Yale University

Class Notes

January/February 2009

by Tony Lavely

As we begin a new year, please mark your calendars for three scheduled class events:

Details on all events are available on our class Web site.

Our 45th class reunion is shaping up to be terrific. The Reunion Committee is chaired by Waldo Johnston with John Evans heading up the Program Committee. Sixty-four classmates (coincidence) have contributed ideas and suggestions, and they will lead the drive for a record attendance.

Ed Massey is once again organizing a class dinner in New York after the well-attended and highly successful dinner last January. Ably supported by Don Leka and Pete Putzel, the program in January will feature Richard "Bunt" McKee who has had a brilliant career in opera.

Pete Putzel, who initiated the monthly luncheons at the Yale Club of NYC, reports that attendance is growing each month: "Five classmates attended our October luncheon. The three lawyers (Ted Wagner, Tom Trowbridge and I) are still working; Bob Whitby and John Stacks have retired to lives of athletic prominence. Stacks is basking in a notable journalistic career and still savoring the fine reviews of his biography of James Reston. He plays singles squash and golf in Ireland, where he shares a place with Hank Satterthwaite. Bob Whitby will soon be sailing from Portimao (Portugal) to St. Maartens (via the Canary Islands), after which he will repair to his place in Telluride, Colorado for two months of skiing."

In conjunction with the class dinner in January, Terry Holcombe has convened our annual Class Council meeting that same afternoon. If you would like to attend the council meeting, please contact Terry (Terry.Holcombe@Yale.edu).

Last April, three new Summer Fellows were chosen to pursue their projects with support from our class environmental fellowships. Frank Basler and Michael Price have been dedicated to this important class cause for many years. The student names and brief descriptions of their projects are posted on our class Web site under "Class News."

Ward Wickwire, our class Chairman of Agents for the Yale Alumni Fund, organized a conference call in October attended by Bob Bulkeley, Jim Currie, Tim Damour, Chris Getman, Kai Lassen, Lee Sigal, and me. Contributions to our class reunion gift are on a record pace.

Gus Speth will be leading a Yale Education Travel program, "Amazon River Journey," in February. If you are one of the fortunate attendees, please send me a report to share with other classmates.

Art Reagin wrote that he's in his "eleventh year of retirement from IBM's legal staff" and is planning to attend our 45th reunion. Bob Musil wrote that he "is teaching global climate change and nuclear studies at American University School of International Service." His book, Hope for a Heated Planet will be published in January. Toby Hubbard wrote that he "retired two years ago after 34 years on the English faculty of Walpole High School in Massachusetts … finding that by the time you reach your mid-60s even normal adolescent behavior begins to wear a bit thin." Jim McCurley wrote that "we need technology and business training for modern society (no middle class) to make the dollars to raise families."

Peter Giblin, a longtime resident of London, was named President of European Operations for Integrity Interactive. Peter is also a visiting professor at Cass Business School in London, where he was a founding member of the Centre for Research in Corporate Governance. "Captain" David Plimpton combines clinical psychology with a Brooklyn fishing business, "Go Fish Brooklyn!" Paul Balser continues his good work for the United Neighborhood Houses of New York. Ed Gaffney e-mailed that "Life has taken quite an unexpected turn." Ed and Susy were on their way to Albuquerque when Susy received a call from Pacific Health Ministry for a position in Honolulu where they now live in a Waikiki high rise.

In the turmoil of the 2008 financial markets, Jim Rogers still likes commodities. In October he told CNBC, "Commodities are the only thing that I can see that will not be impaired." Bam Alling became captivated by an online game (featured in our July-August class notes) called, www.gocrosscampus.com. Alas, it was too late to mount a 1964 challenge to the 1200 Yale players. Bam added, "With the markets the way they are, this may be the only entertainment many of us will be able to afford!" Angus Gillespie was recognized for founding and leading the New Jersey Folk Festival for 35 years. A professor at Rutgers, Angus has authored a number of books, notably, Twin Towers: The Life of New York City's World Trade Center.

Doug Lea e-mailed from his home in the West Indies: "I saw the approaching disaster in the conduct of the 2000 election … and immediately moved to the Third World, where all my neighbors already know how to cope with less. Here, I'm also writing my magnum opus, Money Makes You Stupid." In October, Dan Hannah and Nancy took a trip to Bar Harbor, Maine, with Bob Hannah and Susan. The foursome dined with Foster Fargo and Susan (a six-term Massachusetts state senator). The Hannahs also stopped in Rockport, Massachusetts, to visit with Steve Caplan and Nancy. Dan reported that seven classmates gathered for lunch again in Chicago, ably organized by Loring Knoblauch.

In October, Tony Morris attended the first-ever Aerial Firefighting Conference in Athens. His colleague-in-cause, Rick Hatton has added a second DC-10 fire-fighting air tanker. Pat Caviness sent me a moving e-mail from Koh Samui, Thailand: "I vow to never again take my 'hard working friends' [the animals of the jungle] for granted, to enjoy them more, to rejoice in their contribution that enlivens my life every moment along this simple path to the village."

Between rounds in Bermuda, Sam Francis, Tony Lee, and Ted Jones collaborated to report: "For 6 days in October, 12 classmates and 7 spouses convened in Bermuda, for golf, sailing, bike-riding, and general camaraderie. The golf was wonderful, the sailing was cancelled (gale-force winds), the bike-riding was limited (three of us), but the general camaraderie was unlimited. Prizes were awarded to John Evans (closest to the pin) and to Ted Jones (longest drive). Any golfing classmates who weren't part of this extravaganza might want to join our annual outing at the Yale Golf Course which will be held during our reunion weekend on Friday morning, June 5th. If you're interested, contact anthonydlee@me.com.

With Election Day now behind us, I include several campaign items. Bob Kaiser wrote an excellent article in the Washington Post on October 27th: "Iraq Aside, Nominees Have Like Views on Use of Force." Jon McBride spent the last days of the campaign in Virginia, canvassing and door knob hanging for Obama. Joe Lieberman, who campaigned strongly for McCain, spent Election Day on a stage with him in Colorado.

Sadly, I report the death of Pierce Flanigan III in Chicago on October 8th. His full obituary is available on the "In Memoriam" page of our Class Web site.