Tag: 1973

From Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dana Barrows writes that he and “Holly Babbitt love living on the Massachussets SouthCoast for the past five years.” He says he continues working on his terms, year 51, as an estate and business planning specialist with Northwestern Mutual, working mainly through joint work partners with closely held business owners. He calls it “intellectually stimulating and fulfilling. We each have developed significant friendships here, and deep connection to various nonprofits and volunteer activities, including the Garden Club of Buzzard’s Bay, the SouthCoast Community Foundation, the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust, Westport Conservation, and others. Our challenging course, Allendale CC, is less than a mile away, and we are surrounded by amazing hiking trails that lead down to the marshes and the ocean.” They feel that “Wesleyan and Connecticut College continue to courageously serve as a beacon of light and reason and leadership in these turbulent times.”

Jim Powers celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary (Martha Wettemann, Trinity ’73) at Rose Vineyards in Branford in May. He also presented on humanism in medicine in November at the annual meeting of the Gerontologic Association of America.

Dr. Michael Fossel writes that his new book, Reversal,came out in February. It reportedly is significant as a “unified model of aging that connects molecular biology and clinical medicine.” 

From Nashville, we have a newsy note from Bill Williams. He writes that “my wife and I recently bought the dog a yard and left our Nashville condo for Ashland City, a little rural community about 40 minutes from the city. It’s slower, a whole lot quieter, and the dog now shares her yard with a friend.” He also notes “I have somehow gotten myself involved in public policy surrounding diabetes care. Having had type 1 for 65-plus years, I find that I have a good bit of credibility with legislators and their staffs. As a result of enormous improvements in insulin and diabetes technology, significant numbers of longtime type 1 diabetics are now reaching Medicare age” and he says there are serious challenges with services and care.

Bill also said, “I spent a day on Capitol Hill in October with a delegation from the grandly named Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition and am now involved in an effort here in Tennessee to make diabetes tech more available to Medicaid recipients in a fiscally sustainable manner. Stay tuned.”

Our faithful correspondent Dr. Mark Helfat sends a colorful note about his newest work. Mark says, “Retirement has permitted me to complete and publish my first (and last) novel; the culmination of a 15- to 20-year project. Are there literary awards for procrastination? A Vet’s Story (available on Amazon) is an easy read that follows the exploits of a veterinarian on a mission of revenge, which is interspersed with personal recollections and unique veterinary anecdotes. The names of several Wes friends and acquaintances appear throughout the book (misspelled to protect the innocent). The University also appears on pages here and there. My faculty advisor was Dr. Nicholas Knight, a Shakespeare scholar in the English department. While I took a slew of science courses to fulfill my veterinary college application requirements, I also completed an English major.”

Mark notes, “Dr. Knight didn’t know what to do with me as I appeared to have a split personality. That being said, we survived each other for four years and left on good terms. Perhaps he knew that one day those Faulkner and Alexander Pope lectures would come to the aid of this advisee’s confused aspirations.” The Beagle Book club gave his novel “4 Paws Up” a nice review on their Bad Biscuits review site.

Bill Corvo writes that his documentary, Max Corvo for Freedom—about his father Max Corvo, who was hailed as one of the heroes of World War II as head of the OSS in Italy—has won a series of awards, including a special film festival award. It is available through Amazon. Congrats, Bill, as a historian and your special work about your father. Bill’s work has also been featured in The Middletown Press if you would like to find out more about Bill and his dad.

Stephen Sullivan writes that he has spent the last year building a “final stage home” on a remote island in Washington State in the San Juan Archipelago. He says, “It is a relatively compact house on one level with bathrooms accommodating a wheelchair. As an architect for the last 40 years, it was challenging and fun to design the abode knowing that if I were lucky, I would die there, looking out on the meadows, the straits of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympic Mountains in the distance.” He also notes, “I would not have made this choice to build in this location were it not for the fact that my daughter and granddaughter live on our family retreat there. Its immediate proximity to Canada also feels comforting in our challenging moment in history. (I like the fact that the San Juan Islands are practically in Canada. The Pig War of 1872 redrew the international border to give these islands to the USA, rather than to the Crown).” Stephen says, “I have happily retired (95 %) from my architectural practice and I now plan to be the old potter I have always hoped to be, since seeing ancient potters in Japan during my 1973 Watson Fellowship making their simple wares. My big project is to replace the burners on my kiln, reminding me of the extraordinary art department faculty at Wesleyan when we were there, including Mary and John Risley who were lifelong mentors to me.”

