CLASS OF 1968 | 2026 | FALL ISSUE

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Geoff Tegnell: “My wife, Kathy, and I enjoyed a cruise down the Danube from Vilshofen, Germany, to Budapest late last summer. Touring middle Europe evoked memories of stimulating Wesleyan classwork with Professors Greene, Pomper, and Morgan. We are also anticipating an August voyage from Toronto to Chicago, sailing on all five of the Great Lakes. 2026-27 will be my fourth year hosting an Americana music coffeehouse at our Dedham UU Church. (Think the Highwaymen’s ‘Michael Row the Boat Ashore.’) Kathy and I look forward to once again visiting with classmates Michael Wolfe and Richard Pettit (along with Richard’s lovely wife, Elzbieta) in Wellfleet (Cape Cod) at the end of September.”

Stuart Ober: “I am the shamelessly proud parent of Alexander Ober ’26, who recently graduated from Wesleyan as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and with high honors—apparently proving that at least one of us got a good education from Wes. Alexander was awarded a fellowship to walk the 500-mile El Camino de Santiago and has also been modeling with an agency in New York City.  Most recently, he appeared in a DoorDash soccer advertisement that ran around the World Cup finals. I’m still waiting for my agent to call.

“My wife, Allison, Alexander, and I recently spent time in London with my other son, Erik, and his family before heading on to Paris. After retiring from more than 40 years as an expert in investment and securities litigation, I was invited to serve as a mediator in cases before the Supreme Court of New York—proving that, apparently, retirement is something I’m still trying to negotiate!”

Richard Voigt: “In the fall, I will be teaching my course American Utopian Communities at Wesleyan’s Wasch Seminars program.”

William Farnham: “We look back at 1968 as a pivotal year, of course, with all the traumatic events. Good memories, too, including marriage and a move to Princeton University, beginning graduate research that summer. I was blessed with lots of support—fellowships, grants, etc. —for the four years. Spent two years as a postdoc at Ohio State. As a student, it was great; Debi was not that thrilled with the vibe in Columbus but was supportive, nonetheless. Gave birth to identical twin girls in ’74. 

“We moved to Delaware, where I joined DuPont Central Research [and] where I remained for 41 years. It was a good time to be in a leading organization then, and I had outstanding collaborators within the company and overseas—Japan, Germany, Australia (CSIRO, which was most rewarding). Our work efforts were published, but mostly in the patent literature. After retirement I collaborated with Thomas Epps at University of Delaware, using a collection of symmetric three-arm star polymers for self-assembly properties.

“Attached is a favorite publication, now rather old. But it includes many features I’ve found most intriguing—single crystal X-ray cryptographic structure, group theory, symmetry elements, dynamics.

“Oh, life’s other activities—18th-century farm restoration (major) , gardening, singing (CoroAllego, Delaware). All will realize it’s the journey, not the end result.”

Andy Gaus: “I have no news, but I have reason to be grateful that, at this distance from 1946, I’m still breathing, wearing normal underpants, and walking on my feet.”

Pete Hardin: “Greetings from 79 median age for our class. I had my second hernia surgery in July. Son, John, is an ER doc in Massachusetts. Daughter, Danielle, is a sonogram tech in Richmond. Wife, Marie—my Conn College sweetheart—and I are in our 58th year of matrimony. I participate in Ray Solomon’s Monday eve Zoom, dedicated to sports and golf, alpong with Dick Emerson, Craig Dodd, Dave Gruol, Jacques LeGette, Ron Schroeder, and Ted Ahern. Still in Virginia, my USAF retirement landing place, and still a Mets fan.”

John Ashworth: “The excitement Chez Ashworth is that a pair of Cooper’s hawks built a nest in a big tree in our front yard. Four fledgling emerged two weeks ago and quickly discovered the fountain in our front yard. At first, they would try to land on the wet fountain top and unceremoniously slide off, but they learned quickly. The bonus: The bunny population that was attacking our back lawn has now gone to zero.

“So glad I am retired so I can watch them grow!!

“Just notched my 10th year as a Colorado master gardener, working at a community garden growing food for a nearby food pantry, as well as 10years volunteering at the Denver Botanic Gardens, mostly in their extensive aquatic gardens. 

“Nancy and I spent a lovely two weeks in Switzerland this spring, taking the scenic trains through the Alps and luxuriating in the wonderful food on the shores of Lake Geneva.”

Wallace Murfit: “My life is remarkably unchanged.  Ellen and I have been married 53 years, we have three adult children and two grandchildren.  I have a part-time real estate consulting practice, with three active projects right now.  We just got home from a two-week trip to Europe, where we went on a barge tour of rivers and canals in the Burgundy region of France and then went to England, where I rowed in the Henley Masters Regatta. I play some golf (badly) and have kept alive my 62-year skiing streak. Last month I went up to Sacramento, met with Steve Carlson, and we watched Wesleyan’s crew take the silver medal at the D-III Intercollegiate Rowing Association national championships.”

Don Logie: “Last September one of my Italian travel photos was on display in New York for a week. An organization called Il Chiostro, which organizes and offers painting and photography workshops in Italy, celebrated its 30th anniversary by having an exhibit of art created in its workshops.  My photo was one of those pieces selected. I expect to have a different kind of photo on exhibit this September in Portland, Maine. I just returned from a week’s photo workshop in Tuscany. I attach for you some of my favorites from that workshop.”

Bob Knox: “Retirement has brought opportunities for meaningful time with my family and friends, and with my new partner, Wednesdey Chavis. She and I, and my two sons and their families, had a spectacular vacation in Peru, including Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands.  At home I am hosting a bimonthly Zoom call with Wesleyan ’68 classmates and a monthly evening with friends, playing acoustic instruments and singing classic songs. I continue to run with different groups of friends; am helping a committee organizing my Stanford Law School 50th Reunion; and am hanging out with Wednesdey as much as we can.  And demonstrating for democracy.”

John Mergendoller: “Lily, the guide dog breeder we are raising, has just gone to the main campus to meet her new mate, in preparation for her third litter of indescribably cute puppies, some of which will make the grade to become guide dogs. Grandchildren continue to mature and surprise. We continue on.”