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Notes: December 2001
Notes: November 2002
Notes: October 2001
Notes: July 2001
Notes: May 2001
Notes: April 2001
Notes: March 2001
Notes: February 2001
Notes: December 2001
Yale's Tercentennial year celebration formally ended
October 5 and 6, 2001. There were parties and celebrations
at the Bowl and the Field House, but the real centerpiece
was a symposium entitled "Democratic Vistas, Global
Perspectives."
A small sample of the special programs that were created
during the year by every school, museum, and academic center
were presented over two days. The "classes" I attended made
me want a lot more. Today's undergraduates are receiving
intellectual fodder of which any Yale generation would be
proud. I was particularly stimulated and hopefully
enlightened by John L. Gaddis's presentation on "Democracy
and Foreign Policy." At the beginning of his talk, he asked
us how many democracies there were at the beginning of the
20th century. Those who answered one or more were too high.
The question helped set the stage for discussing the
enormous changes in the last 100 years. Although there are
many dictatorships and other authoritarian governments (some
of our best friends) still extant, democracy is clearly the
wave of the present and future.
In addition to the "classes," other speeches and
activities reminded us of Yale's history and its future
aspirations. We were reminded that Yale was founded by
Harvard men, and Princeton by Yale men, and listened to
witty and intelligent remarks from the presidents of both of
those institutions. The final speaker of the two days was
William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd president of the United
States. He spoke to the largest crowd ever on the Cross
Campus, and his words were optimistic, though somewhat
somber, as fits the times we are in. I can't do justice to
the total event in this format, but I share the feelings of
many who said they were proud of their Yale association. The
following classmates were sighted: Merrell Clark, Art
Diefendorf, Steve Flagg, Garson Heller, Allan Kaplan,
Malcolm Mitchell, Tom Perkins, Don Roberts, and Chris
Sonne.
Although there are, inevitably, notices of the deaths of
classmates in this space, it is no longer often we receive
news of newlyweds. Congratulations and best wishes to
Phil Levine and Louisa Lawrence. Phil is living in
New York where he was married on June 2. He had been in
Australia for more than two decades. Jim Banner and
John Copelin were in attendance with their life
mates.
Mike O'Hearn's father, Charles M. O'Hearn '24,
recently passed away after a long and productive life. I
remember the first time I met him in New Haven 45 or so
years ago, and thought I had met few more charming
individuals in my life. Still true. Charlie served Yale well
and he will be missed. Our condolences to Mike and other
members of the family. (More news on Mike later.)
Ron Savin writes, "My wife Melnene and I have been
bikeriding on single and tandem bikes in Maine, Connecticut,
the Loire Valley, and Provence. Away from home we prefer
supported trips. If others are interested in bike trips, let
me know."
Brian Walsh has retired after 30 years as an
independent school headmaster, 11 years at Shore Country Day
in Beverly, Massachusetts, and the last 19 at the Buckley
School in NYC. Now a "recovering headmaster," he will
continue to work in education as a consultant.
Harry Valentine writes, "During the past ten years
I have been publishing the Capitol Hill Prayer Alert out of
Washington, DC. We mobilize Christian intercessors in behalf
of restoring righteousness, justice, and Biblical truth in
our government and nation." We can use all of the help we
can get. Thanks, Harry.
Bill Wrean sends "thanks to classmates who helped
him buy rugs on Hockstader's 'Yale '57' China trip.
They are on the floor, and beautiful!"
Phil Weymouth writes, "Peggy and I enjoyed a
superb trip to Turkey in May with Alan Hockstader and
classmates. Tom Perkins found the tunnels in
Capodocia a little tight for our liking! Kale, on the south
coast, was a place not to miss." Phil's floorshow on the
trip was noted in an earlier edition of the YAM.
It was good to hear from John Bussard MD, as
follows. "My wife and I are proud to note that our daughter
Anne received her MD degree from our alma mater (Jefferson
Medical College) this past June. She is now a resident at
Jeff in OB/GYN."
Dick Arnold writes, "I'm now teaching a seminar
(fall semester, one day a week) at the Southern Methodist
University Law School in Dallas. One subject is recent
decisions of the Supreme Court, and the students are to
write papers, which I will help them edit. The best way to
learn law is to teach it."
Sam Chauncey informs, "I have retired from Yale
and New Haven and now live full-time in Vermont. I'm keeping
busy helping to care for two 90-year-old-plus parents,
teaching a course at Dartmouth, and being a selectman in my
town, Andover."
Bob Crafts will add to his "retirement" work by
starting to serve part-time as the vicar at St. Elizabeth's
Episcopal mission in San Diego on October 1. He also
included sad news about his daughter Kathy's metastatic
cancer. Our prayers are with her.
Don Backe has become "unretired" and was appointed
executive director of the Eastern Shore Center for
Independent Living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The
organization's goal is to empower persons with disabilities
to live independently.
Former class secretary Mike O'Hearn sends lots of
news. "Safe and sound in Big Fork, Montana. A 70,000-acre
fire near Polebridge cabin, which raced into Glacier
National Park, a bit scary and sobering but did not
interrupt hiking, kayaking, and fishing. (Caught a
world-record trout — my Yale son still doesn't believe me.)
Saw briefly Mike Kenepick who was golfing and
fishing, and hope to see John and Alice
Poinier, but their daughter produced a grandchild,
and that might postpone their visit 'til next summer. Talked
to Geo Vojta who finally retired but still gives
generously of his time and plays golf, as does wife Sue.
Also talked to Frank Michelman who cut back his hours
as a prof. at Harvard Law and whose wife Ellen has retired
from full-time job, and will determine what is next."
