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| JAN./FEB. 2004 VOLUME 106 NUMBER 4 | Class Notes |
50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59
50 | It is 2004 already and that means Reunion 2005 is just around the corner.Make plans now to be in Ithaca in June next year. In continuing announcements of 50th anniversary celebrations, we add our congratulations to Jean “Jay” Miller Weber and husband John ’49 of Rochester, NY. Their youngest son arranged a surprise for the anniversary. Among the guests were Marge Maddy Croop and husband Ray of Cincinnati, OH.We are always thrilled to hear about new marriages and the latest congratulations go to William Yetter, La Habra Heights, CA. After almost six years of being a widower, he was married last March to Rose Mary. He says, “It’s wonderful to have a new start in life.” We agree and wish you both the very best.
Anita “Skeeters” Ades Goldin writes that she and husband Albert were privileged to meet Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54 last winter when the justice was presented with the prestigious Brandeis Medal given by the U. of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law. Following the program, Anita was able to chat with the justice and share that they were both Cornellians and also sorority sisters. Earle Barber Jr. (Philadelphia, PA) is active in the Science and Art Club of Germantown near Philadelphia. This past year’s presidents were Marion Steinmann Joiner and husband Charles. It’s nice to have these mini-reunions around the country between our five-year reunions.
We have a few classmates who have “almost” retired. Elizabeth AlexanderWeis writes that she has moved to Osprey, FL, as of October ’03. She will not be practicing law any longer, but will keep her license in North Carolina. She is considering changing careers. Not sure what that will be. In the meantime, she would like to hear from anyone in the Sarasota Cornell Alumni Chapter. She can be reached at eaweis@bell south.net. John Peterson, MD ’54, now in Virginia Beach, VA, writes that he and wife Friede sold their ultrasound business (non-invasive vascular lab) to a large radiology group and moved to this new location. They are trying to decide if they like retirement. The retirees know that it won’t be long before they will wonder how they had the time to work!
Lawrence Greenapple, JD ’52 (New York, NY) says, “I am now counsel to my firm and work only on matters requested by clients of long standing. I am serving as a mediator on cases pending on the commercial division of the Supreme Court, NY county, and US District Court. I have a 90 percent record on cases assigned to me for mediation.”Well, we would have expected as much from one of our own classmates! Elder Wolfe (Avon, OH) says he is still farming vegetables, but spends winters in McAllen, TX, and last year added a trip to Florida for an AGR fraternity meeting, followed by a cruise through the Panama Canal. In addition, he was in California and stopped to see classmate Jean Krag. Chloe Gray Alexson (Rochester, NY) retired from her practice in pediatric cardiology and is still doing some teaching and interviewing medical school applicants. She is also on the board of directors for STEP (Society for Total Emergency Programs).
Joining others in our class, Peter Rowe (Florence, MA) says, “In gratitude for laying a rich foundation for a lifetime of appreciation of the liberal arts, I have established, in my will, a Cornell undergraduate scholarship in the humanities.”
Among those classmates not yet retired is Manley Thaler, LLB ’53 (West Palm Beach, FL). He is practicing law with offices in Palm Beach and Boca Raton, specializing in estate and financial planning. He visits frequently with Dave Gardner, MBA ’55, Rodger Gibson, Hugh Flournoy, all of Ponte Verde Beach, FL, and Barrie Sommerfield (Greenwich, CT).We are pleased to report that among the 2003 Frank H. T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Awards is our own Sam Johnson and his wife Imogene (Powers) ’52 (Racine, WI). The award was presented at a banquet this past October. John Dixon Griswold (Woodsville, NH) says, “I am healthy and enjoying life ‘North of the Notches,’ where the lifestyle is Live, Freeze, and be Happy.”
In the travel category, Richard, MBA ’51, and Ursula Sennewald Myers (Janesville, WI) enjoyed a wonderful trip to London and environs last May, with a return on the QE2 to New York.How exciting to be on one of the last trips for this ship across the “pond.” Frank Greene and wife Loli, who reside in Panama, visited Cornell last year to spend time with daughter Melinda Boyar on West Hill. He enjoyed seeing the new Snee Hall home of the Dept. of Geology, his undergraduate major, and said, “I was astounded by how the university continues to grow.” Frank wants to start a Cornell Alumni Club where he resides in the Republic of Panama. Anyone interested? Let us know and we’ll establish contact with Frank. Bill Brockway (Hagerstown, MD) is still playing baseball three or four times a year at Cooperstown, NY, Ft.Myers, FL, and Brooklyn. His goal is to play until he is 80! Sue Woodward Spence and husband Weden (Moreland Hills, OH) say they are still sailing their Tarten 27 on Lake Erie and skiing in northern Michigan.
You have by now received a new form for sending news of yourself to us. This is an idea we adapted from an earlier class that has found it very successful. Please fill out as much as you want and return it to us with comments about how you like it—or make suggestions for changes.We are eager to hear from you.
It is with great sadness we announce the loss of two classmates last July.We all remember the many devoted years Mike McHugh (Cincinnati, OH) gave to Cornell and to our class in particular. Some of Mike’s contributions include serving as director of Adult University (CAU) and planning many wonderful courses for alumni during the summer and year-round in many locations. As our class reunion co-chairman, he planned outstanding weekends for us over the years. Due to his great interest in ornithology, he planned wonderful bird-watching trips after he retired from Cornell.We send our sympathy to his wife Tucker (Marks), MA ’72, and to their children. Henry Chapman Kline, Buffalo NY, was a WWII veteran and had an extensive career as an electrical engineer at Westinghouse and Grumman Corp. He served as a community volunteer, fund-raising as a fervent Cornellian. Our sympathy extends to his wife, Juliet, and their son and four daughters.
We very much enjoy your e-mails to us with news of yourself. In order that we don’t mix your notes with our spam, please write “Cornell Class column” in the subject.We do not want to miss anything.
