Class Notes 1970

Three classmates named Brown checked in from around the globe.

Art writes, “My research was with a team in northern Thailand studying leprosy. The power of stigma slapped me hard when I met a businessman in his rice paddy, living there hoping his absence from home would allow his daughters to avoid people’s reaction to his disfigured face.

“After marrying Linda, also a doctor, we returned to Thailand—she to a government hospital on the Khmer border and me in a refugee camp. Linda gave birth to our son in her hospital. We moved to the capital, which allowed us to join an Army research group. There, we ran a malaria unit for Thai near Laos. We also were joined by a daughter, who now lives in Oregon with her own child. Despite my anti-military sentiment of the 1960s, I joined the Army. From malaria, our focus shifted to HIV, and we were eventually working in Thailand to organize a 16,000-person trial of the vaccines. We’re now back in Bangkok, where Linda is still enjoying her career and I’m retired.”

Mike tells us, “I’m married with a 33-year-old daughter. My wife, Anita, and I retired three years ago after coaching diving together at the University of Hawaii. We live a healthy lifestyle with no drinking or drugs, eat mostly organic, and don’t have a cell phone. We walk every day, focused on the metaphysical and magical. We don’t watch TV. We enter the ocean often for exercise and discover the amazing sea life by snorkeling (cetaceans are our favorites). We also encounter monk seals, turtles, octopus, and occasionally sharks. It seems we all get along together and hope humans can catch on.”

Alan writes, “My six years in Hanover (two at the Medical School) led to lasting friendships and began my married life. I met Sally there. We eloped and married in the Hanover Town Clerk’s office. Despite that inauspicious beginning, we celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2023. After completing my cardiology training at Harvard in 1981, we moved to Santa Barbara, California, where I practiced clinical and interventional cardiology for 35 years. Our kids, Dan ’03 and Lauren ’05, both graduated from Dartmouth. In response to 9/11, Dan joined the Marine Corps and served three deployments in the Middle East as a Cobra helicopter pilot. He now works for Amazon Web Services. Lauren completed medical training and now resides with her family in Bozeman, Montana.

“Dan’s service prompted me to request an age waiver and join the Navy Medical Reserve in 2002. I served as surgeon for a U.S. Marine Corps Recon Battalion and deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, from 2009 to 2010. I retired in 2021. Sally and I enjoy the quiet life in Santa Barbara. We’ve resumed post-pandemic travel. Last September we joined the Avellones on a hiking trip in the Canadian Rockies.”

Submissions from other Browns will appear in an e-newsletter concurrent with this issue.

—Stuart Zuckerman, P.O. Box 85, Bridgehampton, NY 11932; (917) 559-0063 stuartz@gmail.com

Global legal work and international banking sent two of our classmates ’round the girdled earth.

Wallace Ford takes comfort in knowing that he’s still the youngest member of our class. That didn’t seem to be an obstacle to him spending most of the past 54 years as a judicial law secretary, venture capital executive, N.Y.C. and New York State commissioner, and international attorney in Africa and the Caribbean. He writes, “I’m now a tenured professor at Medgar Evers College in the City University of New York. I live in the Bronx with my son, Wallace.”

Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka writes, “I was with Citibank for 33 years in various international executive positions in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America that was followed by three years with Lloyds Banking Group in London. I retired to Virginia in 2008 with my wife, Priscilla (a.k.a. ‘P.T.’). I served on a number of boards, both nonprofit (Opportunity International, Eleazar Wheelock Society, Africa New Day, Tucker Foundation) and for-profit (Ecobank Transnational, a pan-African institution). We have a son, daughter, and seven grandkids.”

Here are updates from classmates who stayed stateside.

Richard Porter managed to sustain being both married for 50 years and practicing law in Wisconsin for the same duration. He was engaged with a lot of nonprofits, including the Urban League, NAACP, Goodwill, Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, and Cabot Theater. Now retired, he moved to the D.C. area in 2014 to be closer to his son’s family. For the past several years he’s been president of his 450-unit condo association (with 2,300 residents!). He’s proud of his 11-year-old grandson, who is Virginia state chess champion for his age group.

Thomas Walker shares a deep look back at his path from then-segregated Corpus Christi, Texas, to Dartmouth and his career. “I was the youngest of five siblings of a single mother who worked a domestic day job. At night she crafted gowns on her foot pedal-powered Singer sewing machine. I learned a lot about attention to detail by watching her alter patterns.

“My time at Dartmouth was the start of a lifelong journey of exploring possibilities I couldn’t have imagined in my youth. I majored in art with an emphasis in architecture. Classmates I looked to for support were Herschel Johnson, Keith Jackson,and Wallace Ford.

“I graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago with a degree in architecture. That led me to a job at the office of world-renowned Mies van der Rohe. After a brief stint in Dallas I returned to Chicago to work on the approval and execution of the master plan for the Cityfront Center, a major mixed-use development in downtown for the Chicago Dock and Canal Trust. I’m now fully retired and enjoy working in my own yard and a nearby community garden.”

—Stuart Zuckerman, P.O. Box 85, Bridgehampton, NY 11932; (917) 559-0063; stuartz@gmail.com

Have you ever wondered how classmates ended up with nicknames that aren’t based on their first or last names?

John McCravey reveals that his nickname dates to the military prep school he attended in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which required haircuts every two weeks. Upperclassmen on the soccer team saw his round shaved head and started calling him “Moonbeam.”

David Burbank writes, “My father wanted to name me ‘Spike’ but I was born five weeks early. After he and my uncle saw me at the hospital, they repaired to a local pub. After a few beers my uncle announced, ‘He’s too small to be a Spike, he’s a ‘Tack.’ ”

Most of us wouldn’t recognize William H. Johnson,but “Star” gets our attention. “During freshman week I was sitting at a table with some guys at the Hop snack bar. We were looking through a Green Book, making funny comments about each of us and other guys in the photos. When they got to me and read all of my high school activities, someone said ‘Holy cow (actually, it was more profane), you must have been a star!’ It stuck. I’ve never been able to shed the name. Wherever I lived, there have been Dartmouth friends who call me that even though I introduce myself as ‘Bill.’ ”

At the time Robert Millikin was born, Sparkle Plentywas a character in the Dick Tracy comics. Millikin writes that his mother’s sister was present at his birth and said, “He has such sparkly eyes!” It was “Sparky,” not Robert, from then on. Millikin spent the first dozen years after Dartmouth teaching and coaching in Outward Bound programs and private schools (Proctor Academy and Phillips Andover). He got an M.B.A. from Yale in 1979. Using his architecture major, he spent many years in construction management for Vermont companies, including Ben & Jerry, Burton Snowboards, and King Arthur Flour.

Jon Nistad writes, “I was playing hearts with Karl Steinmanis and two others in our freshmen year, third-floor Topliff. We were all giving our histories. I mentioned that, in my mind, my dad was a modern-day Viking. He wanted to name me Igor, Thor, Torga, or some other Scandinavian name. My Polish mother would have none of it, so they settled on Jon (without the ‘h’). From that point, I became ‘Torga’ to that small group, and it spread. Karl became ‘Sven’ at the same time. I don’t recall the details, but it must have been something to do with being from Latvia.”

Karl and his wife, Anda, celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary this past fall on a trip to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. “In 2022 we went on a safari to Kenya and Tanzania. When not traveling abroad, we split our time between Naples, Florida, and a lake house in Michigan and have kept our Bengals’ season tickets. Our two daughters are married. Between them, we have four grandkids—truly a blessing.”

—Stuart Zuckerman, P.O. Box 85, Bridgehampton, NY 11932; (917) 559-0063; stuartz@gmail.com

“Though ’round the girdled earth they roam, her spell on them remains….”

More than 20 of our classmates have lived abroad for most of their careers. We start with the four below.

Scott Perry earned an M.B.A. at Stanford and moved to England, where he became a liquidator, buying companies out of bankruptcy. “With several good partners I managed to turn around companies and sell them. The companies were largely smokestack, old-fashioned manufacturers or agri-businesses.”

Besides the United States and United Kingdom, he has lived in Argentina, Chile, Gibraltar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Uruguay. Today his passion is sailing, which has taken him to many countries as a competitor or racing official. In 2017 he sailed across the Atlantic from Europe and miscalculated the days it would take to reach St. Lucia. As a result, they ran out of food (except for frozen meat) three days out. Fortunately, they had plenty of beer and were able to catch some fish. Every May for the past 16 years he’s taken seriously ill people from Madrid to Lourdes for five days.

Steve Cox checks in from Honduras, where he moved in 1979 “to make a new beginning.” He met his wife, Isabelle, there; they now have a family that includes three grandchildren.

“I found myself professionally as an English teacher at binational and bilingual schools in Tegucigalpa. Subsequently, at the Panamerican Agricultural School, I taught future farmers from across the continent. In 1999 I moved to the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, where I became a translator. I since moved to the Caribbean coast, where I invested in vacation beach properties that I rent via Airbnb.”

Paul Gambaccini writes, “I celebrated my 50th anniversary as a national broadcaster in the United Kingdom in October 2021. I met all five Beatles (including Pete Best), interviewed major Motown groups, Bob Dylan, and Aretha Franklin. I found myself interviewing Mick Jagger and group at 4 a.m.”

Paula Sinclair,one of the exchange students our senior year, reports “living overseas may have been less disconcerting than spending the past 50 years in the states. After Dartmouth I lived stateside in Ithaca, Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York but mostly overseas in Portugal and Brazil (as a diplomat) and then England, Scotland, and China (as a trailing spouse). My two sons grew up in the United Kingdom. They speak ‘British,’ my U.S. neighbor remarked.

“With 30 moves under my belt, the travel bug is addictive (pre-pandemic, up to six months travel each year). Nowadays, air travel means delayed, canceled, or a Chariots of Fire sprint through a terminal. California is now home. I’m blessed with good health, amazing memories, wonderful sons, and a good laugh daily.”

Submissions from more ’70 classmates living abroad will be in a class e-newsletter you’ll receive concurrent with this DAM issue.

—Stuart Zuckerman, P.O. Box 85, Bridgehampton, N.Y. 11932; (917) 559-0063; stuartz@gmail.com

Fall is just around the corner. That season was a favorite for foliage and football. I’m handing off this column to five of our gridiron stars.

Bob Mlakar shares some memories and thoughts from in the huddle: “We can all remember the first down, the recovered fumble, and Pete Donovan’s winning field goal. But nothing will remain as clear as your teammates all coming together in the huddle with 2:30 to go on the clock. No CNN, no Fox News, no social media. It was the best office ever—private to teammates.

“No sport today is void of trash talk, dancing around the end zone, or pounding your chest. I want to get back to sportsmanship and respect for the other team. Look the guy in the eye— crimson, navy, black, or orange. The better they are, the better you will become. Play for each other. It will last 50-plus years.”

Jon Nistad writes, “Tennis has become my adult sport. I play in a number of tournaments each year; 2022 was particularly good. My 13-year-old grandson, Pete, and I ended the year with the U.S. Tennis Association’s No. 1 ranking in the grandfather-grandson category. Not bad for an old footballer. The secret is Pete is really good.”

Larry Killgallon looks back on team sports as “providing a template for success in life. Set goals, execute a plan to achieve them. Work hard every day to get better. Coach Blackman was a master of little things that make a huge difference. Trust your teammates to do their job; they expect the same from you. Lose with dignity and learn; win with humility. I’m so proud to have been a small part of an Ivy League Championship team! The Princeton loss still hurts.

“I’m retired after 40 years in the toy business.” (Secretary Note: If your children ever played with Etch-A-Sketch, you know the product). “Family and travel keep the days full.”

Pete Donovanremembers, “I was one of 21 quarterbacks who showed up for double sessions in the fall of 1966. I ran out to the first practice in a pair of antique black high-tops and fell on the way to the field! My freshman teammates were all in the same position. We put together a great team that beat Boston College. It was a lot of fun once you stopped worrying about how good, or bad, you were. Most of my closest friends are from that first fall in Hanover.”

Tom Quinn writes, “I married my high school sweetheart, Patti. We have three adult sons. Patti and I split amicably after a few decades, and I’ve re-married (Marilyn). My career was in criminal justice, trying to build coalitions to find common goals. I retired 10 years ago as director of probation for the state of Colorado. Now I live in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, and stay active with senior softball, volunteer work, and watching grandkids grow.”

