We have lots of news from Mike McKenna, who tells me that as he speeds toward his 75th year, “life continues to be interesting and enjoyable.” In April, he accompanied Vermont governor Peter Shumlin ’79 on a trip to visit schools in China, encouraging exchange students regardless of the current political climate. He writes, “Here we are with leaders of the highly regarded Nanjing Foreign Language School. Although not representing Wes in any formal way, we did leave Cardinal pennants at each campus we visited, which were well received.” He said later that month marked the 100th anniversary of Wesleyan men’s soccer on campus. Generations of former Cardinals attended and held career workshops with current players and played some lively alumni games. “I wisely did not bring my boots,” he said. Mike also said the busy day was “followed by dinner. Alums from the mid-60s on, including Rick Edwards in our class, Dr. Skip Nelson ’74, and former captain Dr. Pete Barnett ’72, who remembered taking my family on my first tour of campus with my folks and Coach Terry Jackson in 1969.” 

Mike also said through the leadership of co-chair Steve Levin ’75, “I’m happy to report more than $1 million has been raised by soccer alumni for our team endowment and for the athletic department. Wesleyan ranked 20th for total team wins in the country out of more than 400 D3 schools. Mike Whalen ’83 was deservedly named national Athletics Director of the Year. Having met former Wes athletes like Red Travis, Class of 1918, when I was an undergrad, I realize I’m now as old compared to current students as Red was to me way back then. And he seemed ancient! But that’s a century’s worth of one degree of separation which, is kind of cool.”

In May, Rick and Mike met again, along with classmate Rich Jasper, for lunch when he had to repay a lost bet on the Celtics versus the Knicks in this year’s NBA playoffs. Mike also said that our class’s Ahrens Award winner and our former teammate, John Hoder, attended the 50th anniversary of the United States Rugby Union Golden Gala in Washington, D.C., followed by a match between the men’s national team, the Eagles, hosting England, and our women’s team taking on Fiji.

My many thanks to Mike for being such an incredible correspondent over the years, and I have to say I cannot get enough of his many wonderful photos posted on Facebook celebrating moments from Vermont.

We also heard from Jim Powers, who reports that he and his wife, Martha, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary May 24 with friends and family at Rose Vineyards in Branford, Connecticut.  Congratulations, Jim and Martha!

Our world traveler and another faithful correspondent, Steve Young, reports that he is “still actively retired in Londonderry, New Hampshire, after a more than 33-year career in the American diplomatic corps, culminating as an American ambassador. Glad I am not still in government as the [current administration] has steadily shredded the offices I worked in.”

My former hockey teammate from freshman year, Bill Burke, has some news from Colorado. He tells me that he and Tim Mooney are working on a note about the Duke Snyder Endowment that has been established to honor Dave “Duke” Snyder’s 33 years of service to Wesleyan as the first varsity hockey coach. Bill says, “The money will go directly to supporting men’s hockey in multiple ways, including off-loading Coach Chris Potter of current duties, like fundraising, that aren’t directly related to coaching and recruiting.” Nice work Bill and Tim. 

Michael Fossel has been prolific. He writes, “I’m finishing my eighth book (almost every one of them was nonfiction, except for a novel under an alias). My agent is shopping this one around this month: Longevity—A Future beyond Aging. Should be out next year. I’m also contracted as the editor and senior author of another textbook for World Scientific for the year after that, with academics from around the world: Aging and Age-Reversal: The Prospects for Curing Age-Related Diseases. That will be my ninth and (hopefully) last book, as my time is now taken up with our biotech company. We now have full funding and will be moving ahead full speed.” How time flies. It seems like yesterday that we read his book Reversing the Aging Process.

Charles Cocores gathered with Wes friends in New Hampshire at Peter Cross’s house.

