Class Notes | 1960s

I’m sitting here in Florida on a lazy Saturday morning, the weekend after our 50th Reunion. I could bore you with the details of jet travel and rental cars at JFK International Airport but let’s say I arrived safely Thursday evening, late for the welcoming banquet but before they put the main meal away. The food was quite good for this event and it continued through each subsequent meal through Sunday brunch (bacon and eggs, which was to my liking). The coffee was top notch.

On Thursday evening, I was immediately impressed with the number of classmates who were present. There were plenty of conversations going on and I could sense that a good time was being had by all. I was numbed by my day of travel but enjoyed conversing with Chris Chase and his wife, Karen, at the table where I parked myself. I saw many of the members of our Reunion committee—Frank Judson, Steve Oleskey, Bill White, and others. I found Peter Sipples, Doug Clark, and Paul Eschholz comparing their experiences as an attorney, radio station owner, and retired educator, respectively.

I reserved quarters in Clark Hall and they were quite comfortable. My wife, Becky, couldn’t make the trip, so I didn’t have to be concerned about any snoring issues of my own making. Separating trash was a task and automatic faucets in the restrooms were challenging when brushing one’s teeth. The sounds coming through my first floor window didn’t interfere with my sleep after our full days. It was helpful that I had my handicap parking sticker, and a space right between Olin Library and Clark Hall was always waiting for me. Wesleyan’s public safety officers were very interested in making our stay safe and comfortable. The ancillary personnel and students were quite efficient and went out of their way for us.

I tried to handle the walking from one site to another and managed until Saturday, when I realized there was a cell number to call for a van to take me from point A to point B. I can see returning for future Reunions and, with facilities for the handicapped from airports to campuses, this is a real choice as we live into the “golden years.”

We had a well-attended panel discussion on Friday morning at the old EQV house, now a facility for Romance languages. Frank Judson led the topic, which centered on the present and future for the elite liberal arts model of education. Wesleyan’s endowment was discussed and how it was the highest per student in our undergraduate years. Currently, Wesleyan’s endowment isn’t what it used to be but, at the dinner hosted by President Roth that evening, the topic certainly has the attention of the administration. James Dresser ’63 was one of the participants and he noted that aid-blind admission policies have been discontinued.

Aside from the structure established by the committee, there was ample time for enhancing old relationships and forging new contacts. We are well beyond the identities we were consumed with in the past. Our days of athletic gifts are something of memories and we now have the opportunity to relate to others in ways we never had the time to develop before. I know for myself, I am impressed with Steve Oleskey and the stands he takes in his world. I told him that as Wesleyan alumni we share each other’s accomplishments, as well as the possibilities for transforming the world in what we’ve learned over time. It is encouraging to know that, in our retirements, there is a new and empowering future.

Sometime during the weekend, I heard my name being called and it was a sweet sight, indeed, to see Chris Lapuc standing there with husband Paul Lapuc. From my previous notes, you might recall the serious medical issues on her plate. She summed things up by stating, “I’m still alive,” and I embraced her with great relief. Now that I reflect on my joy in that moment, all the wives I have met during the Reunions have been special women. The likes of Lou D’Ambrosio, Peter Sipples, Paul Brands, Don Ware, Bill Medd, Chip Smith, Judson, Oleskey and many more are enriched with their special women. Let’s be real, the guys we rubbed elbows with over 50 years ago weren’t about to transform their lives without the women behind them. Peel away the layers and there we are as little boys with their toys.

I could go on forever, but the parade, box lunch, and music were a delight. I attended a couple of seminars, including one featuring Rusty Hardin. He is a trial attorney from Houston. He has been in the news over the years and has successfully represented clients at venues including the U.S. Supreme Court. He was also a recipient of an outstanding alumnus award and recognition in the Wesleyan chapel during the weekend.

The seminar included an alumna who coordinates U.S. Senate investigations of wrongdoing and laid down the process in a clear and precise manner. Rusty spoke after her presentation and applauded the way the U.S. Senate conducted its investigations but not the House of Representatives. He defended baseball pitcher Roger Clemens before a House committee on allegations of perjury in a previous congressional investigation. I saw Rusty in many a news report as he accompanied his client through a mob of media reporters.

After the seminar, I approached Rusty and proceeded to verify that he was a member of our freshman class and had to drop out for a year and return to graduate with the class of 1965. I was impressed with his open manner for someone in the media eye and how he was happy to see me. He apparently kept track of the class in my quarterly notes and always had more of an affinity for 1964. He changed his schedule and showed up at our class banquet on Saturday evening.

The Saturday banquet turned out to be a fitting tribute to the whole weekend. Awards were given out, including one recognizing my service as class secretary for I don’t remember how many years. Coach Don Russell attended our banquet as did retired professor Dick Miller. It was exciting to have a picture taken of our freshman baseball team members present with the coach.

Lou D’Ambrosio came up to the podium and sang a smooth song reminiscent of the legendary Frank Sinatra. He sounds more like Tony Bennett these days. Rusty Hardin asked to address the class and shared how moved he was to be back with “his class.” He was at my table where, with his wife, he expressed gratitude in enjoying the banquet and said it was well worth a change in his plans to get down to New York City.

I know there were many alumni who couldn’t manage to attend. I would appreciate hearing from you via e-mail and I could create an addendum to the class book updating where you are and what you’re up to. I know Bill Woodcock attended and wanted to create an addendum to his information. Everyone appeared to be pleased with the effort for our 50th Reunion. Finally, there is an “in memoriam” section for 29 individuals who have passed away and are truly missed even though our memories can keep their spirits with us.