Peter Greer enjoyed traveling in Italy and Sicily
in May. He writes that the trip inspired him to tile the
bathrooms in their house. It's good to see high art being
put to practical use! Only in America.
Plan to return to Yale for 45th class reunion June 6-9,
2002. Thanks for the news; keep up the good work. Pray for
Peace.
—Ellsworth Davis
Notes: November 2001
"These knowing age/ fart/ These knowing age/ walk slowly/
these knowing age/ remind themselves of their grandmothers/
these knowing age/ take water pills, high blood pressure/
watch their sugar and salt/ these knowing age eat less meat,
some/ stopped smoking a decade ago/ Some quit coffee, some
drink it strong,/ These knowing age saw/ best friends'
funerals, telephoned/ daughters and grand daughters/ Some
drive some don't, some cook some/ do not/ These knowing age
often /Keep quiet."
Prior to September 11 this poem of Allen Ginsburg ("These
Knowing Age") would have been viewed as a "downer." Now, as
we approach the stage of "knowing age," life, it's own self,
seems sweet.
On September 11, 2001, Bud Trillin's lifemate,
friend, great love, Alice, died of heart failure. Her
memorial service on September 21, at the New York Public
Library, was a celebration of a New York life. Tom Brokaw
was the moderator, and distinguished guests included Rick
Levin, Walter Cronkite, Kurt Vonnegut, David Remnick, Joel
Lelyveld, and Victor Novasky. 1957 classmates included
Randy Guggenheimer, Lars Kulleseid, Dave Laventhol, Roger
Samet, and Peter Wolf. Alice and Bud's daughters
spoke with wit and appreciation of Alice's unique approach
to life; and Nora Ephron read some of Alice's writing that
disclosed, among other things, that the key to Bud's
positive balance sheet was saving money, made possible
because "he wore the same clothes he wore as a Yale
freshman." Alice's obituary in The New York Times is
a good source of information about a productive life: as a
writer, educator, guide to people with medical issues, and a
good companion to Bud. Our condolences to the Trillin
family.
Warren Clein has followed up his phone call
telling us of the death of his roommate Paul Hull MD
on August 13, 2001. Paul was an obstetrician/gynecologist at
Montefiore Hospital, teaching and practicing in the hospital
setting. Paul was a great lover of language and music and
was fluent in Russian and French while at Yale. He later
taught himself other languages, including Spanish, which
often helped him to communicate with his patients. He was in
the Yale Glee Club, a Russian chorus group, and was leader
of the Augmented Seven, 1955-56. His daughter Geri is a
psychologist with the NFL and son Bob is a composer and
professional musician. Paul's enthusiasm for football and
music will be carried forward by his children. Our
condolences to Pam and the rest of the family.
The Music in Schools initiative continues to draw
volunteers, and Nick Tingley and Carey have agreed to
help implement the school district survey phase of this
project. Thank you, Nick and Carey. Please contact Nick or
go to our class Web site at (www2.aya.yale.
edu/classes/yc1957/) for information, including the
survey form itself.
Ed Cook writes, "I thought I would bring you up to
date on my recent activities since they might be of interest
to the national history buffs in our class.
"Construction on Oklahoma's state capitol building began
in 1915. The original design called for a 'high dome' to be
built atop the structure, and the reinforcement to support
the dome was included in the original construction of the
capitol. However, the dome fell victim to World War I and
was never completed. Thus, for 86 years Oklahoma has been
the only state to have a capitol designed for a dome,
without one. Our current governor, Frank Keating, decided to
remedy this situation. He felt Oklahoma's image was
tarnished by having an incomplete capitol. Consequently, he
asked me to leave my position as cabinet secretary and
director of the state tourism department and instead work to
raise the funds necessary to build the dome. Total cost: $21
million. In one and one-half years, I raised $17.6 million
from foundations, corporations, and individuals in Oklahoma,
Texas, New York, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. In addition, the
state is contributing $5 million. Construction commenced May
29 and is scheduled for completion November 16, 2002.
"The dome project is part of Oklahoma's Centennial
Celebration which will take place in 2007. The interest the
dome has generated will make it the most significant piece
of construction in our state during this decade. It will be
80 feet in diameter and will rise 155 feet above the present
roofline, doubling the height of the capitol. For your
information I am enclosing a brochure depicting the capitol
'before and after,' and a fact sheet on the dome itself. I
apologize for the length of this letter, but it is an
interesting story. When completed the dome will instill a
sense of pride in all Oklahomans." Ed, this sounds like a
great project and means one less thing that Texans can rib
their Okie neighbors about.
Joe Vittoria brought us up to date with the
following, "It has been many years since I last wrote to our
then-correspondent. First, let me thank you for your efforts
on behalf of the class and also for very interesting
reading. What triggered this note was the comment that Peggy
and Ruben Shapiro had three children who have
graduated form Yale. My wife Luciana and I can't beat this
but we can offer a tie with the classes of '85, '86 and '93.
As far as I'm concerned, I am enjoying semi-retirement in
Palm Beach for much of the year. After 35 years in the car
rental business, including 21 years in Europe when it was
just getting started, I had had enough. Having created an
ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) at Avis in 1987, I knew
that we had to find an exit as the requirements to buy back
employee stock were too onerous. While examining the IPO
opportunity we were approached by HFS (now Cedant), who
purchased it outright for a very attractive multiple and all
of the employees were able to establish a nice nest egg. I
took the opportunity to retire, but a few months later.
Enough! With two of our children living in London, we spend
a lot of time there as well as in Italy with Luciana's
family. I was sorry to miss the dinner in NY, but I look
forward to the reunion next year. Regards, Joe."
