Class Notes

Gentlemen of ’54: Thanks for prompt responses from eight stalwarts as we approach our 65th next year . . . Here’s what you told me: John Binswanger is doing OK, plus a lot of traveling—recently to Australia, the Bahamas, and Aspen. John’s company has been reorganized with a minority interest going to the sales staff. John’s been retired for nine years, but still goes into the office four days a week.

Bud Johnson and Lynn have three grandkids out of college, four still in, and one being teed up. Bud’s Navy pilot memoirs (unclassified version) were published in June. Their “reward” was a Baltic cruise to seven countries, then London.

Rod O’Connor writes that at 85 he’s finally stopped actively working and has given up his longstanding passion for golf—so as to be able to spend more time at their house in Aiken, S.C. Rod’s two daughters and four grandchildren are planning a major Thanksgiving fiesta there with 20 relatives from around the country.

Chuck Davis proudly reports that his granddaughter, Caroline, was a member of the U.S. Women’s World Junior Ultimate Frisbee Team that was undefeated in the championship games played in Waterloo, Ontario, in August. Caroline attends Dartmouth.

Ken Davenny has recently been through the flu, two types of pneumonia, and heart failure! His heart has been repaired, and Ken is now undergoing a lengthy rehab process, and, he writes, “I seem to be recovering well.” Go, Ken!

Jeff Lockhart’s two youngest granddaughters are at college in the Carolinas—one at Chapel Hill, the other at the College of Charleston. Both had mini vacations during Hurricane Florence.

Jules Schwaber and Evelyne, at this writing, are staying in Israel, in an apartment near two of their married sons and eight of their 10 grandchildren. Jules, who has been retired from medical practice since 2012, sends his best wishes to all his former classmates and their loved ones.

Lenny Stolba is still wandering around his refuge: 1.6 acres with seven structures, two horses, one pony, one dog, and a box turtle. His kids, grandkids, and one great-grandchild are all healthy. Len send cheers to all “WESU remainers.”

Finally, very sorry to report the passing of Bob Schnuer this summer.

Your scribe, Bob Carey, has been busy in Greenwich with volunteer work, which includes driving for Call-A-Ride as well as Meals-on-Wheels, and manning the phones at Community Answers. That’s it, guys. The 65th is practically upon us. Get ready!

Best to all,

BOB CAREY | popscarey@gmail.com
618 W. Lyon Farm Dr., Greenwich, CT 06831 | 203/532-1745

Response to our 65th Reunion continues. Sidney Alexander is disappointed to have missed, because he was not informed by mail. Unfortunately, I do not believe mail notices were sent: all was online, thereby missing some. Sid, a cardiologist, sees patients at the Lahey Clinic, teaches, and finds time for a little clinical research.

Clapham “Cope” Murray continues his acting career playing a senile old man in a wheelchair during the summer season. Cope lives with his son, his wife having passed away a few years ago.

In addition to spending time with his children, Eileen ’79 and Mike ’81, Jerry Patrick serves on two nonprofit boards and corresponds with Jim Waters ’52, who lives in Florida. Jerry planned to visit Cope in September followed by skippering bareboat a 44-foot sloop off the Maine coast. He is building an elaborate model of a 5th century B.C. Greek trireme used in the Persian War and he is also writing short stories.

George Anderson called, seeking a contact for Warren Eastman, our past class agent (which I do not have since he moved to Connecticut). George and his wife, Rue, of seven years, live in Savannah, Ga., as does Homer Eckerson, who sent me a message from Japan in August, where he was on a family vacation. After an aorta aneurysm four years ago, George has recovered sufficiently to shoot his age on the golf course—86. He finds water aerobics preferable to the gym.

Rev. Edward White checked in from D.C., stating he was fine, with a wife, five children, and 12 grandchildren—all doing well.

James Dutcher Griffis, a native of Troy, N.Y., a DKE, passed away July 6, 2018, in The Woodlands, Texas, where he had been living since his mobility decreased. He is survived by his son, four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and a sister.

