Tag: 1962

TIMOTHY E. NOBLE, a retired newspaper editor, died Feb. 11, 2012. He was 74. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was the son of Francis O. Noble of the class of 1917 and the grandson of Eugene A Noble of the class of 1891. During his long career in journalism, he won five first-place awards as an op-ed page editor, was the sole editor responsible for the Watergate coverage his newspaper’s readers received, and rewrote a book for a Nixon apologist. He also served six years as president of his fraternity’s alumni chapter and 22 years as a trustee of the organization, years characterized by a feud with the international body of the group over coeducation.

HARDU KECK, 63, former provost of the Rhode Island School of Design and a highly regarded professor, sculptor and painter, died Aug. 5, 2003. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in art. After receiving a master’s degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, he joined the faculty and remained there for 39 years, becoming involved in administration–serving as dean of International programs in recognition of his love and understanding of global education–as well as teaching a variety of courses, including painting, sculpture, film comparative mythology, and philosophy of art. He was born in Estonia and was a refuge from Nazi and Russian occupiers during his youth. An internationalist, he was fluent in four languages and served as a consultant and program developer for colleges and universities worldwide, creating many study-abroad opportunities for RISD students. In addition, he served as an accreditation evaluator for schools of art and design. He was known for his public sculpture, including his use of downtown Providence, R.I., as his background. During the 1996 Convergence Festival, an annual outdoor sculpture event in that city, he designed a huge fountain, Fireman’s Fountain, overlooking the Providence River, that was made from merging the sprays of three high-pressure hoses from three separate fire engines. Among those who survive are three daughters.

BURTON B. KAPLAN, the chief executive officer of Sealy Mattress Of Illinois and co-chair of National Bedding, died Mar. 28, 2011. He was 70. A member of Eclectic, he received his degree with distinction in history and received an MBA from Harvard University. In addition to his business pursuits, in the late 1980s he became concerned about the growth of economic inequality in America and focused his efforts on providing educational opportunities for the underserved children of Chicago. He was also a supporter of arts organizations in the Chicago area. Among those who survive are his wife, Anne Lerner Kaplan, his father, three children, nine grandchildren, a brother and a sister.

DAVID L. FISHER, who in 1958 joined with four other freshmen at Wesleyan to form the Highwaymen, one of the most popular folk music groups of the early 1960s, died May 7, 2010, at age 69. A member of EQV, he was the son of the late Abraham A. Fisher ’34. The Highwaymen was formed when the five freshmen had to present an entertainment act for the fraternity in which they were initiates. Under his guidance they put together a folk music show. By the fall of 1961 the group had the No. 1 song in the county, “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore,” an African–American spiritual that was released under the shortened title, “Michael.” Although the group broke up in 1964, after eight albums, 10 singles, and three appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, he remained a musician, composing and arranging music for films and television and working as a studio singer and musician. In 1987, the group reunited and issued five more CDs, and he was acknowledged as their musical leader. His two previous marriages ended in divorce. Among those who survive are his wife, Dr. Elaine K. Haagen, two children from his second marriage, his stepson, and his sister.

ROBERT S. “Bob” BURNETT, one of the original folk-singing group The Highwaymen, and an attorney and banker, died Dec. 7, 2011, at age 71. A member of EQV, he received his degree with honors. At Wesleyan, he and three of his fraternity brothers formed The Highwaymen and recorded the song “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore,” which was a gold-record phenomenon in 1961. After graduation he joined the U.S. Army. Upon his discharge from the Army he lived and sang with the Highwaymen in Greenwich Village at the height of the folk-singing era. He then attended Harvard Law School, receiving his degree in 1967, and joined the firm of Edwards & Angell. He later worked as a senior vice president in the trust departments of the Hospital Trust National Bank, Fleet, Bank Boston, and, more recently, Bank of America. He was an active member of both the Probate & Trust Committee of the Rhode Island Bar and the Estate Planning Council of Rhode Island. An active community volunteer, he served as the chairman of the board of Moses Brown School, was on the board of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Cancer Society, and sat on and advised numerous non-profit boards. He was also an avid sailor and athlete, in addition to continuing to sing. In 1990 the original Highwaymen began to perform together again, reviving the sounds of the 1960s, and did so for 20 years. Among those who survive are his wife, Kathleen Cullis Burnett, three children, nine grandchildren, two brothers, and a large extended family.

DAN R. ARONSON, an anthropologist whose career spanned 25 years at McGill University and 15 years at the World Bank, where he was the principal social scientist until his retirement in 2003, died Feb. 26, 2010. He was 69. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in anthropology, and was a member of EQV. He received master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Chicago. A specialist in developmental anthropology, particularly in African countries, he tried to incorporate a deeper understanding of social structure and cultural values into efforts to improve the well–being and income–earning potential of the poor. He is survived by three children, including David A. Aronson ’86; eight grandchildren; two brothers; a large extended family; and his former wife, Theresa Lopez.