—JMB

Charles B. Everitt (posted July 21, 2010)

Classmates:

It's with a heavy heart that I write, after hearing from George Bullwinkel (earlier his Exeter friend) and Peter Robertson (earlier his Holderness classmate), that our Peter Pan, Charles B. Everitt, died at home in Manchester, MA, on July 11, 2010 from a fast advancing cancer. I think of Cheeb (or Cheebie as he was known to us at Yale) as forever young, like Puck the shrewd, mischievous elfin creature who never fails to charm and brings good luck to all. When I saw him in recent years I was always struck by how much he looked as he'd looked in college: sandy haired, those glasses, the quick smile, always dapper, clothed like a youth. But while that presentation of self might seem to be all, instead it was simply only one part of a serious, skilled professional. Along with the suaviter in modo went much fortiter in re. Cheeb attended Exeter and Holderness, then entered Yale, where he and I met in the freshman chorus, then often crossed informal paths after that even though he was across campus from me in Timothy Dwight. Out of my social league as a Fence Club member, he was nevertheless open and friendly to all, an avid skier (on and captain of the varsity ski team), and a regular on the road between New Haven and Poughkeepsie. After graduation, he entered the publishing world, where he remained all his life, characterizing it at our 50th reunion as a "stimulating, frustrating world." First at Publishers Weekly, then at Little Brown, he rose to positions of high responsibility. (I believe he was president of Little Brown but cannot confirm that.) He was then president of the Globe Pequot Press, a high quality regional publisher. Upon retiring from Globe Pequot, he turned himself into a literary agent and served many authors as their representative and prose-shaper. Fittingly, Cheebie was responsible for organizing the class's 50th reunion book display, whose record can be found on the class website (under Classmates Today). George Bullwinkel writes that Cheeb "had a devil-may-care attitude that I found enviable as well as great sense of humor with the attendant ability to not take himself too seriously. He liked to remind me that, had he not been the one to give me driving directions to Vassar, I would never have had the happy marriage that I do today. His passing has affected me in ways I had not anticipated." Perhaps it's because his death seems like the final passing of youth. In the 50th reunion book, Cheebie wrote that "what I enjoy and respect is very much a product of my family and the teachers who designed this ship of my life. Much of my education came from the profession I chose, and perhaps too little took place in my youth. If I could take those four years of Yale courses over again (maybe skipping astronomy), I would start on Monday!" Cheebie is survived by his wife Susan, his son Timothy and his wife Carter, and two granddaughters. A memorial service was held earlier.

—JMB

Robert H. MacKinnon (posted July 19, 2010)

Classmates:

I am deeply saddened to report, not long after reporting news of him in our class notes in the May-June 2010 issue of the YAM, that Robert H. MacKinnon died at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis on July 6, 2010 from sudden heart failure. Bob and I were warm friends throughout our college years, having met in the Freshman Glee Club, then sung together each Sunday in the Battell Chapel Choir and found ourselves fellow Branfordians. Of sunny disposition and great warmth, Bob was an outstanding student--an intensive political science major and a ranking scholar; and his voice helped fill out the Glee Club and the Augmented Seven. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he was long a partner of Shearman and Sterling, known for his strong client relationships, negotiating skills, and mentoring of younger practitioners. He played an important role in the restructuring of the Penn Central Railroad and the reorganization of Daewoo and Southmark Corporation. And he was a longtime trustee of his pre-collegiate alma mater, the Northfield Mount Hermon School. When he checked in with me earlier in the year, he wrote of his family's alternating half years in New Zealand and at Truro on the Cape, and he beckoned all of us to visit him in austral Asia. That, alas, will not now be possible.

Bob is survived by his wife Ilse, his daughter Elizabeth Henrici, his two stepchildren Chase and Peter Livingston, his brothers Richard ('60) and William ('60), his sisters Lois Davis and Jean Rogers, and six grandchildren. Contributions in Bob's memory should be sent to Northfield Mount Hermon, One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354, or to the American Heart Association at donate.americanheart.org or the American Heart Association Memorial, 1 Union Street, Suite 301, Robbinsville, NJ 08691.

—JMB

John M. "Mike" Roche (posted June 30, 2010)

Classmates:

I learned over the weekend from Ara Bagdasarian of the death on June 25, 2010 from the complications of Parkinson's disease of John M. "Mike" Roche. He died at home in the company of his family in Redding, CT.

Mike had a distinguished undergraduate career. He was a ranking scholar and left Yale with a a degree in electrical engineering at the top of his engineering class, "the best student," writes Ivan Selin, "in the engineering school." Immediately after graduation in 1957, Mike joined the Perkin-Elmer Corporation, for which he worked his entire career. A distinguished scientist, he was credited with several patents in the field of analytical instrumentation and wrote and co-authored several technical papers. He retired in 1995 as the vice president and general manager of the corporations' chromatography division instrument group.

A resident of Redding since 1962, Mike served his community in various capacities including long-time service on the town's zoning board of appeals.

Ivan Selin, Mike's senior-year roommate in "the best suite in TD," recalls Mike as down-to-earth. "He came to Yale for a professional education, not for grooming, finishing, or networking, and he achieved exactly what he set out to do. He was," writes Ivan, "highly focused," his relationships "serious and long lasting." That's illustrated, Ivan reflects, by his 53-year marriage to Barbara, who was Mike's fiancee in college and by the fact that "he spent his whole working life devoted to a single employer. When he graduated from Yale at the top of his peer group he moved on to the next stage of his life, never looking back." Unfortunately, muses Ivan, never looking back included his Yale friends and organizations, for "once he transferred his loyalty to his next peer group, he did so completely."

In addition to his wife Barbara, Mike is survived by six children, seven grandchildren, two sisters, and a brother. Donations in his memory may be made online to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research at www.michaeljfox.org.

—JMB

William T. "Bill" Thieme (posted June 19, 2010)

Classmates:

I learned this past week from John Poinier that we had lost William T. "Bill" Thieme on May 30, 2010. A native of Everett, Washington, and a star high school football player, Bill was a resident of Silliman and a zoology major at Yale. After college, he gained his medical degree at Washington University and took a residency in orthopedic medicine. After a research year in Scotland, Bill entered the practice of orthopedic surgery in Seattle in 1967 and remained in that practice until his 2001 retirement. Highly valued for his leadership, he was the head of the hip clinic at Children's Hospital, chief of surgery at Swedish and Ballard hospitals, and chief of staff at Ballard. Not limiting his life to hospital work, he was a sailor, a nationally ranked croquet player, and a woodworker. He and his wife Arrol owned a beach house at Useless Bay on Whidbey Island. In addition to Arrol, his wife of 47 years, Bill is survived by their three children Sallie Sanford, Chris Theime, and Duncan Thieme, a brother and sister, and six grandchildren. Memorial contributions in Bill's memory may be made to the Friends of the Orphans Northwest Region, 1800 112th Avenue NE, (Suite 308-E), Bellevue, WA 98004-2938.

—JMB

Michael H. Jordan (posted June 1, 2010)

Classmates:

Our classmate Michael H. Jordan died in Manhattan on May 25, 2010, from the complications of neuroendocrine cancer.

Born in Kansas City, Mike attended Central High School there with John Swezy, our late classmate and John's wife Peggy, who writes that, like John, Mike attended Yale on a Victor Wilson Scholarship. A resident of Saybrook and a ranking scholar in chemical engineering, after graduation Mike received a Princeton MS in the same subject, then joined the Navy where Hyman Rickover spotted him and put Mike on his staff. After naval service, Mike began his rise to posts of high corporate responsibility. From McKinsey and Company, he moved to PepsiCo in 1974 and headed the division that brought us the Frito-Lays we've come to love (if to try to stay away from). After heading PepsiCo's overseas food and beverages division and being denied the company's chairmanship, he left in 1992 to head Clayton, Dubilier, & Rice, the private equity firm. He was then tapped to pull off a tough feat--to stabilize the old industrial firm Westinghouse. This he achieved, as chairman and CEO, by transforming Westinghouse into a media company, now known as CBS, to which he changed the company's name after Westinghouse purchased CBS as part of its transformation. After internal battles there, Mike left the firm but not before proudly showing friends and others around the office he occupied in "Black Rock"--the office of CBS founder William Paley. After his time at CBS and by then known as the "turnaround king," Mike took over leadership of Electronic Data Systems in 2003 as its CEO and chairman and transformed it, too. It's testament to his success in each case that both companies were subsequently sold to other large firms after he'd reshaped them. Along the way, he also served on the boards of Dell and Aetna.

Mike was devoted to the Center for Excellence in Education, founded by Hyman Rickover, and the United Negro College Fund, on both of whose boards he sat and became chairman. He was a member of the Yale School of Management Advisory Board and Chairman of the Yale University Council Committee on Engineering and Applied Science. He also found time to serve as a member of President Clinton's Export Council and a trustee of the Brookings Institution, among other volunteer posts.

Mike was known for his photographic memory, his tight reasoning (which he attributed to his science education), his (unpublished) mystery and historical novels, and for being, as Fortune once put it, "charisma challenged." Yet roommate Charlie Carpenter insists that he was no geek. "He knew how to get along with people and persuade them to his point of view." Another roommate, Bill Carter, recalls that "Mike's memory never ceased to amaze me as he raced through his text books processing what he read with an innate ability to selectively pull up and use the information to solve complex problems. These abilities enabled him to read other books for pleasure, or to be among the first to be at the Saybrook snack bar to play some pool or watch TV or chat with friends. It seemed that I was always studying; he was always playing." Another roommate, George Reisner, relates of Mike's photographic memory that he "used to entertain us by reading a page from the New Haven phone book and repeating it from memory, a trick I heard, anecdotally, that he continued in later life." Bart Gage reports that Mike had full distance on this gift. Mike once remarked to Bart that "I am a high-priced technician. I can handle the number that no one else can." It turns out also that Mike was responsible for at least one class marriage, that of Bart to his wife Faye, when Bart agreed to be designated driver to Connecticut College and meet a blind date as compensation. Bart and Faye married in 1961."

Vishnudev Pratt (posted May 27, 2009)

Classmates:

I have just received word from Yale that our classmate Vishnudev Pratt, formerly John Lockwood Pratt III, died in Woodbridge, New York, on April 29, 2009. His family was by his side. Vishnudev had one of the more distinct life paths in our class, of which he wrote to me a few years ago and about which I reported to the class in class notes. Until the mid 1970s, he led what might be called a conventional life, although he devoted himself even here to unusual causes in unusual ways. Schooled at Punahoe School in Hawaii and St. Albans in Washington, he attended Yale with us although it is not clear that he graduated with us. (No sketch of him is to be found in our graduation book.) He probably received his undergraduate degree from Penn, where he studied with Carlton Coon and Clyde Kluckhohn. Vishnudev then attended and received his medical degree from Penn, where he later taught and conducted research into bone growth, even patenting a device to help understand cranial development. He served in the army at NATO headquarters in France and in the reserves in Virginia upon his return. While living in Philadelphia, he devoted himself to a wide range of philanthropic activities. He founded a swim club open to everyone in West Philadelphia, organized a non-violent watch group to aid in reducing crime, and worked with his children's school to return it to fiscal solidity. With his wife Denny, he organized medical aid to Vietnam, traveled to Hanoi, and helped rebuild Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi in 1973. In 1976, Visnudev met Swami Muktananda, the Siddha Yoga meditation master (who bestowed his new name on the classmate who had previously been John Pratt). Shortly thereafter, he left teaching to dedicate himself to a spiritual journey and moved to New York State with his family to be near his teacher. There, he pursued study of the teachings of his new path and dedicated the rest of his life to them. Vishnudev is survived by his former wife Denny and their four children Akka, John, Stephanie Arvey, and Jennifer, as well as by his sister and grandchildren. Contributions in Vishnudev's memory may be made to the SYDA Foundation, PO Box 600, South Fallsburg, NY 12779.

—JMB

Este Fisher "Pat" Hollyday (posted May 19, 2009)

Classmates:

Our classmates Este Fisher "Pat" Hollyday died at home in Nashville, TN, on April 21, 2009, presumably (from what I can infer from what he wrote for our 50th reunion) from complications of prostate cancer. A graduate of Gilman and a resident of Silliman, he intended to be and was throughout his life a geologist, working with the U.S. Geological Survey and specializing in hydrology and remote sensing, about which he wrote many scientific studies. A long-time Nashville resident, Pat was devoted to his state and community. He organized the first Tennessee Hydrology Symposium, wrote a geology trail guide for a city park, and was an elder of his church. In his 50th reunion sketch, Pat rued the intrusion of politics into science and hoped for a return to "a comprehensive respect for complete and accurate reporting of scientific investigations." Pat is survived by his wife Susan and their children Marian Tidwell, Heather Mixon, and David Hollyday. Memorial contributions in his memory may be made to Southminster Presbyterian Church, 643 Harding Place, Nashville, TN 37211, and the Friends of Warner Parks, 50 Vaughn Road, Nashville, TN 37221.

