Author: Randi Alexandra Plake

Categories Class Notes | 1950sPosted on

CLASS OF 1950 | 2017 | ISSUE 2

I received the following messages from Bill Spanos and Cliff Milner:

Bill writes, “I recently became a professor emeritus of SUNY-Binghamton because of health reasons, but I continue to produce what I think is urgently needed scholarship about the benighted age we live in.”

Bill has published more than 20 books since graduating from Wesleyan. He writes, “For those who are not scholars in the humanities, I recommend my World War II memoir, In the Neighborhood of Zero (Nebraska University Press 2012), which tells the story of my witness as a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany to the Allied firebombing of Dresden, a memoir that might be usefully contrasted to my fellow regimental comrade Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Slaughterhouse Five.”

Hie is now writing an autobiographical account of his “errant education” tentatively entitled Thrown: Searching in the Void for an Intellectual Vocation.

Cliff writes, “From the new world traveler! Last fall I took a Viking Rhine and Danube River cruise and enjoyed it so much that next week I am going on a Prairie Home Companion cruise to Scotland and Norway. I’m a widower now (three years) and have been kidded by friends that I’ll probably come home with a blonde from Norway!”

BUD DORSEY | margiedorsey5@gmail.com
161 Shore Rush Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522 | 912/638-5616

Categories Class Notes | 1940sPosted on

CLASS OF 1945 | 2017 | ISSUE 2

There’s a saying here in Colorado that we have two seasons, July and winter, and we had winter beyond belief this year.

In mid-May, we had a walloping storm that they are still trying to clear up in the High Country. But at the same time, I got a warm letter from Donald Dunn in balmy Ohio. He’d been reminded of something that happened a long time ago, because he’d been at an event where they were discussing World War I. There were pictures, and one of Geraldine Farrar, which called to mind the fact that he had been an opera buff for years, partially because when he was in Italy with the 10th Mountain Division, as I was, he was wounded and during his convalescence he was assigned to Naples for a few months until they could figure out what to do with him. During that time, the Naples Opera Company reopened, and Donald went to see La Traviata—the first time ever that he had been to the opera. He said that it was a real treat. “And then came Carmen, Il Trovatore, Aida, The Barber of Seville and I’ve been an opera fan ever since,” he said.

Well, reminding him of that time was the reference to Geraldine Farrar, because when he got back to Wesleyan—about the same time I did—we both signed up for an opera course with George McManus. It was a dandy.

I’m going to quote part of Don’s letter, where he talks about that experience, because it’s really very warming. He was “mightily impressed with George McManus’s leadership. And one of the things that is unforgettable was that among our various assignments, we did go to the opera and one of them was The Marriage of Figaro. After that performance, George McManus got us to see the conductor, meet some of the cast, and on our way back to Middletown from New York, we stopped and had a visit with Geraldine Farrar. It was a memorable visit because she was quite a testy person. She was suffering a little from gout at the time and was very entertaining in her comments about how things had been in the old days about opera.” During the course of pursing operatic matters with George McManus, Donald and he became pretty good friends and they continued that friendship after the war.

The significant part of that visit was that the McManuses stopped on their way back to California for a few days’ visit with Donald and his wife. During that time, not only was there good conversation, but also George played for them. And Donald remembers that vividly, particularly Beethoven’s “Apassionata,” which was a remarkable treat.

Donald reminded me that we have three things in common:

One—10th Mountain Division in our combat experience; two—Wesleyan, before and after the war;  and three—that mutual love of opera. He got his in Italy; I was brought up on it because my mother was a soprano and insisted that I go to every opera that came to Smith College or to Mechanics Hall in Worcester.

It was a fine letter from Donald. I appreciate his long memory and his warm regards, and I intend to pursue our conversation a little further, once I get a computer back—and that’s another whole story I may be forced to tell you out there at some time in the future.

In the meantime, take care of yourselves. Don’t let Donald Dunn be the only correspondent with your secretary. And to all of you, slán go fóille.

FRANCIS W. LOVETT | lovettfrancis@gmail.com
805 Compassion Dr., Apt. 208, Windsor, CO 80550 | 907/460-9338

Categories Class Notes | 1930sPosted on

CLASS OF 1938 | 2017 | ISSUE 2

Hello to all fellow readers. Just wanted you to know that the graduates I check in with from the class of ’38 are down to two now. I am sure there are other gentlemen out there, but I have exhausted my options for finding them. Please— if you have, or know of, any news from someone I have missed, please do not hesitate to pass it along. My address is at the bottom of this column.