I heard from a couple of classmates who have had three
children graduate from Yale, including Carol and Bob
Crafts (Karen '88, Rob '90, and Megan '93). They are now
thinking about four grandchildren who are still a few years
away.
Don Roberts hosted a meeting on Sep tember 24 on
the 45th Reunion, and I am particularly impressed with the
efforts from Yale to provide support, programs, and
information for reunion planners. At the end of the day the
only thing that makes a good reunion is you. Plan to
be in New Haven June 6-9, 2002.
—Ellsworth Davis
Notes: October 2001
It's fall again, which means Nancy Mongillo and
children will host a party for the Class of '57 after the
Harvard game, November 17. The Mongillo home is at the
corner of Central and Oliver. Based on past experience, "a
good time will be had by all." Two other class dates to
remember: March 2, 2002, hockey game vs. Brown; and March
14, annual dinner in New York.
It's been awhile since the last edition of Notes, and I
feel as if I should file a report on summer reading, or slip
even further back and write 100 words on "what I did last
summer." Good, that impulse has been stifled.
In June there was a lot of ink concerning the 20th
anniversary of AIDS. Our class battler, Larry Kramer,
was featured in a number of articles. I was very impressed
that Time magazine listed him among "people who made
a difference," along with Mohandas Gandhi, Susan B. Anthony,
Saul Alinsky, and Martin Luther King Jr. Pretty good
company. I was most impressed by Larry's having his "posture
picture" updated in News week (June 11, 2001). I read an
article in the New York Times several years ago about
"65-year-old men who had it together." The primary
generalization stated that these men had endured life's
knocks without bitterness, or blame, or passivity. Kramer
absolutely qualifies on point three. Keep fighting, Larry;
this Welshman applauds.
We have already received positive indications for
attendance at our 45th Reunion from 180 classmates and
friends. If you are willing to contact classmates from your
residential college, please contact me, Don Roberts,
or Howie Gillis, and you will be inducted into the
appropriate "Truth Squad."
A good note from Tom Perkins about the class trip
(a la Hockstader) to Turkey: "The third travel venture of
the Class of 1957, 'Turkey Trot,' came off without a hitch
in late May-early June, thanks to the tireless efforts of
class impresario Alan Hockstader. A Motley band of 33
trekked far and wide from Ankara to Cappadocia, to a sailing
trip along the Turkish coast of the Mediterranean and on to
Ephesos and Istanbul. The stellar performance of the trip
was a unique rendition of the 'Dance of the One Veil,'
performed flawlessly by Phil Weymouth along with the
local bellydancer out in the boondocks in a place called
Nevshamir. Phil was inspired by a quart of the local
pestilential drink called Raki, for which he is now the
exclusive U.S. distributor.
"The group scored in every single bazaar visited,
out-negotiating the locals, and promising to give the
savings to Yale. We specialized in studying Greco-Roman
amphitheaters, all of which looked like the closed end of
Harvard Stadium and just in about the same repair. The group
included the following (asterisk for spouse): Atkeson*,
Boasberg, Chittenden*, Crisler*, Diefendorf, Hockstater*,
Hopkins*, Hutchinson, Kimball*, Lovens*, Lumpkin, Newbold*,
Perkins, Sandy Schocket, Joel Sharp*, Sheffield*, Thompson,
Weymouth*, and Wright*. On to Hockstader IV:
Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam in January. Come join us."
"Art Diefendorf was elected by the class council
to serve, effective July 1, 2001, a three-year term as AYA
delegate, succeeding Dr. Bill Ellis. Our AYA delegate
attends the semi-annual assemblies held by AYA in New Haven.
Each assembly has a Yale theme; recent assemblies have
focused on the faculty, internationalism at Yale as a source
of leaders, and so on. The delegate insures that highlights
of the assemblies are communicated to the class." Thank you,
Bill; Have a good term, Art.
Frank Lin writes, "Hi! During academic year
1999-2000, I am on sabbatical leave at Universidade
Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Address
given below. All Yale classmates are welcome to visit me!
Frank C. Lin, Institute de Computacao, R.P. da Patria 156,
bloc E 24210-240 Niterol, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Jim Crooks is retiring from the University of
North Florida after 29 years of distinguished service as
history professor, department head, and more. His volunteer
activity with the local citizen's think-tank will continue.
He and "wife and best friend" Laura will travel and,
generally, stay busy. Congratulations, Jim, on really
"making a difference."
I received the following concerning Jim Seymour,
professor at Columbia University: "In April Jim Seymour
helped mobilize scholars around the world to sign a letter
to the Chinese government appealing for the release of three
imprisoned intellectuals. The Associated Press reported:
"'This list of signatories reads as a Who's Who of China
Scholars,' said ... Seymour, senior research scholar at
Columbia University's East Asia Institute. ëI wouldn't want
to leave the impression that we're being clannish—that
we're just defending a few of our own. There are more
profound issues than the fate of these three people,' he
said, citing the International Declaration of Human Rights
that guarantees the free exchange of information across all
boundaries." Jim is now treasurer of the organization Human
Rights in China, Inc.
I received the following sad note from Richard
Hepner: "It is with extreme sorrow that I find myself
writing this letter. My brother Philip H. Hepner '57
died in his sleep of a heart attack on May 23. He had
retired from ABB (Westinghouse) about two years ago and had
recently taken a consulting job with CDI in Kobe, Japan.
Phil was very excited about this job and always enjoyed his
assignments in this part of the world. We will all miss Phil
immensely."