—Stuart Zuckerman, P.O. Box 85, Bridgehampton, NY 11932; (917) 559-0063; stuartz@gmail.com

Catch up with six classmates who were cheated out of listing their high school activities in our Green Book simply because their last names are at the end of the alphabet.

Mitch Wonson retired in 2010 to a small house in Holland, Vermont (the Northeast Kingdom), with 25 acres of woods and brook frontage. He writes, “I dissolved my consulting firm and am enjoying life among the critters, including a two-mile loop trail along the brook for walking and snowshoeing. I stay busy with chores, reading, music, and various town positions. I bemoan that it takes longer to do anything these days. I’m still poor, back is better, life is good.”

Duncan Wood had a long career as a civil engineering consultant and currently does a great job as our class treasurer. At Hamburg High in northern New York he was treasurer of his class and student council. He played on the soccer and wrestling teams and found time to play timpani in the orchestra.

Willis Wood writes, “After spending two years fulfilling my conscientious objector obligations and a few years working in a local sawmill, I’ve lived and worked on a small farm that’s been in my family since the 1790s.” (That number is correct; it’s not a typo.) We make maple syrup and cider products, have beef cows, cut hay, and saw wood. My wife, Tina (Bennington ’70), and I are still working with help from a daughter and periodically from a son in Guatemala.”

Jim Zimpritch went to Duke Law School and then practiced in Portland, Maine, for 41 years. In 2004 he married the widow of his Alpha Chi Alpha brother Steve Nugent ’69. Jim writes, “I have three daughters. My wife, Lynn Means (who, like Steve, was a physician in Indianapolis), has two surviving children (one of whom is a Dartmouth ’06). Like Steve and Lynn, she became a physician and is on the faculty of Emory Medical School. Together we have five grandchildren.”

Phil Zunder writes, “My pre-Dartmouth exploits will remain shrouded in mystery. After Dartmouth I received a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Vermont. Until retirement in 2008 I worked for the state of Vermont, first as a research director for social services and then as an information technology manager. Following retirement I served on the board of our local United Way, where I was also marketing director. My son is a D’02. In 1970 we received our diplomas alphabetically so I can claim the distinction of graduating last in our class.”

Finally, the Green Book could have informed you that yours truly was sports editor of his high school newspaper and on the varsity wrestling team (mostly because he was light enough to compete at 103 pounds).

—Stuart Zuckerman, P.O. Box 85, Bridgehampton, NY 11932; (917) 559-0063; stuartz@gmail.com

Covid kept most of us hunkered down for two-plus years. Let’s take a look at what travel plans some classmates have for 2023.

When Carol and I flew back from our March 2020 beach vacation in Mexico, the New York-based flight crew was already talking about this new disease that was spreading fast. We plan to be ready for a warm weather vacation this coming March.

Bill Wilson writes, “Ann and I had a three-week trip to Ireland scrubbed in 2020. We’re in the process of rebooking so I can rightfully claim a pint of Guinness from my McConnell ancestors.”

Scott Holland is excited about returning to Southeast Asia. He’s “disappointed that Vietnam isn’t offering tourist visas and that Qatar Air no longer has Q suites on its Boston-Doha route” but still plans to go back to Manila and favorite beaches in the Philippines. He’ll also return to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Barry Hart is already spending December through March in the new house they bought last year in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Speaking of Arizona, there’s talk of a class mini-reunion in Scottsdale in March. Watch for more info in upcoming class newsletters.

In other news, Don Hess writes that he and Ronne led their fifth “interfaith trip to Israel, which had been postponed from spring 2020, this past April-May. The group of 30 was mostly from Birmingham, Alabama.” Last September they joined three other couples and a guide for 10 days in the Grand Canyon and the southern Utah National Park.

Bob Whitcomb is still living in Providence, Rhode Island, and continues to write a weekly column, “Digital Diary,” at GoLocal24.com. He also runs a blog at NewEnglandDiary.com and is laboring on a book that is part history and part fiction.

Tom Peisch reports that Denis O’Neill’slatest novel, Canis dirus, is set in Yosemite Park and features (besides beautiful scenery) a pack of prehistoric wolves, militiamen, romance, and park rangers. Kirkus Reviews gave it a gold star, putting it in the top 2 percent of books it reviewed in 2022. (See mention on page 52.)

We close with congratulations to Lou Young, who was recently inducted to the hall of fame at the first school he taught and coached at (from 1974 to 1982) in Pebble Beach, California.

Here’s to a happy, healthy 2023! Just think, our 55th reunion is only 30 months away!

—Stuart Zuckerman, P.O. Box 85, Bridgehampton, NY 11932; (917) 559-0063; stuartz@gmail.com

Remember staying in theater seats after seeing a film you liked so you could read all the credits? Well, our big production, the “Fifty-ish,” is in the history books, but we are only now rolling the credits.

In this column we acknowledge 18 classmates who made it happen. There were three vice chairs: Denny Brown (food and beverage), Tim Welch (activities and events), and Lis Tarlow (publicity, recruitment and registration).

John Lugar produced the music videos with messages to “Save the Dates,” “Submit Your Reunion Book Essay,” “Reach Out to a Classmate,” etc.

John Sadd produced a video compilation showcasing the works of classmates who are architects, photographers, filmmakers, woodworkers, and sculptors.

David Masselli edited the reunion book. Entertainment was orchestrated by Peter Logan and Star Johnson.

Tim Welch oversaw speakers and panels that were organized by Wallace Ford, Terry Shumaker, Duncan Wood,and Jeff Demerath and presented during the reunion. They were preceded virtually by Jeff Dahlman, David Deese, Lis Tarlow, and Dave Ullrich.

Denny Brown handled tent amenities, catering, and the Hood Museum tour; Harvey Katz handled the Moosilauke and Skiway outings.

Star Johnson coordinated beverage service in the tent and during meals and arranged the wine and beer tastings.

Scott Holland chose the Dartmouth-branded prizes for raffle drawings.

None of this could have happened without Duncan Wood managing finances and Gary Miller writing newsletters that contained details of the plans. These classmates stoked the fire the past four years through cancellations of the reunion in 2020 and 2021. They kept the flame alive!

In closing, Lis Tarlowshares how she feels about Dartmouth, what she did since senior year, and how she thinks we can stay better connected after the reunion. “Before my senior year at Dartmouth I spent the summer studying Russian in the Soviet Union with a Dartmouth program. I was thrilled to continue my Russian studies at my father’s alma mater. It was a rich year, including Russian literature, Chinese history, art history, and volunteer work teaching Russian to local middle-schoolers. Of course, I also joined my fellow students in Washington, D.C., lobbying to end the war in Vietnam. I went on to graduate school in international relations and spent 20 years as associate director of the Harvard Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. Since retiring, I’ve been involved in nonprofit work in the arts and higher education.

“During the four years of COVID-elongated reunion planning, I had the pleasure of working with the fabulous group of thoughtful and talented guys who define loyalty in their passion for Dartmouth. The number of hours devoted to this reunion planning speaks not only to the love of the school, but also to the tremendous fun and satisfaction in staying connected. Going forward we can deepen the intra-reunion connections among us. We’re eager to hear your creative suggestions on how best to do that.”

—Stuart Zuckerman, P.O. Box 85, Bridgehampton, NY 11932; (917) 559-0063; stuartz@gmail.com

Don Hess writes: “This assignment from Stu triggered wonderful memories of my years at The D—the staff, our ’70 directorate, and our full-time employees—and others: the smell of ink and molten lead in the basement of the Allen Street shop, the sound of the teletype, the editorial discussions that I listened to (it was a volatile time if you remember), pounding the pavement in Hanover and the Upper Valley selling ads, and the excitement of putting together a 24-page edition for Carnival. All of these experiences helped prepare me to run our family’s retail apparel business, which we built to 40 stores and more than 6,000 associates before selling 25 years ago. Since then I have served on the boards of public companies and nonprofits and spent a great deal of time with our six children and 15 grandchildren, especially in Vail, Colorado. Ronne and I have traveled extensively and have led four interfaith trips to Israel. And I have worked hard to elect politicians and create the infrastructure that can help our state move forward. In Alabama that is an uphill battle but one that must be fought.”

Dennis Jolicoeur writes that he enjoys riding a tractor as he and his wife develop a small, 43-acre farm. (Secretary’s note: Forty-three acres doesn’t sound very small, but I lived in Manhattan most of my adult life.) He also teaches three classes in finance at the University of South Carolina. His youngest child just started a premed program at UCLA, so the family is truly bicoastal.

George LeMaistre recalls that right after college he worked as a volunteer in a 1970 congressional campaign in Iowa, as a reporter-photographer for a small daily newspaper in the Mississippi Delta, and again in Iowa as a congressional staffer. Following law school he clerked for a federal district judge in Alabama (where he had grown up) and then went to work in 1977 for a Washington, D.C., firm of 45 lawyers, where his practice involved mostly government contracts and federal litigation. Nearly four years later several old friends from Alabama and Washington who had recently opened a firm in Mobile, Alabama, invited him to join them. “I’ve never doubted that my experience at The Dartmouth was invaluable preparation for practicing law. Reporting and editing always must begin with identifying the ascertainable facts, whether by interviewing participants in (or witnesses to) key events or examining relevant documents and public records. The critical task then is communicating those facts to readers.”

Finally, since this DAM issue includes June, there is still time to register for what is shaping up to be a fabulous “Fifty-ish.” As of the end of February 135 classmates reported their intent to attend.

—Stu Zuckerman,P.O. Box 85, Bridgehampton, NY 11932; (917) 559-0063; stuartz@gmail.com

Chip Cody is still in N.Y.C. with an academic practice (breast surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering). His spouse, Myung-Hi Kim, is retired from a long career with the New York Philharmonic (violin). All three daughters are in the N.Y.C. area. On the minus side, his mediocre squash and tennis are in decline, and deer continue to eat his garden (“deer resistant” is an oxymoron). On the plus side, cycling and skiing are still okay and the Lionel trains are coming out of storage—a Proustian experience on entering the “grandparent zone.”

Bob Fraser is retired from his radiation oncology career in Charlotte, North Carolina. His wife, Norinne, and he enjoy duplicate bridge, gardening and trips abroad. During Covid they spent lots of time at their beach house on Figure 8 Island (Wilmington, North Carolina). They raised two sons as “Tarheels,” but it stuck for just one (Jamie), who is an orthopedic surgeon in Charlotte. He and his wife Lisa are raising three girls under 8 years old. Their older son, Rob, chose Stanford and fell in love with surfing and a California girl. He’s in private equity and lives in Manhattan Beach, California.

“Arbus” Whitcomb keeps fairly busy because his and his family’s health remains “pretty good.” He writes a weekly column for news website GoLocal24.com, runs a little site called newenglandiary.com, and does book projects, the latest being Maine Oysters: Stories of Resilience and Innovation. (Hint: It’s about more than oysters and Maine.) He’s also been promoting the nonprofit Lapham’s Quarterly, a journal of history and ideas. For most of his career, he held senior editorial positions at the Providence Journal Bulletin. He also did a three-year stint in Paris. He and wife Nancy are still living in the old house in Providence, Rhode Island, which they moved into in 1990. One daughter still lives in Providence, the other in New York.

—Stu Zuckerman, P.O. Box 85, Bridgehampton, New York 11932; (917) 559-0063; stuartz@gmail.com

The past couple of months have been very quiet as we start to emerge from the pandemic, get vaccinated, and resume a more normal lifestyle, which means you are all far too busy to write to your lonely class secretary. Consequently, this column is bereft of any news from our fellow classmates. Had we been able to hold our 50th reunion, activities such as new officer elections would have taken place then. During the past few months the nominations committee headed up by Mark Heller has been talking and meeting with prospective new volunteers. A new class secretary will likely be taking my place in time for the next issue of this magazine. It would be premature to reveal his identity, but I know he will be familiar to most of you. He has been an active member of our executive and reunion committees.

Our reunion chair, Hicks Morgan, and his team have also been hard at work planning alternative reunion activities that can be held virtually or regionally in key alumni areas. A number of these activities will be in partnership with our class cluster group and include members of the class of 2020.

