Class Notes

March/April 2024

Note: Classmates' names in gold font are links to a pre-addressed email form (if your browser is properly configured). Other links (underlined) take you to more information about the topic. A shorter version of these Notes is published in the Yale Alumni Magazine. If you would like to write a guest column, please let me know. Do we have your current email address in our website directory?

Happy New Year! The 2024 numerals make our 60th reunion year all the more real … only five months away. This may be the last issue of Class Notes (truncated) that you will see in YAM before our reunion. We hope you’ve preregistered for what will be our penultimate reunion (the 65th will be our last reunion together as a single class). Based on preregistrations in early January, this will be one of the best attended 60th reunions ever. We’re estimating about 190 classmates will attend with total attendance of over 300, including guests. Don’t miss out! If you haven’t pre-registered (there’s no obligation; it’s just to gauge intentions), go here and do it today. There you can also see the list of classmates who intend to attend. Check out your roommates, teammates, songsters, newsies, and other groupmates to see if they’re coming. Whether you’ve preregistered of not, the ”official” registration, where you will use a credit card, will come in March. But don’t wait until then to book a hotel room. The Yale block of local hotel rooms will be released via email on January 31!!! The information is also on this web page. In May, you’ll receive your 60th Reunion Book, a handsome four-color hardbound book, like our 50th Reunion Book, with over 300 classmate essays. (I know I’m sounding like an Infomercial.) You’ll be able to read what some of your classmates wrote about themselves before the reunion. This is the book that will eventually be on the shelves of your grandchildren.

Thanks go to Jerry Flannelly and the residential college captains who contacted classmates, Bill Galvin, the editor of the 60th Reunion Book, and Sam Francis who kept us all on our toes with contact data sheets and statistics. Special thanks to Jim Rogers who sent a generous check to enable surviving spouses to attend our 60th reunion at no charge. One of the sad aspects of this canvassing effort was that we learned about classmates’ deaths that had not been reported earlier through the Yale search engines. Those six earlier deaths are reported at the end of this column and have been added to our Class website’s In Memoriam section.

Our Class of 1964 robust schedule of get-togethers finished 2023 strongly. Ralph Jones organized a classmate luncheon at Mory’s on November 11 and has scheduled the next one for January 19. Mory’s was closed in December. Jerry Flannelly hosted Zoom calls for classmates in the Boston area on November 15 and December 20 and has scheduled the next one for January 17. Ted Wagner organized classmate luncheons at the Yale Club of NYC on November 15 and December 13 and has scheduled the next one for January 17. Owen O’Donnell hosted Zoom calls on November 8 and January 10. By all means, contact these classmates if you would like to join the luncheons or Zooms. Joe Wishcamper, who is a regular on the Boston-area and Bay-area Zoom calls, wrote: “It’s great to see momentum growing for the monthly Zooms and luncheons.” On January 25, we will have a Classmate Authors Zoom call, organized by Edward Massey, featuring Tom Cable and his book, A History of the English Language. Tom’s roommate, Herb Cook, will moderate this session. There is still time to preregister for this Book Club.

In December, Tony Lavely attended a Zoom webinar led by Matt Mendelsohn, who replaced David Swensen as Yale’s Chief Investment Officer. Tony Lavely also attended President Salovey’s Quarterly Zoom Update on December 7. Later, Peter graciously agreed to write an introductory message in our 60th Reunion Book. In their holiday card, Marta and Peter Salovey said, “Thank you for enriching our campus and our world.” Sam Francis, Pete Putzel, and Tony Lavely attended The Game on November 18 and enjoyed a thrilling finish that saw Yale capture the Ivy League title for the second year in a row.

Our annual Class Council meeting is scheduled for Saturday, February 3. It will focus on final arrangements for our 60th Reunion. Programming for our 60th Reunion continues to be developed, led by co-chairs John Evans and Ted Wagner. Our Class HQ will be in Timothy Dwight College, where our meals and socializing will take place. Most of our 1964 programming events will take place nearby in WLH Hall and the new Schwarzman Center. There will also be regular shuttles available to and from events in other campus locations and to and from local hotels. One new element being added is a Peace Corps reunion (within the reunion), organized by John Meigs. There are 25 living classmates who were in the Peace Corps. If you have teammates, singers, or any other groupmates you want to assemble at the reunion, let us know. Ward Wickwire is on the Reunion Planning Committee and wrote: “My thought is to see if Tim Snyder is available. He is a noted and much published professor in the History Department and at the Jackson School. Ukraine and Russia are his specialties — he and his family have spent much time in Eastern Europe. The topic could be Democracy vs Autocracy, which is of great relevance internationally as well as domestically in our politics.” Special thanks to Stephanie Hartnett who has been our YAA staff liaison for the past year since Jennifer Julier retired. Stephanie has provided consistently reliable support for our many Zoom calls and has done lots of heavy lifting in planning for our 60th reunion. Thank you, Stephanie. Our new YAA liaison is Janene Castaldi, who also covers the Yale classes of 1949-1978. Welcome, Janene. At the Yale Development Office, Angelina Stackpole took a leave to have her second daughter, Avery.

