Class Notes

May/June 2018

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.

There are a number of momentous Class Events with which I begin these Notes. Your Class Council met in New Haven on February 9 for our annual meeting. Even with a couple of last minute scratches due to the flu, there was a record turnout of 25 Council members, most of whom traveled considerable distance at their own expense. A full report on the meeting is posted on our Class Website in News, but I want to highlight several key topics of animated discussion and decision-making.

The Council renewed Class support for two New Haven-based not-for-profit organizations: Urban Resources Initiative has distinguished itself in providing community engagement through urban forestry management in the New Haven area; Squash Haven provides academic guidance and squash coaching for youth in New Haven at Payne Whitney. Every classmate who has followed the results of these two remarkable organizations comments how they contribute to dramatically improved “Town-Gown” relationships compared to our undergraduate years. Chris Getman and Mike Price have given valuable oversight to URI, and Jon McBride does the same for Squash Haven.

The other key topic at the Council meeting was planning for our 55th Class Reunion. Co-Chairs Tony Lee and Jon McBride are already building out the Planning Committee. While Yale has not confirmed the reunion dates , you may want to save the most likely dates for our 55th Reunion: May 30 to June 2, 2019.

This year, we scheduled the Council Meeting to coincide with the dedication of the Class of 1964 Gate in Benjamin Franklin College. The ceremony took place on Saturday, February 10th, and we were joined by Gate Donors and spouses. We were hosted by Head of College, Charles Bailyn. Terry Holcombe, who spearheaded the fundraising effort for the Gate at our 25th Class Reunion, introduced Rick Levin who was president as plans for the two new residential colleges became a reality. In addition to thanking all donors, Rick had special praise for Len Baker who was on the Yale Corporation during the planning period. Only steps inside the Gate, there is a commemorative plaque for the Nyburg Baker Court, a gift of Len and Mary Anne. Butch Hetherington and his family made sure that basketball would have its place in the new colleges by underwriting the Hetherington Basketball Court. Beyond the ceremony itself, we had the pleasure of being toured through both new residential colleges by six current students, who then mesmerized us with a panel discussion of their engagement in the life of the new colleges. Discussions with students extended into the dining room for lunch. Whether the new colleges are a formal part of our 55th Reunion program or not, you will want to visit them yourself on any future visit you make to New Haven. Bob Buchanan captured the sentiments other classmates when he emailed: “After attending the recent Class Council meeting and the Dedication of the Class Gate in Benjamin Franklin College, I felt very good about what our Class continues to do for Yale, but more importantly how Yale continues to be such an icon for higher education. Walking around the campus and interacting with the students, I felt the pride that these new students have in our alma mater and even their joy of learning!”

During this same early February weekend, classmates attended two men’s hockey games where the Bulldogs prevailed, as well as a dinner at Mory’s. The following Monday, I attend the Board of Directors meeting of the Yale Alumni Fund at The Yale Club of New York City, which also included a meeting of the Technology Work Group. Earlier that day, I had the opportunity to see Chip Thomas, the son of Stan Thomas, who is always keen for reminiscences about his father’s days at Yale.

Pete Putzel reported that the January class luncheon at The Yale Club of NYC was attended by ten classmates. Pete emailed: “At one end of the table, Lee Sigal was holding forth on North Korea; at the other end, Joe Lieberman and Paul Steiger were in animated discussion which, alas, I could not hear.” Pete added a personal note: “By virtue of a recent law-firm merger, I am now Senior Counsel at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.” Other than a summer hiatus, these class luncheons are on the fourth Tuesday of every month.

Neil Hoffmann once again spearheaded planning for the Spring golf outing on May 10 at The Yale Course. You can expect Chris Getman’s narrative account to be posted in due course, but he could just as well make it up in advance of the event for all the resemblance it has! John Evans reports that 12 classmates (24 travelers) have signed up for the Canadian Rockies Railroad trip in July 2018. There is still time to join this spectacular mini-reunion. You can find details on our Class website in "class events" or contact John.

