Class News
1964 Class Council, 25 members strong, meets at SOM
February 8, 2020
Introduction
Twenty-four 1964 Class Council members met for their annual meeting in Evans Hall at the Yale School of Management on Saturday, February 8, 2020. This strong turnout was more notable given the absence of 3 “regulars” due to infirmity and weather. We had three new Council members in attendance: Steve Hoffmann, Bill Morse, and Robert Whitby. Fifteen states were represented; Joe Wishcamper (aka “Bear Face”) calculated there were 1,860 years at the table. Some of the meeting topics are reported separately, but you can connect to them via the links provided.
Evans Hall
This is the first time that our Class Council meeting has been held in Evans Hall at SOM, named after our departed classmate, Ned Evans. It was a stunning venue, with state-of-the-art audio-visual features. During our lunch break, an SOM operations person was kind enough to give us a tour of the entire building. Thank you, SOM Dean Kerwin Charles! A number of classmates asked if SOM was still accepting applications!
Treasurer’s Report
Chip Brennan, Class Treasurer, circulated the 2020 financial report which showed our financial balance to be in good shape after the deduction for the 55th Reunion subsidy. Thanks, Chip, for your years of service in this role! And, thank you to all dues-paying classmates.
Free 60th Reunion
With assistance from Terry Holcombe, Edward Massey, and Chip Brennan, we reviewed a proposal to make our 60th Reunion in 2024 free to all classmates (as the Class of 1963 has done). The collective judgment was that the estimated cost to make the reunion totally free to all classmates is too great to undertake a fund-raising effort. The Council did commit to:
- Subsidizing the cost of the 60th Reunion by at least 50% for all classmates
- Making a strong outreach to classmates for whom the cost of reunion fees and housing is a barrier, in order to make them aware that financial assistance packages are available on a totally confidential basis.
At our 55th Reunion, the Class provided financial assistance on a confidential basis to 15 classmates and 10 surviving spouses. As the 60th Reunion approaches, please contact Jennifer Julier at YAA, totally confidentially, to discuss assistance.
Class Contributions
As we have done in prior years, the Class Council again voted to contribute financial support to two Yale-affiliated New Haven organizations: Urban Resources Initiative (URI) and Squash Haven. Chris Getman is our liaison to URI and Jon McBride is our liaison to Squash Haven. During the meeting, the Council viewed a presentation by our 2019 URI Summer Intern posted on the Class website.
Alumni Fund Report
Ward Wickwire, Chair of Class Agents, reported on the mid-fiscal-year status of YAF contributions. Both participation and contributions are on track against goals. This year, YAF launched a new online portal (branded GiveCampus) that greatly facilitates the fund-raising effort. Thanks to all classmates who contribute to YAF and especially to Class Agents who communicate with classmates on this important effort. If you would like to become a Class Agent, please contact Ward Wickwire.
55th Reunion Post-Mortem
Benefiting from the leadership of Tony Lee and Jon McBride, the Council reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of our 55th Reunion last May. The Class programming — Opening Panel, Kaleidoscope of Passions, Conversations, and Authors Table — was applauded for its outreach and participation. The one area of weakness (the liability of 100-year-old facilities) was elevator and restroom access. Also, the audio system in the Law School auditorium was felt to be very poor, and Jennifer Julier said that they would no longer use that auditorium for reunions.
YAA Assembly and Convocation Report
Though he was unable to attend the meeting, Don Edwards, our Class Delegate to YAA, submitted his written report on the November 2019 Assembly and Convocation. Don’s three-year term expired this year, and we thank him very much for his conscientious service in this role. The Class Council unanimously endorsed Bill Morse as our new YAA Class Delegate for a three-year term.
Mory’s Memorial Bricks
As many classmates are aware, we have a program for dedicating memorial bricks for departed classmates on the Mory’s exterior patio. Chris Getman has managed this effort since its inception, and we thank him. To date, 224 departed classmates have been so honored, and 177 classmates have donated bricks plus some anonymous donations. Going forward, the number of potential donors will be decreasing, while the number of departed classmates will be increasing. Nevertheless, the Class Council resolved that we will honor every departed classmate until the last. If you would like to donate to the Memorial Brick Fund, please see the instructions on the Website.
Ideas for Mini-Reunions
The Class Council discussed ideas for regional mini-reunions, as we have had in the past. Robert Whitby and Chris Getman volunteered to plan a mini-reunion in New York City in the Spring of 2021. The early concept is to hold it at an art museum. Howard Gillette and Tony Lavely volunteered to plan a mini-reunion in Atlanta to focus on the history of Civil Rights. Watch for details on these two events in the future. If you would like to get involved in planning either of these two events or to plan a mini-reunion in your area, please contact Tony Lavely.
Class Website Report
Sam Francis gave an overview of the Class website, and Tony Lavely encouraged Council members to visit it regularly and circulate items of interest to other classmates. Sam Francis and Tony Lavely made a presentation to other Yale Class Officers at the YAA Assembly in November which was well-received by other classes.
Commendation of Yale Campus Police Officer
The Council invited Yale Campus Officer Tristan Kiekel to the meeting and named her a 1964 Honorary Classmate. You can read about her distinguished service here and view the commendation here.
Panel of Yale Students from the William F. Buckley, Jr., Program
As we have done for many years, the Council invited a panel of students to meet with us and discuss their campus experiences. Terry Holcombe, who is on the Board of the WFBjr Program, introduced our guests this year. You can read the report here.
Events surrounding our Council Meeting
On the Friday night before our Council meeting, we met at Mory’s in the Captains’ Room for dinner and then went to the Yale men’s hockey game against Quinnipiac. On Saturday night following the meeting, we had dinner next door at the New Haven Lawn Club where Officer Kiekel and a fellow officer were our guests. From there, we went to Ingalls Rink for the men’s hockey game against Princeton. All social expenses and travel expenses are paid by Council members.
Lavely note: Inspired by the great work that Terry Holcombe and Marya have been doing for Sunrise Café, an organization that serves hot breakfasts to homeless and hungry people in New Haven, I flew in a day early, so I could join them on Friday morning. Ted Jones and Edward Massey have done this on earlier occasions. Read more about the organization and experience here.