Author: Randi Alexandra Plake

I wrote these notes in early May, the time of Beltaine, the ancient Celtic festival that marks the beginning of summer and all matters of fertility. You are reading these notes in early-to-mid August, the time of Lughnassa, the ancient Celtic festival that marks the beginning of harvest and the dying of summer into winter. Both festivals were observed with great bonfires and rituals of purification that sought bountiful crops, fruitful livestock, ample harvests, and good health during the bitter months of a cold earth. Well, Beltaine has evolved into May Day, and its sacrifices remain—if, indeed, the custom does remain—only in the hanging of May baskets. When I was young, we children made May baskets of wallpaper samples, or small berry baskets, or nut cups, or whatever container we could decorate with colored tissue paper and violets or pansies. Dandelions with tightly braided stems made handsome handles hanging our creations, which we filled with homemade fudge or stuffed dates, or even Necco wafers, when desperate. Hanging the baskets came at dusk. Each of us had targets: grandmother, favorite aunt, cookie-baking neighbor, but I recall that a winsome girl was my keenest excitement. I hung the basket on her front doorknob, or set it carefully on the top step. Now ring the bell or give a solid knock, and wait, poised for flight. Custom decreed that the hanger run and the hangee chase, catch him, and bestow a rewarding kiss. That was dandy if pursuer ran speedily while pursued, well, loped, but when where to hang the basket was determined by parental decree, I was ever an Olympic sprinter. None of this has much to do with class notes, but I am reminded of some pre-WWII Wesleyan “festivals”: idiotic freshmen fraternity quests; stupidly dangerous “guttering”; frosh-soph flag scraps. All these relics of immaturity long gone, I hope. But one festival I remember with affection is the interfraternity song contest that made for non-lethal competition in which the Crow House choirboys regularly prevailed. The sing has likely faded away along with some of the fraternities. I hope not, for such a mellow tradition deserves to linger, along with the May baskets. Slán go fóill

FRANCIS W. LOVETT | lovettfrancis@gmail.com

805 Compassion Drive, Apt. 208, Windsor, CO 80550

970/460-9338

I received a very thick booklet of art work from Dave Richards, and very impressive art work it is. The subject matter is varied, ranging from private dwellings to churches to sailing vessels to landscapes and even to Christmas cards. All of it is in black and white, obviously copies of originals. The volume of work and its quality suggests that a good deal of Dave’s time is spent producing it.

In addition to his art work, Dave is apparently an author, as he states in his cover letter that he is “currently working on what will complete my Broadfield series of sea stories.” He has also written a collection of short stories, Pollen in the Wind, about families moving westward following our civil war years.

Dave lives in a retirement community, The Nottingham, in Jamesville, N.Y.

William C. Brooks | williamcbrooks@comcast.net

9 Willow Pond Rd., Amelia Island, FL 32034

I had a nice telephone conversation with Bill Ackerly, who called “out of the blue” after the April issue of Wesleyan. He was a Sigma Chi, pre-med, and became a psychiatrist. After living 50 years in Cambridge, Mass., his current address is in New Hampshire. He lives in his own home with solar heating, which is literally on the Appalachian Trail, so he has a lot of visitors. His wife, Frances, died five years ago. Bill has four children, one of whom, Susan Ackerly ’88, went to Wesleyan. Bill said he has reduced vision now, due to macular degeneration.

Bill visits periodically with classmate Dick (Crickets) Powell and wife Margaret, who live nearby at Kendal at Hanover, a retirement community in Hanover, N.H.

Frank Johnson wrote: “Dear Bud: I wanted to let you know that I enjoyed reading through the class notes in the Wesleyan issue I, 2016, and was able to recall not only classmates but fellow students from ’45 (Bud Lovett, who actually graduated, I would guess, in 1948) to ’55 (Stu Rapp, a classmate from Yale Divinity School, and for some years now a resident of Bethel, Conn., where I went to high school). In between those years are a number of others: Bill Brooks ’49 (fraternity brother, fellow track runner) and his late brother Hap ’48, with whom I worked at Downey House; from the track team Barney Kathan ’51 and Biff Shaw ’51; another runner, Ken Taylor ’52 (which reminds me of the fact that a group of UCC ministers—Hank Yordon ’49, Frank Johnson ’50, Barney Kathan ’51 and Ken Taylor ’52 all ran cross country for Wesleyan, I think for at least one season at the same time). And I want to mention a classmate, another of the runners: Bill Malamud, who, you reported, lives in LaSalle Village. You might tell him that my daughter’s across-the-street neighbor in Wellesley, Inge Reinhard, over 90, now lives at LaSalle, and we have visited her there with our daughter. With all good wishes, Frank.”