I am hoping to slow the aging process as I continue reporting for the CBS–owned TV station in Doral near Miami. We have been able to make some trips to Colorado where my youngest daughter, Holly, has become a nationally known bookbinder in Highlands Ranch, not far from Bill Burke in Centennial, and where she also teaches bookbinder courses in Telluride. We have also gone up to Virginia where my oldest daughter, Jennifer, is an elementary school and Sunday school teacher in Gloucester (near Williamsburg) along with my oldest granddaughter, Taylor, who is also an elementary school teacher right next to where my youngest granddaughter, Zoey, attends middle school. My middle daughter, Dana, still runs a hair salon near downtown Fort Lauderdale called Hair by Dana and is constantly working social media to find new clients amid these competitive times.

Until next time,

Peter

I received this report from Marc Bloustein:

“This past autumn, I retired after 50 years’ employment with the New York State court system. During my time there—as its legislative counsel and an advisor to the state’s court administrators—I worked for and with seven chief judges of our highest court and 12 chief administrative judges overseeing trial court operations. It was always stimulating work, and I was privileged to serve during a period in which court administration experienced a massive overhaul, one that gave me a real opportunity to influence the shape of court institutions and operations going forward. But, having reached my mid-70s, and with other things I wished to do, I decided that it was time to hang them up.

“In retirement, I haven’t abandoned all connection with the courts. I now work with New York’s chief court historian on a variety of projects exploring court system history. And so, I spend much of my time buried in dusty old treatises and court records and in writing monographs on obscure and not-so-obscure events in the life of our courts over the past four centuries. May not be the most exciting of retirement projects for some, but it gives me great satisfaction and enjoyment. I also spend a lot of time these days with my two grandchildren. Fortunately, they live close by, and I can see them almost every day. She’s 12 and he’s seven, and I can’t help bragging about them. She’s a dancer with eight years of classical ballet training and will soon be dancing—for the second consecutive year—with the New York City Ballet when they perform this summer at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. She’s also become very proficient at modern dance and will soon dance with the Ellen Sinopoli professional dance company here in Albany. As for him, he’s a fine baseball player, remarkably intelligent, and ‘Dennis the Menace’ come alive.  Handsome as can be, with a twinkle in his eye, but too clever for his own good.  Keeps me on my toes.

“Meanwhile, my wife and children are doing well. Diane (Skidmore, ’75) continues to work as a computer analyst and programmer for our court system. She seems very content to head off to work each morning (I like to think it’s because she relishes the work and her status as being the sole Bloustein family breadwinner, but it’s just as likely because she may not be too keen to be together with me all day as she would be were she to retire too).  My daughter, Jessica (Wellesley, 2003), continues as a digital content editor for the local paper, the Albany Times Union, and as the producer of major podcasts about area events. My son, Andrew (Northwestern, ’06) has a job we sports fans could die for: living in Chicago and Detroit, he directs TV broadcasts of Detroit Tigers games (used to be Chicago White Sox games, but he switched to the Tigers this year) and football and men’s basketball games for the Big Ten Network.

“Now that I’m retired and on a fixed income, I’m hoping they continue to like me and support me in my old age.”

Recently, the American Chemical Societyrecognized Bob White! for his 50th year of membership in the society. Bob says he owes this longevity achievement to his fellow chemistry major, Frank Benson, and Wesleyan chemistry professors Paul Haake and Max Tishler; Tishler followed up post-Wesleyan and was integral in the direction of Bob’s career in science and medicine. Chemistry was what Bob came to Wesleyan to do, and chemistry was what he did. I should point out that I hear Professor Tishler mentioned as a lasting career influence by a great number of alums, all with successful careers in chemistry and medicine. How fortunate for Wesleyan that after a stellar career in pharmaceutical research, he came to teach and inspire.

For my part, I was honored by American Express for being a cardmember for 50 years. They sent me a lovely blanket, I suppose for keeping me warm in my rocking chair.

