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AUGUST 2009
www.alum.dartmouth.org/classes/54/
PGBarker54@aol.com
(203) 661-7611
"For the Class of 1954 there will be reunions
and the joy of returning together as long as
there is breath in two of you"
John Sloan Dickey June 1954
Our 55th returning together is in the books and, from all reports, it was a joyous one. The first photo ahead is a fine representation of the prevailing spirit of the reunion At one time or another during the four days, some 80 '54s (15% of the living Class) enjoyed good weather, fantastic food and drink and warm camaraderie. Close to 80 lovely ladies accompanied the reuners and provided their own memories. Chief Reunion Honcho Dr. JOHN FENN outdid himself in shepherding the details of every aspect of the gathering. Unfortunately, he had to leave before the final banquet and was unable to deliver his final comments. DICK PAGE was masterful in subbing for him with his inimitable style and savoir-faire. I was able to obtain John's remarks and they follow - slightly edited.
"In a flash, the Class of 1954's 55th reunion has come and gone. My feedback has been positive to date and that is comforting. Newsletter editor PETE BARKER invited me to submit this brief summary of the talk I had intended to deliver at our reunion's final event. As treasurer, Pete has provided guidance every step of the way for the past two years. In addition to our almost daily telephone conversations and a plethora of e-mails, we had frequent lunches at restaurants along the southern Connecticut shore to go over financial planning for our 55th. The final numbers are (now) in and we came close to the mark we set. In case everyone doesn't know this, Pete is multitalented, not only as reunion treasurer but is a good friend to me and the Class at large. He knows everyone.
"We started our planning in May of 2007 with a three day gathering of the committee at the Cape Cod home of JANE and Dick PAGE. I am grateful for the generosity and hospitality of Jane and Dick for hosting this initial gathering. The outline of events decided upon then was gradually nurtured in the ensuing time right up to the beginning of June 2009. Now let me acknowledge the many people who made the reunion such a successful gathering. There is not enough room here to describe in detail the enormous effort each of them made.
"Our committee was exceptional every step of the way. Pete Barker as noted above, cousin DI CK and BARBARA BARKER who managed registration and finances on site, fund raisers DON BERLIN, BOB BERRY, RICK HARTMAN, and Dick Page. And the ultimate reunion chairman, JOHN GILLESPIE, who managed food and beverage services with the expertise for which he is renowned.
"Beyond the committee itself, there were many others who made major contributions. STEVE and CAROL MULLINS, once again, hosted a cocktail party for early arrivers at their home in Norwich, VT. ANNE HARTMAN and MARTHA DAVIS put together a spectacular 1954 Artists' Showcase in Brace Commons in which wonderful artwork produced by Classmates and spouses was displayed. BOB BERRY and ALEC GRAY ran golf and tennis activities. TOM KELSEY and JAY DAVIS organized our memorial service, having stepped up to the plate when we lost our beloved RIP COFFIN. DAN McCART HY, NORM VEASEY and Dick Page did a wonderful job in leading the discussion of DAVE McLAUGHLIN's book "Choices Made". CARRIE PELZEL '54a received huge applause for her talk at the banquet. Our student workers, led by Joe Gaudet, '10 did an outstanding job. And finally, without the spectacular personnel in the Blunt Alumni office, our reunion could not have been as successful, so special thanks to Corena Dungey, Jennifer Casey, Dee Dee Roy-Deyo, Roberta Moore and Norine Gray.
"I suspect that everyone has noticed that as we get older, the years seem to fly by ever faster. At the same time, the older we get, the closer we feel about one another. Perhaps some of this is related to our common heritage as Dartmouth undergrads, but I feel that this closeness is also an acknowledgment that we are vulnerable now and our relationships are ever more valuable. I encourage everyone to participate in Class events. It is spiritually and emotionally uplifting.