In News about classmates, we noted the following. In a recent issue of Yale Alumni Magazine, a number of classmates were listed as benefactors: Heather (Hood) Armstrong, Chip Brennan, Debra and Bob Bulkeley, and Lyn Hinojosa. Bob Buchanan wrote: “I'm pleased to share the news that, thanks to the support of more than 110 classmates, we surpassed our goal of collecting 60 gifts for the Alumni Fund between December 5 and December 31, raising more than $115,000 in new current-use support for Yale. In recognition of this achievement, I'm honored to name the ‘Class of 1964 60th Reunion Scholarship.’ The first recipient will be Sude Ulu, a first-year student and resident of Timothy Dwight College.” (more)

Tony Lee responded to the Class Council invitation with this: “Margie and I will be in New Haven Friday and Saturday nights and will leave on Sunday for five days of cross-country skiing and fat biking in Vermont. I think I can only squeeze one hockey game out of Margie, but we’ll find something to do on Saturday night. Chris Getman used to host a dinner at the Lawn Club, but sadly no more. Bill Woodfin, Jon Greene, Margie and I are conducting a Reunion Workshop ‘What you can do to fight climate change.’ It’ll be a compressed 40 -45 minutes of our standard ‘Can We Stop Climate Change?’ webinar plus 10-15 minutes of Q&A.” In January, Chas Freeman posted a YouTube video and preface from Salt Cube Analytics: “Today, we have the privilege of exploring the Israel-Palestine conflict through the lens of Ambassador Chas Freeman, a retired career diplomat whose contributions have reshaped global diplomacy. From his pivotal role as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs during the post-Cold War era to serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Ambassador Freeman's career spans continents and historic moments. His work in designing a NATO-centered European security system, reestablishing defense relations with China, and mediating key African conflicts has left an indelible mark on international relations. Join us as we delve into the extraordinary journey of Ambassador Chas Freeman, a diplomat par excellence.”

In early January, Gus Speth wrote: “Classmates, if possible, please join in this vital event February 6-8 in Washington D.C. … and help spread the word.” The Yale Development Office posted a Web Report to thank Sheldon Leader for underwiring two Yale College scholarships: “Supporting Leaders for a Better World.” Squash Haven has had another remarkable year empowering New Haven youth to strive for and maintain school success and physical wellness. Jon McBride shared Squash Haven’s Director Julie Greenwood’s note of gratitude for our support: “It has been an outstanding year for Squash Haven’s wonderful students, including a record five who are now at Yale.” Julie will share more details at our Class Council meeting in February. In her holiday greeting, Julie Greenwood wrote: “Tony, you are a brave man to move further north, but it sounds like you are embracing the change. See you at the Council meeting in February.” In more general news, classmates may be interested to read the New Haven Register article, “NYT names New Haven among the 52 places around the world to visit in 2023.” A far cry from its reputation in the 1960s, eh? Colleen Murphy-Dunning sent a holiday message and thanked our Class for its support of summer interns at Urban Resources Initiative (URI). Pete Putzel has stepped in to replace Chris Getman as liaison to URI.

In this section, we report what classmates are doing and writing about. It’s not included in the YAM version because of the publisher’s word limits (800) for our class size. We begin with the Ns.

Dana and Dick Niglio (who are now Lavely’s neighbors in Minnesota) had a holiday dinner with Nancy and Tony Lavely; these occasions are always walks down memory lane. At their recent dinner, they reminisced about their teammate, Lyn Hinojosa, and their ride together in a police car to the ER. Regrettably, Lyn is unable to attend our 60th reunion. The Niglios will be at our 60th reunion. Dana Wood and Dick Niglio showed off their beautiful grandchildren on their holiday card and wrote: “We’re looking forward to a trip to Turks and Caicos this winter.” Owen O’Donnell, who keeps the Northern California group together with monthly Zooms, usually proposes a discussion theme. In November, the theme was, “Our planet seems to be dissolving into chaos with hate on the rise everywhere. I’m worried that it’s only going to get worse. Do you agree with me, or do you see some hope that this chaos will begin to dissipate?” In January, the theme was, “What are your three practical ideas to make life easier?” In their holiday card, Melissa and Martin Padley (who in 2012 were the oldest couple in our class to get married) included 2023 travel photos and wrote, “Happy New Year to the newlyweds!” Ron Parlato, one of our prolific bloggers, emailed, “A friend of mine who had his 60th reunion last year at another of our sister Ivy League haunts wrote me: ‘It was a bit ironic to see these codgers elbowing for a place in line to discuss topics only understood by younger men; but they wanted to give it a go — one last go, for this would undoubtedly be their last reunion and chance to show what they were worth.’ He wormed his way into my head.” Dan Pollack kicked off the New Year by commenting on Tony Lavely’s post “Be Optimistic,” by saying, “Optimism is great only if backed up by action!” Later, Dan posted, “Since we’re all reminiscing, I want to send along my favorite song about life and memories: ‘The Times of Your Life,’ written originally for an Eastman Kodak commercial and sung by Paul Anka. Remember when we used Kodak film in our cameras?” Later, Dan posted, “Our grandson, Luke, officially joins the Iowa football team in January, praying that he isn’t in over his head.” In December, Nancy Pollack posted, “Leave it to Danny to make my 80th birthday more celebratory with a mini bubble machine. Definitely a big hit at dessert time!” Dan concluded, “Nancy and I will arrive in New Haven for the reunion on May 22.

Pete Putzel reacted to a post Tony Lavely made after seeing the movie Boys in the Boat, “If you go to YouTube, you can watch the extraordinary video on the actual 1936 Olympic rowing final.” It seems like Tony Lavely is following Pete Putzel’s cruise trail. Nancy and Tony Lavely were signed up for a cruise down the Nile but changed to a safari (Ultimate Africa) in September 2024 when the Middle East blew up in October. The Putzels have done both tours with the same tour company, an endorsement that gave Tony confidence. Al Rossiter answered a question Tony Lavely asked in September: “I am no longer working in the prison (I stopped because of COVID), but I have replaced the prison with teaching an ESL (English as a Second Language, now called ELL, English Language Learning). Very satisfying work. I have students from South Korea, Albania, Japan, Turkey, Iran, Egypt. China — a bunch of wonderful young adults eager to learn English. I even have a woman from Kiev here in the U.S. with two small children and a husband back in Ukraine, who is not allowed to leave. I have a new respect for those trying to learn the idioms, vocabulary, and expressions of a language which is not native to them. I did read and delight in the YAM article about the Yale faculty volunteering in the prison. What a gift for those incarcerated men.”

