Class Notes | 1960s

Dear Classmates, thank you for some very good responses to the recent request for news:

Fred Newschwander writes: “I am reluctantly realizing and accepting that my body is no longer young, so I am trying to adapt and maximize what it can still do. The downside: A spouse’s horseback injury and health issues led to mental health problems which led to an unwanted and untimely divorce. Therefore, at a time when I was working on my bucket list I no longer had anyone to play with. My friends say they are too old for the kind of activities I like to do. Those who are young enough still have jobs and on weekends are busy with family activities. The upside: The Bucket List check-off continues. I have completed a book of stories from my 38 years as a mixed-practice veterinarian. Last year I did a 10-day wilderness horseback tour of Iceland, riding 20-40 miles per day in the rain between wilderness huts. This summer I am returning to Botswana for a rerun of a horseback camera safari where we ride across the veldt between rustic tent campsites. Continuing a love first developed by choir director Richard Winslow at Wesleyan, free moments are filled by singing at nursing homes in an a capella octet. My horses have already worn out a set of horseshoes this spring.”

Tony Schuman has been appointed interim dean of the college of architecture design at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He observes: “At a time when a number of you are dialing it back a bit, I am dialing it up. The dean of my college retired last fall after 25 years on the job. I am not a candidate for the permanent position, but I agreed to steer the ship until the new chief is in place.”

Condolences to Paul Larson’s family. In a very fine obituary he is: “remembered for his compassion for others, his kindness, his spirit, and his generosity. His unconditional love for his family was always his first priority. He was quick-witted and always had a joke at-the-ready. He believed laughter was the remedy for all. He truly loved his country, Christmas, and the 4th of July, as well as boating and beach vacations in Maine. He also was a diehard Red Sox fan. He was a friend of Bill’s for 15 years, which brought him serenity and peace.  He firmly believed in giving back to one’s community. He served as a Darien youth sports coach, Holmes School PTA co-chair, and Darien Boat Club officer. Paul served on the Darien RTM and the Board of Education. He was a member of Darien Kiwanis Club, Darien Men’s Association, the Country Club of Darien, and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. After moving to Norwalk in 2004, Paul became an officer with the Norwalk Association of Silvermine Homeowners, a volunteer at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, and a member of the Norwalk Community Chorale.”

Paul was born May 22, 1943, in Bristol, Conn. As a Cardinal, he captained the track and cross country team and was a member of Kappa Nu. Paul received his MBA from Rochester and was a U.S. Naval Reserve supply officer aboard the U.S.S. Caloosahatchee, and retired as a Lieutenant Commander. He began his career as a securities analyst at Chase Investors Corp., was then an assistant vice president at the General Electric Pension Fund, and finally an equity analyst/portfolio manager with General Reinsurance.

Steve Flance writes that Gary and the Wombats provided some of that good old rock and roll for the New Mexico Children’s Foundation in April. The Jacob’s Robe Wombats continue to serve worthy causes and to amaze all of their grateful fans! For me, anyway, one of my greatest college memories!

Bob MacLean writes: “Just passed my 40th year as a professional ski instructor. Still flying and part-time flight instructor with an interest in an air charter business out of Palo Alto.

“Two years ago started a new business in the food world. We are introducing Yolá yogurt topping in grocery stores, competing with Reddi Wip out of a pressurized can, bringing a yogurt product to that category. Check us out  at yolawhip.com.

“Lots of travel, not unlike my life in high tech and medical devices from which I retired 12 years ago. Winter finds me in Colorado enjoying the outdoor life. Fall and spring in Baja, Mexico, and the rest of the year staying in touch with family and friends and challenging myself with an occasional golf game with Phil Russell, Pete Whiteley, and Lynn Edwards. Old roommate Ralph Jacobs remains a constant source of entertainment on and off the airwaves.”

Bertel Haarder spent his junior year at Wesleyan (1964-65) and credits his experience in Middletown as a positive influence in making policy as Danish minister for education and research for 15 years. He writes: “After more than 35 years in the Danish Parliament and 22 years as cabinet minister for ten different ministries, I’m now back in Parliament, running for a seat in the upcoming election. We have removed all age limits in the public administration so, my age—72— is no problem. I’m very engaged in European and Nordic cooperation. For seven years I was in the European Parliament, and recently I was president of the Nordic Council. In Denmark we note with satisfaction that the American president is not speaking for the American people nor his administration when he salutes Brexit and courts Marine le Pen. A century of warm and cold wars have taught Americans—I hope—to value European cooperation.”

Wolf Brueckmann writes: “This may be my first update for class notes in 50 years, but I have decided to follow the ‘better late than never’ precept. I am about to celebrate the first anniversary of my move to Luray, Va., from the Washington, D.C. area, where I spent most of my professional career since leaving Wesleyan. My work was centered around a variety of international economic and business themes, involving various roles such as association executive, lobbyist and university teacher.

“Luray lies in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, and I now enjoy both river and mountain ranges from close up. An added bonus is having Nick Anderson as a close neighbor. My special retirement treat is that I can devote time to oil painting, which I was able to do only intermittently on weekends in the past. I am proudly following the progress of my daughter Loni, who is going into her third year at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School (she just passed her Medical Board exams). I very much enjoyed seeing classmates at the 50th Reunion, which already seems a long time ago.”

Peter Kelman shared that he and his wife, Therese Mageau, moved to Northfield, Vt., shortly after Reunion, in hopes that it would be easier for his mother-in-law who has dementia. His son, Sam Kelman ’03, lives there with his wife and children.

Peter also wrote of his travels over the past 18 months. “10 days on an education-focused stay in Cuba; an eye-opening month in China (primarily to visit our daughter and her children who are living in Shanghai while our son-in-law works for Apple Computer, but we also spent two weeks on a private tour of ethnic minority villages in southern China); two weeks on the West Coast (including the Turner Classic Movie Festival in Hollywood) and Southwest (to visit Therese’s Mom, combined with some walking and bird-watching); a 20-day walking trek across England, and another month in Asia to visit our daughter and grandkids (this time also seeing Beijing, as well as parts of Vietnam, and Cambodia—all quite inspiring, especially in contrast to the ugliness of our country at this time).”