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

Dave Holdt is now fully retired, having stopped teaching freshman writing at the University of Hartford in December 2013. He says he’s now a house husband, in charge of all things domestic as his partner, Karen Chase, is still at the University of Hartford, where she heads the Education Department, teaching both PhD students as well as undergrads. He says he’s doing pretty well with the domestic chores except that Karen says he “cannot see spiders.” He is in a memoir writing class at UConn and as they live near several large forests, he takes one of his three dogs for daily hour-long walks and is now in much better shape than when he stood all day in front of classes. He has seen all sorts of wildlife during the walks and has become a bird watcher. They hear lots of owls calling at night. Recently a nearby sheep farmer reported that some “very big animal” was killing his sheep. There are some thoughts of America’s largest cat nearby. He and Karen enjoy going to CT Tigers, a Detroit single “A” farm team’s home baseball games in nearby Norwich. Go, CT Tigers!

Having retired in the summer of ’12 after 49 years as middle school department head of language arts at the Gilman School, an independent school for boys in Baltimore, Samuel “Bo” Grimes is now much involved with a group of parishioners working to draw up their profile for a new rector for a nearby Episcopal church in north Baltimore. Bo and his wife, Sabra, were married in ’75. They have two daughters. One is getting married next April. “Big expense,” chuckled a resigned but pleased Bo. He and Sabra live in Cockeysville, Md. The met at work, as she was in charge of schedules for the Gilman Middle School. She, too, is retired. They travel a little, last October to Montana to visit Glacier National Park. Sadly, that turned out to be just when Congress closed all national parks. One day before they were to leave, parks were opened again so at least they got in one day. Bo likes gardening and they both like reading, especially “quality” mysteries. Their next trip will be to Quebec. This is because they are particularly fond of a Canadian mystery writer, Louise Penny, winner of Canada’s highest civilian award, the Order of Canada, for her writing. Many of her mysteries take place in Quebec very close to the Vermont line and her descriptions of the scenery and characters are so pleasant that they’d like to visit the areas she’s described in her mystery series. Recalling times at Wes U, Bo spoke fondly of the John Wesley Club and his interesting friends there. Unlike the fraternities, it did not have a kitchen so JWC members ate at Downey House or at different fraternities. He particularly favored EQV, both for the friends and food there.

Also living in Maryland (Trappe, Md., on the eastern shore) but appearing for the first time in our class column, Ted Passyn has retired from a career in real estate development. He specialized in building moderate-cost housing, first in Pennsylvania and for the last 33 years in Maryland. Ted met his wife Julia (Smith ’63) on a blind date at a party at Wes U on Valentine’s Day weekend 1960. They were introduced by Bruce Meinke ’62 and got married in February 1964. The rest is history. Included in that history are 10 children, ages 28–50 (23 degrees among them!) and 20 grandchildren. Ted told me that number was to change on his birthday, the day after we talked, as a 21st grandchild was to be induced. So then their ages then would stretch from 1 day–24 years. When the Passyns travel, it is generally to see their children and grandchildren who stretch across the South from St. Louis to New Orleans. While he does not know all their favorite colors, he can pretty well recognize them all. One year he went to 43 football games! (Go, CT Tigers and everyone else!) Ted served in the Army as a finance officer after he was married, rising to the rank of first lieutenant, while on active duty and making captain later in the reserves. At one point shortly after the Gulf of Tonkin, his unit was on alert to go to Vietnam for five months. In the end they never went, but he found that his time in the army was very broadening and a valuable addition to his education. He is a serious cook with a 10-burner commercial range and a serious wine cellar. He is also somewhat of a gardener and has had a wonderful sounding conservatory built with many beautiful flowers and palm trees, all of which opens onto a very large, lovely enclosed pond with a waterfall.

It is possible that Jon Hopkins has had a unique experience among our classmates. And that is, that in the summer of ’68, primarily due to the immediate threat of his being drafted, he left the country and moved to Canada and applied for permanent residency. The day after Canada accepted his application, in ’69, he got a letter from the US Attorney General indicting him as a draft dodger. He said his father backed his move but his mother was worried that their friends might “think he was a deserter.”Canadians had no such problems and were very accepting of him as in general they opposed the war. In ’77, one of the first things President Carter did was to pardon all draft dodgers. After graduating from Wes U, Jon was ABD in the University of Delaware graduate program in chemistry. Once in Canada, he enrolled in McGill in a master of science program but when money ran out, got a job teaching at the Herzing Institute (now Herzing College) in Montreal, where he lived since moving north. There he taught junior college level students right out of high school along with older students/workers returning to college to grow professionally. For much of his life in Montreal Jon also free-lanced as a computer programmer though he says while he was never a particularly good businessman, at least he was never broke. At Wes U he was a chemistry major and he’s retained an interest in science and enjoys following some websites like Science Daily and Slashdot, on which he finds interesting comments on computer matters. He also likes to read ancient history, really ancient history. A couple of recent reads were Thucydides’ History of the Peleponnesian War (431 BC) and an early 20th century book on the Middle Ages, which proved difficult, not for the subject matter but for the text, which was all in small print and worse, the voluminous footnotes in ever smaller print. Jon lives in an apartment in downtown Montreal and wonders in what other city could someone live so well and inexpensively? He subscribes to Montreal’s Sept.–May annual 12-concert series, and enjoys walking to the concert hall, stopping along the way for dinner at a delicious Chinese restaurant. He finds the Canadian comprehensive health and drug care programs “a godsend!” and scoffs at Canada being called “socialistic” due to its health care system. Even before enrolling at WesU as a freshman, he had heard of the John Wesley Club and intended to join it, which he did. In high school John had been one of the very best students. At WesU he found what many of us also found: pretty much everyone fell into that category. He played clarinet in our not-quite-world-famous football marching band and found the JWC experience “fantastic—we had great guys, very liberal, and got outside speakers to come for discussions at the JWC. Many, like Hanna Arendt, John Cage, and C.W. Snow were there in residence, but came for smaller discussions at JWC. However, I think Pete Seeger came just to JWC.” He recalled one incident when two guys who may not have been JWC members but were just rooming there would boil peyote and then partake of the resulting concoction and collapse in great mirth and laughter. So, someone substituted spinach for their peyote stash. They boiled it, partook and collapsed in great mirth and laughter, which just goes to show—those were the times, my friends…