We received a handsome poster from David Black, a sculptor, who has been a professor of art at Ohio State University. Titled “Urban Sculpture,” it has a photo of David as well as a large-scale metal sculpture in red. Made of generous swirling lines, placed in the center of a central plaza walkway, the piece dwarfs the people who relax nearby or walk past and casts interesting shadows on the paved stone below. It’s a beautiful, truly impressive piece. The text is also in an Asian language, and the English version reads: “David Black terms his large-scale sculptures ‘proto-architecture’… a combining of architectural forms: columns, arch-like units, canopies, benches… with sculptural elements: imagery, a mix of stable forms with high energy, projecting movement. Black, in fact, began his college career as a physics major. His highly imaginative constructions are carefully engineered. He’s what the Russian constructivists called an ‘artist-engineer.’

“Black’s sculptural enclosures seem in flux as one walks in and under. Fresh images cut through banal urban settings with integrally designed walk-in, walk-under sculptures. Black has almost 40 now sited across the U.S., from Alaska to Tucson, San Francisco to Washington D.C. His sculptures soon evolve into ‘people places,’ a livable city’s invitation to pause and reflect. They are recognized for a special clarity and tridimensional vigor.”

Bud Dorsey | margiedorsey5@gmail.com

161 Shore Rush Drive., St. Simons Island, GA, 31522

912/638-5616

Bill Mitchell wrote from Henderson, N.C., that he continues to be quite active. Bill said he’d do his darnesdest to make the 65th Reunion and he was hoping a lot of classmates would, too.At any rate, he’d try to get to a Wes football game.

Bob Willet’s wife, Martha, wrote from Manhattan Beach, Calif., to report that Bob is living in a residential care facility.

I’d also heard from Jack Pfeiffer in Jonesboro, Ga.; Jack White in Wayzata, Minn.; and Bob Mack in Mexico, N.Y. Jack Pfeiffer lost his wife, Nancy, early in the year and he has moved to a senior citizen’s homestead. He would not be able to make it to our 65th but said, “Tell my classmates I wish them good health and a good turnout,” Bob said.

Our grand old row of college halls never looked more beautiful and the campus truly was fair and green the Saturday morning of our 65th Reunion. The first to show was Barney Kathan in his cardinal-red coat. He would lead us in the parade. Then came Bob Switzgable and his son, and Chris DeGraff and his wife, Sandra. Chris has made every Reunion I’ve made and then some. Bill Churchill was on time for the parade, as were Biff Shaw and his wife, Jean. Les Aroh had come from Kentucky with his wife, Janet, and Barney Kathan was there with his daughter.

I sat with Walter Cook at the WESeniors luncheon and he told of walking across campus early in our freshman year and coming face-to-face with President Victor Butterfield, whom he hadn’t met. The president astonished him by calling him by his first name and asking him how he was doing.

President Michael Roth ’78 gave us an upbeat report on where Wesleyan stands in the educational firmament—very high—and the Wesleyan Spirits sang the Alma Mater and the Fight Song, which ended with some vigorous clapping and the shout: “Go, Wes!”

The fitting climax to the day’s activities was an excellent roast beef dinner at the Usdan Campus Center. Chuck Exley served as host and spoke briefly, noting that the most welcome words in any speech were “and in conclusion.” Bill Churchill’s wife, Maggie, made us laugh by giving us a young person’s idea of what old people are like. Classmates not there were spoken of, and we understood it would be the last time we would get together as a class group.

“We wish the turnout could have been bigger,” said Biff, “but time is catching up.”

Our special thanks to Jenna Starr ’15 for the help she gave us before and during the event. We all loved the dear old college scenes. I’m sorry I had to leave early. It was a wonderful time to be at Wesleyan.

Others of our class who couldn’t join us were thinking of us. Dick Cashman sends his best wishes from Neenah, Wisc. He and his wife migrated there from Florida to be nearer to their family, which Dick said includes 22 great-grandchildren.

