established the Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching, which is awarded every year at Commencement. Roth’s note concluded by saying, “Teaching, learning, philanthropy—Binswanger traditions. May Frank’s memory be a blessing.”

Bob Wylie shared: “A comment as to the age of graduates immediately following the war: As many were veterans, ages were in the mid-20s, which now reflects those in their late 90s. There are few of us left, indeed I know of only four. Fortunately, I have my memories of Wesleyan—the institution, the faculty, social life (even without girls), and my fellow students. They are all cherished.”

Since my last column, it has been very gratifying to me to receive the number of favorable comments from so many alumni. When you get to be probably the only member of the class, it’s better to receive information from outside its confines than to just sit and talk to yourself. I have no word from any individual from the class, the actual class of 1945, so I speak for all or none as you wish. As a result of the recent publicity I received in dealing with matters of the 10th Mountain Division and Camp Hale becoming a national monument, I can now tell you that the Denver NBC station is planning a documentary concerning the 10th Mountain’s influence on not just land and monuments but also the impact on the economy that the development of the ski industry in Colorado has bought. When the members of the 10th Mountain Division came back from Italy, numbers of them came back to Colorado and settled into building ski resorts. Such places as Vale, Copper, Arapaho, et al., were built by entrepreneurs who saw a need and filled it. Not only ski resorts but the entire ski industry—for instance, manufacturing new and better skis, improving boots, safety harnesses—all the gear associated with skiing came under their observation and development. As a consequence, Colorado has become famous for its ski offerings and famous in all areas of the ski industry from the planks people now ski on to the post-skiing fireside delights that the resorts offer.

I am proud of my association with the 10th Mountain Division, am happy in being part of all that it has offered and brought to Colorado, and am satisfied that out of all this will come some significant development of the old Camp Hale site. It was a pleasure for me to get to know two alumni senators, Michael Bennet ’87 and John Hickenlooper ’74.

As we used to say in parting, “Ski heil.”

Slán go fóill.