In the meantime, please share both the banal and adventurous parts of your life with us.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; garettmiller@mac.com

At this writing the Christmas holidays are in the past and a new year with a bright and healthy horizon for all of us is, I hope, here. By the time this column hits your mailbox, the Covid vaccines should be filtering down to the general populace, including old folks like us. We still have no indication of a reunion in 2021. Plans for a variety of alternatives are in the works. Until travel and mingling freely with large groups becomes possible, most plans will center on virtual or regional events.

Peter Logan organized a follow up to June’s Foley House 1970 virtual mini-reunion with the addition of seven members of the class of 1971 in November. Everyone had a great time, with topics from the present to the past and future and thoughts from the personal to the political. The 15 participants included three exchange women. The ’70s were Peter Logan, Tom Reddy, Louise Weeks Thorndike, Rick Kenney, Rick Sprague, Donald Hess, George LeMaistre Jr., and Peter Kardon. The ’71s were David Aylward, Bruce Barker, Randy Pherson, Rick Bates, Floran Fowkes, Paul Velleman, and Judith Dern. The bonds with the College and each other were reinvigorated and remain strong.

Bill Darter posted a lengthy annual update on our 1970 Facebook page in December. A very brief synopsis provided here. At the end of 2020 he can thankfully say that the Darter-Dobles clan in Virginia is all healthy. Grandchildren are managing remote learning and an effective vaccine is in distribution. As with many of us, plans for the 50th reunion, 50th anniversary, and trips were canceled or postponed. However, a January 2020 trip to Costa Rica did start as planned and included a side trip to Ecuador and Galapagos along with visits to three of Vera’s sisters. The group saw giant tortoises on the Darwin Research Station, where they are being raised in a population recovery effort. The biggest surprise flying into Galapagos archipelago was that Baltra, the island where the airport is located, is a complete desert. Bill celebrated his birthday during the trip. Coming back to the United States from Costa Rica was ugly. Bill had reservations for early April, as usual. Then in March things turned bad, with mask wearing and social distancing everywhere. Despite very difficult travel arrangements, they wound up flying out from Costa Rica first class. In lieu of a planned family reunion, Bill and Vera were given a four-day stay in a beautiful cabin in the Shenandoah Mountains near the Skyline Drive, Virginia. They toured the Luray Cavern and also followed the Shenandoah River from Luray to Front Royal, Virginia, Bill’s birthplace. This year was their first virtual Thanksgiving, and like most firsts, there were hiccups. Depending on how the pandemic goes, Bill thought a virtual Christmas was likely. Bill wishes health and wisdom to do the right thing to stay healthy.

Stay healthy and don’t forget to write your lonely class secretary.

—Gary Miller, 7 E Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; garettmiller@mac.com

During the last nine months most of us have been sheltered at home trying to work, pursuing hobbies, finishing up long-delayed home projects, and mostly trying to stay healthy. That certainly has characterized my life during these months. The highlight of our summer was our daughter’s move back to Canton, Connecticut, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in July. She moved to Louisiana in 2002 after Bates College to participate in Teach For America. The two-year commitment turned into 18 years teaching and raising a family. She, her husband, and our two grandchildren live only a short walk from our home of 30 years. We recently celebrated her 40th birthday along with her older sister’s family from Pittsford, New York, and our five grandchildren.

Peter Logan wrote that on June 13 he hosted a Zoom for ’70s from Foley House, including Louise Weeks Thorndike (exchange from Smith), Tom Reddy, Rick Kenny, Jim Buchman, George LeMaistre Jr., George Ainley, Scott Anthony, Peter Clark, Will Wood, and Don Hess. “It was a lot of fun, and while no substitute for the live 50th reunion, it did renew some connections and recall some hazy memories. Tom Reddy recently suggested sending this note for Class Notes, so better late than never.” Since the call Peter was able to get current addresses for a few more brothers and for some ’71s and plans to have another call in the near future. Various affiliate Zoom meetings were held during and following the dates of our postponed reunion. Anyone interested in reconnecting with dorm, fraternity, association, sports, or other affiliate groups from our time at Dartmouth should contact me or reunion chair Hicks Morgan.

Jim Gass contributed a video of his resort hotel in Thailand to our class YouTube channel that was created for our reunion. The pandemic has stifled travel longer than he expected. Jim is not sure when Americans will be allowed into Thailand, but he still wants to extend an invitation to his classmates. Jim wanted to remind me to mention to our class that they should view his video invitation. Jim looks forward to reading our Class Notes and welcoming classmates to his beautiful home.

John Sadd and John Lugar have been hard at work on content for our YouTube channel. This virtual reunion project continues with contributions from many classmates demonstrating their avocations and vocations. All of these works can be viewed by searching YouTube for “Dartmouth College 1970.” John Sadd produced a video encouraging our classmates to complete their profiles in the 50th reunion book. His video and one created by David Masselli show step-by-step how to locate your profile and share your thoughts, affiliations, and pictures with classmates.

Please contribute your quarantine stories and virtual reunion stories to share with classmates while we plan for June 2021 and our postponed 50th reunion.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; garettmiller@mac.com

Our 50th reunion, like our spring term in 1970, is a bust. By now reunion refunds have arrived and hotel reservations have been canceled. Hicks Morgan and his team are retuning plans for our 51st reunion next summer.

Demie Duckworth reported that he and Meg had a Zoom cocktail with Dix Druce and his wife, Nancy. Dix reversed “snowbirding” by leaving Florida for permanent residence in Portland, Maine, from whence Nancy hails. Dix for numerous years spent many months of the year in Boothbay, Maine, where Demie and Meg have visited Nancy and Dix on their journeys north, including celebrating his 70th on an overnight cruise. Nancy is working on Dix to attend our “51st” next year and we hope she prevails. Demie has spoken to Doc Farnum, his roommate freshman and sophomore years. Doc was all set for our 50th as he missed graduation 50 years ago because he was spending his last term abroad. Demie and Meg are all hunkered down staying in Jupiter, Florida, for an extra month and maybe more until the N.Y.C. metro area improves. He has never walked so much and looks forward to really just sitting around without feeling guilty.

Scott Holland shares his experiences traveling during the Covid-19 pandemic. The year started out with his annual trip to Southeast Asia: Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. He flew Qatar Air to Manila in one of their Q-Suites, which is definitely the world’s best premium class and at an “affordable” price! Scott started in Saigon, then Hue and a few days at the beach there at a very nice resort. He had a bad cough, and when he returned to Saigon for the Tet, he went to a clinic for antibiotics. He headed on by bus to Phnom Penh for a few days, an easy trip, then on to the beach at Sihanoukville. The Chinese have taken over, and the beach was torn up—a disappointing visit as it was the focus of the trip. He was then back in Phnom Penh with obligatory hand sanitizer to enter his hotel and some buildings. Next was the flight to Manila, and things were heating up. His temperature was taken to enter the Philippines. When he flew to Cebu, his temperature was taken at check-in and written on his boarding pass. He stayed on a great beach on Bantayan before heading back to Manila with infrared screening at arrivals. The local news made it apparent that evacuation was in order. Scott was able to make an Emirates reservation online and departed two days before the Manila airport shut down along with the rest of the city. His trip ended two weeks earlier than planned. He entered Boston from Asia with no questions asked and no temperature check! Now he is back home in New Hampshire looking forward to our 51st.

Watch for dates and schedules for our 50th reunion replay with the class of 2020 sometime in June 2021.

—Gary Miller, 7 E. Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; garettmiller@mac.com

Our 50th reunion is less than four months away, from June 11-16. It’s not too late to make plans to attend this momentous event. Watch our class of ’70 website at 1970.dartmouth.org for reunion schedule updates and other details.

Scott Perry says the last and only reunion he attended was our 25th in 1995. Sadly, he will not be able to attend our 50th in June. Scott is still working but loves what he does in his spare time. He continues to sail any time he can. Two years ago he raced across the Atlantic from Europe to the Caribbean, taking far longer than estimated—21 days instead of 18. They very nearly ran out of food! He still races his 1947 classic sloop, Fjord III, in the Mediterranean classic circuit, where they finished this year first in their class in Antibes, Barcelona, and Cannes and a very disappointing fifth in Saint-Tropez. In November he raced in the China Cup in Shenzhen. Scott has volunteered at World Sailing, the international sailing federation, for almost 20 years. He was the technical delegate for all sailing at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Christine and Scott have been married for 47 years and have two daughters and two wonderful grandchildren. They have lived in eight countries and now limit themselves to commuting between Europe and South America, avoiding winter in either place.

We hear from Robert Bourdon for the first time. Sherrilyn and he are living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, after living 22 years in New Zealand. Every summer they do a big motorcycle ride somewhere. This summer they rode from Serbia to Nordkapp, Norway, the most northerly point one can drive in Europe. They stretched the trip out through 20 different countries in six weeks for a total of 7,100 miles. They plan to ride from San Miguel for the reunion, then back via Nova Scotia and west to Alaska before heading back to Mexico.

Robert still creates sculpture and designs and builds unique furniture pieces. They have plenty of room for visitors in San Miquel.

Richard Kenney had a new poetry collection exhibit at the UCLA Hammer Museum. Love, science, and politics collide in Richards’s most recent collection, Terminator: Poems, 2008-2018, organized around the terminator—the line, perpendicular to the equator, that divides night from day. According to the curator of the exhibit, his division of light verse from darker poems serves to remind us that what makes us laugh is often dead serious, and what’s most serious might best be understood through wordplay and an ironic eye. Richard is the author of four previous books of poetry, The Evolution of the Flightless Bird, Orrery, The Invention of the Zero, and The One-Strand River. He is a MacArthur fellow and an English professor at the University of Washington.

Please keep your revelations and recollections coming. We will see you at the reunion.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; garetmiller@mac.com

John Morse says Dan Steele fans will want to know that a sequel, titled Chokepoint, was due out sometime in July. Dave Muller and Bill Wilson, both Dartmouth Navy ROTC classmates, helped with the story. John will likely self-publish again. Finding a publisher is all about reputation in publishing today and the barriers to entry are very difficult. This book is better than the first one, in John’s opinion.

Bill Wilson recently spent eight days back in New England centered around a Memorial Day Weekend wedding in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. He and Ann spent a day in Hanover. “It was disturbing to see the old Dartmouth Bookstore building boarded up and the neighboring storefront, former home of the Canoe Club restaurant, dark. A stroll around the corner on Allen Street revealed that nothing has yet gone into the space vacated by Everything But Anchovies a couple of years ago. Lots of change in my boyhood hometown, not all of it good! On a more positive note, we stopped at the new Moosilauke Ravine Lodge on our way from Hanover to Wolfeboro the following morning—very impressive.”

Dave Muller and wife Barbara are enjoying retirement in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Dave is out with three books during the past year or so, two of which spend some pages on his Dartmouth years. The revised edition of Knowing the Enemy: An Intelligence Officer’s Memoir, 1966-2014, is on the street, with a new chapter on his clandestine operations in Central America and against Iran. Dave collaborated with his three sisters in writing Our Roots Remain as One: A Family Autobiography. Each chapter interleaves their parallel recollections of childhood and youth, up through college years. Under the pen name Peter Hussein, Dave also recently published Islam in its Own Words, in which he selects key primary-source passages from the Koran and ancient and modern Islamic authorities concerning a wide range of topics, from theology to terrorism. Dave is in regular touch with John Morse—fellow author, Dartmouth classmate, and Navy ROTC shipmate—concerning their publishing ventures.

Larry DeVan says he is still working, most recently with a boutique investment advisory firm in Greenwich, Connecticut. He and Ann will celebrate their 42nd anniversary this year. They have a son and daughter plus two grandchildren. Larry keeps in touch with Mike Thorman, Pete Bradstreet, Paul Gambaccini, and Tim Welsh. He looks forward to our 50th next year.

Jeff Eagan celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Parkhurst Hall takeover and Dartmouth’s antiwar movement. Reuniting with old comrades, faculty, staff, and alumni plus families and friends was very moving. Jeff caught up on a half century of experience after college while swapping memories of campus activism and a month-long tenure in the New Hampshire state penal system. The struggle continues to make Dartmouth a true community responsive and responsible to its members and our greater society.

Save the dates of our 50th reunion, on June 11-16, 2020.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019, garettmiller@mac.com

April showers may bring May spring flowers, but they haven’t brought a single communication from any of our classmates. With our 50th reunion only a year out when you see this column, I’m sure someone must have thoughts, reflections, or comments on life in general or your experiences since leaving the Hanover plain.