Several classmates commented on the movie Oppenheimer. Rick Salomon said, “The movie is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, American Prometheus. It’s very good. So is Making of the Atomic Bomb. Terrific recounting of the science and the geopolitics.” Later, Rick posted, “A surgical strike with Laura at Art Basel in Miami. A fun and fascinating few hours of art (both fine and funky) and oh-so-fashionable people watching. Plus, we ran into a few friends and learned a few things about the brave new world of digital art.”

When I asked Gerry Shea to write a personal essay for the Reunion Book, he emailed: “Here it is. I’m traveling in Palm Beach, but I don’t have my ID to get into the site. But sending it to you to (sort of) be on time. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Nancy! I remain overwhelmed by my wife’s death, now well over a year ago. Feeling sometimes that I will meet her for the first time, around a corner, in someone’s house, on a train, at a party or concert, looking forward to our marriage, our children, and our life together. I admit to myself that I’m on the other side of that life, and that she will never be again. The loneliness of the time before we met comes back twofold, fourfold, tenfold. I call out Claire’s name, kiss her pillow, and ask her where she is. I answer for her. Je suis là, Gérald, je suis là, et je t’aime. Then I cry, clinging to a desperate hope that, at least for a time, at least in some form, she lives on in me. Until the loneliness pays its next visit.”

For the New Year, Mike Sherwood, a regular on the Bay-area Zooms, posted a beloved Dr. Seuss poem: “I cannot see / I cannot pee / I cannot chew / I cannot screw / Oh my God what can I do?” Ron Sipherd, who regularly posts his photos of Bay-area environs on his blog, commented on the new Michael Lewis book, Going Infinite. (Patrick Caviness interjected: “Do you think history will look back and regard cryptocurrency as the great scam of this era?”) Ron said: “I don’t think it was cryptocurrency, per se, but the opportunity it offered for manipulation and fraud. I worked at the Federal Home Loan Bank before and during the Sandi crisis and afterwards at the Federal Reserve, so I had a ringside seat. Deregulation of the industry was itself largely neutral IMHO, but it provided gargantuan pitfalls for the naïve and created openings for the crooked.” On a more pleasant topic, Ron Sipherd posted in January: “January is frankly not the best month for flowers around here (not complaining; at least we don’t have to cope with snow). But these ceanothus buds in our front yard show there is hope for the future.” I had some great phone conversations with Paul Steiger, as he wrote his personal essay for the Reunion Book. At first, there were the excuses: “Tony, a new cat has arrived fresh from hernia surgery, which has delayed things here, keeping her isolated. Meanwhile, I’ve written about 400 words and have to write 300 more, and then cut out 200 or so, but should be done tonight.” Along the way, we reminisced about Coach Jordan Oliver and the 1960 undefeated football team. Paul didn’t know that I gave Oliver the first play to call in Cambridge where Kenny Wolfe went 41 yards for a TD, untouched. Paul and I also shared our gratitude to have had arguably the best English Department ever assembled in one place.

Chip Thomas (son of Stan Thomas and Tony Lavely’s godson) scored tickets to the college football playoff in Houston. As a Michigan graduate, he was over the moon with the outcome. I imagine Jim Duderstadt was pretty happy, too. Jan Truebner (honorary classmate and surviving spouse of Peter Truebner) continues to do great outreach to surviving spouses, especially in this reunion year. In her holiday greeting, Jan included a great family photo from Florida and wrote: “What a year this has been! It will be hard to top in 2024, but if anyone can it’s you and Nancy.” Responding to my November all-classmate email, Nancy Upper (surviving spouse of Dennis Upper) emailed, “Tony, thanks for the nudge! I will submit my essay for the Reunion Book by November 15 and preregister.” Nancy is a regular on the Boston-area Zooms, so she commented on some photos shared by Bob Rands: “Thank you for the great photos, Bob. You’re enjoying a happy month.” Later, Nancy replied to Gus Speth and the poems he posted: “Gus, many thanks for linking us to your poems, to your website, and to your laudable projects. You make our holidays happier! Thanks to Don Van Doren for extending Chris Getman’s record of making Pierson College the highest percentage attendance at our 60th Reunion.

In December, Joe Wishcamper emailed his fellow Class Council members: “Just a note to say I’m grateful for our long relationships with Yale and with each other. They enrich my life. May you all have a good holiday week, New Year and 2024.” David Wyles emailed his friends: “Happy New Year to All (except Donald Trump and Elon Musk)! May you have a glorious and fulfilling time on this next journey around the sun! Here’s hoping this greeting finds you happy, healthy, and celebrating Life!” John Wylie answered a question I asked him in November: “Tony, I had been eagerly anticipating ChatGPT and DALL-E hooking up, and it finally happened about two weeks ago. I 've been on it ever since — truly mind-blowing stuff. Just type in ‘I want an image of [blank]’ and do your own thing — and all available with Chat GPT's $20 subscription. I'm working on two extravagantly illustrated e-books. Best toy since my Erector set! All good cheers to you!” At our reunion, John will present what he believes is the first serious AI-Illustrated nonfiction film ever produced. In their holiday greeting, Ann and John Wylie included a great photo of their five grandchildren.