He’s also blogging about the election, President Trump, the Republicans, the Democrats, etc.—“stressing the positive as much as I felt it.” He says, at its peak, he had over 150 readers, but since leaving for China in mid-March, he hasn’t had the time or the inclination to continue. For those who may be curious, his “optimistic-progressive blog” can be found at morningpete.com.

Bertel, Bob, Steve, Tony, Fred, Wolf, and Peter: Many thanks for your thoughtful communications and warmest wishes!

Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu

Quotation from a friend of about our age: “I had always thought it would take much longer to get to be this old.”

This was part of an update I received from Duane Starr, but some of our classmates didn’t reach our age. I think mostly of Stephen Thuet, who was killed flying a combat mission over Vietnam. I’ve visited the Vietnam Memorial a number of times, never failing to spend a moment in front of his name etched in the black marble. I remember some of the controversy when the design of the memorial was first released. It’s a profound experience each time, recognizing heroes in a conflict that should never have been. The moment President Kennedy was killed, these heroes were sentenced to their fate.

Interestingly, in preparing my notes, I received sharing from Ron Young ’65 because of a mix-up in classes. In 1995, he attended a meeting of middle-aged anti-war activists and octogenarian former OSS (predecessor organization of the CIA) officers who had served with Ho Chi Minh’s Vietnamese forces fighting the Japanese occupation during the closing months of World War II. The American officers supported Ho’s appeal to President Truman urging U.S. support and recognition for Vietnam’s independence. Truman never replied. Instead, the U.S. financed the French war to recolonize Vietnam. It’s worth reflecting on how our country might be different today if we had recognized Vietnam’s independence in 1945, and initiated normal relations then, rather than 50 years later following our American war.

Chris Chase shared that wife Karen (a non-smoker) was discovered to have a small tumor in her right lung. The mid and lower lobes were removed in early December. Thankfully, neither chemo nor radiation was required. Recovery has been steady, and for this and other reasons, they’ve chosen to enter a retirement community in Hanover, N.H., earlier than planned. With tongue-in-cheek, they find downsizing fun. Chris completed his report with these words: “Still, the last couple of years have had their joys. We have been able to spend time with our now 6-year-old grandson. I have enjoyed reading what I want to and when, from dry treatises on wealth distribution (anyone else read Piketty?) to family documents in Italian, to poetry in Old French, having learned these languages in the last three years.”

Duane Starr and wife Nancy are still living in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Duane retired from Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Global Security Directorate in 2011 and does occasional work there as a “casual employee.” He puts together computer models of uranium enrichment cascades. His recent work included participation in an assessment of the Molecular Laser Isotope Separation (MLIS) for enriching the 235 isotope of uranium. When he removes his thinking cap, woodworking, hunting, fishing, and singing are his passions. Like others of our mid-70s age, a significant amount of time is spent in doctors’ offices.

Speaking of doctors, Dave Best retired, about three years ago, from a very rewarding practice of nephrology, with a sideline of biomedical ethics. He and his wife have been living at the same address in Virginia Beach, Va., for 41 years. They are building a home in Cape Haze, Fla., hoping to have it ready early next year.

In July 2016, Dan Davis, M.D., retired after 19 years with the FDA Division for Bone, Reproductive, and Urologic Drugs. It was a fine second career after 20 years in private practice in obstetrics and gynecology in western Massachusetts. He enjoys skiing, golf, and tennis, and has been doing some part-time consulting this year. His wife, Suzanne, is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and very busy with her church work. They travel more now and hope to see their three grandkids more often.

I wrote a book about my attending baseball fantasy camps in the 1980s, and I have Hollywood people looking at a possible movie. I became friends with many of the former players from the old Brooklyn Dodgers, and it has been a personal loss when many of them have passed. The amazing thing that happened for me was playing baseball at an incredible level in front of my heroes. In 1986, 16 Hall of Fame legends who coached the campers named me the most valuable player. I called my dad at that time, and his reply was priceless: “Now, you’re MVP?”

TED MANOS, M.D. | ted_manos@yahoo.com

Bill Roberts made a point to go and scout out the class of ’62’s Reunion to “get back into the Reunion planning mode” in preparation for our 55th next year, which will be as usual, over Memorial Day Weekend. He said it was both interesting with good class presentations, speakers, and fun. He talked with the class members of ’62 who’d organized their Reunion, as well as with their alumni office co-planners. We are now looking for eager volunteers to assist in planning our Reunion and welcome ideas of activities for the weekend. The game’s afoot! And it is not too early to go directly to your calendars and mark the date.

Fritz Henn wrote: “I am still reordering my life following my wife Suella’s death nearly two years ago. We were married 51 years. I have started a final clinical study on a new target we discovered which appears to play a major role in depression. We are using deep brain stimulation in intractable cases of depression with some, but not uniform, positive results. Nonetheless I decided to turn the study over to a group at Baylor and have retired from Mt. Sinai. My last psychiatric talk will be next week in Berlin” (where he actually was when I initially tried to call him; he could only talk briefly and in a whisper) “where I am on a jury and we will give a single investigator 4 million euros (Frensenius Foundation Award) in the hope of finding a major game changing approach to treating depression. Amazing process of selection international jury, remarkable proposals and a hopeful way to conclude my psychiatric research life.”

When I next talked to Fritz, he was back home and was well-satisfied with the recipient of the prize.  While he still lives in D.C., he’s bought a summer house on the eastern shore of Maryland and is hopeful to turn it into a ”summer camp” for his five grandchildren, ages 8-16.  All of them will gather there in June. Buying that house and fixing it up he says was part of the “reordering” mentioned above. As was his taking the two eldest kids to Africa—Numibia and Botswana—where they went to several game preserves and saw the big five as well as many, many other African animals. The three youngest have already picked the Galapagos when they get older and their turn comes.

One of Fritz’s sons, Steve ’91, and his wife, Emily ’91, both went to WESU. He bragged on Steve’s success with a new app he’s created, “60DB,” with which one can find and play any podcast, anytime, anywhere. Steve lives out in Menlo Park, Calif., and daughter Sarah lives next door in DC. He says her closeness was a great emotional help to him after Suella’s death. He is seriously considering and being urged by friends to write about Suella’s life. I got on that band wagon, too, and I am planning to put him in touch with a successful professional writer who teaches writing in college and helps first time writers (like three friends of mine) write their first book Fritz said he had lectured at WESU two years ago and found the students very mature and interesting to teach. While we were talking, Fritz was pounced on by a large, apricot-colored French poodle that he was babysitting while its usually disinterested owner was off in some kind or treatment. I got the distinct impression that if the owner returned and did not want his dog back, Fritz would be happy to adopt it.

