CLASS OF 1965 | 2022 | SPRING ISSUE

Bob MacLean: “Happy to say I am still in touch with John Dunton whenever there is a relevant rock’n’roll song from the Wombat era, Phil Russell when I need a golf lesson, and Ralph Jacobs during the annual races at Laguna Seca racetrack.

“I am also pleased to say that this is my 45th year as a professional ski instructor, practicing my trade on a part-time basis for year number 15 at Snowmass, Colorado. I’m looking for classmates to come ski with me or if that’s a bit much to ask, how about a little fly-fishing?  Or, if you are so inclined, I recently added on an instrument instructor rating to my certified flight instructor certificate to keep active during the pandemic lockdown. Obviously, none of this has anything to do with my Wesleyan experience except my thanks to Ted See for introducing me to the sport of skiing in Vermont in 1963. Probably should have been studying instead. Wishing my classmates health and happiness as we gaze into the sunset.”

Geoff Geiser: “We are still hanging in there. My wife Carole and I celebrate our 56th anniversary in June. Our primary residence is still in Pennsylvania. We also have a summer home on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. We have two children and four grandchildren. All are thriving and doing well.”

Jim Stewart is still working “more than full time” at the law firm of Pullman & Comley in Bridgeport. Recovering well from heart surgery (summer 2020), and still playing racquetball. Two daughters—Trinity and Wesleyan. Both are trust and estate lawyers and busy with their four granddaughters (ages 8–10).

Charlie Bassos: “Still kicking. Well, maybe not kicking as high as I used to. Most of what is happening in my life revolves around our five grandkids, ages 10, 5, 4, 2, and 2. We exercise a lot, but the MOST exercise we get is when we babysit the youngest ones! Wife Zoe and I wonder how we ever raised our two daughters who were 13 months apart. Daughter Stephanie is building a commercial photography business in the Denver area. Daughter Christi is vice president of digital media for the Tampa Bay Bucs. The team and she got themselves a Super Bowl ring last year and came up just short this year. Will they ever get another chance with Brady gone? I speak occasionally with Frank Green and he chats from time to time with Anthony Caprio ’67, Tom Moreland, and Mark Edmiston.”

Bertel Haarder: Attended Wesleyan during his junior year abroad (1964–65) from his college in Denmark. Later, he distinguished himself as a master of political science graduate and associate professor. He is now in his 42nd year as Liberal Party member of the Danish Parliament. He was also cabinet minister for 22 years and a 7-year member of the European Parliament. Now, president of the Nordic Council and chairman of the Royal Danish Theatre, he also serves on several parliamentary committees. (Glad Wesleyan could have some part in his impressive career!)

Good to hear from Dave Osgood who has been out of the Wesleyan loop for some years. He reconnected via a recent email with Larry Carver ’66. Dave lives outside of Nashville. He reports: “In September I drove to Wisconsin and spent a couple of days with George Adams and Bill Turner.  George is still running his company—an impressive manufacturing operation. Bill is involved in several businesses but devotes most of his time to golf and tennis. He and his wife, Barbara, spend half of the year in Wisconsin and half of the year at their home in Florida.”

Rob Abel and I had a wonderful chat in early February. We spoke because I was particularly interested in the course he teaches—The Healers’ Art—to first-year medical students at Thomas Jefferson University. (Rob is on the faculty of the university’s Department of Integrative Medicine and emeritus professor of ophthalmology.) The goal of the course is to invoke a sense of empathy, encourage active listening, and develop gratitude in students’ daily lives. These qualities are, unfortunately, not emphasized in medical schools.  Also, Rob has been invited to Africa this fall to teach eye residents from Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda, and has an interest in new approaches to bone and joint replacement. Talk about a life with purpose!

Marsh Cusic: “Despite cancellation of our ’65 gathering due to COVID, Georgeanne and I came back for Homecoming in November, amidst spectacular fall colors from Pennsylvania to New England. (It reminded us of several times in recent years when Georgeanne, singlehandedly, drove our daughters, Cyndi and Emily, and their high school teammates, oars, and boats to the Head of the Charles Regatta with the Mendota Wisconsin Rowing Club team.)