Bob Hammett had already committed to attending graduation ceremonies for two grandchildren.

Sandy Malcomson wrote that his appointment book is so filled with doctor’s appointments that there is little room or time for other activities. He sends his best wishes.

Charlie Selig wrote that he would be returning from Florida on May 17 and would have too much to do to get away soon after that. Charlie lost his wife in 2010 but found a “wonderful lady” to join in his very active life. “Say hello for me to everyone here,” he wrote.

DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com

100 Elena St., Apt. 618, Cranston, RI 02920-7620

Hal Buckingham writes: This has been a banner time for your co-scribes! We’ve heard from several classmates who have been silent for much too long.

First, there is Bill Evans. Bill, who left Wesleyan after our junior year to attend Hahnemann (now Drexel) Medical School and to pursue a career in medicine, elected to retire in 2010 from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., due to macular degeneration that has left him legally blind. He was a general internist in the division of internal medicine at various Mayo locations, including Rochester and Scottsdale, Ariz. His primary interests were in the divisions of emergency medicine and international medicine at the Rochester campus. Bill lives with his wife, Susan, in Zumbrota, outside Rochester.

Next, how long has it been since any of us have seen or heard from Frank LaBella? Probably 64 years or even longer, as Frank explains he was a “townie” and, being a bio-chem major, maintained a high profile in the labs, but low profile elsewhere on campus. After getting a BA and MA at Wesleyan, Frank got a PhD at Emory and, since 1958, has been professor (now emeritus) in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He continues his research in pharmacology and related areas this scribe considers extremely significant, but far over his head. Frank’s site is well worth reading. But here’s another amazing thing about Frank. He has been a polo player! Raised in Middletown and a Wesleyan grad playing polo? Frank wrote, ”Although my polo playing days are over, I can still mount a horse and strike the little white ball.” Compare this with the image of another hugely successful bio-chem academic classmate, Russ Doolittle, who as a freshman rode an old plow horse across the Boston Common shouting, “The British are coming.” (See 1952 in Wesleyan, 2015, issue 2.) Frank married Arlyne McDowell, also of Middletown, in 1952. They have two daughters and a son and live in Winnipeg.

Then, the following arrived from Dwight Herrmann: “Sorry I have been such a poor communicator over the years, but please know I am still alive and kicking, although not as vigorously as in ’52. I did play two sets of tennis this morning, and as long as my opponents hit the ball pretty close to me (very close), I play a passable game.” After Wesleyan, Dwight obtained a degree from RPI in 1960 and later became a licensed professional engineer. He worked as a PE for 23 years for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Public Works, representing the state with design professionals contracted for all kinds of projects, but mostly buildings. He retired in 2014. Dwight and Leslye have been married for 54 years, have four daughters (two are Wesleyan grads: “Little” Leslye Herrmann ’85 and Jane Herrmann ’90) and seven grandchildren. Dwight and Leslye remain in their longtime home in Lemoyne, a suburb of Harrisburg.

Another classmate who sired Wesleyan alumni is Dick Barth, Esq. And he did it in spades! Here is the list: Leanore ’84; Alex ’97, Esq. (who married Sarah Brodsky ’97, Wesleyan’s Scholar-Athlete of her class); and Michele ’91 (who married Charles Still ’90, Esq.). Among these, there are now 14 grandchildren, including Nick Petrillo ’14 (co-captain of Wesleyan Varsity Crew). Ever modest, Dick wrote, “Nothing new.” Not much!! Dick is the retired chairman and CEO of Ciba-Geigy Corp., a renowned developer, manufacturer and marketer of prescription medicines. Along the way, he served as a trustee or director of a number of institutions, including Wesleyan, New York Medical College, and the Bank of New York. You have to Google to get this information about Dick. All you can get from him is “nothing new.” His one shortcoming: He produced nary a swimmer, yet he was a standout swimmer at Wesleyan, as we all remember.

How about this from Bruce Munro, another one rarely seen on these pages? “Bettie and I moved to Ashby Ponds, a 62-plus retirement community (in Ashburn, Va., near D.C.) last November. Prior to that, we were in a 52-plus community for nine years. We moved to Virginia in 2000, after 35 years doing OB/GYN in New Jersey, since both our kids live here. I have Parkinson’s disease. The past year I’ve been hospitalized several times and spent time in rehabs for balance, gait, and infection problems. Getting old (87) ain’t easy, but the alternative is worse! Looking at those massive bills, I’m very happy with Medicare. Traveling and vacationing are memories of the past, unfortunately. Wish I had more pleasant news, but that’s the way it is.”