Please plan to join classmates at the Cornell Club in NYC on Jan. 24, ’04 for our annual class dinner at 7:30 p.m. in the Library on the fourth floor. Come early for a cash bar from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Send a check payable to the Cornell Club, for $60 each, to 6 East 44th St., New York, NY 10017 to the attention of Danielle Salera. Indicate your preference for an entree of salmon, filet mignon, vegetarian, or kosher, and note “Class of ’50” on your check. v Ruth “Midge” Downey Kreitz, 3811 Hunt Manor Dr., Fairfax, VA 22033; tel., (703) 860-2991; e-mail, rdk12@cornell.edu; Paul H. Joslin, 6080 Terrace Dr., Johnston, IA 50131; tel., (515) 278-0960; e-mail, phj4@cornell.edu.
51 | William Zimmer, Schenectady, NY, is a Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener and volunteers with the local fire company. In fact, he won the Schonowe Volunteer Fire Company Fireman of the Year award in 2001.He and wife Elaine (Shannon) ’52 enjoyed a 12-day cruise on the Baltic Sea visiting Scandinavian capitals last May. Ellis Glazier, La Paz, Mexico, was stirred to write to Chemical & Engineering News in response to an April article about why students cheat. As a chemistry major and English teacher, he writes:
“There are a lot of reasons that students give when asked.Most of them are untrue and selfserving. The real reason they cheat is that their elders, in all sorts of ways and completely publicly, have taught them that it is okay to do so, especially if you don’t get caught. And if you do get caught and do it in a big enough way, the results are only annoying, not serious. Society has lost its sense of ethics. I took my college training 55 years ago, and I did not find my labs dull or boring or not real world, nor was there any idea that we should cheat. Cheating certainly existed, but it was rare. From Del Carlo’s research, it now seems to be common.” Ellis retired to the tip of Baja California, but then, 13 years ago, began teaching a course on scientific writing in English, and editing papers written in English by non-native speakers. He has worked for two of the three research labs in La Paz and the university. He is presently teaching physics in English to high school students who are preparing to go to Tecnológico Monterrey, one of the premier universities in Mexico, where many of the courses are taught in English.
Robert Giebitz, Crossville, TN, having survived prostate cancer and quadruple bypass surgery in the past three years, decided to go back to work selling insurance and long-term care to seniors. This spring the family celebrated his mother’s 100th birthday at the East Berne, NY, homestead. She received a citation from the NYS Legislature for her years of community service. Al Ginty, Orange, CA, traveled to Ireland with son Bill for a father-son golf tour. Three other father-son combinations made for two foursomes, “some wonderful competition on the great golf courses, and good fellowship at all times.”He reports seeing Pete (Charles F.) Cole ’50, PhD ’57, at a Theta Xi reunion in Ithaca. Pete is retired as emeritus professor from OSU. They were in NROTC together.
Art ’50 and Barbara “Bobbie” Kunz Buchholz, Ocala, FL, were impressed with the indomitable spirit of the people of Eastern Europe on a memorable trip to Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary last year. Their grandson, Brian Buchholz, entered Cornell this year, becoming a fourth-generation Cornellian. Sarah L. Thomas has retired from teaching what’s now called Human Ecology and is now a fashion consultant and hostess of a small bed and breakfast in the Hamptons. She writes from Southampton, NY, “A bunch of us meet once a month with Helen Vinski, who makes world class cakes.”
Eleanor Steinholz Keats, Littleton, CO, published her second book of poems last May, An Olive Tree Cycle, with seven photographs by the author of the olive tree harvest in Tuscany. She signed books and read her poetry at The Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver in July, “one of the top few independent bookstores in the US.” The book is available on Amazon.com, at The Tattered Cover, and from the publisher, Wayland Press, Indian Hills, CO. She also writes music reviews and travel articles.Mary Diegert attended an Adult University (CAU) program last summer entitled The Way Bugs Work: Insects in Their Natural World, led by Cole Gilbert and E. Richard Hoebecke.
Sabra “Piper” Baker Staley reports that she no longer gets to take visually-impaired high school students through the White House. During the 2002 summer, one of Sabra’s former students from New Mexico, now an intern in Senator Bingaman’s office, provided a tour of the Senate Office Building with guide dog Yuma. She rejoices in her 10th summer at a camp in the Shenandoah Valley where for two weeks she will be Bible teacher/Vesper leader/Camp grandma. A granddaughter will be junior counselor, and a great-granddaughter, a third-year camper. Piper says, “You can’t beat camp food.”
Patience CameronWilson Hoskins, Cleveland Heights, OH, reports that 11 classmates of the Cornell-New York Hospital School of Nursing celebrated their 52nd reunion at an Elderhostel on Low Country Traditions, including study of the Gullah language and of the origins of folk music. Anna Mae Gallert Van Doren (Camillus, NY), Jean Dulin Kliewer ’50 (Corvallis, OR), Betty BenjaminMcClintock (Littleton, CO),Mallie Haley Nadworny (Bloomington, IN), Elsie Svendsen Schnorr (El Cajon, CA), Susan Campbell Hughes, Ronnie Conway Holm (Charlotte, NC), Jo McCarty Gyurko (Scottsdale, AZ), Betty Feitner (Denver, CO), Eileen Elliot, and Vivian Gerhold Dodds (Denver, CO), all met on the Isle of Palms, SC, last April.
The class Web page is www.alumni.cornell.edu/orgs.classes/1951. Barry Nolin writes, “Our site now has the listing of those of our class who have died, with a bit about each one. However, we are missing a lot of information and very possibly a bunch of corrections. I hope you and others can look at the listing and help make it more correct and complete—especially dates and circumstances of those who died before 1998.” Send news to v Brad Bond, 101 Hillside Way, Marietta, OH 45750; tel. (740) 374-6715; e-mail, bbond@ee.net.
52 | Time. Today is Oct. 13, ’03.What follows completes submissions dated from September ’02 through July ’03 and, space permitting, cleans out the old mail bag. In September, Jan McCulloch Hoffman wrote, “Nothing spectacular this year.” This, despite her being our class co-president and our last reunion’s cochair. Jan has cut down to four craft shows a year. Apart from that, she, who loves to garden, was to graduate from the master gardener program in November and was traveling to the Worcester Museum for art lessons. She and Ed, ME ’51, continue to enjoy their 1780 house and woods in Ashford, CT.
