summer 2009 - Lafayette Magazine

Transcription

SUMMER | 2009
DEEPENING DIVERSIT|
Transcendence
With the aim of explaining—
and celebrating—dividends from
diversity, last year the McDonogh Network
was started, linking black alumni and students.
Its start coincided with the College’s
dedication of Transcendence, a sculpture
commemorating the College’s first black
graduate, David Kearney McDonogh,
Class of 1844.
ON THE COVER:
Illustration by Jim Dryden
CHUCK ZOVKO
4
SUMMER | 2009
page
48
HIGHLIGHTS
4
DEEPENING DIVERSITY
Thinking boldly about building community
BY ROBERT J. BLIWISE ’76
16
24
30
HISTORY & HOPE IN IRAQ
Federalism
faces an uncertain future
BY JOHN KINCAID
BY DAN EDELEN
32
38
MASTER TEACHERS
In the classroom with Prof. John Shaw
FOREIGN POLICY IN TRANSITION
Moving beyond neoconservatism
BY ILAN PELEG
44
BY CHUCK ZOVKO
86
POLYMERS TO POETRY
Engineering and the liberal arts: the best of both worlds
BY MARGARET LOFTUS
52
56
BY NORA ISAACS ’94
GATEWAY TOWN ON THE RISE
Mark Portnoy ’72 heads Phillipsburg’s UEZ
86
GAME FAME
Karen Fried Young ’84 doesn’t take no for an answer
ZOVKO MOMENTS
Service programs of the Landis Community Outreach Center
48
page
NEW FACE TO THE WORLD
Alex Greenberg ’79 and the story of Alan Doherty
MOMENTS OF REVELATION
Winning entries in the Study Abroad Photo Contest
BY KELLY PRENTICE
TV THREE
They’re making things happen behind the scenes
BY DAN EDELIN
101
101 CLASS NOTES
Columns, profiles, updates, weddings, babies, and more
SUMMER 2009 • lafayette 1
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
MOVING FORWARD
L
afayette has faced real challenges this year in a
difficult economic environment, as have virtually all
colleges and universities and, indeed, individuals and
organizations of all kinds in the wider world. But the College
remains healthy and moving forward in all the right ways.
Our endowment diminished significantly (though not as
greatly as at some institutions like ours), while our capacity
to raise money also suffered, as our wonderful donor
community felt the impact of the economic downturn.
The downturn also increased the importance of need-based
financial aid—to which we remain steadfastly committed—
both for current students and families and in order to enroll
new students, and we have increased our financial aid for next year by eight percent while
the budget in other respects is flat or has been reduced.
You know from my updates on the College and the economy last fall and this spring that
we have dealt with the challenges this year by making near-term decisions with the aim of
balancing the budget, in accordance with our statutory commitment to produce a balanced
budget annually. But of greater concern is creating a balanced budget over time while moving
the institution forward. We will continue managing the budget with both the near-term
and the long-term in mind, so that it balances and also protects what I call intergenerational
equity: today’s students have a right to the same quality of education that we’ve always
offered, but so too do the generations to come, and that’s part of our responsibility.
Good news was plentiful at Lafayette this year as well, and I’ll cite just two examples.
We held our own in the admissions cycle in a shifting and uncertain environment, a very
important achievement. And with a goal of hiring 35 new faculty members over the next
five to seven years, in line with our strategic plan, we went forward this year with searches
for eight faculty members (over and above the routine annual turnover). It is a wonderful
time to be looking for candidates because so very many institutions are not hiring, and
our resolve to do so will, I believe, allow us to hire extraordinary faculty.
I remain confident that the College is positioned well for the challenges ahead.
Thank you for your support.
Daniel Weiss
Lafayette Alumni News magazine is published three times a year for the alumni, parents, faculty, staff,
and friends of Lafayette College by the Division of Communications, Lafayette College, 17 Watson Hall,
Easton, PA 18042; (610) 330-5120, Fax (610) 330-5127, www.lafayette.edu.
Executive Editor Glenn Airgood
[email protected]
Art Director Donna M. Kneule [email protected]
Alumni Communications Editor Dave Block ’93
[email protected]
Senior Editor Roger B. Clow
[email protected]
Class Notes Production Coordinator Gayle F. Hendricks
LETTERS
NATIONAL
CHAMPS
Heartfelt congratulations on
the forensics team’s recent
successes at the national
tournament! [See “National
Champions,” page 29.] I cannot
describe how proud I am of
the students and coaches for
this amazing accomplishment.
First place in our division,
with 12 entries making it to
out-rounds! Quarter-finalist
awards in three speeches,
semi-finalist awards for three
speakers, and a national
finalist award! Not only that,
the debate team took fifth place
in the nation. Five debaters
were finalists of some sort,
and two were ranked in the
top six overall!
The other forensics alumni
and I are so proud of this team.
The hard work and dedication
it took to get the team to
this point have made the
students better competitors,
better speakers, and better
participants in the college
community. The skills they are
learning will serve them well
in their professional lives, and
they will cherish their memories
of Lafayette. Believe me, I know.
—Rachel Korpan Lee
(née Korpanty) ’03
Fairfax, Va.
BLESSED BY LAFAYETTE
My letter, long overdue, is to praise my alma mater and its staff.
My second child and eldest son wants to be an engineer, and
Lafayette was a leading candidate when he started his college
search. We visited three times, impressed each time by the
campus and the presentations.
Chris received many acceptance letters, I am happy to say, but
none was as impressive and touching as Lafayette’s. Specifically
citing his essay, it was no form letter, but an actual invitation to
attend. We were amazed. Thank you for the entire application
process and the wonderful impression Lafayette made on my
family. (In the end, Boston won out over Easton, and he enrolled
at Tufts. His younger brother is a junior, so I may win yet.)
After master’s degrees in theology and ordination to the
Catholic priesthood, I changed gears, completed medical school,
and started an internal medicine practice in New Jersey. We
now have 11 doctors, 3 nurse practitioners (including my wife),
and a staff of almost 35. I am in this year’s New York Magazine
Best Doctors and in line to be president of the medical staff at
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.
I hope this reminds you that many grateful alumni and parents
feel blessed by Lafayette.
—Stephen Brunnquell ’77
Harrington Park, N.J.
PS. An avid runner, I clocked 2:59 in the New York City Marathon
last November, wearing, as always, an old Lafayette singlet.
I stopped counting at over 100 shouts of “Go Lafayette!”
Write to Us!
We welcome your letters
KUDOS FOR PBK ADVISERS
and comments about the
Our daughter, Shelley Dreibelbis ’09, was recently inducted
into the Lafayette chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Professors Randy
Stonesifer and Andy Smith did a wonderful job conducting
the ceremony. They were very personable, down-to-earth but
serious about the importance of the occasion. Each took time
to express his individual insights regarding being a member of
this honorary society. They were articulate speakers, and I’m
sure everybody in attendance—parents, guests, and inductees—
felt these professors were a big part of making the ceremony
so special.
—Daniel B. Dreibelbis P’09
Berwyn, Pa.
as well as all aspects of
contents of the magazine
The Lafayette Experience.
Email:
[email protected]
or send to Lafayette Magazine,
Division of Communications,
Lafayette College,
17 Watson Hall,
Easton, PA 18042.
Letters may be edited
for length and clarity.
DEEPENING DIVERSIT|
BY ROBERT J. BLIWISE ’76
L
ooking at the Lafayette
catalogue from, say, the
early 1970s (and some
of us obsessively hold on
to such markers of college moments),
you spot timeless scenes: the picturepostcard-perfect vantage point on South
College, the Frisbee-flinging activity
on the Quad, the snow-encased statute
of the Marquis de Lafayette. But these
images are also artifacts of a past reality.
The surest sign of that: There’s barely a
black or Asian face of color pictured.
And what’s the face of Lafayette
today? A lot has changed in the College’s
intellectual offerings, says government
and law professor John McCartney,
continued on page 6
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHUCK ZOVKO
Cara Brumfield ’10 (left) and Christy Aponte ’09
converse on Commencement Day.
DEEPENING DIVERSITY
Professor John McCartney
“Lafayette finds
itself at a time
in its history
when it needs to
and wants to be
bold in thinking
about building
community.”
—Shirley Ramirez
Vice President
6 lafayette • SUMMER 2009
McCartney has run for political office in the Bahamas, written a book
on American black power ideologies, and taught college courses on black
political thought in the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin
America. In 2005, he organized a three-day conference at Lafayette on
artist and activist Paul Robeson.
When he joined the faculty in 1986, Lafayette was just beginning an
Africana studies minor. “What was a minor grew to a major in just a few
years. It’s almost like a revolution compared with where we were,” he says.
When he talks with minority candidates for faculty positions, he tells them
that “we have a lively minority culture here” and that “minority intellectual
interests are respected.” He points to a coalition of black faculty and staff
members that advises academic departments on academic searches and
acclimates newly recruited minority professors. And he highlights not just
courses on the black experience, but also ethnically-oriented cultural events
and January interim session courses—including Modern Sub-Saharan
Africa and his own department’s Discovering West Indian Identities.
Lafayette has a record of nurturing the young minority faculty members
it attracts and of aspiring to build a lasting minority presence on the faculty,
McCartney says. (Come this fall, the College will have 26 faculty members
of color in a faculty of 204.) “The College is sensitive to diversity issues,”
he adds, “which doesn’t mean that there aren’t ongoing challenges.” That
assessment is largely echoed by Crystal Burey ’10, vice president of the
Association of Black Collegians. “Lafayette has a way to go to consider
itself diverse,” she says. “Granted, we have made leaps even within the last
couple of years. But there is more work to be done.”
Lafayette provost Wendy Hill agrees that there is more work to be done.
“Faculty diversity, retention, and development are all connected to our
strategic-planning goals,” she says. She points to a yearlong mentoring
program for new faculty members that aims to make the first year—and
future years—successful. “I believe we can build on this program to ensure
that we are doing all we can to support faculty of color.” She also mentions
a faculty review of the curriculum, such as the Common Course of Study
and initiatives associated with the strategic plan. “We need to be mindful
about infusing diversity into our curriculum.”
Accomplishing that work is part of the agenda of Dr. Shirley Ramirez,
who began in January as the College’s first vice president for institutional
planning and community engagement. Ramirez was vice president for
institutional planning and diversity at Middlebury College. Before that
she was executive vice president of The Posse Foundation, which identifies
student leaders from urban public high schools to form multicultural
teams, or “posses.” Following an extensive recruitment and pre-college
training program, the teams enroll at selective colleges. The expectation
is that they’ll enjoy academic success and help promote cross-cultural
communication. Lafayette has enrolled Posse Scholars for eight years from
New York and for three years from Washington, D.C.
“Lafayette finds itself at a time in its history when it needs to and wants
to be bold in thinking about building community,” Ramirez says. “My
appointment is a strategic way that the College is bringing diversity to
its core functions and goals. I’m supporting the implementation of the
strategic plan, institutional research, intercultural engagement, and
community engagement, including the relationship of the College to the
City of Easton and the Lehigh Valley.”
The reach of her role, she says, allows her—and the College—to treat
diversity as central to every decision and not just as “some pocket of the
College’s operation or some special category.” She adds, “This is very
different from what other liberal-arts colleges are doing. Nationally, higher
education has failed in many aspects of diversity. Diversity is typically
treated as something that happens in the margins. It’s an add-on or it’s
the subject of a special task force, something that, unlike a key academic
program, is among the most vulnerable things at an institution and can be
sacrificed from time to time. But transformative change happens when you
bring diversity work to the core of the institution, when you have diversity
as a value at the center rather than on the sidelines.
“As an institution, we’re not just talking the talk. We’re serious about
walking the walk. That’s exciting to me, since my life’s work is about doing
things, including reshaping how people think about diversity,” Ramirez
says.
This spring, President Daniel H. Weiss, Hill, and Ramirez attended
a forum on diversity held at Williams College. The meeting, the first of
its kind to include college presidents with their chief diversity officers
and chief academic officers, was co-organized by Ramirez and brought
together nine top liberal-arts colleges.
“As we seek to
educate students
to be leaders and
citizens in our global,
interconnected
world, it is imperative
that they be
knowledgeable about
and confident dealing
with diverse issues
and problems.”
—Provost Wendy Hill
Provost Wendy Hill
DEEPENING DIVERSITY
Shirley Ramirez, vice president for institutional planning and community engagement,
with Nicholas Diaz ’09, co-chair of the 2009 Senior Class Gift Committee
“Transformative
change happens
when you bring
diversity work to
the core of the
institution, when
you have diversity
as a value at the
center rather than
on the sidelines.”
—Shirley Ramirez
Vice President
“The discussions we had affirmed for us that we are at the forefront
in thinking about how best to achieve our diversity goals,” Hill says. “I
also came away with the view that liberal-arts colleges have important
work to do in this realm. As we seek to educate students to be leaders
and citizens in our global, interconnected world, it is imperative that they
be knowledgeable about and confident dealing with diverse issues and
problems.” Liberal-arts colleges, she adds, can take the lead in guiding
higher education broadly to embrace “diversity and inclusiveness as a
central component” of its mission.
Ramirez and Hill already have been collaborating on a range of
projects, including a new campus climate study. Through the support of
a presidential grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Lafayette
will be working with Susan Rankin & Associates, a nationally known firm
on diversity issues. Rankin’s work on campus will involve focus groups, a
survey, and town-hall meetings. Among other things, the study aims to
find how various groups perceive climate issues for students, and then what
steps should be taken to meet the diversity aims of the strategic plan.
For students like Burey, a rising senior and a Posse Scholar, that
community-wide rethinking can’t come fast enough. “Adjusting to campus
life was definitely hard for me,” she says. Too few students of diverse
backgrounds are attracted to Lafayette, in her view, in part because of
longstanding social dynamics that promote sub-communities rather than
a broader sense of campus community. “Despite being a Posse Scholar
and having a support system of students and faculty mentors, I couldn’t
get over how segregated I felt the campus was.” She also sees limits in the
academic program. The Africana studies program has “plenty of interesting
courses,” she says, “but few professors to teach them. If the College does
not offer things to draw students, they won’t come.”
“The diversity on campus should at least reflect the diversity of the
country,” Burey says. “How can we learn if we are surrounded by people
just like us? Part of the higher learning process is breaking out of a shell
and dismissing biases we’ve all grown up with. After all, isn’t that why we
all go away for school? It is both the number of minorities and the vibrancy
of the programming. Numbers alone don’t make a campus diverse; the
environment and interaction between students of different backgrounds
are important as well.”
In many ways, Burey is reinforcing the message of the College’s new
strategic plan, which lists diversity as one of its main objectives. Diversity,
according to the plan, is an educational imperative, because it helps
students “pursue lives of significance in an increasingly interconnected,
globalized world.” Diversity also helps the College fulfill its social mission
by “furthering access to higher education for all.” And it enhances the
College’s position as “an academically distinctive institution.”
It isn’t just minority students who are sensitive to the character of
the campus. Christian Garelli ’09 says he appreciates his Lafayette
education—but also struggled with its limitations. Garelli went to allboys’ Loyola High School in downtown Los Angeles. Loyola is about half
African American, Latino, or Asian, and half white.
“The mix was much different for me in high school, and the daily
interactions really changed me. As time went on at Lafayette, I’d be asking
myself, where is the exposure to different ideas, where is the exposure to
different perspectives? This is not what the world is like. This is not what
my experience will be after I graduate.”
The webpage for the admissions office, naturally enough, focuses on
the college experience. It provides a prominent link to “The Lafayette
Experience,” vignettes from a veritable rainbow of students from Pennsylvania and New Jersey and Ghana and India—male, female, white, African
American, Latino, Asian.
In fact, admissions statistics show that progress has been grinding. The
Class of 2012 enrolled 30 African American students—up from 24 African
Americans in the Class of ’95. (College officials point out that the size of
the first-year class has varied considerably over time, so precise comparisons
of student populations are difficult.) Lafayette’s Asian American student
population is noticeably small compared with the nation’s best-known
liberal arts colleges—31 in the Class of 2012. Some observers of the
campus consider that surprising, given the College’s traditional strength in
engineering and the sciences, disciplines that are often especially inducing
to Asian students. Other observers, though, speculate that many of those
students find the presence of a fraternity-sorority system off-putting.
“I’ve been in the admissions office for 25 years, and the desire to have
a diverse student body is not a new goal. It’s something that Lafayette has
always valued,” says Carol Rowlands ’81, director of admissions.
She says the admissions office has tried to reach out more assertively
to guidance counselors and community organizations that work with
underserved students. The Posse program has led admissions officers to
Statement on Diversity
and Inclusiveness
Lafayette College is committed to
creating a diverse community: one
that is inclusive and responsive,
and is supportive of each and all of
its faculty, students, and staff. The
College seeks to promote diversity
in its many manifestations. These
include but are not limited to race,
ethnicity, socioeconomic status,
gender, gender identity, sexual
orientation, religion, disability,
and place of origin.
The College recognizes that we
live in an increasingly interconnected,
globalized world, and that students
benefit from learning in educational
and social contexts, in which there
are participants from all manner
of backgrounds. The goal is to
encourage students to consider
diverse experiences and perspectives
throughout their lives. All members
of the College community share
a responsibility for creating,
maintaining, and developing a
learning environment in which
difference is valued, equity is sought,
and inclusiveness is practiced.
It is a mission of the College to
advance diversity as defined above.
The College will continue to assess
its progress in a timely manner in
order to ensure that its diversity
initiatives are effective.
The College’s Statement on Diversity
and Inclusiveness was adopted by the
faculty in April and approved by the
Board of Trustees in May.
DEEPENING DIVERSITY
Transcendence
inner-city high schools, including charter schools, where the College has
not historically recruited. “I’m not sure we would have identified those
schools on our own,” she says. “And that has helped us diversify our
applicant pool.”
A big detriment to diversity is the perceived expense of attending
the College, Rowlands says. In recent years, Lafayette has significantly
upgraded its financial-aid program to guarantee that qualified students
can enroll regardless of their ability to pay. Students from families with
incomes of up to $100,000 will find the loan portions of their financial-aid
packages eliminated or reduced. “It’s very difficult for a family that makes
less money in a year than what a school like Lafayette costs” to fathom that
Lafayette can be affordable, Rowlands says, “even though we explain it in
as straightforward a way as possible.”
With the aim of explaining—and celebrating—dividends from diversity, last year the McDonogh Network was started, linking black alumni and students. Its start coincided with the College’s dedication of
Transcendence, a sculpture commemorating the College’s first black
graduate, David Kearney McDonogh, Class of 1844. McDonogh and
his brother Washington were slaves when they were sent by their New
Orleans-based owner to Lafayette in 1838; their story was mentioned in
the inaugural address of President Weiss in 2005.
College archivist Diane Shaw notes that the McDonoghs were described
at the time by Margaret Junkin Preston, the daughter of Lafayette president
George Junkin, as having been “kept and taught wholly apart from the
students, who would never have consented to their presence among them.”
(Washington was later sent off to Liberia.) Shaw adds that the College
had a “rather remarkable” early role in the education of blacks. Aaron O.
Hoff, a local African American, was in the very first class of students, the
Class of 1836. In the 1840s, the Presbyterian Board of Education sent
three black candidates to Lafayette to train for the ministry. Around the
same time, Lafayette also educated Native Americans.
Today the McDonogh Network’s website paints a reasonably robust
picture of minority achievement, on and off campus. It includes news of
black alumni in areas ranging from arts education to nonprofit management.
It also spotlights a rich array of campus events—students and faculty
members being honored for promoting diversity, an outside speaker on
the theme of race relations in the Obama era, exhibitions at the Portlock
Black Cultural Center, a benefit dance kicking off Black History Month,
and much more.
One of the founders of the McDonogh Network, Riley Temple
’71, describes it as a constantly renewing resource for “enriching our
understanding of the accomplishments of our alumni.” He also sees it as
a device for bringing minority-group students and alumni closer to each
other—and to the College—around interests like career development.
Temple is a trustee emeritus, former vice chair of the Board of Trustees,
and the founder of a Washington-based telecommunications consulting
firm. In 2001 he received the McDonogh Award from Lafayette’s
Association of Black Collegians. He sees the institutionalizing of the Posse
Scholars program and the appointment of Ramirez as positive signs. It’s
been demoralizing for him to sit on the platform at graduation and look
out at such a small minority representation, he adds. But Posse brings to
the campus “a new paradigm for leadership”: Posse Scholars have engaged
themselves in all aspects of campus life, and in that way they have “helped
to change the culture of the institution.” Ramirez’s position, he says,
is important substantively, because it weaves diversity more tightly into
the College’s education program, and symbolically as well. “This is the
first person of color to report directly to the president. That signals that
diversity is a principal objective of the College.”
Diversity, Temple observes, extends beyond race-based definitions.
That’s something that Chris Nial ’10 knows well. Nial is president of
QuEST (Questioning Established Sexual Taboos), the campus group
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. Nial came out in the
spring semester of his first year at Lafayette. Later, in his native Vermont,
he worked with Outright Vermont, an organization that works with
“We are at the
forefront in
thinking about
how best to
achieve our
diversity goals.”
DEEPENING DIVERSITY
gay youths. One of QuEST’s highest-profile events at Lafayette is the
distribution of “Gay? Fine By Me” T-shirts. The T-shirt project began
in 2003 at Duke University and has since spread nationally; it’s meant
to signal a campus stand against bigotry and in favor of equal treatment
for all.
This spring at Lafayette, QuEST gave away 800 T-shirts in a single
day. Events surrounding the distribution drew the sponsorship of more
than 70 academic departments and student organizations, including the
Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council (though others declined,
Nial notes). According to Nial, QuEST has also succeeded at embedding
QuEST “Gay? Fine By Me” event in the Farinon Student Center
“safe zone” thinking—through which offices and student rooms display
stickers announcing that they’re free from homophobia—in the campus
culture.
Student reaction to the T-shirt giveaway and related events was “pretty
much positive,” Nial says. Still, he mentions students readily slipping into
a vernacular that is demeaning—the careless use of terms like “fag” and
“faggot” and “gay” as insults. “The population of students who are out
and who are comfortable on campus is extraordinarily small. I don’t know
any students who are out and who feel this is really an accepting place
overall. Still, they find places where they can be comfortable, where they
DEEPENING DIVERSITY
“[Dr. Shirley
Ramirez] is
the first person
of color to
report directly
to the president.
That signals
that diversity
is a principal
objective of
the College.”
—Trustee Emeritus
Riley Temple ’71
can be themselves. We’re definitely having a positive impact on campus.
We’re more and more visible, we’re finding more and more allies, and we’re
heading in the right direction, even if we’re not yet there.”
Now and again, Nial will hear from a prospective student who is curious
about Lafayette’s degree of gay-friendliness. “It is difficult to be here and
to be out,” he tells them. “If you’re looking for an easier experience, you
should go somewhere else. Here you may be fighting the odds, or fighting
the mainstream. But you’re also likely to become a stronger person and
better prepared for life after college, simply because you’re being challenged
on these issues.”
Nial’s view is shared by Bryan Fox ’10, a rising senior and a Posse
Scholar. Fox’s transition from female to male—which came from a decision
he reached during his freshman year—was well-known on campus. He says
he sees himself as an educator, a role in which he seems very comfortable.
This spring he was featured in a well-attended brownbag luncheon on
campus, complete with accompanying artwork and poetry. How did his
College peers react to his story? At first much of the reaction was “kind of
shock,” he recalls. “Homosexuality is rarely out in the open, and that’s even
more the case with transgender issues. People may not have understood the
process I went through. But by and large they respected my decision.” And
from the avid questioning at the brownbag, he concluded that “people
don’t want a lot of flowery, politically-correct talk. But they are willing to
learn, even when you’re dealing with a controversial topic that they may
never have been exposed to in their life.”
He adds, “The experience reminded me that you can’t generalize about
the character of the whole campus. There are some bad apples. There are
some who are willing to try to understand, even if they have a hard time
understanding. And there are some who will be there for you no matter
what.” One of his favorite comments came from a student who had, at
first, come across as a skeptic: “You’re more of a man than a lot of men I’ve
encountered in my life.”
The challenge of diversity has long been an interest of student leaders,
according to Ashley Juavinett ’11, president of Student Government. Last
spring, Student Government organized a town-hall meeting with themes
that included what it means to be a diverse campus. Juavinett says some
200 members of the Lafayette community attended. “It felt like something
we should be doing as a campus.”
Asked if she counts any minority students among her core group of
college friends, she hesitates, then answers, probably not. “That’s another
example of why we need this to be a campus where you’re constantly
meeting people from completely different backgrounds,” she says. “That’s
one of the best things about coming to college.” ■
Bob Bliwise ’76 is editor of Duke Magazine and teaches magazine
journalism at Duke University.
Campus Climate Study Announced
Wendy Hill, provost and dean of the faculty, and Shirley Ramirez, vice president
for institutional planning and community engagement, announced May 6 that the
College will undertake a campus climate study. Their message to the campus follows:
As part of our diversity and inclusiveness initiative of the strategic plan, the Faculty
Committee on Diversity and others have suggested that we conduct a campus climate
study. This study would help us to better understand our current campus climate and
would in essence serve as our “baseline” for assessing at some time in the future
whether initiatives we have implemented to improve the campus climate have had
an effect. Through the support of a presidential grant from the Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation, we have identified a firm, Rankin & Associates, that is a leader in this work.
Dr. Susan Rankin is an authority and nationally known expert on climate assessment, strategic planning, and intervention strategies. She has worked with over
70 higher education institutions and developed and copyrighted the model and the
instruments that will provide the basis for our institutional climate assessment and
strategic plan. Most recently, Dr. Rankin is conducting a climate study and plan with
Grinnell College.
As part of the process outlined by Rankin & Associates, we will have a working
group (made up of faculty, administrators, and students) that will discuss issues with
the firm as a way to make certain the study asks questions relevant to Lafayette. The
study will involve both focus groups and a survey. Rankin & Associates will conduct
the focus groups, put the survey together, analyze the data, write the report, and hold
town meetings. The working group will help determine what the foci of the study are
and discuss the findings.
The campus climate study will provide the College with institutional information,
analysis, and recommendations as it relates to climate.
Specifically, it will provide the following outcomes:
◗ Lafayette will learn how constituent groups currently feel about climate issues
for students and how the community responds to them (e.g., pedagogy, curricular
issues, inter-group/intra-group relations, respect issues)
◗ Lafayette will develop specific objectives and action plans to address institutional
changes and cultural shifts.
The final phase of the project will include the development of strategic initiatives
based on the findings of the internal assessments, feedback from the Climate Study
Working Group, and input from the campus constituent groups. Dr. Rankin will
facilitate a retreat to assist the community in developing strategic initiatives that
identify for example, well-defined goals, specific intervention actions, person(s)
responsible for carrying out the actions, participants involved in the action, timeframes, costs, outcomes, and assessment. The information from the study will be
used in conjunction with other data to provide Lafayette with an inclusive view of
the climate for students at the College. Moreover, the efforts of the Campus Climate
Working Group and the results of this study will be critical to the future direction
of the College.