—JMB

Joe D. Clayton (posted April 29, 2009)

Classmates:

This is to convey the sad news that our classmate Joe D. Clayton died yesterday, April 18, 2009, in Labanon, New York, of complications from cancer. His wife Denise and two of his three children were at his side. Joe had been suffering from melanoma for some time but characteristically bore his affliction with great equanimity and thoughtfulness to all around him.

Born in Sentinel, Oklahoma, Joe entered Yale as what Bud Trillin reminds me was called a "brown shoe" boy--someone, like Bud, from a public high school. Although he quickly lost his native Oklahoma moniker, on matriculating he was first known as Joe Don. Those of us who knew him in college identified him early with music, starting in the Freshman Glee Club. He and I also sang together in the Battell Chapel Choir, after which he moved on to the presidency of the Yale Glee Club and, as it was hard not to know, sang as tenor with the Whiffs. Hank Conlan, a lifelong friend, writes that he "first met Joe when we were assigned to the Freshman Commons into the care of that wonderful martinet, Janet, to wrap and disburse silverware for our classmates during breakfast. This was our bursary job to earn part of our Yale scholarship. We immediately realized that we were way out of our depth technically, so we took to doing what we subsequently did for the next four years, we sang to our classmates as they passed our way with scrambled eggs and mystery meat on their trays." Joe retained his love of and involvement in music throughout his life, carrying on his license plate, Tom Perkins informs me, the telltale identifier "Mozart."

After college, from which he graduated as a history major, on a Keasbey Scholarship Joe attended New College, Oxford, from which he received a doctorate. At Oxford, he received the Gladstone Memorial Prize for his doctoral work, Gladstone as Parliamentarian. After that, he attended Yale Law School. After starting out at Davis, Polk & Wardwell, Joe joined the firm of Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon as partner, then moved to White & Case, from which he retired in 1999. During his career he focused on innovative financing structures for large industrial projects such as mining assets, transmission lines, and power plants.

Those of us who knew Joe valued him and his friendship for all sorts of reasons: his intelligence, his quiet humor, and his modesty. Hank Conlan writes that "Joe was an interesting blend of Oakie and Oxford held together by the glue of Yale. He was a fun-loving intellectual who always retained the ability to laugh at himself and the world. He was also a gourmand of no mean talent. We both attended L'Ecole gastronomique francaise at the Ritz Hotel in Paris to celebrate our 60th birthdays together after which we ate our way through Provence and La Cote d'Azur with our wives Getty and Dee. You just couldn't have had more fun during those days together. Some might call them our halcyon days, but I prefer 'salad days' for obvious reasons."

Classmates:

I've learned from Ray Lamontagne of the death of Randers H. Heimer on November 4, 2008. A graduate of Andover, Randy roomed with Bob Pelletreau and Shelby Tucker in freshman year. He was then a member of Silliman, of Deke, and of the varsity baseball team, rooming with Goey Franciscus, King Cross (both now deceased), and Frank Brown until he withdrew from Yale in 1956. He subsequently graduated from Berkeley in 1957. His career was spent in the advertising business in New York, where he rose to be senior vice president of Benton & Bowles. He is survived by his wife Judith, with whom he maintained a second home in Wainscott on the tip of Long Island.

In an exchange of correspondence two years ago at the time of King Cross's death, Randy wrote modestly of his "inauspicious withdrawal" from Yale while warmly relating his enduring ties to the university, to his many friends, and to the class through membership in the Yale Club and his playing squash there "when the legs were still functioning in the name of youth." He also related hi-jinks with his roommates smuggling young women from Connecticut College in and out of their Silliman window and ordering in beer and hamburgers from George and Harry's nearby while "never being caught." The irrepressible Shelby Tucker relates what he says is a typical story of Randy and his friends: "A few hours before an English final I 'disclosed' that I knew the exam question. 'I can't tell you what it is,' I continued as Randy's eyes widened, 'because you'll tell Goey, he'll tell Frank, and soon everybody will know.' He pledged secrecy, and I 'relented' - 'Discuss the significance of whiteness in The Canterbury Tales.' Randy was my athletic inferior in one vital way: I could run faster. He rose like Poseidon from the sea when the exam ended and chased me across the campus. It is a mark of his greatness that he forgave me for this terrible prank." Shelby also writes that "Randy battled prostate cancer for the last twenty years of his life....the grim story of these last years. Yet not once in our occasional meetings and many telephone conversations did he hint of discomfort or sorrow," an observation confirmed by another from Bob Pelletreau. "He was a great man," writes Shelby, "a wonderful, dear friend, and we shall miss him."

—JMB

Keene Taylor (posted November 2, 2008)

Classmates:

Our classmate Keene Taylor died of lung cancer at his family's second home in Guilford, CT, on October 19, 2008. After schooling at St. Paul's, at Yale Keene was a resident of Silliman with roommates Brad Lovejoy and Tony Marshall, a member of Wolf's Head, and a chemical engineering major. A shortie in physical stature but not in character, Keene was coxswain on the varsity crew (although not a member of the legendary Olympic crew of 1956). After being in the engineering world for roughly 20 years, in 1980 he and his wife Nancy opened what became one of Washington's most esteemed real estate brokerage firms; and despite occasionally announcing that he was stepping back from involvement in residential realty, he remained active with the firm and its work into the last months of his life.

—JMB

Edmund P. (Pete) Smith (posted June 25, 2008)

Classmates:

I have just learned of the death on June 4, 2008 of our classmate Edmund P. (Pete) Smith in Bozeman, Montana. So distinctive is the published obituary (source unknown) that I have received from New Haven that I simply crib liberally from it. Pete seems to have cherished words that went roughly like this to characterize a life well lived: "Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting 'Holy shit. What a ride!'" You can see why. After Yale (Davenport non-resident, Zeta Psi, Sports Car Club, early marriage), he was briefly an investment banker, then for five years raced Formula Ford cars (with some big game hunting, clay fowl shooting, and upland bird potshotting here and there), then tried (apparently unsuccessfully) to form a company in Italy to harvest olives, and finally lived and worked in Belgium for a family company until his retirement. Then he and his wife Renee, whom he married in 1992 and who predeceased him, roamed the US in a camper trying to find their preferred place to settle, which was Bozeman. Diagnosed with Parkinson in 1999, "he didn't change much over the years; he simply got a little more potent." Known for his friendship, food, and single malt scotch and fine bourbon, his biggest disappointment "was that his Bozeman friends were too much like the Puritans of New England and his swimming pool did not get to see enough of them." Pete is survived by his children David Smith, Laura Shermer, Daniel Smith, and Suzanne Smith, a brother and sister, and grandchildren. Memorial contributions in his name may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (www.michaeljfox.org); the American Parkinson's Disease Association (Attn: Lydia), 500 15th Avenue S., Great Falls, MT 59405; or Gallatin Sporting Clays, PO Box 3483, Bozeman, MT 59772-3483.

—JMB

Richard P. Lewis (posted June 14, 2008)

Classmates:

I write with the sad news of the death on May 18, 2008, of Richard P. Lewis, in Columbus, Ohio. Dick had been ill only briefly before his death. A distinguished physician who spent much of his career as a cardiologist at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, he was also a long-serving member of the Army Medical Corps and Army Reserves, in which he rose to the rank of colonel. At Ohio State, he directed, greatly expanded, and strengthened its division of cardiology and made authoritative contributions to his specialty as teacher, surgeon, and author. Dick was noted especially for his advances in medical education. His published obituary notes that "although a native Oregonian, he loved Columbus and was a true Buckeye at heart." It also notes that he was "an avid, if frequently frustrated, golfer"--a condition he no doubt shared with many of his classmates.

—JMB

George J. Dunn (posted February 20, 2008)

Art Diefendorf was the first to notify me of the death on February 17, 2008, of our classmate George J. Dunn, and many others Jack Turben, Tom Perkins, and Dick Lumpkin among them--have followed Art in sending news of George's death and tributes to him. George died of complications from leukemia in his native Cleveland, Ohio. At Yale, George was, among other things, vice chairman of the Yale Daily News and a member of Skull and Bones. After attending law school and practicing law for a few years, George became in-house counsel, then vice president and general counsel, for Standard Oil Ohio, and he later occupied the same positions until his retirement in 1998 with BP American after it acquired Standard Oil. Serving on the boards of the Cleveland Orchestra, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and WCPN, the city's public radio station, George was a significant figure in Cleveland's civic life.

Tom Perkins, who was George's classmate at Harvard Law School and who introduced George to Becky Fisher, who became his wife of 46 years, writes that George was "an example of still waters running deep, although he did like to have fun," which is evidenced by Dick Lumpkin's report that, after his retirement, George and Becky "lived primarily on their 55 foot sailboat while cruising all over Europe and the Caribbean and, most recently, the west coast of Mexico. They made several transatlantic crossings." Dick reports that George attributed the length and happiness of his marriage to the fact that, in George's own words, he and Becky "each had a healthy inclination to frequently assert the righteousness of their respective positions." Although often described as a thoughtful and quiet thinker, he could also, Dick says, be forceful and outspoken. "George himself recently recalled graduating from Harvard Law School in the middle of his class and, while acknowledging that there were better students, there were 'hopefully not better lawyers.'"

George is survived by Becky, their two sons John and Gordon and their families, and his brother Bruce. A service in George's memory will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, February 29, at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. A reception will follow. Contributions in his name may be made to the Cleveland Orchestra, Severence Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106, the Museum of Contemporary Art, 8501 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106, or WCPN Idea Center, 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland OH 44115.

—JMB

Hiram P. Maxim II (posted January 16, 2008)

We have just learned of the death in Miami on July 1, 2007, of our classmate Emil Buhler II. A graduate of the Hill School and the Timothy Dwight roommate of Dave Johnson, Syd Ball, and Stan McCarthy, Emil was a lifelong resident of his Florida hometown. At Yale, Emil pursued interests in music, the visual arts, and writing, and, an enthusiastic opera fan, throughout his life loved to go to New York to hear the latest productions at the Met. After military service, Emil co-founded Forms and Surfaces, an interior design firm, where he worked until his retirement in the 1990s. His roommates recall his own and his family's warm and unforgettable hospitality to Yale classmates on Spring breaks in Florida, and I cannot forget the warmth of his personality and the liveliness of his mind from the days we met in freshman year. Dave Johnson also recalls being persuaded by Emil to join him in Josef Albers' art class in color theory. Why not? It mostly involved cutting out pieces of colored paper. Dave says it turned out to be one of the most valuable courses he took as an undergraduate, for Albers taught one how to see. Dave likewise remembers Emil's sweating to produce daily themes for the course of that name. He wrote a particularly memorable piece describing what it was like to come through a Florida hurricane. which he had experienced more than once. Emil is survived by his mother and a brother and uncle. Donations in his memory may be given in his name to the Greater Miami Opera.

—JMB

David J. Richardson (posted May 22, 2007)

I write to convey news of the death, apparently in Oak Harbor, Washington, on January 12, 2007, of David J. Richardson. After having attended Everett (Washington) High School with Bill Thieme, who has helped me discover what can be learned of Dave's life, Dave entered Yale with our class, roomed with Bill, John (now Vishnudev) Pratt and Ian Henderson, but soon left to enter the Army. He later graduated from the University of Washington and spent most of his career with the Bechtel Corporation and much of his life in southern California. He leaves no immediate survivors. We have no more word than this.

—JMB

Erwin J. Fleissner (posted May 17, 2007)

Classmates:

Our distinguished classmate Erwin J. Fleissner died at home in New York City on May 12, 2007 at the age of 70.

I first met Erwin when I entered Deerfield Academy in 1950. He was already much as he would remain: prudent, slyly witty, focused, and, even if characteristically modest, powerfully intelligent. Larry Bodkin, who knew Erwin for as long as I did, characterizes him, again from those early days, as "quiet, thoughtful, scholarly, a chess player, athlete, and much more." It was clear even then that he had great scientific talent. Our beloved chemistry teacher and the headmaster's wife, Helen Childs Boyden, quickly identified Erwin as unusual, and he always justifiably remained (without her ever stirring envy in others) her favorite. Although younger than the rest of us, Erwin was elected president of our Deerfield class and graduated cum laude.

At Yale, he once again quietly made his mark. Academically, there were few his equal; he had one of the most orderly minds I've ever encountered. Elliott Schiffman, who lived across the hall from Erwin in Trumbull, still remembers him "typing out a term paper without a draft, everything already organized in his mind." A varsity squash player and a physics and philosophy major, Erwin won the first Bloch and McLaughlin prizes in English, was a ranking scholar, and became a member of Phi Beta Kappa (in his junior year) and the Elizabethan Club. He was also a Rhodes Scholar.