Robert S. Lamb II and Patricia Ann live in Terre Haute, IN, where they “celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays with whoever comes to visit us in the extended family,” which includes six grandchildren, ages 25 to 30. The Lambs bicycle local trails and go to ISU home football games. Bob set up a book-repair business in his basement after preservation and conservation training at Indiana U., Bloomington. The Lambs attend opera, concerts, plays, and Oscar-winning movies. Bob reads “metaphysical books.” Their garden grows vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Bob also makes a pesto sauce with garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and basil leaves. Unfortunately, he did not send the recipe.
In October, Bernard Schapiro wrote that over Labor Day he and Jane had attended the bar mitzvah of Craig Schapiro, son of Marc ’79 and Patricia Laxer Schapiro ’77. Their August CAU trip to Iceland and the Baltic found ’52 well represented. Bernie’s “career news”: he is part-time senior research analyst at a Martinsville, NJ, investment firm owned by his son Ken.He also golfs, plays tennis, skis at Vail, travels, and raises funds for his community hospital. When he wrote, he was just back from a Truro, MA, reunion with Irwin and Helen Sitkin, Colette and Marty Convisser ’53, and Ellie and Ernie Friedlander ’54. Elizabeth Ridenour Somers and husband Joseph live in Villanova, PA, except for three winter months. Libby lists six grandchildren ages 7 to 13. All are at good schools in their area. Re travel: Libby was anticipating “nothing special, maybe a trip to the West Coast to visit friends.” Leisure activities? Golf, bridge, gardening.
Lillian Schneider Innerfield Gerstman lives in Buffalo, NY. She is twice widowed. Lillian wrote,“No more babies and no more weddings at this time. Just high school graduations and college parent/grandparent weekends,” three of which were spent at Pomona, Yale, and Brown. Lillian likes Elderhostels. Her favorites are hiking, especially in Arizona, and she planned a trip to the Copper Canyon in February. She volunteers for the Cultural Arts Festival and lists distance learning for Holocaust Resource Center. She exercises regularly and finds time to audit literature and history courses at SUNY and attend theater, locally and in New York City.
John Newhard wrote from Decatur, GA, that he and Eloise’s two daughters were both married with families, which gave them five grandchildren, one girl, four boys, 2 to 15 years old. The Newhards took an annual summer family vacation to St. George Island, FL. In 2001 Jack and Eloise went to Europe, Paris, and London. In November, Helen Icken Safa reported that she had just returned from two great weeks in Mexico with her husband. She gave two lectures in Mexico City and one in Jalapa, after which they explored the Gulf Coast. She enjoyed our 50th Reunion. I certainly enjoyed her participation.
In February, Richard Rosa, PhD ’56, reported that he and Mickey were still living in Polson,MT. Their children Katrina, R. Scott, and Cynthia have given them Sharon, Caile, Erin, Kristen, and Richard. Dick was consulting on MagnetoHydroDynamics (MHD) and had attended the AIAA/MHD conference in Maui. He listed travel to various Utah parks, including this year’s to Zion to hike and climb, along with skiing, sailing, and hiking as leisure activities. A program that bespeaks good health. Bruce Warner, BArch ’52, who may have paid his dues twice last year, wrote again in March to report that “nothing has changed worth noting since the last news.”He and Eugenia are still in Charlotte, NC. Two dues, two mentions. Seems only fair.
A June report from Judith Calhoun Schurman found her and Peter living in New Canaan, CT, with two winter weeks in California, and two summer ones in Maine. They celebrated their 50th anniversary last June. Three children produced eight grandchildren, three boys and five girls, ages 30 to 7. Their granddaughter, who just completed her freshman year at Cornell, pledged Grandma’s sorority. Peter and Judy were in France last October and should be in South Africa as I write this October. “We are both too busy. We keep saying we need to retire from retirement.” Peter works for SCORE, is a Presbyterian elder, and consults for his old companies. Judy is a deacon and sings in their choir. She also volunteers and is on the board at the New Canaan Community Center. Apart from that they see friends, read, fight over who uses the computer next, play bridge, and attend bridge classes.
Alas, not enough room for the report received July 30. First next time. The Assn. of Class Officers (CACO) is meeting at the end of January. Combined class dinner at the Cornell Club-New York on Saturday, January 24. Y’all come. v Joan Boffa Gaul, 7 Colonial Pl., Pittsburgh, PA 15232; e-mail, jgcomm@aol.com.
53 | Old Foreign Service hand Bill Marsh was back in the chair of the head of the US delegation to the General Assembly of the UN during Jacques Chirac’s reply to President Bush on opening day of its annual meeting and subsequently last fall. It was Bill’s sixth year as advisor on European Affairs to the delegation. “It makes for great fun,” he says—working on a US resolution to ban human cloning, for instance. That involved contact with the Holy See, and Bill said he would try to obtain a general absolution for Cornell ’53.
Erwin Geiger, MBA ’54, and wife Marcia stopped off in Bali on the way to relatives in Australia. It was “charming and peaceful,” he says, “a tropical tourist paradise—open and relaxed (our hotel’s lobby and dining areas had only a roof, no walls)—before extremists (who) could not stand to see this oasis of peace and enjoyment had to bring terror and destruction to this lovely paradise.” Jim Hudson, DVM ’60, retired nearly a decade, doesn’t travel. “We love it right here at home” in Newcastle, ME. The Hudsons, whose three kids and families are all nearby, are “still very busy having fun, fishing, boating, swimming, skiing, and walking our dog.”
Dick Cliggott, Todd Kolb, Jack McCarthy, and Gene Renzi walked Schoellkopf once more with a happy few, a diminishing band of brothers, for the annual reunion of Lefty James’s magnificent 1948-52 Big Red teams in October. There were droll tales, a dash of nostalgia, and the continuing pleasure of each other’s company. Gerry Grady (Ponte Verde Beach, FL), a walk-on at the Kite Hill tailgates on opening day of the football year, had been sprung to join the 50th high school reunion of Jack McCormick ’57 in Binghamton and to negotiate arrangements for the CU ’54 Reunion milk punch, June 10-13.