In November, Karl Ziegler posted, “London is looking wonderfully festive already, especially for Thanksgiving weekend. Have a beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving!” When Karl saw that some of us would be at The Game, he posted: “With you in spirit from London.” On the same thread, Ted Jones added: “Go Bulldogs! Counting on you guys to bring them home and remembering Huey [Chris Getman] and Handsome Dan on the sidelines.” Marya Holcombe (surviving spouse of Terry Holcombe) added: “The Game is always a wild ride. This was one of the thrilling ones!” Pat Caviness commented from Koh Samui: “This was a wild game to watch. You had absolutely no idea who would win right to the end!” Teammate Dan Pollack added: “The Heart-Attack Kids did it again. Why on earth can’t it be a normal game. I’m still recovering.” From Florida, Waldo Johnston commented: “I’ve discovered that the unpredictability of Ivy League football makes it especially interesting. Much more fun than the college biggies.” As the year drew to a close, Phil Anderson emailed: Here are few highlights from this year's accomplishments for the Vocal Majority. I would invite classmates to stream our recordings on Pandora or Spotify. The Vocal Majority goal continues to be bringing more harmony to a world in need. It's hard to believe we are sixty years out from graduation.”

Michelle Mead (surviving spouse of John Armor) posted: “Want to feel old? ‘Bonanza’ premiered 64 years ago when you were freshmen!” In September, Michelle emailed, “Sorry, I won’t be able to attend the Zoom on ‘Climate Policies’ with Len Baker and Bob Archer. I’m having surgery that week and will still be in the hospital. It should be an interesting discussion.” [Editor: It was. The video can be viewed here.] Later, Michelle posted: “I worked six years for a German company in NYC. Funny how the American employees acted quite differently than the Germans. The Germans traveled for their vacations. The Americans used the time to re-do their bathrooms.” Over the holidays, I had a nice phone conversation with Paul Balser. He’ll be attending the Class Council meeting in February via Zoom. Paul Balser emailed a New Year message: “Our wish for you in these dark times is awareness of the light.” Tom Barnard helped out with reunion attendance and emailed: “I just contacted Peter Harding (yes, he’s related to the 29th President) urging him to attend our reunion.” In the holiday greeting from Carol and Tom Barnard, Carol said, “Tom will definitely be at the reunion, I hope to be with him if I recover from hip replacement in time.” In their holiday greeting, Lorna and Dan Berman wrote: “It was great to see you and Nancy at our Newton High School reunion. Look forward to seeing you again in New Haven. Our son, Jacob, launched his new book, The Lost Subways of North America. It’s gotten rave reviews.

In early January, there was a highly engaged email thread among football teammates — Pat Caviness, Dick Berk, Dan Pollack, Dick Niglio, Tony Lavely, and even some 1963 Ballers – about “the Dartmouth Goal Line Stop” in 1963. There was a great deal of comparison of the very different coaching styles of John Pont in his first year compared to Jordan Oliver, for whom we played in 1961 and 1962. Earlier, the same group shared observations about the New Zealand All Black Rugby team. Dan Pollack wrote: “Nancy and I will be in New Zealand in February. I promise to represent Yale and scream like hell when we visit the Maori village.” Pat Caviness wrote: “I've followed the All Blacks since I saw them play in the Hong Kong Sevens in 1996. The Hakka got my attention in a big way. Frederique and I drove a caravan from one end of NZ to the other in 2016. We visited an authentic Maori village. I was elected the chief of our tour group. The ‘chiefs’ had to learn the Hakka from real Maori warriors. The warriors would scream those chants in our faces. It was a lotta fun!!” Dick Berk added: “I was there with my family about a decade ago. Loved it so much my wife and I have talked about moving there off and on since. Among other things, we did a farm stay on a sheep ranch. We have some good friends who moved there from the U.S. about 15 years ago and they are very happy. Sort of like our Pacific Northwest but much slower. Dan, I am fully ready to use whatever medium the group favors. And … whenever I need a lift, I pull up a few of the Hakka videos on YouTube.” In November, some of our Bay-area classmates attended the premier screening at the Mill Valley Film Festival of A Double Life, a biographical film about Steve Bingham in the 1970s, that has been produced by Steve’s niece. We’re trying to arrange for it to be shown at our reunion. Steve emailed: “Yes, my niece Catherine and I want it to happen. Perhaps, other classes might also be interested. My wife and I are both looking forward to seeing everyone. My wife enjoys reunions because there are so many Francophiles in our class!” Steve also weighed in on the reunion Peace Corps gathering with an email to John Meigs: “John, great idea. I’d love to join the discussion. Our group had a 50th reunion a few years back and that led me to re-connect with an organization helping local groups in Sierra Leone build schools and provide bicycles.”

Our Class Treasurer Chip Brennan RSVPed to the Class Council meeting in February: “Tony, I will have to participate remotely. Our daughter is in chemotherapy, and I don’t want to leave town.” When I told Chip about my family’s commitment to breast-cancer research, Chip emailed: “Our family has the same commitment to cystic-fibrosis research.” Jim Burdick offered to talk about stem-cell research at our reunion: “I mentioned the topic a few days ago, but I am in a project regarding stem cells, regarding which many of the other treatments are not legitimate. I predict that from what I have to say about novel developments that is different and legitimate, you will say in the future: ‘Oh, yeah, I saw that at the Class of ’64 reunion.’" Kip Burgweger, a regular at the Mory’s luncheons, emailed: “Happy New Year, Ralph. I am sending you my wish now because on January 10 I will be in Dallas, Texas, celebrating the birth of my daughter's second son and my wife's and my second grandchild.” In their holiday greeting, Kath and Kip Burgweger wrote, “See you at the reunion in May.”