Leigh Beglund passed away on June 10, 2001, in
Boynton Beach, Florida. His daughter Stacy "found your
e-mail correspondence with my father on his computer and
wanted to notify you." In this case, the message is the
message. Condolences to Leigh's family and friends.
Although he was not a classmate, Murray Murdock was close
to many of us and was Yale's hockey coach for 27 Years.
Murray played 11 seasons with the New York Rangers,
including the team's first 574 games. Three of his players
became Olympians and though none reached the NHL, three
became NHL owners! The value of a Yale degree? Murray was 96
and it's difficult to think he will no longer be with us.
Warren Clein called me on the way from home in
Pennsylvania to family in Maine, with the sad news that Paul
Hill MD, his roommate and close friend, had died in New
Rochelle, New York. This was a very recent event, details
later. Condolences to friends and family from '57.
I don't have the space to do justice to the information I
have concerning Jonathan Malkin of the Class of 2002 and
Matthew Sanchez of the Class of 2003, who were chosen to be
beneficiaries of the Gordon H. Smith Scholarship
Fund. Suffice it to say that these are outstanding
youngsters who could not be at Yale without this support.
Congratulations to them and congratulations to Gordon for
his consistent generosity to Yale and young Yalies. In light
of our class project I am pleased to note that Matt is an
accomplished pianist, as well as an electrical engineering
major.
I enjoyed the following note from Richard Jordan,
"Never been a good correspondent, and only two years in '57.
(Original '52.) Thought it might be fun to show up next year
and meet some of the people I read about in your class
notes. Please keep me on any reunion info list. Thanks, Buck
Jordan." Welcome aboard, Buck.
If you are choosing between e-mail and any other method
of communicating to us, please choose e-mail when possible.
Please send all e-mails to (ellsworth.davis@
ubspainewebbber.com). Thank you.
—Ellsworth Davis
Notes: July 2001
The YC'57 annual meeting and dinner was productive and
entertaining. There were 46 classmates at the dinner,
including three who made their first appearance at the
dinner. The meeting featured a full agenda and needed every
minute of its allotted time. Two professionals were with us
from Yale to discuss current approaches to reunions and to
help us proceed with plans for an outstanding 45th. Howie
Gillis has agreed to be chairman, once again, and a
small executive committee will help him cover all the bases.
Vic Norton demonstrated the power of our class Web
site directory, and we think it will a great tool for
contacting ourselves and building up interest in the
reunion. The other major agenda item was a review of
information concerning music education and our class
project. Our conviction that we have picked a significant
and manageable project has continued to grow, and we are
working on action plans for insuring good music programs for
all U.S. school kids. Congratulations to Don Roberts
for organizing and running an excellent meeting.
The dinner was another Sandy Clark success.
Excellent menu from Gail Kosto, excellent bonhomie by all,
and a stimulating presentation on the U.S. Supreme Court
from Frank Michelman. Sufficient controversy (and, in
the case of Bill Ellis, even passion) was created to
make for a vigorous Q and A and real involvement. Thank you,
Frank.
Andy Carothers and Ginger are on Cape Cod
(Centerville) pretty much year-round now, and he sends
greetings. Kim Cheney wrote a thoughtful note about
Vermont's leadership in ruling in favor of same-sex
marriages. He writes, "It was a civil rights initiative of
1960s significance." Kim's partner, Henrietta Jordan, was
actively involved in the battle. Richard Lewis MD
"became professor emeritus of internal medicine at Ohio
State University College of Medicine July 1, 2000, still
practicing cardiovascular medicine at OSU."
Jesse Lemisch "has been busy in various left
cultural and political activities." Jesse visited Yale in
December, "ate many cucumber sandwiches at the Lizzie, and
enjoyed bagels in the controversially redesigned Berkley
College dining hall." (The lefties were all out in force
this month; must be the Bush in the White House.)
Yale's Tercentennial is being celebrated in many ways and
in many venues, but nothing yet tops the activities of the
weekend of April 20-22 for variety, stimulation, and good
spirits. The April 25 issue of the News will give a
pretty thorough picture of the various seminars, panels, and
events that made up the weekend. As a personal observation I
experienced Yale as a village, and it was quite wonderful.
YC'57 members were not scheduled together, so one joined in
conversation and "event sharing" with whoever was at hand.
Everyone seemed friendly, forthcoming, and enthusiastic. I
enjoyed sitting with Vern Loucks for two of the
sessions on Friday (Yale and Biotechnology, and a panel
discussion with President Levin, Robert Rubin, and Janet
Yellen on Creating Economic Prosperity). After a dazzling
business career and years of high-level service to Yale,
Vern seemed quite happy to be seated in the audience rather
than on stage. Without detail I will tell you his children
are doing well, including four Yale graduates; his affection
for Yale is profound; and he is a great source of
information on Yale personalities and events. Members of the
Class of '57 on hand were Dick Newman, Thom Perkins,
Vern Loucks, Dave Laventhol, John Hermann, Al Hockstader,
Allan Kaplan, Peter Fritzsche, Bill Ellis, Ellsworth Davis,
Rod Correll, Rex Robbins, Frank Melhorne, Bill Fleming,
Merrell Clark, Sam Chauncey, Richmond Browne, John Herrmann,
Larry Herrmann, Phil Weymouth, Reed Rubin, and Don
Roberts. Don Roberts looked quite fit, having warmed up
for the Yale weekend by completing his 26th Boston Marathon
a few days before.
I'm sorry to report the passing of David Allan in
San Jose, California, on September 23, 2000. No further
details are currently available.