As Erwin wrote for his Deerfield 50th reunion book, intending to study philosophy at Oxford, he was flummoxed by the ways philosophers studied language. Discontented in that pursuit, he instead became hooked (again, I'd say) on bench science by the soon-to-be Nobelist George Beadle. After gaining his doctorate in biochemistry at Columbia, Erwin went first to Rockefeller University, then to the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, where for the next 21 years he undertook his path-breaking research into tumor viruses and cellular genes active in cancer. Desiring to contribute to the science education of undergraduates, he then for 11 years served as dean of sciences and mathematics at Hunter College. After retiring from there, he wrote his book, Vital Harmonies (Columbia University Press), a work about molecular biology and its effect on our idea of human nature. In that book, as Jack Hughes points out, Erwin wrote that the century just ended "has left us, as a species, with a sense of human solidarity, concern for our planet, anticipation, hope, foreboding, uncertainty in the face of what is unknown, and all at the existence of life ... I am convinced that evolution on this planet, in its human phase, has been partly a heroic effort to construct and preserve a kind of life that is worth living."

Our classmate Vin Marchesi, details Erwin's achievements as follows: "When Erwin began his work in cancer research, retroviruses were known to be involved in the genesis of human cancers, but how they acted on cells to cause their uncontrolled growth was largely unknown ... It soon became clear that the protein parts of these viruses determined how cells are infected and how they are stimulated to divide, and Erwin pioneered in the their study. This work led him and others to study proteins called growth factors that stimulate cell division by working through elaborate biochemical signaling mechanisms ... In one of his last major papers, published in 1986 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Erwin and his co-workers showed how factors that stimulate cells to grow uncontrollably must work in concert with tumor-inducing viruses, and together they act through pathways that neither could induce alone. Research of this kind, carried out in many laboratories, led ultimately to the development of powerful anti-tumor compounds that are remarkably effective in controlling the growth of certain susceptible cancers. One well-publicized drug, effective against certain types of leukemias, known as Gleevek, is generally considered the first truly effective rationally designed anti-cancer agent now available. Erwin's experiments, carried out decades earlier, contributed materially to this effort."

In a tribute to Erwin, Hunter College called him "this extraordinary professor, preeminent scientist, and respected dean. Erwin inspired a love of science in many generations through his teaching and writing. He was committed to recruiting top notch women and minority faculty." Helen Boyden would have been filled with pride at this fitting accolade for her beloved student.

Erwin had suffered some years ago from a non-malignant, operable brain tumor but survived that trouble for many years. He was predeceased by his first wife, Norma Klein, the novelist, and is survived by Judith Friedlander, an anthropologist and former Hunter College dean and by his two daughters, Jennifer and Katie. Erwin's family will be receiving visitors at home on May15, 16, and 17 between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. A memorial service will take place at Hunter College on May 30. Contributions in Erwin's memory may be made to the Sciences at Hunter College, c/o the Hunter College Foundation.

—JMB

Paul C. Hoffman (posted April 25, 2007)

Classmates:

We have just learned of the death in Lansing, Michigan on February 7, 2007, of Paul C. Hoffman. He was 73. Born June 4, 1933 in Indianapolis, he entered Yale with the Class of 1955. After stopping out, as Talbott Huey writes, for a stint in the army, he returned to Yale in Pierson College, graduated with us in 1957 and, having been a member of ROTC, was commissioned in the Ordnance Corps. Bob Mobley recalls him warmly as "his own man, marching to his own drum." After graduation, at least through our 10th reunion, Paul worked with the Chrysler Corporation in a number of positions, the last recorded one being in financial analysis. Our 10th reunion book lists his interests as golf, skiing, and tennis. Paul was predeceased by his wife, Judith, whom he married in 1958. He is survived by three daughters (Anne P. Lavender, Elizabeth Cameron Gilday, and Susan L. Douglas), three grandchildren, and a brother, Peter S. Hoffman. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of choice.

—JMB

Stanley L. Jackson, Jr. (posted February 9, 2007)

Classmates:

I write with further saddening news of the death by heart failure on January 20, 2007 of Stanley L. Jackson, Jr. Stan had entered Yale with the class of 1956 but finished up with us and attended '57 as well as '56 reunions. A loyal alumnus of Friends Academy in Locust Valley, NY as well as of Yale, he was known as a warm and giving friend to many, including '57er Geoff Skidmore, who recalls Stan's hearty humor and the many childhood days they spent together. An engineer by profession, Stan's wife Jane reports that he had a "huge array of knowledge and talents, from fixing your car to finding the provenance of your antique" and was an inveterate collector of all sorts of things. In addition to his wife, Stan is survived by his two sons, Charley and Stanley III, and by his brother Thomas.

—JMB

Charles L. Grimes (posted February 9, 2007)

Classmates:

I must convey the sad tidings of the death from pancreatic cancer on February 5, 2007 of Charles L. Grimes. It was always hard to imagine so giant a man as Charlie being so gentle and modest--so modest that, at the end, he would not permit a formal gathering in his memory. To all who knew him, he was a sunny friend, and none can avoid feelings of deep sadness.

As Hal Russell (also Charlie's classmate at Groton) and Reed Rubin have written to me about Charlie, and I quote their words liberally while attributing them to both: When you met Charlie Grimes, you knew you had met one of a kind. Physically imposing at well over 300 pounds, he was enormously strong and very competitive. He played varsity football and basketball at Yale--playing on the great football team that upset Army, which probably couldn't have overcome Charlie's size and strength even if he'd been the sole Yalie on the field--and powered the 1956 gold medal Olympic crew in Melbourne where he pulled so much water on his side that there was a problem balancing the boat. That team was the last university team to bring home the gold. Here, surely is where Charlie gained his most lasting fame within the class. He gave up football to row in that crew, and, surely in great part due to his formidable strength, the American shell eked out its extraordinary victory. I recall the great feeling of alma mater-ish pride I felt upon hearing of that win and then the news stories that it engendered in the weeks afterward. A photo of that exhausted crew, with other classmates visible--a photo sent to me by Bill Becklean--accompanies these words.

1956 Olympic crew team. Click to see a larger version.

As Reed notes, Charlie accelerated his four-year course of study, graduating half way through our senior year. He read law at Oxford ("Christ Church - of course," says Reed) rowing all the while. "When, after college," Hal reports, "Charlie rowed at Oxford and insisted on wearing his lucky engineer's cap, Newsweek Magazine reported that the coach of the crew threatened to ban him from the boat until Charlie was able to prove that one of his 10th century ancestors had been granted the right by the King to wear any cap of his choice before the king, a right which passed on to all his descendants. The cap stayed on."

Charlie, Reed reminds us, received his US law degree at Harvard. He practiced corporate law about a year before forming a small firm with his cousin Chuck Kelly and John Winston. Charlie quickly became a successful investor and financial adviser.

Fellow attorney and businessman Russell characterizes Charlie thus: "He had a brilliant business mind and he was able to analyze investments with the best. As a result, he was able to restructure and improve the business of several companies in which he took a large position. He enjoyed debating almost any subject and loved to be in the middle of controversy. Charlie was enormously generous, helping out numerous classmates, friends, and former teachers who were experiencing financial difficulties, always insisting on strict anonymity. Any form of public recognition was an embarrassment to him and would bring a swift rebuke."

Reed sums things up as fittingly as I can imagine this way: "Charlie's wingspan was enormous. He touched colleagues and friends in all corners of the planet and in all stations of life. The reactions I've received following notice of his death have been overwhelming. He shared his wisdom and continually demonstrated his deep concern and love for family and friends. He was most thrilled abut his marriage, 12 years ago, to Jane Gillespie Brown. Jane, the recently elected President of the U. S. Tennis Association, fully shared Charlie's many interests and keen wit."

In addition to his wife, Charlie is survived by three step children, two sisters, and six nieces and nephews.

—JMB

Additional Reflections:

From Don Roberts:

An Olympic gold medal for rowing in 1956 is, or at least was ten years ago, on display in the Groton School library, given anonymously. I confronted Don Beer about the medal, as he was Charlie's teammate at Groton as well as Yale. Don assured me it was Charlie's.

From Bob Mobley:

Here's a "Charlie" story that I was able to witness first hand because I was standing next to him. It was the fall of 1955 and we were playing The Army. It was in the beginning of the 2nd quarter, Dennie McGill had just run for a nineteen yard gain around Army's left end, All-American Ralph Chesnauskas. Ralphie boy was a little put out and lost his temper, taking a "swing" at Charlie. He missed him. Charlie turned to Ralph and grabbing him by the arms lifted him off the field into the air saying to Ralph, "We don't play the game of football by throwing punches--now let's see you behave like a football player and an Army gentlemen." Ralph weighed in at around 245 pounds. His eyes were fixed with fear and he muttered something like, "Will you please put me down, Sir." For the rest of the game future Army officer and leader Ralph Chesnaufkis kept his hands and temper in control. My friend and fellow team mate Charlie Grimes was the strongest man I have ever known.

He shall be missed by all of us. God's speed Charlie and may you help stroke "Heaven's Eight."

Russel H. Goddard (posted February 8, 2007)

Classmates:

I press ahead over these sad days with yet additional bad news, sent to me my John Watling and Malcolm Mitchell--this time of the death on January 16, 2007 in New Haven of Russel H. Goddard after a long battle with cancer. As John pointed out to me after I'd earlier misspelled Russ's given name, "Russel" was a family name, which gave his clan the moniker of "The One L Russels." From Detroit and a graduate of Exeter, Russ entered Yale with the Class of 1954, stopped out to spend three years in the Army, then rejoined the university with us and was a member of Berzelius. His career was spent in the life insurance business, first with Aetna, then as an independent broker. A constant theme of his life seems to have been his loyalty to alma mater. Malcolm, recalling him as "a man with a big heart" who had to struggle with mental illness much of his life, reports that Russ showed up in recent years for working sessions and events relating to the class music project. He was also a volunteer in New Haven for the Red Cross and a trustee of Fellowship Place. He is survived by his three children, Jonathan Ross Russel Goddard of Berlin, VT; Willingham Morrison Goddard of Aspen, CO; and Eloise Bingham Goddard of Easthampton, MA. A memorial service in celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, February 18, 2007 at 2 p.m. in Battell Chapel. Contributions in Russ's memory may be made to Fellowship Place, 441 Elm Street, New Haven, CT 06511 or to the Edgerton Park Conservancy, PO Box 6163, Hamden, CT 06517.

—JMB

Richard M. Finley (posted February 8, 2007)

Classmates:

I have to report the death, of which we have just recently learned, of Richard M. Finley on October 4, 2006. Other than that Dick was an undergraduate member of Branford and an economics major, we have no further information about him or his family; he did not submit information for the 45th reunion book. Dick's last known address was 20 Laurel Drive, Rocky River, OH 44116-2468, telephone (440) 331-8125.

—JMB

David H. Lipsher (posted February 8, 2007)

Classmates:

I recently received word that Dave Lipsher died on February 1. He had been living in San Antonio for the past couple of years and died at Hospice with his wife, Carol, and his daughter, Mila, by his side.

Shortly after graduation, Dave honeymooned by driving across the country from New Haven to Palo Alto, where he got his Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford. He then spent the next forty years as a clinical psychologist at Timberlawn Hospital in Dallas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Peter's name may be made to Sacred Heart Church, 1077 Tower Rd, Winnetka, IL 60093 or to Mercy Hospital, 2525 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60616.

When I recall my own times with Pete, I reflect that he and I never knew each other as students but that we met shortly after graduation and that, because of his disposition and character, I took to him immediately. When I sent the original message that he had died, Cheeb Everitt wrote back immediately, "But his ebulliance, integrity and spirited personality didn't!"—which is surely right. And now I have a report from Sandy Clark about his funeral service, extracts from which follow:

The services's theme, chosen by the celebrant, was "Embrace the memories of this good man." Peter and Ruth's children served as pall bearers and spoke lovingly and humorously of their "memories" of their father, son Alex remarking that his father made a lie of the saying that "real men don't eat quiche." His daughter Katie pointed out that her father was present in the delivery room when she took her first breath and that she was privileged to be present in his room when he drew his last breath. Four of his sons sang a part of the service that included an original song by his son Brendan.

Sandy reminds us that, as a resident of Trumbull, Peter roomed with Guy Palmer, Jack Prendergast, and Lou Deluca, all of whom visited Peter while he lay in a coma. He also was a close, close pal of our late classmate Binky Davis. Other classmates attending the funeral and the reception that followed, including Sandy and Peter's roommates, were Dave Bowman, Sandy Clark, Charlie Cushman, George Dunn, Bern Kosto, Vern Loucks, Dick Lumpkin, Mike Oberlin, Jack Turben, and Sandy Clark himself. The two Jacks, Prendergast and Turben, did the readings at the service.

As Sandy concludes: Peter - Go in Peace. You've left us all with great and loving memories.