John Coatsworth wrote, “I have been teaching history and serving as Columbia’s provost since 2011. Living in NYC with my wife of 53 years, Pat. Our daughter, Anne, lives with her husband, Jon, and two adorable grandkids (Emma, 10, and Alex, 8) just a few blocks away. My last book was a co-authored world history textbook published by Cambridge.”  Initially John was a member of the class of ’62, and as such, was also a member of the first class of the then-new College of Letters where his interest in history started.  But as his mother got sick, he had to drop out to work and joined our class upon his return. Before spending the last six years at Columbia, he spent 22 years at the University of Chicago, rising from assistant professor to full professor. He then spent 13 years at Harvard teaching Latin American affairs, and also as director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Affairs.

Now his duties as provost require that he travel a lot to South America, and more recently, to Europe as Columbia has a worldwide network of related or cooperative programs. Pat is now retired, but worked as a librarian at the University of Chicago, and was an administrator at Harvard while there. He fondly recalls his time at the John Wesley Club, “a great home for all campus radicals and misfits! We had some unusual speakers—Jack Kerouac, who was boring (not high/too high?) and a communist, Herbert Aptheker. I don’t know how we got him, but he was very interesting. I think the administration was upset by his presence.”

His senior year, John was the dorm monitor for JWC, which in practicality, meant that he felt responsible for letting all members know when an administrator arrived on a weekend and might check that anyone with a date had his door open and one foot on the floor. A rule not always followed anywhere on campus. John says that “NYC is a Disneyland for grown ups—theater, museums, and all those restaurants which we ruthlessly take advantage of!” His final comments: “Boy, has Wesleyan changed over the past half century! Greetings to all!”

John’s junior and senior year JWC roommate was Martin Nicolaus, who also responded to the alumni office’s request for news for this column and is appearing for the very first time in these notes. He wrote from his home in Berkeley, Calif. “My mind must be turning to mush as I’m abandoning my categorical rejection of all alumni connections by answering your appeal for ‘news.’ OK. After a fun career doing this and that, much of which the interested person can look up on nicolaus.com/2011/07about-edden/et, I recently retired from the practice of law in Berkeley.  I also retired from the leadership of a nonprofit I had founded that created a network of recovery meetings for people wanting to get free of alcohol and other drugs via a positive, secular pathway: LifeRing. Much of my energy now goes to celebrating the beauties and combating the uglies of a local park, Cesar Chavez Park, in the Berkeley Marina, the subject of a blog I write fairly regularly. I also write a more occasional blog on a variety of topics ranging from international politics to local events to electric cars at nicolaus.com. I suppose it’s incumbent here to also mention the books I’ve had a hand in writing: Translation of Karl Marx’s “Grundrisse,” Restoration of Capitalism in the USSR; authorship of three books on recovery; translation and editing of Suddenly Jews; editing of ‘Creating the Eastshore St. Park’; authorship of text and photos in ‘From Trash to Treasure: The Splendors of Berkeley’s Cesar Chavez Park’.”  Later when I we talked on the phone he said he’d had a practice in civil law (landlord/tenants—mostly on the tenants’ side) for 29 years in Oakland and Berkeley. He’s been married to his wife Sheila for 10 years. Retired now, she was formerly the superintendent of schools for Alameda County. Martin has two children from a previous marriage who are now in their 30s. He and Sheila enjoy traveling and once spent a month in Ecuador. He enjoys biking, gardening, and DIY stuff around the house. He recalled joining EQV our freshman year and then leaving, eventually joining and living in JWC.

After 53 years, Steve Miller is tired of the West Coast and is determined to move to Chicago, which is his wife Carolyn’s hometown. They have been married 21 years.  When I called, he was actually busy with packing and moving plans, which included finding an apartment just big enough for them and their two big dogs. Let me take a slight digression here: Their two dogs are a large standard poodle and an equally large English setter. He is a great enthusiast of the later breed which he says mostly goes unrecognized on both coasts but is much admired in the Midwest. He’s fairly confident it will not go unrecognized in Chicago.

Back to their move—Most of their furniture will soon be shipped ahead of them and they follow on December 1. Steve has been fully retired for six years. “Not having won the lottery…” said Steve, when talks of retirement began at Cal State (East Bay), where he was a full professor in the department of management. He initially took part-time retirement, meaning he could stay on for five years part-time. During his teaching career, he had also been an adjunct professor at Stanford and Cal Berkeley “for variety.” He is very happy with the education he got at WESU, praising the great teachers and the breadth of courses.  He picked one example—since we were required to take electives, he picked a course on theater, a subject he knew nothing about. But as a result, he developed a lifelong interest in theater and later became a docent for the Berkeley Repertory Theater. And he told how his art appreciation course got him his first job. He was being interviewed for a consulting job at Ernst & Ernst when he noticed and commented on the “nice Monet” on the wall. Well as it turned out, a fellow Monet admirer was exactly what they were looking for! But as he’d gotten his PhD in organizational psychology in ’69 and was teaching part-time in the evenings, he eventually decided that a job with only two weeks off a year was not for him and full-time academia, with its great long summer vacations beckoned. So he took his admiration of Monet and moved on. Showing good sense, he had spent a long time in graduate school from 1963 to 1969 so as to maintain his deferment and stay healthy by avoiding the war.

Steve has two daughters age 34 and 41, from a previous marriage, one in Utah and the other in Minnesota, and two granddaughters, 6 months and 5. He had a last memory of WESU. “Very early in the fall of our freshman, we were lined up in alphabetical order, which meant you and I were standing beside each other. The dean (probably Barlow) said ‘Look at the person standing to you right. He will become very important in your life.’ You didn’t.” Not one to take offense, I have not included here the very subtle hints I got whilst talking to Steve, that he’s moving to Chicago either to escape prosecution of, or is really in the Witness Protection Program.