BYRON S. MILLER | tigr10@optonline.net
5 Clapboard Hill Rd., Westport, CT 06880

Carl Crossman writes that his successful 1991 book, The Decorative Arts of the China Trade (published in 1991) is being translated into Chinese by the Commercial Press of Beijing, a distinguished press founded in 1897. He says the book had great reviews all over the world. He attended book openings in London, Hong Kong, New York, Boston, and Salem, and writes, “After several trips to the Orient over the past years I have to wonder if I would attend a book signing there.” The book is actually his second book on the subject. He says his 1972 book “had a great review in the New York Times, sold out in a month, went through three further editions, and was picked up by the Book of the Month Club, one of the few art books they ever did.” Addressing retirement, he said, “For an old Yankee whose family came over to New England in the 1630s, living in Florida was not what I had in mind.”

John Hazlehurst writes, “Just as I may have been the last of our class to join the reality-based community and get a job, I may be the last to retire.” He still is working as a full-time reporter and columnist for the Colorado Springs Business Journal and the Colorado Springs Independent. He reports that he and Karen have six kids, 18 grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter scattered around the globe—Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio, Kentucky, Las Vegas, and Tahiti. He says he keeps fit “with long bike rides through the high country, most recently the Copper Triangle, an 80-mile ride over four mountain passes.” He writes that he is looking forward to the 55th Reunion in 2017, and asks, “How did we get this old, anyway?”

Morrie Heckscher has retired from the Metropolitan Museum of Art after an illustrious career there of 45 years. However, they didn’t let him go completely. He is curator emeritus, with an office, and he says he’s involved in “a number of interesting ongoing projects.”

Dave Hedges and Ann moved from Canandaigua to Fairport, a suburb of Rochester, “to be closer to all the city has to offer,” with winters in Ft. Myers. A new knee was scheduled “to replace the one I originally injured playing freshman football at Wesleyan. Old age caught up with it.”

Jon Scheinman offered a Tweet-sized summary of “the whole picture since 1962”: “U. of Ill. MD, resident pediatrics and fellowship pediatric nephrology 1962–1971; academic pediatric nephrology, U. MN 1971–1983; Duke U. Medical Center 1983–1993; Virginia Commonwealth U. 1993–1999; tenured professor U. Kansas 1999–2009 (from which I was ‘proudly’ removed for whistleblower activities on behalf of faculty rights), and president KS Conference AAUP; took part time “Locum Tenens” physician substitute positions in pediatrics and pediatric nephrology 2009–2012 in ME, NC, NH, OR, VA, and WA); 70-plus publications and 20-plus chapters; Retired 2012, but continuing in intermittent telemedicine; other activities include gardens, very frequent tennis, extensive travels with partner Anita, visiting children and grandchildren in N.C. and Pa., and windsurfing in Outer Banks of N.C. from our house in Avon on Hatteras Island.”

DAVID FISKE | davidfiske17@gmail.com

A recent communication from Sandy McCurdy states: “I can report that Larry Wiberg is charging ahead in Denver, still doing medicine, still working at his Episcopal church, erecting fine memorials to his late and beloved wife, Katie, and visiting with me and Patsy in East Blue Hill, Maine, in the summers for a few days. I continue to breathe regularly and whack away as associate rector at St. David’s Church—the largest Episcopal parish in Pennsylvania and 10th nationally.”

Another “Sandy,” the wife of Pete Drayer, is included in a note from Pete: “Jon, I can report that my wife, Sandy, and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary. To add to my rather cryptic message, I continue to serve as a senior judge about 10 days a month.”

John Rogers and his wife, Carolyn, have moved from Greenwood, S.C., to an over-55 adult Del Webb community, Carolina Lakes. in Indian Land, S.C. He jokingly mentions that any classmates who understand early bed times and have limited memories of last week’s events are welcome.

Ed Knox and his wife, Huguette, continue to split their time between Middlebury and Paris, with an occasional visit to Tucson. They would be happy to catch up with classmates one place or another. Meanwhile, Ed continues to write about how Americans look at France, a topic that, he says, keeps on giving.

Bob Owens has been busy over the past few years. He writes: “My significant other and I went on a trip to Peru in October of 2013. Machu Picchu is amazing, as were several other places we went. I would never try to drive in any of the cities—chaos. I worked on trying to get people elected to the school board who would be more reasonable and accountable than the bunch that was in, but the Republican-backed slate won. Their attempt at instituting vouchers for mostly religious private schools will be reviewed by the Colorado Supreme Court in the coming months. Vouchers make no sense at all in this very wealthy county, which had an excellent school system until a few years ago. Good teachers and principals are leaving in alarming numbers. I continue volunteering for three hospice organizations, visiting elders with dementia, and working with grief groups for kids who have lost a loved one.”

Bob Patricelli says life is good! “Still working hard and enjoying it, plus four grandkids (including son Thomas ’88’s first just a few months ago). Still living on Folly Farm in Simsbury, Conn., but wife Maggie won the argument over buying a little winter getaway in San Jose, Calif. It’s a long commute but domestic harmony is restored.”

Glenn Hawkes revealed his interest in American education by highlighting the work of a fellow classmate: “Ed McClellan is another Wes-mate I’d love to have coffee with, as we’ve recently shared some thoughts via e-mail on progressive education, or the lack thereof, in America’s schools. While he was department chair of educational leadership at Indiana University, Ed had written a very fine historical survey, Moral Education in America (Columbia University, 1999). It ought to be required reading for anyone interested in how America has sought to shape the character of each new generation of citizens. My first born, T. Elijah Hawkes ’97, and I have done some writing together about failed education reforms—in the context of John Dewey’s progressive philosophy. (Miracles and Monstrosities: John Dewey the Fate of Progressive Education; Schools: Studies in Education, Spring 2013, U Chicago Press.)