—JMB

Brayton Wilbur, Jr. (posted April 5, 2006)

I follow up my brief recent message about Brayton Wilbur's death with this obituary notice from Gordon Bellis:

Brayton Wilbur, Jr. died 24 March 2006 at age 70. He developed an intestinal blockage while traveling in India earlier in the month, flew to Frankfurt for emergency surgery, returned to San Francisco, and perished following a heart attack and stroke.
Born 2 October 1935, Brayton was a native San Franciscan. He prepared at Thacher, after Yale served in the Army as a clerk-typist, and then received an MBA in 1961 from Stanford. Two years later he married Judy Flood of San Francisco.
Subsequently he joined Wilbur-Ellis Co., founded in 1921 by his father. It began as a small import-export trading company and grew to become a national and international marketer of agricultural and industrial products. Brayton and his family lived in Thailand from 1965 to 1970 while he managed the firm's Bangkok and Jakarta offices.
Returning to San Francisco, he became the company's executive vice president, then president and CEO in 1988. His tenure at the firm marked vigorous expansion of the company and he became Chairman of the Board in 2000.
Brayton was a significant figure in the cultural life of San Francisco. He joined the Symphony Board in 1969 and served as its 15th president from 1980 to 1987. He was a director of the San Francisco Opera and co-chaired the committee to restore the Opera House after the Loma Prieta earthquake.
In addition, Brayton joined the board of the Asia Foundation in 1972 and served as chairman from 1991 to 1995. The organization supports programs in Asia which improve governance and law, economic reform and development, women's empowerment, and international relations. As a trustee of the Asian Art Museum, Brayton and Judy devoted much time and energy toward the move of the Asian Art Museum to the Civic Center in 2003.
Brayton was also a director of Safeway Stores, Chronicle Publishing Company, and CropLife America, as well as a trustee of the World Affairs Council and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Judy and Brayton shared a love of collecting art and travel. Their time in Asia sparked an interest in Asian art which later expanded into collecting turn of the century American art and California art of the Monterey Bay Area. An avid golfer, he was proud to have made the cut in the 1997 Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tournament. He was past president of the Pacific-Union and Cypress Point Clubs and a member of the Burlingame Country Club, the San Francisco Golf Club, and the Bohemian Club.
In addition to his wife Judy, Brayton is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.

—JMB

John L. Hurley (posted March 24, 2006)

Classmates:

I must convey the sad news that John L. Hurley died in Albany, New York, on January 19th after a brief illness. His published obituary states that Jack was a "devoted, opinionated man with an insatiable curiosity and a quick wit." It therefore seems that he hadn't changed much—do many of us?—after freshman year, when he resided on my top floor of Vanderbilt, where I recall him for his tart, as well as quick, wit, his deep laughter, and his unusual sensitivity. Unfortunately, he and I did not keep up after that, and I don't recall seeing him again after graduation. I wish I had, for I have now learned things about him that I wish I'd known earlier. For instance, he entered Yale at 17 on a Ford Foundation scholarship. Also, he was associated all his life with the arts, having taught at the American School in Lugano, Italy, then helping found the American School in Milan. In fact, he spent much time in Italy and spoke the language fluently. But he made his greatest mark in the world of music in association with the celebrated conductor and musicologist Newell Jenkins, Jack's partner of 35 years, who predeceased him in 1996. Jack raised funds for and served on many music organization boards and managed the Clarion Music Society in New York. After Newell Jenkins's death, Jack became active in the Capital District Gay & Lesbian Community Council. Gifts in Jack's memory may be made to Gilmmerglass Opera (which, I should point out, was founded by a teacher of many of us, Beekman Cox Cannon), PO Box 191, Cooperstown, NY 13326; Musicians of Ma'alwyck, 511 Mohawk Avenue, Scotia, NY 12302; the Clarion Music Society, 965 Fifth Avenue (#5B), New York, NY 10021; or the Reconciling Ministries Team at First United Methodist Church, Syracuse, NY.

—JMB

Harry King Cross, Jr. (posted January 24, 2006)

Classmates:

We have just learned through Rob Walker of the death in Massachusetts General Hospital on January 18. 2006, of Harry King Cross, Jr.

King, who died after a long illness, was the roommate at Yale of Gerry Neary and Goey Franciscus (both deceased) and of Frank Brown (on last seeing very much with us). Born in Boston and raised in Providence, King was a graduate of the Taft School. At Yale he was a member of the Elihu and Beta Theta Pi. After college he was an officer in the US Navy and served in Sasebo, Japan until his discharge in 1963. Then he became a writer/editor and worked for the Bureau of Business Practice, Division of Prentice Hall Publishing in Waterford, CT, until his retirement. He was a summer resident of Dennis, MA, on Cape Cod for many years before moving there in 1995

King was the husband of Elizabeth (Morrill) Cross, who survives him. as do two step daughters, Ruth Wertheimer and her husband, David of Quaker Hill, CT, and Patricia Panzo and her husband, Andrew, of Media, PA, a brother Morton Davidson Cross of Providence, RI, and five grandchildren and many nieces and nephews

By the time you receive this notice, a memorial service will have been held in Dennis. Donations in King's memory may be made to the MGH Transplantation Unit, c/o Development Office, 165 Cambridge Street, Charles River Plaza (Suite 600 Boston) MA 02114 or Dennis Conservation Trust, c/o C. Bell, 69 Beach Street Dennis, MA 02638. King's brother David Cross, Yale 1960, tells me that there will be a celebration of King's life this coming summer and that anyone wishing notice of that event should contact David at DCross180@aol.com or 401-751-6425 in Providence.

—JMB

From Rob Walker:

My recollections are mainly childhood and Yale memories as we saw each other infrequently except when King came home to Providence during the years he lived and worked in New London. Our families were close from the start, my father having known Harry Sr, at Yale and later in NYC where they were room mates for awhile. From the time we were about six King and I played a lot of tennis together, and Mrs. Cross carted us all over the place to tournaments. I also remember King's passionate mechanical interest in cars which led to an infinite number of pleasurable hours tinkering "under the hood". His parents owned a classic Mercedes convertable touring car, from the late 30's I think, which he always seemed to be working on when the rest of us were preoccupied with girls, etc. I still have a clear picture of him in his pristine white automechanic's jumpsuit, which I know he found much more preferable garb to a tuxedo.
At Yale King was an English major whose love of writing later carried over to a writing career. He also earned some distinction as a javelin thrower on the Yale track team. He married relatively late to Elizabeth Werthheimer, and they had no children together.
Most of all, I recall King as a loyal, caring friend, serious about life and brave in his medical adversities. He was fortunate to come from a tightknit family with special parents. Their houses in Providence and on the Cape were always fun to visit and our family did so often over the years. His mother Jean was one of the finest people I have been fortunate to know.

From Randy Heimer:

I'm the in absentia roommate who had the good fortune and joy to room with King, Goey and Frank at Silliman during our sophomore and junior years. Of the fearsome foursome, King was the "quiet man"—big, strong and gentle but never center stage. He let Goey and I be the ladies men; Frank, the court jester; while always comfortable in his own skin. All four of us would date together, usually the lovely young women from Connecticut College which we would smuggle in and out of our window leading to the alley opposite George and Harry's. I smile inwardly, when I think of King(the strong one) doing most of the heavy lifting, up and in the window of Room 1740. Many a fun night of beer and hamburgers were had by all. Luckily, we never got caught. Amidst all these fun and games, there was a serious King Cross who shared a love of words with me. We were both English majors. Much the better wordsmith, he would agonize over his "daily theme" course into the wee small hours of the night. He loved writing then and, of course, made it his livelihood later. We tried to connect in later years but it never quite happened. I regret that now. I shall remember fondly his quiet gentleness during those most impressionable of college days.

Richard Maxwell Sargent, Jr. (posted January 19, 2006)

Classmates:

Once again I have sad tidings to convey: the death from cancer of Richard Maxwell Sargent Jr. on December 16, 2005.

Dick was born in Orange, NJ, grew up in Montclair, and was a resident of Chatham Township at the time of his death. He graduated from Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield, MA and later with us. After leaving Yale, he served in the Army from 1958 to 1961.

After his discharge from the Army, Dick joined Chubb Corp., where he worked for his entire career. He held various executive positions, including management of the departments of operations and personal lines, as well as the international division. He spent his final 15 years with Chubb as president and CEO of the Chubb Institute, later to become Chubb Computer Services. He retired in 2001.

Dick was an avid golfer and belonged to Canoe Brook Country Club. where he was senior men's champion in 1991 and 2004. He also belonged to New Seabury Golf Club on Cape Cod and the Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs, FL. An enthusiastic outdoorsman and skier who ran several marathons, including those in New York and Boston, he also enjoyed many helicopter skiing and backpacking hips with his son and bicycle trips, including the AIDS bicycle ride from New York to Boston, with his daughter. His wife joined him on canoeing trips.

Dick was the loving husband of 41 year of Ann M. Sargent and beloved father of Richard M. Sargent III of Los Altos, CA and Louisa B. Sargent of Basking Ridge. Also surviving is a sister, Marcia Hider, of Seabrook Island, SC.

Those who wish may contribute in Dick's memory to the Morris Land Conservancy, 19 Boonton Avenue, Boonton, NJ 07005.

I learned of Dick's death originally from Allan Wendt and since then have been closely in touch with George Doty, one of Dick's roommates, who has provided the information above George has also written me less formally that Dick "was one of the most enthusiastic people I've ever known. He was a pleasure to be with. He gave his all to everything he ever did." Those of us who knew Dick will greatly mourn his death, and those who didn't will join in sadness over this latest diminution in the numbers of us '57ers.

—JMB

Robert M. Driscoll (posted December 20, 2005)

Classmates:

Art Diefendorf has alerted me to the death at age 70 of Bob Driscoll, who was with us for two years before stopping out to join the army and then to return to Yale to graduate with the Class of 1960. He died on December 11, 2005, of cancer in Westerly, Rhode Island. Art tells me that Bob had many friends in his original class, many of whom remained in close contact with him over the years. He was a man of many parts, having been an actor, television producer, and magazine publisher and having won widespread admiration for his erudition, intellectual restlessness, and calm authority on many matters. A collector of 19th-century prints, especially of those of Winslow Homer, he was deeply involved in local community affairs, especially with the Westerly library and park. His first wife, Margaret, having died in 1993, he remarried and is survived by his wife Elizabeth, four daughters, two brothers, and three stepchildren. A full obituary is to be found in the Boston Globe of December 15, 2005.

—JMB

Christopher Foote (posted December 5, 2005)

Classmates:

While this ought to be the season only of glad holiday tidings, the work, often sad, of corresponding secretary must go on. And so I write to inform you of the June 13th death, of which I've just learned, of Chris Foote. Because I have from Yale a full obituary written by his UCLA colleagues, I will post that on our website. But as you will see from excerpts below, Chris had an extraordinarily significant career, of which I, at least, had known nothing.

May all of you and yours who receive this note enjoy the holidays with my best wishes.

Christopher Spencer Foote, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of California at Los Angeles and the foremost authority on chemical reactions of singlet oxygen, passed away on June 13, 2005, at his home in Santa Monica, California, from complications of brain cancer. He was 70.
A UCLA faculty member for his entire career, Foote made the groundbreaking discovery of the role of singlet oxygen an electronically excited form of the oxygen in the air in reactions of organic molecules caused by sunlight and ultraviolet light. Christopher Foote's discovery, established by developing an independent chemical route to singlet oxygen, was made in 1964 while he was still an instructor at UCLA. This became the fundamental principle that led to a rich career exploring the interactions of singlet oxygen with a broad range of chemicals, ranging from DNA and other biological molecules to nanomaterials. His research led to important new findings about why molecular oxygen is both essential to life processes and is a major agent of biological damage.
Born June 5, 1935 in Hartford, Connecticut, Christopher Foote grew up in a family where intellectual rigor and music were highly valued. His father, William Foote, was the Managing Editor and columnist of the Hartford Courant; his mother was the former Dorothy Bennett, a descendant of Benjamin Silliman, the first professor of science at Yale.
Foote graduated from Kingswood School in West Hartford, Connecticut and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Yale University in 1957. The following year he spent as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Gottingen, Germany in the laboratories of eminent photochemist G. O. Schenk. Foote's' long-standing interests in reactive oxygen 'species and notable facility with languages were nurtured in that period. He then entered Harvard University in 1958 and received his Ph.D. in 1962 for work with Nobel Laureate Robert Burns Woodward on solvolytic reactions, a major research interest of that era. The same year, he joined the UCLA faculty.
Foote earned many prestigious awards for his achievements, most notably an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award of the American Chemical Society. In 1994, he received some of the American Chemical Society's highest honors: the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award and the Tolman Medal of the Southern California Section of the American Chemical Society.
With his wife Judith L Smith, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education at UCLA, Christopher Foote was a patron of the Los Angeles Opera and the Da Camera Society as well as a benefactor of the LA. Chamber Orchestra.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a sister, Mary Foote Rounsavall of Louisville, Kentucky; two sons, Jonathan Trumball Foote of Menlo Park and Thomas Ward Foote of Topanga, who is married to Florence Riobe-Foote; and a grandson, Spencer Andre Foote. Christopher had two brothers, now deceased, William Jenkins Foote Jf. and Edward Jenkins Foote.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to UCLA Foundation with a notation that it is for the Christopher S. Foote Graduate Fellowship in Organic Chemistry, and sent to: Chair's Office, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, P.O. Box 951569, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569.