Please feel free to let me know if you want to hear about a particular classmate or about one who has never appeared in this column.

Byron S. Miller | tigr10@optonline.net
5 Clapboard Hill Rd., Westport, CT 06880

A theme to not only our own 55th Reunion, but the entire Reunion and Commencement Weekend, was a tribute to the indomitable, friendly spirit of Gina and John Driscoll, who received the Raymond E. Baldwin Medal, Wesleyan’s highest alumni award, for their years of extraordinary service to Wesleyan.

Tributes from Wesleyan officials and members of all classes showed the love and appreciation for John and Gina beyond just our class. They received a long standing ovation when the alumni association president praised them at the Saturday Wesleyan Assembly. At our post-assembly lunch, President Michael Roth ’78 thanked them for their service. At our class dinner Saturday night, former president Colin Campbell, our honored guest, spoke eloquently about their dedication to the entire university community. And the Douglas Cannon made its first appearance in 10 years in John’s honor (more about that later)!

Twenty-three members of our class joined the festivities. On Friday afternoon, Robin Cook [see page 79] participated in a WESeminar, “A Conversation with Wesleyan Writers,” and many class members were invited to the president’s reception honoring leadership donors and volunteers. Our initial class event—the 55th Reunion Reception—was then convened at the Patricelli ’92 Theater.

Saturday morning, we gathered for coffee at Boger Hall for a wide-ranging conversation, led by Bruce Corwin, class president, on members’ own lives, and reflections on the impact of the Wesleyan experience. Following the traditional Parade of Classes and Alumni Association meeting, we joined Reunion classes from 1940 through 1966 at a catered luncheon.

Our class dinner was held in the atrium of the Gordon Career Center. One of the highlights was the awarding of Wesleyan University Service Awards to Phil Calhoun and Jim Gately. Phil was honored for his service in the Admission Office, as acting secretary of the university, as an assistant to President Campbell, and as “an enabling founder, benefactor, and head coach of the first Cardinal crew team.” Jim was honored for being “an active force” in our class in organizing Reunions, encouraging support for the Class of ’62 Scholarship fund and the Freeman Driscoll International Scholarship, and hosting Wesleyan events in Philadelphia. We shared a moment of silence after the names of 35 deceased class members were read aloud. Bruce closed the dinner by urging everyone to start thinking about making our 60th Reunion another success.

Thanks to the members of the class who participated in Reunion Committee phone calls to plan the events: Robin Berrington, Phil Calhoun, Bruce Corwin, Dick Dranitzke, John Driscoll, Dick Dubanoski, David Fiske, Jim Gately, Dave Hedges, Bob Hunter, Bob Krugman, Gene Peckham, and Rick Tuttle.

Oh, yes. The Douglas Cannon. Early arrivals to the Saturday night dinner were treated to the sight of the Douglas Cannon sitting on the reception desk. Wesleyan photographers were on hand to take a picture of John Driscoll with the cannon, and shortly afterwards, officials took it away. You may recall that during our college years, the Cannon had been stolen in November 1959 and then recovered and remounted in April 1961. After many subsequent removals and reappearances since that time (Wikipedia has a good history, if you’re interested), it was last seen briefly at a 2007 Inauguration reception for President Roth.

There has been speculation that the Cannon is actually in University hands. Hmm. When the cannon arrived, there were over a half-dozen university photographers, public relations officials, and security personnel on hand. After the brief photo-op with John, the Cannon was quickly covered and whisked away—with the efficiency of a U.S. Secret Service operation—into a waiting Wesleyan security van. Hmm. The Wikipedia article was updated by the next day to refer to the Cannon’s “reappearance at the Class of ’62 Reunion dinner.”

At the Saturday morning session, Bruce expressed regret that our class agent, Phil Putnam, was unable to make the trip from his home in Essex due to a longstanding illness. Phil subsequently said to me by telephone that he was undergoing treatment that he hoped would lead to PT and then being able to get around with a cane. Sadly, instead Phil took a turn for the worse. At the end of June, he passed away in the Middlesex Hospital Hospice unit. Phil had a great spirit, and served our class well. He will be missed.

John Hazlehurst is “transiting” from the Colorado Springs Independent/Colorado Springs Business Journal to establish two glossy magazines, Colorado Fun and Cannatimes. He’s still doing high-altitude long-distance bike rides.

Charles Seibert invites classmates to read an essay he published describing “a cautionary tale” of the 1960s as a result of his political activity in the civil rights and anti-Vietnam war movement (dailynous.com/2017/02/28/ghost-senator-joe-mccarthy-haunts-philosophy-graduate-student-guest-post).

Steve Trott has become involved with the Boise Philharmonic Association, which he says is “a long way from ‘Michael’.” He chaired the committee selecting the conductor/music director and was in charge of programming the past two seasons. He writes, “My sophomore class in Music Appreciation at Wesleyan with a professor whose name I can no longer spell—Alex S.— got me started, for which I am very grateful.”

DAVID FISKE | davidfiske17@gmail.com
17 W. Buckingham Dr. Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

The timing was perfect for Joe Miller, who wrote: “You hit me on my 78th birthday, and I’m feeling frisky enough to pitch in this time around. Three years retired from teaching African history at the University of Virginia and finding the ‘sweet spot’ of this stage, I’m now at my own pace. What the youngsters out there bring to the encounter is energy and imagination, and what I have to offer at this point is experience. They write the books and I try to help them make the most of all that good work. My oldest daughter, a Mayan archaeologist, has a freelance career in tourism and horses in Yucatan, and my youngest son is in 11th grade at our local Friends school. We have no plans to abandon our hilltop here in Charlottesville with the view of the Blue Ridge. For years the D.C.-area Green Scum (Alpha Delts to the uninitiated)— Dickson, Bloomfield, Wagner, and I, plus one or two from ’62) got together regularly, but we haven’t been so good about it lately.”

This was a cute response from Howie Morgan:

Singing as we travel and reach!

Residence now in Vero Beach.

Keeping a place in Deer Isle, Maine

But Home is still in dear old Wayne!

Trying to keep those libs from the door,

Hope old Wes has their feet on the floor!

Ain’t life grand?

