Class Note 1949
Issue
May-June 2022
Joel Berson and I attended our good Sarasota, Florida, friend Tom Towler’s celebration of life along with 30 of his direct descendants and his companion, Nancy Lyon.
Dale Jacobson’s wife died last year, so he is living by himself in his condo in Somers, New York. Dale spent his career in the treasury department of Exxon. He is still driving, shopping, and maintaining an optimistic attitude about life’s vicissitudes.
Jim Mytton checked in from Bloomfield, Colorado. After receiving his master’s in geology from the University of Wyoming, Jim spent his career with the U.S. Geological Survey. Jim was primed to attend our 70th reunion, but the untimely death of his son prevented that. Jim also lost his wife last year but is in good health living in a retirement home.
You may have read about the man who received a pig’s heart in a transplant. When the doctor explained what would happen, he seemed oblivious until the doctor asked, “Do you understand?” Finally, he responded: “Am I going to oink?” My educated guess is that four-score-plus classmates are still with us. If you want this column to continue with anything but obituaries, you need to oink by snail mail or phone. (My College-supplied directory is 18 months out of date, as are many of your addresses and phone numbers.) So let me hear from you (sorry, no email)!
One classmate I tried in vain to reach was Ray Powers, who evidently still operates his own literary agency in New York City. His report in our 50th reunion book was so different from any other classmate that I’ll summarize it here. Ray was a theatrical agent and personal manager for Jane Fonda, Geena Rowlands, Thelma Ritter, and other movie stars in the 1960s. He was also an actor, playwright, model, producer, and director. At one point he lived on a commune; at another, he was a housefather to 14 deprived 11-year old kids in a Bronx home.
William Arthur Ballard died on December 14, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he lived. Bill was a writer by profession, working primarily in advertising and public relations. He enjoyed tennis and his church. Bill is survived by his son, Bill ’74, and his daughters, Lynn and Jean.
—John Adler, 75 Silo Circle, Riverside, CT 06878; (203) 622-9069; (203) 344-1584 (fax)
Dale Jacobson’s wife died last year, so he is living by himself in his condo in Somers, New York. Dale spent his career in the treasury department of Exxon. He is still driving, shopping, and maintaining an optimistic attitude about life’s vicissitudes.
Jim Mytton checked in from Bloomfield, Colorado. After receiving his master’s in geology from the University of Wyoming, Jim spent his career with the U.S. Geological Survey. Jim was primed to attend our 70th reunion, but the untimely death of his son prevented that. Jim also lost his wife last year but is in good health living in a retirement home.
You may have read about the man who received a pig’s heart in a transplant. When the doctor explained what would happen, he seemed oblivious until the doctor asked, “Do you understand?” Finally, he responded: “Am I going to oink?” My educated guess is that four-score-plus classmates are still with us. If you want this column to continue with anything but obituaries, you need to oink by snail mail or phone. (My College-supplied directory is 18 months out of date, as are many of your addresses and phone numbers.) So let me hear from you (sorry, no email)!
One classmate I tried in vain to reach was Ray Powers, who evidently still operates his own literary agency in New York City. His report in our 50th reunion book was so different from any other classmate that I’ll summarize it here. Ray was a theatrical agent and personal manager for Jane Fonda, Geena Rowlands, Thelma Ritter, and other movie stars in the 1960s. He was also an actor, playwright, model, producer, and director. At one point he lived on a commune; at another, he was a housefather to 14 deprived 11-year old kids in a Bronx home.
William Arthur Ballard died on December 14, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he lived. Bill was a writer by profession, working primarily in advertising and public relations. He enjoyed tennis and his church. Bill is survived by his son, Bill ’74, and his daughters, Lynn and Jean.
—John Adler, 75 Silo Circle, Riverside, CT 06878; (203) 622-9069; (203) 344-1584 (fax)