Erik Sprague Taylor, born in Tientsin, China, a math major, and a Sigma Nu, died Nov. 27, 2017, in Denver, Colo. A long-term employee of the Colorado National Bank of Denver, he served as trust officer and head of the trust department. Active in the community he enjoyed hiking, backpacking, skiing, and especially his cabin in South Park. He is survived by his wife, Frances, three children, four grandchildren, a sister, and a brother.

Condolences to the families of Jim and Erik.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com
306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918/335-0081 

I had the pleasure of attending the 2018 Reunion weekend on June 26 with my wife, Barbara, hoping to enjoy an out-of-sync reunion with several of our classmates who indicated such a desire but they were no-shows so we had a pleasant time chatting with several representatives of the university at the post 50th Reunion lunch.

As is becoming usual, I have more sad news to report. Two of our classmates, Rev. Dr. Kenneth Warwick Taylor and William Ashley Morrill, died. Dwight Herrmann (my first roommate at Harriman Hall in 1949) wrote that Leslye, his wife of 56 years, passed away on May 30, leaving four daughters who were on watch with him. Leslye and Dwight attended our 65th Reunion in June 2017 and we extend our sincere condolences to Dwight and his family and the families of Ken and Bill.

Ken, 88, a leader in advancing LGBTQ rights within the United Church of Christ in Connecticut and nationally, passed away peacefully at Seabury hospice on Aug. 11, survived by Jo Anne, his wife of 66 years, along with his daughter, Janet, his sons David, Mark, Gregory, and Andrew and their families, including 11 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter, who were the joys of his life. Ken was born in 1929 at Women’s Lying-in Hospital in NYC, although he preferred to say he was born at Yankee Stadium. He married Jo Anne at the Wesleyan Chapel the day after graduation. He received a master of divinity degree from Virginia Seminary in 1957 followed by a doctorate of ministry, conferred by Hartford Seminary in 1978.

Bill, 88, died on July 25, at his home in Pennswood Village, Newtown, Pa., survived by his wife, Nancy Porter, and four daughters; Margaret, Carolyn, Elizabeth, and Janet, their spouses, seven grandchildren, and two great- grandchildren. After graduating from Wesleyan, Bill got his master’s in public administration in 1953 from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. He began his over 60-year career in public service in 1953, holding many influential positions. Bill was a true Renaissance man: wine enthusiast, accomplished cook, self-taught guitar player, author of illustrated travel journals, aspiring tennis player, impressive poet, singer of all Methodist hymns by number, and consummate workaholic.

More sad but uplifting news from Duncan Nelson, who included the following poem:

On hospice now, but no matter

Amidst whatever idle chatter

I might manage to have with you

I’m proud to be Class of ’52-

ln ‘48 a Harriman Haller:

If I had a dollar for each stair

I climbed I’d be a trillionaire,

Which I already am, having cast my lot

In with guys who helped me hit the jackpot

Of eight children and then the God’s plenty

Of grandchildren now numbering twenty

Upon whom the bard places reliance

On the ways they are using hard science

To bring about—and do so pro tem—

The much needed New Jerusalem!

Frank LaBella reported that he and Arlyne, both Middletowners, married on July 26, 1952, starting off at Vets Village during his MA studies at Wesleyan, and then Mudville (more barracks) at Emory in Atlanta, where he got his PhD. After various residences in Winnipeg, including a horse farm for 25 years, they are now in a senior residence. All his children—Jennifer, Michael, and Lisa, and granddaughter, Chloe—live in Winnipeg, which makes life very enjoyable. He is a professor emeritus at Manitoba University, still doing research and publishing.

Barbara and I spent an enjoyable two weeks in London, Paris, and cruising the Mediterranean, although (as a still practicing real estate attorney) she spent a lot of time working on two complicated transactions, despite the time change and difficult e-mail and phone connections.

My best wishes to all of you, and send me some news for the next edition!

