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Notes: December 1997
Notes: November 1997
Notes: October 1997
Notes: December 1997
We received some news along with dues payments and are
grateful for everything sent. Robert Rhoads writes
that he has disposed of the bulk of his private practice and
"works mostly as an attorney-investor." Don Backe is
back into teaching — middle school this time — and not
missing being an administrator. He writes about "the
extraordinary opportunity to teach." As a father of a
seventh-grader I send him blessings, and admire his courage.
Bill Keen writes that he is retired — again. I hope
it works this time! Zachary Sacks and Tamarra are
expecting a girl child around December 7, and are very
happy. If the child is named Pearl, your classmates may
never forgive you!
Phil Clover and Dede are thrilled to have their
first grandchild, John T. Clover (YC'19), living nearby.
Peter Greer "really enjoyed our 40th. My first time
back in 30 years, I'm embarrassed to say. Topped it off with
a transatlantic (boat) delivery — Mamaroneck, New York, to
the Azores. Summer in Martha's Vineyard has sped by and
included the remarriage of daughter Denise to Richard
Mulcahy. Great party, and family get together."
Other retirement news: Richard Sletzer retired in
February 1997 as news editor of Chemical and Engineering
News. Tod Mann retired from Dean Witter
Investment Banking early this year. He now splits his time
between Brooklyn Heights (New York) and Greensboro, Vermont.
Mike O'Hearn writes, "On December 20 I will marry
the most wonderful girl in the world — and all of our
children (her four by her deceased husband and my four) will
be there plus four grandchildren. Only person missing will
be my dear father, '24S, whom we will see in Florida right
after Christmas when we drive south to our new winter home
in Naples. I can't wait. Life has turned 180 degrees, and I
just hope we have some years to enjoy our family, fishing,
golf, tennis, skiing, hiking, friends — and reunions! When
you read this, her name will be Sherry Lynn O'Hearn."
George Atkeson, a widower since 1993, writes that
he was married in November. "We will continue to live in
Greenwich, but will have a small house in the Cotswolds,
which we will use two-to-four months a year." Jock
Newbold will be George's best man. He also notes that he
has five grandchildren. Tom Myers married Karen
Spikes on August 9, 1997, at Oakland, Maryland.
Congratulations to all!
On a sad note, Rodney Koehler writes that his wife
Renate suffered a severe stroke in April. I know that Rod
would like to hear from friends during Renate's recovery
period.
Tim Childs has accepted an invitation to join the
board of the Yale Library Associates. He also tells us he
has become an apartment dweller (winters only) and continues
to enjoy the beauty of Connecticut's Litchfield Hills area
during the summer.
A couple of publishing notes: In October a book,
primarily authored by Jim Seymour, was published
concerning China's prisons and "labor reform" camps. Titled
New Ghosts, Old Ghosts, it is the first serious study
of this much-discussed but hitherto poorly understood
subject. Jim is still at Columbia University's East Asian
Institute.
Rufus Goodwin has two books coming out in 1998.
The first is a novel, Tear in Time's Eye, a
Chaplinesque treatment of a homeless person whose nemesis is
a Beacon Hill billionaire. The other book, Give us this
Day: The Story of Prayer, is a generalist treatment of
the tradition of prayer with emphasis on the cognitive power
of prayer. The novel will be published by Commonwealth
Publications in Canada, a mass paperback trade house, and
the book on prayer appears with Lindisfarne Books of Hudson,
New York. Goodwin also appeared in August as a co-presenter
with Thomas Moore and Robert Sardellow at the Third Annual
Sophia Conference International at Litchfield, Connecticut,
on Prayer and Art.
Malcolm Mitchell is wrestling with the question of
what the minimum number of classmates should be on the class
committee to do something to leave the world a better place.
Bob Rosefsky has suggested 57, and we are researching
the question of conflict with Heinz.
I had a very nice visit with Dick Massey and his
son Steve at their office in Milford, Connecticut. Dick
continues to win state championships in badminton and enjoys
periodic member-guest golf tournaments, as well as
continuing to work at Massey Financial Services (almost)
full-time. Leonard Katz and Sandy Clark sent
us a card from Florence, Italy (nowhere near Naples,
Florida). They claim to have established the Yale Club of
Florence, but I am somewhat dubious.
Most enigmatic note of the month comes from Keith
McEligot: "Everything cool. I'm out of the loop." Keith,
you're not any more.
Please keep those cards and letters coming. Happy
Holidays to all.
—Ellsworth Davis
Notes: November 1997
Thanks to those of you who sent clippings and news about
classmates. All we need is more. Happy to hear that Art
Diefendorf won the North American Fin Class — Masters
Division — competition at Cazenovia, New York. Old class
treasurers never die, they just sail away, luffing all the
way to the bank.
Bob Pelletreau, who retired from the State
Department as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern
Affairs, has joined the New York law firm of Afridi and
Angell. He will open their Washington, DC, office. Bob will
be able to put his extensive Middle Eastern experience to
work and will be allowed to use his sense of humor in
pursuit of commerce.