From Larry Krucoff: “After leaving Wesleyan, I ended up in Chicago, where Carole and I got hitched. I worked my way through graduate school in anthropology, and went into marketing research. In 1971, I started my own firm and ran it until retirement in 2015. Carole worked in museum education, becoming head of education at the Oriental Institute Museum at the University of Chicago. Now retired, she continues her museum associations by being a docent at the Art Institute of Chicago. While I was working, I tried to develop retirement skills. These developed into golf, baking, cooking, writing, play readings, and traveling with Carole.”

Dan Elliott is in assisted living in Cleveland with “a swimming pool and a work-out room with beautiful physical therapists who work me out. My Wesleyan daughter is in Cambridge, doing criminal justice projects. My youngest is married, employed as an athletic trainer, part-time with the Brooklyn Nets and with Long Island University. My son, Dan, participates on the Surface Transportation Board in D.C., and is married to an electrical engineer, with two stepsons. My son, Tim, does computer installation projects and lives here in Cleveland.”

Pete Drayer and wife Sandy are still in a retirement home. He is a senior judge until the end of this year.

Paul Dickson’s latest book, Leo Durocher: Baseball’s Prodigal Son, was published in March by Bloomsbury Press. He is working on a book tentatively titled The Rise of the Fishbowl Army, which is about the 1940 peacetime draft and the creation of a modern army in the days before Pearl Harbor.

Al Williams and Ed Knox get together regularly with Wendy and Huguette-Laure. “Being in D.C., health issues and grandchildren must now vie with politics as topics of conversation.” They are interested in catching up with other alumni.

From Foster Morrison: “There is a serious mismatch between the goals of the human species and the capacities of planet Earth. The people in charge want exponential growth to go on indefinitely, but the size and resources available on this finite spheroid are limited. Setting aside a few nature preserves will not mitigate the consequences of unceasing growth, whatever they may be. It’s difficult-to-impossible to predict exactly what will happen, but it probably will be global catastrophe.”

From Bob Hausman:

Unlikely am I to be found

In the Wesleyan annals of renown,

Yet I do try the fates to confound,

By remaining at best above ground.

Hausman has two sons and seven grandchildren. He went to St. Paul, Minn., in 1977 to teach at Luther Seminary and has been there ever since. “Between my children and grandchildren,” he writes, “we have made our mark at Carleton College, Macalester College, Hamline University, St. Thomas University, and the University of Minnesota. Unfortunately, I have been unable to persuade any of them to matriculate at Wesleyan. There are still two more grandchildren in the public schools and one in the womb, so who knows?”

John Rogers reports living at the Del Webb Sun City Community in Indian Land, S.C. “Great retirement area with golf course, two community centers, walking trails, and three pools. I retired from financial services in 2013, after 46 years, and am enjoying time with five children and 14 grandkids in Maryland, New Jersey, and Kentucky. We have traveled to Alaska, Iceland, Norway, France, Nova Scotia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, and many national parks.”

Glenn Hawkes’ son, Jesse, is an actor and human rights activist living in NYC. They came to Middletown in April to attend the Samuel and Dorothy Frankel Memorial Lecture delivered by a Wesleyan alumna. Both enjoyed an afternoon coffee with Emil Frankel, who had just driven over from UConn, where he had a speaking engagement. Glenn reports: “Much of our conversation centered on ‘3rd floor Clark’ our sophomore year—Bob Hausman, Swede Wilson, Ernie Hildner, Jack Woodbury, Jack Mitchell, and Russell Mott.”

Jon K. Magendanz, DDS | jon@magendanz.com
902 39th Avenue West, Bradenton, Fl 34205 

I was deeply saddened to learn that Charlie Smith passed away in May after a long illness. Charlie was our class agent for many years, and we are indebted to him for his tireless efforts on our behalf. We will miss his kindness, unfailing optimism, hu-mor, and deep engagement with the world. He was a sociologist who specialized in social theory and economic sociology. He held several professional institutional roles, including faculty member (Queens College and The Graduate Center, CUNY), long-term editor of the Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior, department chair of sociology, and dean of social sciences (Queens College). He was also active in his synagogue. He is survived by Rita, his wife for 53 years, daughter Abigail ’92, son Jonathan ’94, four grandchildren, two sisters, and a brother. Before his passing, Charlie was informed that our class scholarship had been renamed the Charles W. Smith Class of 1960 Scholarship Fund in his honor.

The passing of Dick Huddleston in January was a significant loss to our university community. He was class secretary and agent, and a director of development at Wesleyan. The following appears in the published obituary: “Dick dedicated his life to his family and supporting nonprofit institutions which provide educational opportunities for youth and adults. His love of his children and grandchildren was expressed by his playful character and ability to think ‘outside the box.’ He successfully shared these gifts in his career helping children and adults all over the world. A passion for travel and exploration of different countries and cultures was a constant theme in his life, motivating him to study six foreign languages, live abroad, become an airplane pilot, and learn to cook excellent Italian food.” He is survived by Lindsey, his wife for 56 years, children Kathy and Michael ’90, four grandchildren, one brother, and one sister. The Richard H. Huddleston ’60 P’90 Wesleyan Scholarship has been established in his honor.

In June family and friends held a luncheon to celebrate the lives of Dick and Charlie Smith and to dedicate the Huddleston Lounge in Downey House and the adjacent Smith Patio so that they would be forever memorialized on the campus they loved so much. It’s only fitting that these two close friends and extraordinary Wesleyan fundraisers were honored together.

Rick Garcia is president of the National Academy of Economic Sciences of Bolivia. In May, he appointed internationally known Dr. Francis J. Ayala as honorary fellow because of his extraordinary contributions to a better understanding of the interconnections between evolutionary biology and economics.

Mark Lischner’s daughter, Lori, teaches special education in San Rafael, Calif. His son, Benjamin, is a physician in Norway. In 1971, Mark started a group practice in Sacramento in pulmonary and critical care medicine. The office now numbers over 30 caregivers. He plans to continue “until stopped by physical disability, dementia, or death.”

Gil Seeley is teaching a course in world music  at the Jewish Community Center in Tucson, where the new director of arts and culture is Barbara Fenig ’11.

Carl Syriala died on Nov. 12, 2016, in West Barnstable, Mass. He was an aquaculture expert and served as the treasurer of the local fire department for 15 years.