“Late in ’13,” Glenn continues, “I had an opportunity to visit with Al Williams and meet his wife, Wendy, up from Maryland on some family business in the Boston area where I live. Al and I have corresponded a bit, but not seen one another for five decades. He’s in better shape than I—it must be from the mild winters down there in the DC area! I remain in touch with Bob Hausman, who keeps plenty busy swimming, playing basketball, and constructing snow castles with his grandson in the abundance of Minnesota snow and cold.

“Classmates, please know that my second home in Rwanda (where we stay from May to September) is open to anyone wanting to visit in that part of the world, where the Nile and the human species both have their origin, not to mention the mountain gorillas, and the amazing regeneration of a people who lost so many and so much in 1994. (e-mail me at wardbrook@yahoo.com; also see centersforsocialresponsibility.org.)”

Brad Beechen has retired again, this time from a five-year stint as an usher at Wrigley Field. “More time for golf and travel in the plan,” he explains, “Mary Jane and I will drive to Louisville in late May to visit Vicki and June Prince, and to renew an annual golf-trophy competition that began in 1989. We’re grateful every day for continuing good health; 75’s not so bad at all.”

Phil Rodd is still working at a second career as travel director for an international travel company. Last year he took tourists to see the sights in locations as far flung as San Diego to Bar Harbor, Maine. “Yellowstone is still my favorite spot to visit…I encourage all of you out there to see it at least once.”

Russell Robertson wrote: “Had a nice lunch with Ernie Marino about a month ago. Great discussion re: value of a Wesleyan education, our shared participation on the football team our senior year, and when we were roommates at Penn Dental School in 1962. Arthritis is limiting my trekking efforts and will end with a trip to Slovenia and Bhutan. Biking, strangely enough, does not bother my knees too much—hope to participate in the Mass. Challenge—Jimmy Fund event this August.” As a side note, Russ adds: “In the early 1980s I removed a large cancer of the parotid gland in a 10-year-old boy. The five-year survival for such a tumor is pretty grim. Today he is 45, has three kids, and is a successful IT person! I plan to be next to him at the Mass. Challenge in August.

To all classmates who have kindly submitted messages to your class secretary, please be patient, keep tuned, and your generous words will eventually be published. To all others, start tapping those computer keys!

Jon K. Magendanz, DDS | jon@magendanz.com

I read the notification in the most recent Wesleyan magazine that Rudy Kalin died on Aug. 16, 2011. Rudy initially came to Wesleyan from Switzerland as an exchange student. He served as a faculty member in psychology at Queens University in Canada for 33 years, which included 10 years as department head. He enjoyed playing golf in his retirement. He is survived by his wife, Jane, of 45 years, three sons and their spouses, and four grandchildren. On behalf of the Class of 1960, I offer our belated condolences to his family and friends.

Jay Levy was invited to be the keynote speaker at the annual science retreat at Wesleyan on Sept. 18, 2014. He reviewed the history of AIDS from discovery to future challenges. In addition, he met with students to discuss science as a career.

Congratulations to Dave Major, who received a Fulbright Scholar award to teach and do research at the University of Helsinki, Finland, for two months in each of the fall terms of 2014 and 2015. Dave’s research will focus on urban adaptation to climate change, especially in small- and medium-sized coastal cities.

Rob Mortimer wrote the following: “Mimi and I have been doing some academic tourism of late. Last fall (2013), we were in Algeria to attend a conference on the Algerian writer Assia Djebar at the University Mouloud Mammeri in Tizi Ouzou. The university is named for another Algerian author who was born not far from there in the Berber Kabyle region of the country. We knew Mammeri, who was an activist in the movement to celebrate Berber culture, from our days as grad students in Algeria in the 1960s, and we remain in touch with his widow and children. Then this past spring we traveled to the other end of the continent to give some talks at the University of Pretoria. Once a bastion of apartheid, the university now is a true rainbow institution celebrating South Africa’s diversity. We also spent some time at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and, of course, visited Mandela’s former home in Soweto, now a prime tourist attraction. We had been in South Africa in the early 1990s right after the release of Mandela from prison during the period that our daughter Amy ’87 was a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho. South Africa has come a long way since then but much remains to be done. We spend a fair amount of time in France as well, thanks to a house exchange that we do with a French couple. Indeed, we have seen Charlie Smith and Bruce Dow in Paris over the past few years, and would always be happy to see other classmates who might be passing through that great city.”

Paul Tractenberg edited the recently published Courting Justice: 10 New Jersey Cases That Shook the Nation (Rutgers University Press, 2013). In addition, he wrote the introduction and one of the chapters. He is spending his sabbatical year working on a comparative study of public education reform processes in Ontario, Israel, and Finland, where he was appointed as a visiting professorial scholar at the law and education schools of the University of Toronto, Tel Aviv and Haifa Universities, and University of Helsinki, respectively.

SAL RUSSO | salandjudy@hotmail.com

Walt Odets sends, “Hello and good wishes from San Francisco.”

Jerry Martin is “depressed by the approach of his 50th high school reunion. Will probably retire and join the ultra senior golf tour. Until then, Milton, Melville, and Shakespeare inform my life.”

John Mihalec is back from two weeks in Vietnam. “Saw Bridges of Madison County, a new Jeff Richards’ musical.”

Ed Hayes remembers Brad Rainer “as a wonderful guy, with a ready smile and zest for life, who loved music and was always the first to know the newest great sound. My focus on anti-gun violence activities, particularly the Yellow Tape Project. We hosted the cyclists from Sandy Hook.”

Bill Sketchley writes, “Too many people dying too young. Brad and I were in high school together. Even 75 is young for a man. Have a new wheelchair mini-van and a great massage therapist. Life is looking up. No complaints, plugging along, and glad to be in warm weather with great neighbors.”

Paul Melrose says, “Looking forward to our 50th. Had dinner with Wendy and Fred Coleman in Madison, Wis., which is likely to be our retirement home.”