Pat Caviness, omnipresent on many classmate threads and posts, accepted Dick duPont’s New Year challenge to wear a floral Hawaiian shirt on his trip to the South Pole. Pat emailed: “Thank you for your illuminating Thanksgiving pamphlet, Dups. You had told me that it was a redo. I found much new thought-provoking material to enjoy. At the end of the month, we take our first-ever cruise. It will be a 20-day voyage beginning in Buenos Aries down to Antarctica along the east coast, then back up the western coast and flying back from Santiago, Chile. We were invited by Vancouver friends who have asked us for years to cruise with them.” Dups issued a challenge: “Pat, this does not apply to Frederique, but you don't have a hair on your ass if you fail to wear that shirt topside while arriving through the icebergs of Antarctica. The hat would be a nice touch too, though admittedly a bit inefficient below 50 South — and impossible to pack. You'd have to wear it.” Pat accepted: “A worthy challenge, teammate! I will send you a photo of me in my island wear when we arrive in Buenos Aires and board the ship. I will have my Panama hat and tropical shirts and shorts on for the summertime season in Buenos Aries and excursion points south until we reach the southern tip of South America. There, the weather from Antarctica reportedly turns ‘brisk.’ I intend to wear my tropical attire (standard Samui island wear) until these chilly winds out of the south dramatically alter the weather! My gear then shifts to a heavy-hooded fleece-lined coat with lots of sweaters layered under it. I have never been to the South Pole and doubt I ever will. However, the weather in Antarctica is downright silly cold. The average winter temperature at the South Pole is about -49°C. Home freezers are only about minus 15°C. Needless to say, we are not going to the South Pole.” Looping back to Dick duPont’s Thanksgiving pamphlet, here’s what he wrote in the introduction: “Just a quick note to Sam Francis, Tony Lavely, and Joe Wishcamper. We’re so lucky that you are inclined to serve your classmates so well. You are truly a Triumvirate of ever-growing notoriety in the Yale ’64 Family.” On this same email thread, Joe Wishcamper wrote: “We are on an eleven-day voyage on the National Geographic Resolution. Four days of beautiful weather (mid-30s) and light winds. Now wet and cold. Photos emailed separately. You will love it!” Jim Currie emailed Sam Francis at year end: “I’m forwarding this report on LPP Fusion to you even though I realize you are not a fan of this guy. It seems he is making progress (though short of own goals) with his non-tokamak version of fusion energy. Perhaps more importantly he seems to be gaining greater interest re: his view of the big-bang cosmology. Happy New Year! Jim PS. He still looks like a wacko.”

Sam Deloria responded to my email to “pull an all-nighter” for his Reunion Book essay by saying: “Mind you, I still owe a Con Law paper to Jan Deutsch from 1968, and he died some years ago. So how firm is that Thanksgiving thing? If I get it in in the next day or so? Let's say sometime Monday. Or not. No problem if you can't squeeze it in.” In their holiday greeting, Bella and Bill Drennen wrote: “We’re looking forward to getting together in May for our 60th.” When I asked Bill Drennen if he was truly a member of the six-member club of 1964 classmates who had gotten married (or made a Lifetime Commitment) after turning 80, he wrote: “You are on the money … I turned 80 on November 5, 2022, and married Donna Quinn Robbins on March 4, 2023 at her house in Bel Marin Keys, Novato, CA. It was a Universal Life Church ceremony officiated by a mutual friend, Karen Collins. Donna prefers the name Bella, so obviously that is what I call her. We have known each other since 1961. She was the girlfriend of my best friend Jamie Polk when we met. Both were children of U.S. Army generals living in the D.C. area. She went to Bennet Junior College, so I used to see her in New Haven, and ultimately she met and married Bill Robbins, Yale ’59. That marriage lasted for twenty years. We kept in touch over the years and after my wife Sarah died in 2013, we began a more serious relationship. As I was having knees redone out here in California, it was important for the hospitals to understand better our relationship, i.e., marriage. That is the nutshell of the 80+ newlyweds.”

In his holiday greeting, Dick duPont included a great family photo and reminisced about his time at Yale: “Throughout my very brief stay, I was never disappointed in our university. In fact, far from it. I'll pick one example – Sam Chauncey ‘57. I understand from Tony Lavely that Dean Chauncey is still alive and well enough to sip a single malt at Mory's. If so, that will be cause enough for me to attend the reunion. Actually, that would be my primary mission. You see, it's the hiring of people like our finest Dean (plus tasking them with lofty ideals) that keeps any organization on track and thriving. The leadership which produces and hones fine Yale men runs from the top down, but every nook and cranny needs to have one. In truth, Yale now has its mission to review and put right — including the balls to admit this in the first place. Renaissance starts with elimination and ends with re-creation. It's never too late to turn this unfortunate page.” Sam Francis added: “I too have fond memories of Sam Chauncey, who had a profound impact on my life. In my junior year I realized that I had enough credits to graduate in three years, so I saw Dean Chauncey to ask about the process. His words of wisdom were in the form of a question which I remember to this day. ‘What’s your hurry?’ He pointed out that by graduating a year early I would be throwing away a fine opportunity to spend another year at Yale benefiting from all the opportunities there, including taking courses in whatever the hell I wanted to learn more about, and playing college sports (soccer, volleyball), and being in a senior society (invaluable!), and exploiting other opportunities which would never again be available to me. So, I owe the whole of my senior year to Sam Chauncey. You and I should kidnap him in May, take him to Mory’s, and buy him a drink.” Tony Lavely filled in the record: Sam Chauncey was a Dean in Davenport College. He invited a group of ‘64s to his Davenport suite and offered drinks all around. I had a scotch and soda, my first alcoholic drink; remember, I was a PK (Preacher’s Kid). When I told my Puritan mother, she was furious! PS, It was not my last alcoholic beverage. My mother forgave Sam when she read, some years later, that he was the guiding light behind Yale becoming co-ed.”