“With that pleasant memory in mind, we decided to go ahead and celebrate anyway, as did a handful of ’65 die-hards plus wives. And, despite the exciting, heart-wrenching, four-overtime loss to Amherst (in a drenching rain), Georgeanne and I, along with Gary Witten, Clyde Beers, Phil Rockwell, and wives, drowned our sorrows over brews and seafood at a local pub and had a great time.

“On a separate note, I’m pleased to say that long-lost close friend and ’65 Chi Psi brother Carl Siekmann has surfaced. Carl called me after receiving news about our reunion. (We had lost contact when Carl and I took a break after our sophomore year.)  Then, we got together with Carl and his wife, Susan, in Saint Louis. Carl is now a professor at Washington University Business School.”

Clyde Beers: “In the most recent communication from Wesleyan, I was happy to see President Roth extoll freedom of expression and acceptance of differing points of view.  His actions have not always registered well with me, but I do feel that is one of the most important things a college can offer. And I think his action is necessary.”

And, sorry to end these notes with a sad notification from Drew Hult that his wife Marilyn passed away in September of 2019. Drew, on behalf of all your classmates, deepest sympathies.

 

CLASS OF 1965 | 2021–2022 | WINTER ISSUE

John Dunton writes: “Dutch Siegert’s note about meeting Tim Lynch in the Philippines brought to mind my unexpected encounter in a restaurant in Cincinnati in 1967. Walking to my table I spied fellow Foss Hill 1 friend Rich Young. For a reader not in the class of ’65, Rich was totally blind. Freshman year I occasionally was a reader for him, but we never had a class together and we hadn’t kept in touch after graduation. The second I said seven words: ‘Rich, what are you doing in Cincinnati?’ he instantly replied, ‘Dunton, what are you doing in Cincinnati?’ He was attending a program attempting to teach the blind how to access computers through touch: reading punched paper tape (remember punch cards?) like braille—instead of punching holes in the tape, the impact rollers were wrapped in (no kidding) ladies garter material to make an impact instead of a hole. Of course, better technology rendered punch cards and tape obsolete very quickly; unfortunately, Rich died several years after our chance meeting. He was hands down one of the most fascinating people I met at Wes.”

Congratulations to three members of our class (Jerry Melillo, Phil Russell, and Hugh Wilson) who have been rated among the top 0.1 % most-cited researchers worldwide, according to a recent study by PLOS Biology. The study, led by Professor John Ioannidis from Stanford University, combines several different metrics to systematically rank the most influential scientists as measured by citations. More than six million scientists, who were actively working between 1996 and 2018, were analyzed for the project. Our classmates are joined by five other Cardinal alumni and thirteen Wesleyan faculty to be honored through this study. The study reinforces Wesleyan’s reputation as an exceptional liberal arts institution, said Hugh, who is professor emeritus of spatial and computational vision at York University. “It is sometimes questioned whether a liberal arts education is really optimal for an aspiring scientist. After all, wouldn’t it be better to take just science and math courses rather than spending part of one’s time with literature, philosophy, history, or art,” he said. “So, [this study shows that] liberal arts continue to attract outstanding scientists as dedicated faculty members who espouse both teaching and research.”

In May, the class had a Zoom meeting and a number of us participated. Good discussions about various topics including Wesleyan memories, gun legislation, and important climate change predictions regarding permafrost thaw and hurricane increases and decreases in China and the United States, respectively. Jerry also offered kudos to the Wesleyan students he’s mentored at Woods Hole over the years.

Bob Barton (New Hamburg, New York), Ellen and Ted See (West Hartford, Connecticut), and Chuck Hearey (Orinda, California) visited with Cindy and me recently, and it was wonderful to have us together again. The six of us are retired and are now focused on our families, grandchildren, homes and gardens, volunteer work, and sports.

Chuck and I then went on to Rhode Island for a US Tennis Association senior singles and doubles grass court tennis tournament. We held our heads high against the best 75-plus year-olds in the country. Always great playing with Chuck!

As of this writing, a number of ‘65ers—led by Hugh Wilson and Win Chamberlin—are at work to gather our classmates for an entertaining Reunion weekend on campus during this year’s Homecoming weekend in October. Hope many of you had the pleasure of joining us!