The first issue of Investment Policy magazine
(Malcolm Mitchell, publisher) arrived in my office in
early September. This new magazine is dedicated to issues of
global economics and financial markets. Judging from the
first issue, it will appeal to the economically literate and
the generalist decision maker. Good luck, Malcolm.
I had a long talk with Seib Adams, who did not
attend our reunion because of an illness he continues to
deal with. Seib retired from McGraw-Hill in 1993 and six
months later he received a lifetime achievement award from
the American Association of Publishers, the first time a
McGraw-Hill employee ever received this recognition. Seib's
granddaughter graduated from college this year. I wonder if
anyone else has hit this benchmark?
Peter Hare has been named distinguished professor
at the University of Buffalo, the highest rank in the State
University of New York system. Peter has been with the UB
faculty since 1962, and has served in a number of leadership
positions in the Department of Philosophy. Peter has been
recognized as a primary mover among those dedicated to the
study of American philosophy.
Jesse Lemisch's book Jack Tar vs. John Bull :
The Role of New York's Seamen in Precipitating the
Revolution (Garland Publishing, 1997) was just
published. This book is based on Jesse's 1962 Yale
dissertation. Take heart, all would-be authors!
I visited with Howie Gillis recently, and am glad
to report he is back at work (part-time) with the law firm
of Gillis, Gillis and Gillis. Those who were at the class
reunion know that Howie went through a real siege, and it's
good to see steady improvement.
Lou Deluca and Jack and Pixie
Pendergast suddenly appeared in my office on a Friday
in mid-September, to my complete surprise. For a moment, I
thought it was a nightmare, and we were all back in
Trumbull. They were about to take the ferry from New London
to Long Island to spend the weekend with Roger Samet
in Southampton. It sounded like a perfect house party in the
making. "Living well is the best revenge."
I heard from Don Miller who called from Kentucky
with a "down home" report. He grew more than 500 tomatoes,
using a Japanese tomato ring. Everyone in Kentucky (I am
told) had a tough year with their tomatoes except Donnie —
maybe he had Toyota as a partner. The Kentucky state fair
was a great success and Don pigged out on country ham (sorry
about that), and generally had a great time. He recently
attended an unforgettable funeral that concluded with an
8-year-old singing "You Are My Sunshine," standing next to
the open coffin of her great-grandmother. If you want more
details, call Miller.
Elliott Schiffman (see 40th Reunion classbook)
recently used the occasion of a San Francisco wedding to fly
across the country and back over three weeks with his wife
and co-pilot, Maxine. Omaha, Yosemite Valley, Mt. Rushmore,
Jackson Hole, and Springfield, Illinois, were among many
spots they visited or flew over. Orthopedic surgeons never
die, they just bone up on new subjects and fly away.
Gordon Smith has once again demonstrated his love
for Yale with a leadership commitment to facilities
renovation. Yale has announced plans to name the master's
office at Timothy Dwight College in honor of Gordon. I
noticed that Steve Flagg, Allan Kaplan, and Phil
Weymouth were among top donors helping to underwrite
construction of a new boathouse. Allan showed balance by
splitting his gift between the boathouse and an endowment
for American art at the Yale University Art Gallery.
Don Roberts, Tom Quirk, and I attended a Class
Leadership Workshop at the Yale Club in New York City on
September 5. There was representation from classes ranging
from 1932 to 1997. Rick Levin gave a run-down on the
physical and financial shape of Yale, and it was a
tremendously positive picture. In Rick's words, "Giving is
at a stunning level." Details are available elsewhere so I
won't go into them here. If you want to make a spot check,
try Sterling Library; it's magnificent! A discussion with
Frances Beinecke '71, '74MFS and David Gergen, fellows of
the Yale Corporation, was part of the program and it was
lively and informative.
The presence of spinmeisters (B.J. Cooper, former White
House spokesman, is now Yale's spokesperson) at Yale is
reassuring. Maybe we'll get fairer treatment in the press in
the future.
Thanks again for news and views. Keep it up! Your
classmates want to know about your triumphs and frailties,
ideas, and activities.
—Ellsworth Davis
Notes: October 1997
We're still getting positive feedback about the 40th
Reunion. The high turnout and abundant goodwill proved that
some things do get better with age (a short list, besides
reunions). Congratulations to the classmates, wives, etc.
who brought a good time to each other in the spring of 1997.
A proposal to consider a Yale '57 project, signed by
E. Davis, Fritzsche, Gillis, Kosto, and
Mitchell, was distributed during reunion weekend in
May and received a lot of positive discussion. It seems that
despite the diversity of our backgrounds and our experiences
after Yale, we indeed share not only a core of values, but
also a sense — expressed particularly during the Friday
panels — that those values are either under attack or in
danger of being forgotten. Therefore, guided by the belief
that "for evil to triumph, it is only necessary that the
good do nothing," the proposers have suggested forming a
committee of correspondence to further the discussion.