The Climate Study Working Group includes faculty members Rexford Ahene (economics),
Mary Jo Lodge (English), Ann McGillicuddy-De Lisi (psychology), Xu Lijuan (Skillman
Library), James Schaffer (chemical engineering), Derek Smith (math), and Muhannad
Suleiman (civil and environmental engineering); administrators George Bright (athletics),
Amina DeBurst (intercultural development), Annette Diorio (student affairs), Lisa Rex
(human resources), and Hannah Stewart-Gambino (Dean of the College); and students
Shariff Dean ’11, Lauren Jackson ’11, and Ashley Juavinett ’11.
“We need to
be mindful
about infusing
diversity into
our curriculum.”
See how Lafayette students
are exploring and crossing intellectual,
cultural, and social boundaries—
visit the Crossing Boundaries web site
on the www.lafayette.edu homepage.
MOMENTS OF REVELATION
Outstanding entries in the inaugural Study Abroad Photo Contest were
on view in Farinon College Center. Images taken from the fall semester
of 2007 through the summer of 2008 were eligible.
FIRST PLACE
DIANA HASEGAN ’10
“Afternoon Walk at the Summer Palace”
Beijing, April 2008
THE MISTY BACKGROUND is not there by mistake.
Beijing is very polluted, and most days would look like
that. But think about when the Summer Palace actually
was used by the emperor and people wearing clothes like
the lady in the picture. I believe the landscape would
have looked completely different, and you could see
what was behind that bridge. Thus this picture shows
two aspects of Beijing and the recent history of China:
the old tradition, through the design of the bridge
and the clothing style of the lady, and the changes
that the evolving Chinese society has imposed on the
environment. Of course I did not think about these
ideas as I was shooting the photo, but life brings about
a lot of happy coincidences, and this photo symbolizes
for me that moment of revelation, of understanding, of
momentary pleasure.
Hasegan, of Tirgu Mures, Romania, studied in Hong Kong
in a Lafayette-affiliated program at Lingnan University.
She is pursuing a B.S. in civil engineering and an A.B.
with a major in economics & business.
SECOND PLACE
ELLEN ROSE ’09
“Outdoor Market at Marrakech”
Marrakech, Morocco, November 2007
TOURISTS PAY FOR THINGS other than scarves
and vases at the outdoor marketplaces in Marrakech,
whether it be an impromptu snake-charming show or
taking a photograph of the man who sells cheetah pelts.
Knowing this, and wanting to avoid having a small child
run after me demanding change for taking pictures, I
surreptitiously snapped this image from around the
corner. It captures the vendor amidst his dealings,
and, I hope, transmits the frenzy and excitement of the
marketplace.
Rose, of Spring Lake, N.J., studied in Madrid in
a Lafayette-affiliated program run by St. Lawrence
University. She double majored in Spanish and art.
THIRD PLACE
ALLISON HELLREICH ’09
“Sledding in the Swiss Alps”
Grindelwald, Switzerland, February 2008
AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY. Having decided not to
ski for fear of injuring myself, I chose what I thought
would be safer, sledding. Growing up in Connecticut,
I thought I had experienced sledding in its entirety,
but I was wrong. The two-mile sledding course in
Switzerland came complete with mattresses tied to trees
and wooden walls meant to keep those with difficulty
steering from falling into creeks or off ledges. While the
sledding was memorable, it was the views that captivated
me. We were entirely surrounded by towering giants. It
was impossible not to be overwhelmed by their beauty.
Hellreich, of Cheshire, Conn., studied in Europe
in the Lafayette-affiliated IES Abroad European
Union program based in Freiburg, Germany.
She majored in international affairs.
174th COMMENCEMENT, May 23, 2009
Experience slideshows, video highlights, and audiocasts. Visit www.lafayette.edu and click on Headlines
CHCUK ZOVKO
IN THE FIELD
HISTORY &
“How can you teach under such dangerous
conditions?” I asked a senior political scientist from
the University of Baghdad. “It’s my job,” he replied
with a puzzled look, “and I like teaching political
philosophy. Most important, I have hope for my
country. Without hope, I could not go forward.”
HOPE IN IRAQ
FEDERALISM
“Are you able to meet your classes regularly, and do
FACES
students attend classes regularly?” I inquired. “Yes,
AN UNCERTAIN
usually,” he responded. “Things are better now, and
FUTURE
students want to finish their education.”
I couldn’t help but ask if he believed the United
States had been wrong to invade Iraq. He evaded the
question. “It is good that Saddam is gone, but you
Americans have made a mess of things in my country.
We Iraqis have made a further mess by fighting among
ourselves. Now we must rebuild our country.”
continued on page 26
B Y J O H N K I N C A I D | I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T E R R Y S T O U T
IN THE FIELD
John Kincaid is the Robert B. and
Helen S. Meyner Professor of
Government and Public Service
and director of the College’s Meyner
Center for the Study of State and
Local Government. He was president
of the International Association of
Centers for Federal Studies from
1998 to 2005 and currently is senior
editor of the Global Dialogue on
Federalism, a joint project of IACFS
and the Forum of Federations.
Kincaid has lectured and
consulted on issues of federalism,
intergovernmental relations,
state and local government, and
decentralization throughout the
United States and in Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada,
Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Egypt, Germany, India, Iraq, Japan,
Maldives, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia,
South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine,
and the United Kingdom.
Kincaid teaches Lafayette courses
on state and local government
and politics, U.S. politics and
government, and U.S. federalism.
He joined the faculty in 1994
after serving as executive director
of the bipartisan U.S. Advisory
Commission on Intergovernmental
Relations in Washington, D.C.,
and as an associate professor at
the University of North Texas.
From 1981 to 2006, Kincaid was
editor of Publius: The Journal of
Federalism. An elected fellow of
the National Academy of Public
Administration, he is the recipient
of the Daniel J. Elazar Distinguished
Scholar Award from the Section on
Federalism and Intergovernmental
Relations of the American Political
Science Association and of the
Donald Stone Distinguished
Scholar Award from the Section on
Intergovernmental Administration
and Management of the American
Society of Public Administration.
The dominant images we have of Iraq are death and destruction, fear and
terror. Suicide bombers stroll into crowds of shoppers, trains of religious
pilgrims, and lines of police recruits where they detonate themselves for a
holy reward. Trucks and cars loaded with explosives blow up marketplaces,
mosques, and other places filled with children, women, and men.
These are the newsworthy images of Iraq. If it bleeds, it leads. But these
images mislead because they belie the daily courage of the average Iraqi’s
pursuit of normalcy. This is the most striking thing I have learned while
working with Iraqi academics and public officials. Most of them live under
extreme duress; yet they persevere in teaching their classes and performing
their public duties.
FEDERALISM’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE
Iraq, a country somewhat larger than California geographically but smaller
in population (29 million vs. 38 million), has a federal constitution that
faces a very uncertain future. I traveled there last November to serve as an
adviser and as a representative of the International Association of Centers
for Federal Studies (IACFS) at a four-day conference of 41 Iraqi academics
and 23 government officials convened to establish an Iraq Center for Federal
Studies. A major reason for establishing the center is to build an Iraqi academic
capacity to conduct research, educate students, and train government officials
in matters of federal, democratic governance.
The conference was held in Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG). Hosting the conference was very important to the
KRG because the Kurds are the strongest advocates of Iraqi federalism.
Most Shiites, who make up more than 60 percent of Iraq’s population, are
not enthusiastic about federalism because it will frustrate their ability to assert
their majority will nationwide. The Sunni Arabs are ambivalent. Previously
dominant, they do not want to be squeezed into political impotence by their
Kurdish and Shiite neighbors.
Erbil, which is about 225 miles north of Baghdad and 50 miles southeast of
Mosul, is a rather secure city accessible to most Iraqis, and the conference was
held in a hotel surrounded by blast walls and staffed with ample security.
The conference was sponsored by the Forum of Federations, an international
organization of nine federal countries, based in Ottawa, with which the Robert
B. and Helen S. Meyner Center for the Study of State and Local Government
has had a long relationship. The event was funded primarily by the Canadian
International Development Agency.
The academics—mostly political scientists and law professors—came from
19 universities across Iraq. The public officials came from the national Prime
Minister’s Office, Council of Ministers’ Secretariat, High Judicial Council,
and Ministry of Higher Education, as well as the Kurdish Ministry of Higher
Education and four governorate councils. (A governorate, muhafazah in
Arabic, is a regional administrative unit common in the Middle East and similar
to a province. It is governed locally by a council, and consists of districts, subdistricts, and villages.) Canada’s ambassador to Iraq addressed the conference,
and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, U.S. Institute of Peace, and
U.S. National Democratic Institute each sent a representative. The opening
day of the conference was covered by six local and national Iraqi media outlets,
and KurdSat TV broadcast the opening to all of Iraq, neighboring countries,
and the Kurdish diaspora in Europe.
My role, and that of David Cameron, a political scientist from the University
of Toronto, was to help co-chair sessions of the conference and provide advice
during deliberations by the Iraqi participants, while Mark Lemieux, a Forum
of Federations staff member, handled logistics. Fortunately, simultaneous
translation services were available to facilitate interaction.
I made one formal presentation, a PowerPoint overview of the IACFS
that had been translated into Arabic for screen projection. Apparently the
translations were good because the participants asked many questions. If
the Iraq Center for Federal Studies becomes operational, it will petition for
membership in the IACFS.
The conference achieved its objectives. These were:
• Approval by all 41 academics of a constitution establishing an Iraq Center
for Federal Studies with a main office in Baghdad and three branch offices
(probably Kurdish, Shiite, and Sunni)
• Election of a nine-member executive committee to implement the center’s
constitution and gain official recognition of the center as an autonomous,
nonpartisan, non-governmental scholarly institution
• Support from the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional
Government for registering the Iraq Center for Federal Studies and partnering
with it and the Forum of Federations for future training on federalism.
LITTLE UNDERSTANDING, MANY CHALLENGES
The conference deliberations, however, often reflected Iraq’s Sunni, Shiite,
and Kurdish regional divisions. Politically, the academics could not escape
their cultural ties. This was evident when we discussed creation of an
executive committee. It was clear that all three regions would have to be
represented equally, though a half-hour debate ensued on how to delimit
the regions for this purpose. I then suggested a seven-member committee
with two members from each region and one neutral person. “Not possible”
was the response. “Are there no citizens of Iraq?” I asked. There was no
audible response, only a motion to create a nine-member committee.
The participants then recessed into three regional caucuses, and each selected
three members of the executive committee. That outcome was more confederal
than federal, however, because it grounded power entirely in the regions.
Making the center operational will be challenging, too. There is little
understanding in Iraq of federalism as a system of democratic self-rule and
shared rule, and there is weak support for federalism among Shiite and
Sunni leaders. Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, a Shiite, has been
trying to dissuade governorates and provinces from forming regions,
which would politically federalize the country and limit Baghdad’s power.
Even the KRG is jeopardizing the federal arrangement by receiving arms from
abroad in apparent contravention of the Iraq Constitution and by saying that
it will invite permanent U.S. military bases into Kurdistan even if Iraq’s federal
government rejects such bases.
Also, in some quarters, federalism is seen as an “imperialistic,” American
imposition. At many universities, teaching explicitly about federalism is
discouraged. At a few universities, offering a course on federalism would be
dangerous. “If I teach about federalism,” said one professor, “I must call it
something else, like public administration.” Several participants said that they
did not tell anyone, even their university administrators, that the conference
in Erbil was about federalism. They were dismayed by the media coverage and
tried to stay out of camera view.
Indeed, most of the participants with whom I could speak privately said
that they and their colleagues had received threats in recent years. All knew
of relatives, colleagues, friends, or neighbors who had been killed by militias
or terrorists. Terrorists also try to intimidate government officials, professors,
and others by threatening or attacking their family members.
The deliberations
reflected Iraq’s
Sunni, Shiite,
and Kurdish
regional divisions.
IN THE FIELD
A leading example is the chief justice of the Iraq Supreme Court, Medhat
al-Mahoud, whom I met at a seminar on Iraqi judicial independence in
Istanbul in September 2006. His son had been kidnapped from the University
of Baghdad and murdered in May 2006. Yet Mahoud perseveres, like most of
the academics and public officials at the conference.
As a result, though, several conference participants said that they had sent
their families abroad—to Egypt, Jordan, or Syria, for example. Many have or
seek dual citizenship as well. The vice president of Koya University, who hosted
Professor Cameron, Mark Lemieux, and me at his home, is also a citizen of
Sweden, as are his wife and three young children. His two school-age children
attend an English-language school in Erbil. (They spoke superb English. We
looked at his son’s fifth-grade math and biology textbooks. They are much
more advanced than books one finds in most U.S. fifth-grade classrooms.)
THE LONG VIEW: HISTORY AND HOPE
At the same time, the participants from across Iraq spoke of many marriages,
friendships, collegial relations, and neighborliness among Kurds, Shiites, and
Sunnis. A Sunni official said that his home was in a Shiite neighborhood.
“Last year, my neighbors told me that my family and I were being targeted for
death by Shiite militia elements,” he said. “We moved out, but my neighbors
are watching our house for us and occupying it so the militia does not take
it or burn it down.” “Do you want to live there again?” I asked. “I hope
so,” he responded. A Shiite participant related a similar story about his Sunni
neighbors.
Whether Iraqis can build a viable federal democracy remains to be seen,
but I hope to contribute to that effort again. (I have worked on and off
with Iraqis on federalism matters since 1995, when I first participated in a
conference with Iraqi exiles in London.) Such experiences are a vital part
of my academic work. It is important to practice what I teach and, in turn,
incorporate practice into what I teach. I hope that my students benefit, as
well, and realize that while the Ivory Tower is an important place for learning
and reflection, it also has moral obligations to the world.
Teaching at Lafayette with so many young people of diverse heritages is a
daily affirmation of life, not death. So, I cannot imagine teaching under the
conditions endured by so many of the conference participants. Still, the long
view of history and hope I found in Iraq was brought home by an assistant
professor of law who approached me in halting English on the conference’s
third day.
“Hello, I am from Babylon University,” he said. I was astonished. Babylon?
Didn’t that disappear 2,000 years ago? He gave me two tiles (made for
tourists), one bearing a relief of an ancient lyre, the other showing a relief of
a lamassu, a winged lion with a human head from Nimrud Palace of about
865 B.C.E.
“I hope you can come to Babylon and lecture for my students,” he said.
“We wish to build a strong school for the future of Iraq.” ■
Teaching
at Lafayette
is a daily
affirmation
of life,
not death.
LAFAYETTE TODAY
CHUCK ZOVKO
Flight 1549 in the Hudson
EXTERNSHIP AT ABC NEWS 20/20 Meghan Baker ’07 (center) hosted Sarah Reddan ’09
(L-R) and Chelsea McCue ’09.
IN AN EXTERNSHIP at ABC News 20/20 in Manhattan, hosted by
production assistant Meghan Baker ’07, Sarah Reddan ’09 and Chelsea
McCue ’09 helped out with coverage of US Airways Flight 1549’s emergency
landing in the Hudson River.
“It was exciting and hectic,” Reddan says. “US Airways Flight 1549
had crash-landed in the Hudson the day before. One of the producers was
interviewing passengers from the plane and needed someone to bring the tapes
back to the studio. Meghan sent us to the Essex House hotel, where a camera
crew was setting up for the interview. I not only got to meet the producer and
crew, I was able to watch the reporter, Jim Avila, interview a survivor who told
a moving story about his experience. After the interview, the producer gave
Chelsea and me the tapes to take back to ABC. We met Meghan in the studio,
where we watched news anchor Elizabeth Vargas do podcasts.” ■
College to Host Energy Conference
THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUND, Allentown, Pa., will hold its annual
renewable energy education conference for policy-makers, business leaders,
entrepreneurs, students, and consumers at Lafayette July 27 through August 1,
with sessions on current trends in photovoltaic, wind, biomass, and geothermal
technologies and other topics. Mark S. Singel, former lieutenant governor of
Pennsylvania, will deliver a keynote talk.
The fund has awarded Lafayette a $15,000 grant to construct and install
a three-kilowatt solar array at the Metzger Fields Athletic Complex that may
be used to power equipment for the College’s composting and community
garden project there. “We are very enthusiastic about hosting this event,” says
President Daniel H. Weiss. “Lafayette is deeply committed to the issue of
sustainability. We consider it central to our purpose and mission as a college.” ■
National Champions
THE FORENSICS SOCIETY’S
speech team won the championship at the National Forensics
Association’s 2009 national
tournament.
Teevrat Garg ’10 was a
national finalist in impromptu
speaking, placing sixth. He also
advanced to the semi-finals in
extemporaneous speaking and to
the quarter-finals in persuasive
speaking. Rachel Heron ’09
and Kyle deCant ’10 were semifinalists in impromptu speaking
and extemporaneous speaking,
respectively, while Beth Wehler
’09 advanced to the quarter-finals
in both impromptu speaking and
extemporaneous speaking.
Lafayette competed in Division
III in speech, part of a 35-team
field that also included New
York University, UCLA, the Air
Force Academy, the University of
Michigan, and Indiana University.
“The spectacular finish is a
strong reflection of the academic
rigor and the environment of
intellectual curiosity that Lafayette
strives to maintain,” Garg says.
The debate team placed fifth
in the nation in a 40-school
field that was not separated into
divisions. Wehler (No. 4) and
Ryan Benjamin ’10 (No. 6)
placed among the top half-dozen
debaters. Joe Dudek ’09 finished
in the top 16, while Garg and
Sam Derrick ’10 placed in the
top 32.
The director of forensics is
Scott Placke. John Boyer is
assistant director of forensics
and director of debate. ■
“Can you get me a new face?”
That’s all the teenager wanted. Dr. Alex Greenberg ’79
was there.
Alan Doherty was born without a lower jaw—otofacial syndrome
it’s called, and calling it rare is an understatement. Doherty’s is one of
two known cases in the world. He can’t eat or even breathe normally.
He uses a voice-generating keypad to speak. His most painful burden
of all, though, had always been the face in the mirror. But that was
before the lively, go-ahead boy, then aged 16, visited America from
his native Ireland in 2006 to compete in the Empire State Games for
the Physically Challenged.
At Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, an extraordinary plan
was launched to give Doherty the new face he wished for. Beginning
the following June, Greenberg and a team of plastic and reconstructive
surgeons performed procedures totaling more than 70 hours over
15 months. They started by fashioning a jaw with dental implants
from a portion of Doherty’s hip bone. The team then placed the
new jaw under the skin of his shoulder to provide blood vessel and
nerve growth. In a later procedure that stretched 16 grueling hours,
they implanted the jaw and reworked the facial musculature
to accommodate it.
The surgeons used techniques never before performed in
combination, Greenberg says. “There was substantial risk, but we were
willing to take that risk because of the condition of his life. He had
a very disfiguring condition and was affected enough that anytime
anyone looked at him, it would pierce him. This is a young man who
would have stayed in the shadows.”
There are no shadows now for Doherty, whose story has been
spotlighted on both sides of the Atlantic. Bertie Ahern, the former
Irish prime minster, and musician Rod Stewart are among those
who have championed Doherty’s cause and helped raise money for
his operations.
A pioneer in his field, Greenberg was the first American chosen
for a fellowship to study under Paul Tessier, the father of modern
craniofacial surgery, in Basel, Switzerland. He wrote and edited his
first book on craniomaxillofacial fracture repair at age 33. He holds
11 patents for medical tools, with eight more pending, and has
founded two companies.
“I have moments of insight that are extremely practical,” he says.
“That’s worked for me in a lot of different areas, whether it’s a
dental product, a new surgical device, or a new surgical procedure.”
Greenberg’s insight and expertise also helped renew Denise
Egielski’s looks and life. With difficulty and discomfort, she had
lived more than 50 years without a jaw—it had been surgically
removed because of a tumor when she was two. Her case was seen as
“beyond the capabilities of modern medicine,” Mount Sinai says, but
Greenberg and his colleagues created an implant from the jaw bone
of a deceased 15-year-old boy. Her children experienced a new joy:
their mother’s smile.
“The face is exposed to everyone,” Greenberg says. “When you’re
able to give people their appearance and restore their self-esteem,
that’s a powerful service.”
ALEX GREENBERG ’79
IS A PIONEERING ORAL AND
MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEON.
New Face
to the World
BY DAN EDELEN
MASTER TEACHERS
PROFESSOR JOHN SHAW
“I use a lot of real-world examples
and anecdotes from when I was practicing law,
and I think that brings perspective
and credibility to my teaching.”
PSYC 372,
ADVANCED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
John Shaw teaching in Oechsle Hall
“ The educational experience of Lafayette students,
like those at other outstanding small colleges,
depends fundamentally on the quality of the
faculty and on the faculty’s effectiveness in
maximizing each student’s intellectual development.
The College takes justifiable pride in the
accomplishments of its faculty as master teachers,
talented guides and mentors, scholars of national
distinction, and leaders within their disciplines.”
—The Plan for Lafayette
“I wanted an academic
atmosphere where I’d be
working with students
one-on-one every day.
That distinguishes
Lafayette, even from other
liberal arts colleges.”
EXPERIENCE THE VIDEO
Visit www.lafayette.edu
Click on Meet Some of Our Faculty
MASTER TEACHERS
PROFESSOR JOHN SHAW
“When students
learn something
new, that’s one of
the most rewarding
things for me.
As a professor,
I’m also a student
and I learn things
every day.”
EXPERIENCE THE VIDEO
Visit www.lafayette.edu
Click on Meet Some of Our Faculty
JOHN S. SHAW III, associate professor of psychology, teaches
Introduction to Psychological Science and courses on social
behavior and advanced social psychology in addition to an
interdisciplinary seminar called Ethical and Legal Challenges
of the New Genomics. His Lafayette awards for teaching
include the Student Government Superior Teaching Award
(six times), Marquis Distinguished Teaching Award, James P.
Crawford Award for Outstanding Classroom Instruction, and
others.
In both his teaching and his research, Shaw, a social
psychologist, draws upon 10 years’ experience practicing
criminal law in Los Angeles as a prosecutor and public
defender. His primary research interests include eyewitness
memory, eyewitness confidence, the adaptive value of overconfidence, and attitudes about genetic testing.
A faculty member since 1997, he has published numerous
peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and other
publications, most of these with Lafayette students whom
he has involved in his research program as EXCEL Scholars.
He has advised 13 students writing honors theses, served
as second or outside reader on a similar number of thesis
projects, and mentored more than 30 students in independent and advanced research.
Shaw holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology from UCLA
and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.
POLITICAL PARTY Student vocal and dance ensembles performed before Lafayette Electoral College,
a live election-night broadcast originating from Farinon College Center, went on the air.
CHUCK ZOVKO
© RAINER JENSEN/DPA/CORBIS
ISSUES
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
IN TRANSITION
MOVING BEYOND NEOCONSERVATISM
I
f foreign policy prescription can be judged by its results, neoconservatism, as the
ideational basis for the foreign policy of George W. Bush, ought to be regarded as
a huge failure, a disaster of historic proportions. By the time of President Bush’s
departure from the White House, U.S. foreign policy was in disarray. The “war on terror”
was inconclusive in Iraq and deteriorating in Afghanistan and Pakistan. America’s financial
debt increased as its economy declined. Peace between Israelis and Palestinians looked as
far away as ever. Above all, since 2001, the United States lost incalculably in terms of its
reputation for responsible leadership, prestige, and legitimacy.
Adapted from the book
The Legacy of George
W. Bush’s Foreign
Policy: Moving Beyond
Neoconservatism by
Ilan Peleg. Copyright
©2009 by Westview Press,
a member of the
Perseus Books Group.
If the United States is to restore its capacity to lead the world into a better
future, nothing short of a new American grand strategy must be energetically
implemented. At its center, this strategy ought to reflect an attitudinal
prism vastly different from the neoconservatives’ nationalist, exceptionalist,
unilateralist, and militaristic ideological framework. The new initiative ought
to change American foreign policy in several fundamental ways. The following
proposed elements ought to be part of the new American foreign policy:
1. Demilitarize American foreign policy. Rather then viewing the post-Cold
War era as chaotic, dangerous, and threatening (as some Realist observers
have done), or alternatively as opening an opportunity for the extensive
and even unlimited use of American military power (as done by some of
the neoconservatives), the end of the Cold War ought to be looked upon
as a geopolitical blessing, a return from the edge of the nuclear abyss. This
perspective, much more optimistic than that of either the hard-core Realists
or the heavily ideological neoconservatives, means the possibility of genuine
reduction in the level of militarization of American foreign policy—reduction in
defense appropriations and military presence around the globe, and increasing
reliance on economic and political instruments in international relations, rather
than frequent and extensive deployment of military means. We need to reassure
other actors in the international arena that the United States is not a revisionist
power interested in wrecking the status quo, an impression left with many
observers of Bush’s foreign policy.
BY ILAN PELEG
ISSUES
The demilitarization of American foreign policy is not an endorsement
of a pacifist philosophy, unilateral disarmament, or even reluctance to use
military force when needed in well-defined and legitimate situations. The
United States might continue to use its superior military power for such
purposes as individual and collective self-defense (including terrorist acts
short of war), action authorized by the United Nations to preserve the
peace and security of all states, and genocide prevention. Moreover, the
American military might continue to be important for certain deterrence
purposes. Yet the United States needs to avoid clinging to the assumption
that its military supremacy and new military technologies can solve most
of its long-term foreign policy problems. The illusion of military force as
a routine instrument of foreign policy ought to be abandoned.
Revitalize
the diplomacy
of consultation
as the dominant
form of
American
leadership
2. Reemphasize the diplomacy of consultation as an alternative to the
unilateral use of force by the United States. The post-Bush era should
facilitate the revitalization of the diplomacy of consultation as the
dominant form of American leadership in the world. As a rule, multilateral
efforts, alliances, and international institutions are preferable to unilateral
military action. They offer the United States both worldwide political
legitimacy and significant material resources in cases where action is
needed.
For most of the post-World War II era, the United States found a way of
heavily consulting, negotiating, and cooperating with other nations within
the framework of multilateral alliances (e.g., NATO), special bilateral
relations (e.g., the United Kingdom, Japan, Israel), extensive military and
economic aid, and so forth. The use or threat of force, as recommended
by the neoconservatives, was relatively rare, appropriately judged to be
unpredictable, costly, and often unjust.
The United States should work now toward institutionalizing broader
cooperation in the war on terrorists with the goal being the establishment
of a full-fledged anti-terror regime. We need to focus on lowering the
costs of defending ourselves against terrorist organizations by enhancing
international cooperation. The United States should abandon the
campaign against the United Nations carried out by some officials within
the Bush administration, as well as the occasional tendency to ignore
the international body altogether. In introducing a new balance into
U.S. foreign policy, it is important to note that while the United Nations
might not always be the appropriate place for carrying out an effective
international action, it has the capacity of conferring legitimacy on a
collective action by the international community. The Gulf War (1990-91)
is a classic example.
3. Work toward an era of globalism. The Bush administration’s
neoconservative ideological framework was at its core nationalist, patriotic,
and exceptionalist, although it made frequent use of high-minded ideals
such as the spreading of democracy and freedom around the globe. A new
ideological framework ought to rest on the assumption that all or most
problems faced by humanity today are by their very nature global: terrorism
and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, uneven globalization
and differential economic development, health issues and structural
poverty, climate change and environmental degradation, and so forth.
