Class Notes | 1950s

You can imagine where Cyndy and I were on October 2. Wesleyan took over the whole Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York for a night like no other: Hamilton. To say that the almost-three-hour show is a tour de force is an immense understatement. It is an evening we will never forget.

I am sure we had some classmates in the audience, but the house was full at 1,350 fans. Saw Colin and Nancy Campbell fleetingly, and President Roth, but none of our lads. The show is a must see! Even Ben Brantley of the Times is stumped when he tries to find fault with the production.

A sizeable chunk was raised for Wesleyan, something close to $1.5 million, I think. The cheers for the show were so loud, I could not hear the exact figure. Take a bow, Barbara-Jan!!

The Greater Washington Society of CPA’s gave a significant award to our long-serving Class Agent, Bert Edwards. The award was for “Outstanding Service to the Profession.” Two things about it were particularly notable: It was the first of its kind ever given by the Society, and it was given to a “good cop” with 55 years in the profession. Well done, Bert!! Look out, bad guys!!!

Bob Chase reported having a good summer in Maine, during which he had dinner with Joe Mallory, Alan Brooks, and Tom McHugh and survived.

Bing Leverich picked up on the passing of Carl Schorske at 100. He was a seminal figure in many of our lives and one of those wonderful professors we had the privilege to know.

Walter Burnett reports that “2015 has been one of travel in the Pacific—Indonesia in the spring and Hawaii in the fall. Retirement is now a little over a year old and I am enjoying fewer responsibilities while dividing my time between the mountains of North Carolina and Atlanta, Ga.”

Sounds like a pretty comfortable arrangement!!

Skip Silloway and his wife, Molly, were last heard from heading for Santa Fe. Any sightings??

An under-reported election has taken place in Tiburon, Calif. Dave Eklund has run his first political campaign and has done so without benefit of political action committees. An active door-to-door effort has resulted in Dave having been elected to a four-year term on the Town of Tiburon Sewer Board. The photo (posted at classnotes.blogs.wesleyan.edu) shows Dave in full campaign mode. Congratulations, Dave! What’s next?

The second annual midcoast Maine reunion of ’59ers took place at the spectacular home of Joe Mallory and his wife, Wendy, in New Harbor, Maine, joined by Bob Chase and wife, Joan, Alan Brooks and Marie-Pier, and down from the North, Tom McHugh and Anne. There was much good conversation, reminiscing, wine, and hors d’oeuvres, followed by dinner at The Bradley Inn. Thanks again go to Joe for setting this up and for being such a good host. Same time next year?

Bob Hydeman writes: “Here is my overview. Sixty years ago the world centered around the Wesleyan campus, the Goodyear Tavern included! The toughest decision was where to go that week: Conn. College, Smith, or Holyoke?? Since then the world has become increasingly more complicated and global. What would we know without computers, cable, smart phones?? No wonder we called our time at Wesleyan ’the good old days.’”

On a sadder note, George Bryant died at the end of March. He was an extraordinary man, smart, immensely talented, and who devoted his life to the town of Provincetown, Mass.

Architect, builder, civil servant, historian, manager (at the age of 10 he took over running the meat department at the family store when the butcher was fired), Peace Corps volunteer, George earned his master’s at MIT and practiced architecture with a major firm. He decided to return to the Cape and Provincetown. “He became the local architectural historian, architectural consultant, public servant, wine buyer extraordinaire, all the while being radical, free-thinking, subversive, unreasonable, intolerant and conservative,” said his son Eric. Sounds like George’s time at Wes Tech was not wasted. We will miss him.

Hope I saw you all on the campus sometime this fall. Homecoming was Nov. 7th!

That’s it for this one

Skip Silloway | ssillow@gmail.com; 801-532-4311
John Spurdle | jspurdle@aol.com; 212-644-4858

Bill Barnes and his wife, Pat, met Rick Pank and his wife, Brenda, at the Music Shed at Tanglewood this summer. This means that Rick has been visiting Tanglewood for 50 years. Bill also had lunch with Bob Mansfield, who was about to embark on a week-long sailing cruise on a three-masted schooner operating out of Rockland, Maine. The passengers had to help with chores like the raising of the sails but, overall, it was a magnificent sail. Bill Barnes also reports that the Reverend Bill Krenz has completed a fascinating retirement project, the writing of a 260-page book that chronicles his 50-plus years as a Lutheran pastor. It is entitled Krenz’s Kairotic Chronicle. As for Bill and Pat Barnes, they happily accept invitations to care for grandchildren, now young teenagers. Bill has stopped skiing but still bikes. He also continues his lifelong musical avocation by playing viola in the Farmington Valley Symphony orchestra.