Steve Broker is “deeply saddened by Brad’s death. Kind, generous, great contributor of time and energy to Wes. Led an exemplary professional and personal life. I looked forward to seeing him at Reunions.”

Tony Mohr writes, “Brad and I worked on the Argus together. A good man. I try lots of cases in Superior Court, am vice chair of the Ethics Committee of CA Judges Association, and teach civil procedure at Southwestern University Law School.”

Rip Hoffman says, “I roomed with Brad second half of freshman year. Met his family one Thanksgiving. Really good guy—we reconnected at the 40th. I’ve retired to Westport and do some church consulting. Saw Fred Coleman at a YMCA conference in Silver Bay, N.Y. We agreed we both look great for our age.”

From John Wilson, “All is well—knock on wood.”

John Bach is “Friend in Residence at Friends Meeting in Cambridge and the Quaker chaplain at Harvard.”

Ron Reisner “attended two Wesleyan basketball games this season. In November I was at the Herb Kenny Tourney with Dick Emerson ’68, Pat Dwyer ’67, and Steve Knox. In November I caught the game at Baruch College. The team, young and energetic, lacked outside shooting, but will be better next season. The ’60s Dekes are supporting Coach Reilly’s excellent basketball program. At the June golf outing, we should have Emerson, Dwyer, Knox, Pat Kelly, Jack Sitarz, Fran Spadola, Bob Woods ’70, Andy Gregor ’70, and Craig Masterson ’70. The spirit of the Wesleyan athletic program is phenomenal; remember the Little Three football title this past fall. The facilities are far advanced over our era, and the university feels alive, thriving, and well worth the visit.”

From Mike Fairchild, “I’m active in photography and video production. Susie is in several dance troupes. Son Scott ’00 helps run the League of Conservation Voters in DC. Daughter Marnie, U–Vermont, is assistant to the deputy director of Amnesty International. I did a two-week trip with Scott to Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, and Varanasi. Marnie had spent time there in college. We saw the school she attended and met her host family. I learned a lot about Indian culture and history and will produce an AV of our journey.”

Peter Arenella writes, “After teaching law from 1975–2013, at Rutgers, Penn, BU, and UCLA, I retired. With three daughters in school, I needed more money than law professors are paid. I play the stock market to pay for their educations. My wife is a certified court interpreter who also does medical and psychiatric interpreting. If I ever really retire, I will write a novel based on my wife’s life, how love and family can transcend whatever obstacles and tragedies life offers.”

Doug Bell is “reminded it is a short stay. May we all look back and reflect that we lived as kind, generous, and productive a life as Brad. We continue raising investments for our Grasslands Fund and will acquire a fourth Uruguayan farm this summer. Carolyn is busy with Pilates and presented at the South American Pilates Conference in Buenos Aires. Daughter Jessica is about an hour away as assistant director of student affairs at the 45K student U. of South Florida. I remain close to Curt Allen ’71 and correspond with Harry Nothacker and Steve Smith, a Kauai boy doing forestry there. All blessings, Godspeed.”

Darius Brubeck, Matt Ridley, Wesley Gibbens, and Dave O’Higgins are the Darius Brubeck Quartet, just back from South Africa, now touring England with a show, “Jazzlands.” The concerts include hits from the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which globalized jazz in the 1950s.

Peter Jones says, “For those at Wes during the munchies-enhanced ’60s, O’Rourke’s steamed cheeseburgers were an icon. Cookscountry.com has a recipe for this ultimate burger.”

Peter Pfeiffer writes, “Time is taking its toll on our class. After 40 years of logging Maine’s woods, I’m publishing a book next fall. Hard Chance: Tree Farming in Troubled Times explains my occupation. Maine Authors Publishing is the publisher. A related video will be on Kickstarter. I’m looking at four feet of snow, sub-zero temperatures. Yikes! Starting to get nervous.”

Jim Adkins still doctors halfdays and plays trombone at night. “Will be at adult band camp during Reunion and later see Bob Kayser and Mike Fink, former roomies. First grandson born, total now three.”

Jeff Richards writes, “Peter Cunningham, Richard Lopatin ’70, former roommate Pete Michaelson ’71, Todd Jick ’71, President Michael Roth ’78, and Teddy Kennedy, Jr. ’83, came to opening of All the Way. Then Blithe Spirit opened in London. April saw The Realistic Joneses in New York. I think I like my work.”

April 1st. Snowing. Had snow on the ground forever. Daughters moved—Annie to Yardley, Pa., Liz to Chapin, S.C. We would like to live closer to them. We’re gathering Deb’s short stories for publication. I’ve cleaned the barn to re-open the art gallery. Our doors are always open to classmates.

CHArLIE FARROW |charlesfarrow@comcast.net
1 Cold Spring Rd., East Haddam, CT 06423

Johns Hopkins University Press published Cut These Words into My Stone: Ancient Greek Epitaphs, translated by our own Michael Wolfe who has been flying high but, until now, under the radar of yours truly. A little research revealed he has focused largely on bringing an understanding of his Muslim faith to a wider audience. Highlights include a string of publications (novels, essays, travel accounts, and verse) and writing awards; founding and operating a publishing company; co-founding an educational media company; producing a number of documentaries for PBS, some of which were broadcast world-wide through National Geographic International; hundreds of interviews for regional and national radio and television broadcast; and hosting a show on Nightline that was nominated for an Emmy and a Peabody. Based just east of Monterey in San Juan Bautista, Michael has traveled throughout Africa, taught at Andover and Exeter, and lectured at schools like Harvard and Stanford.

Ray Solomon, dean of the Rutgers School of Law­–Camden, has been named to the newly created role of provost for the Camden campus. Under his leadership as dean (in which role he will continue to serve), the school opened a $37 million classroom building and greatly expanded its clinical and pro bono legal programs. His wife, Carol Avins, is an emerita professor of Slavic Literature at Rutgers. Their older daughter, Claire, is working for a small foundation in New York that funds innovative Jewish educational projects and their younger daughter, Jess, is traveling during a gap year before starting Goucher College.