"I wish my successors all the best as we march towards our 60th reunion in 2014. The good news is that the College subsidizes our 65th in 2019 and it is a free ride with housing in the Hanover Inn when we get to our 70th in 2024. We shall all be about 92 years old then and I am planning on being there. Maybe we should challenge the '53s to another tug-o-war on the Green. We should win easily - those guys will be 93 tears old."
The Class owes a great debt of thanks to John for the constant effort/attention he has put into his five-year term as mini-reunion chairman, capped with the 55th reunion. During this same half-decade, he continued a full teaching schedule at the Yale Medical School, lecturing aspiring young medicos on the importance of medical ethics.
A Few Pars, A Few Beers
Peter Kenyon, Tom Kelsey, Dick Grassey and Herb Hillman
Now, some stories related to the reunion:
-DAVE MANDELBAUM's nominating committee put forth
the following for the next five years:
President Don Berlin
Vice President Rick Hartman
Treasurer Jim Tofias
Head Agent Shelly Woolf
Mini-Reunion Co-Chairs
Jay Davis
Steve Mullins
Contracts were renewed for the following functionaries:
Secretary Tony Kane
Special Projects Peter Kenyon
Special Projects Dick Trowbridge
Class Awards Bob Adnopoz
Webmaster Perry Davis
Newsletter Editor Pete Barker
A request by the functionaries for health care and a
pension plan was rejected out of hand.
All of those named are members of the class Executive
Committee. At-large members include WALT
ANDERSON, BOB CLEMENTS, BOB DEAN, RON DOUGHERTY, JIM DOIG,
JOHN FENN, MORT GALPER, JOHN GILLESPIE, BILL GROVER,
DAVE MARTIN, JOHN MORAN, BILL MURANE, BOB OSMOND, HARRY ROBINSON, DICK
STEINBERG, TOM TYLER, NORM VEASEY, and WAYNE WEIL. Careful analysis of the
above will
reveal that only two '54s actually stepped down from Class responsibilities -
ALEC GRAY, treasurer and HUGH NOLIN, head agent. So our thanks to the
dedicated duo for their service to the Class and welcome back to the rest -
continuation in the upper echelons of the Class is its own reward. Note that
Dick Page's name is not listed, yet somehow, he always seems to be in the
room ........ sobitqum paratius.
- An anonymous observer opined that the alcohol
consumption at the Mullins' was twice that of any other
event where the attendees sipped white wine
with uplifted pinkies.
- Our adopted Classmate Carrie Pelzel brought the house down with her opening revelation that the previously announced anonymous donor of $50 million dollars to the College was our own John Gillespie. Later in the evening, a shadowy '54 was seen approaching John with a massively high-return Ponzi scheme. John demurred. Additionally, John, the former head of Dartmouth's Parents' Fund, told this reporter that a parent had recently donated $1 million to that fund!
-For the discussion panel on Dave's book, the McLaughlin family, through son Jay, provided copies for every '54 that had not received one earlier. The reunion treasurer still has 23 copies in his basement and, with the family's permission, is herewith offering them to Classmates on a first-come first-served basis (email and telephone). Those receiving the newsletter on the '54 website obviously have the advantage.
-From JENNY KIRKPATRICK: "KIRK rallied for a long weekend at chez Angus '52 and Liz Russell, had dinner with Carol and Steamboat on Saturday and we saw the gang at the Mullins gathering on the Sunday I have to say that K. looked pretty good with his new svelte figure, '54 straw hat and very much enjoyed being there. But it seemed a good plan to quit while we were ahead. Driving home on Monday, however, (easy seven hour drive) and three blocks from our driveway, an inexperienced driver inexplicably turned right into us and we came to know the meaning of pain and suffering with whiplash, etc. Jonah must be an ancestor! Another round of hospitals, ambulances and all that goes with it. Hey - we were lucky to be alive and we pick up the car this week, all new again. It might take a few more years of physiotherapy to restore the bods, but if we are here, we will be there - (at the 60th, I mean)." Guts ball!
-One of the student workers (Carrie) had the distinction of being the granddaughter of JOEL and ELLIE POORMAN. Even though the Poormans did not attend, at least they got mentioned ......
-Jim Doig showed up for only the final banquet and look! - he was appointed to the Executive Committee!
-MARILYN GRASSEY objected to her name tag containing her childhood nickname of "Deuz" even though Dick has been submitting it every five years since our twentieth reunion.
-DOB BELCHER has agreed to join the Class Awards Committee
-HAL CONARRO and BOB SOKOLSKI maintained their special place in things reunion by delivering 300 Whirley frisbees with the'54 logo. While 300 appeared to be a little too many, PETE ANKENY's claim of 21 grandchildren leveled the field. Dick Page had suggested that they made wonderful plant trays and the previously mentioned anonymous '54 imagined a deep, very broad Martini within their confines. Diffi [1]écult to drink, but after the first one .......
-In addition to the Hood Museum display of artwork by '54s and their spouses, two of the museum's directors assembled an audio/visual presentation of the donations by KENT KLINEMAN, JOHN FENN, BOB LEVINE and TOM HARRINGTON. '54 interns were also featured, including BRYCE and SUE BASTIAN's daughter, MARIBEL BASTIAN SANDOSKI '96.
-HAP WINSLOW sent a wonderful post-reunion letter. After the memorial service, he had encountered Dick Steinberg with a huge photo of the Tuck class of '55 graduation. A crowd soon gathered, attempting to put names with faces. Hap was given the assignment of taking a list down Tuck Drive and getting copies for the reunion attendees. My copy arrived, carefully rolled, wrapped in an empty Irish whiskey carton. Hap is very hard of hearing and travels with "assisted hearing" equipment - basically mike/transmitters. At the "Choices Made" discussion, he hung the mike on his buddy, Dan McCarthy and got the predominance of the words spoken. Hap and FITZIE both felt that they had enjoyed the 55th more than the 50th because of the opportunity to meet and kick it around with a number of '54s they had not known 55 years ago. Lastly, Hap proffered an apology for talking too much - a common trait of folks with hearing impairment. He thanks all for their forbearance. Nothing has changed about Hap Winslow.
-Don Berlin proudly announced:
-the Class of 1954 raised $584,039 for our reunion gift, beating our
goal of $550,000.
-the gift was the
third largest amount ever raised for a
55th reunion.
-another record was our 86%
participation - highest for 55th reunions.
-a CLASS OF 1954 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP was established
with the contributions of 23 Class widows.
-additional scholarships were named for the '54s who endowed
them and the Class established ten scholarships to be known
as: CLASS OF 1954 SCHOLARSHIPS
-Don and Rick Hartman thanked the entire Class for making the results happen
and wished Shelly Woolf good fortune during his upcoming five years as Head
Agent
Page and Fenn disagree on the location of the men's room while the Barkers tend to business
-Editor's Note: I, like several other Classmates, was unable
to attend the reunion because of my wife's health. Therefore,
everything
that appears above is hearsay and should be
treated as such. On the other hand,
everything in
all newsletters (except when I write about myself) is
hearsay --
so please disregard this Editor's Note.
According to Peter Kenyon, our Class contribution the the Athletics Department made possible a recruiting trip to Hanover for one Austin Goldberg of Lake Bluff, IL. Austin is a topnotch sprinter and an early decision candidate for the class of 2013. Coach Barry Harwick is delighted.
BOB ADNOPOZ, chairman of the Class Awards Committee has put forth his annual request for nominees for the honor of receiving the award. While there is no formal list of qualifications for nomination, the following list of '54s who have been named should provide a general idea. Please send nominations to Bob at radnopoz@dowcondon.com or 1085 Ridge Road, Hamden, CT 06517, or, better, call him at (203) 248-6176.
DARTMOUTH CLASS OF 1954 AWARD
RECIPIENTS
BOB ADNOPOZ JOHN GILLESPIE CHARLIE MORRISON
FRED ALPERT JERRY GOLDSTEIN STEVE MULLINS
PETE ANKENY GEORGE GRABOYS DICK PAGE
DICK BARKER LYON GREENBERG SEAVER PETERS
PETE BARKER RICK HARTMAN JOHN POPE
DON BELCHER JOHN HESTON HARRY ROBINSON
BOB BERRY HERB HILLMAN ROD ROCKEFELLER
DON BERLIN TOM KELSEY TOM SAYLES
PETE BULLIS PETER KENYON GEORGE SHAW
LO-YI CHAN KENT KLINEMAN JOHN STEEL
JAY CHANDLER BOB LEVINE DICK STEINBERG
BOB CLEMENTS DAVE LEVINE KEV SULLIVAN
JOHN CUNNINGHAM
DICK LEWIS TOM TYLER
DICK DANFORTH DAVE MANDELBAUM NORM VEASEY
JAY DAVIS BILL MANSFIELD GEORGE VOSS
DON DESCOMBES DAVE MARTIN BILL WHITE
RALPH DESTINO DAN MCCARTHY BOB WOODBERRY
JOHN FENN DAVE MCLAUGHLIN SHELLY WOOLF
PETE GEITHNER JOHN MOORE
(in memory of Dick Danforth's humor, note that there are
an equal number of Dicks and Peters)
From DON SIMONDS:
My friend asked me "watcha doin' today?"
I said "Nothing.:
She said "You did that yesterday ...."
I said "I wasn't finished ......"
STEVE MULLINS and JAY DAVIS lost no time in jumping into the mini-reunion job. They have already put into our hands a news letter announcing the Homecoming Weekend (October 23-24) with convivial meetings, meals, a ball game, a parade and fellowship. They did an admirable job of trimming the originally quoted costs. Additionally, our East Coast traditional holiday gatherings are set - December 3 in New York and December 10 in Weston, MA. Details to follow. The party's never over.
TONY KANE has again arranged to deny the NYC Elis the A-table at the Yale Club dining room with monthly '54 luncheons beginning September 1. Looks like the first one may draw up to ten '54s. For those within comfortable travel distances from NYC, it is truly worth the effort to join with Classmates and test credulity with outrageous stories!
A post-reunion report from STEVE M. worth telling in full: "While traveling down the East Coast from Hanover after our reunion, CAROL and I spent an afternoon and evening with BILL and ELAINE PRYOR. Bill has had a distinguished career as well as participating in Dartmouth events outside the Class. His working life included both private and corporate law practice, Justice on a Lower Court in the DC area, Justice on the District of Columbia of Appeals and finally, Chief Justice of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, which in itself is very unique in the areas of Justice it serves. Retired at 70, Bill still serves as a Senior Justice on that court (which means he is still working 4 days a week). He also serves as a private mediator and teaches at Georgetown School of Law. He has received numerous honors, including one from the Dartmouth Club of Maryland. He is a continuing member of the Dartmouth Lawyers Alumni Association and has participated in several panels in Hanover. One of his sons played football and graduated from Dartmouth.
"Bill gave us an extended guided tour of the DC Court of Appeals building, a spectacular rehab of an early 19th century building that served as DC's first courthouse. We had a great time reminiscing over dinner about times spent together in the Army at Aberdeen Proving Grounds more than 50 years ago, including two of my most vivid memories: not being able to socialize together in local establishments outside the Army camp because of his color and it being below the Mason-Dixon line; and Thanksgiving dinner at his - then fiance - Elaine's house and the stories about her father who was the Chief Greeter at the White House under five Presidents. An extraordinary visit!"
Cape-Codders Barker and Page forwarded an article from the Cape Cod Times from August 9th entitled "Meet the Geithners". Highlighted with a huge color photo of PETER and DEBORAH, there was also an insert of son Tim in the company of President Obama. The theme of "home has always been the Cape" was surrounded by stories of the influence of the family's global life experiences due to Peter's assignments with the UN Agency for Development and the Ford Foundation. Uncle JONATHAN MOORE also merited some mention due to his ambassadorship to the United Nations. In the midst of all this Geithnerism came the New York Times crossword puzzle of August 17. 20-Across was a 3-letter word with the definition: "Treasury Secretary Geithner". Now, being a member of the President's Cabinet is certainly notable, but the Times crossword puzzle! That's something to tell your grandkids about!
Staying with the family theme, not only was DON BERLIN elected president of our Class for the next five years, but, also at reunions, son Geoff '84 was elected to his class's presidency and son Eric was named vice president of the class of 1989. While some might use the word "dynasty" in dealing with this situation, others suspect something a bit more sinister - a cabal! Classmates are invited to venture thoughts about how power could be wielded with the capture of significant posts in three significant classes. The Berlin Sanction? Ich Bin Ein Berliner? What Makes the Berlins Run?
Geoff Berlin
'84, Don Berlin '54 and Eric Berlin '89
I have been accumulating a file related to our freshman English reading. I have a marvelous notice of the passing of the wife of Aldous Huxley (Brave New World) mentioning that she used to splash hot water on Aldous in his later years in order to catch his attention. The latest is the extensive coverage of the death of Budd Schulberg (What Makes Sammy Run?). Mr. Schulberg gained his greatest fame for his writing of the screenplay for the Academy Award-winning On the Waterfront. In 1939, he teamed with F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hanover for a drunken weekend, writing the script for the comedy Winter Carnival. A Dartmouth graduate, Schulberg was once quoted as saying: "As a boxing writer, I'd rank myself as one of the best, maybe just below Damon Runyon. I think what has helped me achieve success is the fact that I have always been a realist - I have always paid attention to details, always observed very carefully what was going on and tried to capture things as they actually happened. I think I did that best with On The Waterfront." Gail and I encountered him at a "Dartmouth in Hollywood" evening at Lincoln Center where his primary concern was whether there would be any food left by the time he and his wife got to the buffet table.
Much has been written about the productive work being done by the Special Projects Committee in selecting interns whom we support with our contributions. At their Boston meeting, TONY KANE reported that this year's internships would be named after the following Classmates (supporting organizations in parentheses):
(Dickey) - MILTON S. KRAMER (Tucker) - ROY R. COFFIN
(Rockefeller) - WILLIAM H. TIBBITS (DPCS) -THOMAS Q. KONG
The committee: Moore, Trowbridge, Kenyon, McCarthy, Kane
WALT and ELLIE ANDERSON have abandoned the Luddite teachings and leadership of JOE MESICS by acquiring an email address. They can be reached at kasander33@TDS.net at their home in New London, NH.
BILL and MILLIE MAYBERRY have moved into an independent living lodge near their home in Canada. Their new address is #217 950 14th St. South, Lethbridge AB, T14 Canada. Millie suffered a stroke, but with less demanding quarters, Bill reports that "we are getting along fine and I am glad the College is too." For a far-ranging story of a clergyman serving congregations in six locations, spanning Canada and including the island of Jamaica, take a look at the Mayberry write-up in More Reflections.
In similar fashion, BETTY DESCOMBES has moved into a cottage in a retirement community in Claremont, CA where she and DEKE had lived for 40 years. New address: 912 West Harrison, Claremont, CA 91711. She wished us all a happy reunion.
From JERRY EVANS: "For the second year in a row, Dartmouth crews won an invitation to the Intercollegiate Rowing Association's championship regatta and this year, the regatta was held on the West Coast at Lake Nacoma near Sacramento, CA. Unfortunately, someone dropped the ball and the word did not get out to California alums, so there was only a handful of us to cheer for the Green, a couple of parents and a few aging oarsmen. For the most part, Dartmouth did not do well in the three days of races against the likes of Cal, Harvard, Princeton and Washington. But the varsity crew made it all worthwhile in their second race, the repechage, for a place in the petite final. Rowing the body of of the race at a muscle-burning 37-38 strokes per minute, the Green won in a very fast time, a time that would have put them in the middle of the pack in the grand final. The seniors, by the way, took a three-hour final exam somewhere in the middle of all this. . . . .This aging oarsman continues to row and expects to enter his single scull (known as 'Molasses') in the Southwest Regional Masters race in July on Oakland's Lake Merritt. i also continue to peddle tribal art - Native American baskets primarily - from my home at Lake Tahoe and to muck about in local civic affairs.
DICK BARKER, along with several other '54s, attended the memorial service for JOIE KELLER, wife of DON KELLER. In a most thoughtful way, Joie had decreed that there would be no long faces and sadness following her own service and stipulated that there would be an old-fashioned barbecue. Dick said that, at the barbecue, each family member was given a small triangular box. On a signal, the boxes were opened simultaneously and Monarch butterflies flew out! Sounded like a most touching sendoff for Joie which was a combination Norse ritual and New Orleans Dixieland parade. The "joy" of life blended with natural sadness.
Rankings - Dartmouth has ranged from 98th to 2nd in the country, depending on the category and the poll you care to read. Tuck, however, came in SECOND to Stanford and one ahead of Harvard, based on "return on investment." Stand tall, Tuckies!
Being a Washington area bachelor with a broad interest in the arts gives DON SIMONDS the advantage of indulgence/immersion in those activities which catch his interest. In the last season, here are just a few of the bright spots from his schedule: seeing Stacy Keach in a held-over performance as King Lear at the Shakespeare Theatre; hearing Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars in a rock concert; "Ion", a contemporary adaptation of Euripides; and Noel Coward's Design for Living. Don finds himself in performance halls three to eight times per month. In the world of art, he took in paintings from the Great Depression on display at the National Museum of Art . This art was produced under the auspices of the government-sponsored Public Works of Art Program. Wonder if the current administration is considering similar funded projects... The last stop was the National Geographic Society for an exhibit of Kodachrome photos taken in Europe in the 50s and 60s. Don swears by the "extraordinarily vibrant colors which are typical of Kodachrome film. During his C.I.A. assignments in Southeast Asia, he took over 3500 pictures using the film. With the advent of cyberphotography, the beauty of Kodak's product is now in the annals of time. Obviously, Don is the go-to man if you are planning a trip to the Washington area.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IN MEMORIAM
John Musa died on April 25 in Morristown, NJ.
He was a superstar at Farmingdale High School out on New York's Long Island. Not only was he elected president of the student body, he also edited the school paper, participated in dramatics, band, cross country and the track team. The National Honor Society recognized his academic standing. In Hanover his roommate in Topliff was SKIP CARY, who had similar academic credentials, but was more into golf and skiing.
John enjoyed Dartmouth the way most of us did, seeking out activities and organizations that appealed to him: the Ledyard Canoe Club, DCU, WDBS and Phi Sigma Kappa. Academically, he excelled, winning a Phi Beta Kappa Key while moving through the 3/2 program at the Thayer School where he earned a Master's degree in electrical engineering. His campus NROTC studies placed him on an aircraft carrier for a fulfilling three-year tour. After mustering out, he "roughed around Europe" for six months, then settled down ans joined Bell Laboratories.
Like many Thayer grads, John got in on the ground floor of the computer revolution and built a solid reputation in Software Reliability. His book on the subject was described as "one of [1]ª the sixty most important computing books of all time." His numerous accomplishments were recognized by his election as an IEEE Fellow in 1986, constant listing in Who's Who volumes and being named the "leading contributor to testing technology" in 1992. Retirement from Bell Labs did not slow him down and he obviously reveled in his area of expertise.
John met Marilyn during his Navy time. She holds a doctorate in School Psychology and maintains a private practice in the subject. Both John and Marilyn enjoyed their Francophilia, speaking fluent French and being ardent partakers of fine wine and food.
A book has been placed in Baker Library in John's memory.
John Heston, Peter Kenyon, Judy McLaughlin,
a gorgeous spouse and Ron Gold