—JMB

Below is a fuller obituary of Christopher Spencer Foote, written by his UCLA colleagues

Christopher Spencer Foote, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of California at Los Angeles and the foremost authority on chemical reactions of singlet oxygen, passed away on June 13, 2005, at his home in Santa Monica, California, from complications of brain cancer. He was 70.

A UCLA faculty member for his entire career, Foote made the groundbreaking discovery of the role of singlet oxygen—an electronically excited form of the oxygen in the air—in reactions of organic molecules caused by sunlight and ultraviolet light. Christopher Foote's discovery, established by developing an independent chemical route to singlet oxygen, was made in 1964 while he was still an instructor at UCLA. This became the fundamental principle that led to a rich career exploring the interactions of singlet oxygen with a broad range of chemicals, ranging from DNA and other biological molecules to nanomaterials. His research led to important new findings about why molecular oxygen is both essential to life processes and is a major agent of biological damage.

Professor Foote's lifelong research established the enormous importance and. double-edged-sword behavior of singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen species. He led a research team that showed these altered forms of oxygen that are generated by the influence of light-can be used for beneficial chemical reactions and have many natural functions in living cells; at the same time, they are responsible for many types of biological damage, including DNA reactions leading to mutations.

Foote also influenced thousands of undergraduate students in the U.S. and other countries as co-author with William Brown of the widely used organic chemistry textbook, "Organic Chemistry'. Thee book is now in its fourth edition, now co-authored with William Brown and Brent Iverson.

Born June 5, 1935 in Hartford, Connecticut, Christopher Foote grew up in a family where intellectual rigor and music were highly valued. His father, William Foote, was the Managing Editor and columnist of the Hartford Courant; his mother was the former Dorothy Bennett, a descendant of Benjamin Silliman, the first professor of science at Yale.

Foote graduated from Kingswood School in West Hartford, Connecticut and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Yale University in 1957. The following year he spent as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Gottingen, Germany in the laboratories of eminent photochemist G. O. Schenk. Foote's' long-standing interests in reactive oxygen 'species and notable facility with languages were nurtured in that period. He then entered Harvard University in 1958 and received his Ph.D. in 1962 for work with Nobel Laureate Robert Burns Woodward on solvolytic reactions, a major research interest of that era. The same year, he joined the UCLA faculty.

During more than 40 years on the Westwood campus, Foote was an honored researcher and dedicated teacher, mentoring and training hundreds of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, while giving himself tirelessly to university service. His 43-year academic career established him as a world leader in the field of physical organic chemistry. His earliest work focused on the effect of bond angle strain on the properties of organic molecules. He established a quantitative correlation between spectroscopic properties and reactivity well-known to chemists and named for him. Foote's main research interest was the generation and reactions of reactive oxygen species in chemistry and biology. He was renowned as an authority on reactive oxygen species, known to biologists as "ROS," including species such as singlet oxygen and superoxide—a form of oxygen with an excess electron. Foote produced more than 250 research papers that elegantly document discoveries on organic chemical reactions—many of which focus on how singlet oxygen, superoxide, and other forms of reactive oxygen influence biology, both as natural components of the immune system and as toxins.

Foote was a leader in clarifying the complex chemistry induced by these simple but reactive molecules. His recent work on DNA damage and on the photophysical properties of the fullerenes were among the most influential discoveries from his laboratories.

Foote earned many prestigious awards for his achievements, most notably an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award of the American Chemical Society. In 1994, he received some of the American Chemical Society's highest honors: the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award and the Tolman Medal of the Southern California Section of the American Chemical Society. His research was supported throughout his career by numerous grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. He was highly prized a_consultant to prominent companies such as Procter & Gamble, Occidental, and Clorox due to his expertise on oxidation chemistry and biology.

Foote was the chair of the Department of Chemistry from 1978-1981, providing leadership that led to the construction of the Molecular Sciences Building (completed in 1994), and served as a strong advocate in developing the department's commitment to hiring outstanding female scientists for faculty positions.

In service to the broader UCLA community, Foote served as a member and chair of the Committee on Academic Personnel and was a member of the corresponding statewide committee for the UC system. He also served as member of the Executive Committee of the College. In keeping with his strong interest in computer technology, he was the first chair of the university's Information Technology Planning Board, which helped to transform educational and administrative technology policy at UCLA. He was president of the American Society for Photobiology in 1988-89 and senior editor of the respected journal Accounts of Chemical Research from 1995 until his death. He also served as elected councilor for the American Association for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

With his wife Judith L Smith, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education at UCLA, Christopher Foote was a patron of the Los Angeles Opera and the Da Camera Society as well as a benefactor of the LA. Chamber Orchestra.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a sister, Mary Foote Rounsavall of Louisville, Kentucky; two sons, Jonathan Trumball Foote of Menlo Park and Thomas Ward Foote of Topanga, who is married to Florence Riobe-Foote; and a grandson, Spencer Andre Foote. Christopher had two brothers, now deceased, William Jenkins Foote Jf. and Edward Jenkins Foote.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to UCLA Foundation with a notation that it is for the Christopher S. Foote Graduate Fellowship in Organic Chemistry, and sent to: Chair's Office, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, P.O. Box 951569, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569.

William J. Keen (posted November 10, 2005)

Willliam J. Keen of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, formerly of Centre Square, died of lung cancer on October 25, 2005, at his home. He was the husband of Patricia (Dangremond) Keen of 46 years. Born December 1, 1932, in Hartford, CT, he graduated from Yale in 1957 after having served in the US Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean War. He retired in 1997 after having served as a construction manager over 40 years for United Engineer and Constructors in Philadelphia, then for Merck. He belonged to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Vehicle Preservation Association, and the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. He was also involved in the Boy Scouts of America for over 30 years. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Robert Boyd Keen of Harleysville, a daughter Elizabeth Marie Bedell of Pottstown, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Gifts in his memory may be sent to the American Cancer Society.

I repeat here what Ted Palen, Bill's senior year roommate, from whom I've received a copy of the obituary, earlier wrote: "Having lung cancer, Bill knew he was dying for a long time, but never let it affect his attitude. A few weeks ago when my wife Fay and I went out to lunch with Bill and his wife Pat, they were going to the funeral parlor the next day to make arrangements, which Bill referred to as 'a dress rehearsal.' Typical for Bill." Ted now adds that "Bill's memorial service was just fine. Many of his friends - including a contingent from the Military Motor Vehicle Club. One of the moments the minister shared was regarding a visit with Bill in the hospital during one of his stays. In response to the question 'What are you doing HERE ?' Bill's response was: 'there wasn't room in maternity.'" Ted goes on to say that "Bill was interested in military vehicles - and had one of each of those he had driven while in the service. 2 DUKs - 1 jeep - 1 2 1/2 ton truck - a trailer of some sort - and various parts - hoods, fenders, etc. The truck ran - the others had at one time or another, but were not guaranteed to run currently."

—JMB

Francis A. Slowick, Jr. (posted October 30, 2005)

This has been a period of loss for the class. I have word from Joel Colker of Frank Slowick's recent death. I excerpt below part of the obituary from the Berkshire Eagle of October 21st.

Dr. Francis A. Slowick Jr., who co-founded Berkshire Orthopedic Associates in Pittsfield in 1971, died Wednesday night. He was 69 years old. Dr. Slowick, of 197 View Drive, died at Mount Greylock Extended Care Facility after a long battle with cancer.

In 1971, he joined with Dr. Franklin Glockner and formed Berkshire Orthopedic Associates. The two had served their residency together, and reunited to start their practice….that has grown to include eight physicians.

Dr. Slowick liked to cook, so he took professional cooking classes, he said. He was a Yale football fan, so he knew the names of each player and his biography. He liked to garden, so his garden was meticulously kept.

Born in Pittsfield on Dec. 2, 1935, son of Dr. Francis A. Slowick Sr. and the late Olive Elizabeth O'Brien Slowick, he attended Pittsfield High School for a year before transferring to Williston Academy, where he was a 1953 graduate.

He earned a bachelor of science degree from Yale University in 1957 and graduated from medical school at Tufts University in 1961. He did his internship and residency at Albany Medical Center from 1961 to 1967. He also received a fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City in 1965.

Dr. Slowick served from 1967 to 1969 as a major during the Vietnam War. Following his service, he was certified by the Board of Orthopedic Surgery in 1969. He returned to Pittsfield and joined in practice with his father.

He was a fan of the New York Yankees and North Carolina basketball. He enjoyed reading and doing the New York Times crossword, and was a Civil War buff.

He and his wife, the former Donna M. Cribari, celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary May 31. Besides his wife and father, of Dalton, he leaves a son, Alan Slowick of Boston; two daughters, Jessica B. Scully of Raleigh, N.C., and Karen Cobb-Otto of Rochester, N.Y.; a brother, Brian Slowick of Mango, Fla.; a sister, Paula Francese of Exeter, N.H., and two grandsons.

A private memorial service for Dr. will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to HospiceCare in the Berkshires' Hospice House Fund in care of the funeral home.

—JMB

Isaac Harter III (posted October 18, 2005)

I write to convey more information about Ike Harter—information that I've gathered with the help of Ned Baldwin (Ike's freshman year roommate and St. Paul's School classmate), Merrell Clark, Wayne Holman, Bill Clinton, John North, and Jerry Jones. As you may have gathered, while Ike's death was reported in the YAM in April 2001, for some reason the alumni records office didn't send me information about his decease until roughly 10 days ago. What follows is a precis of his life.

After St. Paul and a year at Yale, Ike attended the University of Michigan for two year. He didn't however take a degree there but instead took a job with Newport News Shipbuilding, 1960, where he enjoyed a career of 37 years. The nautical bug apparently bit him early in life, for John North reports "some escapades with Ike and Ned Baldwin while at Yale, not the least of which was a sail through the Cape Cod canal at night on the Harter family's 69 ft sloop." John goes on to say that "Ike was very interested in anything nautical and so it was not a surprise to learn he eventually went to work for Newport News Ship Building. I remember he always wanted to build a real live steamboat and eventually learned that he did so in his back yard in Norfolk." He died at the age of 65 on November 4, 2000, at his retirement home in Minnesota. At the time, he was survived, according to an obituary then, by his wife JoAnn Zgonc Harter of Brooklyn Center, MN, his daughter Susan Gail Smith and her daughter Andrea Smith of Apple Valley, MN, his son William Isaac Harter of Green Bay, WI, his mother, Mrs. Isaac Harter Jr. of Nantucket, MA, and his first wife and mother of his children, Gail Crissinger. A burial service was held in Nantucket, MA on November 9, 2000.

—JMB

Rufus S. Goodwin (posted September 13, 2005)

Classmates:

I have just learned of the death from cancer of Rufus S. Goodwin at his home in Marblehead, MA, on July 10th.

I doubt that many of us knew Rufus. I recall meeting him only once—at, I believe, our last reunion, but perhaps elsewhere. He does not appear in our freshman picture book nor in the 1957 classbook, so I can discover little of his relationship to the class or university or who might have known him on campus or later. But he was clearly an interesting man, as can be gleaned from the information below that I extract from a long obituary in the Sunday Boston Globe of July 24th, and I wish that I'd known him better.

A poet and novelist, Rufus was the great-grandson of a business partner of J.P. Morgan and thus appears not to have had to work for a living. But he did so, not only writing novels and poetry, but also working and residing among the homeless, who inspired him and about whom he wrote sensitively. He was born in New York and, after Yale, studied linguistics at Georgetown. In the 1960s, he was Vatican correspondent for UPI and then a free-lance writer in Switzerland and England. He had to struggle against periodic depression, as I recall his telling me, and managed to do so through his work, his non-churchgoing spirituality, and the care and support of his wife Irmgard and his family. Besides his wife, he leaves a mother, son, daughter, brother, two sisters, and twelve grandchildren. Irmgard may be reached at 55 Brackett Pl. Apt. A, Marblehead, MA 01945-4664; phone: (781) 639-4457; email: rufuss@comcast.net.