In retirement, Paul Tractenberg directs projects designed to improve educational equality. Rutgers Law School presented a major program honoring his 50 years of work in the field. Paul and Neimah enjoyed their annual New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day festivities with their four grandchildren. They went to Florida in February to share a good friend’s “special birthday,” and on a small boat cruise in May to the Mediterranean side of Italy and France.

Bob Williams wrote in: “We maintain our great Wesleyan relations with Marilyn and Mickey Levine. I am active with a flourishing Midcoast Senior College and editor of their newsletter; the layout man is Burr Taylor ’61. I also enjoy my friendship with another Russian historian, Phil Pomper, recently retired from the Wesleyan faculty, and my barbershop singing with the Uncalled Four.”

Alan Wulff wrote in: “I had a great reunion with Dave Boesel. Dave is involved in many things, most notably fervent, active work in the political arena. Dave is a black-belt martial arts expert and was elected president of the American Ju-Jitsu Association.” Alan visited Wesleyan in May and had dinner with Bing Leverich ’59.

I am happy to report that I am now back home. It is a blessing that the left ischium of my pelvis has healed well. I was at Mt. Baker Care Center from Jan. 1 through Mar. 4, where they prepared me with physical and occupational therapy for reentry into my normal surroundings. It was good to resume driving and restart activities such as yoga, contra dancing, and hiking. In addition, I visited the Wesleyan campus with my niece Liz in April and was impressed with the activities taking place on Science Saturday.

SAL RUSSO | salandjudy@hotmail.com
2700 Kentucky St., Bellingham, WA 98229

John Bach “spent time with Chris Palames ’70, who was recovering from an operation. Despite his wrestling accident, Chris has embodied grace, wisdom, and courage from his wheelchair.” Jeff Richards “produced Significant Other in NYC, co-starring John Behlmann ’04, Lady Day with Audra McDonald in London, and a national tour of Fiddler on the Roof. Saw Bill Edelheit and visited a familiar Wes, just a much younger population.”

Pete Pfeiffer “logs, or will, when the mechanic puts a new engine in my skidder. Dealing with a mile-long, ice-covered driveway, which would make a damned-good bobsled course. I’ve gone from downing big pines to big medical marijuana plants. Four years of conscientious study at Wesleyan are paying off. This may be my last winter in the woods. Dinner with Milt Christianson and a community of friends, so where else would I go?”

Luther Martin, is another grandson for Jerry Martin. “Still casting pearls before AP and American Lit students. Retirement just an abstraction.”

Mike Fink says, “Katey’s at U of South Carolina. I’m struck by the similarities to the times of McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt. Can political class and people unite to create change for polygot society? The family and I are healthy.”

Steve ’69 and Linda Broker ’71 “enjoyed a cruise on the Saone and Rhone Rivers in France. Two Road Scholar trips—Amelia and Cumberland Islands, then to Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. Still birding in Connecticut and on Cape Cod, and became president of Connecticut Ornithological Association.”

Rick McGauley “had kids and grands at the holidays. Fun, exhausting. How did we keep up with our three? Love to get a few Beta brothers together sometime.”

Steve Mathews “sees 100 new people arrive in Nashville every day. Still work in senior field—stuff like Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee and Caregivers by WholeCare. Susie and I have been here since 1972, with children and family here.”

Steve Knox downsized in Montclair. “Simpler life. Retire in three years then will relocate to the Carolinas. I’m alienated from the national government—focusing on a better life for family and community.”

Darius Brubeck congratulated “granddaughter Lydia Elmer ’17. Quartet launched Years Ago at Ronnie Scott’s in London. Received a grant for two stays in South Africa. Cathy and I work on a book about the jazz life in Durban during the ’80s and ’90s.”

Jim Weinstein “has visited all 50 states. Aiming for 100 countries, currently at 95.”

Paul Melrose “was in Denver visiting with Lanning Schiller. We’ve been friends for 52 years.”

Steve Hansel’s Eclectic Investment Partners fund had a good 2016. Family well. He splits his time between Orleans and St. Pete.

Doug Bell “is affiliated with InnovaTerra Ltd., in Uruguay. 550 acres of hemp. We grow, process, and export hemp to world markets.”

John Andrews “retired to Crosslake, Minn., and saw -33 degrees Fahrenheit. Daughter Jane married in Sudagarh, India. She practices internal medicine at Yale, where husband is finishing his MBA.”

Ron Reisner “retired after 15 years on trial bench of New Jersey Superior Court. Hope to get to Wes b-ball game soon. Working part-time for large Jersey firm with office in Red Bank.”

Maj and Tom Earle “spent the holiday in Sydney, with an 11-hour flight from Hawaii home. Fine city, walkable, great food, reasonable prices. Out in the bush, we saw goannas, monitor lizards that grow to five feet. Very nasty.”

Pete Arenella “retired to new life in a rural Mexican village that modernity has bypassed. Six months after a knee replacement, I’m close to normal. Poor Internet, but can still watch Pats/Sox. Three daughters in grad school. Grateful to spend last part of journey with my soulmate.”

Jeff Wohkittel’s new book, Perigee, is on unprsouth.com. Eric Greene “sells crystals online and enjoys life.” Visakha and Ken Kawasaki promote peace at brelief.org. Rick Vila “skies the steeps in Crested Butte, Colo.” Bill Sketchley “sends best wishes to everybody.”

Closing from Frank Putnam. Karen and “I= live on our orchard in the Blue Ridge foothills of Stuart, Va. Google it. 422 Brushy Fork Lane, Stuart, Va. Fields, pond, house, office, and barn. Our 30 acres (out of a 300-acre family plot) abuts thousands of acres of an elite hunting club. The survivors of their staged birdshoots straggle to our feeders. I have stage 4 prostate cancer and travel is limited. One compensation is the space and ability to commune with nature. We had a major facelift going for our property. Still a professor at UNC consulting on mental health issues for low-income families. Latest book enjoying success on Amazon. I planned to continue part-time at UNC, 2.5 hours away. Everything is in great shape, but, of course, that is time-limited. I’ve lasted this long, just saw a book published, so I’m working on another.”