We also heard from Mike Robinson who said that Bill Burke hosted him during a busy visit in which they went all over, from Bill’s home in Centennial to Breckenridge to downtown Denver. He said that Bill continues fundraising efforts for the Duke Snyder memorial endowment in honor of the late, longtime hockey coach. Bill told Mike there was also a memorable pond hockey tournament in early 2025 in Greentown, Colorado, that some spirited Wesleyan hockey alums took part in. For some, there is no age limit to what you can do.

Until next time.

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

Stephen Sullivan has made a huge decision saying, “After nearly 50 years of practicing architecture—40 in my own firm—I am retiring. I am handing the reins to my longtime associate, and I will continue to consult in the immediate future with my former firm. Meanwhile, I am building my ‘final-stage home’ on our farm on Lopez Island, in the San Juan Archipelago off the northwest coast of Washington State. My daughter and 6-year-old granddaughter live on the farm, tending a nursery, a flock of Soay sheep, and engaging in restorative agricultural practices.”

Stephen says he has been particularly interested in restoring wetlands on his land, and also says he has a “pottery studio where I will finally become the old potter I have always imagined that I would be. You may recall that I received a Watson Fellowship upon graduation from Wesleyan, and I had the privilege of studying with a generation of older potters in Japan from 1973 to 1974.” Stephen has been a runner for most of his life and still manages a daily five- miler in Seattle’s arboretum. “I feel lucky that I can still do that and have engaged a trainer at the gym to help stave off decrepitude a bit longer,” he says. Stephen, incidentally, wrote a book (published in 2021)—a career retrospective about how he understands the process of design.

There is indeed life after your productive career. Just heard from Robert Savage, a retired surgeon who had been an assistant clinical professor at the Harvard Medical School and past president of the New England Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. Robert was named artist of the month by the Wellesley School of Artists. Congrats! Robert noted that he started “painting for fun during COVID” and has a love of art history thanks in part to the legendary Wesleyan professor Sam Green. And Robert, my mother, Ellen D’Oench, would be proud of your work in your “second career.”

Dana Barrows sent me a note filled with news saying, “2024 [was] a wonderful, action-packed, meaningful year for us.” He says he continues his work as an estate and business planning specialist with Northwestern Mutual, “year 49, on my terms. Keeps my mind sharp and my professional relationships thriving.” He says that Holly retired from her 40-year career with IBM and Central Insurance in 2020.

Dana says they are very involved in their new community. He mentions On the South Coast of Mass, the Garden Club of Buzzards Bay, the Community Foundation of the South Coast, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust, UMass Dartmouth, and their HOA at Westview Estates.

They went from her Connecticut College 50th Reunion on a Friday to his 55th Northfield Mount Hermon Reunion the next day. Her 55th NMH Reunion is in 2025.

Congratulations to Dr. David Weber who tells me that on January 1 he became president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. In a news release that went nationwide, the society noted that David is a “distinguished leader in infection prevention and healthcare epidemiology” and commended his depth of knowledge.

Brenda Kabel writes that she is practicing for both the Open and Women’s Connecticut State Pinball finals (for top-16 ranked players in each). She says she won the 2022 Women’s, but due to COVID, they had no North American championship that year. She adds, “Hoping to make it to that one this year and move my world ranking into the top 10 for 60 and older players. I do remember playing a machine or two in the Downey House back in the day.” 

Steve Young tells me “I am actively retired in New Hampshire. I write a column in a prominent Taiwan newspaper. As a child and later a diplomat, I lived on the island five times and visited it often. I was in Taipei a couple of months ago, delivering a keynote address to a sizable crowd of officials, businesspeople, and others.” He also says, “Enjoying life with my beautiful and talented spouse, Barbara Finamore, a published expert on Chinese environmental issues. We live in a 220-year-old home in Londonderry, New Hampshire, just an hour north of Boston. Built by my triple great-grandfather, who, as a young man, grabbed his musket and went down to Bunker Hill in 1776 to show those British we weren’t going to passively endure oppression. Two wonderful grandchildren and hoping for more.”

Bill Corvo writes that he has been busy with a number of projects. He says he recently produced a docu-film with an Italian film company on the work performed by his father, Max Corvo, during World War II with the OSS in Italy, and there is some fascinating material that could be featured on the History Channel. Bill says, “The key personnel he recruited to lead the Secret Intelligence Section of OSS in Italy were from Middletown and included Emilio Q. (Mim) Daddario ’39, attorney Vincent J. Scamporino, Sebastian Passanisi, Samuel Fraulino, Louis Fiorella ’41, and Frank Tarallo. Daddario and Fiorilla were both graduates of Wesleyan University.”