CLASS OF 1965 | 2021 | ISSUE 1

Dear Classmates, Thank you for your responses to the latest request for news as follows:

      Bertel Haarder from Copenhagen, Denmark: “President of the Nordic Council of parliamentarians, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Royal Danish Theater. Twenty-two years as cabinet minister and 41 years as member of Parliament. My Wesleyan experience has been very valuable, particularly through my 15 years as minister for education and research.”

      Dan Hinckley: “Surviving the pandemic. We get our second Moderna shots Monday, February 22, which is a huge relief. Florida has managed OK given the massive numbers of over-65s around here. Kids and grandkids (in Switzerland and Maryland) are all OK, and we even got to see four of the five from the Swiss side for 36 hours last week, first time since exactly a year ago. We moved back to the U.S. in 2014 after 25 years in Switzerland for me and 45 for Katherine. Plan is to be back to Maine as usual by Memorial Day, with perhaps a trip to Switzerland in the fall.”

   Tom Bell: “Still living in Halifax, Nova Scotia and enjoying life here. The family is all doing well.”

      Clyde Beers: “Donna and I are now at our home on Grand Cayman. After a brutal two-week quarantine (never risked being sent to jail) we now have beautiful views, highs of 82 and lows of 75, zero non-quarantined cases and no masks on the whole island. So, a tough start rigidly enforced leads to lots of vacation positives compared to a super cold Pennsylvania. Back in Pennsylvania in time for serious gardening and seeing the rest of our family.”

    Carl Hoppe: “Slowly winding down my psychology practice after 49 years, I am devoting more time to doubles tennis.”

     Brian Courtney: “Retired last year after practicing dentistry for 50 years. It was always easy for me. Enjoyed good health and retired at the top of my game. Living on Lake Sinclair in Georgia.”

     Brian Baxter: “As I begin my fourth year as president of the board of our 731-unit condominium community of 75 acres and 12,000 trees on Little Sarasota Bay here in Florida, I continue to seek an appropriate balance between a volunteer job that can easily be more than full time and my retired life with my family. Developing policies, rules, and a culture of safety during this coronavirus pandemic has been a great challenge over the past year, with about one-half of one percent of our residents reporting coronavirus infections compared to over six percent of residents in the surrounding area.”

   Rob Abel’s latest book, Is Death Really a Mystery?, chronicles extraordinary reports from ordinary people who have had visitations while asleep or awake, as well as near death experiences. The book is available on Amazon. My wife and I both found it to be a very satisfying read. 

     Rob also offered some memories of Norm Shapiro, who passed away last year: “Over the years I would visit him on campus, send copies of my books and, in return, receive one of his magnificent opi with a humorous inscription. Without being overt, Norm would be intensely interested in (and committed to) the lives of all who wandered into his orbit. He was one of us and yet resided in a higher realm, to which we can only aspire. . . .”

     Rob also stepped up to help a recent graduate, Zoe Garvey ’20, who was hoping to conduct research during a gap year before medical school. They have now collaborated on several mind-eye connection studies and a presentation (“Harnessing Eyes for Capturing Mental Status”) for the American Psychiatric Association.

     Art Rhodes: “Still alive and retired. Wife Leslie Newman and I are spending our time with our collective five children and 10 grandchildren in Chicago and New Orleans. Wishing everyone well in life in the time of COVID-19.”

    Paul “Dutch” Seigert: “My law practice in New York City is booming because everyone is suing each other as a result of the pandemic.  Now, I am working 52 hours a week (i.e., 13 hours a day from Monday to Thursday).  On Fridays, I check into the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City, where I am a professional poker player and play all day Friday and Saturday. I am back in Yonkers, New York on Sunday mornings to attend church services or my wife would kill me.

      “By the way, more than 50 years ago when I was in the military as an enlisted man and going to Vietnam, I met my Deke brother and a great guy, Tim Lynch, who was a naval officer, on a pathway at the Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippine Islands. Tim said, ‘Dutch, what are you doing here’ and I said the same to him.  But I forgot to salute him.  This has bothered me for many years.  Tim, I salute you!”

    Bill Brooks: “The big news—apart from surviving both COVID-19 and the greater evil of DT-2016—is that I will retire from teaching, fully, completely, and utterly, in July 2021. I’ll still go back and forth to and from Europe and England, but only as a visitor; thereafter my home will be in Champaign, Illinois.”

