Class Note 1955
On the occasion of the pending reunion of the Old Antarctic Explorers Society, I called Steve Wilson. Steve has significant renown as a beekeeper and was Beekeeper of the Year in 2016, as noted in the class newsletter last year. At the other end of the earth, Steve, as a Navy lieutenant, j.g., went to the ice aboard icebreaker USS Glacier in 1956 to 1958 Operation Deep Freeze. He worked on the Glacier to document the Van Allen radiation belt. Peter Fleming ’54 was the medical officer. Steve’s experience with the DOC and in classes with such greats as Vilhjalmur Stefansson and aboard the Blue Dolphin with Cmdr. David “Beaney” Nutt ’41 certainly left their mark. “Dudley Halligan ’62 went to the Antarctic ice cap with me on Glacier in 1963. I hope more Big Greens will show themselves at the Old Antarctic Explorers reunion,” he said. Steve mentioned that the United States has only one old breaker in service, The Polar Star. He added that with climate changes, the Russians have significant continued interests in the polar seas and the riches of oil and fish they contain.
I met up with Ross Robbins and his wife, Irene, who live near my brother, Dennis ’61, on Boca Grande, a spot of lovely delight on the Florida west coast. They were married at the end of our junior year. Following his service in the Air Force, they were Chicago residents and frequently met with Joe Mathewson. Ross’s great-grandfather was in the circus business, which the family continued until they sold to Ringling Brothers. Ross went into the outdoor advertising business in 1958. He recognized the great capabilities of billboard promotion and after different positions started his own company, Robbinswood Inc., in the 1960s. Thus, his experiences went from circus to sign painter—a great and interesting life.
Plan ahead: Homecoming is October 11-12, with the game vs. Yale, class dinners Friday and Saturday nights, Friday afternoon seminar with faculty speaker, and the class meeting Saturday morning. Watch the class newsletter for details.
Sadly, we report the passing of Bill Kofoed, Jim Perkins, and Will Stratton.
—John Dinan, 20 Gardiner St., Richmond, ME 04357; (207) 252-7442; captdinan@yahoo.com