Always love,

Charlie Farrow | charlesfarrow@comcast.net
11 Coulter Street, #16, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 

I’ll open with the observation that I am unaware of a lot of energy swirling around our upcoming 50th (May 24-27, 2018), though maybe—as I have stated that I do not wish any leadership role—I am not entitled to make any such remarks. However, three of our classmates, Sandy See, alexander.h.see@gmail.com; Stuart Ober, ober@staurtober.com; and George Reynolds, greynolds@sandpointefunding.com, would appreciate your help in making the 50th into more than a pedestrian affair. Consider contacting them.

After three years, I am still not able to distinguish retirement from an extended vacation. However, I took a break from Yale football this September, and Judy and I spent a week at Chautauqua—a lakeside Disneyland in western New York for mature culture vultures. There we had the good fortune to share some quality time with Paige and Dale Lott ’56. He is a landscape painter and geographer, retired from the New Jersey university system, in the midst of a very active retirement in Poultney, Vt.

In August, Laurie and Bob Newhouse were thrilled with the arrival of their first grandchild, Robert Hayes Newhouse (“Hayes”).

Bill Nicholson’s daughter is SMU bound. Jeff Talmadge’s website, WeNeedaVaction.com, which is largely a family enterprise, celebrated its 20th year and is thriving. He and Joan are devoted to the Red Sox, their kids, their seven grandchildren, and are planning a trip to Cuba.

In October, Boston’s Head of the Charles Regatta was run for the first time in, I believe, 26 years without a “founder’s” crew from Wesleyan—my ‘mates. However, Wes was well represented—the women beat 27 other crews to win their event. And during the course of the weekend, the David Crockett ’69, a beautiful eight, formally joined Wesleyan’s fleet. (The varsity rowed in it last spring and dubbed it “the Crockett Rocket.”) Wife Kitty, son David, and daughter Cordelia (lovely folks all), spoke of Davy’s vibrant and expansive spirit, as did Coach Phil Calhoun ’62 and Captain Will Macoy ’67.

On Election Day, not everything went the way I would have liked, but it had some nice moments nonetheless. My state senator is Ted Kennedy Jr. ’83—a personable and effective legislator—and he was at my polling site when I voted. We spoke of his son, a freshman, who is rowing in the second boat, and his daughter, who graduated last May and is now a doctoral student in physics at Columbia. A small town pol, Ted actually called a dear friend of mine in town, David Ramos ’05, and asked for David’s support personally. When I told Ted I was ’68, he just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

As a meathead oarsman out of Psi U with a preppy veneer, but not the capital, I have largely muddled through life. Being your secretary allows me to chronicle some most fascinating people, and, regretfully, we have lost two recently: David Berry died at his home in Brooklyn in December. A playwright and screenwriter, he won an Obie for distinguished playwriting for his first play, G. R. Point, which depicts soldiers in the Vietnam War in a sympathetic lens and ran on Broadway in 1979. (He started writing this as a novel until his then-wife urged him to make a play of the material.) Best known for his stage play and 1987 screen adaptation of The Whales of August, which was inspired by his Maine childhood and starred Bette Davis, Vincent Price, and Lillian Gish, he enlisted in the Army in 1968, but was discharged so he could serve as guardian to his younger siblings after his mother’s death. After the success of his plays, he continued writing while teaching at several institutions including the National Theater Institute in Waterford, Conn., and most recently the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

Bill Ochs was a scholar, performer, and passionate teacher of traditional Irish instruments—specifically the tin whistle, wooden flute, and uilleann pipes—who was a pivotal figure in the renaissance of this musical tradition. His work was furthered by an MFA from Sarah Lawrence, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a 40-plus year involvement in the Irish Arts Center in Manhattan. He is the author of The Clarke Tin Whistle, which sold 250,000 copies. A resident since the 1970s of Hell’s Kitchen, he and his long-time partner, Margaret Vetare, shared a house in the Hudson River Valley. A political activist, Bill devoted enormous energy to some congressional campaigns. Also, he was exhilarated by the outdoors and was an avid swimmer, hiker, cross-country skier, and birdwatcher. On the trail or in the canoe, he always wanted to see what was around the bend.

Lloyd Buzzell | LBuzz463@aol.com
70 Turtle Bay, Branford, CT 06405 | 203/208-5360

Classmates, you should be reading these notes in April, a month or so before our 50th Reunion.

Rick Nicita and Mike Feagley generously agreed to chair the Reunion committee that has been planning events for many months, and a crew of about 15 others also have agreed to serve on the committee. Mostly, the committee has participated in conference phone calls every month since the fall. Those who are on the committee are planning to be at the Reunion, so, just in case you still have not yet decided whether or not to attend, I’ll list their names here in order to entice you to come to Middletown. They are (in addition to Feagley and Nicita), alphabetically, Len Bergstein, Wayne Diesel, John Dooley, Karl Furstenberg, Dave Garrison, Arthur Gingrande, Reuben Johnson, Aidan Jones, Jim Kates, Peter Kovach, Bob Pawlowski, Gar Richlin, Ted Smith, Paul Stowe, Bob vom Eigen, Andy Witt, and your humble class secretary, almost always last in alphabetical order (well, there was a guy in the class ahead of us named John Zywvna ’66).

Numerous others had, as of late December, indicated that they, too, will attend.  They are: Peter Bell, Tony Caprio, Jim Cawse, Muggsy Corr, Steve Duck, Pat Dwyer, Robert Elliott, Howie Foster, George Hicks, Bob Kesner, Bill Klaber, Jeff Oram-Smith, Steve Pfeif, Ned Preble, Joel Rottner, Bill Rowe, Steve Sellers, Dennis Smith, Paul Stowe, Jim Sugar, Alan Thorndike, and Peter Waasdorp.

And then there are bunch of classmates who had said “maybe,” or “50/50,” “possibly,” “unsure,” or “probably.” They are: John Arnault, Frederick Davies, Fred Freije, Tony Gaeta, Jeff Galloway, Gary Johnson, Chris Livesay, Bill Macoy, Jeff Marshall, George McKechnie, David Miller, Bruce Morningstar, John Murdock, Alan Neebe, Paul Nibur, Mark Scarlett, Harry Shallcross, Chris Sidoli, Ed Simmons, and Joe Smith.