Celeste Finn (spouse of Eric Fossel) is an avid movie goer. After she saw Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, she posted: “Basically, a perfect motion picture!” Tony Lavely added: “I agree. When I saw the movie in September (after reading David Grann’s book), I learned that David Grann was ‘in the house’ as I watched the movie in Mamaroneck NY. I recommended his later book (and Scorsese’s next film), The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, to “Captain Sam Francis.” Later, Celeste Finn added: “The Holdovers (starring the late president Bart Giamatti’s son, Paul) will easily become a ‘holiday classic’ like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and Home Alone.” In the process of assisting Tom Hout with submitting his Reunion Book essay, Sam Francis emailed: “By the way, I notice that your Navy service paralleled mine, both of us 1964-1966 and deployed to Vietnam. I served aboard USS BAINBRIDGE (DLGN-25), most of the time on Yankee Station with USS ENTERPRISE but some of the time on (boring) solitary patrol.” Tom responded: “We were operating in the same waters — Yankee Station. I saw and remember the Bainbridge, one of the few nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers. Very impressive ship. I served aboard the USS Hornet (CVS-12), a WWII veteran re-outfitted for anti-sub warfare. I had quite an interesting job — our flag officer aboard took me TAD from ship’s company onto his staff and sent me ashore quite a bit. Basically, a bagman. But occasionally I got into interesting situations with onshore host authorities. Half of what I know about management I learned from this Rear Admiral and his Chief of Staff. And our carrier’s CO was an avid and good golfer so the two of us played a lot of senior officer/junior officer events.”

In January, Ed Gaffney posted a clever cartoon in which the pharmacy customer asks the pharmacist about anxiety drugs, “Do you have anything stronger? It’s an election year!” Later, Ed reacted to the news about SecDef Lloyd Austin with this: “By being ashamed of his prostate cancer, Lloyd Austin has insulted me and every other survivor.” Bill Galvin, who has been working tirelessly as co-editor (with Sam Francis) of our 60th Reunion Book, took an earlier scheduled break in January to take a cruise in the South Pacific, “In the Wake of the Bounty.” Bill described it: “Beginning in Tahiti, it will be a leisurely passage through the South Seas in an area long associated with Captain Cook, Captain Bligh, the Bounty, and artist Paul Gauguin.”

When I posted “Happy Hanukkah’ greetings, Marty Gerstel commented, “Many thanks … especially this year.” Howard Gillette seconded Tony Lavely’s nomination of Jonathan Holloway (currently president of Rutgers) to the Yale Presidential Search Committee. Classmates may remember that Holloway participated in our Class Zoom event on Civil Rights. Later, Howard Gillette RSVPed to the Class Council meeting, “I’d like to join you for dinner Friday and the hockey game that follows. I would also like to bring my brother, Jack, who will be joining me at our Reunion in May on the panel discussion about Yale and New Haven. He is the former director of Yale’s teacher prep program.”

In January, Stephen Greenblatt emailed, “Tony, many thanks for the wonderful photograph and the characteristically rich and joyous account of the past year. Ramie and I wish you and Nancy all the happiness in the world. Ramie had the slightly zany idea of celebrating the end of the semester (and beginning of a semester's sabbatical leave for both of us) by enrolling in a Spanish immersion class in Oaxaca. We're just back from a marvelous week in that absolutely fascinating city — it was my fifth time there and, though it has obviously greatly changed over the past 50 years, it hasn't lost its immense appeal. (On my first visit, a half century ago, I remember that I ran into Hannah and Bob Kaiser.). Después de cinco horas de clases al dia, mi español ha majorado mucho, aunque aún me queda un largo camino por recorrer. We ate wonderfully well — Oaxaca has an amazing food scene — and we found time to get about and do some hiking. We'll be in Italy from January to April; then back in time for our son Harry's graduation from Yale and our reunion — separated by a mere sixty years. Warmest wishes to you and your family for Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.”

In November, Jim Hart emailed: “Any possibility of an extension for my Reunion Book essay? November has been filled with a birthday trip and cruise for Barbara and me to Hawaii and then caring for her after she broke two vertebrae. Things are now opening up, and I’ve caught up on sleeplessness.” At Thanksgiving, Kerry Auld (daughter of Marya and Terry Holcombe) posted a throwback photo of Marya and Terry in Puritan costumes at table, Norman Rockwell style. Jay Huffard regretted to Ralph Jones for the January NYC luncheon, “Sorry, I can’t be there. I’m in Florida until May.”