Joseph N. Friedman  | jfriedman@regalnyc.com
400 East 56th Street, Apt. 28LM, New York, NY 10022 | 917/715-8881

Frank McCathran is living in a small subdivision in Germantown, Md., and he writes that one of his neighbors was originally from Uzbekistan.

Herb Lessow is doing well in retirement living in New York City.

Charlie Selig is enjoying a “wonderful lifestyle in Boca Raton, Fla. Truly one of the most beautiful spots in the country.”

Frank Hassell moved to his retirement home in Sarasota, Fla. He has become unable to travel, but his children and their families come to visit. At Wesleyan, he and his wife, Marjorie, and two sons had lived off-campus, sponsored by family and the G.I. Bill.

I have to report the death of Bill Steele in St. Louis. Until his final illness, he’d been very active, enjoying hiking, biking, and playing ping pong. He enjoyed kayaking, too. He never lost his sense of humor and ready smile. Following a memorial service, his ashes were scattered in the river he used to kayak.

David McMillan passed away late this spring, four days after the death of his wife, Margaret. He’d had a long and influential career in Delaware banking, serving as president and chief operating officer at the Bank of Delaware before his retirement. He was also the president of the YMCA of Delaware and held several high offices in the Episcopal church.

DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com
43 Cannon Street, Cranston, RI 02920-7620

Cliff Milner wrote, “Just reached 90 and am continually grateful for my good fortune with my good health. This despite my frequent visits to a wide variety of doctors! Keeping busy with many different things has been my secret. This is the third year I have taken a two-week cruise to somewhere. First, I did the Viking Cruise of the Danube and Rhine. Last year it was Norway and this June I hit my 50th state by cruising to Alaska. Back here at home, I am a volunteer at WXXI, our local PBS station helping at special events like last week’s open house or answering phones during fund drives. I get out to as many concerts (free ones!) as possible. I have a good friend with whom I share driving chores. That does remind me that my latest health annoyance is neuropathy, in which the feet become numb, which, in turn, makes me pay special attention to my driving!

“My wife, Lynn, passed away four years ago but I have my youngest son (56) living with me. As my daughter says, You can look after him and he can look after you! Good luck to all and stay out of those listings in the back pages of the alumni magazine.”

The Rev. Allen W. Scott died Aug. 20, 2018. After Wesleyan and Yale Divinity School he pastored his hometown church in East Lyme, Conn., and was a leader in the community. He is survived by his daughter, Margaret Watson, and sons MacKenzie, Alan, and Jonathan.

BUD DORSEY | margiedorsey5@gmail.com
121 Renegar Way #105, St. Simons Island, GA, 31522 | 912/638-5616

As far back as my memory takes me, I’ve wanted to be a poem. Barely a toddler, I was a blipping “Bad Sir Brian” for several tickly stanzas, and as a sturdy young couplet I knocked things off our mantelpiece. I grew apace to where, as a single quatrain, I met grave Alice and laughing Allegra, each saccharine enough to gag a goat, so I punched their lights out. By high school I was pretty much a ballad In the Yukon, but I sobered up enough to become a sonnet; alas, I couldn’t abide the heart-scalding decisions of abab, abba, 8-6, three 4s-plus-2 living, and so retreated to the sanctuary of becoming an elegy. That funereal life so fretted my natural inclinations that I burst from my cell with a limerickal yell to seek the company of a young man from Boston, another from Sparta, and their friend Titian, who seemed fixed on mixing rosematta. Briefly, then, I dallied in passionate uncertainty with Emily until she set me straight and sent me off to Wesleyan, where Frost and Snow gave me every day conversational skill and a permanent sense of the necessity ever to demonstrate good form.