Our reunion committee is working hard to create a memorable event for all of you who may be able to attend our reunion, which will include marching with the class of 2020. By now you will have received the “Save the Date” postcard in the mail with instructions to visit the reunion book website at dartmouth70.org. Another great video creation, At the Hop, from John Lugar was also sent out not long ago by email. Sadly, our email open rate is below 25 percent, so roughly three-quarters of you may miss out on reunion-related and other information regarding our class activities. Please make sure we have your current email address and then check your spam and junk mail filters.

Welcome Duncan Wood, our new class treasurer. Duncan has agreed to take the place of the late David Noyes, who served this class for as long as most of us can remember. Duncan has big shoes to fill, but has already stepped up to the plate.

We are planning a mini-reunion at Yankee Stadium on November 9 for the Princeton vs. Dartmouth game. Tickets for the class of 1970 seating are in Section 210, rows 2 through 7. Call the Dartmouth ticket office to claim them while they last. More details will be posted on our class website at 1970.dartmouth.org.

Belated news arrived recently reporting that Peter W. Birkett passed in December of 2018. Peter was an attorney in Palm Beach, Florida, who loved hiking in upstate New York and traveling the world. He was an avid reader.

Save the date of our 50th reunion on June 11-16, 2020. If you have recently retired or changed your email or contact information, please update the alumni directory at dartgo.org/update. Let us know what is going on in your world.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; garettmiller@mac.com

As I pen this column, another Christmas has come and gone. We all wonder what the New Year will bring. I hope it will bring many updates from far and wide.

Duncan Wood sent along a report of the following recognition given to Dave Stonebraker at a recent event held at Sunday River in Maine. Dave was inducted into the Maine Ski Hall of Fame. He was recognized for coaching high school ski racing programs for nearly 40 years and being actively involved as an official in U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association events that ranged from regional juniors to the National Alpine Championship. He was also recognized for his long-term effort to improve and maintain the ski trail network at Hebron Academy. He first went to Sugarloaf during spring break in March 1970, and has been a fixture in Maine skiing since 1976, when he moved to Maine.

Tom Peisch made his first foray onto the class website. “Very cool,” he says. Tom is happy to report that classmate David Ruedig was named Citizen of the Year by the Greater Concord (New Hampshire) Chamber of Commerce, after having been nominated by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Dave has served as president of the Concord school board, chair of the N.H. board of education, and chair of the Concord Hospital board of trustees, among other endeavors. He and his son, Adam ’99, operate UBS affiliate the Rueding Group, financial planners and advisors, also of Concord.

A recent note from Art Brown stated he had a book published in 2013 which might still be of interest to some of the readership. The book is The Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, 1960-2010, published by Borden Institute. Begun in 1959 as a result of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), the Thailand SEATO Cholera Research Project in Bangkok, later the Medical Research Laboratory, and finally the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences in 1977, was a collaborative research effort between the U.S. Army medical department and the Royal Thai Army. Throughout the institute’s history, U.S. Army and Thai doctors jointly pursued research and therapy for illnesses that threatened both U.S. troops and Thai citizens. The book is available on Amazon.

Since the last column, two additional members of our class have passed on. Robert A. Paley died in May 2018 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Bob was a member of Tabard. David F. Noyes died on November 30 in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Dave had been our class treasurer since 1993 and an active member of the executive and reunion committees.

Save the date for our 50th reunion on June 11-16, 2020. If you have recently retired or changed your email or contact information, please update the alumni directory at http://dartgo.org/update.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; garettmiller@mac.com

The summer has been unusually wet and humid in Connecticut. I look forward to the cooler fall weather that will accompany the arrival of these Class Notes. The 50th reunion committees led by Hicks “Tex” Morgan have been working hard to make this reunion our best. We need your participation to ensure that we meet your expectations and cover topics in the seminars that will evoke a strong connection with our class and the College. The panel discussions at past reunions have been thought-provoking.

In response to the August e-newsletter, Duncan Wood stated that several reunions have focused on the May 1970 strike and the Vietnam conflict from the anti-war perspective. He suggests two possible topics. The first is “April 22, 1970: The First Earth Day.” What do you remember? Did it make a difference in your life? The second is “Drafted, ROTC, or Volunteer,” with thoughts on military service from those who served after four years of anti-war rhetoric in Hanover.

Additional or alternative topics should be directed to our president, Jeff Demerath, who is charged with organizing the seminars.

Sadly, our classmate, Bill Holcomb, passed away on April 17 in Los Angeles. After Dartmouth Bill studied at Julliard in New York City. He was a professional performing artist with various dance and theater companies, most notably the Acme Dancing Company. Bill later decided he could provide greater service as a lawyer practicing business and tax law. Bill is survived by his wife, Deborah, two daughters, and his brother and sister.

Save the dates for our 50th reunion—June 11-16, 2020.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06018; william.g.miller.jr.70@dartmouth.edu

A sunny April Saturday is my inspiration after four snowy Nor’easters and a very cold start to spring in Connecticut. Thankfully, the April e-newsletter spawned several lengthy responses to my appeal for updates.

Stu Zuckerman wrote about the “other reunion” he’s planning and its link to Dartmouth. Camp Merrimac is a camp for boys and girls in the small town of Contoocook, New Hampshire (about 12 miles west of Concord). “I started spending summers at Merrimac in 1958. Every summer back then Dartmouth hosted a softball tournament for camps in New Hampshire and Vermont. In 1960 I got off the bus that drove us from Contoocook to Hanover. I looked out the bus window and saw Baker Library, the Green, Dartmouth Row. It was love at first sight. Five years later I applied early decision.” Stu decided to organize a camp reunion and now has about 75 people committed for September.

Marc Jolicoeur sends his first communication in years. Jackie and he moved to Chicago almost two years ago to be nearer family. Their daughter, Jennifer ’97, and her husband, Jeremy ’97, moved there a few years. “The other choice was to move to Shanghai, China, to be close to my son, Peter ’95, and his family.” Marc is retired, so Jackie and he travel, play a little golf, and enjoy the grandkids. He finished the Chicago Half Marathon last fall. Marc and Jackie look forward to seeing everyone for our 50th.

Doug Morton says he is retiring from the Bobrick Corp. on May 1, which is also his 25th anniversary with the company. Doug’s family will be relocating from Los Angeles to Sevierville, Tennessee. Their son, John, is 13 now, and his sister, Lily, is 11. The two have lived in only one place all their lives, so this will be a big adventure for them. Doug has made somewhat of a specialty in industrial real estate development during the past 20 years and will continue doing some consulting for a while. He and his wife plan to make some commercial investments in the Sevierville-Gatlinburg area. Doug has not been able to attend the last couple of reunions, but he is definitely planning on the 50th.

Peter Van Demark reports that it is not easy to be descended from the Shakers (they were celibate), but Peter is a descendant. His great-great-grandfather was with the Shakers for 20 years; he left in 1840. His uncle, Elder Rufus Bishop, was one of the senior leaders of the Shakers at the community in New Lebanon, New York. Elder Rufus kept a day book from 1815 to 1829 and a daily journal from 1830 until his death in 1852. Peter arranged for his journals to be transcribed and annotated. The two volumes were published as Elder Rufus Bishop’s Journals, Shaker Series #14. His next project targets the ministry journals written from 1853 to 1890.

Save the date for our 50th—June 11-16, 2020.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; william.g.miller.jr.70@dartmouth.edu

These notes were written during the week running up to Christmas. Debbie and I will be headed south to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a Cajun Christmas with two of our five grandchildren. The Class Notes mailbox has also been a bit sparse lately. Like many of you, I became a septuagenarian in February. When your age has a name, you must be really old.

Hicks “Tex” Morgan, 50th reunion chair, has done a marvelous job of putting together the reunion committee with an ambitious set of goals. Tex introduced the plan at the first planning teleconference in mid-November. He has assigned the 19 committee members to 14 subcommittees, with specific tasks to coordinate over the next two and half years. Tex will be working closely with his two vice chairs, Tim Welch and Liz Tarlow. Jeff Demerath, class president; Mark Heller, VP; Dave Noyes, treasurer; Gary Miller, secretary; and Dave Masselli, Denny Brown and Stu Zuckerman make up the balance of the steering committee. The committee and subcommittees will be holding teleconferences periodically to keep the timeline on track. We haven’t had a reunion book since our 25th. Dave Masselli and Bill Wilson are the 50th reunion book committee chairs. Our reunion will be closely tied to the class of 2020. We will march with them on graduation day in June 2020. I’ll be using this column and e-newsletter for updates on reunion planning. On behalf of Tex and the whole committee, I invite you to join in the planning. Two of our class authors, John Morse and Dave Muller, both fellow NROTC members and career naval officers, were recently reunited. After learning about each other’s books via this column, they have agreed to exchange books. Dave’s book, Knowing the Enemy, An Intelligence Officer’s Memoir, 1966-2014, detailed his years at Dartmouth and subsequent career. John, author of Half Staff 2018, has offered to make a similar reflection for a future issue.

Bill Wilson wrote, “Don’t know if you responded to the Alumni Council’s request for input on the College’s proposal to increase enrollment by 10 to 25 percent, but here is mine. My freshman roommate, John Stern, also weighed in, and I will send you his response. Bottom line is that this topic could provide input for ’70 communication for months to come. By the way, you are doing a fantastic job as class secretary—I mean it—and know that positive (or any) feedback is not easy to come by. On a personal note, Ann and I are about to become first-time grandparents in January. It could happen on my 70th birthday. What? 70? I thought that only had to do with when I graduated from college.”

We end on a sad note. Jeffrey Dow passed away in Newberry, Florida, on December 3 after being diagnosed with cancer. Jeff came to Dartmouth from Belfast, Maine. He had a 47-year career as an educator following graduation.

Please send Class Notes contributions to me at the addresses below.

—Gary Miller, 7 E Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; garettmiller@mac.com

I am enjoying the finest August in Connecticut in my memory as I polish up the notes for this issue. Meanwhile Hurricane Harvey is swirling around the Texas Gulf Coast, causing devastating flooding and mayhem.

Scott Perry has an active schedule between blue water ocean sailing and spending time with family in Argentina, Uruguay and Spain. Scott advises that, “Although I do far less work these days I still own two companies in Argentina that keep me somewhat busy. My main activity is sailing. I also find time to do volunteer work as a stretcher-bearer taking very ill people to Lourdes on pilgrimages. I don’t know how much longer I will do that as I don’t want to go from volunteer to patient in one step! Christine and I spend a great deal of time in Uruguay, where we have a working farm. When not in Uruguay we are with our grandchildren in Argentina or in Europe, where we have a home in the United Kingdom and in Spain.”

For himself, Dave Noyes says, “I finally retired from banking and insurance this past February and am enjoying the time with an active schedule! I keep busy by playing tennis twice a week, working out at the YMCA most days, serving as finance chair at my local church and doing some volunteer work at the ER department of a local hospital. Now that I had my knee replaced, I am able to be active again and am having fun scheduling vacations to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and other destinations.”

Dave also reports that Bill Ream advised him that he retired from a professional career and now teaches skiing at Deer Valley in Utah, where his office is the ski slopes. He and his wife seem to be enjoying life in retirement there.

Mark Heller talked to Vic Anderson, who was preparing to go to Uganda under the auspices of Conscience International. As a doctor (retired) he is meeting with African doctors and helping set up teaching facilities, clinics and protocols there.

Tom Charles says, “I’m gliding into retirement although I still do some mortgage finance work. I spent the last year coordinating the resettlement of a Syrian refugee family for my church—the 12th family during the last 60 years that Nassau Presbyterian Church has sponsored here in Princeton, New Jersey.”

Our adopted classmate Paula Neely Sinclair relates, “I was at a dinner meeting this spring with two British octogenarians on an Oxford-Cambridge tour to Iran when I mentioned I spent my senior year (without mentioning the year) at Dartmouth.” They asked, “Did you ever know someone named Trip Dorkey?” Talk about a small world. Most of my post-Dartmouth life has been outside the United States (Portugal, Brazil, Scotland and China) but London is home now. I spend winters in California and travel as much as I can.”

Thank you for the many contribution to these Class Notes.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; william.g.miller.jr.70@dartmouth.edu

Continuing my practice of framing these notes in a more contemporary timeframe, summer is only a few days away as I sit in my home office composing the notes for a column that appears near the end of the summer. I hope that readers of this column are also enjoying the occasional class newsletter. I am starting to get used to living in this time warp.