One of our truly delightful classmates, John
Mackiewicz, died in February, of complications following
a heart transplant. John's major was chemical engineering,
and he subsequently became a successful patent lawyer in
Philadelphia. His sense of humor was a permanent condition,
and I shall miss it. His spouse Marilyn sent me a brief
essay by John's children, which was distributed at his
funeral mass, and I am including part of it here: "We recall
watching a sunset together while he held Lyn in his lap. As
we quietly watched the sun slowly dip below the horizon he
said, 'You see, guys, it's a giant nuclear fusion reaction,
converting 400 million tons of hydrogen into helium every
second.' We were perplexed by this notion and told him that
some day we wanted to be just like him. Dryly, he said,
'Read.' Often, the best advice was quite brief. He taught us
the importance of a sense of humor. We admired his clever
jokes, and although they were sometimes at the expense of
friends, we knew that he would only pick on those who meant
the most to him. Dad spent his life winning arguments. Mom
might smile and tell you she has spent her life starting
them. But together our parents have shared a beautiful and
rewarding relationship. The very best thing a father can do
for his children is love their mother. We are fortunate to
be blessed with two exceptional parents, and will be forever
grateful. Dad has left a wonderful legacy of sharp wit, keen
intellect, and a heart that was the most loving and generous
a man could possess. We will miss him but never forget him.
His presence will always be with us." Amen. I'm sorry he
won't be at our 45th Reunion.
Our deep condolences to Tom Perkins on the loss of
his beloved and talented spouse, Harriet. We share your loss
and will miss her, too.
—Ellsworth Davis
Notes: May 2001
On February 24 a number of '57 classmates gathered in New
Haven for dinner and a hockey game. The game was a real
winner, as was Yale. After squandering a 3-0 lead we scored
the last three goals of the game to win 6-3. Jeff Hamilton,
Yale's all-time leader in game winning goals, lead the way
with three goals plus. The dinner, at the Yale SOM preceding
the game, was excellent and everyone claimed to have a good
time. Speaking for myself I think they're all truthful. In
attendance were: Howie Gillis, Jack Pendergast, Don
Roberts, Ruben Shapiro, Bern Kosto, Sandy Clark, Charlie
Peet, Nick Tingley, Dick Jones, Binky Davis, Tony Hogan,
Chris Sonne, Malcolm Mitchell, Rob Wlaker, Mark Roth,
and his son Alex. This was Mark's first winter mini-reunion
and he and Alex enjoyed it very much. We also saw Gus
Kellogg at the game; he had recently visited Mike
O'Hern in Florida.
That weekend was the 140th reunion of the Yale Glee Club.
And we were blessed by a visit from'57 Glee Clubbers A.
Reef Taylor, Doug Almond, Joe Clayton, Todd Kendrick, Jack
Hughes, Gerry Neary, and Carl Myrus (very proud
of his first grandson). They all looked quite spiffy in
their dinner jackets and black ties, and were sorry their
own program kept them from joining us mere mortals for
dinner. Talbot Huey and Jeff Freeman were also
at New Haven and singing with the alumni chorus, and though
they were available to visit with the "hockey crowd," I
heard from them individually. Talbot noted that Fenno Heath
is about to turn 75 but "ex hausted us all in rehearsal
without breaking a sweat." Talbot mentioned the alumni
chorus plans for a summer concert and Jeff Freeman filled me
in on the details. The opening concert is April 19 in New
Haven, part of Yale's 300th anniversary celebration, and
continues in London, Russia, and Wales (including a 4th of
July concert in Wrexham), back to Lon don (concert at St.
Paul's), and then home. Look for more info on the Yale Web
site under "alumni chorus."
I enjoyed talking with Ruben Shapiro at the hockey
dinner and discovered he and Peggy have three children who
graduated from Yale. I wonder if anyone has had more, or
even the same? Currently Dave Christenson, Warren Cox,
Vincent Marchesi, and Jeremy Shamos all have
children (one each) matriculating at Yale College.
Jim Ziegler writes, "For 33 years I designed
computers, and then integrated circuits and finally
electronic device structures for IBM. Last year I moved to
the delightful town of Annapolis and became a professor of
physics at the United States Naval Academy. I join five
classmates in Annapolis, two of whom retired from the USNA
just as I am beginning my academic career. Teaching science
to eager, dedicated, and very bright students who leap to
attention when I enter the classroom makes life a great
joy." We'll keep this in mind, Jim.
We had a good turnout for the class dinner at the Yale
Club of New York on March 15. We tried to get Julius Caesar
as our speaker, but he was busy dealing with the NASDAQ.
Frank Michelman, distinguished professor of law at
Harvard, spoke about the Supreme Court, with particular
reference to the recent presidential election. Everybody had
a point of view and there was a Q&A period that featured
rising blood pressures and vigorous expressions of thought.
We had about 70 classmates, including four who were making
their first appearance at this event. I hope we'll have many
debuts next year. For your interest, this year's attendees
were: Toby Briggs, Larry Bodkin, Bill Bogert, Frank
Brown, Tom Chittenden, David Christen son, Joe Clayton,
Sandy Clark, Tony Converse, Rod Correll, Bill Cuddy, Jim
Cunningham, Ells worth Davis, Art Diefendorf, Bill Ellis,
Charlie Grimes, Alex (Sandy) Grinnell, John Halpern, Garson
Heller, Hal Hochman, Allen Hockstader, George Hutchinson,
Michael Jordan, Alan Kap lan, Andy Kner, Bernard Kosto, Dave
Laventhol, Rowland Machold, Denny McGill, Bruce McLan ahan,
Ed Myer, Frank Michelman, Malcolm Mitchell, Gerald Neary,
Vic Norton, Tom Perkins, Charlie Peet, Phil Pilsbury, Tom
Quirk, Rex Rob bins, Don Roberts, Reed Rubin, Chris Sonne,
Michael Sweedler, Nick Tingley, Calvin Trillin, Brian Walsh,
Franco Muggia, Rob Walker, Bob Neff, and John Walters.