The film is named Max Corvo for Freedom. He says they had a showing of the film in Middletown at Middletown High School film auditorium earlier this year. The film premiered in Italy in July 2023, at the 80th anniversary of the invasion of Sicily, and held at the World War II Museum in Catania, Sicily. “It has been well received,” says Bill. “We have received best documentary film awards, including [from] the Rome International Film Festival as well as two major film festivals in New York City, and also the Dumbo Film Festival in Brooklyn, New York. The list also includes the Austrian International Film Festival as well as the Argentine International Festival and several Italian film festivals. We are working to bring the film to the internet.”

Bill has also been busy working with Professor Ellen Nerenberg, who is teaching courses in Italian language at Wesleyan and has been working with students to prepare a historical review of the Italian American history in Middletown. He provided them with a private showing of the movie as well. He also noted that Mim Daddario’s grandson, Matt Daddario, who is a professional actor, provided the English narration for the documentary.

Bill, who missed our 50th as he was in Italy, says that in 2024 he traveled to Copenhagen and Sweden, “both stunning. With six daughters, seven granddaughters, and two grandsons spread across the country, we stay very connected with family.”

Paul Van Stavern writes that starting in 1974 he was living either in Brazil or California for almost three decades and moved back to Brazil permanently in 2002. He says, “Last year I received the gigantic 50th Reunion ‘booklet’ by snail mail. It was fun to peruse. However, my entry was completely blank. I won’t coin the phrase ‘the right hand doesn’t know. . .’  but if they had my address, why didn’t they have my address? Never mind.” He now lives in Salvador, Bahia, on the Atlantic Coast at about 13 degrees south of the equator and very far east. And he notes, “Having grown up in Wisconsin and then lived in Connecticut, it is wonderful for me to live in a place where 70 degrees Fahrenheit is a record low.” He says if you are in the area, he would be happy to show you around. He said David Feldman visited him in 1976.

John Huttlinger says he is on a “slow path” to retirement from his CPA practice, while offering clients to other practitioners and continuing to work with selective clients. He is also active with several local nonprofit organizations including a home construction company. He says, “I helped form a nonprofit home construction company. We build homes for the local workforce community, which includes teachers, nurses, municipal workers, and other middle-income families. These families cannot afford to purchase homes in Lake Placid due to inflated prices caused by the second-home and short-term rental market. Our homes are priced at cost and there is great demand for them.” He is also active with the Lake Placid Film Festival, now in its 24th year. “Our programming includes a classic film series each summer, hosted by Wes alum Jeremy Arnold ’91,” he says. He has also had the opportunity to attend the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival each summer, where he caught up with organizer Lloyd Komesar ’74 and Mike McKenna who is on their board. John also made the decision to sign up for one more year of masters ski racing. “Given my age (I am the senior member of the group) and in deference to my new knee (May 6, 2024), I am approaching the season carefully,” he says. 

Back here at home as another example of a “small world.” Charles Cocores tells me that he and Kie Westby are members of the same golf club in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and live near each other and often play golf together.

And speaking of 50-year events, my wife, Connie, and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in Gloucester, Virginia, in early November, near Williamsburg where my oldest daughter, Jennifer, and oldest granddaughter, Taylor, are teachers at the same elementary school that our youngest granddaughter, Zoey, attends. Our youngster daughter, Holly (who is developing a nationwide reputation as an artistic book binder in Denver), her husband, and my middle daughter, Dana (who owns a hair salon in Fort Lauderdale) were all there. The moments were unforgettable. Connie and I met the night before graduation from Wesleyan and have been together ever since.

Have a great 2025!

From Crystal Bay, Nevada, Chris Irvin writes that he missed our 50th “because of a fall that created a bubble in my lung. After putting a hole through my chest to clear the bubble, I couldn’t fly, though I felt fine.” He says he had hoped to visit Lloyd Mueller, who also had cancer, but he missed him, though he was able to talk to him shortly before he passed, around the time of our reunion. He says his son, Mathew, is doing well at our competitor, Amherst, following his father’s passion for music—mainly on the piano and mostly jazz like Lloyd. Chris adds, “My wrestling buddy, David Bong (also close to Lloyd, we both stayed with Lloyd at our 25th), was there to represent us. I’m enjoying semiretirement, taking care of my old key clients’ stock portfolios and publishing regular newsletters about the global economy and stock markets.” He is planning a trip to the Adirondacks with about a dozen high school classmates. He says, “Maybe I can get back to Connecticut one of these days, as I loved riding my bike along the high bluffs above the historic Connecticut River.” 

