YAM Class Notes: July/August 2018
I looked at last year’s notes for this period and saw I’d referred to the spring of 2017 as “fickle,” which seems to suit the spring of 2018 as well. Hopefully we will see some spring before summer sets in. Happily, it has been an active spring for class lunches, thanks to Jeff Miller and classmate sponsors. Jeff provided a summary along with his own news: “On April 10, Bruce Alexander and I hosted a class lunch at Mory’s with 13 in attendance from various points of the compass including New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and of course Connecticut. While we enjoyed our lunch in the Ingham Room, named for our very own Jonathan Ingham, Bruce described the just-issued report of the CT Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth, which he had served on to investigate how to improve the state’s dire financial situation. Needless to say, there are no easy answers to that question. On April 17 Susanne and I attended another class lunch in Palm Beach, cohosted by Stan Trotman and Peter Conze. During lunch, attended by 12 classmates and spouses and friends, Peter reported on his work for Guardians of Martin County, a preservation nonprofit which he leads. Martin County is undeveloped relative to the rest of Florida, and the pro-growth forces threaten to intrude in many ways, including housing projects and high-speed railroads, so Peter is a busy guy these days. And finally, on May 2, Burt Haimes hosted another class lunch at the Friars Club in New York City. Ten classmates, myself included, attended and enjoyed an excellent repast in the main dining room. Thanks to Burt for organizing a lovely event. Another lunch is scheduled for June 13 in Washington, DC, sponsored by Bill Crosby and Bill Nelson.”
Jeff also reported: “On April 13, Susanne and I joined Joel and Barbara Papernik and Earl and Deborah Potter at the New York Museum of Modern Art for its Modern Matinee series showing of The Cowboy and the Lady, a 1938 classic starring Gary Cooper and Merle Oberon and directed by Earl’s father, H. C. Potter. After the film, Earl answered questions from the audience about the film, his father’s career, and the experience of growing up in the midst of Hollywood royalty, his own mother-in-law being Joan Fontaine.
You likely will already have heard that Bruce Alexander is retiring as Yale’s vice president for New Haven and state affairs and campus development. President Salovey issued a lengthy statement of Bruce’s myriad contributions in this role, beginning with: “In a remarkable 20 years of service to this university, Bruce has played a major role in the revitalization of New Haven, helped shape and steward our campus, and built valuable partnerships with local and state communities.” He also noted that Bruce has agreed to stay at the university on a part-time basis to work on special projects. For those of you who never or infrequently visit New Haven, Bruce’s efforts have transformed every aspect of the campus and the city—a truly remarkable legacy of which we can all be extremely proud.
Brief notes: Felix von Moschzisker posted a picture of one of his sculptures on Facebook with the note: “So far I have made about 40 of these structures. All different sizes. This one is about 34 inches long. It is called Jealous Girlfriend.” After posting a very thoughtful summary of his return to physical fitness after having a stent inserted, Dennis Mack reported on his and Robert’s upcoming travels: “We’re not only going to Portland, Maine (for the mini-reunion), but also to Portland, Oregon, where we will stay with Carl Farrington; Seattle, Washington, where we will attend a jazz performance of Mal Harris; Orinda, California, where we will stay with Karl Schonborn and get together with Dale Freeman; and Boonville, California, where we will stay with David Hopmann. It is part of a road trip from Yosemite to Seattle.” And from Canada, Marshall Hoke wrote that “Life is full of cross country skiing, hiking and canoeing in the wilderness, gardening, volunteering, spending time with kids and their kids. Visitors are welcome to stop and stay.”
In April, at the invitation of Bob and Mary Rounsavall, Donna and I joined Stan and Susie Trotman at the Gulfstream Club to hear David Roscoe present a fascinating overview of artificial intelligence (AI). Also in attendance were Bill and Terry Parsons. David has recently stepped down after many years as chair of the Hastings Center, during which time he became intrigued with AI and joined a prestigious group of tech leaders discussing the future implications of AI. David has graciously agreed to be our speaker at the next class dinner for an updated reprise of his talk—a fascinating and somewhat frightening topic. I encourage you all to attend on October 26 at the Yale Club of New York City.
Reminders: Portland/Coast of Maine mini-reunion October 2–5; class dinner October 26.