In “Can You Top This?” news from John R. Jakobson: “I am happy to say that my great good friend Ron Daniel and I, who met 67 years ago on the Wesleyan campus, still rejoice in our friendship, and this May 11th we will go to Augusta National Golf Club, where Ron is a member, to play golf. We are both active in business and philanthropy and fun!” When asked after May 11 how the game had gone, John replied, “As always, spectacular in all respects. Ron has won for 67 years. He is much better than I am, but we always have fun. Wesleyan’s greatest gift to me has been my friendship with Ron!”

Finally, Bill Wasch received the following e-mail from Bob Goodman, who has been a career educator and was the first headmaster of Trinity Episcopal High School in Richmond, Va.: “Will be having lunch with Zed David in about a week. We do this every spring around our two birthdays. Zed will be going back to Prague again soon to research and lecture, even though he officially retired from the Woodrow Wilson Center.” [The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in DC.]

Harold C. Buckingham Jr. | hcbuckingham@daypitney.com
400 Seabury Drive, Apt. 2114
Bloomfield, CT 06002

William K. Wasch | wkwasch@gmail.com

150 Coleman Road Middletown, CT 06457

A note from Jerry Patrick indicates, “Life goes quite well.” Indeed, it does! After sailing bareboat in the Virgin Islands in January, he expected to meet up with Cope Murray during a June trip east, followed by a September visit to France and Spain. He recently formed a writers group and has received good feedback on his short story collection Voices: and Other Stories, available from Amazon.

Belatedly, we received a report of the death of Philip T. Church on July 17, 2015. Phil was a math major, Phi Beta Kappa, a member of Sigma Chi and a four-year Argus staffer. He grew up on several Connecticut chicken farms and met his wife, Patricia, who survives, at Middletown High School. After an MA from Harvard and Ph.D. in mathematics from Michigan, he began a 43-year career on the Syracuse faculty. He lived in Fayetteville, N.Y.

Class Vice President Stephen May passed away March 31, 2016, at Georgetown University Hospital. Born in Rochester, N.Y., Steve was an American Culture major, a member of Alpha Chi Rho, captain of the basketball team, a three-year letterman in soccer and baseball, and active in other campus groups. He received an LLB from Georgetown University in 1961. He served as Rochester councilman and as mayor 1970–1973. After being active in New York state politics, he served as assistant secretary for Congressional Relations, HUD, until 1988. He pursued his long-life interest in American culture through writing and lecturing. His first marriage, at age 75, was to Kathryn, who survives.

Condolences of the class are extended to the wives and families of these classmates. For further details see obituaries at magazine.wesleyan.edu.

Finally, sadly I report the passing of my wife of 43 years, Mary Ruth, April 8, 2016, after a week in a nursing home. She leaves behind a large family, including 19 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com

306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 918/335-0081

Gentlemen: Thanks for your news bites. Hope all is well as we hit our 84th year!

Ken Davenny and wife Kris were off to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival earlier this year, to be followed by a trip through the Panama Canal later. Both are involved in various community activities, and have become “Kindle’s biggest supporters.”

Ed Dewey and Joyce have been in Big Canoe, Ga., for 19 years and still love it. They visit the fitness center frequently, and are very active in the Episcopal Church in nearby Jasper.

Bill Drury is into his second year at Hunt Life-Care Community and “couldn’t be happier,” saying, also, that “moving here was the second best decision I’ve ever made.” Al Flynn and Emi are enjoying their third year at the Deerfield Retirement Community. Their daughter, Sarah, has two children: the girl, Meiko, is a freshman at Stanford, and the boy, Koji, is a junior at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. Al and Emi’s son, Alan, lives in Charlotte and has three children: Jessica, Lindsay and Matthew.

Terry Hatter had four graduations to attend last May, including a granddaughter from Claremont McKenna. a niece from high school and going to SUNY Purchase, another niece from Mt. Sinai Medical School, and a nephew receiving his master’s at Harvard. A well-educated family, indeed.