War took me for nearly four years with the 10th Mountain Division, but I never found time to be any sort of poem except as a raggedy 90-pounds-of-rucksack chanty and a bit of R and R with Shapiro. Once back at Wesleyan, then grad school at Northwestern, and finally at the Royal Irish Academy I found my identity in the old world of the Celts: I turned out to be an epic. History of a people; pride in ancestry; desire to live in history; exhortations to followers; sustained majestic verse—all churning in me when I sang Achilles and Aeneas, when El Cid and Roland stood fast, when Cú Chullainn singlehandedly took on Maeve’s gang of cattle rustlers. I really came into my own when Neihardt needed me to go up the Missouri with friends Carpenter, Talbeau, and Fink, to crawl desperately with Hugh Glass, to voice Jed Smith’s wilderness gospel, and to mourn the murder of Crazy Horse and the tragic end of the Indian wars of protest. Yes, in this cultural dust storm we’re living in today, that’s what I am: an epic poem in a society that has no heroic’s mood.

Slán go fóill.

FRANCIS W. LOVETT | lovettfrancis@gmail.com

315 14th Street, Unit A, Windsor, CO 80550 | 907/460-9338

Unfortunately, I was not able to return to Wesleyan for our 45th Reunion, but it was truly memorable. Class President Bill Quigley shares his reflections: “Our 45th Reunion was extraordinary—the weather was perfect, the campus was beautiful, and graduates young and old were vibrant. The company from ’73 was even better. To aid our memories, we each had a regular name tag and one with our freshman yearbook pictures. After Friday’s reacquaintance reception, Mark Helfat led an early Saturday discussion titled “I Never Knew You,” where we shared stories about our passions and paths through life post-Wesleyan. Don Stewart, Rich Jasper, Tom Lucci, William “Billy” Burke, Michael Gionfriddo, Steve Young, and others talked about how our tumultuous times at Wesleyan shaped our journeys. It was fascinating, and many wished it to continue long beyond the allotted time. We will do something similar for our 50th.

“A great picture of the now leveled Starship McConaughy with the words (courtesy of Mike McKenna) ‘Class of ’73 lasts longer than some buildings’ graced the T-shirts of Charlie Cocores, Tom Curran, Peter Bernstein, Ron Medley, Jay Rose, John Huttlinger, Jim Raymond, Mike Donnelly, and many others as we marched in the parade of classes. Also, wandering around the campus, High Street, Lawn Avenue, and Foss Hill were Tim Warner, Kie Westby, Ron Dennett, Tom Tokarz, Scott Karsten, Jonathan Raskin, Rudy Foy, Rick Edwards, Irv Estrin, and Bruce Fox.

“Steve Greenhouse was a presenter in a terrific Weseminar on journalism in the Trump era and Tom Kelly, Wayne Barber, and Jim Powers hosted a sobering and thoughtful session on health care. At that discussion Wayne introduced Josh Boger, who received an honorary degree at Commencement, with ‘I am in awe of this man who created an effective HIV/AIDS treatment, cured hepatitis C, and cured cystic fibrosis.’ Wow!

“Our Saturday night reception and dinner brought together Bruce Fox, Evans Jacob, Ron Johnson, Dave “Harp” Feldman, Charley Wayne, Dave Zita, and others to watch a wonderful slide show with pictures from our years at Wesleyan set to our era’s music. Granny Hale passed out a DVD he made of our 35th and 40th Reunions. Kudos to Wayne Barber for putting the slide show and our Facebook group ‘Wesleyan Class of ‘73 — Reunion Road Trip’ together. Check there to watch the slide show, see who we were in 1969–1973, and come to our 50th on May 25–28, 2023 to see what we become.

“Special thanks to the Reunion committee and Kate Quigley Lynch ’82, P’17, ’19 for their help organizing the event.”