The news to report comes from my conversations with Curtis Smith and Art Kingsbury’s wife, Diane. First up, Curtis reports, for a person who is enjoying his 100th year, he’s doing pretty darn well. While he is still putting up with congestive heart failure, he stays mobile and enjoys his outings with his son, Phil, whom you might remember lives nearby. Curtis has continued with his singing and it clearly brings him joy. He has found a “small in number, but strong in voice” group that lives in his community. This makes it very convenient to get together and do something he has truly loved for many years. He has been blessed with visits from both of his daughters, who live on the West Coast. In the last issue you might remember we mentioned his daughter, Susanna, was dealing with some health issues. Curtis is glad to say she is back at work. They have some strong genes in their family. While we did discuss politics, Curtis is very respectful to the Wesleyan magazine and asked that we keep things brief. Rev. Smith has taught me a thing or two over the years. These times are challenging for me politically, and he gently reminds me to keep up the fight for the good of all humankind, putting my energies towards making a positive difference in this world. Thank you, Curtis, for reminding me and all those who read these words.

Apologies again are in order since I didn’t time it correctly to grab a moment with Art. Thankfully, Diane filled me in on the latest. Art’s 99th birthday was celebrated in April with four generations of family present! His sister, Mary, was also there to celebrate. It was a fun time and enjoyed by all. Art is now using newer technology with his phone that provides captions to his conversations. I am eager to chat with him next time. I know his hearing aids have frustrated him in the past and Diane says this technology has really helped out. Diane mentioned that Art still golfs and enjoys his walks. Right now they are getting through the hot weather and afternoon showers that are quite typical for this time of the year in Florida. Both she and Art wish everyone a very happy summer.

It is such a joy to share news from the fellows of the Class of ’38. Isn’t it amazing to think that 80 years ago, these men were enjoying their summer before their last year at Wesleyan began in the fall of ‘37? What a journey they have been on. I thank them for continuing to share it with us all.

Here’s to a happy summer, full of health and kindness for all.

GRACE BENNETT, daughter of the late Walter V. Bennett ’38
8104 39th Avenue, S.W., Seattle, WA 98136

Categories Obituaries | 1950-1959Posted on

CHARLES A. HOYT ’53

CHARLES A. HOYT, a professor of English literature, died June 19, 2017, at age 85. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and received his degree with honors and with distinction in musicology. He received an MAT from Wesleyan in 1955, and an MA and PhD from Columbia University. A specialist in the Romantic movement and Shakespeare, he was also interested in the study of the occult and was the author of a textbook on witchcraft. He was an accomplished jazz pianist. Among those who survive are five sons, including Samuel W. Hoyt ’99 and John T. Hoyt ’03; and eight grandchildren.

Categories Obituaries | FacultyPosted on

RICHARD P. WILBUR

RICHARD P. WILBUR, the eminent poet and former Olin Professor of English, died Oct. 14, 2017, at age 96. He joined the Wesleyan faculty in 1957 and taught until 1977. During his two decades at Wesleyan he received the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for Things of This World, was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and founded the renowned Wesleyan University Press poetry series. Wesleyan awarded him an honorary degree in 1977. During his long and distinguished career as a poet and translator, he was appointed as national poet laureate, received two Pulitzer Prizes, a National Medal of the Arts, two Guggenheim fellowships, the T.S. Eliot Award, and the Frost Medal, among others. He was known for his classical rhyme and meter, as well as for his translations of Molière, Racine, Baudelaire, and Joseph Brodsky. He also wrote most of the lyrics for Leonard Bernstein’s opera Candide. Born in New York City, he graduated from high school in Montclair, N.J., and received a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in 1942, before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He served in Africa, southern France, and Italy during World War II, an experience that he said led him to “versify in earnest.” After graduating from Harvard University with a master’s degree in 1947, he worked for many years as an English professor while continuing to write, translate, and publish. In 1961, he was named chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, a position he held for more than 30 years. His wife, Charlotte Ward Wilbur, died in 2007. Four children, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren survive.