If you are concerned about Bill Richards, he is “still vertical.”

Ezra Amsterdam is still working full time at UC, Davis, School of Medicine and continues to play tennis.

Ron Nowek and his partner, Lynn Brecht, toured the Italian Riviera this summer. Ron warns about biking on cobblestones. He did so and suffered a painful hip injury.

Bart Bolton is absorbed with plans for next April.  He, Ed Kershner, Charley Denny, and I will meet for lunch or golf, whichever we are fit for.

Burr Edwards and spouse Pirkko are gearing up to leave Africa and resettle in Europe in time for Christmas.

Rather than retire, David Epstein is the founder and director of the new Jewish Museum of the American West. He is also entering his 25th year as managing editor of Western States Jewish History. 

In May 2015, Bill Caspary received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU.

John Corkran urges classmates to make their contributions to the Wesleyan Fund early. We did not reach the participation levels of past years and it seemed June 30 sneaked up on us. John is recovering from an injury caused by his dog. A son, Tim, was appointed acting head of the Capitol Day School in Frankfort, Ky.

A philosophical note from Randy Johnson laments the present and suggest that ours was the last class that believed in our parents’ value.

Bob Schoetz has recently encountered serious back/spine problems. He is somewhat better, but is negotiating a retirement settlement with Morgan Stanley. A report from the P-town gang: Art Geltzer remains involved with ophthalmology at Brown Medical School. He and Younghee will travel to Naples and Capri in October to study ancient Roman architecture. Mel Cote and his wife, Polly, rented a dune shack on the outer beach for a week to inspire their art careers. Polly admitted they were having difficulty with the rustic life and may not do it next summer. Art dined with Dennis Allee and his new companion, Anne. Dennis is doing pottery that is selling well in Provincetown and his winter home, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Kay and I flew to New England in late August to welcome our daughter and granddaughter as they completed their bike trip from Vancouver to Portland, Maine. On Sept. 26, we joined Paul “Shag” McAlaine and his wife, Sandy, at Yale Field for the 150th year of a Wesleyan-Yale baseball game. I decided this opportunity was better than waiting for the 200th year of competition. Paul thought we were the oldest former players, but there was an 88-year-old.

Thanks for the e-mails.

Cliff hordlow | Khordlow@gmail.com

Apt. 103, 4645 Winged foot court

Naples, FL 34112; 239/732-6821

Catching up with Sam Bergner, I learned that he is gradually unwinding his long-standing commercial real estate business, Laric Properties, which is based primarily in New Jersey. Through a combination of sales to various of his partners and outright sales in the open market, he is becoming more liquid (in financial jargon). I reminded him that given current paltry interest rates he might not realize the kinds of returns he has been used to seeing, and his response was a figurative brush of the hand and a comment that he is sleeping a lot more comfortably. I suppose that’s a high-grade worry, then.

Otherwise, Sam and wife Lynn have fourth-quarter trips planned: New Orleans and a cruise along Scandinavian waters­—a diverse pair of destinations and indicative of a kind of bucket list travel. I commented that my own bucket-list remains more modest and includes a visit to the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. I was last there as a pre-teen and I’ve heard rumors that several additional players have been elected to the Hall since that time.

Staying with sports for a while, Bob Sharlet and Mike Stein collaborated on a piece of Wes memorabilia centering on our late classmate Dick Griscom. Among Dick’s many contributions to campus life in our student days was his organization of the Wesleyan Lacrosse Club, predecessor to the University’s official team some years later. For the club team he recruited jocks regardless of experience. Dick was talented with the lacrosse stick, the others less so. Bob played on the club team and remembers Deke brothers Len Rhynus ’58 and our classmate, Dave Walker, who played along with Dick on the attack.

