Class Notes

November/December 2016

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.

The September issue of YAM just arrived in my mailbox, and here I am writing the year-end column. A bit of a time warp! Between now and then, I think my inbox will get a little lighter since the presidential election will have been decided.

I begin with important meetings and significant news. Terry Holcombe reported that Len Baker has been appointed by President Salovey to a “Committee on Renaming Principles.” I’m sure Len wants to hear your views on this issue. On a far less serious topic, Chris Getman has posted his “fictional” account of the Spring Golf Outing. Terry Holcombe is also monitoring the progress of the Class of 1964 Gateway in Benjamin Franklin College. We hope to schedule a mini-reunion in New Haven sometime after the new colleges open in Fall 2017. Regarding mini-reunions that have been contemplated, we are postponing indefinitely the Atlanta Civil Rights event due to logistics and cost parameters.

Jon McBride called attention to the news that Yale has admitted the first Squash Haven participant: “This makes our class support for this program impressive and inspirational.” Chip Brennen, Len Baker, and Chip Levengood actively participated on President Salovey’s August conference call. Pete Putzel announced the fall schedule for Class luncheons at The Yale Club of NYC: “Generally, we meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month.” Tony Lavely will be attending the Yale Alumni Fund Board meeting in September as a newly-elected member. Ward Wickwire, our YAF Chair of Agents, reported that our Class raised $250,000 from over 300 classmates in the most recent fiscal year. Don Edwards, our Class Delegate, will be attending his first AYA Assembly in November. Weili Cheng, the new Executive Director of AYA highlighted two Classmate-named buildings (Kroon Hall and Evans Hall) in her fall email.

Nick von Baillou wrote: “We have retired in Alabama, after many years in Palm Beach and Europe, to enjoy our horses and the weather with our family. It’s marvelous fun to interview young Alabama applicants to Yale.” Nick added: “My youngest was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers and married her sweetheart (of the same rank) at West Point a month later.” Always active Tony Lee toured the Vermont Northeast Kingdom in the fall. This summer, Dan Pollack spent two weeks in Spain and France where he visited Normandy Beach. Jeremy Wood posted photos of himself with his son’s vintage Volvo in a Los Angeles gallery and separately posted a portrait painted by his son of a 1990 family Bat/Bar Mitzvah weekend. Patrick Caviness reported on his July surgery and recovery in San Francisco. Before he returned to Thailand, he was visited by Dan Pollack, Mike Mazer, Owen O’Donnell, Chuck Mokriski, and encouraged by emails and calls from other classmates. After briefly reacquainting himself with his home and vista in Koh Samui, Pat left for a 3-week visit to Bali.

Timothy Breen emailed: “This fall the Humboldt Foundation will support my research at the Munich Center for Advanced Study. I’m working on a book entitled An Appeal to Heaven: The American Revolution.” Francis Snyder emailed: “I have been nominated for the St. Petersburg International Prize for the Best Legal Research in the Sphere of Private Law as well as a Peking University Teaching Excellence Award.” Francis added: “We had a wonderful three weeks hiking the Swiss Alps in July.” Owen O’Donnell and Ed Arens co-hosted a gathering of classmates in the Bay Area: “Our gang included Don Leka, Richard Morehead, Dennis Helmrich, Frank Basler, and David Lindsay.” Another classmate gathering took place in northern Michigan, which included Mike Mazer, Dan Pollack, and Bob Hannah (his home).

Stephen Greenblatt emailed from his vacation home in Vermont: “I participated in a mock trial of Shylock, held in Venice and presided over by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Despite the heat, Ginsburg was amazingly vital, energetic, and sharp-witted.” [Tune in next issue for the verdict!] Jim Rogers was a special guest at The Trading Mastery Summit in Detroit during August. He was also interviewed by The Freedom Friend; the video is posted on our Website. Chris Getman recently announced: “After 15 years as owner and president of Soundview Capital Management, I have sold my company to Fairfield-Bush, whose principals I have known for many years. There is great synergy and spirit in our new offices.”

The authors in our Class remain active. Russell Sunshine emailed: “I’m hard at work giving readings at bookshops, marching in parades with the Central Coast Writers Club, and entering author contests.” John Wylie announced: “My new book, Old Mind, New Mind: Emotional Fossils and the Evolution of the Human Spirit, is now available as an e-Book and will be published in December.” An early reviewer wrote: “This is a breathtakingly original book and a great endeavor of the intellect.” Chas Freeman’s latest book was favorably reviewed by The Future of Freedom Foundation. Paul Ruden and Ron Sipherd have joined the community of classmate bloggers.

Perhaps the most well-publicized death of classmates was Handsome Dan XVII (aka “Sherman” and an Honorary Classmate) in August. We have posted a News page to chronicle his many honors and good work for Yale, including many photos and videos. The news of the death of four classmates came since the previous column. David MacBryde died in Berlin in 2015. David was very active in church work and political work. Tim Garton, a premier swimmer and outdoorsman, died in Kansas City in April. Norm Clark, an accomplished designer, died in Portland OR in June. Joe Wishcamper posted a touching remembrance of Norm. Chip Levengood notified us of the death of his roommate, Woody Woodruff, in NYC during July. Woody’s son, Josh ’93, sent us a very personal obituary. If you would like to donate a Mory’s Memorial Brick in the name of any of these men, please go to In Memoriam on our Website.