Categories Obituaries | FacultyPosted on

KIT REED

KIT REED, 85, author and resident writer at Wesleyan, died Sept. 24, 2017. A graduate of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, she worked as a reporter for the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times and for the New Haven (Conn.) Register, where she twice was named New England Newspaperwoman of the Year. She moved to Middletown in 1960 when her husband, Joe Reed, professor of English and of American studies, emeritus, took a position at Wesleyan. In 1964 she became a visiting professor of English, then an adjunct professor of English in 1987, and resident writer in 2008. A former Guggenheim fellow, she was the first American recipient of an international literary grant from the Abraham Woursell Foundation. Her work has been nominated for the Locus Award, the Campbell Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the Tiptree Award; she was twice nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award. Instrumental in the construction of the Creative Writing Program, she helped to attract notable writers from across the country, both within the program and yearly at the Wesleyan Writers Conference. Many notable writers came through her care, and many remained lifelong friends. A prolific novelist and short-story writer, she wrote 39 books of fiction. She is known not only for her science fiction, but also for her fantasy writing and paranormal and mystery genres. Her last short story, “Disturbance in the Produce Aisle” was published in Asimov’s Magazine the month she died. In addition to her husband, Joe Reed, three children and their families survive.

Categories UncategorizedPosted on

FRED E. LINTON

FRED E. LINTON, 79, professor of mathematics, emeritus, died Sept. 2, 2017. He was born in Italy to parents who were escaping the Holocaust. After studying mathematics at Yale University, he received his PhD from Columbia University and then came directly to Wesleyan as an assistant professor in 1963. He became a full professor in 1972 and continued to teach mathematics at Wesleyan until his retirement in 2006. He supervised seven PhD students at Wesleyan, including one of the University’s first doctoral students. A highly respected mathematician whose area of research focused on category theory, he participated in many scientific conferences over the years and was known for his papers on functorial semantics. His other interests included international folk dancing, classical music, traveling, and Indian literature and philosophy. Among those who survive are his wife, Barbara Mikolajewska, with whom he published 12 volumes of the Polish translation of the Sanskrit epic poem, the Mahabharata.

Categories Obituaries | FacultyPosted on

DANIEL CHERUBIN

DANIEL CHERUBIN, Caleb T. Winchester University Librarian, died Sept. 13, 2017. He was 52. An alumnus of Bard College, he held an MS in library science from Columbia University and an MA in media studies from New School University. He came to Wesleyan in July 2016 after a nationwide search. He brought more than 20 years of experience in library and information services, most recently as chief librarian and associate dean at Hunter College in New York, where he oversaw four libraries. During his time at Wesleyan, he worked on initiatives to re-envision library spaces and to reorganize the library to meet the 21st century needs of students and faculty, as well as engaging people in person and via social media to heighten awareness about academic libraries and what they offer. He was a huge proponent of inclusiveness and diversity, and he enjoyed conversing with many students on Wesleyan’s campus to learn about their ideas and concerns, and how the library could help address them. Most recently, he published a chapter titled “Mentoring Across Boundaries and Across Borders: Looking Outside Your Comfort Zone (and Maybe Your Country!)” in the book Librarian As Mentor. Survivors include his mother, Margaret; his partner, Albert; his sister; and his brother.

Categories UncategorizedPosted on

DIANA L. HANFORD MALS’67

DIANA L. HANFORD, 77, a teacher and administrator, died July 5, 2017. She was a graduate of the University of Connecticut and received an MALS degree from Wesleyan in 1967. She worked at a number of schools, notably Westover in Middlebury, Conn., and the University of Connecticut at Avery Point, where she worked in the dean’s office from 1976 until her retirement. Involved with P.E.O. International, a philanthropic organization, she worked with women to celebrate, educate, and motivate them to achieve their highest aspirations. Her sister and many nieces and nephews survive.

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SAMUEL S. GREENE MALS’57

SAMUEL S. GREENE, the retired headmaster of Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, died Nov. 27, 2016, at age 89. He was the brother-in-law of John H. Blair of the class of 1937. A U.S. Army veteran, he received his bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in 1951. While teaching at the Mount Hermon School, where he also founded the summer school, he received an MALS from Wesleyan in 1957. In 1966 he was appointed headmaster of the Shady Side Academy. During his tenure coeducation was introduced. His first wife was Martha Payne Greene. Their five daughters survive, as do five grandchildren and his second wife, Phyllis Gansz Greene.