Tag: 1963

I received, through the good offices of Len Edwards, a notice that Stan Lewis had a show, Persistent Vision, at the Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana, over the summer.  It appears that our class has its fair share of artists; Don Sexton provided a list of our classmates who showed artwork at our 60th Reunion: Bob Travis, Byron Miller, Colby Andrus, Dan Snyder, George Tapley, Lew Whitney, Scott Wilson, Tom McKnight, and Don. He also said that he was sorry for the passing of Colby, who was a good friend, and he believed “Gerry Hirsch was also a quite good artist.” Don opened a show in Litchfield, Connecticut, in late August. He writes that he retired from Columbia eight years ago, and, besides his art, he does stand-up on Broadway. In his words: “Now, for the terrifying part: in the past, on a few occasions (very few) I have fronted a band. . . .  Nothing so cool as to watch the audience get up and start dancing as you sing—even if everyone is in their 80s. . . .”

Many of us will remember Dan Dennett, who left Wesleyan for Harvard after his freshman year.  The New York Times carried his obituary in April. Dan was a philosopher who wrote a number of books and articles on consciousness, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology. Both Jack Jarzavek and Bob Saliba ’62 were kind enough to notify me. In notifying me of Dan’s death, Jack noted that he still remembered a paper that Dan had written for the Integrated Program.

President Roth spoke at the Stockbridge, Massachusetts, library in connection with the release of his new book, The Student: A Short History. Don Sexton, Bob Siegle, Dan Hottenstein, and I attended. His talk on the subject was, to no one’s surprise, entertaining, learned, and witty. In the question-and-answer period, he spoke about Wesleyan’s response to the student protests in the spring. It was the consensus of the four of us that Wesleyan had dealt with the protest better than its peers. After the talk, we and our wives (except mine, who was conflicted out) had a terrific dinner at Bob and Rita’s house.

These mini-reunions are memorable—we should all try to keep in contact with our classmates. In that vein, please keep me posted on your various activities so I can pass them on in the next issue.

A number of our classmates responded to the request for news.

Peter Treffers writes: “I started my law practice off in New Haven, Connecticut, as the junior partner with a Wesleyan grad, Mitchel Garber ’37, and ‘practiced’ law there until five years ago when I moved to Ledyard, Connecticut. Now I live with my wife, who is a Pequot Native American, in the midst of the nature and near the casino (Foxwoods). Since Middletown is close, I can get to the reunions and see any classmates, particularly if I know you are coming in the ‘off” year.”

Byron Miller writes that he is retired from his private practice of psychotherapy, but he does participate in regular group discussions with new therapists to try to encourage them to establish their own private practice. He and his wife recently moved to Whitney Center, a Continuous Care Retirement Community in Hamden, Connecticut. They participate in a regular exercise program in the gym and enjoy dinners in the dining room and are slowly getting to know other residents. He and Len Edwards stay in contact as they share many interests, including golf, birding, and doing complex jigsaw puzzles.

Coincidentally, Len Edwards responded, writing: “I have failed retirement by continuing to teach and write about juvenile court. My writings are available at judgeleonardedwards.com. I continue to live with my wife at a home I purchased 47 years ago. Living in Silicon Valley means I made a good investment, but I plan on spending the remainder of my life here. We have a large garden and I spend time in it every day. Our 60th Reunion was virtual, but I enjoyed visiting with those who attended and even had Fritz Henn over for an afternoon visit with one of his sons. My son and three grandsons live about four miles from our home and that has been wonderful. My wife, Margie, brought nine additional grandchildren into our marriage and that makes holidays demanding since we are about the only grandparents for all of them.”

David Landgraf was able to join 15 or so members of the Class of 1963 at our 60th Reunion. He reports that it was a good and rewarding occasion (I agree), which was followed by a virtual reunion later. His family took a trip in August of last year through the Southwest and visited Grand Canyon and Bryce and Zion National Parks. Otherwise, he continues with the never-ending house projects, yard work, quasi-legal church tasks, and visits to and from his children and grandchildren.

Thomas McKnight reports that the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut, held a large exhibition—entitled Apollo’s Mirror: Recent Paintings by Thomas McKnight—of his  lesser-known mythologically inspired work through the summer of 2023. Currently Polia Press is publishing his first book of short stories, Tales of Mykonos, which is available on Amazon and Kindle. These take place on the contemporary Greek island but are loosely based on classical myths. A novel called The Silent Muse is in the works. Clearly being a being an octogenarian is not a time to pack it in and loll on a hammock, but Tom says that he does that too.

Jack Jarzavek is appealing for picture books of the Wesleyan faculty during our years at Wesleyan. He writes: “When we were undergraduates, the University put out picture booklets of the faculty with their degrees and starting teaching year at Wesleyan. In my move to our apartment several years ago, my three different booklets got thrown out. So, if any classmate has a copy kicking around and won’t miss it, I would love to have it.”

Robert Gallamore reports: “My wife, Suellen, passed away in January 2021 from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, so I sold our contemporary house at the seashore, downsized to an apartment, and prepared to settle into old man ‘widowerhood,’ but then I met this lovely lady, Beatrice, and upgraded plans. The irony was that back in my Nebraska homeland, Beatrice was [the name of] our rival high school, not well liked, of course, but for once, a crazy quirk of midwestern pronunciation bailed me out of an impossible conflict. 

“Any class chronicler with a romantic soul can fill in the rest. Bea and I bought a nice house still here, near to President Joe and Jill’s beach house. Wesleyan and the Red Sox are about all I hold on to in New England. Fortunately, Wesleyan seems to be doing well, and I hope her progeny are also.”

I hope that more of you will let your fellow classmates know what has been happening; most of us have retired, some have not, everyone has something interesting to pass on.

Please write to your class secretary.