Chuck Howarth was happy to report that Dartmouth has accepted his son, Lincoln, into the Ph.D. program in molecular biology and he will be arriving in Hanover in September. He suspects that he just might have bragging rights as the last member of the class to have a child enroll at the College (or is it a university now?).

Dave Muller says he has spent much of his time writing since retiring from intelligence work in 2014: four books now up on Amazon, all in history or biblical studies. The most recent might be of particular interest, as Chapter 1 tells about the experience of being a Naval ROTC student at Dartmouth during the turbulence of the time. The book is Knowing the Enemy: An Intelligence Officer’s Memoir, 1966-2014. The book is mostly sea stories of his 20 years in naval intelligence, then 20-plus years at the CIA, the White House and in counterterrorism, along with reflections on persistent issues in both naval and national intelligence. The story has something for everyone, such as endgames in Cambodia and Vietnam, working undercover on a Soviet ship, counter-subversion ops in El Salvador, recruiting spies in Iran, experiences with Jonathan Pollard and various inside views at the White House and CIA. With that project put to bed, he and Barbara are enjoying perpetual Saturdays in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Stephen Doig reports that after 21 years as Knight chair in journalism at the Cronkite School of Arizona State University, he has worked out a deal with his dean to keep a full teaching load each semester but do his classes online—and from Seattle. Ellyn and he spent the fall of 2016 in the Czech Republic while he was on a Fulbright professorship. While there they realized they could survive and even enjoy a more varied climate than Arizona’s 350 days of sunshine each year. Seattle will be a big change, after they spent his post-Dartmouth years in the heat of Miami and then Phoenix, but they are loving it there already.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with the class. I urge all of you to consider contemplating the 50 years that have passed and experiences we have had since completing our freshman year at the College. As always, I look forward to receiving your cards and emails.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; garettmiller@mac.com

In November our class adopted six female exchange students from our time at Dartmouth. Please welcome Batya Billinkoff, Janis Nelson Ruxin, Paula Sinclair, Janice Littleton Smith, Lis Tarlow and Louise Weeks Thorndike. I’ve invited them to share comments on their experiences at Dartmouth and since. Mike Smith and Louise Thorndike are the first to contribute.

Mike Smith states: “I am writing to express my deep appreciation for our class for allowing my wife, Janice, a chance to be an honorary class member. Jan has never been interested in Mount Holyoke since her graduation in 1971. In the winter of 1969 she told me how she looked up out of her basement window in South Hadley and said she needed to get out of there. She ended up in Hanover. When the first offer came to write something for the reunion, I saw her excited in a way I haven’t seen her in years when it came to college. When the letter came to be an honorary member, she read it to me. That is distinctly unusual for her to do. She was touched, and when I asked her what she would do, to my surprise, she said she would join, right on the spot. That is incredibly unusual for her. She is honored to be a member of the class. So please accept my heartfelt thanks. Well done.”

Louise Thorndike provided the following comments: “Thanks so much for the welcome. I loved my year at Dartmouth. I came to Dartmouth from Mount Holyoke and mainly hung out at Foley House with my constant companion Richard Kenney (no relation now other than friend). I did see Richard Sprague, also Foley House, this summer at the reunion. My dad was in the class of 1939 for three years before he went to West Point, then off to World War II. I still have his 50th reunion sweater and know he would have been thrilled to have known that I’m an adopted member of the class of 1970.”

Kevin Kennedy finds himself doing regular reflections about the progression of his life. Kevin figuratively shakes his head when he thinks how naive and unworldly he was at Dartmouth. Since then he has grown in ways that he could not have conceptualized 50 years ago. He credits his wife, Pam, who often challenged him to leave his comfort zone. In the most important things he is still the same person inside. He says, “My working career has been spent in ‘helping’ professions: probation and parole, youth home, mental retardation and mental health, and the last 28 years as an adolescent and family counselor in Virginia.”

Keep those cards, letters and emails coming.

—Gary Miller, 7 East Hill Road, Canton, CT 06019; william.g.miller.jr.70@dartmouth.edu

Greetings, fellow ’70s. As promised in my previous column, here a few more anecdotes from our June reunion. Friday evening we teamed up with the ’71s and ’72s to host three bands playing from the steps of Alumni Gym. Classmates Russ Pinkston and Peter Logan headlined a reprise of the Night Watchmen (a.k.a. Tracks). Believe me, these guys still have it! Russ is professor of composition and director of music studios at the University of Texas in Austin and Peter is an attorney in San Francisco.

It was great to see Phi Delt brother Bill “Dab” Dabney for the first time since the 1960s. Dab was there with his lovely wife, Mary Kent Dabney, who, it turns out, was Dab’s Winter Carnival date during our undergraduate years. Dab married. Mary Kent did not until she and Dab got back together a few years ago. Any single classmates looking for love may want to consider searching social media for that long-lost carnival cutie. Dab and Mary Kent live in Bozeman, Montana, where he is in real estate development.

During our class meeting nominating chair Denny Brown presented a candidate slate for the five officer positions that require an affirming vote. Four of the incumbents stood for reelection unopposed: president, Jeff Demerath; vice president, Mark Heller; treasurer, Dave Noyes;, and head class agent, Dave Graves. Yours truly decided that after six-plus years it is time for fresh perspective, and I passed the secretary’s pen to Gary Miller when this column was completed. Gary already holds the positions of class webmaster and newsletter editor so I prefer to think of him as our vice president of class communications.

Shortly after reunion I had a long conversation with 1970s newest published author, John Morse. John’s novel, Half Staff 2018: A Chilling Look Into the Future, is a fast-paced thriller about a domestic terror plot. I have read it and highly recommend you download the ebook version or order the hard copy online. John retired from Lockheed Martin in September after several years in program management and is hard at work on his second book. He and Carole split time between their home in New Jersey and a lake house in southeastern Massachusetts.

It is my sad duty to report the deaths of three more classmates: Ray Hall in June 2014, Philip Robertson in May 2016 and Dana Durgin also in May 2016. That brings our fallen to 81, or slightly more than 10 percent of those who matriculated 50 years ago. To the rest of you, stay healthy, there’s a lot of living left to do.

Authoring this column has given me the opportunity to stay in touch with many who I counted as friends 50 years ago and, more importantly, connect with an entire set of interesting people who I somehow missed as I was frittering away my undergraduate years in the Phi Delt basement. It’s been a privilege and I ask that you continue to share your stories with Gary Miller. Out.

—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com

Greetings, fellow ’70s. By the time you read this column our reunion in Hanover together with 1971 and 1972 will be in the books. That’s a good thing, since the class news cupboard is currently bare and there is probably no better time for sourcing stories firsthand than a reunion.

On a more somber note, we have received word from the College of the deaths of three classmates. Steven J. Brown passed away in March 2009, David Estey in August 2012 and Alan Reese in November 2015. The class extends its sympathies to the families.

That’s it for this abbreviated column. If you didn’t make it to reunion and have something you’d like to share, please send me an email. Also, it’s never too early to start planning for our 50th (yup, the big 5-0h) reunion. It will be held over graduation weekend in 2020. That graduation will be Dartmouth’s 250th!

—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com

Greetings, fellow ’70s. As I write this column two days after Christmas it’s 77 degrees here and I’ve just come from the golf course in shorts, of course. I’m beginning to think there might be something to this whole global warming thing. Despite a heartbreaking 1-point loss to Harvard we were still able to claim a share of the Ivy football championship. The class of 1970 was well represented in the stands and rewarded with a class tailgate and mini-reunion ably hosted by Star Johnson. Those in attendance beside Star included Wayne Osmond, Tom Peisch, Paul LeMarbre, Bob Mlakar, Joe Adams, Kim Cannon, Denny Brown, Kesang Tashi, John Hussey, John Lewis, Ernie Babcock, Bob Bergesch and Bob Stone (accompanied by his father, Ed ’41) as well as various spouses and significant others. Cannon gets the prize for traveling the farthest. Kim is an attorney in Sheridan, Wyoming, who just happened to be in Boston trying a case (a case of what, he didn’t say). Despite the game’s outcome the evening was, by all accounts, a great affair.

I would be remiss if I did not recognize the 2015 Dartmouth soccer team, which won the Ivy championship outright and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Their exploits bring back memories of our classmates who patrolled Chase Field for four years under legendary coach Whitey Burnham: Greg Church, the late Mark Hebenstreit, Dave Irwin, Peter Linton, Rocky Nagel and my old Hanover High School classmate Fred Nitschelm.

Peter Logan reports having lunch with Tom Reddy and Bill Zarchy ’68; “a kind of Dartmouth-Foley House micro-reunion,” as he describes it. They recalled a prank from April 1968 in which Paul Ladenson, accompanied by members of “the press,” visited Smith College pretending to be Dustin Hoffman (shortly before the real actor was due on campus to speak against the Vietnam War). The Smithies fell for it, and the whole thing was chronicled in The Daily Dartmouth. Peter has posted that article on the class Facebook page.

I hope your 2016 is off to a good start. In looking back at my 2015 I realized it was the first year in 67-plus years on this planet that I did not spend a single minute in Hanover. I pledge not to let that happen again. See you in four months or so at reunion.

—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com
 

Greetings, fellow ’70s. Yet another classmate has hung up the spikes, or in this case, the stethoscope. Dave Gilmour, M.D., retired at the end of March. Shortly thereafter he and his wife, Kim, set out on a three-month European adventure starting in Sweden, where they picked up a new Volvo and then drove it 5,000 miles to southern Italy and back. Along the way Dave reports, “We paraglided in the Alps, took a hot air balloon over rural Czech Republic, saw classics such as David, the Sistine Chapel and ‘The Last Supper,’ climbed both the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the dome of the basilica in Rome and sailed to small towns in Cinque Terre. Afterward, we left the car in Hamburg to be shipped back to the states, then took a cruise along the Norwegian coast as far north as the isolated village of Longyearbyen, which is the northernmost town in the world, about 800 miles from the North Pole.” Talk about attacking your bucket list! Dave goes on to say that, “As long as health and money permit we will continue traveling along with spending time with kids and grandkids in southern Oregon and New Zealand.” On the occasion of his retirement Dave was honored by the Oregon Academy of Family Practice with its doctor of the year award. Well deserved, I am sure.

A couple of issues back I declared Dennis Jolicoeur’s 12-year-old to be the youngest 1970 offspring. It wasn’t long until there was a legal challenge from attorney David Grossi, whose daughter Sarah, as it turns out, can now claim the title. David admits that Sarah “actually likes Hanover despite having visited Phi Delt with me.” Apparently he is not aware that taking a minor inside 5 Webster Ave. may constitute child endangerment. David is a partner with the law firm of Bowditch & Dewey, LLP in Worcester, Massachusetts.

That’s all for now folks. The class news pipeline is starting to look drier than a California creek bed so any updates from your corner of the globe would be much appreciated.

—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com

Greetings, fellow ’70s. I attended President Hanlon’s evening with the Dartmouth Club of the Piedmont in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, hoping to catch up with Tom Tiemann, who recently sent me a personal update. Unfortunately a traffic jam delayed my arrival and I missed most of the social hour that preceded the program and couldn’t spot Tom in a crowded room that numbered close to 200 attendees. In any case Tom reports that he has retired from 40 years of university teaching, the last 30 at Elon University, where he chaired the economics department. He’s looking forward to using his expertise in urban economics as a member of the planning board in his hometown of Carrboro, North Carolina.


From academia to the racetrack: I recently learned that Larry DeVan is well into his second year as president of the Harness Racing Museum in Goshen, New York. Larry’s roots in harness racing run deep. His grandfather was a founder of the museum and owner of Hanover Shoe Farm in Pennsylvania, where Larry started jogging horses as a pre-teen. One of his grandfather’s horses won the Hambletonian in 1964 and a 16-year-old DeVan accompanied his family to the winner’s circle. So next time you’re in Goshen take a stroll down Main Street and check out the museum.