Bruce Throne writes: 

“Though I retired after 45 years from practicing law in Santa Fe in 2021, on May 15, I was honored to receive the Neighborhood and Community Advocacy Award 2025 from the 99-year-old Old Santa Fe Association for my three-and-one-half years of pro bono efforts using my legal background trying to save the city’s designated Old Pecos Trail Scenic Corridor, the last relatively unspoiled entry into downtown, from an Albuquerque developer’s 2021 rezoning and subdivision project that threatens the character of that scenic corridor. This community controversy has become a legal case (Bruce Throne, et  al. v. Governing Body of the City of Santa Fe) that is now before the New Mexico Court of Appeals.  The award was presented in Santa Fe’s historic San Miguel chapel, built in the 1800s on the Old Santa Fe Trail (photo attached).  Proof positive, I suppose, that in addition to what I gleaned  from my parents, Wesleyan gets some credit for teaching me that, like preserving democracy, preserving community and community assets is a never-ending struggle…even (apparently) in ‘retirement.’”

Mike Kaloyanides and I were privileged to be invited to Andy Feinstein’s annual “Passover Seder Extravaganza.” Andy has traditionally prepared his own version of the seder to adapt the traditional message of freedom and liberation [in] current times. This year, in the age of Trump and Netanyahu, the challenge was high, and Andy met it with a journey through the protest music of the last century. We all sang such Passover traditionals as “We Shall Overcome” and “Draft Dodger Rag,” and I must note that very few of the assigned readers for Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, myself included, could get through their parts without bursting into tears.

Paul Vidich has published another marvelous spy novel, The Poet’s Game (his seventh). Several classmates attended a session at the Wesleyan bookstore during Reunion weekend when Paul was interviewed by the aforementioned Andy Feinstein.

Rico Birinyi organized a mini-Delta Tau reunion for classes of 1969–1973. Mark (not my son) Davis of the Advancement Office was marvelously helpful in making this event happen, and other special affinity groups should well consider setting up something similar during future Reunion weekends. I won’t attempt to name everyone who was there, but present from our class were Steve Blum, Jim Hoxie, Mike Boyajian, Larry Mendelowitz, Mike Carlson, Tom Wu, and Mike Kaloyanides.

We lost Leon Vinci this past spring. Leon was a constant presence at reunions and other Wesleyan gatherings. He was a constantly outgoing, hardworking supporter of our group ethos, contributing class regalia and other goodies over the course of many years, a proud son of Middletown, and eternal member of the Chi Psi Lodge. Here are just a few of classmates’ comments in response to the news of his passing:

            “A good public servant and a strong advocate for public health in Middletown and beyond.”

            “A spirited member of our rugby club and a good man.”

            “We first met on the soccer field freshman year. Wonderful guy.”

            “Didn’t know him much at Wes but enjoyed spending time with him at reunions.”

It will be hard planning our 55th without Leon, but you can bet we will do it.

Aloha, classmates! Here is the longer version of your class note for this issue of the alumni magazine—more than twice as long as the 800-word magazine limit. Thank you for these wonderful notes.

Bob Yaro writes, “I retired 10 years ago from my day job in Manhattan, where I ran an urban policy group, and five years ago from teaching urban planning at Penn. I continue to engage in efforts to build high-speed rail in the Northeast and across the U.S. and to rebuild New York’s Penn Station. And I’m in my sixth year as chairman of the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island—reflecting my lifelong passion for classic boats. My wife, Susan (Smith ’72 and Wes 12 College Exchange), and I are headed to Nantucket and the Vineyard this summer on our newly restored wooden powerboat, where we plan to visit Blake Allison and his wife, Lindsay, at their place on Chappaquiddick Island. We delight in having our kids and four grandkids (ages 6–10) all close to home in Guilford, Connecticut —but unlike many of you who’ve lived all over the world, we’ve only gotten 21 miles from Middletown in 55 years!

From Stephen Ferruolo: “Time flies. . . . We are just back from Stephen’s (Wes ’20) graduation at SLS (Stanford Law). It was an impressive celebration, somewhat overshadowed by recent events. As much as the speakers tried to be encouraging to the new law grads and to inspire them to resist and not capitulate (as the nine prominent law firms have done), there was a clear sense that we are in uncharted territory, and no one knows where this all will end. Most evident was that there are likely to be many fewer international students at Stanford (and other U.S. universities) in the years to come.