    Finally, on a sad note, in late February our class lost an outstanding individual, Peter Whiteley. A wonderful tribute to him by his son Mark can be found in the online version of ’65 class notes (magazine.wesleyan.edu).

     Wesleyan and countless alumni also lost in February a wonderful friend, Don Russell, who passed away at age 90. Don was very close to many ’65ers and attended a number of our reunions. He was admired as a highly successful coach, advisor, administrator, and community leader.

CLASS OF 1965 | 2020 | ISSUE 3

Fred Nachman called after learning of Hal Gorman’s passing. They were close friends and Chi Psi brothers. Fred sent Donna a lovely message and great photo of Hal pass-blocking for Fred on the gridiron. Fred and wife Linda remain happy and healthy (regular hiking/tennis) in Phoenix. 

 Geoff Geiser writes: “Carole and I celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary this year. Children, Erik and Lynn, and their spouses, Ingrid and Josh, continue to thrive. Grandchildren, Luke and Lauren, graduated from college, and Annika and Zachary are sophomores. Spend our winters in Pennsylvania when not traveling to warmer climates and summers on L.B.I. in New Jersey.”

Rick Borger: “Wife Judy and I are healthy, happy and comfortably retired, living at Cornwall Manor, a continuing care retirement community in Cornwall, Pennsylvania. I am vice president of the residents’ association and teach the AARP Safe Driving course. Each summer we visit our cottage on a pond in central Massachusetts where I grew up.”

Jack Hardin “continues to practice corporate law and to lead Atlanta’s efforts to combat homelessness. Compared to other major cities, Atlanta has had great success in reducing homeless counts. Upon the advent last spring of SARS Cov-2, Atlanta was the first city to test everyone in every shelter and most of the unsheltered, and opened up an isolation hotel and another hotel for the unsheltered. This kept the positivity rate below 2 percent when the general population tested as high as 10 percent, now trending down to 8 percent. Like the nation as a whole, we are facing a potential tsunami of potential evictions and working with landlords, tenants, and philanthropy to attempt to keep people in their homes.

 “A few years ago, I corralled a few of my fellow Wesleyan alums in Atlanta and we created the Greater Atlanta Scholarship that helps Atlanta area students go to Wesleyan. We have three children (including Brett ’91) and six grandchildren.”

Arthur Rhodes: “Retired from seeing patients at Chicago’s Rush University Medical in 2019. Wife Leslie and I are enjoying visiting our combined five children and ten grandchildren in Chicago and New Orleans.”

Guy Archer: “Andrea and I still going strong here in Honolulu—walking several miles most every day, counting the golden plovers, taking online courses, and watching old movies on TV. Last summer we managed a month in Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Austria via Eurail, and never missed a train. Among other European treasures, we saw the all Rembrandt exhibit, the Keukenhof Flower Gardens and heard the Firebird Suite in Amsterdam.”

Tony Shuman: “Very sorry to learn of Hal’s death, and sorrier still to inform you of another recent loss: Bill Brundage. Bill lived an iconoclastic life off-grid on the Island of Hawai’i (the ‘big island’). A champion of self-sufficiency and early environmental consciousness, he expressed this through his own life and in an endless series of letters to the editors of local papers. Over the years we were occasionally in touch, linked by our shared experience in class with Nobby (Norman O.) Brown. Bill never owned a computer, wrote by typewriter, and communicated through surface mail. I know that Guy Archer, also a Hawaii resident, was able to see Bill on his birthday last January. His daughter, Karla’s, poignant words to me follow:

“It is with deep sadness that I write to let you know that my dad, Frederic William Brundage, passed away on September 18, 2020, at the age of 77. I will always remember my dad’s love for the land and community of friends he found in Hawaiian Acres. He was a man ahead of his time in many ways. He always had a passion for the earth and with many of you, he lived his beliefs in his conservation and living as self-sufficiently and off the land as possible. He was a firm believer in recycling, and I recall him starting a recycling center at the Hawaiian Acres community a long time ago. I have always admired his artful life and skill in this way. My dad also had a passion for truth and always spoke what he believed to be true, which led to a very controversial life indeed! He also was an inspiration to me as a writer and artist and shared with me his love of his land. Thank you all for helping him to live a life of freedom, which he valued more than anything.” 