Solutions for those problems ought to be found on a global level,
internationally and multilaterally. Despite obvious difficulties, we ought
to work toward a worldwide ideological consensus by codifying global
norms. New international institutions capable of dealing with global issues
EXCEL SCHOLAR Matthew Goldstein ’11 assisted Ilan Peleg in research on the
foreign policy of President George W. Bush.
might have to be established, and existing ones (e.g., NATO and the
European Union) strengthened, but without accentuating the differences
and widening the gaps between nations and groups of nations. The U.N.
Security Council, for example, should be strengthened by adding several
more permanent members (e.g., Germany, Japan, India, and Brazil) and a
few more non-permanent members.
4. Refocus American efforts on solving long-term, severe, “intractable”
regional conflicts. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the conflicts in the
former Yugoslavia (especially Kosovo), Sri Lanka, Cyprus, Sudan (Darfur),
and the Caucasus require intense international and particularly American
attention. These conflicts have negative effects both domestically and
internationally, producing resentment, generating violence and reprisals,
and wasting human lives and economic resources. Special attention should
be given to so-called failed states, which should typically be the collective
responsibility of the international community. As a strategic choice, the
United States should work toward the enhancement of self-reliance of
various conflictual regions, following the successful European model.
The Legacy of George W. Bush’s
Foreign Policy: Moving Beyond
Neoconservatism, published in
February by Westview Press, is
the latest book by Ilan Peleg,
Charles A. Dana Professor of
Government and Law.
An expert in international
and ethnic conflict and Middle
East politics, in addition to U.S.
foreign policy, Peleg has provided
commentary on CNN, Voice of
America, National Public Radio,
and in other media. He has
authored or edited eight books,
including Cambridge University
Press’ Democratizing the Hegemonic
State: Political Transformation in
the Age of Identity (2007) and
Human Rights in the West Bank and
Gaza: Legacy and Politics (1995),
which was named an Outstanding
Scholarly Book by the Association
of College and Research Libraries.
He is editor-in-chief of the journal
Israel Studies Forum and past
president of the Association for
Israel Studies.
A member of the faculty since
1974, Peleg is the recipient of the
College’s Christian R. and Mary
F. Lindback Foundation Award
for excellence in teaching and
contributions to campus life,
Marquis Distinguished Teaching
Award, Mary Louise Van Artsdalen
Prize for scholarly achievement, and
Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones
Award for teaching and scholarship.
Peleg holds an M.A. and Ph.D.
from Northwestern University and
a B.A. and M.A. from Tel-Aviv
University.
5. Establish clearer prioritization of goals and pay careful attention to the
allocation of resources for the achievement of those goals. A better sense of
the “possible” is required in terms of American foreign and security policy.
Neither the United States nor even a coalition of all Western countries has
the capability of defeating every terrorist group or invading every country
in which terrorists might find shelter. What is needed is a calibrated,
calculated, and balanced set of objectives, a priority list, both in terms of
dealing with global terrorism and in terms of the more general goals of
American foreign policy. Nuclear terrorism is one of several important
issues from which the investment in Iraq has diverted both attention and
resources.
ISSUES
Establish
genuine,
broad-based
international
coalitions
as a way for
reclaiming the
moral high
ground
6. In a world shifting from clear-cut U.S. uni-polarity to what might
be called “mixed-polar polyarchy,” an American policy of restraint and
occasional balancing is preferred to the policy of primacy and frequent
unilateral military action. An American policy of restraint (combined
with a diplomacy of consultation and a commitment to a global
agenda)—sometimes called a strategy of offshore balancing—is likely
to be successful. Such policy would negate the policy of preemptive
and preventive war announced with such fanfare by the previous
administration. America’s great military and economic power, its naval
power projection, its ability to create political coalitions to prevent the
emergence of a Eurasian superstate, and its considerable soft power are
among the factors working in favor of successful restraint rather than
preemption/prevention.
Space limitations preclude elaboration of some additional, more general
elements of a new strategy:
• Minimize the probability of disastrous self-fulfilling situations (such
as Iraq 2003) by improving the decision-making process.
• Return to the pragmatic and largely non-ideological, moderate, and
bipartisan Realism that has characterized American foreign policy in the
past, instead of the ideological, confrontational policies
of the neoconservatives.
• Deal effectively with the problem of American prominence; be aware
that it is an invitation for the establishment of anti-American coalitions.
• Resist proposals for the establishment of closed, ideology-based
international coalitions such as the “League of Democracies”; they are an
invitation for a new and largely unnecessary Cold War.
Last but not least, American foreign policy should not avoid moral
issues. We need to establish genuine, broad-based international coalitions
as a way for reclaiming the moral high ground, particularly when a
military action is deemed necessary. If wars are to be conducted, most or
all elements of the just war tradition, updated to the early 21st century,
need to be employed.
If history is a reliable guide, particularly the history of the 20th century,
then the transformation of American foreign policy today would give us a
reason to be optimistic about the future. ■
CHUCK ZOVKO
ALUMNI MAKE A DIFFERENCE
MARK WEISBURGER ’55
Bobby and I have watched and encouraged Lafayette’s movement from
an all-male, regional school to a premier national institution, and it has
been exciting and rewarding to be responsible for a minute part of the
College’s growth. Our students are well-prepared to be the leaders of
tomorrow. Through our scholarship fund, my family and I have had the
privilege of meeting future leaders and knowing we helped make their
Lafayette Experience possible. That is a great return on investment.
a ZOVKO moment...
Service programs of
the Landis Community
Outreach Center
Alternative School Break
Kristen Tyler ’10
McHarg Elementary School,
Radford, Va.
Service programs of
Outreach Center
Alternative School Break
Amy Mickiewicz ’10
McHarg
Elementary School,
Radford, Va.
a ZOVKO moment...
POLYMERS
to POETRY
ENGINEERING
PROGRAMS
AT TRADITIONAL
LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES
OFFER STUDENTS
THE BEST OF
A
BOTH WORLDS.
s a math and science whiz and engineering camp alum, Britney
McCoy was sure she wanted to study engineering in college. The
question was: Where? She found most traditional engineering
programs lacking in the freedom she craved to pursue her other
passions, mainly social justice. So when she heard about Lafayette
College, she looked no further. Like the handful of other liberal
arts schools that offer engineering, Lafayette, in Easton, Pa., allows engineering majors
greater breadth and flexibility to integrate outside interests into their course of study. McCoy
ended up graduating with a double major in engineering and government and law. “Having
this type of background allows you to communicate with two different types of people,” says
McCoy. “It’s the perfect balance.”
This article appeared in the December 2008 issue of PRISM magazine, the flagship publication of the American
Society for Engineering Education. Reprinted with permission.
B Y M A R G A R E T L O F T U S | I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y P H I L D I S L E Y
self-directed course of study, known as Latin honors,
to complement their engineering major. For example,
a student may create an Asian Studies minor if she
is interested in pursuing engineering in Japan. “We
recognize that the humanities part is as important as
engineering,” says Jones.
Britney McCoy (left), now a doctoral candidate at Carnegie
Mellon, pursued engineering and government and law at
Lafayette. Her honors research was directed by engineering
professor Sharon Jones.
And it’s a balance that many traditional engineering
schools have been trying to strike in recent years in
response to a growing global demand for more wellrounded engineers. In fact, many argue the model of
integrating engineering and liberal arts disciplines is more
relevant than ever. At a symposium last spring at Union
College, academics explored different ways to bridge
engineering, technology, and the traditional liberal arts.
They called for engineering to become a greater part of a
liberal arts education and vice versa.
“It’s important in today’s world to have liberally trained
thinkers who can also do the mathematics, who can roll
up their shirt sleeves and understand the ramifications of
the technologies we use,” says Linda E. Jones, director of
Smith College’s Picker Engineering Program. The way
liberal arts colleges teach engineering gives students the
chance “to grow into that kind of role.”
Exactly how that’s achieved varies from college to
college. Some, like Lafayette and Union, offer degrees
in specialties, such as civil, mechanical, and electrical
engineering, while others award a general engineering
studies degree. Students at Lafayette can also choose a
more general A.B. degree in engineering.
What unites them is their foundation and flexibility
beyond engineering. At Lafayette, that includes a freshman seminar on critical analysis skills, social sciences,
humanities, and several writing courses, two of which
are incorporated into engineering classes. Many students
manage to squeeze in another major or a minor. At
Swarthmore College, more than 40 percent of students
in the past five years have graduated with a second major
in addition to engineering. And students at Smith are
required to do a major or minor in humanities or a
‘THE CHANCE TO EXPLORE’
With greater leeway in the curriculum, students who are
curious about engineering have more flexibility to decide
if it’s for them and, if so, which specialty suits them best.
“I knew I wanted to do engineering, but I didn’t know
where I wanted to focus,” says Smith junior MargaretAvis Akofio-Sowah, who has settled on civil engineering
after trying out other disciplines. “It gives you the chance
to explore.”
Nonetheless, the engineering components are no less
rigorous. “I’ve got to be able to put young women out
there who are able to compete with their counterparts on
a technical footing,” Jones says. “What’s unique about a
liberal arts education is that you get the technical piece,
but you get the technical piece in context.”
And as the field struggles to attract more young people
who may perceive medicine and other fields as more
service-oriented, understanding how engineering works
in the real world is more important than ever. “I don’t
want to be stuck at a lab bench somewhere,” says William
(Ben) Towne, a senior at Lafayette who’s double majoring
in electrical and computer engineering and community
development. “I’m interested in learning about the social
impacts of engineering.”
To that end, Towne says his liberal arts courses are
essential: “I like that you could branch out a bit and take
some courses in the other areas that have some tools and
perspectives that are useful in thinking about problems.”
Of course, traditional engineering programs have nonengineering requirements as well, but he suspects the
discourse isn’t as lively: “At Lafayette, if you go into a
history or psychology class, the other students may be
majors in those areas, and they’ll be asking interesting
questions.”
This interaction with non-engineering majors is in
marked contrast with many big universities, where
engineering students are often segregated in classes—and
sometimes even dorms—from the rest of the campus,
allowing for few friendships to develop among those in
different majors. “Getting students to mix is important,”
says Sharon Jones, professor of civil and environmental
engineering and director of the engineering division at
Lafayette. “They are totally integrated into the school.”
A HOLISTIC VIEW
As a result, says Towne, the school “is not dominated
by the engineering mind-set.” There are still times when
he doesn’t leave the engineering building save for the
multinational employers look favorably on a semester or
year spent studying in another culture, few engineering
students can fit it into their rigid curriculum. Often, only
those who come into college with substantial AP credits
have the option. But Smith and Union colleges send
about 60 percent of their engineering students abroad,
compared with the average of 2 to 3 percent among all
engineering students. “It’s part of the culture at Smith,”
says Linda Jones. “That’s one of the advantages of a smaller
school; we can work one-on-one to arrange classes.”
And at Lafayette, between 20 and 30 percent of
engineering students regularly study abroad. Sharon
Jones attributes the number to a faculty-led program
that allows students to stay on track with their required
courses. “We want to make sure that average students
get to study abroad, not just the exceptional students,”
she says.
Lafayette engineering major William (Ben) Towne, shown
here during a winter-break course in South Africa, has helped
coffee growers in Honduras and edited a literary magazine.
occasional pizza run, but he has managed to make a lot of
friends who are liberal arts majors. “A network of friends
outside of engineering allows you to solve problems
which may be beyond you. If you need someone with a
particular kind of expertise, you probably know someone
who has it.”
Some students are drawn to the more intimate scale of
most engineering programs within liberal arts colleges.
Engineering students make up one-fifth of Lafayette’s
total enrollment, or about 466 students. Other programs
are much smaller: Swarthmore, with an enrollment of
almost 1,500, has roughly 100 engineering majors, and
of the 685 students at women-only Sweet Briar College
in Virginia, 25 are engineering majors.
“The teachers know exactly who you are in the class,”
says Smith’s Akofio-Sowah. “You’re not just another face
in the crowd.” The absence of graduate students means
the focus is on undergrads, adds Towne. “The professors
and resources aren’t reserved for grad students; they are
available and accessible.” As a result, students gain a more
holistic view of engineering, says Cherrice Traver, the dean
of engineering and a professor of computer engineering at
Union. “The small classes allow them to develop stronger
relationships with faculty and other students that foster a
broader knowledge of how things are connected. When
engineers are involved in most anything these days, the
systems are so complex that they really need to be able
to interact with people from all different specialties and
cultures.”
Liberal arts colleges also have a strong track record
of sending their engineering students abroad. While
DOES SIZE MATTER?
What does all this mean for diversity? In an unscientific
sample, the percentage of women in liberal arts engineering programs is slightly higher than the 19 percent
average in co-ed programs. Of the 17 students in
Swarthmore’s sophomore engineering class this year, for
instance, eight are women, and 23 percent of Lafayette
engineering students are female. At Union, women make
up 20 percent of the electrical, computer, and mechanical
engineering majors—traditionally, the specialties with the
lowest proportion of women.
To be sure, big universities have their advantages,
including established ties to industry. Liberal arts colleges
are helped by a base of committed alumni in industry,
but they may have to work harder to nurture corporate
relationships beyond that. At Sweet Briar College, where
the engineering program began only three years ago,
director Hank Yochum says he’s had some success in
developing a network of central Virginia companies. “It’s
important that we’re not just an engineering school that
doesn’t have a connection to reality.” Still, he admits, “it
takes time. We’re not Virginia Tech.”
Towne says his job search hasn’t been hindered by
the lack of companies that recruit on campus, noting
that the communication skills he’s honed at Lafayette
have given him a leg up in interviews. “A big complaint
from companies is that engineers don’t have a lot of
interpersonal skills,” he says. “Communicating what
you’ve done in engineering is about as important as
engineering. If you’ve invented this great thing and you
can’t tell someone about it, then it’s almost like you didn’t
invent it at all.” Britney McCoy, now a doctoral student
in engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon,
hopes one day to put her own communication skills to
work as a lobbyist on issues like climate change: “You’ve
got committees in Congress who don’t understand it and
scientists who can’t explain it,” she says. ■
GAME FAME
A WORD GAME CHANGED KAREN YOUNG’S LIFE.
IT’S CHANGING AGAIN.
B Y N O R A I S A A C S ’9 4
Land grabber = acre taker. Large toupee? Big wig!
It’s a word game called Think-It Link-It, and
Karen Fried Young ’84 brought it to a toy store
near you. To toy stores everywhere, actually.
Indeed, it was at no less a toy store than F.A.O. Schwarz that
things first took off for Young and her brand new company, TLI
Games, with the launch of Think-It Link-It (“The Game of Rhyme
and Reason”) in 1992. Today TLI, based in New York City, offers
more than two dozen titles, and its founder once again has a brand
new venture in mind.
Young was a commercial real estate agent in Manhattan when the
idea for taking Think-It Link-It to market took over her life. She
and her friends had been spending a lot of time making up clues for
and guessing two-word rhyming phrases. They were so hooked on
it (“Every time we play, it doesn’t stop until we get kicked out of
the restaurant,” Young told the New York Times) that she decided
to use proceeds from a real estate deal to develop Think-It Link-It.
She had no retail, games, or manufacturing experience and no
fear. She knew that maybe 95 percent of ideas for games never make
it to market. She was told her game would never make it unless it
was licensed by a big manufacturer. Young ran right through all
the stop signs. She had prototypes of the game made and marketed
them herself, and soon Think-It Link-It was outselling all the other
games at F.A.O. Schwarz combined.
“If you live by the odds, you might not get anywhere,” she says.
“If you look at the numbers, there are so many ways you can defeat
yourself in life.”
After that, with each new game Young created, F.A.O. Schwarz
agreed to a bigger launch. TLI now offers three other major brands
in addition to the Think-It Link-It line, and the company’s City
GO! Fund supports nonprofit organizations whose missions include
inspiring, encouraging, and enabling kids to believe in themselves,
think philanthropically, and realize their aspirations.
By 2007, TLI was enjoying so much success that Young knew
she’d need to expand the company’s staff and infrastructure
significantly to meet demand. She took time to consider her
options and decided to phase out of the game world.
“I realized that if I was going to build a larger infrastructure,
it would be in many ways like starting a new company, and if I was
going to start a new company, I didn’t want it to be a board-game
company,” she says. “I’d already reached most of my goals.”
Thus the new venture. She’s opening the Sip and Swirl Café on
the Upper East Side. She plans to serve healthy food in a stylish,
fun, family environment.
“People have told me that retail is horrible, there is a food crisis,
and that I’ve never been in the restaurant business before,” Young
says. But, obviously, she doesn’t take no for an answer.
“When people say ‘Definitely not!’ my first question is ‘Why?’”
she says. “This feels like a very natural next move.”
LAFAYETTE TODAY
Smooch Science
CHUCK ZOVKO
International Stage
for the Vision of
Ben Towne ’09
Wendy Hill, provost and Rappolt Professor in Neuroscience, and Evan Lebovitz ’09
presented their work on people’s physical and emotional reactions to kissing at the
annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
VALENTINE’S DAY saw media around the nation and the world focused
on research by Wendy L. Hill, provost, dean of the faculty, and Rappolt
Professor of Neuroscience, and Evan Lebovitz ’09. They presented
their findings on people’s physical and emotional reactions to kissing at a
symposium entitled “The Science of Kissing” during the annual meeting
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Feb. 12-16
in Chicago.
“[Hill and Lebovitz] had couples take part in a kissing experiment,”
notes a report that aired on ABC World News with Charles Gibson.
“Preliminary results found that stress levels actually dropped after kissing,
and hormones that make us swoon, like oxytocin, went up.” The Associated
Press, Reuters, U.S. News and World Report, CNN.com, the Chicago
Tribune, the BBC, India’s Money Times, and Australia’s Sydney Morning
Herald, among others, carried more extensive reports.
Lebovitz graduated with a degree in neuroscience. His work as an
EXCEL Scholar with Hill was a continuation of honors research conducted
by Carey Wilson ’07 under Hill’s guidance. ■
WILLIAM (BEN) TOWNE
’09 was one of five winners
worldwide in the International
Telecommunication Union’s 2009
video contest that sought students’
visions and recommendations
for the future of information and
communication technologies.
Towne was honored at ITU’s
World Telecommunication Policy
Forum in Lisbon April 21-24,
where he represented students
from the developed world in
discussions on policy issues in
information and communication
technologies with ITU members
from government, industry, and
the global regulatory community.
The other student winners were
from Benin, Colombia, Jamaica,
and Kazakhstan.
In his video, Towne advocates
building sustainable communities
through the development of
technology that enhances value in
life experience. He graduated with
a B.S. in electrical and computer
engineering and an A.B. with a
self-designed major in community
development. He will pursue
a Ph.D. in the Computation,
Organizations, and Society
program at Carnegie Mellon
University. ■
EASTON
IN OUR CITY
IN OUR
CITY
L
Discovering New Possibilities
afayette students are collaborating with Easton community organizations and residents
this summer in efforts designed to discover new possibilities for the city’s arts scene and
West Ward.
Jordan Kaplan ’10, Nick Oliver ’10, and Tsion
Tsegaye ’10 are studying the potential economic and
community-development impact of converting the
Governor Wolf Building, 45 North Second St., into a
sustainable art and cultural athenaeum and determining
activities that would make the athenaeum project a
regionally competitive source of revenue. Working
under the direction of Gladstone (Fluney)
Hutchinson, associate professor of economics, they
also are analyzing the economic impact of targeted
investments in the arts, culture, and tourism.
LA Block ’12, Michael Handzo ’11, and
Courtney Morin ’10 are working with the West Ward
Neighborhood Partnership as part of the collaborative
Urban Ecology Project. With the focus of helping
achieve local economic-development goals, they
are analyzing the results of a Residential Perception
Survey of 750 residents of the West Ward. The survey
looks at residential needs and opportunities, ways to
foster sustainable enterprises and community-serving
businesses in the ward, and other topics. Their adviser
is Bonnie Winfield, director of Lafayette’s Landis
Community Outreach Center.
The students are called William T. Morris Foundation
Community Fellows in recognition of a $25,000 grant
in support of the initiatives from the William T. Morris
Foundation, Westport, Conn., a private philanthropic
organization that supports the arts, education, health
care, and quality-of-life. Paul Barrett ’63, vice
president, treasurer, and a director of the foundation,
assisted the College in securing the grant.
Also participating in the West Ward project are Leroy
Butler ’11, Pooja Shah ’11, and Alyssa Smith ’11.
They are designated community fellows in recognition
of a $10,000 grant from the West Ward Neighborhood
Partnership (donated by Easton Hospital and Lafayette
Ambassador Bank).
The Urban Ecology Project is a collaboration of the
Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley
and Lafayette that is supported by a grant from the
Wachovia Regional Foundation. Its goal is to forge a
more creative, healthful, and connected community
through programs for lower-income residents that
support children and families, affordable housing and
counseling, neighborhood building, and economic
development. ■
PHILLIPSBURG
A RIVERFRONT DESTINATION
Gateway Town
on the Rise
A
cross the Delaware River in Phillipsburg, the gateway to New
Jersey, changes have people talking. In the late 1990s, façades
were transformed from boarded-up apartments to colorful
commercial spaces ready for rent. Then Union Square took on
new life along the river with raft rentals and the re-opening of
the iconic hot dog stand, Jimmy’s on the Delaware.
Now, dramatic streetscape improvements along South Main St. have
been completed—including historic period lighting, brick-paved crossings,
and new sidewalks and benches—thanks to a $3.6 million grant from the
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. And improved traffic-signal
patterns are making the streets more pedestrian-friendly.
“It makes a tremendous aesthetic impact,” says Mark Portnoy ’72 (left),
who has played a key role in the resurgence. An attorney from Union, N.J.,
Portnoy was selected to head Phillipsburg’s Urban Enterprize Zone (UEZ)
in 1995, after the town had been battered by the same forces that brought
population loss and economic hardship to other areas of the state.
Today, Phillipsburg is keenly focused on its heritage as an industrial
transportation hub. Once home to five major railroads, it boasts a steam-train
excursion unlike any other on the East Coast, touring passengers through
wine country in the summer and drawing children for a Polar Express ride
(one of two sanctioned by Warner Brothers) in the winter.
“The train excursion has drawn 16,000 people to take another look at our
downtown,” Portnoy said. “Our main goal now is to link attractive riverfront
properties to the downtown area.”
The UEZ board plans to connect the riverfront and the downtown with
an outdoor transportation exhibition, Portnoy says, a $900,000 project that
will include heritage exhibits, green space, and signage linked by a paved
“riverwalk” from Union Square to the historic Morris Canal Arch.
The arch marks the entrance of the Morris Canal, which once was a key
industrial artery connecting Phillipsburg to Jersey City. Phillipsburg’s role as
a railroad hub was even more prominent, and the outdoor exhibit is railroadheavy, with the passenger steam train running from April through December,
a display of transportation artifacts at Union Station, a miniature railway and
exhibition built by the Phillipsburg Railroad Historians, and a restoration of
the Union Signal Tower pending completion in the coming months.
Portnoy says another goal is to expand Phillipsburg as a center of distinctive
shopping and dining experiences.
“We are quite active in providing funds to support new businesses,”
Portnoy adds. “The sales-tax revenue incentive under the UEZ gives New
Jersey communities the chance to tailor their projects to local needs.”
He’s referring to the incentive in which qualified retailers charge half of
the state’s sales tax (3.5 percent vs. 7 percent) and Phillipsburg receives those
dollars for reinvestment in the town’s economy. Another perk: established
businesses are invited to relocate to Phillipsburg rent-free for their first year.
Informed by his inner-city redevelopment experience with the City of
Newark, Portnoy was thrilled to return to the region of his college days and
help reinvigorate the downtown area. “It gives me an opportunity to be
creative by restructuring the economy of a community.” ■
B Y K E L LY P R E N T I C E | P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y C H U C K Z O V K O
A RIVERFRONT DESTINATION
CHUCK ZOVKO
PHILLIPSBURG
IN OUR
CITY
• $3.8 million Downtown
Enhancement Project is
completed, encompassing
North and South Main Sts.,
Third St., Broad St. and Union
Square. Improvements include
road restoration, construction
of sidewalks and crosswalks,
installation of curbing and
period lighting, and landscaping,
in addition to sewer-system
upgrades.
• N
ew state law allows operators of
businesses in the Urban Enterprise
Zone with up to $10 million in
gross annual sales to claim the
sales tax exemption at the point
of sale instead of paying the sales
tax and applying for a rebate.
• Infini-Tee Golf Center, with golf
simulators, driving bays, putting
green, short-game practice area,
etc., opens, offering lessons,
clinics, golf-fitness programs
and other services.
• A half-mile section of the trail
along the Delaware River from
Union Square to the historic
Morris Canal archway is cleared,
part of the Morris Canal Greenway.
• Town will fund a $50,000 study to
research how Atlantic States Cast
Iron Pipe Co. could produce energy
for the plant and the community,
with the idea that excess energy
could be sold to the public or put
back on the power grid. Officials
hope less expensive energy will
attract businesses.
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
Remembering
Mindy Lieberman ’81
King and
His Court
Mindy Lieberman ’81 died of cancer March 26.
A Washington attorney, she was the wife of
Mark Goldstone ’81 and the mother of two children.
Pete Carril ’52 has rejoined
the NBA’s Sacramento Kings
as a consultant. He spent 10 years
The Lafayette family remembers her as a classmate, a friend, and a
founder of the Association of Lafayette Women. But one Washington-area
family that she met entirely by chance remembers her simply as a kind
and thoughtful person, as reflected in a letter to the Washington Post.
Published April 19 under the headline “Kindness Was on Her Calendar,”
it is reprinted here with the author’s permission.
There was a brief April 12 obituary with the simple headline
“Mindy Lieberman, Lawyer.” It was about an area attorney, wife, and
mother who died of cancer at 49. The obituary stated that her family
“said she was proud of never having lost a case before the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission.”
I have another story about Mindy Lieberman.
I met Ms. Lieberman and her family just once. It was on an Amtrak
train, around this time of year, in 2001. Our respective families were
going to New Jersey and New York, and our young sons, both big fans
of the New York Yankees, struck up a conversation about baseball. Mindy
said that her family was going to Yankee Stadium during their visit to
New York. My son, then 11, got so jealous. After all, it was Calendar Day
at the stadium, and the Yankees were giving away wonderful calendars
filled with photos of Yankee greats past and present. Mindy told him not
to worry. She took our address and said she would mail a calendar to him.
And that’s exactly what she did.
My son still has that calendar. I still have that memory. Eight years later,
I still think of her kindness. And I want her family to know that she will
always be remembered, even by someone who met her just once.
Ken Rudin
Working Together
Colin Lancaster ’09 worked with Brian Klimek ’91 in an
internship at AXA Equitable Life Insurance in New York City.
“Interning as an actuary in variable annuity product development,
I worked on the technical analysis of annuities that AXA sells to
determine things such as profitability, risk, and other details.