From South Phoenix, Arizona, Tom Kelly writes that he in enjoying a “blend of community work” and is involved with affordable housing and teaching English; and his fifth grandchild was born on August 11. He also says he is involved with Arizona politics and jazz and is a regular customer at “the Nash,” one of the area’s best jazz clubs. He is also in touch with Tom Lucci.

Michael Robinson, Bill Burke, and Jay Rose have done some amazing work. They write, “As Wesleyan class agents, we are so inspired by our class’s support and generosity. Each year, our gifts add up and make an enormous impact on today’s students and today’s Wesleyan experience. Take a close look below.

“This past year, our class raised $697,642 from 105 donors, including $176,849 for Wesleyan’s greatest needs. This means that we met our participation goal and Wesleyan will install a plaque on campus in our honor. More to come on that! We were part of a strong community of 11,680 alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and students who gave back last year. Thank you to everyone who played a part in that.

“So, what did our gifts support? In a word, everything! From financial aid and first-generation student support to athletic equipment and summer grants, and everything else that defines Wesleyan for you. Because of our support, Wesleyan has been able to: 

• Announce its new No Loan Policy that eliminates loans from financial packages beginning this fall. 
• Award more than $75 million in financial aid last year. 
• Award 169 summer experience grants. 
• Raise more than $400 million for This Is Not a Campaign. 
• Launch the College of Design & Engineering Studies (CoDES). 
• Open the newly renovated Public Affairs Center and continue construction on both a new science building and an integrative arts lab. 
• Welcomed the inaugural class of Wesleyan African Scholars.”

Billy Burke writes that he and Barbara had a “great family-oriented summer. We spent most weekends watching our grandson play in baseball tournaments, including one in Lake of the Ozarks (cool place!). Additionally, this allowed for wonderful time with our daughter and granddaughter. We also get to see our son quite often. I had the opportunity to participate with him in a charity sporting clays event to raise money for a veterans’ support organization. Our team came in first place!” He adds that “on a nostalgic note, I recently saw a notice that retail-store chain Bob’s Stores has filed for bankruptcy. We knew it as Bob’s Surplus.” He said work on McConaughy: A Rock Opera continues. The soundtrack now includes three original songs as well as a host of top tunes from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.

Bill Quigley writes that “Scott Schlieman and I worked together for the last year trying to organize swimmers from our era (and other athletes coached by John Edgar and Hugh McCurdy) to try to get the Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame to induct coaches John Edgar and Hugh McCurdy. Both coaches deserve it. While unsuccessful this time, it was wonderful reconnecting with athletes and friends from our era and keeping the memories of these extraordinary men alive. The last time the swim team won the Little Three was when Edgar was our coach, more than 50 years ago. Mike McKenna, one of the founders of the HOF, was very helpful in helping us understand the process.

“Also, Mike sent me a link to Tom Kelly’s blog [on Substack] about the Responsibilities of Citizenship, which is terrific.”

Bill says he has stayed in touch with Peter Cross, who lives in Austin, Texas, and celebrates Eeyore’s birthday annually. He says they often compare the actions of the governors of their home states. Bill and Dee live on the west coast of Florida and have two grandchildren in California. He is still involved with one of his sons in a CBD and cannabis manufacturing company in Puerto Rico.

Mike McKenna writes that “this 2024 fall season marks 100 years since the founding of varsity men’s soccer at Wesleyan. Hugh McCurdy, a young assistant football coach from Bowdoin, was asked by students to start a club team in 1922. The first varsity season in ’24 was highlighted by a 1-0 victory in Williamstown, and 1925 marked the team’s first Little Three title. Mac went on to coach for 42 years before becoming AD and retiring in 1968. A get-together is planned October 12 when the Cardinals host Williams at Jackson Field and there will be a Centennial Dinner at Fayerweather in April 2025. Hoping to see team star Mike Desmond back on campus, as well as co-captain Jon Corless and other classmates for the festivities. The class of ’73 had an undefeated freshman team, and later repeated as Little Three champs senior year.”