Ray was also kind enough to tell me more about “the Gardner Open”—a golf fellowship of Ted Ahern, Dave Gruol, Pete Hardin, Jacques LeGette, Steve Horvat, Craig Dodd, Dick Emerson and Ray, which has been playing for three or four days each July since 1968. Named after their first venue in Massachusetts, they have been playing with a steadily increasing membership at rotating locations up and down the East Coast. From all points on the campus: Pete, Dave, Jacques, and Steve were all on the baseball team; Craig, Pete, and Ray were all on the same floor of Hewitt 9; and, Ted and Pete were classics majors. Steve retired after many years as general counsel of a life insurance company in Chicago and now lives in South Carolina. Pete retired from the Air Force and then taught classics in Newport News, Va., from which he is now retired. Ted recently retired from the Classics Department at Boston College, which he chaired for many years. Jacques works in Atlanta with an architectural firm as a project manager. Craig has been practicing matrimonial law for many years in north Jersey. Dave lives near Craig and is a photographer. Dick is an attorney in Danbury.

While I knew Tim Polk at Wes, it was not until I moved to New Haven to attend divinity school that we became close. A couple of years ahead of me at divinity school and a lot smarter, he would school me in theology during the week and in football on Saturdays at the Yale Bowl. Thus, it is with a note of particular sadness that I learned from his wife, Lucy, that Tim’s early-onset Alzheimer’s has progressed to the point that he needed to go into a nursing home to meet his needs.

I heard from Lynn Coe ’69 who recently retired after practicing law for 41 years first in Seattle, then in Chicago, and finally in Boston doing municipal bonds for healthcare organizations. He was with Jones Day, a huge international firm, since 1996. Self-described as “one of Hoy’s Boys outliers, married to a Smithy for 45 years; two sons: one a doctor (Dartmouth ’00, Yale Med ’06) and the other a lawyer (Wes ’06 and Kent Law ’11). Likes to hunt, fish and travel;” politically conservative; and happy to see Wes win some football games.

I must tell you belatedly that Robert Blake died of a heart attack as he returned from his daily jog on Feb. 9, 2013. Clearly one of those fascinating classmates I should have known but did not, I will excerpt from his Washington Post obituary: He moved to India when he was 11, to Tehran, and back to India for high school. He earned a PhD in economics from Michigan and moved to the DC area, working for the U.S. Treasury in various international affairs departments for 15 years before taking a job as a development economist at The World Bank. He concentrated on Africa, a continent that he grew to love deeply. (Bob believed economic development was pretty simple: empower women.) Following postings in Cameroon, Uganda, and Madagascar, he retired to Arlington, Va., in 2009. Survived by his wife, Claudia, of 44 years, he discovered the joy of child development in retirement, spending a great deal of time with his grandchildren.

Locally: Judy and I moved out of New Haven two years ago to Branford, a nearby town on the shoreline. Since then, I have discovered one of the town’s features/leading citizens are Chris and Gary Wanerka ’62. Gary is a most amiable and legendary pediatrician who specializes in allergies. They live in the woods on the other side of town and he is now working just enough to underwrite their vice—worldwide travel.

I have been teaching young men at a maximum-security prison for almost 10 years. But, in the fall, I was put back into a classroom with 16 feisty felons after tutoring the past few years, and that change in assignment put things outside my comfort zone. So I packed it in. (After which, I sat down with my financial planner to see if I could afford to retire.) I have no grand plan and know I need to think about reinventing myself. But for now I am on my stationary bike most days, went off to Costa Rica with dear friends, reading a lot, and marveling at having all day every day be mine.

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

I used Wesconnect to send an e-blast to all members of the class for whom Wesleyan has an e-mail, asking for info. In that e-mail I also asked what event remains most vivid in your memories. I mentioned that a vivid memory for me was learning about JFK’s assassination (I was in Downey House). The responses have been fascinating—some brief, some detailed.

Not surprisingly, Kennedy’s assassination was also a vivid memory for many of those who responded. Mike Feagley remembered learning about Kennedy in the following way: “When someone on campus told me in my third month at Wesleyan that ‘the president has been shot,’ I wondered at first why anyone would attack Vic Butterfield. I got a bit less stupid as time went on and Les Gelb broadened my perspective.”

George McKechnie wrote this about the assassination: “The JFK assassination was a turning point in my life. I heard the news while dissecting a fetal pig for freshman biology. My fantasies of becoming a surgeon were quickly deflated, and I began to think about studying human motivation and personality—which I later did.”

Dave Garrison put the death of JFK in the larger framework of the five years he spent getting his Wesleyan degree: “My graduation was delayed by my year abroad in Spain. JFK was killed in the fall of my first year, then Martin Luther King in the spring of my last year, and RFK two days before my graduation. The speaker was Leonard Bernstein, who was a close friend of the Kennedy family, and he was grief stricken. Having my college years bracketed by assassinations left me, even at that age, with a sense of the fragility of life.”

Brian Sichol wrote: “Certainly JFK’s death. Got in a car and attended the funeral with Cliff Arnebeck, John Murdock, and Dave Cadbury. A moment in history.”

For a few who wrote, the moment in history they recalled had to do with Wesleyan football. As Mike Klein put it, “winning the Little Three football title in 1966 was Incredible.” Andy Barada was more specific: “One memory was being at Williams for a historic football victory! I have a splinter from there somewhere in the house. If my memory serves me correctly, our mutual friend, Ollie Hickel, caught the winning TD pass.”