I enjoyed the company of every employee with whom I worked,
and I always felt that I was doing important work. AXA took the
development of its interns seriously while allowing us to find
our own way.”
with the Kings as an assistant coach,
the last in 2005-06, after leaving
Princeton as the winningest men’s
basketball coach in Ivy League history,
with 13 conference titles, 11 NCAA
tournament appearances, and an NIT
championship in 29 seasons. Princeton
honored the Hall of Famer in
February by naming the game floor
at Jadwin Gymnasium Carril Court. ■
Two Join
Alumni Affairs
Chris Conn Tomik ’03 and
Sarah Trimmer joined the
Office of Alumni Affairs
as assistant directors. Tomik
oversees Reunion, Homecoming,
and other campus events. She also
is working to enhance the office’s
faculty speakers program and
programs involving current students,
young alumni, and alumni of the
Greek system. She was director of
youth programs at the Volunteer
Center of the Lehigh Valley.
Trimmer supports regional alumni
chapters and manages welcome
picnics for incoming students,
Lafayette-Lehigh football telecast
parties, and chapter participation in
Lafapalooza: Lafayette’s National
Day of Service. She was assistant
director of the Children’s Miracle
Network at the Children’s Hospital
of Philadelphia. ■
ISSUES
An EPIDEMIC
of INNUMERACY
QUANTITATIVE ILLITERACY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FINANCIAL CRISIS.
I
n our country, mainstream elementary and secondary education in
mathematics serves students poorly in two key ways. It leaves them without
an appreciation for the power and beauty of math as a human endeavor
and, more importantly, fails to help them connect mathematical concepts to
goals and needs outside the math classroom.
While No Child Left Behind has been beneficial in making basic
computational techniques of arithmetic more widely and thoroughly
taught, the law’s focus on exam performance robs the resulting knowledge
of its true utility. For example, students need not only be able to divide
1 3/4 by 1/2, but need also to recognize when such a computation
is necessary. Think of an occasion when you might want to perform a
computation like 1 3/4 divided by 1/2. When I asked that of students
in my First-Year Seminar—some of America’s fine young minds, many
of whom aspire to technical careers—only about half of them could offer
a correct scenario.
Liping Ma, author of Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics:
Teachers’ Understanding of Fundamental Mathematics in China and the
United States, discovered that among the elementary school math teachers
she studied, only a small minority of those in America were able to offer
an example of an instance when this computation would be called for,
whereas a majority of those in China could cite multiple examples of
applications (often distinguishing between those that demonstrate the
partitive—1 3/4 is 1/2 of what number?—and quotative—how many
1/2’s are there in 1 3/4?—interpretations of division).
That is, typical American teachers, when asked “Why do we need to
know this?” in a class about dividing fractions, are likely to respond with
some variant of “Because it will be on the exam.” In China (and, I expect,
in the many other countries delivering better math education than the
United States) the same query often is met with multiple examples that
not only motivate the computation but elucidate the concept.
B Y R O B E R T G. R O O T | I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T E R R Y S T O U T
ROBERT G. ROOT, associate
professor of mathematics, is an
applied mathematician and a teacher
of mathematics and statistics. He
specializes in physiological models
incorporating differential equations,
numerical analysis, statistics, and
image processing. These are useful
in a variety of biological inquiries,
especially the study of kinematics
of undulatory locomotion.
Root is also interested in pedagogical issues involving experiential
learning. Specifically, he is engaged
in using community-based research
to teach statistics more effectively
and service-learning to convey the
importance of quantitative literacy
for active and informed citizenship.
On his most recent sabbatical,
in 2005, he worked with two groups
of elementary school teachers in
the Easton Area School District on
an innovative form of professional
development designed to focus on
the mathematical content of specific
lessons being taught. The district has
since adopted this “lesson-study”
as a professional-development tool.
Root is the recipient of the
College’s Carl R. and Ingeborg
Beidleman Research Award
recognizing excellence in applied
research or scholarship. His publications include several journal articles
coauthored with Lafayette students.
A member of the faculty since 1991,
he holds a Ph.D. from Delaware, an
M.A. from Johns Hopkins, and an
A.B. from Vassar.
AN EPIDEMIC OF INNUMERACY
Failure to connect mathematical ideas and techniques to uses outside
the math classroom is part and parcel of a mathematical education that
is an exercise in deferring gratification. Students are perpetually told
that they will discover later why they need to know the math they are
being taught. So, arithmetic’s importance is postponed until algebra
class and algebra’s until calculus. Naturally, for most students this is an
extremely unsatisfying experience, and massive attrition occurs, because
we learn things we believe are important. How can children learn or retain
mathematical knowledge that isn’t motivated by utility? A minority of
young Americans appreciates the inherent beauty of the subject from
an early age, but most can’t value, and so don’t learn, math. They never
succeed in making more than the most rudimentary connections between
math and their lives.
The result is an epidemic of quantitative (or statistical or financial)
illiteracy, or innumeracy. Large segments of the American public are
unable to infer facts correctly from a pie chart, for example, or appreciate
the impact of compounding interest on the value of an investment. This
incapacity is the most serious consequence of ineffective math education.
Indeed, I suspect innumeracy played a large part in the willingness of
borrowers to agree to mortgages they could not reasonably expect to repay,
a critical element in the current financial crisis. Quantitative illiteracy was
a partner to greed and unscrupulousness in setting the stage for our
current difficulties.
MORE FUNDAMENTAL MATH
The solution? Give mathematics a higher profile across the curriculum
and offer teachers—and not just math teachers—more professional
development on math and its utility. At present, much professional
development effort is devoted to pedagogical methods, but not enough
to math as a subject that students struggle to learn. That is, teachers
don’t need to know lots of high-falutin’ abstract math; they need a
profound understanding of fundamental math, the kind Chinese teachers
demonstrated in the example given earlier.
Virtually all teachers, regardless of discipline, need a deeper
understanding of fundamental math. This will enable students to see math
applications integrated broadly into their curriculum. For example, in
elementary school, precious time in math class is spent interpreting graphs
and charts; why not have more of that occur in science and social studies
classes, where the visuals offer students valuable information? In the upper
grades, have students apply more math and statistics in a wider variety
of subjects so they get more immediate evidence of the utility of their
math lessons. There is no shortage of examples that can be drawn from
contemporary life; we live in a world drenched in quantitative information
that can benefit the observant and self-reliant. And by really integrating
math into the curriculum, schools can provide time in math class to delve
deeper into the foundational math that, as we have seen, is lacking.
A deeper understanding of math and its applications by teachers is the
key to an improved K-12 education that enables students to appreciate
math’s utility and beauty more profoundly and motivates them to engage
more deeply with math. This will prepare the college-bound for their next
step while providing all students with practical math skills necessary to
function successfully in jobs, in the marketplace, and in our democracy. ■
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
International Relations
Officer
Lt. Col. Barbara Fick ’89 calls herself an “officer of
international relations.”
An Army foreign area officer with the U.S. Military Group at the
American embassy in Bogotá, she is liaison to the nation’s Ministry of
Defense and to its equivalent to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It’s not a post
she was angling for prior to 9/11, when, as a reservist, she was teaching
Spanish and Latin American studies at American University.
“I was at the point of resigning my reserve commission so I could
focus 100 percent on my academic career,” says Fick, who holds a master’s
degree from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s and doctorate
from the University of Tennessee. “I never would have seen myself back
in the military full-time and loving it.”
But after the Sept. 11 attacks, she was mobilized to Miami as a political
military officer with the Andean Ridge portfolio, which includes Peru
and Colombia. Now, after a fulfilling assignment as special assistant to
the commander of the U.S. Southern Command—encompassing Central
and South America, the Caribbean, Cuba, and the Panama Canal area—
she’s in Bogotá.
She assists with U.S. security operation in Colombia, prepares Colombian
officers for U.S. military professional-development schools, and helps
Colombia develop its military and incorporate human-rights training into
its curricula, among other responsibilities.
“My job is to help understanding among partner nations,” she says.
“I feel I’m contributing to something good, and I will continue as long
as I can make a difference.” ■
Host an Internship
Join the winning team of alumni and parents who sponsor
summer internships for students.
“Our thriving internship program helps students gain work experience
and achieve their career goals. Participation by both alumni and parents
has increased in recent years, and we’re working to keep growing the
program in this difficult economic climate,” says Sherri Jones, director
of alumni affairs.
Internship hosts get an enthusiastic, high-caliber worker for one to three
months. They are particularly needed in the fields of law, engineering,
finance, media and communications, nonprofit/public service, psychology,
counseling, health care, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.
If you can’t host an internship, you can help by introducing the Office
of Career Services to a coworker who can. For more information, visit
“Volunteer with Us” on the career services webpage or contact Rachel
Nelson Moeller ’88, [email protected], (610) 330-5118. ■
Supporting
Democracy
Overseas
Following the Democratic
Republic of Congo’s
2006 elections—Congo’s
first free national elections
in 40 years—Abigail
Lewis Cooper ’98 spent
17 months there with the
National Democratic Institute
for International Affairs.
Among other responsibilities,
she managed six democracy
resource centers, including ones
she opened in the politically tense
cities Mbuji-Mayi and Goma,
the latter close to the border of
troubled Rwanda. During “a very
unstable time in Congo’s history,
the centers focused on allowing
a safe space for political parties
to come together without the
military,” she says.
The nonprofit NDI works
with local partners in all regions
of the world to establish and
strengthen political and civic
organizations, safeguard
elections, and promote citizen
participation, openness, and
accountability in government.
Now with the institute’s
program-development team at
headquarters in Washington,
D.C., Cooper identifies privatesector funding sources, helps
write proposals based on needs
in the field, and helps plan what
will happen on the ground as
new programs are launched.
“The most rewarding aspect
of my job is helping design
clear programs that I think will
benefit lots of people, from very
grassroots programs to higherlevel ones,” she says. ■
a ZOVKO moment...
Service programs of
Outreach Center
Art for the Young at Heart
Brent Hoagland ’12
Easton Area Senior Center
a ZOVKO moment...
Service programs of
Outreach Center
Art for the Young at Heart
Emily Bernzott ’10
Easton Area Senior Center
LAFAYETTE TODAY
Scoring Against Pediatric Cancer
Blake Costanzo ’06, now in his second year with the Buffalo Bills, presents
Lauren Loose (left) and her sister, Grace, with personalized t-shirts at the
First and Goal Camp.
NEARLY 300 college football coaches from around the country took
part in the sixth-annual Lauren’s First and Goal Football Camp on
June 7 at Lafayette’s Metzgar Fields. A record 1,733 high school football
players participated in the one-day clinic which raised nearly $190,000,
including a $100,000 pledge from the Special Needs Trust Administration
in Clearwater, Fla. All proceeds will go directly to pediatric brain tumor
research and cancer services.
Lauren Loose, the daughter of Lafayette defensive coordinator John
Loose, has battled pediatric brain tumors since she was nine months old.
Lauren’s First and Goal Foundation was founded six years ago to create
support for pediatric brain tumor research and has raised nearly $750,000
in those six years. ■
Written by Patrice Mary Domozych,
the sister of John Loose’s wife, Marianne,
the new book Hope is Here to Stay is
about Lauren Loose and her family’s
fight against pediatric cancer. Proceeds
from sales benefit Lauren’s First
and Goal Foundation.
Steel Bridge Team
Places Seventh
in the Nation
LAFAYETTE PLACED seventh
at the 2009 National Student Steel
Bridge Competition at the University
of Nevada, Las Vegas, in May. Under
the direction of adviser Stephen
Kurtz, assistant professor of civil
and environmental engineering, the
students advanced to the nationals
by winning the mid-Atlantic regional
competition.
The team included civil engineering
seniors Paul Angelucci, Kyle
DeFranceschi, Kyle Henning,
Michael Lemken, and Sean
McAuley, plus W. Thomas Barlow
’12. “They did a tremendous job and
deserve praise for a design that was
nearly flawless. They did hundreds
of computer models, developed
professional-quality drawings, and
fabricated a nearly perfect bridge,”
Kurtz says.
It’s the fourth time in the last five
years that a Lafayette team has made
it to nationals and the second-best
finish ever to a No. 5 showing in
2007. At the nationals, Lafayette was
pitted against 47 teams that qualified
to compete by placing first or second
in regional competitions. Sponsored
by the American Institute of Steel
Construction and the American
Society of Civil Engineers, the contest
attracts more than 200 engineering
schools to 19 regional tests. ■
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
Emissary to Muslim Nations
The state department chose Dr. Rashid Abdu ’56 to travel
to American embassies in Algeria, Oman, and Yemen to speak
with educators, business and religious leaders, students, and
officials in those countries about his experiences as a Muslim
in the United States.
In the Citizen Dialogue Program, American Muslims share their personal
stories with key overseas audiences. The state department approached Abdu,
who emigrated from his native Yemen to attend Lafayette, after reading his
autobiography, Journey of a Yemeni Boy. He is director emeritus of surgical
education at St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, Ohio.
“I discussed the diversity, the generosity of the American people, their
sense of justice, tolerance, and respect for other cultures, customs, and
religions. I cited examples, such as the Christian family who sponsored my
pilgrimage to Mecca, another Christian family who gave me a copy of the
Holy Koran for Christmas, and the Jewish physician who personally took
my old, rusted car and had it painted at his own expense at a time when I
had nothing. I talked to them about the scholarship from Lafayette when
I had no resources to go to college,” Abdu says.
“They cannot separate the American people from foreign policy. Iraq
and Palestine came up in almost every meeting in the three countries. While
I was in Yemen, rockets were fired at the U.S. embassy in Sana’a, less than
two miles from where I stayed. They missed the embassy but hit a girls’
school next door, killing one guard and maiming a dozen girls,” he says.
“I felt sad to see our embassies, which once were welcoming, safe, and
friendly institutions, turned into little fortresses, draped in fear and uncertainty.
I felt sad to see that the admiration, love, and respect people had for America
are all gone.” ■
2009 Football Season Tickets
The pre-game tailgate. The first-class atmosphere of
Fisher Stadium. The fan-favorite Kids Zone. Watching
the best football action in the Lehigh Valley. Come live
in luxury and make Fisher Stadium your home on
Saturday afternoons in the fall.
AFFORDABLE ACTION
A season ticket enables you to experience the
six-time Patriot League champion Lafayette football
program for a bargain price of just $95 for adults,
$65 for seniors ages 65 and older and $47 for
children 13 and younger. The price reserves you
a seat for all six home games in 2009, and is the
ONLY way to guarantee your ticket for the 145th
meeting between Lafayette and archrival Lehigh
in the most-played college football rivalry.
Requests for additional 2009 Lafayette-Lehigh
tickets will be accepted until Sept. 1.
The 2009 Season Ticket
includes admission to:
• Liberty (9/19)
• Penn (9/26)
• Columbia (10/10)
• Fordham (10/24)
• Bucknell (10/31)
• Colgate (11/7)
• at Lehigh (11/21)
Toward
Improved
Patient Care
Dr. David A. Targan ’95
sees therapeutic genomics
as a key to more personalized
and improved patient care
in the future. For example,
he says, pharmacogenomics, the
study of how an individual’s
genetic inheritance affects the
body’s response to drugs, “could
change the entire pharmaceutical
landscape as we know it with
tailor-made drugs and supplements.”
A graduate of the Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic Medicine
and a specialist in internal medicine
at Lankenau Hospital on the
Philadelphia Main Line, he
founded a company dedicated
to applying recent discoveries
in genomics to the practice of
medicine. Cellular GenetiX is
spreading the word about
genetic medicine with the aim of
becoming the leading coordination
center for information on
efforts in therapeutic genomics
by biotechnology companies,
pharmaceutical companies,
hospitals, physicians,
cryopreservation facilities,
genetic testing laboratories,
and genetic counselors. ■
PRICE: $95.00
TO ORDER: 610-330-5471, [email protected]
CONNECTING
LIVING IN THE NOW
Tears streamed down my face as I sat under the baobab tree. I had finally lost control
of my emotions. All I wanted to do was to turn the clock back—just three hours. Perhaps I could have been
there to tell her “No!”’ in local language and keep her out of harm’s way. Mero, the sparkling two-year-old, was
just being a kid, bouncing around, playing. But often she ran too close to the cooling breakfast porridge set on the
ground outside the kitchen. And that day, one of my biggest fears here became a reality: Mero fell into the steaming
porridge, and her back, legs, and genital area were severely burned.
I heard her scream. It was different from the “I want
attention” cry. As soon as I heard it, I ran and noted
the frantic footsteps of the women in my host family.
We filled a bucket with cold water and plopped Mero
in, making sure all affected areas were covered. After a
few minutes, I went with her grandmother—my host
mother—to the local clinic. After waiting two hours
to be seen by a nurse, Mero received an injection of
antibiotics, and her wounds were cleaned. As I held
her smaller-than-average legs down and the nurse
punctured her blisters to let them drain, she screamed,
and the cries continued as the freshly punctured skin
was brazenly peeled away.
To my host mother the nurse said in Mandinka,
“A be kumboo la” (“She is crying”). The nurse then
turned to me and said in English, “You are crying.”
Quickly, I looked away, not out of embarrassment,
but anger. “How could the nurse be so insensitive?”
I thought. Soon, however, my host mother responded,
calmly, in Mandinka, “Yes, she’s crying because she
loves Mero as if she were her own daughter.”
As a Peace Corps volunteer, you learn
quickly to adjust, adapt, and grow a thick skin. Then
again, sometimes it seems you just can’t have one
that’s thick enough. Since February 2007, I have been
living and serving in The Gambia, West Africa, as
a Peace Corps health and community development
volunteer. During the first 10 weeks, I was involved
in an intensive language, technical, and culture-based
training program with 20 others of different skill sets
and from various parts of the United States. After
passing a language test, I was officially sworn in as a
Peace Corps volunteer April 13, 2007.
As with any big transition, just like my first semester
at Lafayette, you experience a wealth of emotions.
Initially, after flying into Banjul International Airport,
I was in a state of shock, and with that came insomnia.
In training village, I was challenged to adjust to cultural
norms and develop survival skills: carrying a 20-liter
jug filled with water on my head; sweating even though
the only energy I’m exerting is that of breathing; and
eating with my hand (never the wrong one, always the
right one). After my first night, with sleep interrupted
by braying donkeys and crowing roosters, I proceeded
to my backyard to use the pit latrine, and a swarm of
flies flew up to greet me as I lifted its cover. I screamed
out loud and asked myself, “What the hell am I doing
here?” After about 24 hours, I realized I was no longer
shell-shocked, but instead ready to turn my dream into
reality. I knew it’d be tough—full of ups and downs,
hope, dismay, joy, sadness, frustration, and perhaps even
satisfaction. But I was ready to dig in and explore.
I live in a village of 1,200 people in a large
compound that houses at least 30 people on a daily
basis, with others filtering in and out throughout the
growing seasons and school year. These people quickly
became my family, introducing me to key members of
the community. They welcomed me and accepted me
as if I had always been a part of their lives.
When I applied to Peace Corps, my expectations
were almost non-existent. I didn’t want to “save the
world,” for I knew I couldn’t. Instead, I decided to
focus on forming relationships and rapports with those
who wanted to do the same with me. This “philosophy”
was something invaluable I’d learned throughout
my life—slowly gain acceptance and you will build
strong relationships. My friendships with many of the
international students at Lafayette and my multiple
collegiate study-abroad experiences helped me to
realize this approach was also to be a key component
of my “success” here in West Africa. I was aware that
acceptance by my host family and community must first
be gained. Once that is achieved, one is better able to
earn respect and make an impact.
B Y S T E P H A N I E S TA W I C K I ’ 0 4
CONNECTING
As a Peace Corps volunteer,
you learn quickly to adjust,
adapt, and grow a thick skin.
I am trained in promoting behavioral change in
regard to health practices; individual and group
empowerment; and micro-enterprise development.
My assigned counterpart is a community health nurse
posted by The Gambia’s Department of State for
Health. We work at weekly clinics, monitoring the
weight, immunization schedules and records, and
general wellbeing of children age five and under.
Unlike many African countries, The Gambia provides
free health care for pregnant women and young
children. Despite the fairly consistent access to health
care, Peace Corps volunteers try to have an impact
on the behavioral health practices of villagers.
In addition to working with my counterpart, I
also have found other motivated and hardworking
individuals in my community who seek to improve
their lives, their families’ lives, and, ultimately, their
community. The work I enjoy doing most and feel
is most effective is on the grassroots level, whether
demonstrating how to make a mosquito repellent
out of the neem tree, soap, and oil or teaching how
to wash your hands properly with soap and water
before eating out of the family food bowl. If I am
able to teach the four teenage girls in my host family
how to make mosquito repellent, they can sell it to
their neighbors, make a small profit, and ultimately
assist in the fight against malaria. In addition, I
work with the local school administration, trying to
implement better records systems for its students and
staff. Also, I’ve been helping local farmers who are
trying to fertilize crops better, start tree nurseries,
use live fencing, and implement other appropriate
and sustainable gardening and farming practices.
In addition to my duties in-village, I have spent
the past year working with Peace Corps administration
from the regional West Africa office in Dakar and
Peace Corps The Gambia. I was asked to assist in
the complete overhaul of Peace Corps The Gambia’s
training design and evaluation. I also am a trainer of
new Peace Corps volunteers. Based on my experience
in juggling academics with activities at Lafayette, I
have learned how to balance my life in village with
my work with the Peace Corps administrators.
I have always been a person who has had
my life planned. I’ve always known the next step or
where I’m headed. And initially, especially during my
first six months in The Gambia, I was only thinking
about the comforts of America—foods I craved, friends
and family I missed—and what my life would be like
when my service was finished.
Then one morning, as I ran on a bush trail, I realized
I had stopped thinking about the future. Instead, I
was finally living in the moment. And I have done that
now for the past year, trying to extract all I can while
I’m here. There are days that I become overwhelmed,
whether it be the heartache of Mero’s suffering
or sitting, squished like a sardine, in a gutted-out
Mercedes Benz van, traveling 300 kilometers to the
capital for a meeting. On those days, my mind drifts
to memories of the past and glimpses of the future,
but, ultimately, I’m living in the now, because soon
this experience will be over.
Just as I tried to build strong relationships while
I was at Lafayette, serving as a district representative
for a U.S. Congressman, and now in Peace Corps, I
recognize that life is about discovery and rediscovery
of your surroundings and its people, the unfamiliar,
and oneself. And often, I sit under that same baobab
tree where I sobbed the day Mero was injured, because
there, I always realize there is no other time but now. ■
Stephanie Stawicki graduated with majors in
international affairs and Russian & East European
studies. She wrote this piece last December and
concluded two years of service in The Gambia in April.
The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those
of the U.S. Peace Corps or the U.S. government.
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
Working in the Vineyard
“I see too much corporate greed, and, sadly, lawyers are
leading that charge,” says Seattle attorney Lem Howell ’58,
a longtime advocate for people fighting large companies’
legal teams.
At Lafayette, Howell, a native of
Jamaica who had moved with his family
to Harlem, flourished and was nominated
for the Pepper Prize. In the Navy, he
became the first black officer to serve on
the troopship USS General George M.
Randall. But as a graduate of New York
University School of Law in 1964, he
found “doors closed because of racism.
I could never dream of going to work for
a large firm.” He worked for Washington
Gov. Albert Rosellini, passed the bar, and
established a private practice.
In 1969, he argued in federal court on
behalf of workers barred from labor unions, winning a case that would alter
the lives of many African Americans. The government brought suit against
the same unions two years later, which opened construction unions to
African Americans in Washington state.
Among other honors, he has been named Trial Lawyer of the Year by
the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association. “There’s still a lot of work
to do in the vineyard,” he says. “The type of law I do makes a difference
for the injured and poor. I’m their champion.” ■
Tough Jobs for Kolarczyk ’03
Phil Kolarczyk ’03 added crab fishing in the Bering Sea,
driving big rigs on icy Alaskan roads, and gold mining to
his resume as a contestant in the NBC TV series America’s
Toughest Jobs.
Art Links
Generations
The art of Maya Freelon
Asante ’05 graces the
album cover of a Grammynominated singer—her
mother, Nnenna Freelon.
Asante’s tissue-paper collage
adorns Better Than Anything,
the jazz vocalist’s latest release
on Concord Records.
Asante says the artwork was
inspired by her mother and
grandmother. After stumbling
upon delicate pieces of old
tissue paper in her grandmother’s
basement, she began integrating
it into her work.
“Creating the portrait
mosaic of my mother using a
tissue-paper technique inspired
by my grandmother linked three
generations of first-born women
in my family,” she says. “Tissue
paper represents the fragility of
people, the environment, and
the world. As little fragments are
pieced together, they transform
into something stronger
and more beautiful than just
individual scraps.”
Asante accompanied Freelon
last year on her world tour,
photographing performances
and planning future projects. ■
It was tough just getting on the show (a thousand people signed up for
13 spots), but crab fishing was tougher. “The most grueling thing I’ve
ever done,” he says. “Throwing the pots out and retrieving them was the
fun part on the show. Everything behind the scenes, like prepping the pots
and moving them around the deck, is constant work and exhausting. Plus,
you’re doing it on three hours’ rest.”
The next test was trucking, and Kolarczyk aced it. He was named top
driver and even got a job offer. In week three, success in panning and
dredging for gold proved elusive for the former Leopard offensive lineman,
and he was eliminated from the show before contestants tackled logging,
oil drilling, bullfighting, and other challenges in later episodes, all leading
to a $298,000 prize.
Kolarczyk is a marketing consultant in Orlando. “Too many people go
through their lives sitting behind a desk and never take a risk,” he says. ■
Eye on
Architecture
BY DAN EDELEN
JAMES STEELE IS A DISTINGUISHED
TEACHER AND AUTHOR.
James Steele ’65 saw crisis and opportunity in the
faces of children in Cambodia.
Steele, an associate professor at the University of Southern
California, was teaching his own students in the USC architecture
school’s Summer Program in Asia when he was inspired by young
Khmer students who learned their lessons without the benefit of
a school building.
“They come from miles around to sit under a tree. It broke my
heart,” he says. And so he asked, “Why couldn’t we do a project as
a summer studio of designing a school, raising funds to build it?”
It’s happening. With the help of a grant, Steele is writing a
book on contemporary Chinese urbanism whose sales will fund
the $30,000 needed to build the Cambodian school. He also is
establishing a nonprofit foundation, the Asia Community Design
Workshop, to assist with this project and future ones.
Steele founded the Summer Program in Asia in 1998 to take
architecture students to examine firsthand the building and urban
planning issues facing Asian nations. His experience in Islamic
countries made Malaysia a natural choice for the first series of
courses. He has since added China, Vietnam, and Cambodia to
the annual program.
“It’s the most popular program in the School of Architecture,”
he says, adding, “Our world is urbanizing. The architect’s arena
today is the city.”
Steele’s journey from the University of Pennsylvania, where he
studied under Louis Kahn after graduating from Lafayette, to
Southern California, where he has taught since 1991 and earned a
Ph.D., went through the Middle East. It was accelerated by a volume
he published on the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy.
After Penn, Steele started his own firm in Bucks County, Pa.,
specializing in designing single-family homes, but after a dozen
years, in the face of an economic downturn, he left to teach at King
Faisal University in Saudi Arabia. There he heard about an Egyptian
who was “the regional equivalent of Le Corbusier” but virtually
unknown in the West. A champion of sustainable building methods
and community-based, traditional design, Fathy was, Steele says,
“the antithesis of what I learned at Penn from Kahn.”