The following have put in their names: W. Alexander,
Arnold, Cuddy, Glass, Hutchinson, Laventhol, Pattison,
Pierce, Rosefsky, Shapiro, Stevenson, Towell, and
Wendt. Anyone who would like to join the committee or
receive a copy of the proposal are urged to e-mail Kosto (kosto@home.com) or Mitchell
(mlm@investmentpolicy.com),
or fax Davis (860-437-1770).
The committee's objective is to articulate goals that the
class of 1957, collectively and individually, can carry out
that will help leave the world a better place for our being
in it. Malcolm Mitchell is acting as
chairman/coordinator and whatever the opposite of "old
Fogey" is. Please participate and share your hopes for the
future and what you hold most dear about this life.
Bill Reimann, a serious contender for class
Renaissance Man, has installed a sculpture and fountain at a
rest stop on the Mass Turnpike, nine miles west of Rte. 128
(westbound), that is delighting travelers as they cross the
pedestrian plaza at this location. Fritzsche ran into
Bill and his oeuvre on its first day of installation and was
delighted (see above) by it. The work features a turtle with
a frog on its back, as Reimann notes, " A New England
version of The Lion and The Lamb." Bill's years at Harvard,
teaching, creating, and rowing on the Charles, have kept him
youthful and hopeful (a Harvard educator with a Yale
degree). Mobil Corp. funded the project, and Bill hopes
there will be more.
Toby Briggs was at the American Library
Association's big show in San Francisco in late June, where
I had a chance to chat with him and his wife and partner,
Kate. Their publishing company, Holiday House, had an
attractive booth and very impressive list of titles. Keep
alert at holidays and birthdays for gifts for your favorite
kids.
We spent the Fourth of July with Dave and Ester
Laventhol at Malibu and enjoyed the beachfront
"stargazing." Although Dave has cut his work schedule to
one-half time, he remains an active part of the "intelligent
life" at the Los Angeles Times and enjoys his
responsibilities with various boards of museums, and other
community organizations. He expressed a lot of interest in
the class project and looks forward to participation in its
development and implementation.
Fritzsche (you, again?) was in Pittsburgh visiting son
Griffin, and called Bob Corry to ask him to
breakfast; you are hereby notified that there may be "no
free lunch" but if you're in Pittsburgh and call Corry
there's a good chance you'll have a shot at a free
breakfast. Bob is currently unattached and is honing his
culinary skills. If you need an organ transplant, you can
talk to him about that, too.
Several discussions with Ralph Douglas disclosed
that his liver transplant is a success and he is no longer
in the constant discomfort and sleepless state that he was
in prior to his June operation. Ralph told me of his
condition when we talked about his coming to the 40th
Reunion. He couldn't come because of his extreme illness but
is looking forward to our 45th, 50th, etc.
Mike Pattison sent me a photo from the reunion and
tells me he has "reasonably good shots" of the following:
W. Alexander, Bentley, Bowman, Breslav, Carpenter, S.
Clark, Clayton, Conlan, B. Davis, Diefendorf, Gillis,
Halpern, Hochman, Hutchinson, Hyatt, Kenefick, President
Levin, J. Mark, Michelman, Mitchell, Neary, Neff,
Pelletreau, Pilsbury, Poinier, D. Roberts, Rosefsky, K.
Sharp, J. Shaw, Towell, Weymouth, and Zimmerman.
If you want to see "what time can do" and you haven't
seen some of these guys in years, contact J. Michael
Pattison, 2934 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33405; or
561-832-9532.
Howie Gillis is recovering from some tricky health
problems and is getting stronger daily. He is looking
forward to seeing many of you this fall at Nancy Mongillo's,
after the Princeton game. Nancy has indicated she wants to
carry on the tradition she and Frank created over a number
of years. It's hard to believe that Frank is no longer with
us in body, but he always will be in spirit. He never met a
classmate he didn't like.
Bill Ellis has been elected to AYA as a Class of
1957 representative. Congratulations to him. He is probably
the only retired physician in the class who devotes hours
each day at the piano practicing (mainly Bach). Hopefully, a
recording contract is out there somewhere, or, at least, a
recital at a class dinner.
The Gordon H. Smith Scholarship Fund benefited two
terrific students during the 1996-97 academic year, and will
continue its good work for years to come. Reading about the
specific accomplishments of these youngsters gives a real
sense of continuity of Yale past, present, and future.
Thanks to you, Gordon.
Please get in the habit of corresponding with your
corresponding secretary. The more letters and news I can
quote and pass on, the fewer cliches I will produce from my
own repertoire. We do have a wonderful class, and we need to
hear from everybody.
As we continue to add on the years, its good to know that
our retiring class secretary will have more time to devote
to his urology practice. Berne Kosto is a model of a
great alumnus, and we all have a lot to thank him for.
—Ellsworth Davis
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