“I have nothing much to report, other than Stephen’s graduation and that I have decided to continue to teach full time for a while longer. I continue to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of Kuwait International Law School and was in Kuwait in May for a board meeting.”

Warren White says, “I recently joined a VMHC tour of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is celebrating the 250th anniversary in good style. The tour included Elfreth’s Alley, possible work site of my indentured, 1745 immigrant-ancestor Joseph Wilkins Marshall. The Bellevue Hotel provided very comfortable lodging and while someone mentioned this was the origin of Legionnaires’ disease in 1976, it did not occur on our trip.”

C. B. (Kip) Anderson writes, “It’s been a long time. I always enjoyed our encounters, whether as fellow students or as alumni. Life is weird. I alternate now between fooling around with my three grandchildren and falling back on my longtime bad habits: gardening, writing poems, drinking single malt Scotch whisky, and cultivating cannabis. About the last, I must admit that it was much more fun when it was illegal, but its legalization is about the only thing I have good to say about Massachusetts.”

From Phil Rauch, “Officially retired the end of January 2025 after two years of ‘of counsel.’ We are spending the summer/fall in our house in Vermont, where I am volunteering, hiking, fishing, and playing golf. Also spending more time with the grandchildren. Still on the Wesleyan board but will go off next year. Still traveling a fair amount—last trip was to Morocco.”

And from Andrew Glantz: “Greetings from Scottsdale. Roberta Adams, my wife of 39 years, and I continue to enjoy life and work here in Arizona, although Roberta is retiring in January. She has been the director of Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant at Phoenix Children’s/Mayo Clinic since 2002. I’m still making furniture and teaching furniture making and design. I taught at the Wendell Castle Workshop in June, as I did last year. This is an amazing school, situated in Wendell Castle’s old studio. We spent three weeks in April in Australia, most notably on an island in the northwestern part of the Great Barrier Reef, a great snorkeling and diving area. I’m in the throes of renovating our kitchen—we have been here for over 20 years, and it has just made it to the top of the list. Lots of changes and destruction and great fun. Come on out and visit!”

John Schimmel writes: “I had the opportunity to visit Bob Wienner in hospice before brain cancer took him from us in June of ’24. (His obituary can be read here.) Bob was pretty thoroughly nonverbal by then but, blessedly, he could still laugh. We did a lot of that, especially on the day our Wesleyan roommate Jeff Waxman ’70 joined us. And speaking of Jeff, I just learned that we are going to be in London at the same time in August, great news since we don’t get nearly enough time to visit. Jeff will be visiting his son. I’ll be in the UK for work for most of the summer (I’m still producing narrative content for Cloud Imperium Games, and I’ll be seeing a first cut of a generative AI film I’m producing), but then my wife and two of our three kids are meeting up in London at the start of a much-overdue holiday for Maureen and me: London for fun; Manchester, so she can see the game studio; Edinburgh for the theater and fringe festival; Dublin for more theater. Our youngest has been living with us as she solidifies her transition out of college and into the workforce, but she’s looking to move out soon. Empty nest awaits us.”

From Katy Butler:“I’m not sure I’m transitioning. I still cling to my identity as a writer and often get up at 4 a.m. to write, though it’s harder to find publishing outlets, due to my age and changes in the media landscape. (I think I already let you know I was a finalist for a National Magazine Award in 2025 for an article in Tricycle, the Buddhist magazine.)
Exercising has become a half-time job, necessary for my survival and ‘healthy aging.’ I have to follow the advice in my own book (The Art of Dying Well). I swim three times a week at a community pool and just started weight training at the local community center. My energy isn’t what it was: I take a nap every afternoon or I’d fall over like a redwood tree. I have returned to my earlier infatuation with Zen and joined a local sitting group.

“In the meantime, my relationship with Brian Donohue, my second husband, continues to deepen. His touch gets more tender, I grow more honest and open, I get along better with my two stepsons, and we both get happier, more self-aware, and more grateful.  We are both in awe of what’s possible so late in life. We aren’t rich, but we’re lucky enough to have no money troubles and no debt and to live in a beautiful place, two blocks from a Whole Foods. (You should see the camellias in the backyard when they are blooming in late winter!)