Steele’s 1983 monograph on Fathy earned him recognition
worldwide and “opened up opportunities that I wouldn’t have had
otherwise.” The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which honored Fathy
for lifetime achievement with its inaugural Chairman’s Award in
1980, named Steele curator of its collection of Fathy’s drawings.
Steele left the Middle East in 1988 to teach at the Prince of Wales
Institute of Architecture, London, then joined the faculty at Texas
Tech in 1989.
Steele delivered the College’s annual John and Muriel Landis
Lecture, which focuses on issues of technology and international
cooperation, in 2008. The author of more than two dozen books,
including Sustainable Architecture: Principles, Paradigms, and Case
Studies and Ecological Architecture: A Critical History, he spoke on
incorporating sustainability considerations in traditional designs.
Steele’s latest book is the three-volume Greenwood Encyclopedia of
Homes through World History, released this year.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL ARDEN
LAFAYETTE TODAY
PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIP In New Orleans, students and faculty are working with community
organizations and others to advance residents’ vision of creating a green economy.
Rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward
S
tudents and faculty are
continuing collaborations
with citizens of New Orleans’
Lower Ninth Ward and others to
advance the ambitions of L9W,
devastated by Hurricane Katrina,
to rebuild as the first carbon-neutral
community in the country.
Working with Gladstone
(Fluney) Hutchinson, associate
professor of economics, and
David Veshosky, associate
professor of civil and environmental
engineering, students have joined
forces with leading community
organizations, the Center for
Bio-Environmental Research at
Tulane and Xavier Universities, the
Department of Business at Xavier,
local and state officials, and local
entrepreneurs on ways to facilitate
L9W’s vision of creating a green
economy.
“The initiative is inspired by
Imagining America’s call for
member institutions to participate
in the recovery of New Orleans,”
Hutchinson says. Imagining
America: Artists and Scholars in
Public Life is a national consortium
of colleges and universities
committed to public scholarship
in the arts, humanities, and
design. Hutchinson defines public
scholarship as “knowledge-making
through a collaborative co-learning
approach about, with, and for
diverse publics and communities.”
Katie Reeves ’10 has been the
Students are working with Gladstone
(Fluney) Hutchinson, associate
professor of economics, and
David Veshosky, associate professor
of civil and environmental engineering.
student leader of the initiative—
one of several current efforts under
the umbrella of the College’s
Economic Empowerment
and Global Learning Project
(EEGLP)—since it began in fall
2007. The team’s expertise reflects
a variety of academic interests.
Reeves has two majors, economics
and business and a self-designed
major in bioenvironmental science.
Jackie Egan ’09 double majored
in economics and business and
government and law. Nick Oliver
’10 is an engineering studies major
with a minor in architectural studies
and a starting defensive back on
the varsity football team. Kavinda
Udugama ’09 majored in electrical
and computer engineering.
President Bill Clinton saluted
the New Orleans project at the
inaugural Clinton Global Initiative
(CGI) University Conference last
March. The team is using a CGI
grant, awarded in September, to
provide seed-funding for L9W
efforts. Sound systems and chairs
were contributed to the Lower
Ninth Ward Village organization
to facilitate “democratic renewal
forums” that foster interaction
among residents and help build
the social capital and creative
entrepreneurial spirit the
community needs to implement
its redevelopment aims. With the
Lafayette team’s collaboration,
citizens, organizations, and
officials in L9W planned to mark
the nation’s birthday on July
4 with a democratic renewal
forum to celebrate what has been
accomplished so far in the recovery,
redevelopment, and rebirth of
their community. The funds also
are supporting urban gardening
and farming projects of the
Lower Ninth Ward Urban
Farming Coalition.
Lafayette’s collaborations in
L9W also include work on the
proposed St. Claude Deep Green
Lifestyle Center, a development
encompassing retail stores and
social activities, and discussions
aimed at facilitating the
availability of solar panels for use
in construction and rebuilding
projects. The efforts are supported
by the College’s Robert F.
Hunsicker Fund for the study
of entrepreneurship.
Hutchinson says the EEGLP
challenges undergraduates
“to become global citizens, to
recognize themselves as part
of a bigger whole,” and the
collaborations in L9W exemplify
“how students can use their
disciplinary knowledge and creative
human capital in a partnership
with the localized knowledge and
experience-based human capital
of community residents to solve
problems relating to well-being and
democracy while strengthening the
residents’ capacity to act as agents
of their own development.”
The Lafayette team is preparing
proposals for presentations at
Imagining America’s annual
national conference in New
Orleans in October. ■
New Trustees
MARY STENGEL AUSTEN ’86,
Donald E. Morel ’79, and S.
Kent Rockwell ’66 were elected
to the Board of Trustees May 22
and began five-year terms July 1. S.
Robert Beane ’58 and George F.
Rubin ’64 retired from the board
and were elected to emeritus status.
Austen is president and CEO
of Tierney Communications,
Philadelphia, Pa. Morel is chairman
and CEO of West Pharmaceutical
Services, Lionville, Pa. Rockwell
is chairman and CEO of Rockwell
Venture Capital Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Beane served on the board for 10
years. He is the retired senior vice
president, partner, and director of
Johnson & Higgins. Rubin, whose
service on the board spans 20 years,
is vice chairman and a trustee of
Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment
Trust, Philadelphia, Pa.
Douglas R. Marvin ’69
concluded a five-year term as alumni
trustee. He is a partner in the
law firm of Williams & Connolly,
Washington, D.C. ■
Weiss Elected
Kress Trustee
PRESIDENT Daniel H. Weiss
has been elected a trustee of the
Samuel H. Kress Foundation.
Headquartered in New York
City, the foundation devotes its
resources to advancing the history,
conservation, and enjoyment of
the vast heritage of European art,
architecture, and archeology from
antiquity to the 19th century.
A leading authority on the art
of medieval Europe in the age
of the Crusades, Weiss also is
a professor of art history at
the College. ■
Service programs of
Outreach Center
Literacy Day
Tori Santagata ’11
Farinon
College Center
a ZOVKO moment...
a ZOVKO moment...
Service programs of
Outreach Center
America Reads
Sandra Jacinto ’11
St. Joseph School, Easton
CHUCK ZOVKO
ALUMNI MAKE A DIFFERENCE
VINCE PETITTO ’89
Vince Petitto ’89, senior manager of customer operations at Pfizer,
hosted Matt Ferber ’10 in an externship at the firm’s Manhattan
headquarters. “It’s important to support current Lafayette students,
and the externship program is an ideal way to do that,” Petitto says.
“I wish I had taken advantage of this type of program when I was a
student. I was nervous about stepping into the real world, and I
understand now that the anxiety was primarily due to fear of the
unknown. Even the relatively brief exposure to life outside Lafayette
that an externship provides helps remove some of the mystery and
gives a student reassurance.”
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
26.2 in 3:19:22 = $35K
Scholarship
Honors
Dean Hunt
A new scholarship fund
honors former dean of
students Frank R. Hunt.
Jerry Turnauer ’59
established the Hunt
Emergency Scholarship
Fund “in gratitude and
When Doug Kern ’76 rolled across the finish line in
November’s New York City Marathon, his time was
3:19:22, and a charity dear to his heart was the winner.
Kern is one of 69 entrants from around the world who took on the
course by hand cycle. He was left paralyzed 38 years ago after making
a tackle in a high school football game. At the time doctors told his
parents he would never walk again, but the highly competitive young
man had other ideas.
“Through much faith, help from countless friends, and a grueling
therapy schedule, I walked out of the hospital eight months following
the accident,” he says. A Lehigh Valley native who lives in Schnecksville,
Pa., he majored in civil engineering at Lafayette, went on to start his
own engineering firm, and now runs the family property-management
business.
“I now walk with crutches but still try to maintain as active a lifestyle
as possible,” says the father of two pre-teens and youth sports coach.
Through the marathon, he raised more than $35,000 for the Miracle
League of the Lehigh Valley. Kids with special needs and developmental
disabilities play baseball in the league’s customized $1.5 million facility,
a genuine field of dreams.
“I feel a strong connection to these kids and want their lives to be as
normal as possible,” he says. “I also want them to see that there is so
much they can do with their lives despite physical limitations.” ■
admiration for Dean Hunt’s
lifetime of personal and
professional dedication to
helping students overcome
obstacles that would have
prevented them from
graduating.”
A much-loved figure,
Hunt was a faculty member in
economics and business from
1925 to 1958. During his time
as dean of students (1946-58),
he made a loan to Turnauer to
help the student solve a financial
crisis that threatened to cut
short his college education.
“Dean Hunt’s unexpected
personal involvement and
generosity altered my life
dramatically by saving me from
dropping out to an uncertain
future,” Turnauer says. For
information on contributing,
contact the Office of
Development, (610) 330-5037. ■
A Man’s
World?
SHERRY WELSH ’85 HAS AN EDGE.
B Y N O R A I S A A C S ’9 4
After the Stuttgart experience—and many others along
the way—that first sales meeting at her new company
didn’t faze Sherry Welsh ’85 at all.
Last January, ArvinMeritor, a Fortune 500 supplier to the motor
vehicle industry, named Welsh vice president of sales and marketing
for the company’s Light Vehicle Systems group. She took the job
after a 20-year career at Robert Bosch LLC that brought her honors
from Automotive News as one of the 100 leading women in the
North American auto industry.
Ascending in that traditionally male domain, going from junior
cost accountant to senior vice president at Bosch and then to her
new position, Welsh has come to the conviction that being in the
minority gives her an edge.
“A lot of men in the industry have tunnel vision and focus on the
one thing that is their responsibility, and that’s it,” she says, pointing
to multitasking abilities as one dimension of a woman’s advantage.
Whether it’s a customer with a complaint, a quality problem at the
plant, or an issue with a delivery, she feels completely confident
stepping into a new role. “Women do a lot of cross-functional
activity, and so people start to include you more often.”
Case in point: Stuttgart. When Bosch sent her there on an
assignment, the reception she received from the six German
executives who were to report to her was less than enthusiastic.
“Several of them thought they should have had my job,” she
recalls. “Not to mention the fact that I didn’t speak German.”
But she went to work figuring out each person’s working style,
learned the language, and enlisted her employees’ help. “At the
end of three years, they didn’t want me to leave. They appreciated
the new perspective.”
So, when she walked into her first meeting of the North American
sales team at ArvinMeritor and counted only one other woman
among the dozens of people in the room, it didn’t bother her at all.
Now, she’s responsible for $2.4 billion in sales, and 65 people
report to her from all corners of the world, including China, Japan,
Korea, India, Mexico, Europe, and South America. “They are really
refreshing,” she says. “They all bring cultural nuance to our global
team meetings.”
The cultural diversity can present challenges, though. For example,
she has given direction to a colleague in Brazil only to discover
later that the person had done nothing—or had done the exact
opposite. But, as a woman, Welsh says, with innate sensitivity to
communication hurdles, she’s learned to mitigate such language
snafus by having the person on the other end explain the direction
back to her.
“A typical male engineer would say that it’s black and white, while
women usually have a little more sensitivity and want to make sure
we talk in the same language. My dream was always to be a teacher,”
says Welsh, whose parents steered her toward engineering. “I love
helping new people who don’t have a lot of experience. As a leader
in the organization, I can be a teacher now.”
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
TV THREE
BY DAN EDELEN
JEFF CARROLL ’02,
CHARLIE DEHNE ’00, AND
CHRIS MCCUMBER ’89
ARE BEHIND THE SCENES
MAKING THINGS HAPPEN.
T
he theme song from one of television’s most
successful comedies begins like this:
Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot.
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
While that program, Cheers, is long gone, many people are
answering yes in these tough economic times and are finding
television, which has seen substantial increases in viewership in
the last year, to be the means of escape. Jeff Carroll ’02 (left),
manager of digital marketing at Comedy Central, knows why.
“If people come home and turn on The Daily Show or South
Park and they laugh for an hour and forget that the economy is
bad or that politics in this country is down the tubes or that their
jobs are in jeopardy, then I have done my part in making their day
better,” he says.
continued on page 88
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
Carroll shares his understanding of that need with two
other alumni in the television industry, Charlie Dehne
’00, the Emmy-winning producer of the MTV program
MADE, and Chris McCumber ’89, the executive vice
president of marketing, digital, and brand strategy at
USA Networks. All are based in New York City.
McCumber says people’s desire to latch onto messages
that counter the gloom drives viewership today. “For
USA, it’s about having a unique show that’s blue-sky
positive and quirky in its characters. You walk away from
some TV shows and you feel depressed. USA fills a big
niche providing positive, upbeat, fun programming,”
he says.
Dehne, too, has tapped into a longing to find hope.
He’s proud of making a difference in the lives of the
young people who seek help to turn a dream into a
reality on MADE, where a “pampered princess” can
become a high-scoring soccer player and “a sci-fi nerd
morphs into a hardcore rapper.”
“Our whole show is about changing lives,” Dehne
says. And it happens fast. Dehne has six weeks to
hire professional coaches and effect and document
the transformation of the show’s profilees. Making a
compelling show that’s worth watching demands 24/7
response from the production team: crews sleeping on
floors, phone calls at 4 a.m., editors poring over tape.
In June 2008, Dehne experienced his own dream
come true when he won an Emmy Award as the producer
of MADE. The year prior, he worked in post-production
when the program was awarded its first Emmy statuette.
But it’s the phone calls from grateful parents and their
children that make his job worthwhile.
In an episode dubbed “Geek to Chic,” a girl wanted to
be more visible to the opposite sex. “She’s a bookworm,
incredibly bright, great personality, but no one ever saw
it because she was afraid to show it,” Dehne recalls. He
and his team of personal coaches helped her break out
of her shell—typical material for the show. What Dehne
didn’t expect during the process was a series of irate
phone calls from the girl’s mother chastising him for
what the team was putting her daughter through.
“I thought she hated me,” he says. But after the show
aired, the mother called one more time.
“She said, ‘I just want to thank you for making such
a wonderful show about my daughter. You made her
look so beautiful and special, the way she really is. She
feels like a different person, a happier person.’ It meant
so much to hear that from a parent and know I made an
impact on this kid’s life.”
To breathe life into MADE, now in its 10th season,
the English graduate often digs for personal motivations.
“It’s fascinating to really break these kids down. There’s
more than just wanting to be a homecoming queen, a
Charlie Dehne ’00
rapper, or a ballroom dancer. There’s something else
they want.” Finding that desire and putting it onscreen
continues to fuel the show’s success.
While Dehne draws viewers into the hopes of real
people, McCumber—who drives the strategic and
creative vision at USA while overseeing marketing in
both traditional and digital media—takes them
into the lives and stories of USA’s unique characters.
From neurotic detective Adrian Monk and his germphobic sleuthing to cocky pro wrestler John Cena
and his “Attitude Adjustment” move, USA’s programming reflects its award-winning motto, “Characters
Welcome.” Viewers like it. Since 2006, USA Network
is TV’s No. 1 cable television destination.
Accolades and big growth in viewership weren’t
always the case for the network. In early 2004, USA’s
new owner, NBC Universal, handed McCumber a
career-defining challenge.
“We had no brand identity. People could tell you the
shows but couldn’t tell you about USA Network. People
didn’t like the network’s flag motif and Americana,” he
says. “We had a big problem.”
War-room discussions with advertising and creative
agencies ensued, and McCumber brainstormed with his
team to find the linchpin that would unify programming
and message. The answer came at an unlikely moment.
Bedridden with the flu, McCumber was discussing
taglines, wondering how any short phrase would capture
the flavor of USA and generate lasting excitement.
“Then, all of a sudden, among a list of 50 taglines, there
was one just two words long, ‘Characters Welcome,’”
he recalls. “A light went on that cut through the fog
of my flu. We should talk about people rather than a
place. That unlocked the value within USA, because
characters were the brand mantra.”
McCumber has brought the focus on characters to
USANetwork.com, evolving it into a social-networking
destination featuring games in the Character Arcade
section, now a model for similar efforts at other networks
within NBC Universal.
He also relishes his other role at USA, executive in
charge of production for the character-driven wrestling
extravaganza WWE Raw, a ratings titan. Working with
WWE’s head honcho, Vince McMahon, McCumber
and his team have developed epic publicity-garnering
ideas.
“We were brainstorming about what would be a
great feud or match, and the idea of Donald Trump
challenging Vince was funny. So we suggested it to
Vince, and he ran with it.” The ensuing clash, dubbed
the Battle of the Billionaires, was wildly popular with
fans. McCumber also was delighted when Raw scored
the coup of having presidential candidates Hillary
Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain appear on
the program, which contributed to some of its highest
ratings ever.
With USA’s ratings soaring under the “Characters
Welcome” message, the cable network routinely
draws more viewers than its broadcast-TV rivals. For
McCumber and his 60-person team, that’s a feel-good
vision that works.
Over at Comedy Central, Carroll checks the pulse
of the digital age. It’s his job to bolster the Comedy
Central brand online.
“Search, mobile, on-air, email, viral, wikis, gaming,
and social networking—we make sure that Comedy
Central speaks to our audience the way they want to
be communicated to,” says Carroll, who was featured
last year in Fortune magazine. “The beauty of digital
marketing is our ability to react to change quickly and
see results almost instantly.”
Carroll’s route to Comedy Central came partly by
way of the golf course. In 2002, Carroll worked for Jay
Mottola ’72, executive director of the Metropolitan
Golf Association, headquartered in Westchester County,
N.Y. There the English graduate learned web-design
skills and tech knowledge, which he later augmented at
AIG and Furnished Quarters. He got his break when
an MTV Networks recruiter called about the Comedy
Central position.
During Carroll’s first day on the job, his boss noted
the new hire owned every South Park DVD available.
The boss’ comment proved to be Carroll’s epiphany: “I
get to work with cultural institutions like South Park,
The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report. If you’re a
musician, it’s like playing with the Rolling Stones.”
Now he develops viral media content based on
Comedy Central’s shows for inclusion on hot web
sites such as PerezHilton.com (celebrity gossip), The
Huffington Post (politics), and Kotaku (gaming). He
brainstorms online vertical marketing for the channel’s
shows, checks search-engine placements, monitors
demographics, and oversees development of desktop
widgets and social-networking applications for sites
like Facebook and MySpace. He particularly enjoyed
creating an interactive application tied to the show Lewis
Black’s Root of All Evil that asks online participants
which of a pair—Coke and Pepsi, say, or red states and
blue states—is “more evil.”
While Comedy Central’s irreverent work atmosphere
contrasts sharply with much of corporate America, the
demands of business press Carroll relentlessly. He faces
market-space changes that tax his skills and keep him
hunting for trends that will keep viewers coming back
for more.
Working behind the scenes in the ever-changing
entertainment biz, Carroll, McCumber, and Dehne
have found a way to tap into the viewing public’s need
for escape. When the sofa beckons and an hour or two
begs to be filled, isn’t it nice to get away? ■
Chris McCumber ’89
LAFAYETTE TODAY
Massa Named VP for Communications
ROBERT J. MASSA, former vice
president for enrollment and college
relations at Dickinson College,
has been named vice president for
communications. The first person to
serve in the newly created position,
he will lead a new administrative
division that includes public relations,
communications, and marketing.
He starts Aug. 1.
Glenn Airgood, director of
the Office of Public Information
and executive editor of Lafayette
Alumni News magazine, retired
after serving 15 years as chief public
relations, communications, and
marketing officer.
A nationally recognized authority
on enrollment management, Massa
served as vice president at Dickinson
from 1999 to 2009, overseeing
media relations; print and electronic
communications, design, and
publications; admissions; financial
aid; athletics; institutional research;
the career center; alumni relations;
and parent relations.
Under his leadership, Dickinson’s
national reputation increased
significantly. His development and
implementation of a coordinated plan
to influence brand identification and
communicate the college’s identity to
prospective students, alumni, and the
public helped drive major advances
in applications for admission (an
increase of 82 percent) and in the
academic quality of the first-year class
(an improvement of 100 points in the
mean SAT score). The proportion of
minority students at Dickinson
rose to 15 percent from five percent,
while the ratio of international
students increased to six percent
from one percent.
Dickinson’s visibility in the
media also advanced dramatically.
Massa himself has frequently
provided expert commentary on
higher education issues in the
national media.
“In this economic environment,
parents and students are increasingly
concerned about value, benefits,
and outcomes, and potential donors
to the College have competing
demands for their time and resources.
As a result, this is a particularly
exciting time to communicate and
promote the benefits of a Lafayette
education and to strengthen its
position as a leader in undergraduate
education,” Massa said. “I am
honored to have the opportunity
to serve Lafayette and look forward
to focusing my efforts toward
advancing an institution to which
I am committed deeply.”
President Daniel H. Weiss
said, “Bob Massa’s understanding
of small private colleges and
extensive experience in college
communications, enrollment
management, and other key
administrative areas position him
uniquely well to provide effective
and inspiring leadership at a time
when it is more important than
ever to communicate the College’s
distinctive strengths to our publics.”
Massa brings 35 years of experience
in higher education, including 10
years as dean of enrollment at Johns
Hopkins. He holds master’s and
doctoral degrees in higher education
from Columbia University’s Teachers
College. As an undergraduate,
he majored in psychology at the
University of Rochester, where he
also earned an M.Ed.
Massa’s son, Daniel Massa, is a
2008 Lafayette graduate. ■
Kneule and
Zovko Awarded
National Honors
GRAPHIC DESIGN projects by
Donna Kneule, art director for
periodicals (including Lafayette
Alumni News magazine) and
special projects in the Division
of Communications, received
national recognition as recipients
of awards from Graphic Design USA
magazine. The winning designs are
The Building Blocks of Excellence:
A Report from the President, January
2008 and banners created to promote
the Lives of Liberty lecture series,
which was launched during the
College’s celebration of the 250th
anniversary of the birth of the
Marquis de Lafayette.
College photographer Chuck
Zovko was awarded a bronze
medal in the competition for 2009
Photographer of the Year by CASE,
the Council for Advancement and
Support of Education. His images
appear in Lafayette Alumni News
and in many other Lafayette print
and electronic communications.
The American Inhouse Design
Awards program is the nation’s
top showcase for creative projects
produced in design, marketing,
and communications departments
in corporations, publishing
houses, nonprofits, universities,
and government agencies. More
than 4,000 entries were received,
and fewer than 400 departments
honored. The designs will be
published in the American Inhouse
Design Awards Annual, which
serves as the July/August edition
of Graphic Design USA. ■
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
President Bush Honors
Landry ’75
Help for
Failing Hearts
Donald Landry ’75 was awarded the Presidential Citizens
Medal by President Bush in a December ceremony at
The White House.
Landry is chair of the Department of Medicine at the Columbia University
College of Physicians and Surgeons and chief of medicine at New YorkPresbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. His concept
that viable stem cell lines can be harvested from embryos that do not
survive the process of in-vitro fertilization—an approach that sidesteps the
controversial process of destroying living embryos—led to a new avenue
of stem cell research. He has presented his ideas to the President’s Council
on Bioethics, at the Stem Cell Bioethics conference in Rome, and on
Capitol Hill.
The White House said, “Dr. Donald Landry has applied his passion for
discovery to expanding human knowledge and improving patient treatment.
A man of science and a man of faith, he has demonstrated that there are
responsible and ethical ways to advance stem cell research. The United States
honors Donald Landry for his diverse and pioneering research and his efforts
to improve the well-being of his fellow man.”
The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second-highest award a president
can confer upon a civilian. ■
Thriving in Gotham Art Scene
Mike Homer ’00, who is thriving in the New York City
art scene, returned to campus as curator of the Grossman
Gallery exhibition Building Steam, a showcase of works
by emerging New York artists.
Homer is dealer’s assistant to the president (read: chaos wrangler)
at PaceWildenstein in Manhattan. His daily work involves psychology
(interacting with artists and dealers), salesmanship (suggesting works to
clients), history (researching provenance), and logistics (coordinating
which museum, gallery, or warehouse holds particular pieces among the
firm’s thousands of artworks).
“The adrenaline that comes with the job reminds me of playing sports,”
says Homer, an art major and member of the 1999 and 2000 Patriot
League champion basketball teams. He also has curated shows at two
galleries in the city.
“I’m interested in having my own space one day, to provide a platform
for emerging and undiscovered artists,” he says. “Art will always be
important because it is the currency of human exchange. It is how we
share our ideas, feelings, and experiences with one another.” ■
Veteran medical device
executive Doug Godshall
’86 heads a firm whose
latest innovation may prove
a boon to those who suffer
from heart failure.
HeartWare Inc., headquartered
in Massachusetts and Sydney,
Australia, makes a miniature left
ventricle assist device, a surgically
implanted mechanical pump
designed to supplement a failing
heart’s reduced blood-pumping
capability. A clinical trial of the
device for use as a bridge to cardiac
transplant in patients with end-stage
heart failure is under way in the
United States.
“Traditionally, other pumps are
very large and are placed in the
abdomen. Ours fits in the pericardial
space, the area immediately adjacent
to the heart, which requires only
rib-cage surgery,” Godshall explains.
“Because we are using a pre-existing
space, we don’t have to create a
pocket to put the pump in, which
can get infected. We reduce the
amount of surgery required, which
reduces complications.”
An international clinical trial
was completed in Europe and
Australia.
ALUMNI IN FOCUS Visit www.lafayette.edu and click on Alumni
THE BOOK THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
I
t has seemed for all these years almost
too pat, a cliché, that I had wanted to
be a neurosurgeon ever since I was in
seventh grade and read Death Be Not Proud
by John Gunther, an account of the illness of
his teenage son, Johnny, who died of a brain
tumor. I went back recently to Death Be Not
Proud, as I had on occasion before, only this
time I discovered something more about the
book and about myself.
The foreword advises the reader that what
follows is “the story about what happened
to Johnny’s brain.” But with this latest read
I was transported back to the first and saw
again Johnny Gunther not as a patient, but as
a peer. More than the surgical exploits of Tracy
Putnam or the imperious consult of Wilder
Penfield, legendary pioneers in the thenfledgling specialty of neurological surgery, the
journalistic courage of John Gunther changed
my life. The narrative was always about Johnny,
about how, despite our afflictions, we may
somehow prevail.
Death Be Not Proud ends with a contribution
from Frances Fineman Gunther, Johnny’s
mother. “I greeted him each morning as if
he were newly born to me.” I am sure I had
no conscious recollection of these words
when I wrote about a mother caring for her
dying son, in a book I was privileged to have
published in 1997, “The boy is sleeping his
child’s sleep with his face buried in his
mother’s arms. The back of his hairless scalp,
the only respondent to his therapy, seems
newborn.”
— M A R C F L I T T E R ’6 5
Marc Flitter has practiced neurosurgery in
Miami Beach, Erie, Pa., and, since 2001, Farmington,
N.M., where he is affiliated with San Juan Regional
Medical Center. A native of Easton, he is the author
of Judith’s Pavilion: The Haunting Memories of a
Neurosurgeon, published first by Steerforth Press
and available from Grand Central Publishing.
JUDITH
THE PATIENT WOULD NOT SURVIVE.
It is to Judith’s Pavilion that I have admitted, confined,
and confessed my failures, and not just my own, but all
the patients who might otherwise haunt me, refuse to be
buried or rationalized or forgotten.
Sterile drapes were placed over her head and back so
that the only part of Judith Halpern that could still be
seen was her shaved scalp and the upper part of her neck.