—JMB

Charles H. Mee, Jr. (posted June 7, 2005)

We've just learned from Ed Cook that Charlie Mee died on May 28th at home in Oklahoma City after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. After graduating from Yale, he served as an army officer in Korea and earned an MBA from the University of Colorado. For 36 years he was employed by Travelers Motor Club, the last six years as president. He was also active in the Episcopal Church. Charlie is survived by his wife Barbara of Oklahoma City, their daughter, Monica, of Oslo, Norway, three grandchildren, and his sister Marilyn Meade. Barbara can be reached at 8706 North May Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73120. Memorial gifts may be made to All Souls Episcopal Church, Casady School (which Charlie attended before Yale), or the Free to Live Animal Sanctuary, all in Oklahoma City.

Ed recalls that he, Charlie, Phil Griffing (killed in a private plane crash in 1960), and Joe Clayton, the entire Oklahoma City contingent in the class, all rode east to New Haven together on the same train in 1953.

—JMB

Charles V. Guidotti (posted May 21, 2005)

It's my sad duty once again to notify you of the death of a classmate—this time of Charlie Guidotti. Below is, first, the notice that I received today from Pat Wilde, then a more formal announcement of Charlie's death and of gatherings in his memory this coming week.

—JMB

From Pat Wilde:

Charley, who was born in Somerville, MA, but raised in Hudson, MA, where his father was a doctor, was in TD with me and also a fellow Geology major. After Yale, to which he'd followed his brother Hugo (captain of the baseball team), Charley went to graduate school at Minnesota also in Geology. He moved on to Harvard and got a Ph.D in Geology with a thesis on metamorphic rocks in Maine. While at Harvard, Charley married Barbara Swift and they had three children, two girls and a boy. After Harvard, Charley took a position at the University of California, Davis. We hooked up again there as I was at UC Berkeley down the road. Charley then moved to the University of Wisconsin and then finally back to his beloved New England (Charley was from Massachusetts and he never lost his accent) to a professorship at Maine, where he remained until his death. Charley was one of the then new breed of geologists who combined precise field work with sound thermodynamic analyses of the mineralogy of the rocks he mapped.

From Scott Johnson, a colleague of Charlie at the University of Maine, Orono:

Friends of Charlie Guidotti,
For those of you who have not yet heard, Charlie passed away in the late afternoon of Thursday, May 19. He was diagnosed with melanoma late last summer, and for the past 9 months or so he fought to live. He spent his final days surrounded by his family and friends in a hospice in Needham, Massachusetts, and died peacefully.
Following are details regarding his wake, and celebration of life. We have tried to get together a comprehensive email list, but if there is someone missing from the list please feel free to forward this message.
Monday, May 23.
There will be a wake/service held at the Tighe-Hamilton Funeral Home, 50 Central Street, Hudson Masachusetts, 01749 (phone 978-562-3252). Go here for a map:
www.tighehamilton.com/Directions.html
Visiting hours will be from 4 to 8 pm. There will be a digital slide show running with 100 or so photos of Charlie, friends and family over many years. There will be many other items to view, and my understanding is that some of Charlie's favorite bird songs will be playing in the background.
Tuesday, May 24.
Starting at 11 am there will be a Celebration of Life service at the same funeral home. This will be short, perhaps up to 1 hour. Charlie's son, Vincent, will be speaking. Then, everyone will head down the street to Lilac Lane, to the property where Charlie grew up. There, you can enjoy the beautiful property and the company of friends. You can also view the potato fields that Charlie was responsible for as a kid. A group from Maine will be heading down Tuesday morning for this.
Charlie's wife Barbara has requested that anyone considering sending flowers, consider instead making a contribution to cancer research. In fact, she has set up her own fund, called Sunflowers For Health. You can view details and the list of medical centers that will receive the proceeds at Barbara's NatureScan site:
www.naturescanart.com
Click on the link called Sunflowers For Health. If you have not yet seen what Barbara does with scanart, I encourage you to check out the website.
You can make contact with Barbara here:
Barbara Guidotti
NatureScan
5 Brookside Terrace
Veazie, Maine 04401
NatureScan@yahoo.com
www.naturescanart.com

Albert J. Butler (posted April 17, 2005)

I have just learned of the death on March 15th of Albert J. Butler of Hyde Park, NY. I have been able to find out little about him, and we had no information from him, nor even knew of his whereabouts, during our 45th reunion. His obituary states that he had previously lived in Merrick, Long Island, and that he is survived by his companion, Anita Trautwein, a son, and four daughters. Memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice Foundation, 374 Violet Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.

—JMB

Gerald C. Neary (posted March 6, 2005)

These have been costly recent weeks for the Class of 1957, and I regret having to report yet another death, that of Gerry Neary, from complications of diabetes in Princeton, New Jersey, on March 1st. A graduate of NYU Law School as well as of Yale, Gerry is survived by his companion of 35 years, Toby Goodyear, who may be reached at (609) 921-0678 and tobygoodyear@earthlink.net. Gerry is also survived by his children Lisa Neary and Mary Louise Rubin of New York City and Jake Goodyear and Lauren Goodyear Schramm, as well as by his sister Susan Greene of Providence, RI. A service and reception for attendees were held last Friday in Princeton. Contributions in Gerry's memory may be made to Pro Musica or the Princeton Symphony, on whose board Gerry sat. I regret that I do not have further information about those institutions.

I did not know Gerry at Yale but, meeting him later, came to savor his warmth and thoughtfulness while regretting that we rarely saw each other, save at reunions or occasionally in Princeton. Below I convey a brief tribute to Gerry from Carl Myrus, who was the Whiff's Pitchpipe to Gerry's Popo.

—JMB

"Gerry joined our class in Sophomore Year. I really didn't get to know him well until the following year, through the Glee Club. I quickly found his sense of humor and pleasant demeanor easy to work with. His 'sabbatical' after his Freshman Year had served him well, for he had an otherwise precocious sense of unflappable leadership and dependability. He had no pretenses, and was genuine in his concern for others and music and family. Our Senior Year became a wonderful opportunity to spend considerable time together, he as "Popo" and I as "Pitchpipe" for the Whiffenpoofs (I often thought he and I should have swapped jobs). He epitomized the three characteristics required for success: affability, accountability, and authenticity, all of which he demonstrated throughout the rest of his life, whether in Fatherhood, Music, Law, or Community - in that order. He made a difference, and he will be missed. I am very grateful to have known him and to be able to call him 'Friend'."

Gordon Marshall (posted March 2, 2005)

I have just learned of the death on January 23, 2004, of our classmates Gordon Marshall. Gordon entered with us from Lawrenceville, and, while not pictured in the 1957 Classbook, remained a member of the class, as evidenced from his brief biography in our 45th reunion book. He was then a resident of Alpharetta, Georgia. He is survived by his wife Dagmar and three children: Gordon Marshall III, Terri Bristol, and Dana Burton. His widow can possibly be reached at the last address of record we have: 6395 Spinnaker Lane, Alpharetta, GA 30005.

—JMB

Michael Kenefick (posted February 22, 2005)

I send new sad tidings, this about the recent death of Mike Kenefick, to which I was alerted first by Jay Conte in Seattle. John Poinier has been in touch with Mike's children, and I've received some reflections from other classmates. What's missing from the obituary below, published originally in the Seattle Times of February 13th, is that Mike died quietly and peacefully in the presence of his daughter and three sons after a short battle with lung cancer. As the notice states, a service in Mike's memory will take place in Seattle on February 28th.

Franz Gimmler points out to me that photos taken by Mike, including some of our 45th reunion, are posted here: Image Station 1, Image Station 2, and Image Station 3. Franz provides directions into the site as follows:

Go to this webpage: www.imagestation.com/member/join.html
Join - It just take a few items of info - quick - no cost.
Once in, type into first search window "mikekenefick" second window pull shade down and select "member"
Mike will come up along with "Yale 1957 45th Reunion"
Click and you will see over 30 pictures - you might even find one of yourself
The whole album is nice gift from Mike to us all.

Rob Walker has this to add: From early on Mike was an avid golfer, winning as I recall the unofficial "Brooks Championship" in both 1952 and 1953. In retirement he remained in Seattle where he had put down strong roots, but moved to Palm Springs for the winter to escape "fog and drizzle", and to be better able to pursue golf year round. He was a regular on the U.S. Golf Seniors circuit which brought him back east every year. Mike's other sporting passion was fly fishing which took him to Montana and his beloved Yellowstone annually. I also recall Mike as one of the earliest computer literate people, and one who challenged me to "get with it" in the early 90's.

Mike daughter Mary Kopp can be reached via Mary Kopp@verison.net. His son Andrew Kenefick, YC '84, can be reached via akenefick@wm.com.

—JMB

Obituary, The Seattle Times, February 13, 2005

Michael KENEFICK 69, of Seattle, WA, died February 7, 2005, in Rancho Mirage, CA. He was born February 28, 1935, in Buffalo, NY, son of Theodore Germain Kenefick and Mary Goodyear Kenefick. He attended the Nichols School in Buffalo and graduated from the Brooks School in North Andover, MA (class of 1953) and Yale University in New Haven, CT (class of 1957). After training in Newport, RI, Mr. Kenefick served in the U.S. Navy from 1958 through 1961. He was a senior executive with Marine Midland Bank in Buffalo and later the Laird Norton Trust Company in Seattle. An avid golfer and fisherman, Mr. Kenefick enjoyed winters in Palm Desert, CA and his annual fly fishing trip to Silver Tip Ranch in Montana. He maintained memberships in The Pack Club and The Saturn Club in Buffalo where he served as dean in 1977. Mr. Kenefick was also a member of the Seattle Golf Club and a charter member of The Plantation in Palm Desert. Mr. Kenefick is survived by his daughter Mary K. Kopp of Los Angeles; son Andrew M. of Seattle; James G. of Los Angeles; Theodore G. of Seattle; their mother, Anne J. Kenefick of Seattle; sister Sheila K. Bertozzi of Palm Desert; six grandchildren, Leslie Kenefick, Audrey Kenefick, Connor Kenefick, Aidan Kenefick, Emily Kopp and Sara Kenefick; and dear friend Carol Wright of Seattle. A Memorial Service will be held at the Seattle Golf Club on Monday, February 28 at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trout Unlimited or the Yellowstone Park Foundation.

Michael Poutiatine (posted January 4, 2005)

It's with deep personal sadness that I report the recent death of Mike Poutiatine. All those who knew "Pooch," as I did well as a fellow member of St. Anthony Hall, recall the warmth and optimism of his disposition and the sharpness of his perception and wit. An obituary notice that Gus Kellogg has solicited from Mike's widow Marcia is included below. You will note that it carries word of a memorial service to be held Sunday, January 9th, in Vero Beach, Florida. Because of the nearness of that date, I hope that you'll notify any and all of Mike's friends and classmates who may not receive this email message.

You will also be interested, I'm confident, to learn, in reference to Marcia's referring to Mike as "simply divine" that the name of his beloved boat was "Simply Divine."

—JMB

Michael Poutiatine died Friday, December 17, 2004, at the age of 69 at the Indian River Memorial Hospital after a brief illness. Michael was born on May 8, 1935, in Albany, NY. He was a long time resident of Loudonville, NY, where he and his wife, Marcia, raised their daughters, Allison and Jennifer. They moved to Vero Beach, FL in 1991.

He was a graduate of the Harvey School, formerly of Hawthorne, NY, the St. Paul's School in Concord, NH, and Yale University where he was captain of the polo team his senior year. He served on the board of the Albany Boys and Girls Club and most recently on the Indian River Hospital Foundation Board. He worked for the John Manning Paper Company; however, most of his career was in the travel industry.

Mr. Poutiatine was a member of the St Augustine of Canterbury Church, Vero Beach.

He was a member of the Moorings and Hawks Nest Clubs in Vero Beach; Schuyler Meadows Club in Loudonville, NY; the Saratoga Reading Rooms in Saratoga Springs, NY; and the Springdale Hall Club in Camden, SC.

He was the son of the late Prince Serge and Shirley Poutiatine of Loudonville, NY, and Charleston, SC and is survived by his wife, Marcia Meserve Poutiatine, and two daughters, Allison Poutiatine and Jennifer Marley and her husband, Paul C. Marley, Jr. He also leaves behind his brother, Ivan Poutiatine of Mill Valley,CA and sister , Mariana Cotten of Sarasota, FL.

A memorial service will be held 1 PM, Sunday, January 9, at St. Augustine of Canterbury, Vero Beach. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Indian River Hospital Foundation or the VNA and Hospice of Vero Beach, FL, or the Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY.

Michael Poutiatine will be remembered for all the stories his family and friends have to tell of the life that he loved and lived so well, but most of all he will be remembered for his kind heart, for he was "Simply Divine".

Patrick W. Child (posted December 23, 2004)

I speed to you the news of the death of another classmate, Pat Child, whose death I learned of just this morning from his brother Bob of the Class of 1958. Pat may have been officially a class member for only a single year, but he was longer at Yale in the School of Music and many of us recall him well. I include here only slightly altered the text of the message I've received from Bob Child, '58, who himself can be reached at ChldBIBCHI@aol.com and at 62 Mowry Street, New Haven 06473, phone 203-288-4405.