Many attractive and interesting classmates and others were
on hand to brighten up the night.
I received the following note from Tony Laughran:
"Jean and I were married on October 11, 1952, are still
happily married, and we have two sons and two daughters,
five grandsons and five granddaughters. The oldest two
grandchildren, one boy and one girl, are freshmen in college
now." This means the Mikuskys are the second-longest married
couple in the class by one week. If they read their notes,
they will find out. I'm certainly not calling them.
The class council meeting was useful and interesting;
details next month. Most significantly, we are figuring out
how to get a huge turnout at the 2002 reunion.
—Ellsworth Davis
Notes: April 2001
This is always a quiet month in terms of classmate news,
and this year is no exception. Fred Guggenheim is
gearing down: "I have stepped down from the chair of
psychiatry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science
after 15-1/2 years. I will remain as a professor and chief
of the psychiatric consultation service at University
Hospital of Arkansas in Little Rock, and will maintain a
private practice."
Raymond Lamontagne, a member of the Hole in the
Wall Gang Camp board of directors since its inception in
1988, has been appointed as the board's chairman. The Hole
in the Wall Gang Camp, founded by Paul Newman, each year
serves more than 900 children, ages 7-15, who have been
stricken with cancer, sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS, and
other blood diseases. Children from across the U.S. and
abroad have attended the camp, which is located on more than
300 acres in Ashford, Connecticut. Carroll Brewster
was executive director of the camp until December 1997.
A graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, Mr.
Lamontagne is retired as president of Seavest Inc., an
investment banking firm. He and his family have been summer
volunteers at the Hole in the Wall Camp for many years,
working with the seriously ill children the camp serves. He
is also the chairman of the board of the City Center in New
York City and vice chairman of the board of the Franklin and
Eleanor Roosevelt Institute in Hyde Park, New York, that
oversees the Roosevelt Presidential Library.
I'm sorry to report the death of Ike Harter on
November 4, 2000. He retired from New port News Shipyard in
Virginia in 1997, and moved to Minnesota in 1998. He was an
employee of the United Defense of Min neapolis at the time
of his death.
Woody Carlisle died in 1999 but we did not get
this news until quite recently. I shared some good times
with Woody at Yale, as did many other classmates. He will be
missed.
Johannes Somary, who spoke at our class dinner in
New York a year ago (great talk, well received), has made a
significant contribution to Yale's Tercentennial. He
conducted the Amor Artis Chamber Choir performing "300 Years
of Sacred Music" at Thomas More Chapel at Yale. Johannes saw
John Leinen Weber and writes, "It was wonderful to
perform in the chapel where John and I performed when we
were students. At times, it felt as if almost no time had
passed!"
I've recently scanned 20-plus reviews of Among
Insurgents: Walking Through Burma, by Shelby
Tucker, and they are positive reviews. The book is
available through Amazon and other booksellers. You may want
to check it out.
It has been a serious winter in New England; I'm looking
forward to warmer weather.
—Ellsworth Davis
Notes: March 2001
Ellsworth Davis, Corresponding Secretary
PaineWebber Inc. 2 Union Plaza, New London, CT 06320 Phone:
1-800-247-9488, ext. 2031 E-mail:
ellsworth.davis@painewebber.com
The Ken Burns series Jazz has really moved me. Not
just the reminder of how great Louis Armstrong and Duke
Ellington (and others) were, but how radically segregated
their world was. As great as this country is, it's sad to
think of the losses and waste that we have suffered from our
version of apartheid. Burns's works on the Civil War,
baseball, and jazz tell a powerful story.
Dues and news keep coming in; keep it up. Good to hear
from Jim Therrien, long-time resident of Colombia:
"Colombia is now in terrible shape with social problems, the
war, insecurity, corruption, drug problems, etc. It's a
beautiful country — although you really can't travel much
due to kidnapping by the guerrillas — but has been
partially destroyed by the negative effects of drugs and the
corruption, etc. The USA support to Plan Columbia is vital
and hopefully will help to turn things around here in the
areas mentioned."
Dick Arnold has two new grandchildren, born in
Palo Alto, California, and Washington DC. Coast-to-coast
coverage; we'd expect no less, judge. Jim Cunningham
has moved to New York for two years, and will return to
London where he plans to retire. For now, he can be reached
at 646-414-8851. Jim attended the monthly luncheon at the
Yale Club in New York in November. David Christenson
advises that his daughter is Class of '03 and is residing at
Branford. Bern Kosto is taking senior status: "I get
to take off a day a week." (I'm sure we can find something
for our illustrious former class secretary to do on that
day.) Bern's first grandchild arrived on Columbus Day 2000,
courtesy of Adam and Andria, assist profs at Columbia. Son
Seth '93 enjoying the law. K.K. Ro sends greetings
"from the Hermit Kingdom." After teaching at Stony Brook,
CCNY, and others he returned to Korea in 1978. George
Atkeson weighs in with a strong positive vote for
Hockstader's Tours, which he and bride of three years
have enjoyed. Glad to hear from Harold Daniel, who
has a tree farm near Cloudcroft, New Mexico: "All is well
with us and our extended family." Carl George Becker
MD writes that they had a great summer sailing on Lake
Michigan, and are "battening down for a Wisconsin winter."
(Good year to batten. — Ed.) Their son, John Koethe, is a
first-year student at Yale Medical School.