Henry Stein, having flunked retirement, became deputy secretary of the Clinton, CT,Volunteer Fire Dept. and an emergency medical technician, besides recording secretary for the Clinton Open Space Committee. But Hank has managed trips to China, Australia/New Zealand, and Scandinavia. Dave Wagner (Jacksonville, FL) has given up after 42 years of trying to “talk to” sick chickens and switched to selling hot water heaters at Sears part-time. He says he’s “daydreaming about retiring.” After selling his home to the ambassador from, lately the premier of, the Island of South Lucia, Joe Alfredo (Greenwich, CT, and Highland Beach, FL) has been leading seniors to golf tournaments in Manchester, VT, and Naples, FL, and catching actor son Albert on “Sex and the City” and “Sopranos.”
Living alone “in almost retirement,”Marguerite Goetke Larsen (Middletown, NJ) says she’s trying to learn how to communicate and learn from the computers (it ain’t always easy) and is to be found as frequently as possible at Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera. As a single parent, says Peg, she gave her all to her three children.With her more abundant free time she’s able to read, travel around Germany, Holland, Belgium, and England, “look at but not work in my garden,” and meditate on her busy past as a practitioner of internal medicine, then psychiatry, through three marriages. Ruth Christoff Landon (Indianapolis, IN) plans to keep on working as long as it’s fun at the early childhood center of which she’s director. It’s connected with Ball State U. The oldest of her 12 grandchildren graduated from high school this year and the youngest is deep into kindergarten. Ruth’s oldest daughter, Barb, earned her PhD in psychology this year. It’s always a mighty pleasure to see Chris and Bill ’52 at ’53 events. Lois Hoyer Jaggard (Chillicothe, OH) and husband Art ’51 have son Art Jr., an Oxford PhD, at Harvard on a Merrill Fellowship this year. Granddaughter Katie Priaulx is Cornell ’06. Lois is lately retired from the pottery business.
Nancy Ralph Balbus knows what to do when there’s a retired husband around the house (her Ted was a radiologist). She is still a full-time kitchen designer in Elkins Park, PA, but there’s time for golf, travel, reading, and family events (“always and many”). Fay Bissell Hession (Marshfield, MA), retired aide to the town manager of Duxbury, has put her leisure time to good use, with trips to Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Beijing, and Istanbul to visit family. She has eight grandlings scattered around New England and the rest of the world. Judy Karkus Allen and husband Will repeated their commitment to one another at their daughter’s Vermont home for their 50th anniversary.Will and a son-in-law are licensed pilots, and a grandson who’s a junior in high school is likewise air-minded. Family flights can be spontaneous. Cooking, says Judy, is “still my number one hobby.” The Rev. Jeanne Herron Linderman continues as a priest associate in Wilmington, DE, and was working on a doctor of ministry degree at Lancaster Seminary last spring.
Curiosity springs eternal among us and Adult University (CAU) nurtures it. Ask Jim Lansing, who went back to Ithaca this summer for Mideast studies with CAU; Barbara Mestel Schaeffer, who took courses on great American trials of the 20th century; Bill Bellamy, MBA ’58, JD ’59, who looked into the gorgeous gorges of the Finger Lakes; and Judy Resnik Chabon (antiques and antiquing). CAU took Richard Klein and Recie Miller Scott to Sicily, Jay Brett to the core of the Big Apple for a spring theater weekend, and Lynn Rosenthal Minton to a raft on the white waters of the Green River at Dinosaur National Monument, UT.
A regret: Caroline Mulford Owens, elected class secretary at Reunion, has been overlooked among listees, not by design. She is (you read it here) a very, very good one. And Jim Blackwood undertakes the new post of membership chairman. You will be treating him right and doing yourself a favor when you come up with class dues and magazine subscription. vJim Hanchett, 300 1st Ave., NYC 10009; e-mail, jch46@cornell.edu.
54 | Mark your calendars and join us for a gala dinner Saturday evening January 24, at the Cornell Club of New York. We are anticipating a great turnout as we continue the countdown to our 50th in June. Your reunion committee will be there and available to answer questions, take your suggestions, and take note of your offers to help with our big one. Details on the dinner will be posted to our website, along with updates on reunion activities.
Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the honored guest speaker at the inauguration of Jeffrey Sean Lehman ’77 as Cornell’s 11th president last October 16. Justice Ginsburg spoke of the many ways the university has continually sought to provide opportunities for all students to seek a Cornell education.Other class members known to be there celebrating the inauguration were Lou Schaefer Dailey, Bob Levitan, Dave, PhD ’60, and Mary Gentry Call, Jane Shanklin Warter, Polly Hospital Flansburgh, Bob Kennedy, Lew Stone, BS ’57, Lucy Fein Saunders, and Jack Vail.
Ken Hershey, reunion co-chair, would like to remind you of how lovely Upstate New York truly is in June. You will be able to stroll the campus (with map in hand, of course), hear Frank Rhodes once again, see the Plantation gardens in full bloom, visit the new Ornithology Lab, and stay in a brand new dorm with elevators, climate control, and windows that open with a view. Off campus you can visit one of the 73 award-winning wineries or just wander through the picturesque Finger Lakes landscape. The committee has laid on great food, singalongs with Bob Benzinger, Dixieland Bands, milk punch, and much, much more as you return to “Tread the Hill Again.”
The mail bag gets very slim at this time of year, but your class officers and reunion committee members have come through with news of their activities and some of the reasons they keep returning to Cornell. Lew Stone, our class treasurer, said the approach of our 50th reminds him of the large role Cornell has played in his life, especially after graduation. He and wife Joan (Steiner) ’55, have done just about everything any alum could do for the university. They have served as Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN) members, fund-raisers, class officers, members of Cornell Council, and parents of two Cornell graduates. Lew says each time he returns to the Hill he feels the years just slip away. I think those thoughts are with us all each time we walk those well-worn paths, absorb the familiar odors of classrooms and dormitories, or gaze out over the hills at dusk as chimes ring out the “Evening Song.”
