Tag: 1952

N. Thorne Griscom ’52, P ’88 passed away on Sept. 27, 2019 at the age of 88. A full obituary can be found here.

Al Ward reports that his health is good, having beaten back CML (leukemia) for 14 or so years, now in remission, giving thanks to big pharma. He is mobile and plays bridge weekly. He enjoyed winter in Naples, Fla., and is looking forward to this summer on Lake Michigan shore. He moved back to D.C. from Lewes, Del., to be close to family. He taught a lifelong learning course at University of Delaware which he enjoyed and hoped that others did too. His last trip to Middletown was for his granddaughter’s graduation and hopes to make it back for his grandson’s. Hail ’52. In response to my reply that Barbara and I are taking ballroom dancing lessons, he wrote that more than 10 years ago at a relative’s wedding, he ventured to dance a polka and crashed to the floor, but luckily only he was hurt. He commented that I was a hero for the “advanced in years” since I was still working and dancing.

Jack Murray enjoys his beautiful home in mostly smoke-free Santa Barbara. He is able to take care of it and himself, walks as much as he can, and is enjoying abundant spring blossoms. As a sign of hope, he planted tomatoes for late summer harvest. He has not seen anyone from our class for quite a while but hears from Maggie and Dixie Sanger and others. He hates politics these days but then people have never gotten along during his time here on earth. He says “kaire” to his remaining brothers from Alpha Delta.

Speaking of Dixie, he and Maggie celebrated their 65th anniversary last summer at the Victor Café in Philadelphia, where, one spring night in 1953 they had gone for dinner after picking out their silver pattern. This time they were surrounded by a dozen children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and a great time was had by all. The Victor, now a South Philadelphia landmark, was a record store when it opened many years ago. Neighbors would drop in to listen as the owner spun opera records on his old 78 rpm. It seemed only appropriate to offer them a little something to eat and perhaps a little wine to wash it down. If someone burst into song, so much the better.

When Maggie and Dixie came to dinner that night so long ago, they brought with them a single spoon in the pattern Fiddle Thread, which they had chosen. A flower vendor moved from table to table: “Roses! Roses! White for purity, red for love.” This time they took a spin on the dance floor while one of the waiters sang “Wunderbar” from the 1950s hit Kiss Me, Kate. They had waltzed to it at their wedding, an event attended by many Wesleyan friends, including some of Dixie’s brothers in Alpha Delta Phi who served as ushers: Stuart Goldsmith ’53 (best man); Gerald Patrick ’53 (away on service); James R. Miller Jr. ’53; W. Clapham Murray ’53 and William B. Bruner. Sadly, Stuart, Jim, and Bill are no longer with us. The rest are still kicking, although some higher than others. The past year brought them a third beautiful great-granddaughter with the happy prospect of a fourth (gender yet to be revealed) to come. Life goes on!

Please send news!

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

Class of 1952 Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship Fund
Nathanael Mathieu ’20, Computer Science

More sad news: Duncan Morse Nelson, who inspired us with his uplifting poetry while in hospice care, passed away on Dec. 20, survived by his wife, Beatrice Kipp Nelson. He was the father of Peter, Evan, and Rowena, and of Lee, Perry, Burr (deceased), Evan, and George Anthony, from his first marriage to Jean Richmond Parson (deceased). He had 20 grandchildren.

There is good news, too! Hal Buckingham reports that Walter Pories was awarded the Oxford Cup at the 179th National Convention of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity held in Norfolk, Va., in August and that he, as Walt’s Beta brother and classmate, escorted him to the podium.

The Oxford Cup is the highest honor bestowed by Beta on its alumni and Walter is only the 83rd recipient of this award. He was cited for his extraordinary career in the medical field as a surgeon, researcher, author, lecturer, and founder of the Department of Surgery at East Carolina University Medical School. Walter is also a prolific cartoonist. He has created countless published cartoons, including over 100 in his book, Is There a Surgeon in the House? Does anyone remember that he was an art major and not pre­-med at Wesleyan?

He also writes that Charlie “Rogo” Rogovin’s widow, Marcy, has established The Charles H. Rogovin Fund for Civic Engagement through The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation. This endowed fund memorializes the legacy of Charlie, our esteemed college body president and Reunion toastmaster, who was a nationally-recognized champion of law enforcement, first as a prosecutor and administrator and then as a longtime professor of criminal law at Temple University. The Fund’s purpose is to provide the Free Library with funding to create programs and activities that promote lifelong civil engagement and good citizenship, objectives close to Charlie’s heart. Chartered in 1891, the Free Library has 54 locations in Philadelphia, is a vital part of that City, and is an educational and cultural institution of great renown.