Charlie Strong writes, "We are enjoying retirement
with some consulting work, in the central Florida lake and
hill country. Would love to hear from anyone coming to the
area." (Come on in and count a few chads.) Walter
Clarke "retired from the U.S. foreign service in 1994
after 36 years of service in hot, sweaty places, which
included five years in Africa, two in Latin America and
Spain. Since that time, he has been fairly intensively
engaged as a consultant in humanitarian and multilateral
planning for peace operations and military exercises."
Walter and Chantal recently completed a new home outside
Tampa. Ron Bland is "about 95 percent retired after
35 years as a trial lawyer in Seattle, and is now splitting
time between Seattle and Scottsdale, Arizona."
John Miller "retired from the U.S. Naval Institute
on August 31, after 15 years as managing editor of
Proceedings and Naval History magazine —
capping 47 years of naval service of one sort or another
since I first took the oath as a midshipman USNR at Yale. My
fourth book, The Co-Vans: U.S. Marine Advisors in
Vietnam, published by the Naval Institute Press, is due
out from the printer on October 24. In
retirement-retirement, I will be writing two Marine
Corps-oriented histories over the next three-to-five years."
Hiram Bingham has "three items of news: a)
Daughter Olivia and Scott English produced a wonderful first
grandchild, Nicholas A. English, May 2, 2000. b) Purchased
an ancestral home, Woodbridge Farm (1792) in Salem,
Connecticut, with eight horse stalls, available to
classmates saddling up in eastern Connecticut for joint
pasture and trail rides. c) Moved our company Davenport
Resources, from NYC to Greenwich, Connecticut, now ten
minutes from home, tennis, and the Sound. Still doing
private equity investing and sponsoring funds for 'angel'
investors in new technologies."
Peter Greer writes that he spent "60 days on a
yacht delivery from Tahiti to Ft. Lauderdale — going via
Pitcairn and Easter Islands and through the Panama Canal. A
fantastic experience, particularly at Pitcairn, meeting and
talking to some of the descendants of bounty mutineers —
most notably those of Fletcher Christian and Ned Young."
Brian Kelly and Ingrid Smyer have a new title (#5)
to add to their "Best Little Stories" series of historical
books, all published by Cumberland House of Nashville,
Tennessee. The latest entry is titled Best Little
Ironies, Oddities and Mysteries of the Civil War, including
Mary Todd Lincoln: Troubled First Lady.
Received a note from Pat Baker with a heads-up
about General Motors distributing a communication packet (in
connection with the Ken Burns Jazz series) to 75,000
middle-school teachers. There may be a "pony in there,
somewhere" for the Class Project. Thanks, Pat.
Jim Ziegler attended Tim Childs's funeral
and writes, "Timothy Winston Childs died on Nov ember 22,
2000, in Washington, DC, after a long bout with cancer. He
was alert and full of life and opinions up to the end. It
was a great pleasure to visit with him, even in the final
months of his extended therapy. Tim was very active in the
Yale community and was a member of the Yale Development
Board and on the board of the Jane Coffin Childs Fund which
supports cancer research at the Yale Medical School and
elsewhere. He received his PhD in history in 1993 from
Georgetown University, and later taught there. He is
survived by his wife of 42 years, Hope, and two children
John, Yale '85, and Katherine. Funeral services in
Washington were attended by Yale classmates Richard
Arnold, Jim Banner, Phil Pilsbury, Ed Reiland, Hal Russell,
Tim Towell, and Jim Ziegler.
I'm sorry to report the passing of Issac Harter
and Woody Carlisle. We have a space problem this
month, so relevant facts and comments will be forthcoming
next month. Our sympathy and sense of shared loss goes out
to their families.
We hope to see many of you at the class dinner on March
15. Frank Michelman will talk about the U.S. Supreme
Court, and it should be an interesting evening.
Remember to access the class Web site for information
about Yale '57 class luncheons, gatherings, and the annual
class meeting (
www2.aya.yale.edu/classes/yc1957/).
—Ellsworth Davis
Notes: February 2001
The question, "Which classmate has been married to the
same spouse the longest?," produced several potential
"winners" (in many ways), including Norwood and Sarah
Hill (November 23, 1956), and Tony DeLude and
Dirka (April 21, 1956). Norwood writes, "My wife Sarah and I
were married November 23, 1956, during Thanksgiving week,
about a month before Al and Joan Ward. As
happened to Warren Beatty, who played a depression-era
Ivy-Leaguer in the movie Splendor in the Grass, I had
to ask the dean's permission to get married and live off
campus for the rest of my senior year. Interestingly, both
Sarah and Joan were students at Southern Methodist
University and in the same sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma,
although Sarah's class was two years behind Joan's. I was
still 20 years old at the time of our wedding and was told
by the county clerk in Dallas when applying for the wedding
license: 'I'm sorry, Sonny, you are underage. Your mother
will have to get your license for you.'"
The clear winner is Jim Mikusky, who married
Dorothy Marie Grady, October 18, 1952. Jim was released from
active duty with the Marine Corps (Korean War) in 1952. "I
started at Yale in the fall of 1953. Our first daughter was
born in July 1953. By the time I graduated in 1957 we had
two more daughters. My wife used to dress the two oldest
girls as twins. I remember Prof. A.G. Conrad, chairman of
the E.E. department, exclaiming what a pretty set of twins
we had. Even though he liked to talk to them I never got any
extra points. As it turned out, we had four lovely
daughters. We now have six grandchildren." Congratulations,
Jim and Dorothy! I hope you come to the class's 45th Reunion
so we can celebrate your 50th anniversary!