In August, Lou and Bob Dailey ’53 took a ten-day cruise aboard the Stad Amsterdam, a 250-foot clipper ship built in 2000 by the City of Amsterdam. She participated in the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Races with young sailors aboard, racing from Poland to Turku, Finland. In Turku, the youths got off and 25 adults got on, all from the Netherlands, except for Bob, Lou, and an American journalist. They did not race but had a wonderful cruise from Finland to St. Petersburg, Russia, where they spent two days touring the city. They then sailed on to Riga, Latvia, which they found to be a fascinating city: walker-friendly, clean, and beautiful.
While the Daileys were sailing Tall Ships in the Baltic, your correspondent was quietly standing, binoculars and camera at the ready, in the bow of a small, 60-person vessel as it plowed its way through the inland passage north of Juneau, AK. I was taking my granddaughter on her 12th birthday adventure, one I trust she will remember fondly. The trip was a family affair sponsored by the Audubon Society of Massachusetts and the National Zoo. It was fabulous. Sixty birders and outdoor people of like mind. Loved the state, the birds, the whales, the sea life, the group, the rain, and the wind.We were at sea for a week on a ship that could meander the bays, coves, and fjords with ease.We stopped for all wildlife that was of interest and kayaked among icebergs filled with harbor seals. I’d recommend it to all outdoor families.
Jack Vail, who was present at the inauguration, wrote of the beautiful fall day and all the memories that came flooding back as he toured the campus. He wrote of the many changes going on and the delightful surprises that await those who have not been back in awhile. He spent a weekend last fall with Warren “Breck” Breckenridge and a group from ’55 that included Bin Pettit, Bob Jones, John Davidge, LLB ’58, Bud Rose, JD ’60, and Jim Brackbill. Both Jack and Breck will not only be back in June but will recruit others to return with them. Do come back and share the magic. v Leslie Papenfus Reed, 500 Wolfe St., Alexandria, VA 22314; e-mail, ljreed@speakeasy.net. Class website: www.alumni.cornell.edu/orgs/classes/1954.
55 | Take note, classmates: the calendar says 2004, and that means our big 50th Reunion in June 2005 isn’t far away! In fact, several of your class officers, including reunion co-chairs Phil Harvey and Dick Estey, MBA ’60, met during Homecoming Weekend last October to discuss plans for this very special event. From the reports coming in from classmates near and far, it sounds as though many of you already have your suitcases ready to pack. I know I do!
So, on to the news. Rosamund Wobber Wendt, BS ’61, is officially retired from her position as assoc. prof. of biology at the Community College of Philadelphia, but continues teaching a section of biology and advising students interested in health careers. Sally Stephens Logan writes that she and Frank ’54,MBA ’55, are relocating from the Boston area and “finally heading for a warmer climate”—Virginia Beach,VA, within easy visiting distance of their eldest son and five grandchildren, who live in the Tidewater area. Rae Pullen Alexakos suggests that any classmates wondering where to retire should consider Quechee Lakes, VT. “We have a lot of Cornellians here, and so many wonderful activities (golf, canoeing, hikes, tennis, skiing) that I feel like I’m in camp!” Rae and Leo’s three children surprised them with a wonderful weekend visit—without spouses or grandchildren. “It was the first time the five of us were alone together in 21 years!”
At the time we heard from Donald Demske, he was devoting his time to landscape painting, growing the best tomatoes east of the Mississippi, building sets for a theater group, and praying the Washington Redskins win the title. Paul Sammelwitz and wife Diane enjoyed an Elderhostel trip to Rome and found it “fantastic to experience the structures from the B.C. era.” Like other classmates, Paul feels there are “not a lot of positive things” happening in the world. “Bush’s war,” he says, “is not a good thing for anybody.” Emilyn Larkin Jakes would agree: “There’s really not much to cheer about.” On the other hand, Joe Silverman says he’s glad that the US military (“my old gang”) has “just made the world a little safer.” Frank Filkins, who’s retired and has just made the move to Carolina “low country,” is gratified to see the US is “getting tough on terror.” Cherie Woodcock Mitchell expresses hope that the Kurds may at least have representation in their new government. You may remember that the Mitchells met in Iraq, and Cherie helped set up a girls’ school there in 1956.
Hotelie James Heiman has just received his finance doctorate, is currently finishing his condo development in Tarpon Springs, and reports,“My family and business are doing well.” Leonard Hittner is still working part-time, but also serves as treasurer and board member of the USS Intrepid Assn. of Former Crew Members. The Intrepid was Len’s first ship and he takes visitors on tours of the ship, now a museum in New York City. Reunion? “Ann and I hope to be there,” says Len. Olga Bruun Staneslow retired from teaching seven years ago and has taken some trips since then: to the Greek Islands, to Israel to visit her daughter, and most recently, by car to Canada, camping in Nova Scotia’s national parks.
John Wertis splits his time between running his Boer goat livestock operation and serving as head superintendent of Grove Cemetery in Trumansburg. John welcomed his eighth grandchild this year, which was cause for celebration, but his comment on the world situation was “Yuk!” Dan Begin, BS ’59, adds that “world events have taken the joy out of travel.” Avra Friedman Metzger says she’s “pursuing useful pleasures,” such as her new home in Northern California that brings her nearer to family, ushering at concerts and plays, and Sonoma County bicycling.
Myrna Stalberg Lippman spends her time with freelance book reviewing, tennis, golf, volenjoyed unteering, and traveling. John, LLB ’58, and Jean Davidge cruised the Po Valley with other Cornellians, including Rob and Peggy Stotz. But travel honors have to go to Nancy Taft Whitman, who’s visited all seven continents (“yes, including Antarctica”). Nancy went to Hawaii, England, India, and Nepal in 2002, Japan in 2003, and this year South Africa and Ireland. Herb and Pat McCormick Hoehing live in Sylvania, OH, where Herb works part-time with the Sylvania Community Improvement Corp. “Retirement is fun!” he adds. “I’d like to do it a few more times or until I get it right.”