Dave Hodgin is keeping busy with work (Pathfinder Consulting), and was recently honored as this year’s Scott’s Valley Man of the Year, for community service. And… Dave was in Quito, Ecuador, for four weeks this past June.

Jeff Lockhart and Donna attended a granddaughter’s graduation from George Washington University, held on the Mall in D.C.

George Ray and Pree attended the Wesleyan Night performance of Hamilton, thanks to daughter Sid Ray ’88, who is professor of English and professor of women’s and gender studies at Pace University, where she has taught for 20 years.

Bob Schnuer attended the Wesleyan graduation ceremonies to see his grandniece, Alyssa Glanzer ’16, graduate with a 3.8 grade point average! Bob and bride Vickie migrated back to New York from Florida last May 16th, which enabled them to be present on June 18th for the marriage of granddaughter Diana Hartman to Alex Lamberti.

Lenny Stolba was in Venice on May 13th to celebrate his 84th birthday.

Norm Stuessy and Ruth celebrated 63 years of marriage this past June 20th. They have five children and nine grandchildren, and live in a three-story townhouse in Haddonfield, N.J. Three mornings each week Norm and Ruth go through their paces at LAFitness. They no longer do much traveling because Norm prefers to avoid long-distance driving and “the hassle of flying.”

And now, Classmates, some tough news from Marshall Umpleby, who writes that “life has radically changed for me. On Feb. 8th, my oncologist took me off chemicals because they were not working for me. She said, “There is nothing more I can do for you. You have two weeks to two months to live…” Marshall has AML (acute myeloid leukemia), the hardest leukemia to treat. BUT, Marshall sent me this news on May 6th (three months later!), saying he’s still leading a pretty normal life and going to plays and films. He just can’t take long trips since he has a hospital appointment every Monday and Thursday. Marshall, we are all rooting and praying for you!!

Now, Classmates, we have news of three losses. Corky Chase passed away on Feb. 5th. Art Dexter left us on Jan. 25th, leaving his wife, Joyce, and children Meg and Mark Dexter, two stepchildren, and six grandchildren. Dr. Richard Marshall has also left us, on Feb. 6th.

Meantime, your Scribe, Bob Carey, and wife Libby, were in London in March for the 50th birthday of Libby’s son, Jack, celebrated in the Tower Of London; in Cincinnati in April for the college graduation of grandson Sean Carey; in Indiana in May to visit Libby’s hometown of Connersville; at Arlington National Cemetery in May for a military burial of an old friend; and back to London in June for graduations of granddaughters from high school and eighth grade (ASL).

All the best to all of you, and (as a close friend of 96 years says) “Stay healthy and be happy…!”

BOB CAREY | bobcarey@optonline.net

618 W. Lyon Farm Dr., Greenwich, CT 06831 | 203/532-1745

Received a wonderful note from Jim Shepard, reminding me that there are other sports that attract classmates. The details are fascinating and worth quoting verbatim: “I took intramural golf at Wesleyan the spring of my senior year after acceptance for medical school. That summer I played a couple of rounds in Monterey, where I worked as a dishwasher on the Wharf. Then I didn’t play until 25 years later when I asked my older daughter if I could join her on the M.V. links on the side of Mt. Tamalpais. Several years later she invited me to meet her in Scotland to play golf on a little island. Fortunately, the B&B owner was an avid golfer, so he took us out each day. When we finished the first round he suggested another round. I had been on call 72 straight hours before leaving for Scotland, so my daughter quickly realized the only thing better than more golf. ‘How about a pint?’ she asked. On the way home I stopped in Chicago for a free round of golf, courtesy of a Chicago policeman whose life I saved on a tour trip to Egypt.” Adding to the golf story, Jim recalled that- “Golf saved my life 15 or 29 years ago, when I went to a nephrology meeting in Aspen. The meeting started at 7 a.m., then had a break from noon until 5 p.m. followed by evening meetings. The leader tried to convince me to go mountain biking during the break. I had just started playing golf, so I did that instead. At the evening meeting the leader said, ‘I know the doc who went over his handlebars, broke both arms, but how bad was his head injury?’ Thanks to golf, it wasn’t me.”