“We have updated the upstairs bathroom and added grab bars. We know we should add a walk-in shower downstairs but find it too daunting! Projects I would have rushed into decades ago with little anxiety are emotionally harder now. 

“Brian continues to lead sing-alongs once a week in a memory care unit—they respond to him more and more by the week. It’s a ministry, a calling, and the source of a little income. I am working on a memoir of growth and healing, still trying to slim it down and figure out what the ‘plot’ or elevator speech is and mindful that it can’t include everything about my adult life but the kitchen sink. I have lost my hotshot New York agent over this project, which she abhorred. It’s a labor of love, not a money project.”

And a non-transition note: From the proud poppa, a press release from Steve Leinwand about his son, Ethan ’05:

Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation

Ethan Leinwand brings a powerful and deeply authentic voice to the world of early American piano music. Specializing in barrelhouse blues and St. Louis-style piano, Ethan’s performances are a raw, rhythmic, and riveting celebration of a tradition that helped shape the foundations of jazz and ragtime. His unique blend of musicality, storytelling, and historical depth makes him a standout in today’s traditional music scene. 

Based in St. Louis, Ethan is deeply immersed in the city’s rich musical legacy and has become a leading voice in preserving and promoting its distinctive sound. He is an active member of Friends of Scott Joplin, a St. Louis-based organization dedicated to honoring the legacy of the King of Ragtime. Through this work, he also helps organize and host the monthly Ragtime Rendezvous, a community-centered event that brings musicians and fans together to celebrate ragtime and early jazz. 

In addition to his work as a performer and advocate in St. Louis, Ethan serves on the Board of Directors for the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation, where he plays a key role in supporting the festival’s mission and artistic direction. His involvement reflects both his passion for the music and his commitment to ensuring its future.

Whether he’s delivering a gritty blues number, an energetic stomp, or a soulful slow drag, Ethan captures the heart of a bygone era with integrity and spirit. His music is alive with character and history, and his performances leave audiences feeling as if they’ve stepped back in time—and discovered something timeless. 

We’re proud to welcome Ethan Leinwand back to Sedalia, where his artistry, leadership, and dedication to community continue to make a lasting impact on the ragtime world. 

That’s all for this time. Keep sending those emails on how you are progressing in this life. Take care and peace!

I’m sorry to have to report the loss of two other classmates. Just as the last column was going to print, I received word that Bob Segal had died. Bob was a religion major at Wesleyan, then earned an MA and PhD in religion at Princeton. He went to Europe years ago after teaching at several colleges and universities in the U.S. He taught at several places in Europe, the last being the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. More information here and here.

During reunion, John Talbot wrote to let me know that his former roommate Calvin deGrasse had died on April 24. Calvin, you recall, was from St. Kitts. Here is a piece that I received from his widow, Elizabeth deGrasse:  

“Calvin Ivan deGrasse was born on December 15, 1946, to Doris Buchanan and Fred Crooke in the town of Sandy Point on the island of St. Kitts, in the British West Indies.

“A consummate learner from grammar school, Calvin earned the highest scores of his class and was subsequently featured in the local newspaper and radio station. He went on to earn admission into Wesleyan University in Connecticut during a time of great racial segregation and cries for equality and inclusion in the United States. At Wesleyan, he was among the first students of color to integrate the University, subsequently graduating in the Class of 1970.  In his later days, he would fondly remember the friends he made during his time at Wesleyan. Calvin continued to pursue his education earning a master’s degree in business administration from Columbia University in 1978. Bachelor of Laws with second class honors (lower division) in 2002 from the University of London.

“For a time, post-Wesleyan, Calvin returned to St. Kitts where he served his country as minister of communication under the Llewellyn Bradshaw administration. After leaving government, Calvin returned to the United States where he pursued various endeavors, including working at Mellon Bank, serving his community via his own company, Liamigua Shipping, and working at the New York Stock Exchange until his retirement.  