It was as if the rest of her had been excused. I would call
her back when it was all over. I didn’t want
to be forcing my attentions with scalpel and drill on
a wife and mother. It was a tumor I was after. . . .
I made what was called a hockey-stick incision.
The scalpel traced upward through her skin like a flare
at sea, lighting her scalp with its trail of blood. It began
at the level of her earlobe and reached its apogee in
the midline, its ascent no higher than the occipital
protuberance, that bony outcrop on the back of her
skull. From there it fell, inscribing the shaft of that
pointed constellation to the handle resting in the
nape of her neck.
Her scalp was thick. A few of the arteries that had
been cut sprayed on my gown, and one reached the
right lens of my glasses as if I were on the Odessa
steps in The Battleship Potemkin. Most of the bleeding
stopped when I spread the wound edges with a selfretaining retractor, the claw-like ends of that instrument
burying themselves in the yellowish subcutaneous tissue.
A few vascular holdouts, persistent fireboat celebrants,
were extinguished with electric cautery. Then all was
still. Her head remained motionless in a three-pinned
embrace. There were no veins gulping air.
The part of her skull that lay gleaming under the
operating room lights seemed to be taunting, “Get
inside if you can.” That challenge had been more
formidable when neurosurgeons had no power tools,
when arm-numbing exertion was required just to drill
the first burr hole. I imagined that bone stunned to hear
the whine of the pneumatic bit. I enlarged the nickelsized hole it had produced with biting instruments
called rongeurs. Their dinosaur-like jaws tore away at
the margins of the skull. I covered the vascular channels
in the bone with an occlusive wax, keeping them free
of air and the anesthesiologist content. Gradually, as if
I were uncovering some buried vase, the rounded
outline of the dura, the membranous covering of the
brain, appeared. Then it was precision time, the paradox
of the exposure. After having broken through the
equivalent of a vault, what would be required of me
now was the delicacy of repairing a watch or inscribing
the Lord’s Prayer on a grain of rice.
I changed what I was seeing then, positioned the
operating microscope. Its two eyepieces and the
objective lens were covered with a transparent sterile
drape, all suspended on the end of a three-jointed arm
supported on a pedestal. It would be the key to gaining
entry to her world. It magnified the wound so that my
entire visual field was no wider than the word “eye.”
Each individual blood vessel, each single fiber of tissue
became the object of attention, determining sequential
efforts. Distance was traversed in millimeters rather
than inches. Even the sounds in the operating room
were muted by that view, as if hearing were partly visual.
I began to open the dura, using a more delicate
scalpel than the one that had violated her skin. It was
the transition from dinosaur jaws to jeweler’s forceps,
from rending to teasing. I held either side of the taut
membrane open with a suture that almost whispered
its fragile tension, “five-0 nylon.” It wasn’t the smallest
suture available, but fine enough to seem as if its strand
might easily float away. . . .
My view was as breathless as if I had reached the
summit of Kilimanjaro, or K2, or wherever I had hoped
to find an answer. It was brain tissue, the reason why
I had kept at it for all those years. . . . In neurosurgery
it was always the same. It was Stanley coming upon
Livingston, and Holmes declaring, “Watson, have a
look at this.” It was the brain and there was nothing
like it. Nothing could replace it. It didn’t regenerate.
It couldn’t be sutured or glued, anastomosed or fused.
It was the palpable paradox of Eurydice. To touch it was
to lose it in almost all circumstances. The only saving
grace of a brain operation was that what remained had
such extraordinary potential. That is what I saw through
the microscope; magnified, illuminated and waiting. . . .
I had divined from the CAT scan that two inches
below the surface of her brain lay the root of her
dysfunction. I inserted the cup-like ends of a biopsy
forceps through the cortical incision. The instrument
was pistol gripped. Squeezing the trigger closed the
tissue-gathering ends within the brain. I fired then and
watched the approximated tip’s retreat. There was no
sense of tearing as if some tenacious artery had become
enraged. I saw no angry surge of blood that welled
behind the silver instrument. . . .
As I watched, the exposed portion of the brain
began to undergo a transformation. . . . Brain tissue was
being forced through the confines of the exposure. The
implication was that there was bleeding at the biopsy
site, that a clot was forming, pushing tissue ahead of it.
. . . There was no clot that I could see and yet the tissue
kept coming, extruding like lava without apparent end.
It was one of those moments that can occur during
an operation that is defined by alarm. There was a
visceral sense of being swept away, as if the malevolent
force unleashed upon Judith had reached out and taken
hold of me as well. Any hope of regaining mastery lay
first in conceptual insight. What was the problem? Since
I had not encountered blood along that biopsy track,
only the concept of malignant brain edema offered a
possible explanation. It was an alternative that begged
exoneration. It wasn’t I, not the surgeon who brought
her into that room, placed her in the semi-sitting
position, opened the base of her skull, and cut into
her brain for a bit of tissue. It was someone or
something else, inside.
Whether it was true or not, at least I had an enemy
I could engage. Medication was called for, a drug
that might spirit away the edema fluid that was causing
THE BOOK THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
the tissue to expand to twice its normal size. But
that remedy had no effect on her, not that afternoon
turning into night.
I took a different tack then, thinking there had to
be bleeding. I just wasn’t seeing it. I began to look
beyond the site of the biopsy, deeper within the tumor.
It was a mission of search and destroy. There was no
environmentally safe journey into that forest. I might just
as well have gone in with heavy equipment. There was
bleeding then, and from more than one site. I was drawn
further into the magnified world of the microscope.
The blood might just as well have been descending
upon a sleeping town, avalanche or mud slide, it made
no difference. It carried the familiar and the recognizable
with it, but somehow all wrong. Fragments of brain,
cortex and white matter, welled up in that bleeding like
victims being swept past in a torrent. . . .
Finally her body’s coagulation abilities, the counterpressure of cotton paddies, and her falling blood
pressure stemmed the flow. By then it was too late.
Underneath those paddies lay a quiet pool of ruin and
devastation that could not be undone. There was no
need to wait until the morning to assess the damage.
The patient would not survive. I had seen this before, in
my own cases and those of my colleagues and professors.
Then, almost unannounced—I certainly hadn’t sent
for her—Judith returned to the room. It wasn’t just
a small opening in sterile drapes through which brain
tissue had herniated that was my charge. A human
being lay there, now irreversibly lost. . . . And it wasn’t
just the silver-haired retiree who had asked, “When
can you schedule it?” who had returned. A handsome
woman who was president of her Temple sisterhood was
there . . . the sweatered bride, the wife of the boss who
filled in as secretary . . . the aproned mother. . . . I was
outnumbered, even before I had completed the closure
and made my way to her waiting family.
It was ten o’clock and quiet outside the hospital that
night as Judith lay in her post-op coma. . . . I turned
back to look at the hospital and at the lights coming
from the windows of the ICU.
That view of where Judith lay dying has never left me.
The perspective itself is part of an indelible image. I am
below in the night solitude looking up at those windows,
at the silhouettes of the nurses, and of Judith’s family
ushered to the bedside. They approach her with the
impossible hope that she will squeeze their hands. They
convince themselves that she has, although it is imagined
and cannot be confirmed. And I seem to be in two
places at once, turning in that fatigued afterlook, and
somehow still at Judith’s bedside, remote stranger to
myself, the causative agent for her terminal state, isolated
by the rueful conclusion to the anticipated surgery of
that day. Sometimes the lone figure, forever hesitating
by that car to glance at the hospital and the light-filled
windows above, assumes yet another identity. He is the
narrator in Frost’s “Acquainted with the Night,” having
heard an “interrupted cry” from another street and
unsure of who it was for, himself or the lost patient.
A doctor drawn to his patient by a vision of light and
loneliness. It is an image that haunts the promenade of a
gallery, my pictures at an exhibition, acquired over years
of practice and remembered loss. It has defied time and
my attempts at resolution and yet it has changed. The
years since that night have peopled that futile intensive
care unit and the floors above with other patients and
colleagues who have died before their time. . . . They
are the casualties of fate and technology who shared the
terribly fragile nature that is our existence.
None of the images fade. . . . Judith and her fellow
patients are never discharged. The nurses never go
home. I have never driven away in my car to my family
and rest. And Judith’s family never collect themselves,
resolved to the unthinkable, but wait for their ten
minutes every four hours, to beseech the unhearing. ■
Excerpted from Judith’s Pavilion: The Haunting
Memories of a Neurosurgeon by Marc Flitter. ©1997
by Marc Flitter, M.D. Published by Steerforth Press.
Reprinted with the author’s permission.
LAFAYETTE TODAY
CHUCK ZOVKO
Community
Service Honored
Jeremy Saxe Remembered
A RED MAPLE TREE was planted and a plaque installed in the
courtyard behind Hogg Hall in memory of Jeremy Saxe ’09, who
died suddenly last Sept. 4. A dedication ceremony was held May 10.
A moment of silence was observed in Saxe’s memory at
Commencement, where President Daniel H. Weiss announced that
a new award will be presented to students annually in Saxe’s honor
beginning next year. The College community gathered to celebrate
Saxe’s life in a campus memorial service Sept. 28.
Contributions in Saxe’s memory may be made to Jiwanko Satthihara:
Jeremy Saxe Foundation for Education and Development, c/o Saxe
Doernberger & Vita, P.C., 1952 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, CT 06517. ■
LAFAYETTE was named to
the President’s Higher Education
Community Service Honor Roll
for exemplary service efforts and
community engagement in 2008.
The honor roll is the highest
federal recognition a school
can achieve for its commitment
to service-learning and civic
engagement. Criteria for
the award include scope
and innovation of service
projects, percentage of student
participation in service activities,
incentives for service, and the
extent to which the school
offers academic service-learning
courses. Lafayette was also
named to the honor roll in
2006, its inaugural year.
The Landis Community
Outreach Center supports
campus-community collaborations
through co-curricular servicelearning projects and communitybased learning, research, and
service. Faculty in all academic
divisions teach courses and lead
student-focused research with
service-learning components.
Campus organizations also
participate in service-learning
projects locally and globally.
The honor roll is a program
of the Corporation for National
and Community Service
in collaboration with the
Department of Education, the
Department of Housing and
Urban Development, and the
President’s Council on Service
and Civic Participation. ■
BOOKSHELF
The Biology of Echinostomes:
From the Molecule
to the Community
Edited by Bernard Fried,
professor emeritus of biology,
and Rafael Toledo
Springer, 2008, 333 pp.
Faithful to Fenway:
Believing in Boston,
Baseball, and America’s
Most Beloved Ballpark
By Michael Ian Borer ’98
New York University Press,
2008, 288 pp.
Groups, Graphs and Trees:
An Introduction to the
Geometry of Infinite Groups
By John Meier, professor
of mathematics
Cambridge University Press,
2008, 256 pp.
Feed Me! Writers Dish
about Food, Eating, Weight,
and Body Image
Edited by Harriet Brown ’79
Ballentine Books,
2009, 272 pp.
The Legacy of George W. Bush’s
Foreign Policy: Moving
Beyond Neoconservatism
By Ilan Peleg, Dana Professor
of Government and Law
Westview Press,
2009, 224 pp.
Battling Big Box: How
Nimble Niche Companies
Can Outmaneuver
Giant Competitors
By Henry Dubroff ’72
and Susan J. Marks
Career Press, 2009, 256 pp.
Stalking the Subject:
Modernism and the Animal
By Carrie Rohman,
assistant professor of English
Columbia University Press,
2008, 208 pp.
The Four Pillars of
Profit-Driven Marketing:
How to Maximize Creativity,
Accountability, and ROI
By Leslie Moeller and
Edward Landry ’87
McGraw-Hill, 2008, 240 pp.
The Mathematics of Oxygen
and Substrate Diffusion:
Mathematical Analysis of Oxygen,
Myoglobin-Facilitated Oxygen
and Substrate Diffusion within
an Interacting Multi-capillary
System in Skeletal Muscle
By Miranda Teboh-Ewungkem,
assistant professor of mathematics
VDM Verlag Dr. Müller,
2008, 156 pp.
Smart Women Protect Their
Assets: Essential Information
for Every Woman About
Wills, Trusts, and More
By Wynne A. Whitman ’86
FT Press, 2008, 224 pp.
Class Notes
Class Notes
1936-1939
Alumni who don’t see their class listed here and would like to volunteer to serve as a class correspondent, please contact the
Office of Alumni Affairs, [email protected], (610) 330-5040 (for calling within Pa.) or 1-800-LAFAYETTE (outside Pa.).
1931
Charles A. Schults
6107 Fellowship Road
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
(908) 604-0412
1936
Robert Gair Asch, of Venice, Fla.,
correspondent for the Class of ’36 since
October 1956, passed away Feb. 22
after a short illness. He was 93.
A New York native and longtime
resident, Asch followed his two older
brothers to Lafayette as an Eagle Scout,
was part of the swimming, football, and
lacrosse teams, and was a brother at
Sigma Alpha Epsilon. His son Donald
notes that Asch greatly valued
friendships from high school and
college, maintaining contact with many
classmates and organizing his high
school reunions through 2000.
After graduation, Asch joined
Kemper Insurance Company, remaining
with it as a claims manager for the
duration of his career. While there, he
met and married Reba Hench in 1942.
Asch answered the call of World War II
the next year and was later awarded
the Purple Heart while serving in the
Philippines. On returning to the States,
he and his family moved into the
suburban experiment, Levittown, just
outside New York City. A promotion
later brought Asch and family to the
Hudson Valley, where they lived in a
100-year-old farmhouse in Guilderland
Center, N.Y.
After Reba passed away in 1973,
Asch remarried twice before meeting
future wife Mollie Hunter in 1990
while wintering in Venice. The marriage
brought Asch to the Sunshine State for
good, where he was known for his daily
walks on the beach.
The creative and performing arts
captured Asch’s fancy. While living in
New York, he sang in the choirs of the
Helderberg Reformed Church and
Capital Hill Choral Society, and actively
supported theater and ballet at the
Saratoga Performing Arts Center. And
like many who find pleasure in writing
for others, he relished time with a
good book.
In addition to wife Mollie, Asch
is survived by sons Donald and
Kenneth, daughter Adele Dalenberg,
nine grandchildren, and a
great-granddaughter.
1940
Herbert Rednor
1912 S. Crescent Blvd.
Yardley, PA 19067
(215) 493-5575
President: Harold Bellis
Floyd LaBarre Jr. has been corresponding with me. He enrolled at Lafayette
in 1935 for summer school. Unable to
decide what type of engineer he should
become, he took up administrative
engineering and earned a bachelor’s in
that area. His first job was with Curtis–
Wright. He progressed to manager
of technical services with a myriad of
diverse duties. He later left the aircraft
business and joined the Gearfoot division
of Singer Sewing Machine Company,
which designed and built guidance
systems for aircraft, ships, and
submarines. Three years later, he went
with Wagner Electric, which designed
and produced trucks and industrial
equipment and components for same.
At age 65, he retired. He lost his
wife, Marjorie, in an auto accident,
which also left him with numerous
injuries and disabilities. He now lives
in Rising Sun, Md. He remarried and
is very happy with his bride of five
years, Ann.
Floyd has been an active model
railroader as a result of his father’s
employment for many years as a
locomotive engineer on the D., L. & W.
Railroad (Lackawanna) out of
Phillipsburg, N.J. He has amassed a
large collection of vintage model trains.
Floyd also has been researching the
origins and history of the LaBarre
name. Apparently in ancient times, a
squire rescued a maiden fair, which
earned him a knighthood bestowed
by the King of France, who later
dispatched the knight’s three sons
across the Atlantic to settle the new
lands. Once in America, at least one of
the brothers took an American Indian
wife. Accordingly, Floyd is descended
from French and Indian stock.
Unfortunately, we have more death
notices. Robert K. Hoffman died
Jan. 19 (no further information). Also,
Irving Tash died Sept. 27 in Forth
Lake, Fla.
Charles Franklin Adams Jr. of
Falmouth and Ocean Point, Maine, died
Feb. 18. He was born in Trenton, N.J.,
and attended Mercerburg Academy. He
and I graduated from Trenton High
School in 1936. Charles then went on
to Lafayette, where he was a member
of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
During the summer of 1938, he
worked on an oil pipeline in Colombia,
where he adopted an orphaned leopard
cub. She went on to live in his fraternity
house and serve as the college mascot.
Charles married Jeanne Bloor two years
after graduating. (She was the sister
of Spencer Bloor.)
Charles served in the First Marine
Division in the South Pacific from
1942–45, fought at Guadalcanal and
New Guinea, and was awarded a Purple
Heart. Charles and Jeanne moved their
family to Maine in 1949. While in
Damariscotta, Charles owned Adams
Realty and the Adams Travel Agency.
He was active in many community
activities: the American Field Service,
the Skidompha Library (as a trustee),
Miles Memorial Hospital, and St.
Andrew’s Episcopal Church (as a
Alumni Resource Page
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(610) 330-5040 in Pa., 1-800-LAFAYETTE elsewhere
Fax: (610) 330-5833, [email protected]
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(610) 330-5041, [email protected]
Mary Pat Staats, senior associate director
Chris Conn Tomik ’03, assistant director
Sarah Trimmer, assistant director
Ruth Hutnik, office coordinator: director’s support,
events support (610) 330-5041, [email protected]
Lydiah Spano, office assistant: chapters support
Ruth Trincheria, office assistant (part-time): Reunion support
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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BENEFITS
Alumni Online Community—see bottom of page
Career Services—online job vault, résumé and cover
letter critiques, career counseling, advice and assistance
from alumni: (610) 330-5115
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culture: (610) 330-5040
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Travel—trips organized through alumni affairs:
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Alumni COUNCIL
Paul McCurdy ’82, president
[email protected]
Edward Auble ’61, chair, International Alumni Committee
[email protected]
Barry Bregman ’77, chair, Career Services Committee
[email protected]
Gregory Crawford ’68, co-chair,
Alumni Admissions Representatives Committee
[email protected]
Jim Dicker ’85, Nominating Committee, advisory capacity
[email protected]
Jonathan Ellis ’98, co-chair, Chapters Committee
[email protected]
Pamela Gaary Holran ’88, president-elect and
vice president, Programs
[email protected]
Sherri Jones, secretary
[email protected]
Alex Karapetian ’04, co-chair, Young Alumni Committee
[email protected]
William Kirby ’59, vice president at-large and
Nominating Committee at-large
[email protected]
Amanda Niederauer ’08, co-chair, Young Alumni Committee
[email protected]
David Reif ’68, vice president, Outreach
[email protected]
Carolyn Romney ’08, co-chair,
Undergraduate Relations Committee
[email protected]
David Schwager ’84, chair, Reunion Committee
[email protected]
Lauren Steinitz ’08, co-chair,
Undergraduate Relations Committee
[email protected]
William R. Tucker ’81, co-chair, Chapters Committee
[email protected]
Ellen Poriles Weiler ’83, chair, Volunteer Committee
[email protected]
Meredith Walburg ’03, chair, Homecoming Committee
[email protected]
Michael Weisburger ’82, co-chair,
Alumni Admissions Representatives Committee
[email protected]
ALUMNI COUNCIL meetingS
Aug. 28, 10:30 a.m., Pfenning Alumni Center, Lafayette
Nov. 6, 2 p.m., Pfenning Alumni Center, Lafayette
Jan. 15, 9 a.m., New York City
Want to get involved with the Alumni Association but don’t know how? Please contact Sherri Jones or Paul McCurdy ’82.
We welcome new ideas and volunteers. Our goals are simple: to connect alumni to all aspects of Lafayette life and to
make your alma mater more relevant to you.
Visit www.lafayette.edu and choose “Alumni” to visit the alumni web site. Check out news headlines, upcoming events,
travel opportunities, an online version of Alumni News, a link to subscribe to the Marquis Mailer, and other resources.
Also via the alumni web site, join the Alumni Online Community to read or post online class notes, sign up for email forwarding,
access an alumni directory, post your résumé and view others’, learn about and register for alumni activities through the events
calendar, and provide updated contact information to the College.
Visit www.lafayette.edu and choose “Headlines” to sign up for a daily email containing links to the stories of the previous day
and events information. Download a screensaver program that provides photos and brief summaries of Lafayette news.
Class Notes
1940-1944
warden). He read widely, collected
works by Maine authors and poets, and
was known as a great storyteller with a
sharp mind for details. Charles was an
avid collector of many things and
enjoyed collecting for his children
and grandchildren.
Charles was predeceased by his wife
of 65 years, Jeanne, and his brother,
Edgar. He is survived by his four
children: Barbara Fowler (and her
husband, Nicholas), Dr. Charles Adams
III (and his wife, Marjorie), Phoebe
McKay (and her husband, Bruce),
and Holly Jose (and her husband,
Anthony). Charles also is survived by
11 grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
A memorial service is planned at
Ocean Point early this summer.
Robert Riegel died of complications
from a stroke in West Chester, Pa.
During the period 1946–48, there was
no greater amateur golfer than “Skee”
Riegel, winner of the 1947 U.S.
Amateur Open golf championship. “At
one time, for a few years, (he was) the
best amateur golfer in the world,” notes
Robert Mullock, president of the Cape
May (N.J.) National Golf Club, where
Skee was golf pro emeritus.
In 1946, Skee set the qualifying
record for the U.S. Open with a
two-day score of 136. At the 1948
Masters, his tournament total was the
lowest for an amateur (293, +5). And at
the 1951 Masters, Skee’s score (282, –6)
placed him runner-up behind legend
Ben Hogan. His last tournament was
the 1964 U.S. Open.
The New Bloomfield, Pa., native
attended Upper Darby High School
and Harrisburg Academy, then went on
to the U.S. Military Academy, Hobart
College, and Lafayette, where he
captained both the football and
baseball teams.
Skee’s wife, Edith, preceded him in
death in 1996. There are no survivors.
(Editor’s note: The Winter 2009
column for the Class of 1940 is available
on the alumni web site. Choose the
magazine icon on the right, then
Past Issues on the left.)
1941
Anthony F. Noto
3414 Drighton Court
Bethlehem, PA 18020-1334
(610) 758-8055
Fund Manager: W. Craig Kennedy
During the 2008 holiday season, we
received best wishes from several
widows of classmates: Alva (Joe)
Marticelli, Helen (Bill) Snyder, and
Winnie (Howard) Swick. We also
heard from my dual classmates (high
school and college) Charlie Berlau and
the Rev. John M. Light, who is now
a great-grandfather. Others who sent
Christmas and New Year’s greetings
are Jim Farrell and Mayo Lanning.
With his son at the wheel, Jim
traveled from his Connecticut home to
attend last season’s Lafayette–Lehigh
football game. He might have minded
the bitter cold less had Lafayette not lost.
As for Mayo, his progeny includes
eight great-grandchildren. Mayo does
not drive, relying on his daughter,
Bennie, to drive him to church, the
library, and shopping. He uses his late
mother’s cane for these excursions and
hobbles around in his apartment by
hanging on to objects. Mayo was to
turn 93 this last May.
Michelle Swick ’09 once again sent
a note of thanks for the scholarship aid
she received from our 1941 Scholarship
Fund. She has expressed her gratitude
multiple times during her four years at
Lafayette. We wish her well, whatever
her career plans.
Now for some personal notes.
Early in March, my ophthalmologist
diagnosed my vision at 20–200, thereby
designating me as legally blind. I no
longer drive and rely on my wife, Janet,
to chauffeur me, mostly to doctors’
offices.
My ophthalmologist has referred me
to a retinal specialist. My problem is
macular degeneration, now the more
severe wet variety. I’m to receive five
monthly injections in my right eye.
There is a chance that if the injections
work as intended, I will no longer be
legally blind. It’s a wait-and-see
situation, literally. As if macular
degeneration were not enough,
I also have cataracts.
Just in case you are not already
aware, the College “in light of difficult
economic times” decided not to print
or mail the Winter 2009 edition of the
Alumni News. However, the Class
Notes section in that edition “will still
appear, though solely online in PDF
format.” To a Neanderthal like me,
that’s gobbledygook. (Editor’s note:
Visit the alumni web site, choose the
Have a healthy summer.
1942
Robert W.B. Johnston
7507 Glenheath
Houston, TX 77061-2823
(713) 644-4212
[email protected]
President: Otto Alden
It is a shame that not many of you old
men have shared your lives with your
classmates.
Scudder Mackey did report in
at the end of the year. Scudder reports
a hospital stay in August for a leg
infection. He now has moved to an
assisted-living facility. Wife Lois is in the
Alzheimer’s section. The new address:
15 Riverwoods Drive, M-216, Exeter,
NH 03873. The Mackey grandchildren
are at Middlebury.
Dar and Betty Schmidt report they
are in pretty good shape and “hanging
in there.”
Raymond Scheck passed away
Jan. 17, reports his wife, Nancy.
magazine icon on the right, then Past
Issues on the left.)
1944
Robert G. Sandercock
1961 Hayes Short Lane
Colfax, NC 27235
[email protected]
Living in a continual-care community
begins to take on a routine that is
becoming a peculiar lifestyle. Each
day, the obituaries are read, the bulletin
board checked for local moves, the
daily journal is consulted, a note may
be written on a calendar, and pills
are collected; there are daily stretches,
tennis dates or golf appointments, and
Class Notes
1944-1947
checking appropriate seasonal sports
roundups on TV.
I have our class obituaries to share
with you. Are you ready for my list from
the alumni office?
William A. Keithler, Jan. 20, 2005,
retired from Ford Motor Company, was
a mechanical engineering graduate and
grew up in Wilson Borough, Pa., a
buddy of Francis Stevens.
Richard A. Weidener, Nov. 5,
retired from National Starch and
Chemical Co., was a chemical
engineering student, member of Sigma
Nu, and a frequent visitor at the class
reunions. Dick and Alice were founding
members of St. Andrew’s Episcopal
Church in New Providence, N.J.
Lawrence G. Jones, Nov. 24, was a
distinguished member of the faculty at
Boston College, where he founded the
department of Slavic and Eastern
languages and literature.
Philip R. Askman, Dec. 26, a civil
engineering student and Sigma Nu,
began his professional career with
Riegel Paper in Milford, N.J., and
moved on to work as a consultant in
Boston with the pulp and paper
industry. His counseling continued in
retirement with church and community
organizations.
Edward H. Relph, March 11, a
member of Kappa Delta Rho and a
mechanical engineering student, carried
on a family tradition in the building
materials industry. When he retired, he
was vice president of the family
company.
All of these class members were part
of the generation that survived the
Great Depression and provided
leadership in communities across our
nation. All of them were veterans of
World War II, raised children, served
their communities, inspired
congregations, were educated beyond
high school, and were warm friends to
all of us. Their memories are fresh in
our minds.
Those of us who remain in the Class
of ’44 have no class president, no fund
manager, and a class correspondent who
can’t type or use modern equipment. A
few people are looking forward to the
65th reunion. They are led by Glenn
Landis, who contributes mightily to
The Graduates.
At this writing, we have promises
that Glenn will be in Easton at
registration to welcome Barry Keen,
Robert Williams, Walter Goetz,
Richard “Rex” Kuhn, Harold
Boddorf, and me. All of us keep hoping
that a few more will respond to our
phone calls and notes and swell the
“crowd.” On, Lafayette!
1946 & 1947
Van T. Boughton Jr.