Rex Boda says he’s “happy and content in my first years of busy retirement.” Arthur Yelon, professor at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, declares he’s “too young to retire,” especially with grants in place through 2007. Artist and gardener Jana Mason retired from her position as a professor of educational psychology, and has now turned her attention to creating an “edible landscape” in the backyard—a mini-farm of fruit trees, shrubs, berries, and a vegetable plot. Joan Fellerman Hartz says that life in her hometown (New York City) has a more tentative feeling these days, but that they are “surviving, in the best New York sense.”
Al Fountain lives an interesting life. He’s a real estate consultant (“day job”) and shows horses in his off-hours. Linda Mandelbaum Caigan works part-time in the complementary care department of White Plains Hospital Center as coordinator of mental imagery. Don Buckner and wife Kathy visited Phil, PhD ’74, and Sally Alkon out in Las Cruces, NM. They enjoyed some local sightseeing, as well as “serious reminiscing of precious days on the Hill, and the loss of two ’55 icons, Lenny Oniskey and Dick Schaap.” The Alkons are planning to be here for our 50th Reunion and, according to a recent note, so are David Montague and wife Nancy. Dave has a part-time systems engineering and management consulting practice in Menlo Park, CA, plus a lake house in New Hampshire to keep him busy. The Montagues traveled to Spain and Portugal for three weeks and also took a cruise down the St. Lawrence, followed by a 10-day drive through the Maritime Provinces.
Pat and Connie Salm Conlon continue rehabbing their old house in Lansing, “but I don’t think I will ever get it done,” admits Pat. The Conlons stay in touch with what’s going on at Cornell via their son, daughter, and daughter-in-law, who are all working for the university. Pat attended a memorial service for his old wrestling coach, Jimmy Miller, a while ago, and enjoyed seeing many of his old wrestling buddies, “many of whom had lost their wrestling muscles.” Since 1960, Dave, MRP ’61, and Allison Hopkins Sheffield ’56 have vacationed at Lake Mooselookmeguntic, ME (near Rangely), and are now building a house there. Dave also volunteers on the building committee of his church in Wellesley, MA, and found himself on site a lot as “clerk of the works” during recent construction. In his spare time, Dave taught himself to weave Nantucket Lightship baskets. As many classmates have found, it’s never too late to learn a fun new skill!
Here’s good news for you Florida snowbirds! In March, Jay Hyman, DVM ’57, is inviting 80 of us to visit his house, aviary, and garden in Del Ray. Also this spring, Jeffrey Lehman ’77, our new president, will be visiting several Florida destinations. To make sure that notices of these events are mailed to your Florida address, e-mail Barbara Loreto Peltz (blp24@cornell.edu). vNancy Savage Petrie, 6 Inkberry St., East Hampton, NY 11937; e-mail, nsm55@juno.com.
56 | Richard Sklar has left his homes in San Francisco and Napa for an indeterminate time to move to Little Rock, AR, to run the campaign of General Wesley Clark.He and wife Barbara are just settling in to their new city.Dick has worked with General Clark before and obviously has the highest regard for him, so he jumped when the general asked him and Eli Segal to help him. Sklar thought he was through moving, but if you know Dick, he is a person who cannot sit still, especially for a cause he believes in.You can e-mail him at rsklarsf@aol.com.
A sad note from Don Koch ’53 that his wife and our classmate Barbara (Bloom) passed away last September 4. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and will be missed.
It was nice hearing from Edward “Van” Cunningham, LLB ’62, who not only is a trustee of Cornell, but was just named a director of the Metropolitan Opera.He spent reunion this past June with Gerry Grady and his crazy group of the Class of ’53. Van is still practicing law and serves as trustee on many testamentary trusts. He lives in Poughkeepsie, NY.
A bunch of us attended the inauguration of President Jeffrey Lehman ’77 on October 16, followed by Trustee/Council Weekend. It was a very impressive affair, with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54 addressing the gathering before the investiture of President Lehman.Attending from our class (at least the ones I saw) were Nonnie and Jerry Tarr, Ernie Stern, Phyllis Bosworth, George and Judy Cohen Lowry, Keith Johnson, Lorrie and Mike Nadler, BS ’58, and Gail and Steve Kittenplan. The weather and the program were super, but the football game left a lot to be desired as we lost to Georgetown—yes, Georgetown. When will this agony end?
A last note from this news-shortened column. We missed our dear friends Curt and Pamela Reis. Curt was recovering from minor surgery, and I am happy to report to all his friends that he is back in fighting shape as of this writing.
If you haven’t already done so, please send in news with your class dues. Phyllis and I need your help. v Steve Kittenplan, 1165 Park Ave., NYC 10128; e-mail, catplan@aol.com.
57 | When the New York Times or the Washington Post err in a report, the correction appears the next day. Alas, I had to wait four months to set the record straight. Sam Bookbinder did indeed play in the Alumni Baseball Game at Reunion and was injured in the process. A hit to the knee resulted in many sessions at the Rothman Inst. of Orthopedics in Philadelphia. And to add insult to injury, Sam’s wife Connie was hit by a foul ball while sitting in the dugout. It only took her four weeks to get better.
By now you have received your class dues letter from Bob Watts,which included a news form. I hope you’ll take time to fill in some tidbits and send them on to me.Marcia Wishengrad-Metzger, JD ’60, returned hers and told of her trip with Bob earlier this year on a canal cruise in the Netherlands and Belgium. She also wrote that had she not been in the Arts college, her choice would have been Hotel, as she enjoys giving formal parties (as well as theme parties). Preparing ethnic foods is also one of Marcia’s interests.