“Calvin was charming and charismatic. He had a great smile and a fantastic sense of humor. He was a natural leader and an excellent communicator. He could talk for hours, joyfully and passionately about history, politics, law, and family. He was loving, encouraging, supportive, and honest. He was generous with his time and resources, and he put the needs of his family and friends ahead of his own. He also loved to eat!

“After a long illness, Calvin transitioned to the ever after surrounded by his beloved wife and two children.

“He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Elizabeth deGrasse; siblings Jocelyn Tatum, Warrington Tyson, and Marlene ‘Pat’ Crooke; his daughter and son: Michelle deGrasse and Calvin deGrasse Jr.; nieces and nephews: Natasha Tatum, Warrington Tyson Jr., Tiffany Tyson, Brandon deGrasse, Lennox deGrasse Jr.; grandchildren: Daniella Semper, Hugh deGrasse, Jeremy deGrasse; and many in-laws and countless other family members and friends, some from his childhood days, who loved him dearly.”

We will miss him, as well.

Reunion was fun, although sparsely attended by classes celebrating post-50th reunions. The following folks made it to Middletown this time:  Bob Stone, Ralph Moore, Joel Adams, Jeremy Serwer, Josh Barrett, Pete Stein, Howie Borgstrom, Bob Ament, David Geller, Darwin Poritz, Jerry Schwartz, Jeffrey Elson, and me. As usual, there are new things to see and a variety of activities to attend. Two highlights were a presentation about what the future of the country looks like and a presentation by Wesleyan president Michael Roth. Dinners were with other post-50th classes.

Other news: Jerry Schwartz wins the brevity award. He commented about the reunion: “It was good to see everyone.” The second-place winner is Steve Masten. Steve wrote that he was “unable to attend Reunion because it coincided with (wife) Ann’s retirement celebration. Hope you all had a good time.” (We did!)

Right now, I want to urge everyone to start planning for our 60th Reunion. Let’s face it, folks, we’re not getting any younger. Let’s make the 60th Reunion huge!

In lieu of a standard news offering, Brad Matthews sent a very thoughtful miniessay about life, knowledge, curiosity, etc.: 

The wise man is one who, knows, what he does not know.—Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching.

“Perhaps like you. . .

“I increasingly recognize that I am no wise man, but I am enjoying feeling like I am getting a better understanding of this translation of Lao Tzu’s original words.

“I am focusing much of my remaining time collecting and linking information, seeing glimpses of patterns leading to flashes of understandings of existence.

“I incessantly cogitate on the increasingly obvious, unknowable, micro and macro expanse of reality—including, but in no way limited to, our bodies, minds, emotions, relationships, self-governance, societies, humanity, and our world, as well as the implications of quantum physics, quantum computing, AI, explorations of outer space, etc.

“I find myself noticing and reappraising the myriad of my life’s experiences—reconsidering and redescribing the particles and wholeness of my life. Relieving myself from judgements of past ‘should haves’ and current/future ‘shoulds’ is an enjoyable work in progress.

“As complexity and chaos are now more visibly outer and inner norms in reality, I find a kind of peace in coming to terms with the ying-yang of this life. Recognition, respect, acceptance, and appreciation for all that has been, is, and will be seems to bring me a calming sense of order. And so, I continue to function, similarly and differently than in times past. My functioning for hire as an international organizational development consultant has ended. Now, I focus my functioning almost wholly on my curiosity, caring about and with others (including my 14.5-year-old pup), peace of heart and mind, and maintaining my health to enable it all. I do not desire a long life. I just seek a rewarding life for whatever time I have left, hoping that at my completion I am relaxed and gently smiling.”

