Class Events
Our 50th Reunion was a great success!
Our 50th Reunion took place from May 28 through June 1, 2014. In all, 401 classmates and widows attended the reunion (see the list), which was preceded by a golf outing at the Course at Yale with 46 golfers.
In the words of Pete Putzel, principal reunion chair: "I realized each day of the reunion the blessings that our classmates have brought to my own life. I renewed deep bonds with an incredible number of dear friends and, just as important, I connected with an amazing number of people whom I had only known slightly in college — or not at all — who will be good friends for life. Of course, that is what reunions are all about."
On This Page
- 50th Reunion Photo Album
- 50th Reunion Overview
- 50th Reunion Program
- 50th Reunion Survey Results
- 50th Reunion Communications (letters and emails)
- Recommended 50th Reunion Reading
- Venues for the 50th
- A Movie from the Reunion in 1969 (our 5th)
- "A Kaleidoscope of Passions"
- Cavett on Yale Reunions
- Parlato '64 on Reunions
- Gillette on 50th Reunions
The 50th Reunion Photo Album
Below is a video featuring reunion photos from classmates, displayed with no editorial selection, cropping, or retouching, and in no particular order.
The background music is from the original vinyl album by our 1964 Whiffenpoofs.
To enlarge the video to full screen, click the "Full screen" icon at the extreme lower-right corner.
To download all the photos in a PDF file, click here.
50th Reunion Overview
Dates
Our 50th Reunion took place from May 28 through June 1, 2014. These dates included the pre-reunion golf outing on May 28 as well as the reunion itself from May 29 through June 1.
Extra Class Books
There are a few extra copies of our reunion class book "Yale 1964: The Class at 50." If you would like one for your family or someone special, send a check for $30 payable to Yale University to our class-book editor:
Lawrence M. Crutcher
2608 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
50th Reunion Program
Here is the day-by-day and hour-by-hour program of the reunion. For more details on any of these events, see a more expansive description of each event on the Yale website.
Wednesday, May 28
Thursday, May 29
Friday, May 30
Saturday, May 31
Sunday, June 1
Below is a graphical representation of the reunion program. Click here for a larger, more legible, and printable version.
50th Reunion Survey Results
See the complete classmate survey results, as well as the survey of wives and partners, but as a teaser, here are some sample classmate results.
- Satisfied with yourself?
- Yes: 53%
- More or less: 45%
- Not very much: 3%
- Happy?
- Greatly: 78%
- Sometimes: 22%
- Rarely: 0.5%
- Sexual orientation
- Straight: 98%
- Other: 2%
- Divorced?
- Yes: 40%
- No: 60%
- Children graduated from Yale?
- None: 73%
- At least one: 27%
- Believe in God?
- Yes: 42%
- No: 37%
- Not sure: 21%
- Advanced degree
- Masters: 30%
- MBA: 24%
- PhD: 22%
- Law: 27%
- MD: 14%
- Military service
- None: 62%
- Active duty: 30%
- Reserves: 14%
- Generally healthy?
- Yes: 91%
- No: 9%
- How many times married
- Once: 61%
- Twice: 30%
- More: 9%
- Retired?
- Fully: 43%
- Partially: 32%
- No: 25%
- Worry about aging?