Jeff Hicks did not refer to a historical football moment, but wrote about a more recent encounter he had with the football team in November 2013 (the team was on its way to winning the Little Three): “Was asked to give a talk to alumni, students, and athletes about the ‘pursuit of Excellence in Learning’ and how students differ now in terms of learning skills. This lecture was initiated by Mike Whalen, current football coach, and a person who, along with President Roth, has changed the culture regarding athletes and athletic success at Wesleyan. I had the opportunity to address the football team at their new practice field and both my brother (Peter ’72) and I spent the evening at dinner with Coach Whalen and Riley discussing the successes they were enjoying. Most importantly, the next day at the football game, which 6–7,000 people attended, was an incredible display of Wesleyan pride, spirit, and pure joy in being together watching history being made. The field behind the stadium was filled with cars, tents, venues serving food, drink, and selling Wesleyan wear for all in attendance. The crowd was passionately committed to Wesleyan and hopes that continued success with support will follow. Great to see some of the old boys at the DKE house and all the incredible facilities that the students today have at their disposal.”

Bill Vetter recalled working with Upward Bound students during the summer after his junior year, and described some memorable moments, including the following: “One Saturday, we took about six cars and drove to the mountains in New Hampshire. In my car, about four of them were in the back of the station wagon playing poker, trying to look bored. We finally got to the park where we could ‘climb’ the mountain, really just a couple of miles hike up a path, but up above tree line where the views were spectacular. The kids said they didn’t want to take the hike. They preferred staying in the car playing poker. The man who ran the program (sorry I don’t remember his name after 48 years) said, ‘Fine. Out of the car.’ He locked it, and the rest of us started up. Grumbling and griping, the reluctant four trudged on. As we got higher, the trees started to thin out, and one could sometimes glimpse a distant vista. The reluctant ones started to get excited. The higher we went, the faster they climbed. At the end, they literally ran up the path, jumping and shouting about how great it was. The memory of seeing them experience something so freshly has never left me. I learned a lot more that summer—about the poorer parts of Middletown down near the river; about government programs; about kids whose exposure was so small that they had never been to either Boston or New York City. It lifted me upward, I’m sure.”

And Bob Callahan sent a number of vivid memories. Here’s one of them: “One from my freshman year stands out as the metaphor for Wesleyan during the Butterfield years: I was passing the Chapel and heard beautiful organ music. I went inside that dark and welcoming sanctuary and was there alone, listening to E. Power Biggs practice in advance of a concert. A kind woman came in and sat with me, kind of amazed that a student would be inside the chapel on a gorgeous day, one that called for frisbee, touch football, or softball. We had a nice chat and then she invited me to visit her at home. It was Kay Butterfield, the president’s wife, and I visited with her and the president for an afternoon. Where else does that kind of thing happen?”

There’s more, including some news about those who wrote, but Bob’s question, “Where else does that kind of thing happen?” seems like a good place to end for now. More next time.

Richie Zweigenhaft | rzweigen@guilford.edu

Aloha all. Hope summer is treating you well. First, our apologies for not recognizing sooner the passing of our classmates Guntis (Gus) Lemesis and Jon Mekeel last year. Our thoughts go out to both familes. Gus with his wife Susan lived in Alpharetta, Ga., where he served as vice president for Scientific Atlantic, Inc. At Wes, Gus was a member of Alpha Delt and very active in things music as well as basketball, baseball, and cross-country. Jon made his home in Essex Fells, N.J.

Wes alums continue to do great things. I regularly see Bill Tam ’70 who serves as our state’s water tsar within the State Department of Land and Natural Resources. He also sits on the board of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, which is planning a epic around-the-world voyage in two fashioned Polynesian double-hulled sailing vessels to call attention to the importance of our oceans and their resources. One of these canoes, Hokule`a, has sailed across the Pacific from the U.S. continental West Coast, to Alaska, Japan, and throughout the Pacific over the past 35 years and is a legend among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and Native Americans/Alaska natives. You will be able to track these canoes and their sail on hokulea.org/world-wide-voyage. They left on this four-year voyage on May 17th; first stop, Tahiti. School children around the world are following this effort and so can all of you seventinarians; it’s never too late!

By now you all know that we took the Little Three Championship in football last season. Well, folks, we’ve just taken the Time Magazine’s Little Three Challenge as well! In the April 7, 2014, edition of Time (page 8), the magazine ranks graduates from “hundreds of schools” in terms of the relative influence of their alumni (I would guess ‘in the world’). The results:

Wesleyan vs. Amherst: Wesleyan alums are 1.11 times more influential than Amherst alums (56.5 compared to 50.8)

Wesleyan vs. Williams: Wesleyan alums are 2.03 times more influential than Williams alums (56.5 compared to 27.8)

If you want to do more comparisons go online: time.com/collegerankings

Finally, I know, classmates, you are out there and doing good things. Please let us know what these things are and drop me an e-mail or a card. I have a new e-mail, having recently joined the ranks of those of you with expanding “honey-do” lists after retirement. Our final thought proverb comes from the Cook Islands:

Ko te kata te vaerakau putuputu o te kopapa. Laughter is the constant medicine of the body. Let us all take this to heart and get at least one good laugh in every day. A plea for news…I know all of us are moving towards the big “R” (retirement), if we’re not already there. Please let us know what you are doing or plan to do (besides joining us all for the 50th in a few years. We need your thoughts to augment our ‘honey-do’ lists…e-mail me.

Hardy Spoehr | hspoehr7@gmail.com
1833 Vancouver place, honolulu, hawai’i, 96822
808/944 8601

One of the benefits of living in Connecticut is being able visit our beloved campus on a regular basis. That was the case on a beautiful day in early April when I watched the Cardinal baseball team beat Williams 4-1. (The next day Wesleyan traveled to Williamstown and swept the Ephs 7-2 and 12-2.) During the game in Middletown, I had the pleasure of chatting with head football coach and athletic director Mike Whalen ’83, and head baseball coach Mark Woodworth ’94 (and his lovely wife, Robin ’97). Both Mike and Mark are doing a superb job, but always need our help in letting them know of outstanding student-athletes in our communities for whom Wesleyan would be a good fit. No need to do any recruiting: just give them a name and they’ll take it from there.