Dennis Jolicoeur reports that he is working as the chief financial officer for Kraco Enterprises in Los Angeles and doubts retirement will come soon. He goes on to say that, “My wife, Mirella, and I just bought 43 acres of land in Camden, South Carolina, where we will build a home. We will move from Los Angeles in two years when our 11-year-old is ready for high school. As this is horse country we will stable a few horses and classmates will always be welcome to ride and have a mandatory Dartmouth drink.” (Wine and beer only?) I’ve always wondered what classmate could claim the youngest offspring and unless I hear otherwise the award goes to Dennis, who also shared that his twin brother, Marc Jolicoeur, is officially retired and travels often to China and Chicago to visit his son and daughter, both Dartmouth grads.


Bob Mlakar has completed his three-year term as 1970’s representative to the Dartmouth Alumni Council. Bob has served our class with distinction and taken this ambassadorial role to a new level. On behalf of the class, thanks Bob! The class executive committee unanimously endorsed Tim Welch as our next representative.


If you missed Denis O’Neill ’s letter to the editor of this magazine in the last issue go back and read it. On a related note, Denis’ book, Whiplash: When the Vietnam War Rolled a Hand Grenade into the Animal House, has been named a finalist for the U.S. Regional Excellence Book Award for the Northeast region. Hey, it may not be a Nobel Prize but you’ve got to start somewhere.


Happy summer to all. 


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. Forty-five years ago, November of our senior year, the football team took an 8-0 record into Princeton’s Palmer Stadium in search of a perfect season. It was not to be, as the Tigers prevailed 35-7. A small but spirited group of ’70s, including some of the combatants from that fateful day, returned to Princeton in 2014 and witnessed a much different outcome as the Big Green totally dominated and won going away, 41-11. Dartmouth finished with an 8-2 record, our best in years, and the future looks bright. Pre- and post-game festivities were led by Star Johnson (with a major assist from Susan and Wells Chandler ’68) and included Sally and Ernie Babcock, Claudia and Pete Donovan, Carole and Jon Nistad, Faffy and Jim Decker, Charles Dorkey III, Jeff Dahlman and Ann and Bill Wilson. 


Just as Ann and I did three-plus years ago, another classmate has succumbed to the charms of North Carolina’s triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) area. In some respects this is a homecoming for Jim Zimpritch, who attended Duke Law School after Dartmouth. Upon graduating from Duke Jim spent 41 years practicing corporate and business law at Pierce Atwood LLP in Portland, Maine. Jim and his wife, Lyn, a pediatric anesthesiologist, have settled in Durham and are already engaged in the Duke and Durham communities.


The term “irrepressible” hardly does justice to our own Dr. John Chittick, founder and executive director of TeenAIDS-PeerCorps. While Ebola and Islamic extremism have limited John’s travels on the African continent, it also seems to have led to a realization that, in his words, “My work is all about training peer leaders to save innocent young lives from a deadly threat—whereas ISIS terrorists are all about training their young disciples to kill innocent people and likely die in the process.” John also proudly notes that the majority of his work is done in the United States with American teens and college interns. To learn more about John’s work go to www.teenaids.org.


Sadly, I end this column with notice of the death of two classmates. On October 25, 2014, Keith Jackson succumbed to a heart attack in San Diego. He is survived by his widow, Janice Rozzelle, and son Khalil Jackson. Terry Spencer passed away on November 25, 2014. He leaves his widow, Judy, and children Gina, Joseph, Morgan and Samuel. The class extends sympathies to the Jackson and Spencer families.


By my most recent count there are still 417 living classmates who I have not heard from, so please help me keep this column going by sending something, anything about your life. In the meantime have a wonderful 2015.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. Let’s go right to the news. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently recognized Dixon “Dix” Turner, M.D., with its Lifetime Achievement Award. During a career spanning 40 years, 35 of them in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Dix has been a leader and innovator in pediatric healthcare delivery, including founding Project GoodHealth to help families with limited resources who don’t qualify for Medicaid. He was also an early advocate for removing soda and unhealthy snacks from school vending machines. Dix received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins and completed residencies at the Hospital for Sick Children in London, England, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.


It’s not too early to begin thinking about our 45th reunion that will take place in June 2016. No, I don’t have an arithmetic problem. Thanks to the College returning to class grouping, we will once again be joining the ’71s and ’72s to mark this occasion. Reunion chair Hicks “Tex” Morgan is putting together a high-powered committee (I can say that since I’m a member) that we hope will make this a must-attend event. Mark your calendars now.


Advice from Jeff Dahlman: A well-prepared estate plan will benefit you, your loved ones and the causes you care about even if your assets fall below the unified gift and estate tax credit. Good advice. Obviously Jeff, in his role as our class gift planning chair, encourages you to consider joining the many ’70s who have already included Dartmouth in their estate plans.


Tom Kenworthiy recently passed along information about a Hanover-based nonprofit, Project VetCare, that, “help(s) veterans across the Upper Valley area with a multitude of issues that affect them once they return home.” Project VetCare’s most recent initiative was raising nearly a half million dollars to purchase a residence in Hanover that will serve as housing for Dartmouth student-veterans during their time on campus. Ironically I believe that one of the previous owners of this property is Richard Morse, M.D., youngest brother of our own John Morse, himself a Navy veteran with 26 years of active duty. For more information on Project VetCare go to its website, projectvetcare.org.


That’s all for now folks. I’m hoping to see some of you in Princeton, New Jersey, on Saturday November 22.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. With summer on the doorstep it may seem unwise to dredge up memories of last winter but here it goes anyway. Led by our irrepressible class vice president, Mark Heller, five classmates reunited in Colorado for Dartmouth Winter CarniVail, a multi-class mini-reunion started by the class of 1965 and now hosted by the Dartmouth Club of Vail in early March. We were among close to 100 alumni plus spouses and significant others who enjoyed great ski conditions and a host of social activities. In addition to Mark and his wife, Sarah, those hitting the slopes included Ann and Bill Wilson, Wayne Bardsley and Brian Hyde. Brian is retired from a career in water resource management and lives in Denver. Given Colorado’s recent flooding issues, it sounds as if he can lend his expertise in a consultant’s role. Also joining us for cocktails on Friday evening were Marilyn and Tom Quinn, who were on their way home to Denver from a ski trip to Park City, Utah. Tom retired a few years back as director of probation services for the state of Colorado but still carries a business card suggesting you can call him if you have questions regarding justice policy issues.


On my annual winter visit to Hanover I happened to pick up a copy of the Valley Business Journal and came across a feature article about Kesang Tashi, owner and founder of InnerAsia rugs in Hanover and its subsidiary Khawachen Handicraft Center in Lhasa, Tibet. Kesang reports, “I have spent much of my career working with Tibetan master weavers, designers and other wool craftsmen to make sure their skills pass from one generation to the next.” He lives in Hanover but divides his time between there, Tibet, Nepal, India and China. Check out his retail store on Main Street on your next visit to Hanover.


Peter Logan and Bruce Blumberg, friends since freshman year in French Hall now both living in the San Francisco Bay area, got together recently for the first time in nearly four years. Peter reports that Bruce is still working at Kaiser-Permanente but has “slowed down” to 90 percent. This “part-time” thing must be contagious because Peter says that he, too, has gone that route both as a solo-practice attorney and as a musician playing in two bands. Once a rock star, always a rock star.


The aforementioned Wayne Bardsley and co-head class agent David Graves asked me to remind classmates who have not yet made a gift to the Dartmouth College Fund for the fiscal year that ends June 30 to consider going online to the College’s website and doing so before the deadline. Our hope as a class is to reach a new (high) level of participation.


Make it a great summer.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


As you are reading this, it should be mid-August and the summer will be winding down. Here in the North Country we are still waiting for summer, which is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, a mere four days after the summer solstice. Benefit of the lasting “spring” was a near absence of black flies, although that may be failure to encounter them due to the general unpleasantness of being outdoors in 50-degree wet weather. My plants, far from being in place, thought they were commuters (from the deck to inside and back) through late May. With the wet weather we are expecting a bumper crop of mosquitoes. Hope we get corn!


Obviously, I have not been overwhelmed with news from you all; please take a moment to bring me (and your classmates) up to date on your doings this summer or in general. Otherwise you will be reading another delayed weather report in two months!


—Scott Holland, P.O. Box 607, Grantham, NH 03753; hollansx@hotmail.com; Jon Oplinger, 6 Pump House, Springhouse, PA 19477; jonoplinger@yahoo.com 


Harvey Katz writes that while watching a PBS special on Nat “King” Cole, he saw Paul Gambaccini featured as a talking head and described as a “music historian.” Paul himself writes that he was one of BBC television’s two co-hosts for the two-and-three-quarter-hour BBC2 prime time airing of the Michael Jackson memorial service, garnering top UK viewing figures for the night.


Stu Zuckerman, who is on the WDCR board of overseers, recently asked other ’70s on the board to make contributions to mark our upcoming 40th reunion. His goal is to have all of us who were active at the station as undergraduates contribute to a gift that will be presented to the station during the reunion. Paul has already responded most generously. He writes, “In 2008 WDCR/WFRD held an all-class reunion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dartmouth Broadcasting. I was upset to see how desperately the students needed an equipment update. I discussed the situation with then-general manager Pavel Sotskov, who shared my love of the radio station. When my classmate Stuart Zuckerman of the current board of overseers suggested that members of the 1970 directorate plan to make a contribution to mark our own 40th reunion in 2010, I knew I had to lead the way. I have been blessed beyond measure in my own broadcasting career and I owe it all to WDCR. In consultation with Pavel, just before he graduated, I made a leading donation to which I hope others add. I have asked that the new studio built with my contribution be called the Paul and Pavel Project, in recognition of how the love of Dartmouth broadcasters for their radio station—and by extension all alumni for the college—transcends individual classes and spans generations.” Well said, Paul.


You have probably heard long since, but in case anyone reading this was hiding on an adventure vacation far from civilization, classmate and Dartmouth trustee Ed Haldeman left his position as chairman of Putnam Investment Management, LLC, to assume the position of chief executive officer of Freddie Mac, to whose board of directors he was also named. And Bob Groves was confirmed as director of the U.S. Census Bureau.


—Scott Holland, P.O. Box 607, Grantham, NH 03753; hollansx@hotmail.com; Jon Oplinger, 6 Pump House, Springhouse, PA 19477; jonoplinger@yahoo.com


It’s late February as this column goes to press and the East Coast is bracing for blizzard No. 4 this winter. I take comfort in the thought that when it’s read we’ll be well into spring. Please let it be so.


Nice seeing fellow Tabard brother and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell proudly belting out “O Canada” during the opening ceremonies of the XXI Winter Games in Vancouver. A fine performance by our neighbors to the north, especially that overtime gold medal hockey victory.


Haven’t heard for quite a while from Pete Harter, who sent along this piece: “Greetings! Don’t know where this fits in, but naturally I think it special and possibly newsworthy. Durango, Colorado, sent four freshmen to Dartmouth this past fall. Three of them went through Needham Elementary School, where I’ve been principal for 20-plus years. And, yes, I think I had everything to do with it and take all the credit!” Same effervescent Pete who lived down the hall in New Hamp our freshman year.


“I still enjoy practicing white-collar criminal defense law (but it is not as much fun as being a prosecutor!) in a St. Louis law firm, but hope to retire in five years,” writes Jeff Demerath. Jeff also reports that he’s “engaged to a wonderful and gorgeous interior designer—we will get hitched one of these days. My two sons are both teachers, one in Texas and one in China. Just had my first grandchild—what a joy! Looking forward to the reunion!” 


Nice segue, Jeff, into this column’s last plug for our 40th reunion, June 14-17. If you haven’t registered, don’t let that stop you. It’s never too late to decide to show up, even if only for a day or a few hours on your way to some more exotic locale. Just do it. You’ll be glad you did.


Finally, this missive from co-secretary Scott Holland: “I made it successfully to Thailand once again despite United losing my carry-on (yes, carry-on) on the commuter flight from Manchester, New Hampshire, to O’Hare. Palm pilot, Thai cell, sunglasses, dental prosthesis, prescription medication, etc.—all the stuff you don’t put in checked baggage because you can’t afford to lose it. And, of course, the bag was not checked through to Bangkok. A dedicated United employee found it before I left for Tokyo and I got it 48 hours later. Thoroughly enjoying watching D.C. hit by serial blizzards on my way to the beach and great spicy Thai food. Cheers.” Come on home, Scott, so I can return the scribe’s duties to you. And please bring back some of that warm weather.