(Tony continues to teach architecture at the New Jersey Institute of Technology after 30 months as interim dean. He is on sabbatical this year focusing on his work around Newark: development of a physical model of the city; heading the local community development board; co-editing Newark Landmarks (2016); lobbying for the historic Essex County Jail; and promoting “passive house” design for university employees. His family is in good health, with both boys now seniors in college.)

Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu

CLASS OF 1965 | 2020 | ISSUE 2

Dear classmates, here’s the news:

Bob Mabon writes: “Last saw you at the 2005 Reunion, which I attended with Nan and Steve Hart and his wife, Jeanette. That’s when I heard the sad news about Sandy Creed’s illness. I corresponded with Sandy, and we reminisced about our superb trip to Europe. It must have been a great joy to Sandy and Alex to have three of Sandy’s best friends, you, Warren Thomas, and Charlie Orr, there at the end of his life. My father also succumbed to melanoma in 1996, which originated during the war when he was badly sunburned in North Africa.

“To Marine Corps OCS after law school, one year on active duty, and in the reserves for five years, retiring as a captain in 1974. Amazingly, Bob Del Bello and I were in the same OCS platoon. In the 50th Reunion class book, I wrote, along with you, a tribute to Sandy, and one for Bob, which recounts my experiences with Bob in the Marines.

“Retired from investment banking in 2010, having spent the last 17 years in London. Nan and I travel to the U.S. annually, except this year due to COVID-19, to see our two daughters, who live in NYC and Boston, respectively. We have four grandchildren. In 2010, we bought an apartment in a brownstone in Park Slope. It was built for the last mayor of Brooklyn in 1885. Our home in South Kensington was built in 1844. We frequently travel to Europe, especially Italy, where we lived in Venice from 1989 to 1992, before moving to London. (Steve and Jeanette live in Paris, and we see them often.)”

Carl Calendar writes: “At Brookdale Community College at the Jersey Shore for 48 years, ending up as dean of humanities. Still give lectures for the lifelong learning program. I worked three years in the summers for the state department in Malaysia and Borneo, promoting better writing and press freedom. And, had summer grants to study Shakespeare at Princeton and Exeter College, Oxford. I have traveled widely, including walking 200 miles on the Camino de Santiago where I earned my Compostela. Married to Jody Shaughnessy Calendar, former managing editor of the Asbury Park Press and Bergen Record. We have two sons: Bart runs his own communication company in Montpellier, France, and Shane is a corporate attorney in New Jersey.”

Gar Hargens writes: “In Beantown last weekend to watch grandsons Grayson and Holland (senior co-captain and sophomore) play two basketball games for Newton North High School. I connected with Susan Mead for a long-overdue lunch and reminiscence about Kirt and Wesleyan. She has four terrific grandkids and splits time between Cambridge and Marion. In December, Missy and I were invited to Costa Rica to meet 2-month-old granddaughter, Charlie Collett Hargens, my seventh grandchild. Youngest daughter Kendra ’04 is a senior designer for Patagonia, and with generous maternity leave, elected to introduce Charlie to surfing on the West Coast and have us down.”

Jim Henderson writes of the young man—a gifted singer—whom he, wife Connie, and a loving community have supported, and who just completed his sophomore year at James Madison University on a full scholarship. Homeless through most of high school, he lived with Jim and Connie before college.

Jim and Connie visited with a former exchange student they hosted in the 1980s from Dusseldorf. They remain active with book clubs, classes, and a number of civic and charitable organizations. They traveled in England last summer, which tied into Connie’s longtime love of English gardens and participation in a woman’s Shakespeare class that has been active for over a century. They live in Carrollton, Va., and would welcome hearing from friends who are visiting the area.

Arthur Rhodes writes: “Just retired from Rush University Medical Center. Leslie and I will be spending more time with our combined families of five children and 10 grandchildren in Chicago and New Orleans. Homes in both places. Surprised how each day flies by when I am not seeing patients.”

Roger Spragg writes: “At UC San Diego for 50 years, now retired from the department of medicine and patient care but continuing some mentoring and investigative activities. Carole and I celebrated our 50th anniversary last winter with our two sons and their families at our home near Whitefish, Mont. Travel, hiking, and reading on some subjects I neglected at Wesleyan are major activities. I’d enjoy hearing (rspragg@ucsd.edu) from Wesleyan friends.”