The club played two scrimmages—against Amherst and Deerfield School. Though the Wes bench was thin and most of the players not in shape, the club survived the Amherst JV, and then naively assumed the Deerfield young men could be taken easily. Dick scored the first two goals and Deerfield—New England prep champs that year—the next 18. Nevertheless, lacrosse was launched at Wesleyan.

Kudos to Hank Fulton on publication of his biography of Dr. John Moore by the University of Delaware Press. Note the review thereof in the “Just Published” section of the previous edition of Wesleyan, page 8. The column represent a nice piece of “ink.” I could not help but observe that his book is the thickest one appearing in the stack illustrative on the review page. Wishing Hank all the best, as his work gets out in the academic literary world.

John Chaplick writes: “In my retirement I’ve become a published author who has written three novels. Who knows, maybe some of our alumni might want to read some of these engaging books. The three are: Forbidden Chronicles of a Roman Centurion(an archaeological dig under the streets of London uncovers a Roman Centurion’s 2,000- year-old letter that provides evidence that the New Testament is a forgery); The Rivergrass Legacy (a Harvard University bookworm becomes the target of a vicious Colombian drug cartel when he discovers an international money-laundering plot in a South Florida tropical fish hatchery); and Bridge of the Paper Tiger (in a story that demonstrates the likelihood of a terrorist attack from within, a mild-mannered accountant teams up with a tough, maverick FBI agent in an attempt to thwart the efforts of a foreign coalition to blow up the Golden Gate Bridge).” They are all available on John’s website at EngagingBooksBlog.com—and breaking news: The Rivergrass Legacy received a first place award from the Florida Writers Association in their 2015 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition.

John Allison reports on an autumn lunch with Dick Clarke and his wife, Katie. The Clarkes are moving to Winchester, Va., to be near family. John adds that his youngest granddaughter married in August on John’s 80th birthday, and the celebration was enjoyed by all.

Art Typermass | AGType@msn.com

144 East Avenue, #302B, Norwalk, CT 06851 | 203/504-8942

Hi, fellow classmates,

George and I hope that you are planning, or at least considering, your return to campus for our Grand 60th Reunion on May 19–22, 2016. It will be great fun to join you there and to celebrate our survival and loyalty to Wesleyan. Bring your spouse.

Don Ritt has begun an important conversation on Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST). Please read his comments and mine that may be found in the online version of Class Notes: classnotes.blogs.wesleyan.edu/class-of-1956/

George kindly wrote this marvelous story of Chien family and country loyalty for our current column:

“Our family trip to China in July (2015) was not unlike the third act of an improbable, real-life show.

“If you remember my slide show at our 2011 Reunion, or my profile in the spring 2013 issue of Wesleyan, you might recognize in our 2009 trip a sort of first-act exposition. Our primary goals were to see a total eclipse from my birthplace, Shanghai, and to visit my father’s grave in Kunming. Well, our eclipse was rained out, and our local agents couldn’t find the grave. However, our guide, Jasmine Zheng-Behrens, found a documentarian who had included my father in his work-in-progress about the Burma Road, on which my father’s war-time task was to build and maintain bridges. He was killed while flying to inspect a bombed-out bridge he’d built. Professor Ge flew from his project location in Burma to dine with us in Kunming. He told us that my father was remembered and revered in Yunnan for his sacrifice and for the bridge, subsequently renamed for him, over the Lancang (Mekong) River. These revelations, in a word, eclipsed our disappointments.

“The second act came the following year when we returned to Yunnan for a ceremony of remembrance on the bridge on the 70th anniversary of my father’s death. This time our cohort included my brother, Alan Chien ’52, and members of his family. On the way to the ceremony we were shocked to learn that days earlier the bridge had been taken down! Our somber mood was tempered by the knowledge that our quest, recorded by Yunnan TV, would be shown nationwide and that the bridge was not demolished, but dismantled, to be rebuilt in another location, away from the flooding caused by a newly-built dam.

“In the fall of 2013 I learned that the Chang-kan Bridge had been relocated and reassembled. In 2014, eight family members signed up for our return tour: our children, Judith Chien ’84, David, and Paul; David’s wife, Cheryl, and daughter, Jeannette, now 14; nephews Chris Chien ’83 and Dan, and Dan’s wife, Becky. All three branches of our family were represented: Chris’s father is my brother Alan ’52. Dan’s was my brother Philip Chien ’53, sadly long deceased. For Dan and Becky, it would be not only their first trip to China but also their first out of the USA and their first commercial flights.

