Class Notes

February 2002

by Tony Lee

Please mark your calendars for some important events. The Santa Fe Mini Reunion has been set for the weekend of September 27 through 29. Bob Hilgendorf is putting together a terrific program, and it's a gorgeous time to be there with all the aspen trees changing color. Also please note that the golf outing date has been changed to Friday, June 21. Tee times start at noon.

Mary Ellen Shapiro, widow of Mike Shapiro, wrote "to share with Mike's classmates what is happening with his 3 children." The full text is on our web site. "Mike died on Nov. 23, 1987 after a 15 month struggle with colorectal cancer. At the time of his death our 3 children were 10 1/2, almost 8, and 5 1/2 yrs. old. Today, the eldest of the crew, Bill is 24 yrs. old and a police officer in Horsham township, PA. Melanie, 21, is an honor's student at U Mass Amherst. Her major is sociology. Finally, Stuart, our youngest, is now 19 yrs old! He is a sophomore at Penn State. He is an excellent tennis player and an excellent student like his Dad! I moved back to Baltimore, my hometown, in August 1997, and returned to teaching after a hiatus of 22 yrs.

"The years have flown by since we lost Mike. I think of all the good times we had at Yale — football games, reunions, hockey games and I still miss him!"

Matt Barkley checked in from North Carolina. He's been working with the Yale Alumni Schools Committees and interviews students applying to Yale: "These kids are amazing! Every time I express feeling lucky not to have to compete with them, someone reveals the same feeling, even a woman from the Class of 1998. The first year, we had 30 applicants. Last year, it jumped to 62. I did a LOT of interviews. So this year, a 'help wanted' note went out to Yalies from the past 15 classes in our area and we got a terrific response. About 20 people offered to help, and I have accepted all of 'em. Most graduated in 1997 or later. They realize that something special happened during those 'bright college years,' and they want to help others discover it."

Al Adams worked at counter-terrorism in the State Department in the late 1980's and has shared his insights in an article in the Class News section of our web site, "September 11: America Wakes Up." Mac Deford has also written articles on the Middle East and terrorism. All are on our web site.

I contacted Mike Austin who lives in Saudi Arabia to see how he was doing in regards to Sept. 11. His response: "I don't have any great pearls of wisdom about Sept. 11. Amongst the many who opine frequently and extensively on these matters, Thomas Friedman of the New York Times probably comes closest to giving voice to my views.

"Life for us in Riyadh continues as usual: just a bit more security at Saudi American Bank (a 22.7% Citibank-owned affiliate) where I work, and a sudden decrease in non-Saudi banks' appetites for taking cross-border risk on Saudi and other countries in the area. The latter will slow business in my area of project finance because most of the big deals need non-Saudi bank financing in addition to what the Saudi banks can provide.

"My wife continues to teach elementary-level special education at the local American school.

"There's no immediate sense of physical threat but the Saudis I deal with are highly unlikely to be 'the bad guys.' The problem is that the people who could (do?) pose a physical threat to us foreigners are out there in significant numbers and matters could change."

All of you who regularly peruse the Email Directory in our Web site know that Mike's email address is "sweetbellpepper." One of my hobbies is growing vegetables in my backyard, and I happen to grow the sweetest bell peppers east of the Sudbury River. Sensing a little infringement on my territory, I asked Mike "Whazzup?" He replied: "I came upon it after being inspired by my niece who had selected "hotpepper8" as an email name. I am very fond of sweet bell peppers (especially red/yellow when peeled mechanically and then gently sautéed until quite soft ...) and I felt they conveyed an amiable, sweet, juicy, rotund image which might fit me at this stage in my life. So, although I've got the name, you've got the peppers. I'd love to taste them one day." Any time in late September, Mike.

Morris Dean works in the Office of the President at the University of North Carolina. He's involved with preparing reports and presentations to the UNC Board of Governors, legislative committees, etc. He technically supports the biennial surveys of current students and alumni in designing and processing scannable forms. He enjoys working with a wide range of individuals in general administration and on the 16 campuses of the UNC system. Morris admits he doesn't have as much energy these days, after surgery to remove a pineal brain tumor in January 1996.

People are on the move. Chris Getman left Merrill Lynch to open a New Haven office for a small money-management firm, Soundview Capital. He looks forward to having greater flexibility and more fun. Syd Lea is back teaching at Dartmouth again having taught in Switzerland last year. His 7th collection of poems, Pursuit of a Wound, was one of 3 finalists for 2001's Pulitzer in poetry. Richard Morehead moved to Santa Fe with his partner Ken Knight, Yale '69, and practices radiology at a little hospital in Espanola. Tim Damour joined a small law firm in Denver after US Bank closed its legal office there. Tim and Sue climbed Mt. Yale for the tercentennial special event.

Stewart Flory is a Professor of Classics at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter MN. He wrote: "I have to inform you that my wife, Marleeen Boudreau Flory (Mt. Holyoke '65, Yale Ph.D. '75), died in June after a brief episode of cancer. She was an award-winning teacher and Roman social historian of international reputation."

Pete Putzel sent more sad news: "I just heard that our classmate Tony Mansfield died in October of a sudden heart attack. I knew him and liked him a lot. He was a litigator at the New York firm of Seward & Kissel. Sad stuff." Tony's obituary is on our web site.