During his efforts as the Trumbull College Captain for our reunion attendance, John Hunsaker provided some delightful biographical information and proved a promising Class Notes chronicler: “I hope my tomfoolery inveigled some to show for the improbable event of a 60th reunion. I say that knowing that a good number of our classmates are alive and kinda well, so that a 65th may well eventuate? Some of the planners are unbelievably energetic and perceptive. We have a helluva class. I retired from being a medical examiner hereabouts {horse, bourbon, basketball country). I am keeping busy doing forensic consulting with attorneys on all sides of criminal and civil cases, getting deposed, and going to court from time to time mostly in the Midwest and South (e.g., saw Cindy and Frank Franklin in Birmingham). I empathize with your experiences and the drawbacks of physical decline whereby the indwelling 21-year-old still romps. Overall, the class life expectancy is fairly robust. Blaine Krickl, you have a demanding trip, yet I sure hope you will make it. I chatted a bit with Tony Thomson — a chap physically accounted for in the UK almost as long as you’ve been married. He’s a renowned Beer 'n Biker — which was an unexpected treat at the 55th. So, hope you can make it and above all else revel in the comradery of old friends. This time, we will miss Getman and Holcombe mightily. My triennial suitemates and I keep up a bit. They make President Griswold proud: Ralph DeFronzo — endowed with more Italian mitochondria than a giant megalodon — is a world-renowned metabolism expert/diabetologist, on the way to a Nobel; Frank Franklin is ne plus ultra as a scholar/teacher, diet expert (eat bugs, not animal muscle!), speaker, and a grand pediatrician of incredible breadth; and Kip Burgweger, a lawyer who did so well as a barrister (or is it solicitor?) that he retired while we earthlings were still in diapers (or is it nappies?). And, as a so-called Trumbull Captain, I have had a great time reconnecting with authentic good fellows.” John Hunsaker also sent Tony Lavely an archived Yale Daily News article about the freshman football game in 1960. “Tony, here’s the YDN article reporting on your role in winning the second of the big three! (pp 10-11) P.S.: Don't forget that Strachan (aka Joe) Donnelley called me ‘Johnny U’ back then. But who is doin' the retrospect scope?” “My fifteen minutes of fame,” said Tony. Sadly, John Hunsaker also learned that Lyn Hinojosa will not be able to attend our reunion due to infirmities. John wrote: “In any event, Lyn, the goings-on should be well memorialized so that you can check out the festivities and funny business via the outstanding 1964 website. Perhaps in LA you knew my four-year suitemate Kip Burgweger, a steadfast Yale footballer and U Penn law graduate, who was a legal eagle in LA years ago before succumbing to an upscale practice in NYC.” In conclusion, John Hunsaker asked classmates to note his new email address and professional activities: “Please note: I am no longer affiliated with the University of KY as a semi-retired Professor of Pathology and as a Forensic Consultant, effective 1 January 2024. I am in the process of setting up a currently existing private forensic-consulting service in pathology and toxicology, namely: Hun Foren Medtox Consulting LLC. Current and ongoing cases and all new engagements will be conducted pursuant to this corporation.”

Tony Lavely extended best wishes for a speedy recovery to his former neighbor in Atlanta, John Howells. John was hospitalized during the year-end holidays. Though he doubted that he would be able to attend the Class Council meeting in person, John said he would participate via Zoom. Even from his hospital bed, John sent a wonderful family photo of twelve in his holiday greeting. Commenting on a performance of the Simon and Garfunkel hit, “The Sound of Silence,” Candy Johnston (spouse of Waldo Johnston) said: “This is reviving my memories of the 60s, my college years, best meeting and marrying Waldo.” Candy also posted a lovely free verse poem:

Before children speak, they sing.
Before they write, they paint.
As soon as they stand, they dance.
Art is the basis of human expression.

By contrast to this sentiment, Candy also posted a somewhat gruesome photo of her bruised eye/cheekbone with this caption: “Thank goodness for the high-impact wrap-around pickleball glasses!” Waldo, was this your doing?

Blaine Krickl (who often attends the Boston-area Zooms along with other classmates from Europe, like Karl Ziegler and Sheldon Leader … with perhaps still a claim on the Colonies) emailed in September: “Tony, I can't recall whether I mentioned the invitation by Wally Grant ‘63 to join him in Spain in September where he has a place to stay in Estepona. The invite came just as the Sahara Plume of extraordinarily high temperatures was settling over most of Europe. I thought about the effect that might have on me, then conferred with my doctor, who didn't actually opine but left me in no doubt that it would not be a good idea. So, I have managed to divert Wally into a week's tour of Scotland — both of us having some ancestry there — before he goes off for his adventures in Andalusia. He will stay with us beginning and end ... I will put him on the plane back to Denver on October 2. Tony, as a man both well-read and well-travelled, you probably became aware, somewhere along the line, of the excursion in 1773 taken by Dr. Samuel Johnson and his younger companion, James Boswell, over the course of eighty-three days. Those same western islands are whither Wally and I are bound, come this Tuesday, though our tour will take only a single week.”

Responding to the January-February Class Notes, Bill Kridel wrote: “Very informative and exemplary.” In January, Tony Lavely had a nice phone conversion with Bill Kridel … he was someplace in the Yucatan. He offered some suggestions/criticism for the reunion (which he plans to attend): “As a ‘microsurgeon’ I’ve been doing that for years and feel that constructive commentary is an excellent way to make things better and to learn from any reasonable pushback.” Tony Thomson (author of Eat Your Heart Out, Ho Chi Minh: Or Things You Won’t Learn at Yale) commented: “Be careful about criticizing the format of a reunion. I tried to do that with my Deerfield 50th and was blackballed for making snide comments about the pointlessness of golf, uplifting diversity.” Bob Czeisler (fka Carter) weighed in: “These are fascinating threads. My goals in going to the reunion would be twofold: (1) To be with my fellow classmates and learn about them, their lives, and be with them and their loved ones. (2) Be at Yale and learn about the State of Yale which from the outside seems to have lost its way and to possibly add a voice of concern. As to the latter, my concerns arise from my knowledge as to what is occurring at our rival, Harvard. One relative is a prominent faculty member, and the other is a graduate student. The faculty member is required to attend training sessions on implicit and explicit racism, has quarterly meetings with the DEI administrator, not on the state of his department’s research but whether or not his department has met its quota, which has been narrowly defined to include only African Americans and Latinos and certain islands. He can’t get credit for Africans whom he has in his department because they were not born in the US. If his department meets its quota, he gets a salary bonus. Before his hiring committee can meet with applicants or review resumes, they must attend DEI training to qualify as a reviewer. Are those the practices at Yale? I would like to have someone do research and determine if those same policies exist at Yale. BTW, I was a law clerk to Judge Constance Baker Motley who is having a stamp in her name issued on January 31. She represented James Meredith when he was denied admission to U. of Mississippi because he was Black. She believed in equal opportunity, not equal outcome.) At our 60th, why not have a session on the pros and cons of euthanasia? It should hit the spot for a lot of us. Anyway, just seeing the decrepitude of others is uplifting and partially compensates for whatever the reunion offers.”