Billy Burke, who returned from Colorado, thanks the committee members for a great program. He says, “Many warm memories, but the best experience was Saturday morning sitting in a classroom in Boger Hall (!) and having classmates share stories about what they’ve done since graduation or what Wesleyan means to them, or in my case, both. Wesleyan was an important part of my life. It helped me mature (eventually). And my life with Barbara (43 years), son, and daughter, son-in-law, and two grandkids, is more than I deserve.” He says he is already excited about our 50th. He says, “Granny Hale has a project lined up: A memorial to McConaughy Hall! And don’t ever say MoCon! Would we call the Smithsonian ‘Smiso’? I think not. Granny wants a plaque with all the concerts and historic events listed. Like the time I threw a cube of Jell-O almost to the top of the flying saucer dining hall ceiling and caught it in my mouth. That’s a nice start, but I think composing a rock opera we would all perform at Reunion 2023 would really get our message across. Keeping with the musical theme, I think we should dress in bellbottom pants and tie-dyed shirts and sing karaoke, but only songs from 1969–1973.”

Rich Jasper says, “I arrived on Thursday because I wanted to soak up the experience. I thought the highlight was hearing about the journey through the Wesleyan experience and post-Wes. My only wish was that more time existed for everyone to share. We all experienced the national and local turmoil of 1969–1970. Wesleyan made us stronger and more cognizant of a dynamic world. I loved the timely seminar regarding health care and the contributions by classmates. The panel on the challenges of fake news in the information era was intellectually stirring and reminded me of what makes Wesleyan so special. Finally, it was just great to see old and new friends. New friends are the classmates I have grown to know and admire by attending Reunions over the last 45 years. A special shout out to Wayne Barber for the video clip and freshman photos.”

Finally, Michael Fossel, author of the memorable Reversing the Aging Process, writes that he is moving ahead with plans to go to the FDA with gene therapy to cure Alzheimer’s disease.

Peter D’Oench | Pgdo10@aol.com

I begin with the sad news of Manfred Stassen’s death. COL students and other philosophers and Germanisten knew him as a one-of-a-kind teacher, philosopher, homme de lettres, and chess expert. An edited version of a tribute by Mark Gelber appears in the Letters section; the full text is on our class notes page at magazine.wesleyan.edu.

Elisa ’76 and I had a wonderful week driving to and from a meeting in Charleston, S.C., seeing several classmates on the way. One of our stops was Smithfield, N.C., which you will undoubtedly recognize as the home of Bob Spence. Not only did Bob return to his hometown after law school, he is running what was his father’s law practice, and living in his boyhood home. We were treated to a lovely dinner at the Spence Manse, catching up on the past 46 years. Bob’s lovely wife, Carol, remarked how Bob constantly talks about how much his time at Wesleyan, particularly the spring of 1970 in Paris with the COL, meant to him, and she was interested in finally meeting someone who was there with him. Bob is trying to figure out how to disengage from his legal practice, which is doubly hard for him since he has a profound commitment to serving his individual clients.

On our way back, we dined with Rob Gelblum and his wife, Mary Lou, in Raleigh. Rob is having a good deal less difficulty disengaging from practicing law and is doing more musical performing. His family moved to Carolina from Philadelphia right as he started at Wes, to the great consternation of Rob and his brothers, but he quickly grew to love the area and has enjoyed living there.

In Chapel Hill we visited with Elisa’s classmate, Ted Shaw ’76 and his lovely family. Ted, a renowned civil rights attorney, teaches at UNC School of Law.

And returning home through the Capital area we visited with Bonnie Blair, who is a double classmate of mine—law school, too. Bonnie is ratcheting down her practice and preparing for her son Ross’s wedding in the fall.

Bob Withey is living with Leslie Walleigh (Brown ’71), high on their well-gardened hill in coastal Rockport, Maine, where he plows yards of snow, builds even more rock walls, coaches tennis, and serves as an ad hoc counselor and formal librarian at Camden Hills Regional High School. Their two daughters, Charlotte and Lauren, and a grandson, Benji, live in Marin County, Calif., so maintaining a balanced environmental carbon account is challenging. Richard Aroneau ’71 and Barbara Biddle Richardson ’74 are the local Wes connections. Bob’s dad, George Withey Jr. ’45, an assistant VP for business affairs from 1969-1976, died in July 2017 at age 93. George and his wife, Nancy Roe Withey, had a very interesting life together for 73 years. A favorite memory for Bob was marching with his parents during Reunion 2010 beside fellow World War II alumni up High Street past Eclectic House where George lived as a student and North College where he worked.