Seems as if I mixed up Jim Wright and John Wright ’54 in a note in the previous Class Notes. Thanks to word from JACK Wright, let me set the record correctly. Jack politely reminded me that we had another John Wright at Wes but he was a year ahead of us. Jack included a photo of Al Hobson in his note and related they were both classmates at Loomis as well as Wesleyan. They remain in touch with each other and, as Jack claimed, “We both now look even older.”

On the home front, Marianne and I have moved from Boynton Beach to Delray Beach, Fla., a few weeks ago. Still unpacking boxes (not many left) and wondering how and why we managed to accumulate so many unnecessary things over the past 15 years. The move should work out well for both of us and, as I’ve told my cycling buddies here, I’m even closer to the starting points of many of our weekly rides! In addition, we are closer to several of our friends. As for biking, as of today (May 17) I have logged 2,020 miles and with decent weather and continued good health, I look forward to reaching the annual goal of 5,000 miles. By the way, I did celebrate my 83rd birthday by riding an 83-mile jaunt with three good cycling friends. And yes, we did the ride all in one day!!!

As always, my very best wishes to you and your loved ones in the days ahead. And, should you find the time to drop a note this way, know it would be greatly appreciated.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net

27A Stratford Ln. W., Boynton Beach, FL 33436; 561/654-3711

Can you believe it? Sixty years! We’ve had Ike, Jack, Lyndon, Dick, Gerald, Jimmy, Ron, George, Bill, W., and Barry since we left those ivied walls and storied halls. Yet 22 of us, most accompanied by spouses, managed to make it back to Middletown for our 60th Reunion in May. Not too shabby. Don Ritt and Fred Boynton both came from La Jolla, Calif., where they never see each other. Getting them together in Middletown was rather special. Also from the Golden State was Jim Hartnett. Out from the heartland came Bob Runyon (Nebraska) and Tom Plimpton (Indiana). Larry Labrie (North Carolina) was our southernmost reuner; Gary Miller (Maine) our northernmost one. Sandy Mendelson (Maryland) and Jim Wagner (Virginia) ventured north from the Capital District. Max Roesler and Walt Ebmeyer (Pennsylvania) and Al Grosman and George Chien (New Jersey) represented the Mid-Atlantics. The rest were from Massachusetts (Harry Barr, Dick Boyden, Bill Horrocks, and Jay Jenkins) and the home state, Connecticut (Phil Crombie, Al Haas, Andy Mason, Dave Thompson, and Phil Trager).

For this observer, it was a grand weekend with highlights galore. Examples:

• Parking in the Usdan lot without a placard. We were waved right in and told to ignore the 15-minute limit. If that doesn’t say “Welcome back,” I don’t know what does. (My placard reached our mailbox in New Jersey about the same time we hit Middletown.)

• Peeking at the full moon through Van Vleck’s giant ’scope and showing Bill Herbst, who led Wesleyan’s eclipse tour in 1999, pictures from our six subsequent totals. (And learning there from Bill Horrocks about his distinguished ancestor, Jeremiah Horrocks (1618–1641), a pioneer of English astronomy. Look him up!)

• Telling tales about the good old days to members of the music and art faculties—as if they don’t hear the same stories every spring!

• Being whisked around the campus in all sorts of conveyances.

• Sitting in on the gamelan workshop. Our daughter, Judith Chien ’84, played in it as an undergrad, and we had just seen one in Indonesia. We declined to participate when we were told that we would have to lose our shoes (not a problem) and sit cross-legged (big problem). Incidentally, we skipped the WESeniors luncheon for the gamelan. Heard that President Roth’s talk was spot on.

• Viewing Phil Trager’s latest photography project and hearing him tell about it.

• Don Ritt leading an impromptu “Gimme a W…” cheer in Usdan’s Marketplace.

• Transporting Jim Wagner and his wife, Betty, to and from the far reaches of the Wesleyan empire, a hotel in Wethersfield. Unfortunately, neither of us signed up in time to get dorm rooms.

• Walking through the Lodge, courtesy of a band of alien invaders. Actually they were Alpha Delt alums who were temporarily domiciled at the former Chi Psi residence because there was no room for them in the inn (i.e. the Alpha Delt house). Remarkably, none of these alien creatures had green skin or two heads. They looked astonishingly just like real people!

• Hanging with Don Ritt.

• Wondering just how long it would take to wipe off the 3000 or so wet folding chairs set up on Andrus Field for Sunday’s Commencement.