And, just in case you need slightly more enticement, a crew of guys from the class of 1966 had such a good time at their Reunion, and tell me that they remember some of us so fondly, that they are planning to come back to “our” Reunion to hang with each other again and to see us. They include Larry Carver ’66, John Neff ’66, Dave McNally ’66, Rick Crootof ’66, maybe Hardy Spoehr ’66, and maybe some others.

I am working with Bob vom Eigen and Bob Pawlowski (“the Bobs”) on a Reunion book that hopefully you have contributed to, but even if you haven’t, is fun to read and is scheduled to be mailed to you around the end of April or early May. In addition to the contributions that you submitted, it includes some recollections about favorite faculty members, some remembrances that some of you have written about classmates who have died, and some articles and photos from The Argus and the yearbook.

I will try to take good notes when I am there, and share some of what I learn during the weekend in subsequent sets of class notes. But hey, why depend on me—come see for yourself. Check out all those above who said “yes,” and whichever of the “maybes” show up. For now, I hope to see you in late May. I won’t say this will be your last chance to attend a Reunion, but you won’t be surprised to learn that attendance is highest at the 50th. After that, olds grads still stagger back for Reunions, but there are fewer who do so. In the words of Janis Joplin (mentioned in a recent set of 1968 class notes—apparently she gave a concert at Wesleyan in the spring of 1968, and then she partied all night with the brothers at DKE), “get it while you can.”

Richie Zweigenhaft | rzweigen@guilford.edu

We celebrate the lives of three beloved classmates, William August Hauser, David Adams Berry, and Alton L. Flanders III. Bill died on October 21, 2016, in Ely, Minn.  “Pacifist, a lover, an artist, a writer, a linguist,” Bill, writes his good friend, Jeff Nilson, was “a wonderful man…one of he most talented people I have ever known. He sang in the glee club, played lacrosse, did quite well academically, spoke Spanish, learned how to speak Russian and German, and embraced everything he did with a glowing life force.”

Playwright and screenwriter best known for the play and film, The Whales of August, David did not graduate with our class, signing up for service in Viet Nam and basing his first successful play, G.R. Point, on that experience.  Alberto Ibarguen tells us: “My most vivid memory of [David]…was a letter from him in Viet Nam to me in the Amazon jungle, where I was a Peace Corps volunteer. He wrote in a clearly legible, firm script, until, according to his narrative, they took a shelling wherever he was and the writing, punctuated by a thumbprint in orange colored clay, became shaky. It gave me an inkling of what he was going through.” Bill Dietz has suggested to President Roth and to David’s executors that Wesleyan would be a fitting place for David’s papers.

Alton passed away on December 22, 2016. Often ill in his last years, Alton, a longtime resident of Nantucket, was a supporter of the Nantucket Cottage Hospital.

On September 8, Bill Boynton, joined by John Wilson and Gary “GFierce” Conger, had the exhilarating experience of being at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral to watch the “launch of the OSIRIS-REx mission to rendezvous with a small asteroid named Bennu.” In this his 10th NASA mission, Bill’s role is “to plan the operation of the spacecraft and the operation of the instruments to get the data we need to collect the best sample.” These launches, Bill writes, “never get routine!”

Mr. “GFierce” has “after 40 years selling publishing services to large companies” chosen “art as my second career: traditional oil paintings on canvas of New York City skylines, Ohio and Vermont landscapes…I started painting at age 60 and have found it to be a wonderful way to be my own boss and be totally absorbed in the work.”  Do see his monthly Art Lovers Newsletter.

Tony Alibrio writes: “Not all that much to report,” an assessment with which I disagree, seeing that he spent the three weeks before Christmas at his home in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., before returning to his home in Connecticut to host “a table for 23: four sons with spouses, 12 grandchildren, and two relatives.” Tony is not keen on “Wes declaring itself as a ‘sanctuary campus…,’ my political bent probably the result of working since I was 12 and having to pay one-half of my education.” Tony reports that his brother and fellow classmate, Jim, is doing well.

Delighted to receive David Griffith’s biographical sketch for the class Reunion book; I remember an open field tackle he made against Williams, a thing of beauty.  “Wesleyan,” Dave writes, “for me is a priceless gift to the mind and memory,” a sentiment beautifully put and one I share.

Clark Byam, who practices law in Pasadena, Calif., took his “three children with their significant others…together with my wife and her daughter and husband and grandchild (and my former wife)” to Sedona, Ariz, for Thanksgiving. While there, “both of my daughters became engaged so it was quite a Thanksgiving.” I’ll say! John Shaw writes that he has “completely retired, as has wife Connie, [and] have relocated to Southport, N.C.

With retirement also comes travel. Daniel Lang sent a photograph of him and his wife, Diane Lang MAT’70, standing on the Greenland ice cap this past June. “This was our third trip to the Canadian Arctic. We plan to go in another direction—Nepal—for our next trip.”

The peripatetic Rick Crootof and Linda have recently traveled to New York City, Los Angeles, and Sarasota; next stop, Buenos Aires followed by “a three-week cruise down to Antarctic and up to Valparaiso, Chile.”

I am honored to serve as class secretary, following Howard Brodsky, Irv Richter, and Hardy Spoehr. I took the position on two conditions: I don’t have to take bag-pipe lessons, appealing as that might be, and Hardy will agree to supply kukui nuts for the enlightenment I will need.  So far, so good.  Hardy has done such splendid job, his wonderfully detailed, humorous, inclusive account of our 50th Reunion being one of many examples. The Reunion had many highs, but my fondest memory will be from that last evening, the banquet in the Olin Library’s Campbell Reference Center, Hardy recognizing those Wesleyan students who had been serving us for three days with the gift a Kului lea. The room was absent of dry eyes. Thank you, Hardy. Classmates, let me hear from you. As Richard Wilbur reminds us: “We fray into the future, rarely wrought/Save in the tapestries of afterthought.”

P.S.  A number of us—Dave McNally, John Neff, Rick Crootof, Hardy Spoehr, and myself—are planning to attend our 51st Reunion this coming May, catching up with and cheering on our friends from the Class of 1967 who will be enjoying their 50th Reunion.  Please do attend, if you can.

Larry Carver | carver1680@gmail.com

P.O. Box 103, Rico, Colorado, 81332 | 512/478-8968