Dick Travis writes: “In June 2019, Evelyn and I celebrated our 50th anniversary with our first return to Glacier National Park since our family was there in the summers of 1983 and 1984 when I was at the park with the U.S. Public Health Service. Then off to Banff National Park, Lake Louise, and other parts of the Canadian Rockies. Most of our life now revolves around church and grandchildren’s activities. Our grandchildren range in age from 22 in graduate school to a 9-year-old, and we are thankful to be in their lives.”

Due to the pandemic, we had our 55th Reunion online, nicely organized by Wesleyan (Mark Davis and Ann Goodwin ’79) and our fine leaders, Hugh Wilson and Mark Edmiston.

Because of a commitment, I got in on the conversation a bit late, but enjoyed seeing everyone on the zoom and hearing their voices.

Participating in the call were: Tom Bell, John Dunton, Gary Witten, Fred Nachman, Fred JosephMajor Moise, Dan Gibbs, Art Rhodes, Win Chamberlin, Richard Smith, John Hall, Tony Schuman, Peter Kelman ’65, MAT ’66, Bob McLean, Jim Henderson, Steve Halliwell, Phil Russell, and Clyde Beers.

To cap off the good chat and family/professional updates, Jerry Melillo ’65, MAT ’68 was asked for his assessment of the future given the reality of climate change. Among other potential results he mentioned are cyclones, hurricanes, oil spills, etc. from a warmer Gulf Stream, and additional compound events. A sobering, but important, message on which to end our evening.

Thank you all for participating!

Sad news to report: Professor Norm Shapiro, Hon. ’72 and Jono Hildner passed away.

Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu

CLASS OF 1965 | 2020 | ISSUE 1

Dear Classmates,

Thank you for the following response to my belated plea for news:

Win Chamberlin: “Our best news is the arrival of granddaughter Grey Davies Sparrow.  Not unlike her mother and our daughter, Felicity, I suspect the only grey in her life will be her name; otherwise, it’s all straight black or white. Getting ready for another Habitat build this year in the Dominican Republic. As usual, we’ll be doing cement pours to replace dirt floors with concrete, so basic yet so important. My wheelbarrow, Ezmeralda, will be on location.  Hope I can keep doing this for a few more years. The people we serve may be poor, but their gratitude and wealth in spirit is world class.”

John Graves: “Since our 50th, I note with sadness the loss of Ron Young, with whom I roomed at the Reunion, and Professor John Maguire, Freedom Rider, lifelong activist for peace and justice and friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, whose life we celebrate tomorrow. I retired from my practice of psychiatry in Denver in 2016 and recently completed a personal/professional memoir entitled Lessons on the Road to Hope: A Psychiatrist’s Journey, which I plan to publish later this year. Ongoing classical piano studies, fly fishing (king salmon in Alaska), participating in a men’s reading group, volunteering in a homeless women’s program at my church and with Mental Health Colorado, along with extensive travels in Europe, Morocco, and plans for two weeks in Kenya this summer, have been exciting. I am blessed with good health and increasingly grateful for my time at Wesleyan. Janmarie (Holyoke ’69) and I have a very comfortable guest apartment and would welcome visitors if you are planning on a trip to the Rockies. We pray for peace at home and in the world.”

John Dunton: “Carol and I learned this year that Route 20, which begins at Kenmore Square in Boston ends up in Newport, Ore. It is the longest continuous road in the U.S., and if they had a catchy song like Route 66 does, people might know what a long and winding road Route 20 is. We drove it end-to-end in June and July, with many stops along the way including the Jell-O Museum, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a Cubs game, the Field of Dreams house and ball yard, and cornfield, Yellowstone Park and all its glories, and after hitting the Pacific we spent several days in quirky Portland, Ore.  We saw the farmers literally under water in Ohio and Indiana, the hundreds of dollar stores, the surprising (to us) resurgence of Cleveland and Toledo, a real rodeo, bison roaming free, and the unexpected charm of Boise. We feel much more reconnected to our country as a result.”

Bill Knox: In Morocco with Carolyn and her best friend, who was her college roommate for four years and introduced us on New Year’s Eve 1968. Staying in a rather rustic Airbnb in Chefchaouen.

