Class Notes | 1950s

Greetings! I (Dick Cadigan) am pinch-hitting for Silloway and Spurdle this issue. Hope all are as well as possible as we navigate the mid-80s. Please give strong consideration to attending our 65th Reunion, May 24–26, 2024. Frankly, I never imagined I could be looking forward to going back to Wes at age 87!

Our 60th was great fun. We set a record with over 30 marching in the parade. I will urge the organizers of the upcoming event to schedule a nap time on Saturday afternoon!

Stephen Schleifer writes to us for the first time: “As this is the first time I’ve communicated something about myself since graduating, I wanted to share my post-Wesleyan career. After Middletown I received an MA from Stanford and PhD from the University of Wisconsin. Have led a nomadic life since then— Philadelphia (unhappy about the recent Eagles’ Super Bowl loss), Scottsdale (lived there four different times), Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and England (where I currently reside). Career in marketing/advertising including stints at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Chase Bank, Greyhound, Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising. Three children and one granddaughter. Have an English spouse . . . lived with her in the U.K. from 2002 to 2006, here permanently now. Sorry that three of my Sigma Chi roommates —Ned Churchill, Dave Mitchell, Gene Alessandroni—are no longer with us. Hello to my remaining classmates who remember me!”

Remembrance: Sad to relate that Dr. Charles T. “Tom” McHugh graduated to the Higher Life peacefully at home on December 14, 2022. He possessed a hearty laugh, good humor, and a knack for storytelling. He followed his father’s advice to “never spoil a good story by telling the whole truth.” An outstanding athlete, Tom played varsity soccer and ran field/track for three years at Wesleyan.

After medical school Tom spent 1965–1967 as the Peace Corps medical director in Tanzania. His career spanned medical administrative positions and working as a surgeon in public and private hospitals in Chicago. In 1987 he moved to Baileyville, Maine. He was the medical examiner in Washington County, the hospital district surgeon, and held leadership positions in numerous community service and professional organizations. He was the president of the Maine chapter of the American College of Surgeons. No matter where he was living, Dr. Tom had a private practice. He will be remembered and missed by numerous colleagues and patients.

Tom is survived by his lovely wife Anne, three children, numerous grandchildren, and brother John. His vitality was such that he was working two days a week before he was hospitalized in mid-November.

Weg Thomas will be attending his TCU granddaughter’s wedding in April in Fort Worth, Texas. Linda and Dick Cadigan will catch up with him over lunch. Weg is an award-winning photographer and poet. Connect with him on Facebook to see his regular postings of splendid photos captioned with thoughtful philosophical musings.

David Eklund has been traveling and keeping busy: “We went to Maui late January/February and were joined by our family from Colorado and Wyoming. Everyone enjoyed the warm weather, swimming, and watching the humpback whales from our lanai.

“While we have pretty much returned to all activities, we still wear our masks indoors and have therefore stayed well. A few movies have added to our pleasure in being out and about, as well as dinners with friends. I continue with my directorship on the Richardson Bay Sanitary District and also avidly follow the Boston Bruin games. Last October we visited our grandson in Buffalo, New York, on a sunny summery weekend and marveled again at the majesty of Niagara Falls.

“That’s the news from old 85.—David”

Ed. note: As we were going to press, we received the following news from Skip:

It is with great regret we must report the passing of John Spurdle on April 24. After Deerfield, John came to Wes, with several others from Deerfield and began quickly to make his mark. He joined Eclectic and was among a small group of men possibly interested in lacrosse, which became a club and then a serious team, with great results for both men and women. A force on our football team and a force for Wes for many years—in 1989, John received the Distinguished Alumnus Award, and in 2019, John received the Wesleyan University Service Award. He was a great character with a terrific sense of humor and was a leader in many ways. After graduating, John took on Harvard Business School and then enjoyed a successful 30-year career at Morgan Guaranty Trust. He worked with Morgan in London, where he became enamored of the London Library and became chair of the International Friends of the library. John was a quick man with a phrase, was always smiling, and will be missed by his classmates.

The responses were few, maybe good news. Bob Blubaugh had no news, at our age very welcome. Dan Woodhead had nothing to report, just awaiting the start of the MLB season.

Bob Furber expects to be on campus this May. He is planning on our reunion and a retirement party for Bill Herbst, the John Monroe Van Vleck Professor of Astronomy. He hopes Kate Lynch will alert him of the earliest opportunity to get a dorm room. After the reunion he plans to visit his father’s relatives in Maine.

Burr Edwards hopes to spend some time in NYC this summer as a teaching assistant for a financial-training institution (for which ageism does not seem to work).

Bart Bolton will be in Sarasota in April.

Neil Henry is still in Richmond. His pacemaker is working well and he made it to 85. He hopes to spend three weeks in Ocracoke this September. His daughter Betsy has a college-bound son and maybe Wesleyan.

It has been about a year since Bill Barnes lost his wife and he is adjusting to the changes. He stays active with the Rotary Club and his music. He has been a member of the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra for 35 years, playing the viola. His biggest thrill was playing at Carnegie Hall a few years ago. “Breathtaking to realize I was on the same stage as the world’s greatest musicians.”

Recently Kay and I drove to the East Coast and had lunch with Dick Goldman and a lady friend. We dined at the Sawgrass complex. Dick is wintering at Key Biscayne. Dick says that he is in contact with John Watson regularly.

Rick Pank is recovering from a stroke. I spoke to Brenda recently and Rick enjoys cards from well-wishers. Send to 33 Burchard Lane, Rowayton, CT 06853.

Tony Codding was expecting a half foot of wet snow in March. He did spend a week in Florida earlier in the winter. And he is finishing his fifth and last term as condo association president.