—JMB

I am writing you to notify you of the death of Patrick W. Child who was a member of the Class of 1957 for his freshman year.
He left Yale College after his freshman year and entered the Yale School of Music where, as a trumpet major, he studied for two years.
After a brief stint working for the Yale Audio Visual Center, he entered the U.S. Air Force in 1958 and spent four years stationed at Cape Canaveral where he was a member of a special photo unit that specialized in both engineering and documentary photography of the beginnings of the Space Age.
After his Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Air Force he worked as a civilian at the Cape.
In 1964 he and his first wife, Mary Jane, returned to the New Haven area where he spent the next 38 years as a news cameraman and satellite truck operator. for WTNH-TV Channel 8 in New Haven.
During his career in TV news, he covered every major news event in Connecticut and many events both in the U.S. and abroad.
He retired in 2002 and moved to Venice, Florida with his second wife, Kim, Mary Jane having died a number of years previously.
He died December 10, 2004 at Venice Hospital after a three-month-long battle with glioblastoma. It is a very fast acting and invariably fatal cancerous brain tumor. There is no known cure for it.
He leaves his son, Patrick W. Child Jr. and daughters Victoria Euler and Courteney Gettel and his twin brother, Robert C. Child III, a staff photographer for the Associated Press and a member of the Yale Class of 1958.
He also leaves three grandchildren,. Garrett Child, Jacen Gettel and Lauryn Gettel.
Even though he was only briefly a member of '57, I thought that the class should be informed.
Sincerely, Robert C. Child III, Yale 1958

Leonard S. Slaughter (posted November 10, 2004)

I've just learned from New Haven of the death in Culver City, CA, of Leonard S. Slaughter, Jr. on September 20th. More than that I do not know. Because Slaughter was not listed in our 1957 classbook but was included in our 45th reunion book, it may be that he commenced study with another class but was later assigned to 1957. In any event, I'd like to learn more about him from any of you who may have known him. Even more so, I'd like to learn if any one of you might write an appreciation of him for this list, from which a reduced version would be extracted for the YAM class notes.

—JMB

Since writing my previous message, I've learned more. A freshman year roommate of Bruce McLanahan and the late Tim Childs and one of the few African-Americans in our class, Len left Yale after his freshman year to study, Ed Robinson informs me, at the University of Connecticut. The distance we've traveled since then is revealed in the report from Bruce that the freshman year dean wrote to Tim and him before matriculation asking whether there would be any problem with their rooming with a black classmate. May those days, as well as Len Slaughter, RIP.

Richard S. Arnold (posted September 29, 2004)

UPON THE DEATH OF RICHARD ARNOLD: A TRIBUTE. By Gilbert S. Merritt '57

Richard Arnold's playing partners were always in for a treat when his golf ball arrived at the green. He pulled out a 100-year-old putter with a worn, but finely polished, antique wood shaft. His grandfather, a lawyer in Texarkana, first putted with it at the turn of the century. Richard's father inherited it and played with it for many years. He gave it to Richard. No telling how many balls it has rolled into the cup. In Richard's steady hands, as another fifteen footer dropped in, the old putter seemed like a magic wand with a long memory for how a golf ball will run and break.

But I do not intend to dwell on Richard's golf game. The old putter was not only lovingly connected with Richard's family. It is symbolic of a life and mind rooted in history, with an uncanny memory for people, events and literature, legal and otherwise, and with a sense of balance and moderation based on the Golden Mean and a deep understanding of history. In a fascinating lecture in 1997 at NYU on the problem of constitutional interpretation, as seen through the eyes of James Madison, magnified through the lens of Richard Arnold, Richard had this to say about his own love for history:

The question of the relevance of Madison's views is one you will have to answer for yourselves. My own view is that history is important because it's intrinsically interesting, or, to put it in plain language, history is fun. It may also be of some use in the work we have to do in our own time.

From Richard S. Arnold, How James Madison Interpreted the Constitution, 72 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 267, 269 (1997), an article that those interested in constitutional history should read.

When Richard worked or talked or wrote, the ball always seemed to drop in the cup.

Richard majored in the classics at Yale and always retained his talent for Latin and Greek. A deeply spiritual man, his Biblical learning, like his legal learning and his historical understanding, was a product of a remarkable capacity to combine careful, precise analysis with the ability to synthesize diverse knowledge. It was no accident that in scholarship he ranked first in our class at Yale and at Harvard Law School.

His great love for language (he learned Italian in later life by reading the Divine Comedy) gave Richard a poetic writing style ¬ plain, spare, elegant. A few years ago, he rebutted the view that Justice Brennan, for whom he clerked in 1960, molded the Warren Court through sheer force of personality and "Irish guile." In five expressive sentences he catches the essence of Justice Brennan's role on the Court:

"Personality, no doubt, is important. Judges are human beings. They live in bodies and react on a personal level. But judges do not cast votes simply because their backs are slapped in a particularly engaging way. What Justice Brennan did, he did as a lawyer and as a judge, and his mastery of the English language, of the history of the Constitution, and of the technical aspects of the law played at least as big a part in his success at constructing majorities as the warmth of his personality and manner."

In Memoriam: William J. Brennan, Jr., 111 Harv. L. Rev. 5 (1997). This simple passage expresses a complex idea with a cadence of iambic pentameter typical of Richard's writing.

I knew that there was something very special about Richard 45 years ago, not long after we sat down next to each other at 8:00 A.M. on September 22, 1953, for our first class as freshmen at Yale College. It was a class in beginning French taught five days a week in a little classroom above Yale's main Gothic gate, looking out over the New Haven green. When we struck up a short conversation before class began that morning, I was relieved. I thought: "This boy from Arkansas is probably just as unsophisticated and unprepared for Yale as am I, a farm boy from Tennessee." That idea did not last long. Within two weeks, he and Monsieur Tofoya, our teacher, were conversing back and forth in French. Within a month, Monsieur Tofoya had put him up in French 20, which required as preparation two good years of high school French. Before the first semester was out, the French Department put Richard into French 30, an advanced class, where they read Beaudelaire, Stendhal and other great French writers.

But neither do I want to dwell on how smart Richard Arnold was, or to overemphasize his intelligence and learning to the exclusion of qualities of the heart like a sense of justice, diplomacy, thoughtfulness, humor, loyalty, tolerance and affection for others. There are many smart people, but only one with the complex mind and spirit of Richard Arnold. It was his heart and character that made all who knew him love and admire him.

For his many friends and acquaintances, Richard was a hero and a model—on the one hand, a high achiever with a great capacity for work, while at the same time, blessed with an enlarged capacity for sympathy and the ability to put himself into the shoes of another. Even though pressed for time, he could not pass a beggar by or allow a genuine request for aid to go unanswered. One such time, after he gave the beggar a little money, I said, "Richard, that guy is probably an alcoholic or a dope addict."

He responded in good humor, "You never know, he may be an angel." In his mind, the guy was just one of God's children in need.

Richard summoned what little anger and hostility his nature owned in the face of the bully who takes advantage of the weakness of others. He was instinctively for the underdog and for the liberty and dignity of the little guy. That sentiment runs subtly throughout his opinions, writings and speeches. For example, his Howard Kaplan Memorial Lecture at Hofstra Law School on the sanctity of trial by jury is a sermon about his faith in the deliberations of "twelve ordinary people," for whom the expert is no "match." Richard S. Arnold, Trial by Jury: The Constitutional Right to a Jury of Twelve in Civil Trials, 22 Hofstra L. Rev. 1, 3 (1993). In this same lecture Richard gives us his thoughts on the relation of reason and emotion in the deliberative process:

"And here is the thing I want to tell you ¬ the point: emotion is not a bad thing. In law or anywhere else, we do not often think of it that way, perhaps. We say that the life of the law is reason, but there is more to it than cold rationalism. As Pascal said, 'The heart has its reasons, which reason does not know.'"

Richard's legal and moral philosophy, and his heart, emphasized the importance of the claims of the disadvantaged and the least powerful. Achilles' pitiless enforcers, the myrmidons of the law, were not Richard's friends. He took basic Christian ethics seriously, reflecting the ancient admonition found in Matthew 25:40: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Or as his charming and insightful wife, Kay, said to me once in more modern English: "I was lucky enough to marry the man who is always the last to judge and the first to forgive."

Obituary, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, September 25, 2004

Richard S. Arnold, of Little Rock, a longtime federal judge in Arkansas, died Thursday, September 23, 2004, at Rochester Methodist Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota. He was 68. The cause of death was complications from lymphoma, according to the family.

Judge Arnold had served as a United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit since March 7, 1980. Before that, he had been a United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, entering on duty on October 16, 1978. President Jimmy Carter appointed Judge Arnold to both positions, each time on the recommendation of Senator Dale Bumpers, for whom the Judge had worked, in Little Rock and in Washington, for six years.

When Judge Arnold first went on the bench, he expected that he would leave his mark, if at all, in published opinions deciding cases. He did write and publish hundreds of opinions during his 26 years on the bench. But perhaps his most significant service was in various administrative capacities.

Most notably, Judge Arnold served as Chairman of the Budget Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States for nine years, from 1987 to 1996. He was appointed to this position by the Chief Justice of the United States, William H. Rehnquist. Later, also by appointment of the Chief Justice, Judge Arnold served as Vice Chairman of the Committee on the Judicial Branch of the Judicial Conference of the United States.

In the former capacity, Chairman of the Budget Committee, it was the Judge's job to submit to Congress each year the funding request for the entire Judicial Branch of the federal government, except for the Supreme Court, which handles its own budget. The Judge was heard to remark how much he enjoyed this service. "It has a little touch of politics about it," he said, "and I have always enjoyed politics."

Judge Arnold ran for Congress twice, in 1966 and 1972, without success. Still, he would often say that he got a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience from running these races. "Politics is people," he said, "and it should be and can be an honorable profession."

In 1992, Judge Arnold became Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Along with this job came the Chairmanship of the Judicial Council of the Eighth Circuit, an administrative body which, by law, supervises all of the federal courts in the Circuit. He served as Chief Judge for more than six years. The term is limited by law to seven years.

As Chief Judge, it was Judge Arnold's job to review, at the initial level, complaints of judicial misconduct filed against judges in the Circuit. He also persuaded the Judicial Council to create a Task Force on Gender Fairness.

In 2003, by means of a law passed by both houses of Congress and signed by President George W. Bush, the United States Courthouse in Little Rock was named the Richard Sheppard Arnold United States Courthouse. The Judge was proud of the fact that the bill to name the courthouse in this way was sponsored by all six members of the Arkansas Congressional delegation, of both political parties. The groundbreaking ceremony for an annex to the courthouse was held on March 11, 2004.

Richard Sheppard Arnold was born on March 26, 1936, in Texarkana, Texas. (He and his family were lifelong residents of Arkansas, but he was born in Texas because that is where the main hospital in Texarkana was at the time.) His parents were Richard Lewis Arnold, General Counsel of Southwestern Electric Power Company for 50 years, and Janet Sheppard Arnold, a scholar and schoolteacher.

Judge Arnold's mother's father was Morris Sheppard, who represented Texas in the United States Senate for 28 years, 1913-1941. Senator Sheppard ended his career as Dean of the Congress and Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs.

Senator Sheppard's father, John L. Sheppard, was a member of the House of Representatives, representing the First Congressional District of Texas. The Judge's first cousin, Connie Mack, also a grandson of Senator Sheppard, himself served in the House and Senate, completing his two terms in the Senate in 1999.

Judge Arnold was proud of his ancestry, and sometimes had to be reminded by his brother, Morris Sheppard Arnold, also a United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit, that "those who talk too much about their ancestors are like potatoes: their best parts are underground."

Judge Arnold began his education by attending Patty Hill School, a private school in Texarkana, Arkansas, for the first and second grades. He then attended the Arkansas public schools from the third to the ninth grades.

At age 14, the Judge enrolled in the Phillips Exeter Academy at Exeter, New Hampshire, a preparatory school. He ranked second in a class of 206 (his roommate was first), was a member of the Cum Laude Society, and received a classical diploma, concentrating his studies in Latin and Greek.

The Judge continued his classical studies at Yale, and in 1957 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree with the highest academic ranking of any candidate for that degree in his class.

He then attended the Harvard Law School, was elected a case editor of the Harvard Law Review and was graduated first in a class of 475. He received the Fay Diploma, awarded each year to the student with the highest marks in his class.

Following graduation from law school, Judge Arnold moved to Washington, D.C., and served for a year as law clerk to Mr. Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., of the Supreme Court of the United States. He and Justice Brennan became lifelong friends. After his work at the Supreme Court, Judge Arnold worked for three years as an associate in the law firm of Covington and Burling in Washington.