Mike adds that “Here in Vermont, this summer celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Middlebury New Filmmaker’s Festival, founded by Wes alum Lloyd Komesar ’74, which has become a wonderful event featuring more than 100 films and drawing enthusiastic crowds. This year will include the first Jeanine Basinger Prize for Student Film named in honor of the Wesleyan faculty legend.”

Bruce Kabel writes that “some of you may remember me as Bruce but I started my transition when I retired in 2020 and am now Brenda Kabel. Enjoying life in East Hartford with my wife, Laura—38 years and still going strong. My son, Jason ’05, just left Capital One after eight years to start his own AI company. Spending most of my time golfing, skiing, or playing pinball, and I was the 2022 Connecticut State champion in the women’s division. My daughter, Ariana, has recently started playing in the leagues with me. My niece, Hope Kabel ’14 got married in Cincy last week.”

Bill Corvo tells me that he has produced a docudrama on his father’s work with the OSS in Italy during World War II. It was produced in Italy with Ezio Costanzo—noted documentary filmmaker—and the Faeria Production company. He says they had the Italian premiere in Sicily at the World War II Museum in Catania, Sicily, in July of last year, and it was well received. Since then, they have produced the English language version with the documentary narration in English and English subtitles for the acting scenes. The docudrama is called Max Corvo for Freedom.”

And from Nashville we heard that Jim Powers, professor of medicine (geriatrics) at Vanderbilt and director of Clinical Innovation at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, is pleased to announce his team is recipient of the Middle Tennessee Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

That’s our news for now.

We have updates from some of our prolific film directors and reflections from our 50th Reunion.

After our reunion, Michael Shoob writes that he had not been back to campus since our graduation so he says, “it was quite a mind-bending experience for me. Being there for the first time in half a century reminded me of one thing: I felt lucky to have had the opportunity to come to Wesleyan, and I’m sure many of our classmates felt the same way.” Michael reports in early April that he had finished shooting Road to Everywhere, a new feature film that he was directing and writing. He says Road to Everywhere “is a follow-up nearly 30 years later to my film Driven, which I also wrote and directed, about a group of LA cab drivers. Driven premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 1996.” He says, “A number of the actors from the original film reprised their roles and they had a memorable experience shooting the movie in Los Angeles and on the Navajo Reservation in Page, Arizona.” He says they anticipate a festival run for the film starting in the fall and adds, “None of this would have happened without Wesleyan.”

Billy Burke says, “Occasionally, another warm memory from our wonderful 50th Reunion pops into my head. The President’s Dinner on Friday night was held in Beckham Hall, a beautiful venue. Highlights included remarks by President Roth, amiable bar staff who know how to make a gin and tonic (Mike Robinson was designated driver), and the musical stylings of Blackwall Hitch. Many thanks to our classmate, Paul Fletcher, and the other members of that fabulous band. The ’60s–’70s music and associated slide presentation choreographed to each song brought it all back.” Billy says he’s been having a great time working with his son and his son’s new law partner on messaging and marketing. They became best friends in the Marine Corps while serving two combat tours in Iraq. After their enlistments were up, they went their separate ways. Billy reports, “Each earned his BA and JD. They just formed a law firm right here in Centennial, Colorado. I’m very proud.”

Ron Medley says he has managed to use his “Middletown hideaway to pretty good advantage since our reunion. My brother and sister, Jim and Linda, had a wonderful time reenacting our last visit to Middletown together, which was over 50 years ago. Amanda Broulik and Lydia Casparie from Wesleyan met us with a golf cart and we had a blast tooling up and down Foss Hill on a beautiful July afternoon. And, I’ve had two meet ups with Rob and Rich Charney, solving the world’s problems and dissing the Oscars over pasta at Mondo’s. Coming soon: an oral history presentation before Professor Jesse Nasta’s African American Studies class on the racial history of Middletown.”

Marc Levin says he had two major film releases in April: On April 16 his latest HBO documentary, An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th  premiered on HBO and MAX. He says, “The film looks at the evolution of political violence through the lens of the Oklahoma City bombing—from the roots in the early ’80s to the reverberations up to January 6. With the threat of political violence and civil unrest growing every day, this film is especially timely and relevant. It is the history of now.” Then on April 26, his feature film Slam, which won the Grand Prize at Sundance and the Camera D’or at the Cannes Film Festival, was re-released in a newly restored digital 4K version thanks to the the Academy of Motion Pictures, the Sundance Institute, and UCLA. The film was also featured at the UCLA preservation festival on April 6  (SLAM | UCLA Film & Television Archive).

