Class News

Chris Getman '64 to Receive Bush '48 2011 Leadership Award at Blue Leadership Ball

Yale news release
September 8, 2011

NEW HAVEN, CT. — The Yale Athletic Department has announced the 2011 recipients of the George H. W. Bush '48 Lifetime of Leadership Award. The class of 2011 Bush Award winners include Harris Ashton '54, Benjamin Balme '61, Nancy Cahill '79, Donald Dell '60, and Christopher Getman '64. In addition, the late Jack Embersits ‘58 will receive a special Bush award. The honorees are recognized at the gala Blue Leadership Ball held at the William K. Lanman Center inside Payne Whitney Gym on Friday, Nov. 18, the night before the 128th edition of the Yale-Harvard football game. This is the sixth biennial Blue Leadership Ball, which brings together more than 700 alumni and friends of Yale Athletics.

Getman, who has been the keeper of the Yale mascot Handsome Dan for nearly 25 years, is president of the New Haven-based Soundview Capital Management Corporation, an investment management firm. He played baseball at Yale and later served as an assistant football coach. In 1971, he joined White Weld & Co., which eventually merged with Merrill Lynch. At Merrill Lynch, he served as a first vice president and was elected to the Chairman's Club, which was then the firm's highest recognition club. Getman has been very active in the New Haven community. He received an Elm Award from the mayor of New Haven and president of Yale in 1992 and was awarded a Yale medal in 1999. He recently served as president of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and the Mory's Association. In addition, he serves as chairman of the Alexis deToqueville division of the United Way of Greater New Haven, and he and his wife were presented with the "Touch a Life Award" in 2002. Getman has been a president of the Yale Baseball Association and the director of the Yale Hockey Association.