In 1964, Judge Arnold returned to Arkansas and entered the family law firm of Arnold & Arnold, in Texarkana. He engaged in the general practice of law there for ten years, handling a wide variety of cases, perhaps the most noteworthy of which were a number of cases initially interpreting the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

Judge Arnold loved his work in environmental law, and was awarded the 1996 Environmental Law Institute Award in Washington, D.C.

While in Texarkana, the Judge was involved in a wide variety of public and community service. He held a number of appointments in state government, including most notably Legislative Secretary to Governor Dale Bumpers, 1973-1974, and appointment as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, 1973-1974.

He also served as an elected delegate to the Seventh Arkansas Constitutional Convention, in 1969-1970. The fact that the proposed Constitution drafted by that convention and submitted to the people was not adopted was a source of great regret to the Judge.

In 1978, Judge Terry Shell of the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas died in office. Judge Arnold had served as Legislative Assistant to Senator Bumpers since 1975, and the Senator recommended him to succeed Judge Shell. In due course the nomination was made by President Carter and confirmed by the Senate without a roll-call vote.

Judge Arnold was fond of recounting that, as a staff member, he was allowed to sit on the floor of the Senate when his nomination was confirmed. In addition to Senator Bumpers and Senator Kaneaster Hodges, Senator Gary Hart (D-Colo.) and Senator John Culver (D-Iowa) spoke in support of the nomination.

Before his going on the bench, Judge Arnold had been quite active in the affairs of the Democratic Party of Arkansas. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1968, casting his vote for Hubert Humphrey.

He was also Chairman of the Rules Committee of the Arkansas Democratic Party, and a member of the Executive Committee. All of that was left behind, however, when he took the bench. The Judge, once he took the oath of office as judge, was quick to point out that he was "not a Democrat, but a former Democrat."

Judge Arnold was a member of a number of associations and clubs, including the Country Club of Little Rock, the XV Club of Little Rock, the Metropolitan Club of Washington, D.C., the Yale Club of New York City, the Elihu Club, and Phi Beta Kappa (of which he was a third-generation member).

He also received a number of honors and awards, including the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award, an award from the St. Louis Women Lawyers Association for the promotion of women in the practice of law, the Rosenberg-Meador Award, presented by the Committee on Federal Judicial Improvements of the American Bar Association, the Brody Award, presented by Colby College in Waterville, Maine, the Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Award of Professionalism and Ethics, presented by the American Inns of Court, and three honorary doctorates of law, from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. In 2004, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for writing, the Scribes Award, of which only two have been given.

The church was a big part of Judge Arnold's life. Judge Arnold first became a member of the Episcopal Church in 1952. He served as acolyte, warden, vestry member, and in many other positions. He was elected to the vestry of four different parishes, St. James, Texarkana, Texas; St. Paul's, K Street, Washington, D.C.; Trinity Cathedral Parish, Little Rock, Arkansas; and St. Margaret's, Little Rock, Arkansas. He served as Senior Warden at St. Paul's in Washington.

Judge Arnold was co-captain of the junior varsity golf team at the Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. He made two holes in one, one at the Country Club of Little Rock and one at Point Clear, Alabama.

On nomination by the International Olympic Committee, Judge Arnold has served since 1994 as a member of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport, an independent body of jurists which supervises the Court of Arbitration for Sport, located in Lausanne, Switzerland. This Court hears voluntarily submitted cases arising out of athletics and related disputes throughout the world, including disputes arising at Olympic games.

Judge Arnold married Kay Kelley on October 27, 1979. Their marriage itself is worth an entire book. The Judge several times remarked in public that his wife was "the perfect wife. She shows what God intended humanity to be."

In addition to his wife, Judge Arnold is survived by his brother, Judge Morris Sheppard Arnold of Little Rock and his wife, Gail; and two daughters, Janet Sheppard Arnold Hart, of San Carlos, California, and her husband, Richard John Hart, and Lydia Palmer Arnold Turnipseed, of Syracuse, New York, and her husband, Terry Lynn Turnipseed. Judge Arnold leaves four grandchildren, Evan Antonio Hart and Saxon McGrath Hart, of San Carlos, California, and Lucile Mae Turnipseed and Grace Arnold Turnipseed, of Syracuse, New York. He is also survived by his cousin, Thomas Saxon Arnold, and his wife, Dolores.

Judge Arnold and his brother are unique in the history of the United States, in that they are the only two siblings ever to serve together on a federal court.

Funeral services, including a Mass, will take place at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 310 West 17th Street, in Little Rock on Tuesday, September 28 at 2 p.m. The Reverend Canon Peggy Bosmyer, Vicar of St. Margaret's, will officiate. Interment of ashes will take place following the service in the St. Margaret's columbarium, 20900 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, Arkansas. Arrangements are under the direction of Reubel Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, September 27.

Judge Arnold thought that courts should be places of mercy as well as justice, whenever the law would allow. He liked to remember that his mother was fond of quoting part of the speech of the woman lawyer, Portia, in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice: "though justice be thy plea, remember this, that in the course of justice none of us should see salvation."

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, 20900 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, Arkansas 72223; St. Gregory's Abbey, 56500 Abbey Road, Three Rivers, Michigan 49093-9595; New Subiaco Abbey, 405 North Subiaco Avenue, Subiaco, Arkansas 72865; St. Louis Abbey, 500 South Mason Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63141; The Arnold Lecture Series, William H. Bowen School of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 1201 Mc-Math Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202-5142; The Richard S. Arnold First Amendment Research Excellence Award, University of Arkansas Foundation, 417 Kimpel Hall, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to all of Judge Arnold's doctors, nurses, caregivers, and friends who have given such tremendous support, encouragement, and assistance during the past year.

Obituary, The New York Times, September 25, 2004

Richard S. Arnold, 68, Judge Once Eyed for Supreme Court. By Neil A. Lewis

Richard S. Arnold, a federal appeals court judge who issued influential rulings involving individual rights and narrowly missed a Supreme Court nomination, died on Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He was 68.

The cause was an infection he contracted while being treated for lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph glands from which he had suffered since the 1970's, his family said.

Judge Arnold, who lived in Little Rock, Ark., was for many years the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, based in St. Louis. He was known for erudite opinions emphasizing the application of constitutional rights to individuals in everyday life and for overseeing administrative reforms in the operation of the federal courts.

A prize-winning classics scholar at Yale, he considered pursuing an academic career. Instead, he went to Harvard Law School, graduating first in his class in 1960. He worked in his family's law firm in western Arkansas and twice ran unsuccessfully for Congress.

His career on the bench began in 1978, bringing him renown in legal circles and nearly a Supreme Court nomination.

President Bill Clinton nearly named Judge Arnold in 1994 to succeed Justice Harry A. Blackmun, who retired. In the end, Mr. Clinton's choices came down to Judge Arnold, his fellow Arkansan, and Judge Stephen G. Breyer, then a federal appeals court judge in Boston. Some presidential aides argued against the appointment of Judge Arnold, saying it might carry a whiff of Arkansas favoritism. But Hillary Rodham Clinton argued vigorously that Judge Arnold was widely regarded as a scholar and jurist.

The president was inclined against Judge Breyer, whom he considered to be aloof during their first meeting, when Mr. Clinton was filling an earlier Supreme Court vacancy.

Mr. Clinton decided he could not select Judge Arnold because of the uncertain prognosis in his battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The president made his decision after taking the extraordinary action of personally interviewing Judge Arnold's doctors.

At the same time, Judge Breyer's supporters mounted a successful campaign to convince the president that he had misjudged him. They noted that Judge Breyer was in pain during the meeting, recovering from injuries from a bicycle accident.

In a statement yesterday, Mr. Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York, said, ''America has lost one of its greatest jurists and we have lost a cherished friend.''

Prof. Polly J. Price of Emory University School of Law, who is writing a biography of Judge Arnold, said that his writings were widely admired by other judges because of their eloquence in explaining constitutional rights for individuals.

In a 1979 decision, he anticipated the move toward equality in sports programs for boys and girls when he ruled that the state of Arkansas could no longer restrict high school girls to half-court basketball while allowing boys to play full court. The practice impeded girls' chances for college athletic scholarships.

In 1984 he upheld the reversal of a conviction, saying: ''Some criminals do go free because of the necessity of keeping government and its servants in their place. That is one of the costs of having and enforcing a Bill of Rights. This country is built on the assumption that the cost is worth paying, and that in the long run, we are all both freer and safer if the Constitution is strictly enforced.''

Richard Sheppard Arnold was born on March 26, 1936, in Texarkana, Tex.. His maternal grandfather was Morris Sheppard, a United States senator from Texas for 28 years.

After Harvard Law School, Mr. Arnold was a law clerk to Justice William J. Brennan Jr. of the Supreme Court.

He was appointed to the Federal District Court in Arkansas in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter, who elevated him to the appeals court two years later. He was followed by his younger brother Morris S. Arnold, who was first a district judge and then served alongside him on the appeals court. Judge Morris Arnold was named to the bench by President Ronald Reagan and is regarded as more conservative than his brother.

Judge Morris Arnold said they were the only two brothers to serve together on a federal court in the nation's history.

In addition to his brother, Judge Richard Arnold is survived by his wife, Kay Kelley Arnold; two daughters from a previous marriage, Janet Sheppard Arnold Hart and Lydia Palmer Arnold Turnipseed; and four grandchildren.

Inadmissible. Judge Richard Arnold, 1936-2004. By Tony Mauro.

Richard Arnold, a widely respected judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit who came close to being appointed to the Supreme Court, died late Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota at age 68.

When Justice Harry Blackmun retired in 1994, President Bill Clinton wanted to appoint Arnold, but decided against it because of Arnold's then-recent bout with cancer — which recurred and was ultimately the cause of his death. Arnold, a 1960 law clerk to the late Supreme Court Justice William Brennan Jr., was active in Arkansas politics, but once he was appointed to a judgeship by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, he told people he was "not a Democrat, but a former Democrat."

Arnold, a gentlemanly optimist who almost always wore a bow tie, headed the Budget Committee of the Judicial Conference from 1987 to 1996 and became known for his leadership in the judiciary. "He performed exemplary service for the judiciary through his work on the Budget Committee of the Judicial Conference," said Chief Justice William Rehnquist in a statement. In 2000, Arnold launched a debate over the proliferation of unpublished opinions by ruling, in Anastasoff v. United States, that judges could not constitutionally prevent past opinions from being cited. "I don't know what judges are afraid of," he told Legal Times.

As a sign of Arnold's stature, eight of the nine Supreme Court justices issued statements after hearing of his death. "A brilliant, brilliant man, Judge Arnold was a model of humility and self-deprecation," said Justice Clarence Thomas, who as the 8th Circuit's "circuit justice" saw him often at conferences. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, herself a cancer survivor, said, "He coped with his illness with unrelenting courage. Others, including me, gained strength from his example." Said Justice Antonin Scalia: "His carefully reasoned and beautifully written opinions were models of the art of judging. He has been a friend of mine since the days when he finished ahead of me (and first in the class) at Harvard Law School." Justice Stephen Breyer called Arnold "a great judge and a marvelous human being," and Justice Anthony Kennedy said, "It is of great importance to the federal judiciary that it can continue to attract jurists of the stature of the late, splendid Richard Arnold. His intellectual interests were vast, his character upright, and his search for truth and justice unyielding."

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said, "He always contributed his time and effort to improve the judiciary and to support efforts to help other judges around the world improve their own systems." Added Justice John Paul Stevens: "Richard Arnold was a great judge, a true scholar, a wonderful human being, and an excellent golfer. I enjoyed every minute that I spent with him and will surely miss him."

Stephan M. Mandel (posted July 7, 2004)

I write to convey news, just received, of the death of Stephan M. (Steve) Mandel on May 15th. Steve died at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City of lung cancer. Born the son of Judith and Abraham Mandel in Merrick, Long Island, he graduated from Mepham High School in neighboring Bellmore, Long Island, before matriculating with us in New Haven. A member of Silliman College and an economics major, he was a member of the Political Union, especially active in the Dramat (vice president in our senior year), and organizer of festivals that continued for many years after we graduated. After Yale, he attended Harvard Law School, then joined the family business, Sumner Stores Corporation, a chain of family apparel stores in the south and southwest, and rose to become the firm's executive president. A resident of Hillsdale, Columbia County, New York, as well as of New York City, Steve was deeply involved in the opera, art, and historic preservation and at the time of his death was president of the Columbia County Historical Society. Married for 30 years to Patricia Fitzgerald Mandel, he is survived by his second wife, Heidi S. Fiske, his sister Linda E. Mandel, his brother in law Pierre Clerk, and his sister in law Susan Fiske Michelson. Contributions in Steve's memory can be sent either to the Columbia County Historical Society, Box 311, Kinderhook, NY 12106, or to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, attn. Dr. Vincent Miller, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021.

—JMB

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