Class Notes November/December 2001

Class Notes November/December 2001

Upcoming events. Hockey Dinner. Jeff Miller and Tony Dunn have arranged for us to meet at Mory’s at 4:30pm on Saturday, March 2, 2002, and then proceed to the Rink to see the Elis play Brown. Further details in the mail. Only 30 seats available, so get your reservations in. Spring gathering in Washington, D.C., area May 9-12. Tom Esslinger reports: “On the second weekend of May next year, we will have another off-year reunion. This one will be on Mother’s Day weekend. Lansdowne Resort, near Leesburg, VA, will host the event. Lansdowne is a full service resort in the rolling hills of Northern Virginia, overlooking the Potomac River. On Friday, May 10, we will make a day trip to the Antietam Battlefield, site of the bloodiest day in American history (until September 11, 2001). Our guide will be Ed Bearss, director emeritus of the History branch of the National Park Service. Ed was prominently featured on Ken Burns’ Civil War series. You will enjoy a spellbinding day, even if you are not a Civil War buff. We will have the usual series of stimulating conversations with each other. Jay Rhodes’ presence on the program committee guarantees that the topics will at least be controversial. Reserve the dates now.” Curt Borchardt is still running his B&B, in the Adirondack high peaks, Trail’s End Inn. He’s had visits from Perry Teillon and Sven Huseby. We’d better get up there soon, because Curt’s threatening to retire. (“Wanna buy a great used B&B?”) Michael Sher was named associate professor of economics and finance in Metropolitan State University’s College of Management in St. Paul, a full-time, tenure-track appointment. Mike was previously at the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management and before that at the University of Auckland Business School. I hope that you have followed the discussion on Listserv concerning the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Pennsylvania tragedies and their aftermath. All of it is interesting, and some of it is as informative about the complexities of the situation as the national news media. I report sadly that Jairl Dowell died May 16, 2000, after an illness. After Yale, Jairl received his law degree from the University of Texas and then embarked on a career that included working as a bank trust officer and then as a trial lawyer, a judgeship, solo practice and serving as an in-house general counsel. He was also active in his community, serving as a board member of many organizations, including the YMCA, the Lone Star Ballet, the Ronald McDonald House, the Children’s Rehabilitation Center and the NAACP. His son said of him, “My Dad was one of the greatest men anyone could have ever known?A conversation with him was sure to be full of laughter as well as debate. He was a man of honesty and conviction of an unshakable type.” He is survived by his daughter, Paige, and his sons, Austin and Richard. Jairl was always friendly, with a ready smile and a Texan accent to match. We lost Ben Fisher in the tragic collapse of 2 World Trade Center on September 11. Ben and Susan were married for 32 years and had two children, Louisa and James. He was a life-long resident of Greenwich and worked for Fiduciary Trust International for 34 years, becoming a senior vice president there. Ben served in the Marine Corps before entering Yale, was an avid sailor and skier, a preservationist who helped save the Sabine Farm pasture for the Greenwich Land Trust, a member of the boards of many non-profit institutions, including Promfret School for over 20 years, and a great story-teller. His memorial service program stated, “Ben was committed to being the best husband, the best father, the best brother, the best friend and the best co-worker possible. Those of us left behind feel he was successful.” Semper fidelis