“All of our trips to China have encountered pre-departure obstacles. In 2009 it was bureaucratic objections to our visa applications and Ann’s ruptured ankle tendon, which had to be repaired six weeks prior to takeoff. In 2010 we put off a late, troubling health issue until after our return. This time it was tickets. The agent bungled our booking, misspelling our name—but not our credit-card number. We had 10 reservations but were billed for 20. MasterCard cancelled eight tickets, and when we pointed out that it should have been 10, they cancelled ten more, leaving us with two tickets for 10 passengers. After two months of wrangling, it was finally resolved, two weeks before our departure. I spent more time on the phone, each time with a different person, than I spent flying from Newark to Boston to Beijing. But all’s well that ends well; the flights proceeded without a hitch.

“From Beijing we flew to Kunming and drove to the Stone Forest, a natural geological wonder, a national park, and an International Heritage site. Its strangely shaped limestone pillars have stimulated imaginations over the ages. Ann and I delegated the exploring to the younger generations and took the less challenging walk.

“Next, the bridge, now set in a remote location on a tributary of the Lancang River. About one-and-a half football fields long, it was the first steel suspension bridge in China, built with components from the USA and carried to its original site by hand and foot over the Burma Road. The towers are newly poured concrete, but the superstructure, cables, supports, and platform are mostly original. It’s now a bridge to nowhere, really, intended only for pedestrians and inaccessible for motor traffic. Three free-standing marble slabs identify the bridge and tell its history. They are all in Chinese, of course, so we couldn’t read them. The Bridge proudly stands as a monument in what will probably become a park.

“On the bridge were the local historian, who presented us with a hand-drawn map showing the original location of the Bridge; TV crews from Yunnan and Shenzhen, 750 miles away; local reporters; Mr. Ge; and a representative of Yunlong County’s governor, who invited us to lunch at the governor’s residence. After exploring and photographing the bridge and its surroundings, we had our modest ceremony, bowed thrice to my father’s portrait, posed for group photos, and ate (without the governor). Lunch over, the historian walked me to our bus. I tried to thank him, but he wouldn’t have any of it, instead thanking me passionately for what my father had done 70 years before and for its impact on the region. Extraordinary!

“We were interviewed individually by both TV crews. By general consensus, Jeannette stole both shows.

“For the remainder of the trip we were tourists—a night in Dali, a day in Kunming, then back to Beijing. Call it the coda to our grand finale. We went to the Wild Wall, a partially restored section of the Great Wall. It was the fourth section of the Wall for Ann and me—we have only about 13,168 miles to go—but the first for Dan and Becky. On our last day we went to the Forbidden City, the 999-room imperial-palace complex. Ann fell in a cobblestone courtyard and partially tore a ligament in her left elbow. We waited until we were home to have it treated. This time, unlike 2009, she was in a cast after our trip, not before it. But now she’s as good as ever. Actually better.

“Oh, yes. My cousin in Chengdu saw a report of our trip on the Shanghai news.”

Bob Runyon | rrunyon@unomaha.edu

George Chien | gchien@optonline.net

Sad to let you know, we’ve lost another member of our class. On July 16, 2015, Hoyt Chapin passed away at his home in New London, N.H. Hoyt went on to the Columbia University School of Business in New York upon graduation from Wesleyan and began his career in home furnishings at both Bloomingdale’s and Dansk International Designs. The majority of his work life was in the retail sector as owner and president of the Pottery Barn, Inc., until his retirement. He was recognized and known for his forward thinking and creative entrepreneurial approach to good contemporary design at a great price. Hoyt retired to New London and Vero Beach, Fla., where, according to information received, he remained involved in several business adventures, including creation of two developments—Browns Hills and the Georges Mills Boat Club in Sunapee, N.H. An active member of the New London community, Hoyt served as a director of the Little Sunapee Protective Association, New London Hospital, and the Kearsage Council on Aging.

Note: Wesleyan was notified of Hoyt’s passing by his daughter, Deborah Chapin ’81 and I know I speak for all of us in offering our sincere condolences to her and her family.