Seth Rosner is semi-retired from law practice, working 20 to 30 percent of the time and lucky to be paid a quarter of that. After Wesleyan, he attended Columbia Law School with Charlie Rogovin and Dick Barth, then spent four months in the Navy OCS, 3.5 years active duty as legal officer and underway officer-of-the-deck on U.S.S. Intrepid. A two-year Ford Foundation Fellowship in comparative law, and an LLM at NYU followed, then a year of doctoral studies and research at L’Universite de Paris I and L’lnstitute De Droit Compare, followed by law practice in NYC with dad and brother Jonathan ’54, 29 years as adjunct professor at NYU School of Law. He immersed himself in volunteer work, has lectured nationally and internationally on legal ethics and professionalism. Socially, he played competitive squash and table tennis (with many trophies) and raced sprint cars. He is happily married to Judith and living in the happiest time of his life, at 88. Only three years to our 70th and he intends to be there! How about you?

Frank Johnson wrote that the note about Ken Taylor’s death reminds us that a number of Wes cross-country runners of our generation became ministers of the United Church of Christ, namely; Hank Jordon ’49, Frank Johnson ’50, Barney Katham ’51, and Ken Taylor. Best to all four classes.

Finally, I spent the holidays on a cruise to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore with my family of 10 (including daughter Ellen ’82 and son-in-law Samuel Bender ’82, wife Barbara, son Richard and wife Diana, and grandchildren Maddie, Eliza, Jenna, and Gabe) and enjoyed the experiences throughout. Different cultures, different forms of government, great food, interesting people, extraordinary sights.

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

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

Sadly, I regret to inform you of the passings of Morag Kennedy, Don Stauffer’s wife of 60 years; Peg Collings, the wife of Harry Collings, after 65 wonderful years together, and Robert Goodman Jr. on May 7, 2018. Don and Bob were both classmates of mine at DU. We send our sincerest condolences to their families.

Last Christmas Don visited his son, Andy, and wife Isabel in Dallas, where they had moved from Manhattan. He is living at the Avila Retirement Community in Albany, keeping busy with retirement-type activities: Master gardener for 22 years, a book club member, and singer with Jubilate Singers. He had a real thrill joining a 200-voice chorus in a Carnegie Hall program last spring celebrating the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther and the Reformation and is planning a one-week trip with a friend to Tuscany in October to soak up culture and wine.

Harry has been living at Sun City in Lincoln, Calif., east of Sacramento, for 17 years. He worked for the Dupont Company for 36 years in the petroleum chemicals and pulp and paper divisions in tech sales and account manager positions. In Sun City, he and a friend started an astronomy club 14 years ago that is still very active today with over 100 members, monthly meetings, and star parties.

Bob’s son, Carey, advised me of Bob’s demise at age 88, surrounded by his wife of 62 years (Virginia Saunders Goodman), his three children, and extended family. Bob was a graduate of Friend’s Central School in Philadelphia and an exchange student at the American School in Mexico City. After Wesleyan, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and spent two years with the 7721st Radio Broadcast and Leaflet Group in Mannheim, Germany, doing research for propaganda leaflets to be dropped over Poland denouncing the Soviet Union at the beginning of the Cold War (I was stationed in an ordinance group also in Mannheim at the same time, but our paths never crossed there). He spent much of his time playing fast pitch softball, drinking beer, and as a friend of the daughter of the mayor of Heidelberg, was invited to the first New Year’s Eve party held at the Rathaus that was permitted by the military authorities. He spent a tense evening in dress uniform, while most of the rest were former Nazis.

After returning home, he began his teaching career at Staunton Military Academy as a math teacher and coach. After marrying, Bob and Jinny moved to Christchurch School in 1955. In 1960, he moved to the Collegiate Schools, formerly a girl’s school where Bob was hired to add a program for boys. He then had headships at Presbyterian Day School in Memphis, Augusta Prep in Georgia, and Arlington School in Atlanta. In 1972 he became founding headmaster of Trinity Episcopal High School, where he spent 14 years. After a stint with the Community School of Performing Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University, he joined Southern Teachers in 1990, which had been acquired by his family in 1981. After his retirement in 2000, he served on the Fulbright Scholarship Committee at Virginia Commonwealth. He also served as president of the Richmond chapter of the English-Speaking Union, which honored him with an Award of Merit for his many years of service in providing education and cultural opportunities for students and teachers.