At the game also had a good chat with fellow Deke Pat Dwyer ’67. Pat was a standout football and baseball player and was the first of three brothers to graduate from Wesleyan, the other two being Kevin ’68 and Tom ’72. Pat’s son, Dan, didn’t get the memo and ended up at Williams where he was an outstanding quarterback, golfer, and student. Dan now practices law with his father and Pat proudly proclaims, “I now work for him!”

John Dunton sent a great holiday letter. Here are a few excerpts: “2013 included a lot of family and travel. To escape the cold winter we traveled to Belize and Guatemala on a small ship tour, visiting Mayan ruins, snorkeling and touring the countryside. Later, we gathered with two sons, their wives and five of the grandchildren and went skiing in New Hampshire, a gift of my mother to the family.

“Our 1973 Volvo 164 was driven to two Concours d’Elegance shows. Our second Concours appearance was at a very prestigious show in Saratoga, N.Y. We were surprised she was accepted: ‘Lucille’ was really out of her class; to the left was a 1952 Jaguar roadster and to the right was an Aston-Martin DB4, collectively worth perhaps $600,000, but she showed well and had many admirers. She also won ‘People’s Choice’ in class for the second time in three years at a Boston show.

“We took a 10-day trip to Memphis, Tenn., and saw Elvis Presley’s house (Graceland); Sun Studio where Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison got their start, and Stax soul music museum, a very interesting place to visit. We then went to Little Rock, Ark., and visited with the drummer in my band (yes, you can find YouTube clips by searching Gary and The Wombats; we were filmed at the 50th reunion of the band). In Bentonville, Ark., we visited the spectacular Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and we also visited Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs—a simple but elegant wood-and-glass place of great beauty, peace and serenity. Christmas found us along the Main River on a river­boat cruise from Frankfurt to Nuremberg.

“For Carol it was another year of work; somewhere in the future she will agree to retire. I continue to work as well; Carol’s singing continued, with participation in concert performances with several groups, including singing the Canadian and American national anthems at Fenway Park.

“We’re looking forward to meeting more friends and experiencing more travel in 2014. Our big trip will be a boat journey which the tour company calls ‘In the Wake of the Vikings’ from Copenhagen to the islands off the coast of Scotland. We will then tour Scotland.”

For a great article by Steve Badanes on the value of his Wesleyan education, click on “This is Why” on the Wesleyan home page, and scroll down until you see his Fremont Troll. Wesleyan invites each of us to write a paragraph or two on why Wesleyan was important in our lives—something to consider!

Steve Rhinesmith has his own company and is also senior adviser at Mercer Leadership Development in Chatham, Mass., a firm specializing in professional training and coaching. Steve earned his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh and has been a leadership consultant with numerous major companies around the world. He is the author or co-author of four books and 30 articles on leadership development. Steve has many years of senior international management experience, including 15 as president of the AFS International Student Exchange Program and Holland America Cruise Lines. He also served for 10 years as a senior leadership consultant to the World Bank and was President Reagan’s coordinator for U.S.-Soviet Exchanges with the rank of U.S. Ambassador.

Bill Trapp (and wife Marilyn)—Wesleyan’s greatest baseball fans—recently went from their home in West Hills, Calif., to Tucson to watch the Cards play four games during their Arizona spring training trip. Bill’s still a top producer at his insurance agency, but finds time for golf and even plans to play in the alumni game at Wesleyan in May. At that time, the college will be honoring the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, including Jeff Hopkins ’66. Jeff was an outstanding baseball and football player and was drafted by the New York Yankees.

Finally, had an exchange of e-mails with Tom Elliman (The Aleman) around a recent speech in Portland, Maine, by Morrie Heckscher ’62, chairman/curator of the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. Morrie’s keynote address (a big success), was part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of Greater Portland Landmarks, a nonprofit of which Tom is a trustee. Tom noted that “as students of Art Professor Sam Green, Morrie and I were joined by Paul Stevens ’59, a local architect and great­grandson of John Calvin Stevens, a nationally known architect.”

Asked Tom about his career and life and he replied: “I retired from Ford Motor Co. (Ford racing program—12 years) in 2006 and by October, Betsy and I had left Detroit in a 20’ RV for a trip around the perimeter of the country. Seven months and 17,000 miles later we landed back in Maine which was our target. Along the way, at church in Santa Barbara I accidentally re-connected with Denny Bacon ’68, whom I had not seen since Commons Club days nearly 40 years earlier. Anyway, we bought a house overlooking Portland Harbor and immersed ourselves in a community we had lived outside of in the ’70s and ’80s. Much different being in an exciting small city. Tons going on, and we have tapped into most of it. My major focus has been Greater Portland Landmarks (and related preservation activities), where I am scheduled to become board chairman in the fall. Lots of Wesleyan folks around here, as you can imagine. In fact we have a Commons Club mini-reunion here each year around Labor Day. Our two girls both live along the Connecticut shore and we have four grandchildren whom we see as often as possible. We love to travel, and since moving back have visited Italy, Australia, Scotland, Israel, and Russia. Plus we like to hang out in Key West, too. Looking forward to our 50th!

Chuck Hearey writes: “Living in Orinda, Calif., and working full-time as chief-of-pediatrics at the area Kaiser-Permanente facility. I thoroughly enjoy my practice and administrative work. We have accomplished a lot in setting quality care and access standards and increasingly are being looked upon as a national model for health care delivery. I was also appointed to the medical advisory committee for the statewide California Interscholastic Federation, which oversees high school athletics…. Had my second knee replaced and feel great—even have enjoyed playing some doubles and light skiing. Two of our three children (Ray, child psychiatrist, and Katy, marketing/architect) have moved back to California with their spouses and live nearby. Sarah works in fashion design in New York City. Dede is still working part-time in school law, and we are enjoying our three darling grandchildren.”

PHILIP L. ROCKWELL | prockwell@wesleyan.edu 860/693-1832