• A delicious dinner, followed by heartfelt camaraderie and some serious and not-so-serious talk. Sandy Mendelson spoke about the remarkable developments in cardiology that have taken place over the course of his career. Don Ritt told how he got into gastroenterology (it took guts) and his current work in and urgent concern with palliative care. Bill Horrocks took us back to 1896, and how the 60 years before we graduated stack up against the 60 since. What will transpire over the next 60?

Thoughts about Reunion from Jim Wagner: “It was truly a great pleasure to participate in the 65th Reunion of the Class of 1956 and see so many classmates again. My wife, Betty, and I decided it was too much of a hassle to fight the traffic all the way from northern Virginia to Middletown, so we went via a combination of Greyhound and Peter Pan busses, taxis, and Uber. There is definitely something to be said for leaving the driving to someone else!

“Highlights for us were seeing both yet another and completely different fascinating exhibit of Phil Trager’s photography and senior thesis art projects by graduating students, hearing three other graduating seniors give oral presentations of their senior theses projects in the College of the Environment that sounded as good as many a master’s thesis at MIT, and seeing the 100th anniversary exhibit at the Van Vleck Observatory, complete with a peek at the moon through the 20-inch refractor telescope.

“With four independent adult children and four young grandchildren nearby, we stay happily involved. During the past five years since our 55th Reunion, we have enjoyed renewing our interest in art by taking classes at a local senior center. We also enjoy occasional concerts in the area, as well as an annual pilgrimage to the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, where one can hear quality performances not only of Bach but of other great composers.

“I still take weather observations in the back yard and continue to be active in church, keeping alive my interests in science, music, art and a faith-oriented life. My Wesleyan liberal arts education encouraged and helped develop all these interests. God willing, we hope to see you all at the 65th Reunion in 2021.”

And from Dick Boyden: “I was struck by the differences of the Wesleyan of our time and the Wesleyan of today, as I saw countless students with their heads bowed to a myriad of electronic devices.

“The Wesleyan of 60 years ago numbered 740 men. Most of us were in fraternities or eating clubs, where personal interaction was the norm. Our interaction of necessity was face-to-face with our peers and it was also the expectation. We did learn to go beyond our initial visual or quick impressions of our classmates that were often wrong. We matured to a greater understanding, affection and acceptance of our differences.

“Our classes were small, our struggling opinions were valued, and we grew in understanding, knowledge, and creative thinking, thanks to the fine group of faculty that President Butterfield had assembled. I was a history major but several courses outside of that realm—such as geology, music appreciation, and humanities—have lasted far longer and have been recalled much more often in my life. Most of us could say we had a place or places in the ‘sun’ of Wesleyan, areas where we shone within a particular organization, academic area, sport, fraternity or club.

“Over the intervening six decades I have learned that to nourish the special associations of our years has required caring and contact. When those are given by us ‘the fires do still more brightly glow.’ How fortunate we are to have gathered again to sing the old songs and renew friendships, casual and close, even though we might have had to sneak a quick peak at a name tag to remember a face or friend. Hoorah for the Red and the Black.”

On to 2021! We ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.

Addendum: The saddest news: Frank Avantaggio, our forever president, died Feb. 8, 2016, in Damariscotta, Maine. Reunions weren’t his thing, but the Class of 1956 was always close to his heart. We’ll miss you, Ollie.

Bob Runyon | rrunyon@unomaha.edu

George Chien | gchien@optonline.net

On the move are the Shepards, Bill and Lois, to a golf course home at Easton Club on Maryland’s eastern shore. Classmates are welcome to visit and share a glass of wine—or three glasses. Bill keeps his wine column for the French Wine Explorers website, and his writing—with e-books and now audible books. As for the latter, he has selected his work on his father’s WWI experience, titled Over There: A Doughboy in France, 1918. Granddaughter Christina Lipson received a graduate degree, an MS in computer technology from Carnegie Mellon.

Gordy Wilmot reports that he and wife, Marilyn, vacationed in the Bahamas at the Atlantis resort. They have made several trips to the Bahamas, and Atlantis is the most impressive place they’ve stayed at. Located on Paradise Island, it features waterparks (that’s plural), walkable sea parks and a world-class outdoor aquarium, just to name a few activity choices. The Wilmots have by now made their annual “pilgrimage” back to Rhode Island for the summer months.