Yours truly has logged 4,493 cycling miles as of Oct. 4, and with any luck, should reach the annual target of 5,000 miles by year end. I mention “luck,” as I had the misfortune of being guilty of committing a rookie error on Sept. 27, by my failure to consume sufficient liquid during an aggressive 31-mile ride. Completed the ride, loaded my bike back into the car, discussed where we were going to snack and then, while removing my cycling shoes as I sat on the bumper of my car, I passed out. When I came to, I was in an ambulance on my way to the nearest hospital (four miles away). Two of my riding companions joined me in the emergency room and watched as the ER nurse hooked up an IV and gave me a “lecture” on the need to drink while riding. Stayed overnight while the usual protocol was performed (CT scan, MRI, echo test, neurological evaluation, etc.) and was released. Hope to be back in the saddle in a day or two, once the soreness lessens and of course, plan on being a good “student” by consuming more fluids more often! Really felt pretty lucky I came away from the experience with four stitches and a few bruises. But, to be truthful, I was certainly embarrassed!!!

To all of you, I’d really appreciate a word or two to share with classmates if you have a moment. And, know my sincere best wishes for health and happiness are sent to you and your loved ones.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net

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

Many thanks to the 15 of my classmates who responded so promptly to my urgent request for news!…So, here’s what your e-mails told me (in reverse alphabetical order):

Marshall Umpleby continues to bravely fight AML with two chemo treatments. So far, so good, he says, with no serious side effects. Great!

Norm Stuessy has good news in the form of “nothing to report.”

Len Stolba says he passed the FAA Medicals due to (he says) genetics and clean living. Len’s continuing travels will take him to Venice and the Adriatic countries in March 2016.

Jules Schwaber is enjoying retirement after 50 years of medical practice, and he’s still teaching first-year medical students at Harvard Medical School. Jules would love to hear from any of us at jschwabe@bidmc.harvard.edu.

Newlyweds Bob Schnuer and Vickie Schnuer are set for their annual migration to Boca Raton, returning to Long Island in early May 2016. If you are anywhere near Boca, call Bob for a free lunch or dinner at 917/862-5141

Rod O’Connor’s granddaughter, Cameron Arkin ’17, is a junior at Wesleyan with a double major—neuroscience and art. Grandson, Morgan, a model, was featured on a Times Square billboard in July 2015. Rod missed our May 2014 Reunion because of an unexpected diagnosis of Stage 4 melanoma. New drugs have stabilized the condition, and Rod is back to a normal lifestyle (except for golf). Good luck, Rod!

Bob Montstream and bride Ami recently celebrated their 59th anniversary with the whole 14-member family going to Bermuda for a week of fun, snorkeling, pooling, and dining. Bob and Ami also traversed the Panama Canal and visited Costa Rica.

Jeff Lockhart and Donna traveled from Nantucket for weddings of two 25-year-old grandsons—the first in Lexington, Va., in July 2015, and the second in Maryland in September.

Charles Landesman and Arlyene sold their home in East Hampton, N.Y., and are now living full time in a small apartment on East 71st street in Manhattan. Their daughter, Jennifer, is a psychotherapist in Stamford, Conn., and their son in L.A. is a screenwriter and movie director (look for new film, Concussion, in December 2015).

Bud Johnson and Lynn returned from a mid-year Tauck Alps and Dolomites adventure—a “12 day, five-country tour through iconic or historical villages and mountain passes.” Every day they were “happily energized by cable car rides to mountaintops or visits 300 feet down to salt mines or military tunnels, to great homes or fantasyland castles.”

Bill Drury is enjoying his new digs In Nashua at Hunt Continuing Care Community. He says he loves New Hampshire, where it’s “live free or die.”

Art Dexter is staying pretty much at home these days as he struggles with kidney cancer, but “not much discomfort yet.”

Ed Dewey and Joyce continue to enjoy Big Canoe, Ga., a gated community with lots of recreation—fitness, swimming, golf, tennis, and hiking.

Chuck Davis and Mary Ann took a sternwheeler cruise on the Upper Mississippi last September. They are still in their house of 20 some years, and are “resisting the siren calls of local retirement communities who have us on their speed dials.”