Jack Murray is into his 16th year of retirement from the French literature program at UCSB in Santa Barbara. He has heart issues, so he no longer travels. He enjoyed the Reunions while he could make them and misses the alumni and wives still around. He’s had a very full life, whether solo backpacking through the Santa Barbara County mountains or adventure traveling (France, South America, Maya ruins in Central America and Mexico, New Zealand, and Timbuktu in Mali).

Hal Buckingham writes that after a more than 68 years off-and-on search, he connected with Bill Housum last October at the fair in Fryeburg, Maine, a huge blue-ribbon event where he was volunteering at an information booth. After leaving Wesleyan Bill transferred to Albright College, where he spent his career, editing their alumni magazine, and at Fryeburg Academy (a venerable prep school founded in 1972 with Daniel Webster as an early headmaster), as director of admissions. He climbed Mount Fuji in Japan during an R&R and he has climbed Mount Washington in New Hampshire 100 times and has manned the tourist station at the top. He resides in retirement in Fryeburg, Maine. Wow!

Dixie Sanger and his wife, Maggie, are alive and reasonably well in a snug condo in Wilmington, Del., more or less retired, still active in church and 12-step recovery work. His big news is that they had two beautiful great-granddaughters in the past couple of years and wishes everyone should be so blessed. Amen!

That’s it for now. Please keep me apprised of your news for future issues.

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

Class of 1952 Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship Fund

Nathanael Mathieu ’20, Freedom, NH

Thanks to those responding to my request for news. How about the rest of you?

Harry Collings has been living in a Sun City at Lincoln, Calif., east of Sacramento for 17 years. Sadly, after 65 years of marriage, his wife, Peg, died last year. He worked for the Du Pont Company for 36 years in the petroleum chemicals and pulp and paper divisions as an account manager in tech sales. He and a friend started an astronomy club 14 years ago that now has over 100 members meeting monthly.

Frank LaBella and wife Arlyne are ensconced in a retirement home, a drastic change after many enjoyable years in their horse farm outside Winnipeg, and is still involved in research and writing, with three recent publications in The Conversation.

In addition to the comments in Hal’s notes in Issue 2 2017, Alan Ward reports that he is fully retired from law practice but taught (“Rules/Regulations”) for U Del Lifelong Learning Program last fall, plays bridge, enjoys summers on Lake Michigan and usually attends a family fall NYC theater weekend (a tradition started in 1949 with Deke alumni Judge Arthur T. Vanderbilt 1910, former trustee (Judge wrote Wesleyan Admission on my behalf in 1949 when I applied), Tom Morningstar ’49, and Jim Stiles). He also wrote that the years have touched Hal and me very lightly; the rest of our group were clearly at their 65th Reunion.

Duncan Nelson wrote a moving poem which I record in its entirety:

Well hello, Joseph Friedman!

I’ll try to give you what you need, man,/ In the way of breaking news,

Amongst which you may pick and choose.

Although for metastatic cancer,/ 4th stage, there is as now no answer,

In being cared for at Dana Farber/ I have found as safe a harbor

As there is, and with Beebe, my wife,

We’ve taken such news as “a sentence of life”—

Finding in the diagnosis/ Ever more death-defying doses

Of reasons—and there are a tankful—/ For being wall-to-wall thankful

For each and every amazing gift,/ Such as 20 grandchildren to lift

Our spirits exponentially./ As for Duncan himself, providentially,

He has a wife he falls in love/ With more each day. Given all the above,

What I say to my ’52/ Classmates is not so much “adieu”

As “Valel” in the certain knowledge/ That the bells of old South College

In their ringing will carry me/ And all of us through eternity—

In that what we have done in our lives will have the staying power

To round out our echoes to sound along

With the yin-yang knells of those bells “ding-dong”

All of us send our best wish for his complete remission.

Seth Rosner had a great idea: Why wait until 2022 for our 70th? He would like to return to Middletown for Reunion weekend this spring and let’s see how many of our class will do the same so we can organize our own out-of-sync Reunion. Any comments? He also reports that the late Judith Kaye, former chief judge of the State of New York, and Norm Veasey, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Delaware, both good friends for years, among others, nominated him for the A.B.A.’s Michael Franck Professional Award. He relates that he served for three-and-a-half years on active duty in the Navy as legal officer of the USS Intrepid and an officer of the deck underway, raced sports cars in California and France, has been a published photographer and occasionally wrote verse.

He adds, “My late brother Jon ’54 and I grew up to admonitions by our mom and dad that we were smart and if we worked hard could expect to make a good living, but that getting rich was not the name of the game, rather that we were put on Earth to do good, to leave our little corner of the world better when they planted us than when we got here. The very same message you and I got from our president, Vic Butterfield: service.” AMEN!