Mark Feldman celebrated his 80th birthday last fall with family in Philadelphia. The occasion was highlighted by several dinners and visits to Constitution Hall and the Barnes Collection, known especially for its important assembly of French Impressionist paintings. Barnes welcomed its one millionth visitor at about the time Mark was there. Mark continues to teach foreign relations law at Georgetown. He also helped to organize a symposium on the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which he was involved in drafting. The law governs all relevant litigation in U.S. courts.

Mike Stein includes a special reminder for DKE brothers that our 2017 Reunion year also marks the 150th anniversary of the fraternity at Wes.

Allen Jay is as busy as ever, although he admits to losing some bounce in his step, due at least in some respect to hip replacements. He mentors international graduate students at San Diego State and as a bridge (cards, not overpasses) aficionado competes in the southern Cal tournament circuit. Along the way, he and wife Ricky enjoyed a Disney cruise up the West Coast and the two spend a good deal of time with two granddaughters.

Another ’57 author is George Davies, who published Cookin’ with the Old Coach in 2014. Cookin’ is particularly suited for the neophyte home chef, and Amazon reviews are highly favorable: some refer to recipes for Thanksgiving “feasts” and dishes such as sausage and egg casserole and peach pie. Sure sounds good to me. Oh, and the cover portrays George resplendent in his chef’s apron.

On a sad note, we have lost two classmates. Recently,

On the move are the Shepards, Bill and Lois, to a golf course home at Easton Club on Maryland’s eastern shore. Classmates are welcome to visit and share a glass of wine—or three glasses. Bill keeps his wine column for the French Wine Explorers website, and his writing—with e-books and now audible books. As for the latter, he has selected his work on his father’s WWI experience, titled Over There: A Doughboy in France, 1918. Granddaughter Christina Lipson received a graduate degree, an MS in computer technology from Carnegie Mellon.

Gordy Wilmot reports that he and wife, Marilyn, vacationed in the Bahamas at the Atlantis resort. They have made several trips to the Bahamas, and Atlantis is the most impressive place they’ve stayed at. Located on Paradise Island, it features waterparks (that’s plural), walkable sea parks and a world-class outdoor aquarium, just to name a few activity choices. The Wilmots have by now made their annual “pilgrimage” back to Rhode Island for the summer months.

Mark Feldman celebrated his 80th birthday last fall with family in Philadelphia. The occasion was highlighted by several dinners and visits to Constitution Hall and the Barnes Collection, known especially for its important assembly of French Impressionist paintings. Barnes welcomed its one millionth visitor at about the time Mark was there. Mark continues to teach foreign relations law at Georgetown. He also helped to organize a symposium on the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which he was involved in drafting. The law governs all relevant litigation in U.S. courts.

Mike Stein includes a special reminder for DKE brothers that our 2017 Reunion year also marks the 150th anniversary of the fraternity at Wes.

Allen Jay is as busy as ever, although he admits to losing some bounce in his step, due at least in some respect to hip replacements. He mentors international graduate students at San Diego State and as a bridge (cards, not overpasses) aficionado competes in the southern Cal tournament circuit. Along the way, he and wife Ricky enjoyed a Disney cruise up the West Coast and the two spend a good deal of time with two granddaughters.

Another ’57 author is George Davies, who published Cookin’ with the Old Coach in 2014. Cookin’ is particularly suited for the neophyte home chef, and Amazon reviews are highly favorable: some refer to recipes for Thanksgiving “feasts” and dishes such as sausage and egg casserole and peach pie. Sure sounds good to me. Oh, and the cover portrays George resplendent in his chef’s apron.

On a sad note, we have lost two classmates. Recently, John C. (Johnny) Allen died in April at his home in Woodruff, Wisc. Johnny had a successful career as an executive in the transportation industry. His true calling was music. We all remember him as a member of the Jibers at Wes, and through succeeding years he continued to perform and record albums. Survived by his wife, Judith, please accept condolences on behalf of ’57.

Art Largey passed away in May 2015. Art and family lived in Raynham, Mass., and he co-owned several businesses in nearby Brockton. Retiring in 1990, he turned his energies to a wide range of community charities and organizations. He founded Taunton Community Services in 1998. Art was 83.

Art Typermass | AGType@msn.com

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