Sad News: Hal White, a rabbi and Jewish chaplain at Georgetown for 50 years, passed away on Aug. 31st, 2015. He was a “charismatic presence” on campus many have reported, and Georgetown has established a chair in Rabbi White’s name. God bless and farewell, Hal. We’ll miss you…

So long for now, guys, and thanks for your input.

BOB CAREY | bobcarey@optonline.net

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

Jonathan H. Lovejoy passed away on April 5, 2015, at his home in Essex, Conn. Jon, a member of Sigma Nu and a history major, graduated from Yale Law School in 1956. In addition to the law practice, Jon served as judge of probate in the Town of Westbrook and was on the New Canaan zoning board. His outside interests revolved around water, boating, and music. A member of the Coast Guard Reserve, he was chairman of the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission and active in the Norwalk Seaport Association. His music interests included singing in the church choir with his wife and with the Middlesex Hospital Vocal Chords. He is survived by his three daughters and two granddaughters.

Over the years reports of the activities or the passing of many of the 53 (estimated) men who left campus during our four years have appeared in our Class Notes. Fortunately, some have maintained contact with the college. One of these was M. Harrison Clark Jr., who died on June 4, 2015. He was residing in Brooksville, Maine. Harrison left Wesleyan after his freshman year, and in 1953 earned a BS from Babson College. Early in his career he worked for Combustion Engineering. He spent the last 20-plus years of his career working for National Blank Book Company in Holyoke, Mass., which later became Dennison National and then Dennison. Harrison retired from Dennison National in 1988 and had 27 wonderful years of retirement. He is survived by his wife, Sallie, and their five children and spouses, M. Harrison Clark, III (Pamela) of Brewer; Dr. D. Christopher Clark (Linda) of New Hartford, N.Y.; D. Brooks Clark (Deborah) of Cheshire, Conn.; Margaret Clark of Marblehead, Mass.; and Sarah C. Baskin (William) of Glastonbury, Conn. He is also survived by 16 grandchildren, as well as, by his sister, Jean C. Eysenbach (John), of Brooksville, Maine.

In Seattle, Basil Anex reports that daily one-hour walks with his wife, Gretchen, maintain their healthy condition. Three of his five granddaughters are currently in college. His son is with the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, involved with nondisclosable activity that does include some analytical chemistry, my field of practice.

In six days, the wedding of the eldest of my two granddaughters will allow me a firsthand view of effects of the recent storms in Charleston, S.C.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com

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

Hal writes: It was good to be in touch again recently with Jim Wolpert. I believe the last time we saw each other was in 1953 at an Army base in Sendai, Japan. From there, Jim was assigned to the 724th Ordnance Battalion of the 24th Infantry Division in Korea, where he rose to be Battalion Sergeant Major. Those of you who served in the military know that rank is heady stuff! After the Army, Jim worked in the stock brokerage business with various firms his entire career, finally retiring last Labor Day. Unfortunately, Jim lost his wife, Florence, six years ago. He has now moved to a new apartment in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y.

I’m sure you have all experienced happenstance encounters during which a totally unexpected connection has been discovered. My latest one took place in Jackson, N.H., way up on the side of a mountain facing Mount Washington. It was at the current home of close friends and former neighbors of Joyce and mine in Glastonbury, Conn. We were there for their 50th anniversary. During the reception, I took up conversation with a man I had never seen before. One thing led to another and I learned that this man had grown up in Manchester, Conn. More conversation and I decided to tell him that I’d once recruited for Wesleyan at Manchester High. He then said that his brother had been recruited from that high school to play football at Wesleyan. I quickly asked, “What did you say your name was?” Response: “Al Schubert.” My reaction echoed across the Mount Washington Valley. “Roger Schubert’s brother? I can’t believe this!” And on and on about our late classmate, Roger, and his widow, Barbara. Small world!

The Al Chien family, without Al unfortunately, made another trip last summer to China, Al’s and his brothers’ birthplace and that of their Chien ancestors. They were able this time to view the newly reconstructed bridge their father/grandfather designed and supervised construction of over the Mekong (named Lancang in China) River as part of the Burma Road at the onset of the Japanese invasion of China in the late 1930s. Al’s father lost his life during one of the many bombings of the bridge and area by the Japanese. The bridge was recently reconstructed in another location as a museum piece because of its importance in the critical link it afforded both in the Burma Road as well as in the development of modern transportation in China. It was the first steel cable suspension vehicular bridge in China and became the model for many other bridges there. More details can be found in George Chien’s ’56 account in class notes.

