Class Notes, July 19, 2010

Class Notes, July 19, 2010

By John Pinney Oppressive heat and torrential rains have failed to dim my fond memories of our terrific 45th Reunion. The abbreviated write up in the last issue of the YAM probably didn’t do full justice to everyone and everything that made it a resounding success, so let me add a few more updates. First, Stan Trotman reported that the final tally for our reunion class gift came to just over $8 million “quite an accomplishment for our class in this climate. Stan, Mel Shaftel and their team deserve another round of applause for their efforts. Second, the class directory we thought wed distribute at the reunion is alive and will be distributed this fall. Bob Leich and Carl Farrington are on the job the directory will provide updated contact information on us all, drawn from the University’s records. Last but not least, as promised at the class dinner, Donna and I have begun thinking about how to equal or exceed the prior St. Michael’s Mini Reunion with the one we have targeted for the fall of 2011.Since there will still be almost 4 more years to our 50th, ideas and offers for other minis are welcome. Ted Garrett suggested an informal gathering of classmates in the DC area, an idea that might be replicated in a number of places with concentrations of classmates. I don’t think its too early to start building momentum for our 50th. Catching up on notes that fell in between deadlines, Bill Lake is now Chief, Media Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission, having retired from Wilmer Hale last year. Bill reports: “The children are scattered from New York to California to Georgia, to Maryland, mostly still in school or going back to school. We are blessed that they and we are in good health. We relax at a cottage on Martha’s Vineyard when we can. That seems to resonate pretty well with the discussion about the Fourth Act we had during Bob Woodward’s session at the reunion. Joe Stepanek wrote: “Joe and Caroline continue to travel, hike, contribute to local boards and savor seven grandchildren. Joe has just completed a memoir of life overseas in twelve Asian and African countries. Copies available on request.” Joel Papernik continues to serve as a roving reporter for our class. This time, Joel reported on dropping by an exhibition at the Hungarian Consulate in New York to see an exhibition of private art from Ed Townsend and his wife Suzanne Nagy. According to Joel, Ed and Suzanne were about to leave for her native Hungary where they visit several times a year. If you’re doing something interesting in New York and are too busy or lazy to send a note, please just let Joel know and hell get the news to me. Speaking of art, Fred Roberts posted the following by email (easier than handwriting and faster): “I am willing to bet that, never before in the 309 year history of Yale, have two roommates had simultaneous art exhibitions running at two venues on Campus. Henry Hacker’s incredible collection of British Transport Posters, “Art For All,” will be on display through August at The Center for British Art. My traveling exhibition of photographs from The Museum of Photographic Arts, entitled “Fredric Roberts’ Images of India,” will open at The Whitney Humanities Center beginning in August through November. Bill Crosby also used the miracle of email to report on “a mini reunion of my Berkeley College senior year suite-mates for the first time in over three decades. Hugh Aiken with his wife, Nathalie, and two daughters, Lorraine and Gabrielle, came in from their home in Paris, France. Ken Bardach arrived from his home in St. Louis. They all stayed over with my wife, Connie, and me at our home in McLean, VA. Peter Kibbee, who lives in McLean, completed the grouping. Bill Rawn, known to many in the DC area as the architect of enormously successful Strathmore Concert Hall, posted this news about well deserved recognition: “Nearly a year ago, ARCHITECT Magazine, one of the professions two leading magazines, named our firm (William Rawn Associates, Architects) as the #1 architectural firm in the country based in large part on architectural awards and performance in sustainable design. More than a bit surreal, but nice for our office. For me, it represents a personal thank you to Yale for Vincent Scully’s inspiration in the 1960s and for the University’s hiring us to design the Rose Center at Yale, completed in 2007. With all the world’s eyes on the World Cup, the list serve was a great place to get firsthand reports from Burt Haimes, our class soccer official and aficionado. Burt and Monique were able to mix soccer with sightseeing as this list serve posting illustrates: “I just spent three days in Zimbabwe – one at Victoria Falls and two in the bush in Hwange National Park. It is a wonderful country with well educated gentle people despite the US press reports to the contrary. I went to the US-England match in Rustenberg. In both places the days were warm and the nights freezing. We saw an amazing number of animals – elephants, lions, cape buffalo, giraffes, hippos, kudu, etc. And the beauty is that there is no one there, unlike Kruger National Park. Those of you on the list serve, either active or passive, know we have a classmate named Duane Campbell who enjoys political discourse but is also an accomplished gardener. Duane has published a book entitled: “Best of Green Space: 30 Years of Composted Columns. Another classmate active on the list serve but absent from the reunion is John Leo who explained his absence in an earlier post: “I will miss the Reunion this June. As the happy and fortunate recipient of the Hugh le May Research Fellowship, I’ll be at Rhodes University in South Africa for three months. I’m still sort of reeling: Rhodes is one of Africa’s oldest and most distinguished universities, and this Fellowship — given in alternate years — is a prestigious one. Reminders: Class Dinner in New York on October 29, 2010 at the Yale Club of New York City. You will already have heard from Bob Leich that our speaker is Bruce Alexander, who will speak on “The Renaissance in New Haven and the Yale-New Haven Partnership. The Class Council will meet at 5 PM. Final reminder: you don’t need to wait for the class dues solicitation to send in notes; you may have noticed subtle digs about the ease with which email notes can reach me stay in touch.