After 39 years of day-to-day practice as a general internist and geriatrician, Peter Schwartz is retiring. He has some volunteer positions lined up and a variety of hobbies to which he hopes to devote more time. Visiting with family members and traveling should take care of the rest of his time. Son Jonathan Schwartz ’00 is head of middle school at the Green Hills School in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Peter has a son in Osaka, Japan. His daughter and all his other stepkids and grandkids (10 total) live with him in the Philadelphia area.

Mike Hurd’s son, A.J., is graduating high school this year. Plus, he just got a 9-month-old, 60-pound black lab mix rescue “puppy.” Following a familiar theme, Mike moved back to his hometown, New Hartford, N.Y., living within sight of his boyhood home. Mike is still working, for the Trane side of Ingersoll Rand, and still enjoys the people and the benefits and the reason to get out of his PJs every day. His brother, Doug ’76, lives nearby and they often talk about the differences as freshmen between ’68 and ’72. “From wild to focused in just a few years.”

Since hanging up his reporter’s notebook two years ago, Randall Pinkston has been trying his hand at teaching. He was an adjunct at Stony Brook University School of Journalism and the University of Mississippi Meek School of Journalism and New Media.

He wrote me from there, trying to remember what he forgot in law school (UConn ’80) so he could teach communications law in the May intersession. “Working around the clock—three-and-a-half-hour lectures for 10 days. Whew!” Randall says his wife, Patricia, still allows him to live with her in Teaneck. Their daughter, Ada ’05, is a Baltimore-based performance artist and teaches art in Lanham, Md.

Finally, Mark Gelber is about to receive the highest distinctions awarded to civilians by the Austrian Government—the Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst, 1. Klasse. That’s the Austrian Medal of Honor for Science and Art, First Class, folks. (Naturally, first class.)

Seth A. Davis | sethdavis@post.harvard.edu
213 Copper Square Drive, Bethel, CT 06801

Aloha, classmates! Not much news this cycle after a rather full one last magazine.

If you can believe it, planning efforts are underway for our 50th Reunion in 2021. Volunteers are needed to work on outreach and planning. Please contact Kate Quigley Lynch ’82, P’17, ’19 (klynch@wesleyan.edu) if you’d like to be involved.

I heard from Georgia Sassen, who reminds us that Harvard, in this case, is the town in Massachusetts, not the university. She is still in private practice in psychology, part-time, and now has more time for her poetry. She received a grant from the Harvard Cultural Council to give a reading there called “Ancient and Contemporary Women of Harvard: Poems in Their Voices.” She directs the nonprofit Building Resilience in Kids (BRIKontheweb.org) as her pro bono public mental health work.

Katy Butler has a Facebook group called Slow Medicine. It deals with issues of dying with dignity. She is the author of Knocking on Heaven’s Door, a must-read about the dying of her father, Professor Jeffery Butler, then her mother. Katy has a new book coming out, The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life. Check Amazon for release.

Over Memorial Day weekend I was on the Big Island (far from the volcano) in Kona. I was a delegate to the Hawaii State Democratic Party Convention (or the “Dump Trump Confab”). One of my fellow delegates was the illustrious Russ Josephson ’70. I still think it’s some kind of sign that the class of 1970 and 1971 class secretaries should live less than one mile apart on a remote rock, the most isolated rock on earth, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Are we a metaphor for how estranged our classes are from the main body of classes? Hope not. Anyway, being this is an election year, all the Hawaii politicians were present. Since Hawaii is virtually a one-party state we got to meet our next governor and other state leaders. Just love life here. Easy to make yourself heard and effect change.

I challenge you as you read this to send me an e-mail with news about you. Aloha for now.

Neil J. Clendeninn | Cybermad@msn.com
PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714