Finally, my wife, Barbara, (Smith ’56), my son-in-law, Samuel Bender ’82, daughter Ellen ’82, and granddaughters Madeline (Yale ’20), Eliza (Horace Mann ’20) and yours truly spent Christmas and New Years in Capetown, South Africa, and in two safari camps in Botswana, and had a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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

This is my first attempt as class secretary after the sterling job done by Hal Buckingham, Bill Wasch, and their predecessor, my DU brother, Don Sanders. Some notes are from communications to Hal and Bill that could not make publication deadlines and some are from recent news received by me.

Following up on Frank LaBella, he reports that he is alive and well, and while at Wesleyan, he was a “townie”, lived at home, had part-time jobs, and as a consequence, a very low profile on campus. He has recently published three articles, but with not enough space here to include, so go to  so go to http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/health_sciences/medicine/units/pharmacology/faculty_members/1482.html.

Don Stauffer, a brother from our DU days, wrote, with his wife Morag, to wish me well on agreeing to take over from Hal and Bill, and had no news to report since he last submitted something.

Robert Kelman is now officially the oldest person to climb Devil’s Tower National Monument in Montana. The record has been posted on the National Park Service’s Facebook page and the story posted on Climbing Magazine’s website.

That reminds me that several years ago, my son-in-law, Samuel Bender ’82, granddaughter Maddie Bender (Yale ’20), and I became the first three-generation family to complete the Maui Downhill Haleakala Summit Bike Tour, after I received a waiver for being over the age limit.

I had a pleasant telephone conversation with Jim Wolpert who reports that he retired from Loeb Partners about six months ago, and is now comfortably ensconced in a retirement community near Tampa, Fla. He has two daughters, a son, and three grandchildren. On campus, he was a member of the John Wesley Club, the Mystical Seven, and the Douglas Cannon Society. Enviably, he has no e-mail.

Richard Kellom wrote Hal that he and his wife, Lyn, had a chuckle over Hal’s statement about gathering fodder for class notes being “more important than you know’’, as Lyn wrote the faculty notes for Northfield Mount Herman School alumni magazine until last year. Dick taught chemistry and coached the ski team there, and his daughter, Kristin ’84, is working in the development office. I enjoyed his comments that “whereas learning what former colleagues are now doing is fun, the gathering of the Info is not always easy and the increasing number of obits is discouraging’’ and “I am getting a little gun-shy about asking people to pass on greetings, not knowing their state of health or if they are still living, but such is the situation we now find ourselves in too often.” Very apropos to being class secretary.

Walter Grunsteidl, one of the first Fulbrighters, wrote Hal a long e-mail last April. He was at Wesleyan for only one year, and not feeling particularly affiliated to a certain class, had random friends across the campus. That year was a very decisive period in his life. The war was but six years over and his country, Austria, was still occupied by the Allies, the scars of war had not yet healed, and they had to develop new politics and fight for freedom for the country. During the year here, he was rotated as a guest between Chi Psi, Delta Upsilon, Phi Sigma Kappa, and the John Wesley Club, thereby enjoying the spirit of the different fraternities. Both he and his wife, Elfi, also a PhD chemist, are enjoying life in his old family home in Vienna, the city being selected as number one in the world regarding quality of life for the eighth time. He enjoys many hobbies, mostly music, and actively studies issues of evolution. He has a son and daughter and, as every old-timer, has had to undergo repair and maintenance occasionally — namely, a heart valve implant, and since then, started a new life, thanks to modern medicine. He ended with a wish for us to have a nice party and many happy attendees.

Catching up on some sad news, Hal heard from Michael M. Stein ’57 that Donald J. Dalessio died on February 25. Don had a distinguished career, was a 1956 graduate of Yale Medical College, and served for many years as chairman of the Medicine Group for the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla Calif. He earned a reputation as one of the nation’s prime neurologists, researching and specializing in the treatment of severe migraine headaches. After his retirement, he was honored by his colleagues at Scripps by having the headache clinic bear his name. In addition to his practice, Don wrote innumerable scholarly reports and edited the National Headache Journal, the Scripps Clinic Personal Health newsletter, and served on the editorial board of the AMA, among others. His wife, Jane, predeceased him and he is survived by their three children, Catherine, Susan, and James, and his brother, John ’60. We offer our sincere condolences to the family. It is sad to lose yet another classmate.

Best wishes and good health to all of you and hope to hear from you.

