Yale University

Class Notes

May/June 2010

by Tony Lavely

Your Class Council met in New Haven on Saturday, January 30th for our annual meeting. Despite the frigid and icy winter weather, it was well-attended with sixteen members present. Our meeting venue changed, but the relevance of the location did not. In recent years, we have been meeting in Sage Hall at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, hosted by council member and Dean, Gus Speth. As previously reported, Gus has retired and Sage Hall is being renovated. So we met in Kroon Hall, the newest campus building that many of you saw dedicated at a reunion ceremony attended by Rick Kroon and his family. Just outside our modern meeting room was a new plaque to commemorate "Speth Walk." Council meeting notes and a group picture are posted on our class Website, but I call your attention to some important topics:

  • Enhancements to our Class Website are underway under the leadership of Sam Francis;
  • We are soliciting suggestions for regional mini-reunions in 2011-2013;
  • Nominations are open for chair of the 50th reunion in 2014;
  • The Council unanimously approved a proposal to increase our support of a summer internship at Urban Resource Initiative in the name of Strachan Donnelley.

A report on the 2009 summer intern, Kyle Williams '10, is posted on our Class website. A well-planned proposal by Ward Wickwire, Dennis DeSilvey, and Mac Deford for a mini-reunion on the Maine Coast in early October 2010 was enthusiastically endorsed by your class council. Check out the details and save the date on our Class website. After the meeting, council members gather at Zinc Kitchen for artisan pizza and beer and later watched RPI knock the men's hockey team out of first place at Ingalls Rink.

William Woodfin wrote: "After 34 years practicing neurology in Dallas, I've formed my own practice in Allen, TX, to be nearer our farm where my other 'job' is native plant and wildlife restoration." William added, "In December, I had lunch with Art Dodge, the first classmate I met at Yale who now lives in East Hampton." Ward Cates emailed: "I'm recuperating from surgery on my Achilles tendon, ruptured while clogging at a holiday party!" Dan Pollack and Nancy had lunch with Waldo Johnson and Candy in Florida over the holidays. Tom Walton wrote: "I continue to work as an environmental consultant, though I retired from the World Bank five years ago. Most of my projects are in Africa, and I travel there frequently." Gus Speth delivered the 10th Annual John H. Chafee Memorial Lecture at the meeting of the National Council for Science and the Environment. His lecture is posted on our Class Website.

Chuck Mokriski emailed: "Last summer, Paul Ruden put me in touch with Bob Woodward '65. I persuaded Bob to give the keynote address at the 20th anniversary meeting of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, a national organization of over 500 lawyers. Bob graciously accepted, and his appearance will be a highlight of our meeting in New Orleans on April 16, 2010." In February, John Evans emailed" "Tomorrow we head for Sanibel Island for two weeks. Jon McBride and Al Rossiter [fellow gentleman songsters] are coming for a visit, and we may see Nicolas Baskey as well." Following the chemical plant explosion in Middletown, CT, in February, Dave Kalayjian emailed: "I spent an interesting Sunday afternoon in the hospital helping with the orthopedic injuries from the blast." Following my visit with his 92 year-old mother in Hamden, Dick Niglio emailed: "It was great to see you and other classmates at The Game. Dana and I are at our Tahoe home right now, but on our way to San Diego to see my sons." The Yale Recording Secretary shared her note of gratitude to Jonathan Leader "for the role the Leader Family Scholarship Fund plays in sustaining endowed scholarships." As Executive Director of the Pritchard Committee for Academic Excellence in Kentucky, Bob Sexton announced new standards that will "provide our schools and teachers with the support and resources they need to ensure the success of students."

Bill Galvin and other classmates publicized the annual Mory's "Feb Club" celebrations during February. As a new resident of Atlanta, I attend the event here and refitted an empty cup atop my head! On a more dignified level, a week later I had dinner with Dolph Orthwein '65 and Judy (whom I had not seen in 44 years); the following evening I had dinner with John Howells and Pat; there was lots of reminiscing about undergraduate days! Russell Sunshine emailed: "I continue to focus on selling our Umbrian farm, in preparation for repatriating to Pacific Grove, CA." Patrick Caviness continues to host classmates and friends at his beautiful home on Koh Samui, Thailand. His most recent guests were Dave Sherman and Peter Giblin. Send Patrick an email if you want to see his Picasa photo albums.

Jon Van Dyke emailed: "I've been teaching International and Constitutional Law at the University of Hawai‘i since 1976 and just received the University Regents' Medal for Excellence in Research in 2009, based in part on my book Who Owns the Crown Lands of Hawai‘i? In Spring 2011, I'll be Visiting Professor at the UC Berkeley Law School." Jon's book brings to eighty-five the number of classmate books listed on our Class Website under "Publications." . On a related note, Jon McBride co-authored an article, "Board Champions for the Ombudsman" that is also posted on our website. Please email me if you've written a book or article you'd like to add.

At the monthly classmates table at the Yale Club of NYC in February, Terry Holcombe reported seeing Pete Putzel (the luncheon organizer), Pete Trowbridge, Robert Whitby, and Steve Norman (who has launched a new business in corporate governance advising). Terry Holcombe and Chris Getman, who have provided great leadership to Mory's in its transformation and reopening, are moving into new roles as members of The Mory's Council. The opening date for the "new" Mory's with its "Temple Bar" is expected to be in August 2010. Through the generosity of fourteen classmates, there will be a named "Class of 1964 Alcove" right off the main dining room.

Wayne Batcheler continues his good work in finding eulogies and remembrances for departed classmates who have gone unrecognized on the "In Memoriam" page of our Class Website. The most recent addition is a nice tribute in memory of Jack Goodyear. Patrick Caviness has expanded the remembrance for Jack Cirie.

The next issue of class notes (YAM July-August 2010) will be guest-written by Bill Drennen. Please send Bill news about yourself and classmates by the closing deadline of May 7th. If there are any volunteers to write one column in 2011, please contact me.