Bill Wasch, our class president and class agent, reminds us that annual gifts to the Wesleyan Fund can and should be designated for the Class of 1952 Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Harold C. Buckingham Jr. | 

hcbuckingham@daypitney.com

400 Seabury Drive, Apt. 2114

Bloomfield, CT 06002

William K. Wasch | wkwash@gmail.com

150 Coleman Road Middletown, CT 06457

In every letter I write to classmates, I ask who they’ve seen or heard from. Bob Switzgable responded that he has been seeing Bill Churchill every summer on Cape Cod, where Bob lives himself. Bill now lives in Burlington, N.C.

I’ve been telling people about the 65th Reunion next spring and Bob said he plans to come along with King Berlew, who said that if all goes well in the meantime, he and his wife, Jeanne, would also be attending,

Bill Mitchell wrote from Hendersonville, N.C., that his health continued to be good and he continued to be quite active. Bill said he’d do his darnedest to make our 65th Reunion and he was hoping a lot of classmates make it. In the meantime, he’d try to get to a Wesleyan football game.

Bob Willet’s wife, Martha, wrote from Manhattan Beach, Calif., to report that Bob is living in a residential care facility, appropriately named “A Helping Hand.”

I’ve 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 our 65th but hoped we could get enough for a good turnout. “Tell my classmates I wish them good health and a good turnout,” Bob said.

Chuck Exley, writing from Florida, said he saw Matt Clark, Richard De Gennaro and his brother George DeGenaro fairly recently.

Jim McKeon’s wife, Betty, wrote from Danbury, Conn. where Jim was about to move to a residential facility, Maplewood of Danbury.

Bill Steele has also reached the handicapped stage but he still plays a mean game of ping pong and hikes with his wife. Temperamentally, she says, he remains gentle, kind, and funny.

I hope to hear from more of you.

DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com

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

Hi, guys! I’m Bud Dorsey, and I was just asked to be the new Class Secretary, so I guess you could say I’m “the new kid on the block.” My wife, Margie, and I moved from New York to St. Simons Island 21 years ago, and we love it here… nice climate, slower pace, friendly people. I am retired from the investment business and now do quite a bit of volunteer community and church work.

I had a nice conversation with Bob Birney, who preceded me as Class Secretary, and he had just returned from playing 18 holes of golf at the tender age of 90. Not bad, eh? After graduating from Wesleyan, Bob received a PhD in psychology from the University of Michigan and taught at Amherst College from 1954–1968, and then helped create Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass. He now lives in Williamsburg, Va.

We regret to report the death of Bill Anderson, who died on June 20, 2015. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, and co-captain of the golf team. We extend condolences to his family.

We also regret to inform you of the death of Peter Fernald. A brief account of his life and accomplishment follows: Distinguished Wesleyan alumnus and benefactor Peter Fernald died Sept. 25, 2015, at age 86. At Wesleyan, Peter was an Eclectic, fenced and played soccer. He was awarded the Thorndike Regional Scholarship, which forged his enduring desire to support financial aid at Wesleyan. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in English and extensive coursework in mathematics, Peter served in the U.S. Air Force. He then obtained an MA and MBA at Harvard and worked at Arthur D. Little. Peter was hired by the Chandler family, owners of the Los Angeles Times, to help them develop their affiliated businesses. He spent many years as the Times-Mirror Corp’s director of planning, overseeing strategic development and acquisitions. In 2009, Peter was interviewed and featured at length in the PBS documentary Inventing LA: the Chandlers and their Times, which highlighted the ways in which the growth of the Times-Mirror Company was tied to the development of modern Los Angeles. Peter never married, and he remained close to the Chandler family in his early retirement years, living in the hills of Pasadena, Calif.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend our 65th Reunion on Memorial Day weekend. Were any of you there? We would love to hear about it by phone, e-mail or “snail-mail.” (See addresses below.)

And, whether or not you were at the Reunion, if you are alive and kicking, we would like to hear from you…..where you are and what you are doing. So, keep in touch!

Bud Dorsey| margiedorsey5@gmail.com

161 Shore Rush Drive., St. Simons Island, GA, 31522 912/638-5616