One of the pleasures of writing this column is the occasional appearance of someone who has been missing in action for years. This time, we welcome Andy Edlen. Andy’s email described a long career involving music, from working in Jimi Hendrix’s studio, playing backup for performers, “making music and sound effects for computer game companies, a brief appearance in a documentary about Hendrix, etc. Andy lives in the San Francisco Bay area. He writes:

“Apologies for my radio silence and nonparticipation. As the calendar careens forward, it seemed time to catch up. On the heels of graduation, thanks to a call Jeff Wanshel ’69 got from a high school friend of his, John Emulin, leader of a band called Lothar and the Hand People, who told Jeff of a job opening, I went to work at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios on 8th Street in Greenwich Village, a bare week before Jimi’s sad passing. Over the next couple of years, I went from gopher (go fer this. . .) to night manager to staff engineer. Lots of brushes with fame and brushes with the greed and venality of the record biz. The ensuing decades were filled with a blur of bands, some time on the road backing up Bobby Freeman (‘Do you Wanna Dance’ and ‘The Swim’ in a kind of white-boy soul revue. :-}. Then a couple of decades making music and sound effects for computer game companies in the Bay Area, where I’ve resided since 19(gulp)73. And over the last decade, I’ve been doing IT at UC Berkeley.

“My brother Steve and I have a number of songs up on SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/user-568633504 that you and your readers might enjoy. And I escaped the cutting room floor in a movie about the studio’s early days, findable on Amazon as Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision. The editors kindly included my sentient moments from the interviews, and it’s a pretty fair time capsule of that window in the studio’s history.

“I’m in touch with precious few friends from the era, and I hope this Class Notes appearance may help remedy that.”

Had a note from Jerry Cerasale. Jerry wrote, “The only news I have other than my knees are talking to me every day is that I was re-elected to the Eastham, Massachusetts, Select Board and was elected by the board to be chair. It’s a bit late to start my political career!”

This from Steve Talbot: “Here’s an item, as San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen used to say, I’ve been up to some wildly disparate things: I spent nearly three amazing weeks in Vietnam in April as an invited guest to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. The trip of a lifetime. Emotional. Uplifting. Then I spent a weekend in LA in June reuniting, after 60-plus years, with Jerry Mathers (the Beaver) at a Hollywood autograph show, a first for me. It was nostalgic and a bit surreal. Came home to San Francisco to join an enormous, inspiring No Kings protest. What can I say? We keep on pushin’.”

Peter Ratner wrote from New Zealand: “Not much to report. As I think you know, we have sold Greytown [a gorgeous old country house] and are back in our old house in Seatoun [Wellington]. We miss the quiet of Greytown, but it is nice to be back by the sea.

“After almost 10 years of being tenanted, the house is looking a bit sad, so we are in the midst of a major renovation. Until that is finished our only significant outside interest is helping to look after our youngest grandchild.  

“We are planning to go to Scotland, London, and New York at the end of October for the wedding (after 20 years and two children) of our London daughter. Most of the kids will be there.

“Just saw the latest version of the Count of Monte Christo at the French Film Festival. When Edmond Dantes is in prison, the guards came along every day to bang on the bars and ask, ‘Are you alive?’, to which the prisoner responds, ‘I live,’ and gets his daily meal. I feel like this is now our version of the same ritual—I am pleased to be able to report, ‘We live.’”

Brian Silvestro wrote: “Retired after 50 years of practicing law effective January 1, 2025. Living in Black Rock, Connecticut. Our four sons live in San Diego and Colorado Springs and Chicago and Richmond. We have five grandchildren with another on the way. Jane and I can now travel as we please. And we are doing just that.”

Foremost Hawaii-water lawyer Bill Tam published a chapter on Hawaii water law (1973–2000) in Wai Wai (an anthology).  Bill, Hardy Spoehr ’66, and others organized the first Wesleyan alumni gathering in Hawaii in 10 years (Michael Roth is scheduled to address the group via Zoom).

Per Bill Tam: David Davis retired from a 29-year career at Oregon Public TV. Accolades from those Dave worked with and mentored are pouring in. His steady leadership and vision turned Oregon Public TV into the third-most powerful PBS station in the country, behind only New York and Washington, D.C. 

We have three offerings in our book department this time.

Jamie Kirkpatrick’s The People Game is the third in the Declan Shaw trilogy. It should be published by the time you read this. Here’s the synopsis:

“Declan Shaw is an Irish journalist who has just been named the Washington bureau chief of The Manchester Guardian. This follows his wartime assignments in Tunisia and Palestine, the settings of my two previous novels, This Salted Soil and The Tales of Bismuth.