—Jon Oplinger, 6 Pump House, Springhouse, PA 19477; j.oplinger@yahoo.com; Scott Holland, P.O. Box 607, Grantham, NH 03753; hollansx@hotmail.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. As your incoming class secretary I would like to introduce myself: I’m the guy (actually one of six) “awarded” a D in English I by prof Arthur Dewing in the fall of 1966. Thanks to the tenacity of Tom Peisch, chair of the class’ nominating committee, and a total lack of willing and qualified candidates I have accepted the challenge. Who knew that waterboarding is legal in New Hampshire? Seriously, it’s an honor and privilege to pick up the pen so ably wielded for the last 10 years by my friends Jon Oplinger and Scott Holland.


A benefit for new class secretaries is that they have just attended a reunion and been handed a surfeit of material to cover the first few columns. Without further ado here we go: “It was a dark and stormy night”—and then the sun came out on Monday, June 14, as nearly 100 classmates plus assorted spouses and partners assembled at the tent on Tuck Drive. For the next three days we were beneficiaries of the work done by Star Johnson, John McCravey, Denny Brown and a host of other reunion committee members. Kudos to all and especially to Star, who has shouldered this burden willingly for many years. That’ll teach you to move back to Hanover and get involved!


Tuesday morning many of us heard President Kim deliver an inspiring account of his first year in office and his vision for the future of the College. If there are any who still doubt that Al Mulley and his search committee found the right person to lead Dartmouth, go meet Jim Kim and your doubts will quickly fade.


Later that day a panel including classmates Sir Paul Gambaccini, Harvey Katz, Jim Chartrand and Holly Sateia, wife of our own Michael Sateia, discussed their personal and professional journeys from the 1960s to the present. They were bookended by professors emeritus Jeffrey Hart ’51 and Jere Daniell ’55, who offered their perspectives. When Jeff Hart affirmed that he had voted for Barack Obama the audience knew that this was going to be a great discussion. And it was.


Another highlight of the brief time together was an act that says more about our bond than any reunion bulletin could ever convey. Dick Whitney and fellow Tri Kap Bob Joy ’71 arranged to have Sam Crocker transported in a medical van from Hartford, Connecticut, to Hanover so Sam could join us for a few hours on Wednesday afternoon. Sam is battling MS, is confined to a wheelchair and resides in an assisted living facility near Hartford. And he’s sharp as a tack! Thanks, Dick and Sam, for showing us the meaning of class.


Also on Wednesday afternoon, Brent Coffin led a memorial service honoring the 53 classmates who have died since our matriculation. By involving many of those in attendance Brent put a very personal face on what, for me, is an inspirational moment of our quintennial gatherings.


These are just a few highlights of three days well spent—more to follow in the next issue of this magazine. In the meantime please go to the class website for reunion pictures. Speaking of which, once the glow of reunion has faded I’m going to need your story so send it now and avoid the rush.


—Bill Wilson, 85 Blueberry Lane, Concord, MA 01742; (978) 369-8689; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. A recent email from LinkedIn instructed me to congratulate Bill Koening on his new job. While many of us are retired or contemplating retirement, Bill is adding another chapter to a career that may be as diverse as any in our class. Bill has joined Cambridge Management Group, a healthcare management consultancy, as senior advisor. A check of their website revealed that the firm’s co-founder is none other than our classmate Bob Harrington.


Another non-retiring type is Jim Nachtwey. His latest exploit covering disputed elections in Bangkok earned him a bullet in the leg. Thankfully, the projectile missed bone and arteries and Jim was patched up by medics at the scene and kept on working. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power tweeted that her thoughts were with the “living legend.” Before heading for Thailand Jim was in Jordan photographing Syrian refugees. The result is a photographic essay that appeared in Time magazine’s January 23 edition.


Denis O’Neill’s book prompted Alan Tuck to share his experiences with early coeducation at Dartmouth and the New Hampshire draft board. Alan’s wife, Susan, was, like Denis’s Julie Cathcart, among the first female exchange students. Alan relates that, “As the only woman in each of her classes she did experience the joy of educating many sexist students and professors.” Susan and Alan married in 1969 and are looking forward to their 45th anniversary this summer. For the full text of Alan’s email see the most recent class of 1970 newsletter.


The City University of New York recently announced that Wallace Ford has been appointed interim chair of the public administration department at Medgar Evers College. Wallace, among his many other professional endeavors, has taught several business courses at the college. He continues in his role as founder and owner of Fordworks Associates, a management consulting and advisory firm based in New York. As one of the youngest members of our class it doesn’t sound as if Wallace is anywhere near ready for retirement.


While I can’t recall ever having seen Tom Kenworthy at the Dartmouth Skiway there is obviously a snow sport gene somewhere in his family. Tom’s nephew Gus won a silver medal in slopestyle skiing at the winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.


And speaking of skiing: As I wrap up this column at the end of February Ann and I are on our way to Colorado for Dartmouth Winter CarniVail where a half dozen or so classmates are planning to be in attendance. More on that in my next column. For now, I hope that the polar vortex has retreated from your neighborhood and you are enjoying spring.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. First off, congratulations to head class agents Wayne Bardsley and David Graves for leading 1970 to a successful close of the fundraising year. Our class contributed $534,512 to the Dartmouth College Fund, a 24-percent increase over last year. We had 20 more donors this year to get us to a participation rate of 41.3 percent, slightly below the overall College average. For the 58.7 percent of you who chose not to participate, I’m sure there a plenty of good reasons. “Oops, I forgot” is not one of them. Wayne and Dave look forward to another good year in 2014, especially in boosting our participation level.


The Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association named Tom Peisch defense lawyer of the year at their annual convention in May. Congratulations, counselor. Too bad for Whitey Bulger that he couldn’t retain Tom’s services for his recent court appearance in Boston.


The June edition of Speaking of Dartmouth features a piece on recent Dartmouth graduates being commissioned as officers in the U.S. military. Among them is Brian Holekamp ’12, now a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Brian is the son of classmate Bill Holekamp. Bill also made news recently for endowing the Holekamp Family chair for athletics at John Burroughs School in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he prepped for Dartmouth.


T.J. Rodgers, founder and CEO of Cypress Semiconductor, has again made his feelings known in a Wall Street Journal opinion page piece titled “Targeting the Wealthy Kills Jobs” that was published on August 18. Whether you agree with T.J. or not, his views are, as always, certainly thought-provoking.


On a visit to the New Jersey shore this past summer Ann and I had a chance to catch up with Cindy and Sandy McWilliams over dinner. The following day I was treated to a sail on Sandy’s boat. Neither heavy seas nor winds gusting to 30 miles per hour could keep Sandy in port. In fact, as far as I could tell, we were the only boat out on Barnegat Bay. So passionate has Sandy become about sailing that he rarely pulls his golf clubs out of the closet anymore. Cindy and Sandy’s older son, Thomas, began his freshman year at Lehigh this fall.


That’s all, folks. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail with news from your neck of the woods.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. First my apologies to David Muller, whom I overlooked in my April column highlighting 1970 ROTC graduates who went on to make the military a career for 20 years or more. Dave writes, “Having studied Chinese with professor Jonathan Mirsky, I was commissioned as a naval intelligence officer and spent the next 20 years in that line of work. The highlight of my career was running the Navy’s human-source intelligence (espionage, etc.) operations worldwide for five years. Served my final Navy year on assignment to the White House under Bush 41, where I set up intelligence support to the first drug czar, Bill Bennett. I’ve now been retired for longer than the 20 years I was on active duty but am still in the intelligence profession, presently working at the National Counterterrorism Center.”


From the Durango (Colorado) Herald comes word of Pete Harter’s retirement after 23 years as the principal of Needham Elementary School. Reading the article it is abundantly clear that he has had a profound positive impact on the lives of thousands of kids as well as the greater Durango community. Pete and his wife, Candace, have three grown children, all of them Needham graduates.


Classmate Robert Rudney recently published a novel, Lovers Lame, that he quips “makes disability sexy.” He goes on to say that the book is “also a conscious effort to raise public awareness on disability issues, especially employment, and to expand the audience.” Bob, who is retiring as a senior advisor in the Defense Department, notes that, “only one in five Americans with disabilities is employed. That’s unacceptable.” Bob was the recipient of a 2008 Kennedy Foundation Congressional Fellowship and won the 2011 Defense Department Award as Outstanding Employee with a Disability.


Not surprisingly a number of our classmates are actively engaged with charitable organizations as operating officers or board members. The class executive committee has agreed that we should get the word out about such groups through this medium and other class correspondence. So here is the beginning of that effort, one that will continue in future columns. Jim Clark and his wife, Nancy, have operated the Zienzele Foundation (www.zienzele.org) for more than 10 years. The foundation’s stated goal is self-reliance for Zimbabwean orphans and their caregivers through project development, education, counseling and community support. Visit their website to find out more. Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka has been actively involved with Opportunity International (OI) for nearly a decade, including service as interim president and CEO in 2009. He is a current board member. OI seeks to empower people to work their way out of chronic poverty, transforming their lives, children’s futures and communities by providing microfinance services, including lending, savings, insurance and transformational training. They currently operate in 23 countries. Check them out at www.opportunity.org.


Fall is almost here and two mini-reunions are planned, one in Hanover September 29 and the other in Princeton, New Jersey, November 17. Keep an eye on the class website for more details.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. Add one more classmate to the list of career military officers. Colonel Art Brown, M.D., joined the Army in 1987 and is set to retire on November 1. Art reports that in 1986 “I was working in Thailand as a doctor for Khmer refugees, married to a Thai doctor, and we moved to Bangkok so she could get more training. I got a contract job with the Army’s research lab there and joined the group studying malaria and working toward a vaccine. A year later I joined the Army and have now spent nearly 25 years in its medical research command.” Sixteen of those years were spent in Thailand, where Art and his wife, Linda, still reside.


Speaking of Thailand, Scott Holland sent word that he extended his annual pilgrimage there by a week last year in order to pay a visit to Hanoi. Said Scott, “It seemed ironic that a mere 41 years after I was running as fast as possible to avoid an all-expense-paid trip there I sent them $80 and asked if I could please visit.” The ever-vigilant Mr. Holland also reports spotting a Yankee magazine article on homes for sale featuring Bear Foot Farm in North Troy, Vermont, owned by Stan Phaneuf. Anyone interested in a lovingly restored 1860 farmhouse convenient to Jay Peak and the Canadian border should get in touch with Stan.


News from the not-for-profit sector is that Dr. John Chittick, founder and executive director of TeenAIDS-PeerCorps, was nominated for Volunteer of the Year by StayClassy, an online fundraising concern. The nomination headline notes, “Harvard Expert Saves Young Lives” (he did get his doctorate there), without a word about Dartmouth anywhere in the text. Decidedly non-classy.


Sadly I must report the passing of two more classmates. Sam Crocker lost his battle with multiple sclerosis in July and Paul Oden succumbed to a brain tumor in March. The class extends its sympathies to the families of both Sam and Paul.


As you read this the last of the leaf peepers are departing northern New England and Homecoming is just around the corner. Also, don’t forget that there is a mini-reunion planned for the Princeton game in New Jersey on November 17.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. By now the mud should be pretty much dried up in Hanover and the black flies about to emerge from their pupae and take flight. As much as I miss the New Hampshire spring I must say that I enjoy the gentler climes of North Carolina.


Another 1970 has thrown his hat into a major political ring. Joe Avellone announced he is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor of Massachusetts in 2014. As both a physician and a businessman, Joe says he is “running on the basis of my private sector experience.” Joe is currently senior vice president at Paraxel, a clinical research firm. While his only previous elected office experience is as a town councilor in his hometown of Wellesley, Joe has long been active in politics, including working on four presidential campaigns ranging from Ted Kennedy in 1980 to John Kerry in 2004. This background information comes to us from Joe’s campaign manager, our own Tom Peisch. Any of you Massachusetts residents wishing to get on the Avellone bandwagon, I’m sure Tom and Joe would love to hear from you. If elected Joe would join Jock McKernan, former governor of Maine, and Gordon Campbell, former premier of British Columbia as 1970’s leading elected statesmen.


Congratulations to Mark Heller, who was awarded the Dartmouth Club President of the Year Award for his work leading the Dartmouth Club of Northeast Ohio. In that role Mark worked diligently to reinvigorate his organization by creating new events and drawing alumni from all age groups. In further recognition from his peers, Mark was elected president of the Club Officers Association executive committee for the upcoming year. He also serves as our class vice president.