There are new News items posted on our Class website which are worth reading in their entirety. In case you missed Peter Conrad’s letter to the editor in the January-February issue of Yale Alumni Magazine, we have posted it in News. The Historical Society of Washington D.C. presented is annual Visionary Award to Howard Gillette to recognize his lifetime body of work in the study of Washington D.C. Recently, we were contacted by Rolf Dumke who matriculated with us in 1960 but graduated in 1965. Since Rolf has maintained more contact with our Class over the years, he has asked to be formally affiliated with our Class. His recollections of his Yale undergraduate years are so rich and vivid, that we have posted them in News on our Class Website. Rolf, we welcome you back and look forward to seeing you at our 55th Class Reunion, if not before! When Jon McBride read what amounts to a Class Book personal essay, he emailed: “Rarely, if ever, have I felt that I frittered away four years at Yale as poignantly as I did reading Rolf’s essay. Simply extraordinary! We’re damn lucky to get him back!” Before moving from major News items to shorter Notes, I want to mention that Sterling Memorial Library is archiving our Class of 1964 Website back to its inception in 1999 when Tony Lee was Class Secretary and Sam Francis began to build what we have today. We’ve been writing our digital history ever since!

In the midst of today’s political turmoil, Terry Holcombe emailed a memory from the archives: “In March 2004, the Justice Department under John Ashcroft ruled that a domestic intelligence program was illegal. The day after the ruling, John became critically ill and was hospitalized. When President Bush sent his White House Counsel and his Chief of Staff to John’s hospital bed to get him to reverse the ruling, John refused to sign. Who was there to back John up? Acting AG James Comey!”

Tom Walton emailed: When my wife Irene attended a Painters’ Workshop in Richmond in December. I tagged along to have a good visit with Walter (‘Red’) Howson and his wife Barbara.” Chris Getman forwarded an article about the resignation of Tony Knowles ‘68 (who spent some years with our Class and later was Governor of Alaska) from the National Parks System Advisory Board. Tony was quoted: “From all of the events of this past year, I have a profound concern that the mission of stewardship, protection, and advancement of our National Parks has been set aside.”

Bob Buchanan emailed: “As Chair of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Economic Development Corporation, I have become very involved in the Amazon HQ2 search. It exceeds anything I have ever experienced and will be a game-changer for the region selected.” Terry Holcombe reported that The University of Michigan has activated a database of 4,000 photos from the period of Jim Duderstadt’s presidency at UofM.” Slide show at our 55th Reunion, not to be missed! I missed an item in ProPublica from 2015 that reported “ProPublica’s Paul Steiger to join New York Journalism Hall of Fame.” The Yale Office of the Recording Secretary once again thanked Chuck Mokriski for underwriting the J. Frederick Mokriski Scholarship Fund. This year’s recipient is a Computer Science and Arts major in Jonathan Edwards College.

Jonathan Leader sent an interesting connection to a new book, The Ghost: The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton, by Jeffrey Morley. “The revelation in the book that amazed me was that the author’s sponsor and mentor was non-other than Norman Holmes Pearson who taught AS59 while we were at Yale. Professor Pearson was a member of the top-secret Ultra Decoding Project in Bletchley Park!” With a more recent Yale academic connection, Tony Lee emailed: “The list of Yale professors writing excellent articles about our current politics keeps growing. Amy Chua, professor at Yale Law School, wrote a provocative analysis in Politico about what is happening with tribal politics in America.”

In January, Joe Lieberman wrote an opinion piece in The Hill titled, "Collins and Manchin hear McCain’s call to service." That same month, Joe was interviewed by Newsmax TV Nancy Brinker about today’s pollical atmosphere. Nortin Hadler has written a new book, Stabbed in the Back: Confronting Back Pain in an Overtreated Society. It is posted on our Class website in Publications.

Since the previous issue, there have been two new classmate obituaries posted on our Class website in In Memoriam. Clarkson Lindley died on January 2 in Minneapolis (see his obituary). Clarkson had a passion for horses and produced many horse events, including the America Gold Cup. Barry Stott '65, his roommate notified me. Barry attended Clarkson’s memorial service and gave a eulogy. Ed Vollertsen died in Atlanta on January 30 (see his obituary). Ed was a career banker and a published expert in credit strategies. Pete Putzel added a remembrance to Per Wickstrom’s obituary, and Ed Massey, another roommate, has persuaded Elaine to attend our 55th Class Reunion and reprise Per’s moving account of his love for painting. For those of you who remember Vince Scully fondly, as I do, you should stream the YouTube video of his memorial service held in Battell Chapel on January 20th. It is pure Scully!