Arthur Rhodes: “Just retired from Rush University Medical Center. Leslie and I will be spending more time with our combined families of five children and 10 grandchildren in Chicago and New Orleans. Homes in both places. Surprised how each day flies by when I am not seeing patients.”

Gar Hargens: “In Beantown last weekend to watch grandsons Grayson and Holland (senior co-captain and sophomore) play two basketball games for Newton North High School. Connected with Susan Mead for a long overdue lunch and reminiscence about Kirt and Wesleyan. She has four terrific grandkids and splits time between Cambridge and Marion. In December, Missy and I were invited to Costa Rica to meet 2-month-old granddaughter Charlie Collett Hargens, my seventh grandchild. Youngest daughter Kendra ’04 is a senior designer for Patagonia and with generous maternity leave, elected to introduce Charlie to surfing on the West Coast and have us down. Missy’s working hard for Senator Amy Klobuchar, the moderate Minnesota Midwesterner we think has the best shot.”

Jim Henderson writes of the young man whom he, Connie, and a loving community support, who is now at James Madison University. The young man is a gifted musician and was mostly homeless through high school and before his mother passed away unexpectedly. A great story. He and Connie recently visited with an exchange student they hosted from Duesseldorf who was with them in the 1980s. They remain very active with book clubs, classes, and a number of civic and charitable organizations. They traveled to England last summer, which tied into Connie’s longtime love of English gardens. They live in Carrollton, Va., and would welcome hearing from friends who are visiting the area.

Carl Calendar: “I worked for Brookdale Community College at the Jersey Shore for 48 years, ending up as dean of humanities, and I still give lectures for the lifelong learning program in the non-credit division.  During my career I worked three years in the summers for the State Department in Malaysia and Borneo trying to encourage better writing and freedom of the press. I also had summer grants to study Shakespeare at Princeton and Exeter College, Oxford. I have traveled fairly widely including walking 200 miles on the Camino de Santiago where I earned my Compostela. I am married to Jody Shaughnessy Calendar who was the managing editor of the Asbury Park Press and the Bergen Record. We have two sons, Bart, who runs his own communication company in Montpellier, France, and Shane who is a corporate attorney in New Jersey.”

Roger Spragg: “At UC San Diego for 50 years, now retired from the department of medicine and patient care but continuing some mentoring and investigative activities. Carole and I celebrated our 50th anniversary last winter with our two sons and their families at our home near Whitefish, Mont. Travel, hiking, and reading on some subjects I neglected at Wesleyan are major activities. I’d enjoy hearing (at rspragg@ucsd.edu) from Wesleyan friends.

Dutch Siegert: “My dual occupations continue a still-booming law practice in New York City and professional high-stakes poker playing at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. Someone once mentioned the word retirement, but I don’t know what that means.”

Bill Brooks continues working at the University of York (UK), where he is now half-time and teaching only PhD students, and at the Orpheus Institute in Ghent, Belgium, where he is a senior research fellow and series editor for Orpheus Publications, most of which are issued by the University of Leuven Press. Nearly two years ago he bought a condominium in a 1929 building in Champaign, Ill., which he continues very slowly to restore. There he is emeritus professor of music at the University of Illinois, and he commutes regularly to Chicago, where he is a scholar-in-residence at the Newberry Library. Over Here, Over There, a collection of essays on the music of World War I, edited by himself and two colleagues, was issued by the University of Illinois Press last October; an LP of his 45-minute composition Footnotes, for guitar, was issued in January by Innova Records. A collection of compositions and essays created over the past eight years will be published online by the Orpheus Institute later this year. His compositions are published by Frog Peak Music. He can be reached at w-brooks@illinois.edu.

Dick Travis: “In June, Evelyn and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with our first return to Glacier National Park since our family was there the summers of 1983 and 1984 when I was the U.S. Public Health Service Environmental Sanitation Consultant assigned to the park. Then off to Banff National Park, Lake Louise, and other parts of the Canadian Rockies. But most of our life these days revolves around church and grandchildren activities. At church, I am an elder, teach Sunday School, sing in the choir, and service on committees because Presbyterians “are orderly” and seem to love committees and commissions. Our grandchildren range in age from 21 in graduate school to an 8-year-old, and we are thankful to be in their lives, serve as taxi drivers when needed, and occasionally being interviewed for class assignments (there are benefits to having some mileage on you). While at Wesleyan, one of my uncles told me that Wesleyan would just be four years, but that this would result in much growth during this short time period. This was certainly true for me and in good part due to the wonderful classmates that I had who taught me so much. Thanks to all.”