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

Our 65th Reunion has come and gone, as have the 65 years since our graduation in 1952! Our commencement program listed 162 graduates in our class. The college’s current listing of our class numbers 90 survivors for whom there is good contact information. There were eight of us present for our class banquet, the highlight of Reunion. The years have taken a toll!

This was the first of our Reunions in memory without our esteemed Master of Ceremonies, the late Charlie “Rogo” Rogovin. No one could ever take his place as MC and no one tried on this occasion.

Present at the banquet were Joe Friedman and his wife, Barbara, of NYC.  Attending their own 35th Reunion were their daughter and son-in-law, Ellen ’82 and Sam Bender ’82, and two granddaughters. Joe is still fully engaged in the real estate title insurance business, serving as EVP and chief underwriting counsel of Regal Title. This was the first Reunion for Dwight Herrmann and his wife, Leslye, of Lemoyne, Pa. They are parents of Leslye Ash ’85 and Jane ’90. Dwight is a retired consultant with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Public Works. Ralph Moody and his wife, Lydia, came all the way from their home in Palm Harbor, Fla. Ralph is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, in which he spent his career.

Bob Porter of Canton, Conn., attended with his daughter, Sarah Porter ’86, and grandson. His wife, Connie, suffers from Lewy body disease and was not able to attend. Bob is retired from the Travelers. This was a special weekend for Al Ward. His daughter, Carolyn, attended our banquet. His granddaughter, Hyunji Ward ’17, graduated that weekend. Al’s daughter, Kathryn Ward Koch ’81, and grandson, Hyunwoo Ward ’20, were also on campus. Al resides in Lewes, Del., and, unfortunately, is a widower. He is a former Wesleyan trustee and is a retired partner of BakerHostetler, a leading international law firm.

Our class president, Bill Wasch, another former trustee and a recipient of Wesleyan’s highest alumni honor, the Baldwin Medal, was there in force with his children, Christina and Fred ’92, and two grandchildren. His late wife, Susie, never missed a Reunion and will always be an honorary member of our class. Bill is challenged with Parkinson’s, but with the help of a superb assistant, continues to carry on an active life. John Wood, his wife, Pat, and granddaughter, Megan, were there from Indianapolis. John has had a long and successful career practicing law, most recently with the Indiana Department of Child Services.

Jerry Bobruff, a retired physician now living in Naples, Fla., had planned to attend, but was forced to cancel due to some medical issues. Tom Collins and Mary Ellen, of East Hartford, Conn., had also signed up, but could not attend at the last moment. Believe it or not, Tom, who is now 94 and older than all of us, practiced law actively in the Hartford area right up to the end of 2016. Your scribe and his wife, Joyce, attended and led the singing at the banquet with gusto.  We live at Seabury Retirement Community in nearby Bloomfield, Conn.

It is with enormous regret that I report the death of John Jakobson on Apr. 7, 2017, in NYC. An Eclectic, John played tennis and squash at Wesleyan and graduated with honors and distinction. After Harvard Business School, he purchased a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and pursued a career as a personal investor. He served Wesleyan for years as a trustee and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Among his immediate survivors is his son, Nicholas Jakobson ’05.

I am also sad to write of the death of Bruce Munro on Feb. 2, 2017.  Bruce was an Alpha Delt and, as a pre-med, could usually be found in the labs. He went on to Emory Medical School, became an obstetrician-gynecologist and practiced for over 40 years in New Jersey.  Of Scottish descent, Bruce was active for many years in all things Scottish.

We extend our deepest sympathy to all of John’s and Bruce’s families and loved ones on their great loss, in which we, too, share in our own way.

I have heard from Dick Kellom and Walter Grunsteidl, the latter a German Fulbright Scholar who was with us for only our senior year. Unfortunately, I have reached the 800-word limit imposed on class notes so cannot report further on them.

Finally, a significant highlight of the Reunion for me personally was the agreement of Joe Friedman to succeed us as scribe of these 1952 class notes. It has been a pleasure for me to stay in touch with so many of you while fulfilling this position and I look forward to the new insights that Joe will bring to our class notes.

Harold C. Buckingham Jr. | buckinghamharold@gmail.com
400 Seabury Drive, Apt. 2114, Bloomfield, CT 06002

William K. Wasch | wkwash@gmail.com
150 Coleman Road, Middletown, CT 06457

[Ed. Note: We thank Hal and Bill for devoted service as class secretaries, and we warmly welcome Joe Friedman as he takes on the role. Joe can be reached at jfriedman@regalnyc.com.]