“The People Game, the third novel in the Declan Shaw trilogy, begins in 1950 when Shaw arrives in Washington. Over the next two years, he covers multiple important events: the Korean War, the senatorial and presidential campaigns of 1952, the McCarthy hearings on Capitol Hill, and the civil rights movement in Washington, D.C. Declan also meets and interviews several important personalities, among them Presidents Truman and Eisenhower, American spymaster “Wild Bill” Donovan, Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Congressman Jack Kennedy, civil rights activist Mary MacLeod Bethune, and many others.

“Declan falls in love with Tay Riggs, scion of the eponymous Washington banking family. They marry just before Declan is offered a visiting fellowship at Washington College in Chestertown on Maryland’s bucolic Eastern Shore. Tay, Declan, and their infant daughter Phoebee decamp from Georgetown and move to Chestertown where Declan leads a seminar in ‘new journalism’ and uses his contacts in Washington to bring an array of noted speakers to campus.

“The People Game explores the events and people of an important era in American history. Moreover, its underlying theme is the story of Odysseus, his trials and tribulations after the fall of Troy, and his eventual homecoming, years later, to Ithaca. The People Game is the final chapter in Declan Shaw’s personal odyssey.

“The book is divided into 81 chapters, with a prologue and epilogue. There are also author notes.”

Steve Ossad’s new book is Chasing the Shadow: Mickey Marcus’s 200 Days of Destiny. Here is a brief description:

“More than just a citizen-soldiers’ biography, this book explores how local NYC hero Colonel David ‘Mickey’ Marcus helped shape U.S. civil affairs and military government policy during and after WWII, including the war crimes trials. Even more relevant today, from his visit to the just-liberated Dachau Concentration Camp to his appointment as Israel’s first general in 1948, Marcus’s last days dramatize the deep spiritual and national security ties between Israel and America. Chasing the Shadow offers a fresh perspective on shared military history, how legends arise, and the origins of American policy in the Middle East.” 

Steve wrote: “Attached is the press release for my third biography, Chasing the Shadow: Mickey Marcus’s 200 Days of Destiny, available on Amazon. My last book on General Omar Bradley won the Society for Military History Writing Award for biography.”

Press release:

“The life of David ‘Mickey’ Marcus has become the stuff of legends and myths (even fantasy), conspiracy, wild exaggeration, and untethered embellishment. The image of Marcus cast by the character portrayed by Kirk Douglas in the film version of his life still dominates most evocations of the man, for good or ill. And these days, reactions to the book or film rest mostly on the current headlines rather than the historical context of the struggle in which Marcus died, or the events that cast him as a real-life player in an event marked by destiny. 

“Chasing the Shadow: Mickey Marcus’s 200 Days of Destiny is the first comprehensive and balanced biography of David Daniel ‘Mickey’ Marcus, a founder of American Civil Affairs and Military Government doctrine and practice and a seminal figure in early Israeli military history. Far from merely a tribute to Mickey Marcus’s legacy, Ossad’s work serves as a critical tool for understanding the realities of mid-20th-century warfare in a postwar colonial struggle and the dynamics of U.S.-Israeli military and political relations in 1948, the critical year for Israel’s struggle for independence. Indeed, Chasing the Shadow is a valuable read for those interested in Middle East history, Jewish military history, and a fascinating character whose story is told in an engaging, informative, and insightful narrative.”

Stuart Frank wrote: “My only real news is that my latest book, 35-plus years in the making, titled Biographical Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists, is scheduled to be published in August by Amazon Books through Scrimshaw Forensics®. It has 1,450 biographical entries, 9 appendices, and 12 indexes.”

There was a book launch on Cape Cod in August, and the book is available online at  Books@ScrimshawForensics.net.

A limited number of keychains/zipper pulls commemorating the 55th Reunion are available.  One side has a geographical information about Wesleyan in the format of a geophysical marker.  The other side has the reunion information. If interested, please contact me by email.