Regards,

Cliff

George Willauer writes that he’s on the steering committee of a start-up foundation, PARJE, or Public Art for Racial Justice Education. So far, the organization has mounted five public murals in southern Connecticut towns and sponsored numerous educational programs in their schools.

Mark Feldman refers to an interesting New York Times article about the upcoming Supreme Court decision re affirmative action, and its potential impact on the admissions process at colleges and universities. The article uses Wesleyan as a vehicle for its storyline, with some beautiful pictures. The link is www.nytimes.com/2023/01/15/us/affirmative-action-admissions-scotus.html.

A sad note is the passing of George Davies on February 9th. He and his twin brother Kent were great wrestlers, and it was exciting to watch them on the mat. I had forgotten that George was our class secretary for many years in the ’80s and ’90s. When input was on the low side, he would fill space with tales about his own family. You can read about his life well lived in the online Obituaries section. Condolences to Dusty and Katie.

Gordon Wilmot and Marilyn are still cleaning out her mother’s house. They’ve found 70 years of National Geographic magazines in the basement. That’s a lot of magazines! They’re getting to be experts at restoring cast-iron pots and pans using electrolysis and differentiating between sterling silver and silver plate.

I heard from Jim LaCrosse. He will be at Wesleyan this May for his grandson Will’s commencement exercises, marking four generations in a row to graduate from Wes. Jim was the second generation, joining us after an all-expenses-paid trip to Korea in the early ’50s, courtesy of Uncle Sam.

Our firstborn turned 60 in March, and he’s making noises about retiring. Those are two indicators that we’re getting old, if aches and pains aren’t enough. And our youngest has decided to relocate his family from Canada to the USA. We are their base of operations during the process. It’s novel to have a six-year-old running around the house.

If you would like to get my call for notes and updates before each issue of the magazine, send me your email address and I will update its database, which is different from the directory the University keeps of all alumni/ae.

Until next time, stay well. Bob

Walter Ebmeyer writes: “A short note to assure you I am still alive. Now living in an ‘old folks’ home in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside northwest Washington. Two wonderful children and six grands.” From our perspective, Walt, that’s not just news—it’s the best possible news.

More good news from Bob Bretscher: “I’m now in my very well-equipped retirement home at Presbyterian Village in Athens, Georgia. My phone number is unchanged. Naturally I miss sweet Ann. My warmest best to you all.”

Jim Gramentine puts a positive spin on not-so-great circumstances: “Was there a holiday season at the end of last year? I’m rather hazy about that but now, mid-February, I seem to be mostly out of the fog. The culprit was a rare E. coli infection in my left calf and knee. Two operations by different surgeons, with four incisions, quickly followed diagnosis. After a week in two hospitals and four in rehab, I talked my way into coming home. Since then, I have progressed from a wheelchair to a walker to a rollator. Still can’t walk, but that will come.” Jim and Ray have relocated from suburban Mequon to big-city Milwaukee—with a great view of Lake Michigan.

Overlapping reports from Dick Bauer and Jim Wagner.

From Dick: “I’ve been in touch with Jim Wagner, nudging him to contact my brother, Doug, who had just moved into Greenspring, a CCRC in Springfield, Virginia. Turns out they are near neighbors and have connected. Small world department.

“Recently I joined with one of our residents, a superb classical pianist, to do a concert in our main auditorium. I delved into the American Songbook, picked out nine songs on the theme of time, memory, and making the most of our twilight years. Among them were The Way We Were, Kisses Sweeter than Wine, and Here’s to Life. I can’t say it was Kennedy Center performance level, but the audience was great, and it was comforting to be able to make even a modest contribution to others’ flourishing.”

Now from Jim: “I finally met Doug Bauer. Doug just recently moved into the Greenspring senior living community here in Springfield, where my wife and I have lived the past three years.

“I recently gave part one of a talk on the history of weather forecasting to a group called the Science Forum here at Greenspring, one of over a hundred clubs and interest groups here. Part two is coming up at the end of March, where among other things, I will discuss chaos theory. This interesting subject, which explains why weather forecasts will never be perfect, was discovered by Ed Lorenz, one of my professors at MIT, while I was there studying meteorology after graduating from Wesleyan.

“On Valentine’s Day, my wife Betty and I participated in a wedding-vow-renewal ceremony along with several other couples who live here. After the ceremony, we were given a champagne and wedding-cake reception, followed by dancing, which all of us were still able to do (more or less)! Several of our children and grandchildren were also present and had lots of fun.”

John Foster writes: “Lila and I have been fortunate in many ways over our 60-plus years of marriage. The only unfortunate happening was the loss of our dear daughter at the age of 27 while traveling in Nepal. Perhaps the most fortunate was my averting a plunge into the depths of Alzheimer’s thanks to participating in a drug trial that overall had questionable benefits to most of my cohorts.

“We continue to be able to live in our home of 50-plus years in Marblehead. I am trying to stay fit enough to handle household chores by participating in an aqua exercise class at our excellent Y.

“We are again fortunate to have cultural opportunities nearby: a lecture series from a historic social club in next-door Salem; two small but worthy symphony orchestras are in the area. We recently heard an extraordinary and serendipitous concert with an outstanding young Japanese violinist who dazzled the audience in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

“Our best to you and all.”

Finally, from Bob Calvin: “I have been meaning to wish you a happy Chinese New Year of the Rabbit. Did you celebrate with moon cakes? I remember you used to take the ‘children’ into the city to see the parade and festivities. Jane and I visited some Chinese friends who recently moved here from Beijing for a delicious New Year’s meal of dumplings and exotic tea. Not much news at this end, which maybe is good.” 

To Bob: No moon cakes here. General Tso’s chicken and moo shu pork instead, with “the children,” their partners, and our one and only granddaughter, a UVM senior.

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.”