Class Notes

March/April 2009

by Tony Lavely

Composing these notes in January 2009, I am looking at a very exciting calendar for our class. The class dinner at the Yale Club of NYC on January 30th will feature the musical talents of Bunt McKee, Angus MacDonald, and Don Leka. Thanks to Don and Ed Massey for planning this event. Earlier that day, Waldo Johnston will chair a reunion planning committee meeting, and Terry Holcombe will convene a class council meeting. The reunion program, so ably organized by John Evans, is going to be terrific, so RSVP. To be sure, times are tough right now, but reconnecting with old friends at the reunion will brighten your life!

Last November, our class AYA representative, Will Elting, attended Assembly LXVIII, "from Print to Pixel: Carrying Forward the Legacy of Printing at Yale." Will reported, "Yale is very committed to making its vast content of knowledge more available to alumni via the Web." In this regard, you should check our class Web site occasionally for early publication of class notes and other news and pictures of classmates.

Bill Galvin was in Seoul in October and e-mailed: "The meetings with government officials were focused on: the importance of the pending free trade agreement with the US on Korea's export-based economy, the redefinition of the Status of Forces agreement controlling US military in Korea, the evolving relationship with North Korea, and South Korea's aspirations to be seen as a co-equal with Japan and China in the region." As expected, Chris Getman accompanied Sherman (aka Handsome Dan XVII) at both the Princeton and Harvard football games. Chris e-mailed: "I went to the Princeton game with Pete Truebner and Will Elting. The weather sucked but the Yale defense was spectacular. Also saw Bob Bulkeley who was down for the AYA meeting. I'll sit with him at the Harvard game, where Jon Auerbach and two of his boys are scheduled to walk the dog." At the Harvard game, Chris also met Chip Thomas, the son of Stan Thomas, who was thrilled to meet some of his late father's Yale friends.

Thanks to Pete Putzel, the monthly class luncheons at the Yale Club of NYC are growing in attendance. I was there in November and saw Ted Wagner, Tom Trowbidge, Steve Norman, Ed Massey, John Stacks, Bob Myers, and Nick Danforth. Paul Balser would have been there, but he was off to Florida. At the December luncheon, Dave Plimpton brought his daughter, Lizzie, '02. I know Chicago classmates meet regularly for lunch. Please let me know if there are any other cities where classmates regularly meet.

I hope you had the opportunity to read President Levin's budget letter in December. Gerry Shea asked some very insightful questions about the report and Len Baker provided very informed answers and explanations.

Mike Sherwood e-mailed: "I'm still a staff attorney with Earthjustice in Oakland, CA (formerly Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund). I was taken aback recently when I realized that most of the people I work with now were not even born when I started. It's been a long time, and I'm ready to cut back, though not retire completely. Two years ago I reduced my time to four days a week. The three-day weekends were so great that I've decided to cut back to three days a week soon." Jim Hart also provided a nice update: "In the summers, much time is spent at our home in Buffalo Creek. Writing, fishing, guitaring, putting family memorabilia in order, some mountain climbing (Pikes Peak last year and Longs Peak planned for next summer), reading, serving through First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs, and working on many family-related issues, including watching (like so many of us) our retirement funds dwindling and fading and the growth of a coordinated international economic system."

In November, Don Pollack and Nancy had dinner with Gary Hallenbeck and Marilyn. Dan wrote: "The Hallenbecks are selling their Connecticut home and moving to Chicago for the summers." Dan and Nancy also announced the engagement of their daughter, Deborah. Bob Sexton, Executive Director of the Prichard Committee in Kentucky, announced a new initiative to improve Kentucky's ranking on education achievement: "We've spent most of the last 100 years near the bottom of the nation; we want to spend the next 100 years closer to the top."

Stephen Delman wrote: "I continue to be quite proud of my son, Andrew, '09, who is enjoying his second year as Principal Clarinetist of the Yale Concert Band." Bob Gall recently became a grandfather. Len Baker announced "my daughter, Poppy Baker Roberts, '97, is expecting ‘our next future Yalie' in March." Bob Hilgendorf wrote: "I just returned from a month in China. Gave lectures with my wife, Ling Tong, at Shanghai and Beijing Universities on "Great Gatsby & the 60s — American Dream?" In October, Jim Rogers said the bail-outs being conducted by the Federal Reserve and US Treasury are "unleashing inflationary holocaust" on us all. Last November, Reuters reported "Senate Democrats yielded to the wishes of President-elect Obama and allowed Joe Lieberman to keep his committee chairmanship." Patrick Caviness e-mailed from his beautiful home in Thailand, "So happy Obama won! Good for the US; good for the World. I was in Bombay for five days and the whole city was singing praises for the US."

Joe Wishcamper e-mailed: "I'm looking out the window at two feet of snow on the ground, so different from the scene a couple of months ago. It reminds me that change is life's unchangeable constant — a good thing to reflect on, coming up on a reunion year. I feel blessed." Ed Gaffney e-mailed: "Lot has happened for me in the last year: (1) I bagged my 50th state by visiting Gaffney, SC, no relation; (2) My wife got an unexpected job offer from Honolulu, HI, so we are now living in Waikiki; (3) I made my non-scientific publishing debut with a satirical piece in Eos, the weekly newspaper of the American Geophysical Union, and a serious socio-religious commentary in the United Church News. Dan Kapica sent in some terrific "that was then; this is now" photos which can be seen in "Photo Gallery" on our class Web site. Kudos to Waldo Johnston and Candy for the most creative and environmentally-friendly holiday "card" delivered via the Web. Tony Lee and Margie sent a photo-rich holiday letter, too. Loring Knoblauch, who organizes classmate luncheons in Chicago, wrote a great year-end e-mail, and it is posted on the class Web site.

Chris Getman was elevated to the presidency of Mory's just in time to announce its temporary closing. Seriously, let's try to support this legacy! On a happier day, Chris attended the announcement of the new Yale football coach, Tom Williams. I caught glimpses of Chris and Sherman during the live streaming video. You can even see Chris' right knee (healed after surgery) in the online photo of Williams and Handsome Dan!

Remember, 45th Reunion in June. Connect!