- Yes: 41%
- No: 59%
- Political party
- Democrat: 53%
- Republican: 22%
- Independent: 21%
- Other: 5%
- Political leanings since 1964
- More liberal: 65%
- More conservative: 35%
- 2012 vote for president
- Obama: 70%
- Romney: 27%
- Other: 3%
- Best president since 1960
- Clinton: 30%
- Reagan: 28%
- Obama: 13%
- Johnson: 12%
- Kennedy: 7%
- Bush #1: 6%
- Carter: 3%
- Ford: 2%
- Bush #2: 1%
- Nixon: 0%
50th Reunion Communications
- Email to distribute Class Book Supplement (12/5/14)
- Email to prompt continuing Reunion momentum (10/17/14)
- Email offering overstocked ties for sale (9/23/14)
- Email with final deadline for tie orders (6/5/14)
- Email asking for photos taken at the reunion (5/27/14)
- Email follow-up regarding Class ties for sale (5/25/14)
- Email with final reunion details (5/22/14)
- Email offering Class ties for sale (5/16/14)
- Email to those who pre-registered but haven't registered (5/1/14)
- Email to those who submitted essays but haven't registered (4/30/14)
- Email describing the Friday program (4/29/14)
- Email describing the Thursday program (4/22/14)
- Email extending the early-bird deadline (4/1/14)
- Email describing pre-reunion events (3/24/14)
- Email with FAQs (3/17/14)
- Letter with registration information and an informational booklet (3/14)
- Email with an overview of reunion events (1/19/14)
- Letter to Class authors and artists regarding reunion exhibits (12/13)
- Email regarding making a Class gift from an IRA (12/11/13)
- Email with hotel discount codes (12/4/13)
- Letter prompting classmates to make hotel reservations (11/13)
- Email prompting classmates to make hotel reservations (11/18/13)
- Email describing how to update your class book profile online (7/26/13)
- Letter with details about the reunion class book (5/13)
- Letter introducing the reunion (3/22/13)
Recommended 50th Reunion Reading
Stephen Greenblatt, our classmate who won the National Book Award for The Swerve, was a featured speaker at our 50th Reunion on the topic "Aging and King Lear." Asked to suggest background reading, Stephen wrote: "If there are really any gluttons for reading out there, I could recommend an essay by the British philosopher, Bernard Williams, from his book The Problems of the Self. It is called 'The Makropulos Case: Reflections on the Tedium of Immortality.' I am not proposing to talk about the essay, but it has influenced my own thinking about the play and about life." Download it here.
Stephen also wrote: "The best annotated Lear that I know is my own (not surprisingly), in the Norton Shakespeare: Tragedies." Buy it here.
Another short piece of recommended reading is an article by Bob Kaiser published in The Washington Post and republished on this website. The title is "How Republicans lost their minds, Democrats lost their souls, and Washington lost its appeal."
It provides background for the reunion session moderated by Bob and involving Joe Lieberman and John Ashcroft.
Venues for the 50th
... included Evans Hall and Davenport College. See more about Evans Hall.
A Movie from the Reunion of 1969 (our 5th)
Richard Patterson and George McQuilkin, both of the Class of 1964, came to their (and our) 5th Reunion in 1969 with an idea which led to the documentary shown below, titled "Reunion." Read the back story by Richard, who recently re-edited the film. Were you there? Were you in the bar scene? Richard and George would welcome any comments you'd like to share regarding the film.
A Kaleidoscope of Passions
On the Saturday of our reunion, under the guidance of Ed Massey, 15 classmates made a variety of brief, incisive presentations on passions they have pursued during their lifetimes, from the arts and personal journeys to issues they find to be provocative. Each of these talks was limited to six minutes. Here's the list, in the order of presentation, plus an extra one added after the reunion. If the title is a link, you can see the presentation. Or see all of the presentations here.
- "Passion for Giving Back" (Paul Balser)
- "Sex in Cars" (Harvey Geiger)
- "A Much Postponed Revisit" (Mike Mazer)
- "Performing Anywhere, Anytime" (Don Leka)
- "A Peace of My Mind" (Roy Regozin)
- "In the Wake of My Ancestors" (Sam Low)
- "A Universe From Nothing" (Sam Francis)
- "Bow Hunting and Spiritual Connection" (Joe Wishcamper)
- "Why Music? Why Irish Music?" (William Morse)
- "Life Lessons for Grandchildren" (William Huhn)
- "Six and 1/2 Summits" (Robert Whitby)
- "Falling in Love with God" (David Brooks)
- "Human Rights in Business" (Sheldon Leader)
- "Why I Paint" (Per Wickstrom)
- "Living With A Celebrity" (Chris Getman)
- "Peace in Our Time" (William Gould)
Cavett on Yale Reunions
Dick Cavett '58 writes about attending a couple of his Yale reunions, as well as one of his high-school reunions. Read it here.
Parlato '64 on Reunions
Ron Parlato '64 writes about a high-school reunion and anticipates his Yale 50th. Read it here.
Gillette '64 on 50th Reunions
Howard Gillette '64 writes about upcoming 50th reunions at Amherst, Dartmouth, and Yale. Read it here.