Ben and Sandy Lindberg Bole were in the middle of the chestnut harvest last fall with an orchard that produces wonderful nuts. Their customers are the upscale grocers in the Sherwood area just south of Portland, OR. Children and friends came in shifts to help, which made the exhausting days more fun. The Boles’ business has been featured on Martha Stewart (pre-Imclone), in an AP article, and on local television. Sandy and Ben welcomed grandchild number eight, another Benjamin, last March in San Francisco.
Among those attending their 50th high school reunions were Sue Shelby Schurmeier at Syracuse Central High School, Martie Ballard Lacy at Solvay High, and Ruthe “Skip”Hewlett Gorman at Farmingdale High. Ruth flew in from Huntington Beach, CA, where she is working for a real estate construction firm. Adele Petrillo Smart and Jean Waters Townsend went back to Buffalo Seminary for their 50th. Jean and husband Charlie, along with Alice Brunner, visited the Waters’ son Bill in the country of Georgia.He works for BP, which is building a pipeline from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean. The group also made a side trip to Armenia.
Flower Clark MacMillen and husband Glenn ’54 began their fall migration to Florida last October. Now that they have a new granddaughter near Kansas City, the route between New York and Florida seems to go via Missouri. They are still living full-time in their motorhome and enjoying every minute of it. In May they hosted a family reunion and 95th birthday party for Flower’s mother in Upstate New York. Flower also attended her 50th high school reunion at Pulaski High. The MacMillens celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary while attending a Clan MacMillen gathering in NYC, and were at Ground Zero for a memorial service when the big northeast blackout hit. Quite an experience, writes Flower.
Eleanor Meaker Kraft, LLB ’60, will be heading back to Cornell in June for the law school class reunion. Ellie continues practicing law, doing indigent appeals in the San Francisco area. Her 22-year-old daughter is in her second year of college. (Ellie wonders if it’s taking longer these days than when we were young!)
Classmates continue to participate in Adult University (CAU) activities both on and off campus. This past summer Jarmila Neuman Kovell was improving her game at the Golf Clinic, Bob ’55, MBA ’57, and Vanne Shelley Cowie brushed up on their landscape drawing and alabaster carving, and Sue Hitz Magnuson was learning about great American Trials. Joanne Clark Nelson was at the Personal Fitness Clinic, while Debby LeCraw Grandin enjoyed the Gorgeous Gorges. Joyce Edgar Schickler spent a week at a Wyoming dude ranch, Eva Stern Steadman opted for Blue Mountain Lake in the Adirondacks, and Rita Feldman Cohen saw four theater productions at the Shaw Festival. Ron and Helen Kuver Kramer also attended the festival. Earlier in the year the Kramers visited Sicily on the CAU town and country walking tour. v Judith Reusswig, 5401 Westbard Ave. #813, Bethesda, MD 20816; e-mail, JCReuss@aol.com.
Ephraim McLean has spent over 40 years in the field of Information Systems—with Procter & Gamble for seven years before an 18-year tenure on the faculty of the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, and since 1987 in the University System of Georgia, at Georgia State. The highest honor in that domain was recently bestowed on Dr.McLean, that of Regents Professor, a title held by less than one percent of faculty members in the Georgia System. For those who think they suffer from writer’s cramp, be it known that Eph has published over 125 papers, and authored, co-authored, or co-edited ten books. One of his books, Information Technology for Management, is in its third edition and is the second largest selling Information Systems textbook in the world. In addition, over the years he has raised more than $33 million for Georgia State, UCLA, and the International Conference on Information Systems, which he had a major role in founding.He sounds like a natural to put the Class of ’57/Kinkeldy Room project over the top. Speaking of that project, Phil McIndoo, one of our classmates who has done such a superb job in bringing us within striking distance of our $250,000 goal, informs me that he and Erica have “committed” marriage.
Always good to hear from Gil Riley, who informs me that RileyFest ’03 was held in Maine last August, attracting 20 grandchildren and assorted children and parents. Gil also mentioned that he attended a ritual attended by many of us in the last year, his 50th high school reunion. Anybody getting within shouting distance of Wilton, ME, is welcome at the Rileys’.
Bob Watts represented our class at the inauguration of Jeffrey Lehman ’77 as Cornell’s 11th president, reporting that it was both festive and respectful of the traditions of the university. He marched along in the procession with Art Boland, MD ’61, who represented Harvard.
I had the pleasure once again to experience the wonderful hospitality of Rod and Liz Beckwith, when my recent meanderings took me through Charlottesville, VA. They are proud grandparents and superlative hosts. v John Seiler, 221 St. Matthews Ave., Louisville, KY 40207; tel., (502) 895-1477; e-mail, Suitcase2@aol.com.e
58 | My last column was all about our reunion and what a wonderful time we all had. One never knows what may happen at such an event. For example,Marjan Schneider Carasik and Garrison Holt Davidson Jr. met there for the first time and were married in September! Marjan was a widow and a retired social worker. Gary had just retired as an accountant in the Los Angeles offices of Iron Mountain Record Management, which stores business, legal, and banking records. And now they’re newly marrieds— another happy outcome to such a fine time.
Lew Futterman, a successful NYC apartment developer through the ’70s and ’80s, is back in business again. This time he is associated with another Cornellian, Trustee Joe Holland ’78, MA ’79, one of our last all-Americans and a former NYS Housing Commission chairman. They are building Harlem’s first large luxury condo development, which should have broken ground by last fall. Phil Getter is the president of DAMG Capital.With some friends and colleagues, he started a new investment bank, and he says all is going well. Art Shostak had his 24th book published, an edited collection of 47 new essays entitled Viable Utopian Ideas: Shaping a Better World.He is now editing three books on the Iraq war for use in high schools.
Bill Endter spent most of last year traveling the Caribbean and diving. He visited St. Maartens, the Cayman Islands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Cozumel. The last few months, however, he has been limited by two knee replacements. His wife Jeanne broke her heel, ankle, and leg bone thinking she could still climb ladders and clean gutters. Guess we aren’t as young as we used to be! Peter Klem has retired and is working on a philosophical treatise. He stays in touch with classmates Nat Donson and Art Pfeffer and Art’s wife Susi (Gruen) ’59, all of whom he says are doing well.