Jeff Kessler: “Living in Manhasset on Long Island with wife Ilana. Continuing to enjoy practicing medicine (neurology) and my four kids and seven grandchildren. Can’t hit a golf ball nearly as far as a few years ago. Busy collecting wine and rare single malt scotch with the kids. Really proud of Wesleyan’s recent achievements in athletics, as well as in the arts and other fields. Daughter Vicki ’07 and son-in-law Evan Browne ’05 are also loyal enthusiasts.”

Bob Thorndike: “Retired for 13 years and accumulating an alarming number of replacement parts while spending most of the year in the far northwest. January and February in Phoenix for golf. We have cruised the Atlantic twice with continuations to Spitzbergen (coast of Norway) and the Baltic. Recommend St. Petersburg, it is worth the trip. Southern Africa is also well worth it for adventurous souls.”

Carl Hoppe: “Still toiling away at work. Busier than ever. Managed to get to Napili, Maui, for the holiday season. We go from LA to the beach house we share with Diane’s sisters in Del Mar every five or six weeks. Contemplating retiring when I get old. Things could be worse.”

Ken David: “Elly and I migrate yearly between Michigan and western Florida. As winter Floridians, we live 20 miles north of Tampa in the Trinity section of New Port Richey. We keep on traveling. The next trip is to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. We shall reverse Apocalypse Now and boat down the Mekong River to Siem Reap. Angkor Wat is the target.”

Bertel Haarder: (junior year abroad) “I am the longest serving minister and parliamentarian in Denmark, still MP, and now also chairman of the Royal Theater in Copenhagen. as minister for education and research through 15 years, I profited a lot from my Wesleyan experience.”

Joe Nichols: “Oldest son, Weston, BS, Cornell (engineering), co-captain tennis team, PhD, California Institute Technology, recently married Holly Snyder, BA, Brown University (golf team), MBA, Wharton. Both on Wall Street. Youngest son, Peden, BS, MIT (engineering), co-captain tennis team, also on Wall Street. Betsy and I still living in Great Falls, Va.”

Bob MacLean: “Having first skied with other Eclectics at Powder Ridge near Middletown, I’m celebrating my 43rd year as a fully-certified ski instructor at Snowmass, Colo. If you’re in the Aspen area, come ski with me. A great way to connect or reconnect. Otherwise, growing our Yolá yogurt topping start-up business. In touch with Phil Russell out here in Silicon Valley and with John DuntonPeter WhiteleyRalph Jacobs, and Chuck Hearey. Great Wesleyan memories and wonderful long-term friendships for which I am extremely grateful.”

Tom Bell: “Still retired and living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My wife Jacquie and I are in our 44th year of marriage and we have seven grandchildren, two of whom currently live near us in Halifax. The grandchildren range from ages 6to 22, and I love getting to know them as they grow up.”

Amertat Cohn: “I have one tidbit of good news. I just finished a film I have been working on for 50 years (started in 1969). It is a feature documentary entitled SunSeed – The Journey. It is being released this week streaming from the website sunseed.org. You can see the trailer at https://youtu.be/ZgNO6YnONi8.

“Here is a small description of the film: In the 1960s and 1970s, many teachers and gurus from the East were called to the West to share their approaches to theology and timeless traditions of meditation, yoga, and spiritual understanding. It was the dawning of a New Age. What resulted was an awakening and a transformational movement that is still rocking the culture today. Narrated by Peter Coyote. Featuring Ram Dass, Murshid Samuel L. Lewis, Pir Vilayat Khan, Swami Satchidananda, Swami Muktananda, Roshi Shunryu Suzuki, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, Lama Anagarika Govinda, Yogi Bhajan, Maharaji Virsa Singh, Stephen Gaskin, Hilda Charlton, Joe Miller, Gavin Arthur, Maharaj Neem Karoli, with personal comments from the director, Amertat Cohn.

“One of the most interesting teachers in the film is the recently deceased Ram Dass. He was the last of the teachers in the film to go. He was also at Wesleyan. I think he got his master’s here.”

Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu