MAY 2001

Either singly, in pairs or in organized groups, the Class of 1954 continues to hurtle through life and everything it has to offer at a pace that boggles the minds of those who, somehow, are not blessed with our thirst for adventure, new experiences and the pursuit of convivial pleasures. Thanks to the dedicated imagination and efforts of several ‘54s, it looks like the range of opportunity will not diminish. Keep your eye on this newsletter for dates and contacts and become a part of a growing enthusiasm for getting out with old and new friends.

Skiing outings in challenging venues have peppered the winter seasons and have become established as continuing means for reconnecting and for stretching muscles and tendons. The Aspen trip included JAY DAVIS, CLIFF EVANS, DICK GORSEY, TONY KANE, DANA LOW, STEARNS MARTIN, STEVE MULLINS, ART RAUCH, GEORGE SHAW and TOM TYLER. Steve cracked a rib - a real irritation for a world-class competitive swimmer. On the fourth day, Cliff Evan& altimeter showed a stunning 22,600 feet of downhill skiing accomplished. ANNE LOW and PAT STEARNS demonstrated that women athletes connected to Dartmouth were around well before the 1972 coedization of The Green. Couple of offspring and a random ‘53 also joined in. The now regular fishing trips to increasingly rough, tough environments have attracted more and more ‘54s who have realized they have the time and inclination.

Next was the BOB OSMOND spectacular golf extravaganza at The Plantation Inn, Crystal River, FL The late February, five—day congregation of Class golfers brought in 35 enthusiasts, including spouses! Tune—up lessons were available and JOHN POPE put together a non-confrontational competition that left everyone feeling that they had won. Thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere, cuisine and exercise were TOM and LIZ KELSEY, SHELLY and ELISABETH WOOLF, RICK and ANNE HARTMAN, PETE and LYNDA SCHENCK, MORT and JUDY GALPER, JOHN and JINNY POPE, DON and JOEY KELLER, JIM and JOAN TOFIAS, HARRY and SUE ROCKEFELLER, DON and BARBARA BERLIN, DICK and MARILYN GRASSEY, DICK and JANE PAGE, DICK and AUDREY LEWIS, BOB and PATTY OSMOND, BOB and KIT DEAN, BOB and FAY BERRY, BILL and DOT GARLAND, ALEX and MARY GRAY and GARY ZWART. Alex Gray has agreed to take on the leadership role next year.

Individually, we have Dana Low back out on the Appalachian Trail, solo-trekking another several hundred miles. PETE BARKER has moved toward the top of the 65-69 age group and has 8 track/field meets scheduled, leading into the National Senior Games in Baton Rouge, LA at the end of July. Just frying to breathe in Baton Rouge in July is strenuous enough! SUELLA STEEL has been ranked Number One in World ranking by the International Tennis Federation for women age 55. On May 20, she won the Women’s 60 National Hardcourt Championship, plus, was half of. the Doubles champs! Then the newsletter was able to confirm the first-place win by TED NOVASCONE and team at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in the La Quinta area of California. Ted’s notations on the results sheet indicate that one of his teammates, playing to an 18 handicap, had been granted the rating at a local Walmarts (Ted’s a 10). DEKE DESCOMBES and partners placed fourth at the Bermuda Dunes course during the fourth round, but couldn’t catch the leaders.

The grinning foursome below (PHIL CHRISTOPHE, ROLLIE HAYNES, DON KELLER and DICK LEWIS) attests to the joy of connecting with ‘54s. The quartet was about to embark on a round at the Country Club of Naples. Rolling into the 17th hole with Phil/Rollie two holes up, financial wizardry took over and last two holes were bet at a buck apiece. No money changed hands. In March, TOM and LIZ KELSEY were hosted during their month’s stay in Florida.

As you can see, the formula for happy longevity has not changed - stop smoking (the dozen of you ‘Ms who still do), eat right and exercise! The fourth piece is supplied by the Class of 1954 - in your head. Dump the stress - enjoy life with relived memories and the exploration of new things.

In a scathing review of the play "Design for Living", Ben Brantley, the theater critic for the New York Times, amongst his use of every dever negativism in the field of drama, inserted "and the indispensable JOHN CUNNINGHAM." "Design for Living" has disappeared, but John hasn’t.

JUDITH STEINBERG’s sculpture is on exhibit at The Studio in Armonk, NY. Husband DICK (he of the the new knee) is delighted with his wife’s venture into less weighty media (paper, cardboard) relative to potential shipping charges to distant locations. In addition to work from the early ‘90s in painted aluminum, Judith’s new work was entitled "Outside the Cut". MARILYN and BOB CLEMENTS were among those oo-ing and ahh-ing at the creative work.

JEAN and BOB ADNOPOZ journeyed down from the New Haven area and BARBARA and DON BERLIN ventured into New York from New Jersey to see PETE BARKER portray the Devil in a new New York play, ‘The Devil’s Departure". The thesis was that the Devil was leaving Earth early because of all the competition he was getting from the media, judiciary, lawyers, politicians, etc. The over-ambitious playwright is attempting to find a venue on Martha’s Vineyard for further presentations, then possibly to off-Broadway (at which point realistic actor Barker assumes that Kevin Spacey will be playing the role of the Devil).

A marvelously successful ‘54 trip to Gettysburg was conceived, organized and managed by Class VP, JAY DAVIS. Eleven couples and a bachelor thoroughly enjoyed the mix of history, good weather, comfortable accommodations and each other at The Battlefield B &z B. Post-mini analysis showed that a maximum of fifteen couples could be handled and Jay has tentatively tied down reservations for next year. Make sure to watch the ‘54 website for early news of a similar event in ‘02. Treading the fields of Civil War battles were: BARBARA and DON BERLIN, BETTY and JOHN HESTON, JANE and DICK PAGE, IRENE and BOB CLARK, PATTY and BOB OSMOND, SANDY and JOHN GILLESPIE, SHEILA and WAYNE WElL, CAROL and HARRY ROBINSON, JOAN and JOHN CROWE, GINNY and JOHN POPE, MARTHA and JAY DAVIS, BILL GROVER and the delightful Mary and Abe Lincoln.

BIRDIE and CHARLIE REED roam from their "Surf City" location in California on a regular basis. The most recent foray was a Lone Pine Trip on the lower Caribbean in the company of no ‘54s, but plenty of Greeners, including Yankee editor Jud Hale ‘55.

Turning on their ‘54 sonar, BARBARA and DICK BARKER toured theSouthwest and visited NANCY and LEW MILKEY in Phoenix, PHYLLIS and HUGH ROBERTS in Vegas and BETH and "Tucson TOMMY" THOMPSON in Tucson. Hugh reports being dragooned into vacuum cleaner duty when the Barkers called from a nearby service station.

In response to a Cape Cod invitation to "come over for a drink", Dick Barker received an email response from Jane and Dick Page reading: "We are in Warsaw on our way to Berlin and Prague - did you know that beer cost less than peanuts in Poland and Germany? Rain check?". Truly profound.

Now - on future travel - the Greek Isles trip May 8-18, 2002. This fantasy trip is the product of the imagination of Dick Page and Don Berlin. Athens, 7-day cruise, luxury ship, etc. The boat can accommodate 34 guests and 16 couples have already "expressed interest": Berlin, R. Page, Hartman, Gillespie, R. Lewis, H. Robinson, J. Davis, Adnopoz, Fenn, Low, D. Levine, R. Levine, D. McLaughlin, Ankeny, Grassey and D. Keller. If you are interested, get in touch with Dick or Don immediately to get on the list and to get details. Could be some dropouts. Don puts the initial cost estimate (exduding airfare) at around $3,300-$4,600 per person. A side trip is also a possible option.

Strict left to right Irene Clark, John Heston, Bob Clark, Betty Heston, Patty Osmond, Sheila and Wayne Weil, Jane Page, Don Berlin, Sandy Gillespie, Barbara Berlin, Jay Davis, Bob Osmond, Martha Davis, Dick Page

Homecoming - Oct. 19-20
Holiday lunch - Boston - Dec. 11- New York - Dec. 12

Aspen Skiing - Mar. 4-8, 2002
Vermont Skiing - TBA

Macho Fishing - TBA

Florida Golf - last weekend, Feb. 2002

Gettysburg – TBA

Greek Isles trip May 8-18, 2002

                 Email: Austerman - DjASCA@webtv.net

BOB MCCARTNEY, although he lives on a golf course, plays the game only three times a year. That’s because he’s involved in the Civil Air Patrol, Boy Scouts, the Dartmouth Club of the Plains, church and several other volunteer activities ("makes working for a living seem a better option for one’s sanity than retirement".) Having dawed the D. Club out of the dirt of Eastern Nebraska, the members are still waiting for a visit from a College luminary, team or organization. Bob spotted classmate JOHN PEMBERTON at a club party.

JOYCE and DOUG HOSKINS can find nothing at all wrong with the pleasures of retirement. Doug stepped away from the ownership of a mid-sized insurance agency four years ago. Travels include the US, Greece, W. Canada, Istanbul and Costa Rica.

He notes that our class notes in the Alumni Magazine have been slowly creeping toward the front of the listings. Now on email.

‘54 Class prexy, emeritus, JERRY GOLDSTEIN just survived an emergency perforated appendix incident. Things are back to normal. Both Jerry and DAVE MANDELBAUM noticed mention of JIM DOIG in a New York Times article about the 80th birthday of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Jim, a professor of politics at Princeton, opined in his new book that it remains to be seen if the two governors are willing to lessen their political use of the Authority in favor of a return to independence.

BOB WHITE: "Because of a shortfall in my retirement plan, I’ve gone back to work a little over 20 hours a week as a "front end packer" at a new supermarket. Started in seafood, but had difficulty memorizing 50 or so computer numbers from abalone to xiangbao, therefore my transfer to packaging. Interesting to link, or separate, a customer with or from her purchases; e.g., a Chinese woman who buys 4 brands of coffee and 5 packages of mahzohs. BOB RAFELSON has started a new family in CA, including a 14 month-old son named Ethan Otis!"

Ned Died in a tragic accident on March 26th. He leaves wife Elizabeth, two sons and three grandchildren. Part of the sizable New Trier group that came to Hanover in 1950, Ned brought athieticism, leadership and a bright personality to his new associations. A promising college football career was cut short by a cheap shot by an upperclassman in an inter-squad scrimmage. Later, he tried the innovations of the newly-introduced game of rugby. His election to the Vigilantes and subsequently to Casque and Gauntlet attested to his popularity and recognized accomplishments. Former roommates BOB ONEAL and DEKE DESCOMBES both remember his remarkable memory and related story-telling skills, his love of jazz and his dedicated friendship.

Following graduation from Tuck and service in the Air Force, Ned pursued a career in investment management - with LoomisSayles, a venture capital firm and ultimately with William Blair in Chicago. He served Dartmouth through enrollment activities and on our Class Executive Committee. SKIP WEYMOUTH remembers some fine golf games and a freshman vacation with Ned and Skip’s father and brother.

In his later years, he was bedeviled by health problems, but the spirit always shone through.

JOHN MILTON SULLIVAN

John was felled by heart attack during a spirited handball game and died within a few minutes last December 18. A remarkable man, he leaves wife BERNICE, nine children and six grandchildren. He came to us from Trenton, NJ and roomed with DEKE DESCOMBES ("jock from Denver") and ROB ORCHARD ("cowboy from Ten Sleep"). Deke describes John as a "wonderful roommate whom we saw only after Baker closed".

A Phi Sig and a DOC member, John took his Chemistry bachelor degree and pumped it up to a masters and a doctorate at the University of Michigan. In graduate school, he met classmate Bernice and after they married, he took on a teaching assignment at Eastern Michigan University that lasted until the time of his death. The children, now ranging in age from 26 to 42, live all over the country with only one or two in the vicinity of Ypsilanti.

JOHN FENN remembers John as "relatively soft-spoken, cordial and fairly serious with a dry wit and good sense of humor." His children, who called him "Pop", remember his ukelele-playing, joke-telling, athletic bent (which still included body-surfing). His academic associates were high in their praise for John’s unique capacity for drawing people together and nurturing a collegial spirit which worked to the benefit of both the faculty and the students. John gave back far more than he received.

Both men will be honored with memorial books in Baker Library.

Death notices have also been received for BILL DU1TON (January 2000), JAMES B. FISHER (October 2000), KEN PULLEY (April 25, 2001) and DICK ARMSTRONG (May 3, 2001), Details are currently being gathered on these classmates and will be reported in the next issue.