5124 Fellowship Road
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
(908) 580-0765
[email protected]
1947 Fund Manager:
W. Robert Magee Sr.
Our old friend Percival S. Hill III ’47,
known to us all as Perc, passed away
Nov. 17. For the last few years Perc had
been living with his son in Naples, Fla.
At the time of his death I heard from an
old friend of Perc’s, Dick West ’53,
who said that Perc had been in failing
health for some months.
I knew Perc when he first came to
Lafayette, in the years before we both
went off to the military. More recently,
he and his late wife, Patti, had been
stalwarts in planning our reunions. In
fact, I was poking around in my old
Melange yearbook as I was starting this
column and came across some planning
papers from our 40th reunion in 1987.
Perc and Patti were in charge of
organizing the bar for our hospitality
suite. Sounds natural, doesn’t it?
Perc worked for New Jersey Bell
Telephone Co. for many years before
retiring in 1986. He came to Lafayette
on a football scholarship. With the
name Percival, that must have been
quite a challenge. He remained an
ardent sports fan all his life, was a
former president of the Third Half Club
of Nutley, N.J., and was active in the
Nutley Tennis Club. He also loved
music, starting as a drummer in high
school. Before moving to Florida, he
had lived in Nutley for 75 years.
Dr. Alfred L. Dean ’47 also passed
away last November. After graduating
from Lafayette, he got his dental degree
from Tufts University. He served in the
U.S. Army Medical Corps during the
Korean War, and had been a practicing
dentist in Trenton, N.J., for over
41 years before his retirement.
Arthur J. Dunn ’47 died Jan. 5 at
his home in Sea Girt, N.J. Art had come
to Lafayette after serving as a lieutenant
junior grade on a landing ship, tank, in
the Pacific. Following graduation, he
went to work for the Prudential
Insurance Co. in Newark, N.J. Art had
lived in Sea Girt for 54 years. He was
a past president of the Sea Girt Board
of Education, a member of the fire
company, and active in St. Uriels
Episcopal Church. According to the
newspaper account, he was best known
for riding his bicycle around town to
visit people. He is survived by his wife
of 59 years, Audrey E. Dunn, two
daughters, and three grandchildren.
The College also received notice of
the death of George B. Pugh ’46, but
there were no details.
We can finish on a bright note. Just
in time for this column, I received an
email from Lisa Horn Chainey ’81
giving us an update on her dad, Jack
Horn ’47. Jack now lives in Del Mar,
Calif., and has been retired from his
journalism career for some years. Lisa
says she just can’t get him to write
anymore. I remember well when he
rather forcefully passed (dumped?) the
class correspondent job onto me. It
sounds like Jack is doing great. He
remains very active and healthy. Despite
a hip replacement a year ago, he still is
swimming and walking more than most
folks half his age. He also is a regular
at the Del Mar Race Track when it’s in
season. I was sorry to hear that Jack’s
wife, Pat, had died in 2005, just a few
weeks shy of their 57th wedding
anniversary. Pat was a native of Easton
who met Jack while watching him play
basketball at Lafayette.
Lisa reports that she, her family, and
Jack made a trip to Easton in 2006. It
was a first for her family, and she and
Jack hadn’t been there in 20 years.
Lisa says they really enjoyed it and were
amazed at all the changes. She made a
point of taking Jack to his favorite hot
dog spot, Jimmy’s. They were shocked
it’s no longer a tiny shack on the P-burg
Bridge, but felt the hot dogs lived up to
their memories.
Class Notes
1948-1949
1948
Harvey H. Hunerberg
7015 River Club Blvd.
Bradenton, FL 34202
(941) 351-0303
President: Harvey H. Hunerberg
Reunion Chair: William Lockett Jr.
“The world, it is a-changing”—certainly
our alumni world is. Note these two
items:
I’ve been writing these class columns
for decades. Originally there were five
columns per year. Then four. Now
three. Don’t know why.
Then there are the number of grads
of the Class of ’48. Remember that
bright day in late spring 1948? I did
a head count of our colleagues.
According to the names in The Melange,
there were 257 faces, some stern, some
smiling, all full of promise.
Susan Bradlau of the alumni office
did a printout of the remaining class
members: There are 83 alumni and
33 widows.
Have we lost 188 guys? Or are these
83 only the registered graduates? Where
are—who are—the remainder?
Whatever, the numbers are dismaying.
“We precious few.” Tell me you’re alive
and well, and I’ll have some copy for
those three annual reports.
A couple of details about the
numbers above: Not all were pictured in
The Melange—11 were not shown and
24 were February graduates.
I’ve learned in a missive from the
Class Notes editor that “...a decision
was made in light of difficult economic
times...the Winter 2009 edition of
Alumni News will not be printed and
mailed.” Instead, the News will “appear
online on computers in PDF format.”
So much for us computer illiterates. I
don’t have a clue what that Pretty D.
Formula is, and all this deathless prose
will be unseen...(Editor’s note: Visit the
alumni web site, choose the magazine icon
on the right, then Past Issues on the left.)
We’ve had some mail...
Rex Cox: “Harvey, it was good
talking to you the other day. It has been
almost 64 years since I left Lafayette
College. This is just a short note for
now, but I will be in touch. I am
enclosing a fairly recent photo. I am
sure that you would never recognize
me after all these years.”
I hope that later touch materializes.
Rex has an unusual story that I think
would be of interest to our class.
Harry Fisler: “This is an ‘alive’ note
to balance obit class notes. Home is in
Pinellas County, Fla., near Clearwater
(Oldsmar, near St. Petersburg).
Summers are in the Pocono Mountains.
“My days are happy and healthy,
with regular tennis and fitness center
visits. Drafted in 1944 for World War
II service, active duty stateside.
Concerns about this were met with
the sage advice: ‘You go where they
send you.’
“Somehow, I became a commander
in Naval Intelligence, and a civilian
professional engineer, electrical, by test.
Few of my Lafayette schoolmates would
believe it, but unusual things can
happen. My phone number: (727)
787-9336. Calls are welcome. (Florida,
full time after October 2008.)”
We’ve had a visit too: Bob Nourse
of the alumni office. Bob wears several
hats but seemingly makes annual visits
to some of the alumni. He’s a good
guy; our conversations are enthusiastic—
and too short. His essential message:
Hold the class together through the
Class of ’48 column, and stay in touch
with the College. An extrapolation says
that we are a unique group, thanks to
our makeup and positioning in time.
Hey, we’re something special!
Our “special” class is diminishing
in size. I’m afraid that the count of
88 guys is now down to 85:
“Our family has lost its leader.
On Monday, Oct. 28, Joe Dawyot,
formerly of Syosset, Long Island,
passed away. Born in New York City,
Joe would have been 88 in December.”
He is survived by five children,
13 grandchildren, and four greatgrandchildren. His wife, Margaret,
passed away six years ago. Joe
was a Marine in the Pacific and
at Lafayette was a Sigma Chi.
Yeah, I knew and liked Joe. We
lived for a time not too far apart on
L. I. Peggy, Joe’s wife, wrote the
lively “Passion Flats” for The Lafayette
when I was its editor. Pax vobiscum.
Mel Kaye left our class and this life
in October at home in Basking Ridge,
N.J. He lived in various spots around
New Jersey and was a lieutenant in the
Army Air Corps’ 24th Combat
Squadron, serving in India and the
Philippines in World War II. At
Lafayette, he was a Pi Lambda Phi.
As a civilian, Mel was in the chemical
industry and held several patents. He
leaves Hope, his wife of 59 years, a son,
Jeff, and four grandchildren.
I remember Mel and looked for his
picture in The Melange. A curious thing:
He wasn’t there! No entry, and not
shown or listed among the February
grads, or the “no pics” people. But
he is listed among the printout of the
remaining 88 alums.
We have still another loss:
John Lang Speer Jr. made 88 years
but died Jan. 23. John lived most of his
life in South Bend, Ind., township and
was married to Jean. He was father to
Alice and John L. III. There are four
grandchildren and two great-grandkids.
I don’t believe I knew John, but I
looked him up in The Melange too—and
found him not pictured either. But he is
listed: a Chi Phi and a Kappa Phi Kappa.
This last is an honorary education
fraternity, of which I also was a member,
so it may be that we were friends.
Further, John was a teacher in the
Pittsburgh Public Schools for 32 years.
Coincidentally, we both retired from
teaching in 1981.
Well, there it is. Write us; we
precious few need to hear from you.
All the best.
1949
Werner Hennig
8310 E. Bronco Trail
Scottsdale, AZ 85255-2172
(480) 585-4790
[email protected]
President: Harrison W. Wright
I hope that as many of you as possible
returned to our Lafayette College for
our 60th reunion.
While I never missed a reunion
during my first 50 years, I am now so
handicapped, I can no longer travel.
Since I grew up in the Easton–
Phillipsburg area, reunions always
meant something special to me.
I must now give you the unpleasant
news of some of our classmates who will
never attend another reunion.
Leonard Spitale passed away March
19, 2008, in Miami. He was born in
Easton and was a member of the U.S.
Army Air Corps. After graduating from
Lafayette and attending the University
Class Notes
1949-1950
Lafayette hits the Amalfi
(Italy) Coast, November
2008: (L–R) Whit Whitman
’49 and wife Sally, Dan
Sanftleben ’54 and wife
Elsie, Jean Hughes
(wife of Frank ’51), Wynne
Whitman ’86, and Shirley
and Dick Rathemacher ’54.
of Miami School of Law, he was a real
estate attorney. After retiring from
practicing law, he became an avid pilot
and a flight instructor. He was born in
Ancon, Panama, and attended the
University of Puerto Rico and MIT, and
graduated from Lafayette, where he was
a member of Kappa Sigma. He was a
veteran of World War II. He was
employed with DuPont Co. at Louviers,
Colo., as a design engineer. He was Boy
Scout leader of Troop 44 of Oxford, Pa.
Robert M. Logeman died Dec. 14.
He was an Army veteran during the
Korean War. He helped found ChaseLogeman Corp., retiring as chief
executive officer in 1999.
Rev. Lewis E. Bender passed away
Nov. 18. During his career he served
Betsy and Gig Gallagher ’49 avoided the
freezing playing conditions up north by
watching the Lafayette–Lehigh game at
a telecast party in sunny Florida.
numerous churches along the East
Coast. He was laid to rest at the First
Presbyterian Church Cemetery in
Woodbridge, N.J.
1950
Irving S. Bravman
211 Colonial Homes Drive NW,
Apt. 2309
Atlanta, GA 30309-5201
[email protected]
President: Donald B. Chubb
Fund Manager: Donald B. Chubb
Reunion Chair: James R. Madara
Web Page Administrator:
Irving S. Bravman
We’ll start with a couple of brief notes.
Frank Chipman writes he is retired,
and he and Gloria moved in August to
Cypress Glen, a continuing care
community, in Greenville, N.C. John
Fox has retired from John R. Fox Inc.,
sold his home in Green Pond, N.J., and
relocated with Irene to Naples, Fla.;
they still go back to New Jersey in July
and August because “it is too hot in
Naples.”
Unfortunately, the class has lost a
record number of classmates during the
few months leading up to my writing
this column.
Maj. Gen. Francis Gerard of Point
Pleasant, N.J., passed away Nov. 1.
After graduating from high school in
1941, he enlisted in the Army Air
Corps. He was commissioned as a
second lieutenant and rated as a pilot in
August 1943. During combat service in
World War II, he flew P-51 Mustangs
based in England. He completed two
combat tours of 420 combat hours in
92 aerial missions. He was an ace,
having destroyed eight German fighters
in aerial combat, four of which were shot
down near Leipzig, Germany, Sept. 11,
1944. After the war, he graduated from
Lafayette and became a lawyer. He also
joined the New Jersey Air National
Guard, eventually rising to the rank of
major general. He was recalled to active
duty for the Korean conflict and again
for the Berlin crisis. Francis served as
adjutant general of New Jersey from
1982 to 1989. His military and civic
awards are too numerous to mention.
His wife, Dr. Adriana Stolte-Gerard,
survives him; he had been widowed by
his first wife, Yolanda. Also surviving
are two sons and two daughters, three
stepsons, four grandchildren, two
step-grandchildren, three brothers,
and a sister.
We also lost Richard Walborn,
March 7, in Wyomissing, Pa. He had
been the owner and operator of
Windsor Services of Reading, Pa., for
25 years. He served in the Navy and
was stationed in the southwest Pacific.
He was the widower of Billie and is
survived by two sons, two daughters,
and 12 grandchildren. He was a
faithful volunteer for the Lutheran
Home at Topton, Pa., and the Berks
County Meals on Wheels program.
Robert Bailey of Ambler, Pa.,
died Feb. 16 after a short illness. Bob
was a sales manager for the Courier
Corporation of Lowell, Mass., for his
entire career. He was a graduate of
Lower Merion (Pa.) High School and a
member of its 1941 state championship
basketball team. He attended the
University of Virginia and served in the
armed services during World War II.
He then entered Lafayette and was a
member of the varsity basketball squad
and Zeta Psi fraternity. He was an avid
golfer and Philadelphia sports fan.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia,
a daughter, two sons, seven
grandchildren, and two sisters.
On Feb. 17, we lost Howard
Mellen of Warren, N.J. He was a
World WarII veteran, having served in
the U.S. Army. He graduated from
Lafayette with a degree in mechanical
engineering. His career included 10
years with Weston Electric Instrument
Class Notes
1950-1951
Co., followed by service with
Photomation Inc., Englehard
Industries, Gulton Industries, and
lastly, Picatinny Arsenal, for 20 years
until his retirement in 1982. He was
an avid swimmer and loved swimming
in the ocean. He belonged to the
American Society of Mechanical
Engineers and was active with the Cub
Scouts and Boy Scouts of America.
Surviving are his wife of 57 years,
Marian, three sons, five grandchildren,
two brothers, and two sisters.
Thomas Bushallow of Owasco
(Auburn), N.Y., passed away Feb. 8.
After graduating cum laude from
Lafayette, he also graduated from
Syracuse University and St. Tikon’s
Orthodox Theological Seminary in
South Canaan, Pa. An educator, he
retired from Shaker High School in
Latham, Pa. He was an active member
of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in
Auburn and a church choir director
on weekends. He was a dedicated
sportsman and loved the outdoors.
I also was told that he attended
Lafayette reunions with both the classes
of 1950 and 1951. He was unmarried
and is survived by a brother and sister
and several nieces and nephews. Rev.
Dan Ressetar ’51 , a close friend of
Thomas, assisted at the funeral services.
And Ralph Atno passed away Jan.
25 in Allentown, Pa. He was the
director of engineering for Pidcock Co.
in Allentown, where he worked for
more than 40 years before retiring. He
was a longtime member of the West
End Kiwanis Club and served in the
Army during World War II. He was
predeceased by his wife, Florence, and is
survived by a son, a daughter, and four
grandchildren.
Dr. Nicholas Petruccelli of
Bethlehem, Pa., died Jan. 10 after a
brief illness. After graduating from
Lafayette, he received his medical
degree from Temple University School
of Medicine. He was a family
practitioner in Bath, Pa., for 40 years,
retiring in 1995. He served in the Air
Force during World War II. Survivors
include his wife of almost 53 years,
Thelma, a son, a daughter, a brother,
two sisters, and seven grandchildren.
On Nov. 12, Robert May of
Herndon, Va., passed away. In 1944, he
joined the Air Force, earning the rank
of flight officer, operating P-40 and
P-51 single-engine aircraft during
World War II. He graduated from
Lafayette with a degree in civil
engineering and joined J. E. Greiner
Consulting Engineers, where he
participated in the building of the
Delaware Water Gap and Baltimore
Harbor Tunnel. In 1960, he was
employed by the Defense Intelligence
Agency as an intelligence research
specialist, retiring in 1984. He was a
member of the American Legion,
Herndon Historical Society, and
Sterling United Methodist Church. He
was predeceased by his wife, Gladys,
and is survived by two sons, a daughter,
eight grandchildren, and two greatgrandchildren.
I am also sorry to have to report the
death of Walter Locher of Springfield,
Pa., Oct. 16. He was an insurance
underwriter for Bituminous Insurance
Casualty, retiring in 1990; he was
formerly employed by AIG Insurance
Co. He served in the Army with the
11th Armored Division. Walt loved big
band music and was a former member
of the Delchordian Barber Shop
Chorus. He was a volunteer for Meals
on Wheels and an avid golfer, and he
loved reading and traveling. Surviving
are his wife, Odette, two sons, a
stepbrother, and six grandchildren.
Gilbert Diamond passed away
March 15 in McMurray, Pa. Gil
graduated from Springfield High
School, Montgomery County, Pa.,
where he was the center on the 1944
championship football team. He worked
for General Electric Lamp Division until
his retirement in 1985. He had a cabin
in Emporium, Pa., which he thoroughly
enjoyed during the summer months.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia, to
whom he was married for 50 years, a
son and two daughters, and his twin
brother, Thomas.
On March 16, we also lost Edward
Ripley of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia.
He died of Alzheimer’s disease at St.
Joseph Villa, a health care community
where he had lived for the last three
years. He enlisted in the Navy at age 17
and served on a destroyer in the Pacific
during World War II. After graduating
from Lafayette, Ed earned a master’s
degree in philosophy from Columbia
University in 1953. After working at
banks in New York and Norfolk, Va., he
earned a certificate from the Graduate
School of Banking at Louisiana State
University, and he joined the
Philadelphia brokerage firm Studley
Shupert Co. He subsequently was
president and chief executive officer of
the Philadelphia investment firm
Resource Management Group until it
merged with First Pennsylvania Bank in
1973. He then became a vice president
of Legg Mason Capital Management,
retiring in 2001. He was a member of
the Society of Mayflower Descendents
and of the Military Order of Foreign
Wars, and he was a governor of the
Society of Colonial Wars of
Pennsylvania. His wife, Elizabeth,
survives him, along with a son and a
daughter, a sister, and three
grandchildren.
As you may know, the College
decided not to publish a printed edition
of the Winter 2009 issue of Alumni
News. But you can view the Class Notes
by visiting the alumni web site,
choosing the magazine icon on the
right, and then Past Issues on the left.
I would like to list the obituaries that
were written for that column. If you
would like to have a copy of the column
that was not published and can’t access
it online, please write me, and I will
mail it to you—and at the same time,
how about an update on yourself. The
obituaries reported for the Winter 2009
column are: William B. Jackson Jr.,
Walter Louis Balk, John Henninger,
Raymond Mack, Alfred Blazejowski,
Robert W. Miller, and Charles
Morgenthaler Sr. This is the most
difficult column I have ever had to
write, and I am sure our classmates join
me in extending sincere condolences to
all of these families.
And one final note: Next year will be
the BIG 60—it’s not too early to start
to think about attending Reunion.
1951
John B. Cornish
1424-C Catasauqua Road
[email protected]
President: Joseph I. Diamond Jr.
Fund Manager: Henry Kohlenberger Jr.
Reunion Chair: Richard H. Knox
Richard “Whitey” Werner sends
greetings to all from “Down Under.”
His wife, Miep, is editor of the monthly
newsletter for their village of
Currimundi Lake that gives a great
Class Notes
1951
insight into life in Australia. Be sure to
visit when you are “Down Under.”
Henley Smith asked that we use his
new email address: [email protected].
James E. Zilli and Barbara noted
he has retired from Flour Corp. and is
residing in Irvine, Calif. Both sons are
married, one daughter is studying
nursing, and the other has a husband
who is a stockbroker. Between them
they have four children and two
grandchildren, all of whom live in
California.
Allan S. Woods sent a news article
proclaiming his role as ambassador for
men’s field hockey. The Norwalk,
Conn., newspaper reported that Allan
attended every Summer Olympics from
1976 to 2004 (except the boycotted
games of 1980). He has over six
decades of involvement, including seven
Olympics. This has given him the
opportunity to “see the world.”
Robert Blackwell wrote of
retirement with his wife of many years,
Beverly. Bob has served as a Presbyterian
minister at three churches: Orchard Park,
N.Y., and Plainsboro and Kearny, N.J.,
for 33 years, now pastor emeritus.
Daughter Beth teaches at Columbia
(S.C.) High School, and son Bruce
works at the American Italian Pasta Co.
in Columbia. Bob and Bev live near their
son. They have two grandchildren and
are very active in church.
Richard Walthour wrote from
Mason, Ohio, at his excellent retirement
community, Mason Christian Village.
His missionary son is back from 20
years in Africa and is now a pharmacist
in Mansfield, Ohio. His other son is the
IT manager for Fresno County, Calif.
Robert Goodfellow sent an email to
greet all, from Lee and Bob. (No news!)
The Very Rev. Fr. Daniel D.
Ressetar and Theodora celebrated their
50th wedding anniversary in April
2008, planned by their three sons.
Nicholas ’81 helped plan with a video
of the wedding, photos, etc., set to
music of “Sunrise, Sunset,” which you
can see on YouTube.com. Use keyword
Ressetar then 50th.
We will miss these 10 classmates at
the next reunion:
Robert G. Becker, May 8, 2008,
reported by Susan after 49½ years of
marriage. Son Bob and daughter Timm
’85 helped her move 32 years of
memories to a new residence in Medford
Leas, a continuing care retirement
community, where many friends from
Moorestown, N.J., already reside.
Richard A. Deal, Sept. 19. Dick
served as an Army second lieutenant in
Korea after graduating. He enjoyed
travel and sports. His wife of 50 years
was Marcia. Their sons, Jeffrey and
Steven, and daughter, Cynthia, provided
them with three grandchildren. Dick
worked in sales with Edgecomb Steel
and advanced to president of Barbour
Brothers Steel in Pennington, N.J.
Anthony P. Fortino, Jan. 4, at his
home in Pennswood Village, Newtown,
Pa. He was born in Easton, served in
the Army after graduation, and worked
for Pennsalt Chemical Corp. for 40
years, retiring in 1991. His wife of 55
years, Helen Leah Fortino, and children
Marguerite, Katherine, Nancy, and
Phillip, along with his three sisters, will
miss him. Grandchildren are Kate, D.J.,
Meredith, Emily, and Caroline. Toodles,
his devoted dog, remains. Memorials go
to Bucks County SPCA in Lahaska, Pa.
George M. Hoth, Sept. 1, was
reported by daughter Karen. She
mentioned he had fond memories of
Lafayette. Her grandfather, F. Milton
Hoth, was Class of ’26. She has
memorabilia of both of them at
Lafayette tucked away with family
treasures.
Milton A. Jolliffe, Jan. 19, in
Hershey, Pa. Milt was born in
Connellsville, Pa. A Sigma Chi brother,
after graduating he served in the Army
in Korea. He was a member of the
Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey,
an avid golfer, and enjoyed travel and
Penn State football. Marjorie, his wife
of 56 years, gave him three daughters,
Kathryn Lee, Carol Peek, and Nancy
Burke, and four grandchildren, Ryan
Peek, Christine Turner, and Robert
and William Burke.
Alexander M. MacColl, Feb. 1, was
an award-winning and highly respected
headmaster of Moorestown Friends
School, N.J. His devotion to American
history was rewarded by witnessing the
inauguration of President Obama. He
was drafted in 1945 and served in the
Army 13 months in the Philippines.
He was awarded the American Friends
of Lafayette Medal for his study of
American history. After a master’s
degree at the University of
Pennsylvania, he taught and was
assistant headmaster at the Friends
Select School in Philadelphia. After
retiring, he moved to Maine to enjoy
golf and sailing. At the First Parish
Unitarian Church of Kennebunk,
Maine, he volunteered with the
Court-Appointed Special Advocate
Association, offering services for
children needing fostering or adoption,
and was awarded the Governor’s State
of Maine Volunteer Award. He climbed
to the top of Mt. Katahdin! He
continued learning in retirement,
reading The New York Times to follow
his passion of American history.
Michael B. McGraw, brigadier
general, U.S. Army, Dec. 11. We
reported in our last Class Notes that
Mike had fallen from a ladder and was
badly injured. He was born in the
Philippines of military parents and grew
up in Atlantic City, N.J. He was active
in ROTC at Lafayette. He received a
master’s in business administration from
the State University of New York in
Albany in 1969. While in the Army
Reserve, he served in Korea and then
the Berlin crisis in 1961. He attended
the Army and Navy War colleges and
was awarded the rank of brigadier
general at the end of his career. He
worked with consulting firms and with
the Massachusetts Water Resources
Authority to clean up Boston Harbor.
He married Catherine (Goodell) in
1951, and in 1970, they moved with
three children to Concord, N.H. They
have two sons, a daughter, and four
grandchildren. He was an active
member of Trinity Episcopal Church
and the Concord Rotary. On
retirement, he enjoyed flying, sailing,
sports cars, and building wooden ship
models.
George Nash Shaeffer Jr., March 11.
He was married to Marguerite (Clarke)
for 52 years. Daughter Heather and her
husband, Richard Pool, provided
granddaughters Kristin and Machaela.
George graduated from Woodbury
(N.Y.) High School, Lafayette, and the
Wharton School of Government at the
University of Pennsylvania. He retired
from the New Jersey State Department
of Community Affairs as bureau chief.
In World War II, he was a Naval Air
cadet on the carrier Ticonderoga in the
South Pacific. At the Calvary Baptist
Church in Woodbury, he was an
active teacher and Sunday School
superintendent. As a foster parent, he
helped establish Robin’s Nest and was
treasurer for Woodbury Friends School,
Class Notes
1951-1952
and was a 4-H Horse Club leader. Many
communities honored his work and
dedicated service.
Clarence R. “Dick” Stahl Jr.,
March 11. Dick was born in Hallton,
Pa., and served in the Navy during
World War II in the Pacific theater. He
was employed by GAF, Wayne, N.J., as
a chemist and then as head of the lab
for Tarkett Corp. in Whitehall, Pa. At
Lafayette, he was a Sigma Chi brother
and member of the American Chemical
Society, the Fleas Club, and Citizens
Hose Co. Clarence also was a member
of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite
Catholic Church in Easton. His wife,
Naomi Ruth (Jacob), and many nieces
and nephews who loved him like a
father will miss him.
Jay Anthony Whalen, Dec 25. The
obituary was not available at press time.
1952
Cyrus S. Fleck Jr.
409 W. Pierce St.
Easton, PA 18042-1757
[email protected]
John D. Kinard
209 Buttonwood Way
Glenside, PA 19038-3305
[email protected]
President: Cyrus S. Fleck Jr.
Fund Manager: Hugh H. Jones Jr.
Reunion Chair: John D. Kinard
Cyrus S. Fleck Jr.
First, the good news is another
classmate’s grandchild enrolled with the
Class of 2012, namely Heather Keefe,
daughter of Harry ’83 and Carol
Ashton ’82 Keefe and granddaughter
of Fred and Shirley Ashton. Heather
will represent the third generation of
the Ashton clan to attend the College
on the Hill. Fred and Shirley are blessed
with FIVE Lafayette graduates.
On Feb. 21, John “Bruiser”
Kinard represented the class and
College at Princeton University for the
honoring of Pete Carril when the
Jadwin basketball court was renamed
Carril Court. The ceremony attracted
legions of former players and Tiger
greats.
I notice in the recent Alumni News
that our second baseman, Ray Angle,
has hosted our Sarasota, Fla., alumni.