It was good to hear from many classmates this month. I
received a postcard from Alan Lovins, traveling in
Germany: "Dear Binky, I'm looking at the Alps, but thinking
about Gore today. I won't know the results until tomorrow
morning (November 7, 2000)." And tomorrow, and tomorrow, as
of this writing, we still don't have a president-elect. Two
of Alan's children, Rachel and Jonathan, graduated from
medical school this year, and his other son, Daniel, is the
chief cataloger of the Judaica Collection at Sterling
Library.
Delightful note from Jack Pendergast, "Just
returned from a wonderful week in Ireland. Great trip back
to my roots. Beautiful scenery and wonderful beer and
whiskey. The people all look like me!" Boggles the mind.
Larry Strasburger MD is still practicing
psychiatry "amid the shambles that was once American
medicine." He was just elected president of the American
Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.
Our AYA representative, Bill Ellis, wrote me a
heart-stopping note about the AYA assembly, "one of the most
awful days of my life," which I will not detail. (For
openers, he left his home in the Shenandoah Valley at 5am
and arrived back home 21-1/2 hours later.) On the plus side
he noted that 30 percent of Pulitzer Prize winners in music
were either students or faculty members of the Yale School
of Music.
John Swezy is "not retired yet — not even tired!
Although I only spent a year at Yale, it was a valuable
experience." Ron Savin MD writes that he was married
to the former Melanie Friedler on October 24.
Congratulations to two widowed individuals who found each
other.
In addition to the monthly class luncheon at the Yale
Club, you should be aware that Phil Pilsbury
regularly schedules class lunches at the Metropolitan Club
in Washington, DC. Next date is April 10, 2001. Contact Phil
if you're going to be in the neighborhood.
A couple of notes from Don Roberts: "As one of
many events to celebrate the University's tercentennial —
and in this case, the 75th anniversary of the Yale School of
Drama and the 100th anniversary of the Yale Dramatic
Association — a one-night, bicoastal stage presentation,
I Get a Kick Out of Blue, was held November 13 to
highlight Yale's contribution to the American theater. On
the working side of the footlights last night were
classmates Bill Bogert and Rex Robbins. In
addition, film clip recognition was made of classmates (the
late) Goey Franciscus and George White. In the
audience from 1957 at the New York City end of this grand
affair were: Toby Briggs, Merrill Clark, Sandy Clark,
John Hermann, Steve Hopkins, Allan Kaplan, Malcolm
Mitchell, and me, plus assorted spouses and friends. I
don't know if anyone from 1957 was at the west coast end."
Also, "Classmates Bogert, Diefendorf, Kosto (and Gale
as well), Perkins, Quirk, and Roberts were on
the 50-yard line last Saturday, November 21, in a chilly,
packed Harvard Stadium for a splendid 34-24 Yale win. Unlike
the previous week's last-minute loss to Princeton, the Elis
saved their best football for the fourth quarter when they
scored 17 points after Harvard had gone ahead, 24-17. One
doesn't wish to know what comes next after you get seats on
the 50. There may have been more 1957ers in the stands, but
we did not see them."
The aforementioned Bill Bogert performed at the Merrimack
Rep in Lowell Massachusetts, in A Walk in the Woods
from October 25 to November 19.
I'm sorry to report that Mac Blair, who graduated
with us after starting with the Class of '55, died on
October 6, 2000. Mac was a man of many talents, including a
lifelong expertise in ornithology. He lived a life of
adventure, traveling the world. He lived for a while in
Africa, and spoke Swahili. Our condolences to his family.
Malcolm Mitchell informs, "It is my sad duty to
report that my roommate for three years in TD, Millard
Prisant, died in November of pancreatic cancer, which
had been diagnosed only three months earlier. About 200
people came to his funeral service in New York, including
classmates Frank Michelman, Gordon Smith, Mike
Sweedler, and myself. There were eulogies from friends,
family, and business associates noting his fine
intelligence, loyal friendship, and unstinting enthusiasm
for life. The Roslyn (Long Island) Landmark Preservation
Society, of which Millard was a past president, trustee, and
long-time supporter, passed a resolution praising his
commitment to all forms of preservation, as well as his
hands-on participation in numerous local projects. (At 63,
he climbed the Roslyn clock tower to repaint its face.)
"Gordon told the following story at the service. Millard
was at Cape Canaveral in the early 1960s, helping to develop
the Polaris missile guidance system. During a test of the
system in the South Pacific, with Millard in charge of the
settings, the missile missed its island target several
times. The Navy captain running the test asked Millard to
review his figures. After carefully doing so, Millard
announced that they were correct and therefore, the target
must have moved. A skeptical captain finally checked and
discovered he was using an old map. A newer map showed that
the floating island had indeed moved to a different set of
coordinates.
"Millard's brother-in-law called him 'one of the good
guys.' Surely, someone who resigned from Harvard Business
School after one year, as Millard did, because it seemed to
him mostly nonsense, was truly one of the good guys.
"Millard is survived by his wife, friend, and colleague
of 42 years, Carol, and a son, Barden '82. Gifts in his
memory can be sent to the Prisant Preservation Fund, 20 Main
Street, Roslyn, NY 11576."
John Poinier tells us that Murray Murdock is
residing at 130 Parkview Drive, Pawley's Island, SC 29585.
Tel no. 843-237-8073. I'm sure Murray would love a holiday
greeting (New Year) from classmates so inclined.
Thanks for all the news and dues. A number of your notes
have been saved for next month.
Class dinner is scheduled for March 15, 2001, at Yale
Club of New York. Arrange your life accordingly. "Classical
band. What speeches!"
—Ellsworth Davis
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