In December, Nancy and Tony Lavely attended the Yale Club of Minnesota (aka Yale Alumni Association of the Northwest) at Turnblad Mansion, the historical home of the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. Tony Lavely also attended the monthly roundtable luncheon of Yalies from the 1960s at the Minneapolis Club. Jon McBride called to say: “John Evans, Al Rossiter, and I are doing a survey and analysis of retirement communities. We might have something to share at the Council meeting and reunion.” In their holiday greeting, Sally and Larry Lawrence announced a new granddaughter together with a handsome family photo of ten. Hadassah and Joe Lieberman wrote, “Hadassah and I send every good wish to you for 2024. We pray that the faith of the holidays we celebrate now will strengthen and guide us through the challenging times we are in.” Anne and Edward Massey sent inspirational poetry in their holiday card and said, “We chose to live this past year with the intention of living more in the present. In October, Edward returned to writing his novels. He is looking forward to participating in his 60th Yale reunion in May.” Alan McFarland RSVPed to the November NYC luncheon invitation from Ted Wagner: “These monthly luncheons remains a fine idea to keep pursuing.” Angus Macdonald replied to my call for essays: “Got it in! Thanks for organizing all this and for all you have done to keep our class communicating!!! I hope your essay tells this part of your story.” John Moore (whose email address indicates he’s a beekeeper) wrote from Missouri: “I retired in 2005 after 22 years as president of Drury University in Springfield MO. I failed retirement and was Executive Director of Upper White River Basin Foundation until 2012. Now, I have a farm and keep bees and American Aberdeen cattle. My motto: ‘Keep moving, wear out, and don’t rust out.’ I have warm memories of Yale and always valued the education I received there. Wish I could do more. Thanks!”

In Publications, Gus Speth has published two new articles which are posted in Class News: in Yale Environment 360, "Clearing Skies: Opening a New Path on Climate and the Future," November 2023; in Orion, "You Say You Want a Revolution," November 2023. In May, Syd Lea will publish a new novel, Now Look, 35 years after his first. The Prologue can be found in Syd’s Substack Newsletter. At the November 2023 YAA Assembly, Tony Lavely met Yale Professor Jonathan Feinstein, the author of Creativity in Large-Scale Contexts, and commends the book to classmates interested in AI. At our 60th Reunion, Edward Massey (a published author himself) will lead a two-part session on “Writing and Publishing” for classmates who would like to write their memoirs, family histories, or capture life experiences … and understand the options for publishing.” Tom Roderick emailed: “Thanks for being our Class Secretary! I’ve been out of the loop when it comes to Alumni Notes. This is my first submission. I’m prompted to write because I’ve written a book that I’d like my Yale classmates to know about. The book is Teach for Climate Justice: A Vision for Transforming Education (Harvard Education Press 2023). I researched and wrote the book during the past four years since retiring after 36 years as founding executive director of Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility. I may attend our 60th Reunion. If I do, I look forward to connecting with other classmates who are working to address the environmental crisis. We might consider organizing an informal gathering during reunion weekend. [Editor: Contact Tony Lee]

As explained earlier, there are six classmate deaths to report as a result of research and canvassing for our 60th reunion plus four recent deaths that were reported through the usual channels. Don’t worry about this burst; our actuarial trends are still normative. In chronological order: Steve Scherban died in New Haven in December 2012; Victor Lewis died in Chicago in March 2, 2021; Fred Hornbruch died in California on January 1, 2022; Charlie Jacobson died in Rocky Hill CT on February 20, 2022; Freeman Cocroft died in Rhode Island in December 2022; Kit Kincade died in Louisville KY on February 14, 2023; Art Reagin died in Laurel MD on July 20, 2023; Bill Hogue died in Glastonbury CT on September 22, 2023; Bruce Comisar died in Dayton OH on December 27, 2023: Steve Floman died in Milford CT on January 7, 2024. Paul Ruden was the first to report Steve’s death, and Lee Sigal provided Steve’s obituary. Kerry Auld (daughter of Marya and Terry Holcombe) went to Steve Floman’s funeral and wrote: “It was a very moving affair, and I thought you might like to know that his daughter read Steve’s essay from the 50th reunion book. Something to re-read if you get a chance. Thinking of you and the Class of ’64.”

In these inevitable but sad moments, it's heartening to know that classmates are looking after each other and surviving spouses. It saddens me to report these deaths, especially the ones on an untimely basis. You can find obituaries and remembrances — where we have them — on the Class Website/In Memoriam. Bill Galvin donated a Mory’s Memorial Brick for Heather née Hood Armstrong. You are also invited to donate a Mory’s Memorial Brick in any of their names if you are so inclined. As you think about your own obituary, remember that we can find published obituaries more quickly when they mention “Yale” or “Yale 1964.” There will be a Memorial Service at our 60th Reunion, led by Steve Klingelhofer. If you are in contact with any surviving spouses, please encourage them to contact Jan Truebner and attend the reunion at no charge. Don Van Doren wrote a very thoughtful remembrance on Bruce Comisar’s In Memoriam page. Please consider writing a remembrance for a classmate you knew well. We also extend condolences to Rick Kroon whose wife Mary Jane died in August. Anne Massey (spouse of Edward Massey) emailed: “Are the bricks at Mory’s only for members of the class who have died, or can they be donated to recognize living classmates?” [Editor: Yes, Mory’s bricks can be, and have been, donated for any purpose.]