During my annual winter pilgrimage to Hanover I randomly bumped into Pam and Carl Andros on Main Street. They happened to be on their way from their home in West Hartford, Connecticut, to visit their son Carl in Rutland, Vermont. Young Carl is an engineering student at Northeastern University and was doing a cooperative education semester working for General Electric in Rutland. Given that he has a few more years of college tuition left to pay, old Carl admitted that he will not be giving up his law practice any time soon.


Sadly I must end with notice of the loss of another 1970. John “J.B.” Howard died unexpectedly at the end of January in Northampton, Massachusetts. Among the 300 or so people attending his memorial service were Carl Andros, Dan Barnett, Josh Fitzhugh, Tom Kenworthy, Rick Ostberg and Tom Peisch. The class extends its deepest sympathies to J.B.’s widow, Susie.


As a reminder, you can read more about what these and other classmates are up to by accessing the 1970 e-newsletter at http://www.dartmouth.org/classes/70.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. It being a slow news period I decided, like any good journalist, to go on the road. Don’t worry, no class funds (if we have any) were spent on my behalf. I headed to the Pacific Northwest to visit daughter Christy in Portland, Oregon. While there I took the opportunity to get together with Judy and Dan Hoarfrost. Dan graduated from Oregon University Law School and stayed on in the Rose City. Along the way he had the good sense to marry Judy, a nationally ranked table tennis player who at age 15 was a member of the ping pong diplomacy team traveling to China during the Nixon (remember him?) administration. Dan will be back in Hanover this June for daughter Adrienne’s graduation from Dartmouth.


Before flying home from Seattle, Washington, on a redeye I was privileged to have dinner with Carole and Bill Koenig. Bill is currently director of the organizational systems renewal graduate program at Seattle University and earned his Ph.D. in January. Bill’s career path defies explanation, so if you want to learn an inspiring lesson about career renewal and reinvention, Google him. It was a memory-filled evening that almost resulted in a missed flight back to Boston.


Among those responding to my call for thoughts about dealing with retirement was Bill White. Bill reports retiring at 55 from The Travelers and now resides in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. He gets to “indulge [his] passions” and concludes with, “I have my health, my wife of 35 years and a golden retriever as an excuse to walk five miles a day. What’s not to like?” Umm, I can’t think of anything.


While in Hanover at the end of January I ran into Skip Sturman at a hockey game. Skip retired last June as director of career services at the College. After guiding thousands of graduates to “life after Dartmouth,” Skip is fulfilling his own quest with writing and involvement with the Institute for Lifelong Education at Dartmouth. Skip and Marilyn’s son Jed is a second-year student at Tuck School.


As reported in the December 16, 2010, Wall Street Journal, Rhode Island’s state-appointed receiver to the city of Central Falls, Mark Pfeiffer, was making some bold moves to save that beleaguered city from the brink of bankruptcy.


Mark, an attorney and former state Superior Court justice, is quoted in the article as saying, “Rhode Island must pass legislation reforming union contracts, pensions and retiree healthcare.” Two months later Wisconsin stole Pfeiff’s ideas!


That’s all for now folks. Keep those cards and letters coming or I may show up on your doorstep looking for news and a free meal. If you don’t believe me just ask Koenig.


—Bill Wilson, 85 Blueberry Lane, Concord, MA 01742; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings fellow ’70s. Whether or not you are fans of a cappella singing I hope you followed the Dartmouth Aires on NBC’s Monday night series The Sing-Off as they progressed to the finals where they were outvoted and finished second. 


Speaking of the Aires, former (Injun)Aire Don MacMannis reports that he and his spouse/business partner, Debra, recently had their book on parenting, How’s Your Family Really Doing? published. According to Don the book “highlights the 10 essential keys that define successful families beginning with an assessment to determine family strengths and areas for growth. It provides tons of tips and tools about all the stuff we wish we had learned growing up—how to be in a relationship and bring out the best in each other.” Lest any of us who are beyond parenting days think this book does not apply, heed the words of one reviewer who writes that the book “is a resource that will be of lasting value to parents, prospective parents, grandparents and clinicians. It is welcoming, warm and wise.” Don and Debra serve as co-directors of the Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara, California, and publish a popular blog. Check it out at HowsYourFamily.com (very well, thanks for asking). Their son Sean ’05, like his father a former Aire, recently married and is described by Don as a “Silicon Valley maven,” whatever that might be.


I got an update from the irrepressible Dr. John Chittick, who writes, “I moved to Norfolk, Virginia, in May 2010 with my nonprofit Teen-AIDS-PeerCorps. This summer my 20-year series of global walks continued with work in Haiti and Dominican Republic. I brought two college students as trainees, one a Dartmouth ’10, Samantha Monkman. In Haiti we worked extensively in the tent cities and poorest areas educating teens. I previously brought Jimmy Kircher ’10 to Africa (Sudan, Congo and Rwanda). It is a joy to work with these dedicated volunteers—today’s Dartmouth students are the best! If any of the class has grandchildren looking for a truly unique experience, let me know.”


John is active in the Dartmouth Club of Hampton Roads, Virginia, as its district enrollment director and is also an adjunct faculty member at Cambridge College.


Sadly, I have received word, somewhat belatedly, of the passing of two of our classmates. Mark Hebenstreit died in May 2009 in Merrimac, Massachusetts. And in July 2010 Gary Ellsworth succumbed to esophageal cancer in Arlington, Virginia. Gary will forever be remembered as “The Eggman” for his hardboiled egg-eating prowess inspired by the movie Cool Hand Luke. Our sincerest condolences to the families of both Mark and Gary. Obituaries can be found in the online edition of the Alumni Magazine. And finally the class extends its sympathies to Jim Decker and his wife, Faffy, on the death of Jim’s stepson Peter Thomas.


That’s all for now, folks. Spring is just around the corner—make it a good one.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. As you read this we will have entered the Philip Hanlon era in the Wheelock succession. It’s good to know that the new president, class of 1977, is a baby boomer just like us.


From the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont comes news, via dial-up, from Mitch Wonson. He’s been busy working on the house and 25 acres of property he purchased three years ago. As Mitch tells it, “I do love living up here in a town with one paved road, no commercial development and more critters than people. Seems the older I get the fewer foibles of man I can tolerate, but the critters are always enjoyable.” While he claims that his land use consultancy is “in the tubes,” Mitch admits to opposing and defeating an industrial wind turbine project, a ground-breaking victory for Vermont conservationists.


I received a rather terse e-mail from Bill Kent stating simply, “This is my Plan B after 65 years of Plan A” and directing me to a website, www.meridians-healthways.com. It appears that he has affiliated with a group of alternative healthcare providers in Bellevue, Washington, and has a specialty in something called “cord therapy.” Bill’s stated occupation in our 25th reunion book was “manufacturing,” so I’m guessing this represents a significant career redirection. His e-mail got me wondering how many of us are on Plan B, Plan C or something beyond that in our own lives.


Word comes from Arizona State University that Steve Doig, the Knight Chair in Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, has been inducted into the U.S. Army’s Defense Information School Hall of Fame. Steve trained there as an Army private prior to heading for Vietnam as a combat correspondent. After that tour he returned to the school as an instructor before embarking on a distinguished career as a civilian journalist. Way to go, Doiger.


Sadly, the class has lost another member. Chris Carey died unexpectedly in January in Palm Coast, Florida. The class extends sympathies to his widow, Molly, and four children.


Please keep those cards, letters and e-mails coming so I won’t have to make stuff up.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. In my last column I warned that if no one offered up news, Ann and I would be forced to seek it out. Well, the past two months have been spent validating that threat. So send news or risk a visit from the Wilsons. Think we’re kidding?


Our first visit (victim) was Geoff Scott. Prior to a trip to North Carolina in March I contacted Geoff and he and Caroline were kind enough to invite us for dinner at their Chapel Hill home. Geoff and Cari relocated from Connecticut almost 10 years ago and are loving life as Tar Heels. As I write this Cari has just finished her first Boston Marathon. Geoff has several “Bostons” under his belt and has since moved on to triathlons.


Knowing we would be in the Triangle area of North Carolina I also reached out to Tom Merrick, whose last address in our book was the town of Cary. Tom responded that he and Nan were at their winter residence in Florida. Lucky for Ann and me that we were headed to the sunshine state a few weeks after that. Tom and Nan were kind enough to host us, Jennifer and David Rowe and Sandy and Tom Doyle for an evening at their home. Merrick recently retired as CEO of Doe and Ingalls, a chemical supply chain management company that he co-founded in 1986. He remains a member of its board of directors.


Although retired from his dental practice in Holbrook, Massachusetts, Steve Straus is still active on the local music scene. A recent article noted that he would be playing as part of a jazz combo at a benefit brunch on Sunday and then, two days later, perform Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with a chamber orchestra. Talk about range. Many of you will remember Steve as a founding member of the Dixieland group, The Dartmouth Five, during our undergraduate days.


I recently had a chance to catch up with freshman and sophomore year roommate Bob Huiskamp on the phone. Following Dartmouth Bob married his high school sweetheart, Patti, and embarked on a successful career in the paper industry. Bob and Patti eventually landed in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he was general manager of James River’s paper operations there. A few years back he switched careers to the investment advisory profession. Bob vehemently denies that he advises clients to print money on the paper he used to manufacture.


That’s all for now folks. To all the dad’s out there, happy Father’s Day. The class news inventory is running dangerously low so please send word about you, your offspring, your spouse or any other class-related persons of interest.


—Bill Wilson, 85 Blueberry Lane, Concord, MA 01742; wilson8689@aol.com


Greetings, fellow ’70s. As I begin writing this column Ann and I are homeward bound on JetBlue following Homecoming Weekend in Hanover. A small but spirited group of classmates were on hand to enjoy the festivities and witness the football team’s dismantling of Columbia, 37-0. They included Murnie and Steve Leary, Dave Wadleigh, Wayne Osmond, Star Johnson, Mike Doherty and Ann and Bill Wilson. It is reported that Tom Peisch made a cameo appearance arriving Saturday morning and leaving at halftime to return home in time to have dinner with Joe Avellone and Bob Harrington. Also, it was great to see John Howard in town for the weekend. John left Dartmouth during our undergraduate years to serve in the U.S. Army and graduated with the class of 1973. He was back as a registrant at the class of 1971’s 40th reunion.


Kudos to Jim Aukerman, who was recently honored by the Rhode Island Foundation with the Harold B. Soloveitzik Professional Leadership Award recognizing “enduring commitment to philanthropy” in the Ocean State. A lifelong resident of Rhode Island, Jim continues to practice law in his hometown of Wakefield. Coincidentally this year’s foundation honorees also included Sandy McCullough ’50, a former trustee of the College. 


Jeff Nordgren reports that he and six of his Brown Hall mates reunited in Boston for a weekend this past summer. Jeff, Bruce Brezinski, Chip Cody, Jim Gass, Barry Hart, Doug Karp and Rajesh Singh were there to celebrate “finding” Rajesh, who, after a career in international banking, is now settled in Greenwich, Connecticut, just a few miles from Doug, who resides in Stamford. Jeff writes, “A delicious, obligatory Italian meal was followed by a roundtable discussion that seemed (to all involved) to have covered all aspects of pending U.S. Supreme Court cases.” And some of these guys aren’t even lawyers! It just goes to show that mini-reunions are what you make of them.


For those who read Sports Illustrated I hope you saw the recent piece on the iconic 1989 movie Major League, starring Charlie Sheen. The producer of that movie is our own Chris Chesser, who admits in an SI interview that the movie “would be impossible today. Getting approval (from Major League Baseball) to use the Yankees as the enemy in Major League would be a (expletive) nightmare.” Chris, I and my fellow Bosox fans give you our permission! Chris has spent his career in motion picture production and his latest offering, Phase One, is awaiting release at the time of this writing.


Finally, our deepest sympathies go out to Dave Ullrich and his family on the death of Dave’s wife, Polly, in a car accident near their vacation home in Wisconsin this past summer. Polly and Dave were married 39 years and she was a noted art critic and writer in Chicago.


Best wishes to all for a healthy and prosperous 2012. Keep those cards, letters and e-mails coming. They make it a lot easier to produce this column on a regular basis.


—Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com