Marc also has a documentary on guaranteed income, It’s Basic,  traveling the festival circuit. He says it won best documentary at the LA Downtown Film Festival, and had a screening on April 9 at the Cleveland International Festival: https://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/its-basic.

He says, “Busy spring for us here at Blowback Productions.”

Dr. Michael Fossel, known worldwide for his work including his book, Reversing Human Aging, has a brief update, telling us that his new Academic Press textbook is out. 

Finally, we are all deeply saddened by the loss of the spirited Dave Moffenbeier. As if it were yesterday, I remember his intelligence in the classroom and his talents on the Wesleyan football team. A group of us huddled up and recruited Dave to join us in the spring of senior year on the rugby fields. He was an integral part of that team that went undefeated. His middle name could have been “Invictus.” Class secretary Seth Davis ’72 writes in his notes: “Another loss, although not from our class, but another good friend and Delta Tau brother, was that of Dave Moffenbeier ’73.  Moff fought tenaciously against a vicious form of cancer for over 20 years before leaving us in February.”

That’s the latest news from you for now.

It was a pleasure to see the always colorful Bill Burke (returning from Colorado) at our 50th Reunion, and he told me he shared these thoughts with the Class of 1974 at their 50th Reunion planning meeting during Homecoming weekend. He said they were impressed with what we accomplished including:

• 96 attendees—a new 50th-reunion record!
• 80% donor participation versus 51% average for previous 50th-reunion classes
• 126 biographies submitted for the class book

Bill also writes, “But the significance of our reunion goes beyond those stellar numbers. Throughout the weekend, during the dinners, WESeminars, and social activities, there was a positive undercurrent. And it wasn’t, ‘just my imagination.’ There were, truly, ‘good vibrations’ in the air.”

He says, “By the time we gathered on Saturday at Olin Memorial Library for our class picture and final dinner, there was a feeling that the Class of 1973 had bonded in a way and to a degree as never before. Old friendships were strengthened, new connections were made, and, with the turbulent times of the early ’70s behind us, past ghosts laid to rest. Writer Michael Korda said, ‘One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.’ Whether you were able to attend our 50th or not, your input is valued.”

Congrats to Paul Buell! He writes that he and his Carol (Wellesley ’73) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 16, 2023. He says a number of close family members and friends attended their renewal of vows out at their little church in Maryland’s horse country, including Rob Randall and his wife, Kathy.

Joshua Boger writes that he came out of “retirement,” which he calls an “undefined word,” in April 2023 to join Alkeus Pharmaceuticals as executive chairman, working almost full time now to help to grow a small organization to be ready to file for approval with the FDA of a new drug to slow or stop the leading genetic cause of blindness in children and young adults: Stargardt’s disease (or in some places called “juvenile macular degeneration”).  

Joshua says, “The company has completed the necessary clinical trials for approval in the U.S., we believe, and we could be on the market at the end of 2024 or early 2025. There is a huge amount of work that needs doing first though. The disease is more common than cystic fibrosis, but almost nobody has heard of it because, up to now, absolutely nothing could be done about it. Children are born with normal sight and go blind between about 9 and 25. It is a recessive genetic disease, not ethnically linked, and it usually comes as a complete shock to new parents, who typically have no blindness in their families. We have a pill [taken] once a day that can slow progression or possibly stop the blindness altogether. Beautiful science and great possible outcomes. Worth ‘un-retiring’ for!”

Joshua also says he just came back (in late November) from the largest scientific meeting of ophthalmology, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, in San Francisco, attended by fully a third of all retinal specialists in the country. “One of the lead investigators in our trials, Dr. Christine Kay, presented to a packed audience the full dataset of the trial that will form the basis of our FDA submission. It was well received,” he says. In a panel discussion afterward, with leading experts not involved in the trial, they were asked, “Which Stardgardt’s patients would you give this Alkeus drug to [assuming approval]?” Joshua says, “The immediate answer from one of the panel, uncontested by the others, was, ‘All of them.’ That just raises the pressure on us to get it done.”

Lastly, Mara Baldwin ’06 wrote to say that her father, James David Baldwin, passed away on October 23, 2023, at the age of 72. David was a biology major and a member of Chi Psi. His obituary can be read online at classnotes.blogs.wesleyan.edu/obituaries.

That’s the latest from our classmates.