Marilyn Winters Boger had a wonderful trip last year to Fairbanks, AK, with 25 other Habitat for Humanity volunteers. There was time off for fun at the nearby North Pole, where they ate, slept, and played together in a high school gym, enjoyed a Midnight Sun 10K walk/run, and toured Denali National Park. Last year at this time she was training to bicycle across the US from San Diego to St. Augustine! I received a wonderful note from Judy PhilipsonWarsh. Her daughter Alexandra Steele is a meteorologist on the Weather Channel from 7 to 10 a.m. She was also on the season finale of “Friends.” Judy, I watched her—6 a.m.my time, but she’s great! What fun to have a television celebrity daughter! Ken Pollard built a new, year-round home on Cayuga Lake, and is really enjoying it. He was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Governors of the Springfield Shriners Hospital for children.He had served as an associate member for three years.
I am now devoid of news for the column, so please fellow classmates, send NEWS! v Jan Arps Jarvie, 6524 Valley Brook Dr., Dallas, TX 75254; e-mail, jjarvie386@aol.com; and Dick Haggard, 1207 Nash Dr., Fort Washington, PA 19034; e-mail, rhaggard@voicenet.com.
59 | Class Co-President Marian Fay Levitt reported with delight that more than 60 class members helped inaugurate the Class of ’59 Scholarship endowment, pledging almost $45,000 toward the moneys needed to fully endow and establish the scholarship. Marian deserves our thanks and kudos, for she single-handedly jumpstarted the project by telephoning classmates. “It was great!” she enthused. “Everyone was so pleased that our class is undertaking this project, which will allow Cornell to each year provide a student with financial assistance.”
It is hoped that all ’59ers will support the endowment with generous gifts—all of which count toward our 45th Reunion gift. The endowment is a wonderful legacy from our class to Cornell and to the Cornellians we will touch in perpetuity. And yes, we’ll know who these youngsters of upcoming generations will be. Over the years our class presidents will get reports on the student recipients, which we plan to share with everyone in this column.
Reunion festivities kick off on the evening of Friday, January 23, with a class dinner at the Cornell Club, 6 East 44th St., NYC. All classmates, spouses, and friends are invited to participate in an evening of fun, food, and socializing. Hosted by Reunion Chairs Gwen Woodson Fraze and Fred Harwood, the dinner coincides with the annual meeting of the Assn. of Class Officers (CACO), so many of your class officers expect to attend. The cost of the dinner is $58 per person. All RSVPs must be received by Marian Levitt no later than January 15. For more information, contact Marian at (212) 633-1214.
Classmates who participated in Adult University (CAU) this past spring and summer included Lucy Tuve Comly, Ed Grossman, Alan Rosenthal, Sam Schoninger, Phil Yarnell, and Judy Cook Gordon. Judy has enjoyed CAU trips to Mongolia and Iran since retiring from the semiconductor unit of Lucent Technologies, where she handled the firm’s worldwide customer satisfaction research.
“Looking forward to our 45th Reunion,” says Ken Riskind. He and wife Judy are retired, living six months in Tucson, AZ, and six months in Steamboat Springs, CO. They have four children and four grandchildren. “Between golf, hunting, fishing, and travel there is never a dull moment!” says Ken. Pearl Woody Karrer and husband Henry of Palo Alto, CA, celebrated their 40th anniversary with a two-month trip to Australia, seeing wildlife and enjoying great seafood, wines, and hosts. Pearl has retired from microbiology, but teaches piano and exhibits her monotypes and mixed media art in juried shows. She is also a listed poet in Poets and Writers and an editor for the California State Poetry Quarterly. She and Henry have two children and three grandchildren.
Alan Schechter of Bethesda,MD, has spent 38 years doing medical research at the National Institutes of Health. “My research has evolved from very basic molecular biology to more clinical studies related to the treatment of sickle cell anemia. With each year the work gets more exciting!” he writes. Alan’s wife Geraldine works in a related field, doing clinical hematology at the Washington Veterans Hospital. They have two married children and two grandchildren. Now with eight grandchildren are Jim ’54 and Marjorie Holeton Weaver of Naples, FL. Among their recent travels was a trip to China. The trip began in Hong Kong and continued with a Yangtze River cruise that ended in Beijing, where they boarded a Crystal Cruise that went to Dalian and Shanghai and on to several port cities in Japan. Also visiting China were Gerald and Joan Travis Pittel of Boynton Beach, FL. They spent a month visiting major cities, cruising on the Yangtze, shopping in Hong Kong, and then seeing Bangkok.
Naomi Meltzer Rubin of Gladwyne, PA, now has 13 grandchildren. Naomi, an artist who works in all mediums, enters juried shows and is on the boards of the Art League and the Main Line Art Center. Recent travels have included workshops in France, Santa Fe, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. Renee and Stanley Blau of New York City celebrated their 43rd anniversary. Stan is retired and enjoying their three children and eight grandchildren, all of whom live in the New York suburbs. He writes that in addition to being active in city life, he and Renee spend their summers in East Hampton, NY, enjoying tennis, biking, and the ocean, as well as the cultural activities they support.
Ed and Beth Streisfeld Tavlin ’62 of Delray Beach, FL, also have their grandkids, which number seven, living nearby. “We get plenty of time to spoil them!” writes Ed. Beth continues to work as a CPA, but Ed is loving retirement. Dentist Carl Resnick of Lincolnwood, IL, is now working only part-time, which gives him more time with his eight grandchildren, all of whom live within 20 minutes of Carl’s home.“Mostly retired” is how Nancy Justin Dalrymple of Bloomington, IN, describes herself. An autism educator, she continues to consult at the U. of Louisville and with school systems. In 2002, Nancy made her first trip to China with her daughter to adopt her first granddaughter. She returned to China in March 2003 to tour and to attend an autism conference and meet families of children with autism. v Jenny Tesar, 97A Chestnut Hill Village, Bethel, CT 06801; tel., (203) 792-8237; e-mail, jet24@cornell.edu.e