According to the recent college
directory, George Carter also is
residing in Sarasota.
Arlina DeNardo, director of
student financial aid, has informed us
that two students received grants
totaling $15,746 from the 1952
Scholarship Fund for the 2008–09
academic year: Samantha A. Chalmers
’11, a biology major, dean’s list student,
and grandniece of Neal MacKenzie,
and Bryan Hendrickson ’10, the
grandson of Arthur H. Hendrickson
’51. Bryan, a civil engineering major, is
a dean’s list student. The financial aid
office makes every effort to award
grants to students who have relatives in
our class or a class close to ours. I have
received from both recipients notes of
gratitude for our support.
At the April 3 Scholarship Dinner,
Jane and I represented the class and
hosted our scholarship recipient,
Samantha, at our table. She is very much
involved with college activities and keeps
focused on her biology program.
The news of active classmates
enjoying retirement and remembering
college years has not reached Bruiser
or me. Our great class has been reduced
by too many fond farewells.
Not too long ago, I received a phone
call from Charley Jaquith, now living in
Kennesaw, Ga., who wanted to be sure
we knew about the passing of his Sigma
Nu roommate, C. Harmon Brown.
Harmon, from an obit in the New
York Times, died Nov. 14. In his junior
year under Coach Art Winters,
Harmon was a Middle Atlantic Track
and Field three-time high hurdles
winner. Other classmates who led the
Leopards as Middle Atlantic champions
were sprinter Ed Fager and weight
competitors Charley Jaquith and Chuck
Magee. Following college, Harmon
graduated from the George Washington
School of Medicine. His medical career
included stints as intern, resident, and
chief resident of internal medicine at
Emory University Hospital. He served
in the Navy as a lieutenant commander
at the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense
Lab in San Francisco. Since 1962,
Harmon served as a professor of the
Stanford University School of Medicine
in Livermore, and spent 17 years as
director of student health services at Cal
State University–Hayward. He has been
a club, school, and intercollegiate coach
since 1953, primarily in the throwing
events, with several regional champions
and three Olympians. Harmon was
named to 10 National Team coaching
positions between the Pam Am Games
in Winnipeg in 1967 to the 1986
Goodwill Games in Moscow. His top
assignments included the 1975 tour of
the People’s Republic of China and the
1976 U.S. Olympic Team, where he
was the field events coach. He was one
of the National Team physicians at the
1982 Pam Am Games in Venezuela, the
1985 World Cup in Canberra, Australia,
and two World Championships (Rome,
1987, and Tokyo, 1991). Harmon was
also among the first class of inductees to
the new hall of fame for the Pacific
Association of USA Track & Field. We
thank Harmon for his distinguished
service to the medical profession and
track and field.
Other farewells:
William C. Brown passed away
Dec. 5 in Tracy Sutter Community
Sherri Jones, director of
alumni affairs, and John
“Bruiser” Kinard ’52 chat
at the Philadelphia Alumni
Chapter dinner.
Class Notes
1952-1953
Hospital. He graduated with a
bachelor’s in economics. He spent most
of his career with General Electric. He is
survived by two daughters and two sons.
William P. Hogan Sr. passed away
Nov. 21 in Easton. Bill, a dean’s list
student, earned his bachelor’s in
English. He was a member of SAE and
a dedicated leader in campus activities,
including Knights of the Round Table
news editor, managing editor of The
Lafayette, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and Pi
Delta Epsilon. Bill graduated from the
Georgetown University Law Center and
spent his legal career in his hometown.
He was a familiar presence in his
community, highlighted by his service
as the city solicitor. He is survived by his
wife, Leitha, six children, and nine
grandchildren. Bill’s father, Charles
Hogan, also a former attorney,
graduated with the Class of 1923.
Charles Von Stein passed away
Nov. 19. A member of Alpha Chi Rho,
for which he served as president, he
earned his bachelor’s in administrative
engineering. He was a member of the
Engineers (ASME) and the Interfraternity Council. He spent most his
career in south Florida as a commercial
property developer and manager. He is
survived by his wife, Gloria, six children,
and nine grandchildren.
John M. Maris Sr. died April 19,
2008. He earned his bachelor’s in
mechanical engineering and was a
dean’s list student, a member of ASME
and the ROTC rifle team, and a brother
in Theta Delta Chi. John spent his
career in the family business, J.B. Maris
Co., and in 1984 became president of
Maris Grinding and Lapping Company.
He is survived by his wife, seven
children, and three stepchildren.
Henry F. Oram passed away
March 17, 2008. He earned his
bachelor’s in civil engineering and was
a dean’s list student and member (for
life) of the American Society of Civil
Engineers. Henry served in the Army
Corps of Engineers in World War II.
He was a licensed New Jersey
professional engineer and worked for
CNJ and Conrail railroads. His
survivors include two sons, a daughter,
and a brother.
Lawrence Smith and James
Lindenmuth also joined the list of
fallen heroes. There was no further
information available at press time.
Let’s hear from Dick Wolfenden
and the Zete trio of William Dearth,
Charles Gregory and William Sabater.
Stay well, be well, keep active, and do
good. On to greater days.
Cy
1953
Leon H. Fox Jr.
6 Firethorne Circle
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444-2405
[email protected]
President: Alan FitzGibbon
Fund Manager: George E. Patton Jr.
Reunion Chair: H. David Moore Jr.
Lois and I attended the Alumni
Recognition Luncheon along with
George and Lorraine Patton in
November. We then witnessed the
unfortunate football loss to Holy Cross.
George further reported that they were
looking forward to their grandson
Philip’s graduation in June 2009 from
Severn School. Philip is a top-notch
soccer player and also has the lead roles
in most of the school musicals. George
has retired after 35 years of service from
the Water and Sewer Authority.
Lorraine is recovering from a minor
stroke but continues with Music in the
Park and all her other activities. In
March, George and Lorraine went to
Phillies Spring Training in Florida.
George is encouraging our class to
contribute to the scholarship fund even
though he realizes “times are tough.”
He forwarded a letter from the current
recipient, Bryan Hendrickson ’10,
wherein Bryan stated, “I probably
would not have been able to attend
Lafayette had it not been for your
generosity in scholarship funding.”
Bryan goes on to say, “The individual
attention I have received from my
professors in times of need has been
outstanding…the professors here truly
do care about the success of the
students.” Bryan’s grandfather is
Art Hendrickson ’51.
Dave Goehring reported as follows:
“Anne and I are thinking of a little
travel this year. If I am wearing kilts
next fall, you will know we made it OK.
(Did you ever see a German wear kilts?)”
Bill Jacob reported as follows: “Joyce
and I attended our granddaughter’s high
school graduation in Cary, N.C., on the
way home from last year’s reunion. Went
to San Francisco, Yosemite, and Pebble
Beach in September and getaway
vacations in January at Cedar Key and
earlier this month at Amelia Island (both
in Florida), only a couple hours away. We
have been living the good life as retirees
while we still have money, which may
not be much longer with the stock
market. We were hoping to get to the
reunion this year, but it is looking
doubtful, since we have a grandson’s
college graduation in North Carolina
in early May, and then our twin
granddaughters’ high school graduation
in the Chicago area in late May. Hope
this helps fill up your column. Say hello
to all our classmates at the reunion,
unless by some small chance we get
there and do it ourselves.”
James Thaidigsman is a retired
professor of medicine at the University
of Washington School of Medicine. He
still competes in small sailboats, and
both he and his wife, Pauline, spend
most of their time with their extended
family of adult children and
grandchildren.
Charles Flanagan reports that he
and Jane are doing well and are in
Florida gathering some sun and warmth
after a wintry spring in Oak Ridge,
Tenn., their home. “We love the retired
life (since 1995) and manage at least
one international trip a year—last May
to Sicily and Greece with close friends.
In 2005, we toured China and Tibet
with a tour group called Overseas
Adventure Travel. Our group was 16;
we bonded well. We all felt so good
about the group that we’ve stayed in
touch. And in 2007, half the group
gathered in Oak Ridge (they had never
been to Tennessee). Four of our 16 live
in Oak Ridge. We had such a great
mini-reunion that we agreed to try to
get more of the group together. So in
2008 we did it again, and 12 of the
16 came to Oak Ridge. The other
Oak Ridge couple and Jane and I
planned a three-day event, and it all
went smoothly, with a few very special
local tours thrown in. Our tentative
plan this year is for all of us to do
the Copper Canyon in Mexico.
“We are in excellent health, so we
volunteer, staying active in a number of
Class Notes
1953-1954
clubs and groups as well as church. Our
two grown children live in Schenectady,
N.Y., and Seattle, so we keep Southwest
flying with our visits to see family and
four grandkids. We also both participate
in the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued
Learning, a super group that presents
about 50 classes per term geared primarily
to mature adults but covering the
spectrum in content, from physical
sciences to religion to humanities to
you-name-it. We see Charlie Kuehn
and wife Paula each summer in New
Hampshire, near Lake Winnipesaukee,
where they now live. We’ve worked as
staff at a YMCA family camp (Sandy
Island) on the lake the last six summers.
This year, our visit will be limited to one
week—as campers, along with all our
family—a long family tradition. We will
return to camp in mid-August to work as
staff the last two weeks of camp and
Labor Day weekend.”
Vincent Walsh reports that he and
his wife, Susan, are “very healthy old
folks.” He retired from Raychem Corp.
in Menlo Park, Calif., in 2000. He has a
huge history of rare, invented products
at General Electric, the Army, the Navy,
the Marines, Lockheed, Northrop,
Boeing, Rockwell, Hughes, McDonald
Douglas, and more. Vince has invited
all of you to visit him in San Francisco.
We just learned of the March 18 death
of William Grabscheid after a long
illness. Bill was a nationally recognized
expert in bankruptcy and insolvency
consulting. He has eight children and
seven grandchildren. Our sincere
condolences go to the entire family.
Dale M. Meagher died Feb. 20. He
retired in 1989 following over 30 years
of service as a mechanical engineer for
Borg-Warner and York International.
Our sincere condolences go to his wife,
Marilyn, children, and grandchildren.
Our sincere condolences go the
family of Curtis A. Wayland, who
died Jan. 4. He is survived by his three
children and seven grandchildren.
Curtis was an active member of the
Tuckahoe YMCA as well as a patron
of the Richmond (Va.) Symphony and
local theater.
Lois and I spent two weeks in Aruba
during February and arrived home in
time for our children to do a surprise
50th anniversary party for family and
friends. We have been celebrating since
December, when all of the family spent
a week in Cancun.
Once again my sons, Craig ’84 and
Jeff, and three grandchildren went to
the Final Four in Detroit. It was nice
to have a hometown team to cheer,
even though the results were not as we
wanted.
1954
John A. Ferrante
4 Del Mesa Carmel
Carmel, CA 93923
[email protected]
President: Ronald E. Philipp
The Winter Alumni News was not
published as a hard copy. Instead, it
was published on the Lafayette alumni
web site; choose the magazine icon on
the right, then Past Issues on the left.
The following is a summary of the
four death notices shown there.
Thomas Attinello, age 81, of
Easton, passed away Aug. 13 in Easton
Hospital. He was a member of Phi
Kappa Tau, Newman Club, and the
Engineers (ASME), Association of
Fraternity Advisers, and Sigma Alpha
Epsilon.
Ellis B. “Bud” Cook Jr. of
Madison, Conn., died Aug. 15. Bud
was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon,
ASME, Maroon Key, Interfraternity
Council, Fraternity Council, and
played intramural sports.
David A. Cope, M.D., 76, of
Bethel Township, died Oct. 13 at
home. He sang in the Lafayette Choir,
was a member of Sigma Nu and
Calumet, played on the soccer team,
and worked on The Melange.
John T. Rightor, M.D., 77, of Oil
City, passed away Oct. 21. He was the
Class of ’54 fund manager. At
Lafayette, he was a member of Phi
Kappa Psi and the choir, and played
intramural sports. His wife, Helen,
sent a note to Lafayette thanking us
for our friendship with John. She
reminded us that John got the
nickname “Saint Lo-Lo” at Lafayette
and that he never changed.
Hubert T. Marshall II died
March 30 at Vassar Brothers Medical
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1952
Jarrett W. Jennings
2/6/09
Abner Millard
2/16/09
Carl K. Friedland
3/6/09
William R. Transue
2/3/09
Robert G. Asch
2/22/09
John E. Emmett
12/20/08
Norman A. Hill
3/6/09
Donald E. Davey
9/2/08
George H. Hanlon
1/11/09
Benjamin D. Raub
9/14/08
Charles S. Yost
2/6/09
David K. Aldrich
3/7/09
Karl F. Gray
1/7/09
Charles F. Adams
2/18/09
Robert K. Hoffman
1/19/09
Robert Riegel
2/22/09
Theodore W. Gumpert 6/14/08
Raymond Scheck
1/17/09
Melvin H. Friedman
12/4/08
Warren W. Hampe Jr.
1/28/09
Willard G. Quin
12/15/08
Philip R. Askman
12/26/08
Lawrence G. Jones
11/24/08
Edward H. Relph
3/11/09
Richard A. Weidener
11/5/08
John H. C. Bye
9/16/08
Jacob I. Fisher
12/3/08
Alfred L. Dean
11/15/08
Arthur J. Dunn
1/5/09
Percival S. Hill III
11/17/08
Joseph T. Dawyot
10/27/08
Melvin S. Kaye
10/30/08
John L. Speer Jr.
1/23/09
Lewis E. Bender
11/18/08
Robert M. Logeman
12/4/08
William W. Robertson Jr. 1/30/09
Ralph P. Atno
1/25/09
Robert S. Bailey
2/16/09
Thomas D. Bushallow
2/8/09
Gilbert F. Diamond
3/15/09
Francis R. Gerard
11/1/08
R. Walter Locher
10/16/08
Robert J. May
11/12/08
Howard G. Mellen
2/17/09
Nicholas D. Petruccelli 1/10/09
Edward F. Ripley
3/16/09
Richard A. Walborn
3/7/09
Anthony P. Fortino
1/4/09
George M. Hoth
9/1/08
Milton A. Jolliffe
1/17/09
Alexander M. MacColl
2/1/09
Michael B. McGraw
12/11/08
George N. Shaeffer Jr.
3/11/09
Clarence R. Stahl Jr.
3/11/09
Jay A. Whalen
9/25/08
C. Harmon Brown
11/11/08
William C. Brown
12/5/08
William P. Hogan
11/21/08
Class Notes
1954-1955
Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He was
born Sept. 30, 1931, in Louisville, Ky.
He earned his bachelor’s in mechanical
engineering. He was in ASME and
the College Church. He was a veteran
of the U.S. Army, serving with the
Ordnance Corp during the Korean War,
attaining the rank of second lieutenant.
He was employed by Texaco in Beacon,
N.Y., as a mechanical engineer until his
retirement. Hubert was very active in
the Fishkill Little League for many
years. He is survived by several cousins
and dear friends.
Charles Spaziani died at his Forks
Township, Pa., home Dec. 6 at the
age of 80. He played on the football
team and received his degree in
economics. “He was the father that I
never had because he was always there
for me, always there for my family,”
said former heavyweight boxing
champion Larry Holmes. Charlie was
known for his role managing Holmes
and for his tenure as a Northampton
County district attorney. Jo-Ann
Spaziani said her husband, known as
“Spaz,” had been battling failing
health for the last four years. He
became Northampton County district
attorney in 1968. After his first term,
he broke county tradition and ran for
re-election and won by a sizable
margin. His tenure was highlighted
by a crackdown on gambling rings
and the illegal drug trade.
Bob H. D. Ellis sent in some
information to the alumni office. He
said, “All I do is keep track of the stock
market.” I spoke to Bob, and he told
me that he is a widower. His wife, Ann,
died in 1997. Classmates will remember
that he graduated in economics. He
wrote for The Lafayette, was a member
of Calumet and Maroon Key, and
played on the tennis team. He lives at
200 E. 60th St., #2B, New York, NY,
10022, phone (212) 905-0180.
Ron Philipp and his wife, Barbara,
have been sending me information as
they get it. Here is more on two
students who are receiving scholarships
from the Class of 1954:
Bryan C. Hendrickson ’10 writes:
“Attending Lafayette College has meant
the world to me. My grandfather
graduated in the Class of ’51 and has
been proud of my choice to attend such
a wonderful institution. I probably
would not have been able to attend
Lafayette had it not been for your
generosity in scholarship funding. I
have participated in the men’s club
rugby team and was elected
recruitment chair for the 2008–09
school year. Through organizing and
taking on some of the responsibilities of
the rugby club, I have learned firsthand
the challenge of keeping membership
high in clubs and organizations. I also
have developed a sense of camaraderie
and fellowship with my teammates that
will last beyond the Hill.” Bryan has
conducted some hands-on research in
the fluid mechanics laboratory. “As part
of a semester project, at the suggestion
of David Brandes, associate professor
of civil and environmental engineering,
some fellow students and I are
conducting research on open channel
flow through various-sized concrete
orifices in the flume. I know that many
undergraduate programs don’t offer
such opportunities, so being involved
in something like this is very exciting.
We plan on running several experiments
this semester on our castings,
continuing where another group’s
research left off last semester. Because
of the lack of research and
characterization of this specific topic,
Professor Brandes has hinted that
publication of the research in an
academic journal may be a possibility
as well! Again, thank you for your
generous contributions toward my
education and future.”
Elizabeth Blake ’12 is the latest
recipient of the scholarship fund. Her
grandfather, Gordon Wright, was
Class of ’56. Elizabeth is a member
of Chamber Singers, a tour guide,
and a representative of the student
government.
1955
John W. Gilbert Jr.
12 W. Edinburgh Road
Ocean City, NJ 08226-4618
(609) 399-3109
[email protected]
President: Ralph O. Doederlein Sr.
Fund Managers: Mark B. Weisburger
Reunion Chair: Roger B. Gordon
More news than usual for a bunch of
guys in their middle 70s: five news items
and four obits. I was assisted by the
Class Notes editor, who did an email
blast.
In Boulder, (L–R) Pam Quin, Ellen and Dan
Greenholz ’55, and Bob Haigh ’60 consider
past Leopard men’s basketball victories
(and hope for future ones) before
Lafayette–Colorado.
The first one comes from a long
distance. Ted Bunten of Hawaii notes
that California, North Carolina, and
Georgia are his second most favorite
places, since five grandchildren are on
the East Coast and four live in San
Diego. He and his wife of 52 years have
a second home in Raleigh, N.C. Their
youngest son is in San Diego at Camp
Pendleton. A naval officer, he is a
doctor soon to go to Afghanistan. At
that time, the Buntens will relocate to
keep his wife and kids company. They
have been traveling often, having a blast
at Munich Oktoberfest last September.
When the son returns from overseas
they plan to sell the Hawaiian house,
then spend a couple of years traveling
worldwide while still able. Ted said they
both love to party and will “grow up
someday.”
Walt Mattheiss of Barefoot Bay
tells us that that he and wife Marta are
enjoying their eighth year in Florida.
The hurricanes of September 2004
destroyed their first home, but they are
in a more pleasant structure now. He
retired from his last job with the Mel
Fisher Treasure Museum prior to right
knee replacement. Walt has six children,
nine grands, and three great-grands in
New Jersey, while Marta has a daughter
in Jersey and several children in
Slovakia. He says Slovakia is beautiful,
having spent 10 days there five years
ago. As an aside, I recall being in
Budapest a few years ago when a guide
in a big church mentioned that the
surnames of Walt and Charlie Matyas
mean the same in Hungarian. I
remember remarking that I knew
one of each in my college class.
Class Notes
1955-1956
Walt’s former roommate, Pete
Fallon, lives in Stuart, Fla., two hours
away. They get together about three
times a year, one of which is for the
Lehigh game at a pub midway between.
Paul Inscho of Madisonville, Tenn.,
sends greetings. Retired for 12 years, he
spent 42 years teaching and 40 being a
high school football official, 16 of them
as a small-college official. Paul served
on the field for 39 years, with his last as
a high school supervisor of officials by
the state Secondary Schools Athletic
Association. He justifiably feels honored
by the latter. He now trains new
officials, observing and evaluating
officials at varsity and JV games. He
was fortunate to have worked over
60 postseason games, plus three state
championships. Paul has been primary
caregiver for their eldest daughter,
who is a widow with multiple sclerosis,
disabled from teaching.
Will Snyder, living near Rochester,
N.Y., says that he retired from 10 years
as manager of the H.H. Robbins
company for Wyeth in Manila. “A very
interesting adventure, and we had some
good times between bombs,” he
remarked. Will and wife moved to New
York State to be with their daughter
and family. However, now their two
local grandsons are both in college, one
working for a Ph.D. Due to his wife’s
health, he does not travel far. He sees
the Lehigh game with brother Jim ’53,
sometimes meeting at a local tavern,
sometimes meeting others half their age
or younger. Bill Jost ’56 and wife
visited the Snyders in fall 2008.
Sandy Lauder and wife Diane still
remain ambassadors at the Dallas/Fort
Worth airport, also volunteering at the
Richard (Texas) police department.
He is past president of their
Pam Quin, (L–R), Marianna
and Bill Goslau ’65, and
Jim Quin ’66 of the Denver
Chapter meet before the
Lafayette–Colorado men’s
basketball game.
homeowner’s association, stepping
down last year after six years due
to term limits. Sandy is keeping busy
in retirement.
Don Davis, of Allentown, Pa., died
Feb. 18 in a local hospital in the Lehigh
Valley. (I usually refer to it as the
Lafayette Valley.) He had been manager
for the eastern school division of
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill until retiring.
Prior to that, Don was a regional sales
manager for Esso-Humble Oil, Drexel
Hill, Pa. He was the president of the
local Kiwanis. Surviving him are his wife
of 47 years, one son, and two grands.
Dick Ritzmann passed away
Dec. 23 while living in Edgewater, Md.
This info first came to me from Sandy
Lauder, then from the College. Dick
was a retired real estate developer and
owner of Muzzy’s Market in
Edgewater. He leaves three sons. He
and Sandy were members of Delta Tau.
Bob Bochroch of East Hampton,
Long Island, N.Y., passed away Feb. 28,
2008. He retired from WABC–TV as an
account executive in 1990. He leaves
his wife, two daughters, a son, and two
grandchildren.
Robert Mellick died Nov. 8. He
lived in Parkville, Md., and is survived
by two daughters and eight grands. In
order to add to this sketchy, belated
information, I looked him up in our
yearbook. I found that while in college,
he lived on Northampton Street in
Easton, received a degree in electrical
engineering, and was active in
intramural sports and the Electrical
Engineering Society.
Alumni Memoriam
1952
1952
1952
1953
1953
1953
1954
1954
1955
1955
1955
1956
1956
1957
1957
1957
1957
1958
1959
1961
1961
1961
1964
1964
1966
1966
1966
1966
1967
1972
1976
1977
1982
1991
1992
2002
George A. Liss
2/12/09
Lawrence K. Smith
3/9/08
Charles H. Von Stein
11/19/08
William H. Grabscheid 3/18/09
Dale M. Meagher
2/20/09
Curtis A. Wayland
1/4/09
Hubert T. Marshall II
3/30/09
Charles H. Spaziani
12/6/08
Donald P. Davis
2/18/09
Robert G. Mellick
11/8/07
Richard R. Ritzmann
12/23/08
Anthony P. Casagrande 11/27/08
Harry S. Koch III
3/6/09
Dirk R. Budd
11/28/08
William S. Habakus
12/31/08
Richard D. Mudge
9/18/08
Mooshi R. Namordi
2/11/09
Ralph A. Bowers
2/26/09
Robert J. Fulmer
2/17/09
Anthony S. Blasco
1/3/09
D. Dale Kleppinger
11/6/08
John T. Kwit
10/11/08
Michael F. Emig
11/11/08
Paul W. Moyer
2/28/09
Robert L. Falciola
1/9/09
Carl R. Kehler
1/11/09
Alan B. K. Rabinowitz
2/6/09
John O. J. Shellenberger III 12/1/08
Russell P. Reed
10/23/08
Andrew P. Mark
2/24/09
Richard W. Nichols
10/28/08
Thomas J. Scheuren
12/3/08
Elizabeth Forsyth Steupert 12/8/08
Cynthia L. Hardenbergh 1/19/09
Robert A. Rossi
2/23/09
Leslie A. Smith
12/16/08
1956
Donald L. Mitchell
365 Carr Hill Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 642-9094
[email protected]
President: Richard W. Graham
Fund Manager: Cornelius Alexander IV
Reunion Chair: H. Kermit Green Jr.
I’ll start this column the same way I
started previous ones, with lament for
the passing of classmates. Anthony
Peter “Tony” Casagrande passed away
Nov. 27 in Gaston, N.C. He was born
and raised in Pen Argyl, Pa., and earned
his degree in mechanical engineering.
Tony worked with Ingersoll Rand for
39 years, 14 of them living with his
family in Milan, Italy. They moved to
Class Notes
1956
Alumni Profile EVAN HINEMAN ’56
Private consultant Evan Hineman ’56 provides intelligence
advice to government and private sector organizations.
With over 50 years of experience, he was honored last year
with the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation
Lifetime Achievement Award.
“When I began my career, the Soviet Union was
building a nuclear arsenal with the intention of holding
the U.S. and the free world hostage,” he says. “The pace
of activity was much slower. Today, the adversary in many
cases does not fly a national flag or have territory, and
the weapons, drugs, hostage-taking, truck bombs, and commercial airliners
are available almost instantly.”
A mechanical engineering graduate, Hineman joined the CIA in 1964. He led
a trajectory analysis division in the Foreign Missile and Space Analysis Center
and held the positions of division director of missile and space systems in the
Office of Weapons Intelligence, associate deputy director for intelligence, and
deputy director for science and technology and director of Program B of the
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He received several CIA, NRO, and
other national intelligence medals. He encourages students to contact him
for advice about the intelligence field.
For More, visit www.lafayette.edu and click on Alumni.
Stanley, N.C., in 1985. Following
retirement, Tony continued devoted
service to Christ Lutheran Church
there and pursued his passion for horses
with membership in the U.S. Equine
and Piedmont Paso Fino Horse
associations. He is survived by Devoe,
his high school sweetheart and wife
of 59 years, daughter Lisa Rabenold,
sons Robert and Michael, and seven
grandchildren. We extend our sympathy
to his family and his Alpha Chi Rho
brothers.
When Tom Hays wrote to report
and express his grief over Tony’s death
(they were Alpha Chi Rho brothers),
he filled in some details surrounding
Tony’s illness. Apparently, he and
Devoe were in California visiting son
Bob when Tony was hospitalized. That
admission eventuated in triple-bypass
surgery. Following his recovery, they
spent three weeks in Italy among old
friends, but unfortunately, Tony
suffered small strokes upon their return
to the States, followed by the massive
stroke that claimed his life. More
recently, Tom’s wife, Alice, spoke with
Devoe, who appears to be coping well
with her sense of loss. More on Tom
and Alice below.
Our lament isn’t lessened with the
death of a good friend, Harry S. Koch
III, March 6. Harry grew up in the
area around Ocean Point, N.J., and in
the past several years was a resident of
the Lakeview/Matairie, La., area. After
graduating with a major in business
administration, he flew for six years
with the U.S. Navy, followed by 35
years with Delta Airlines. In retirement,
he avidly chased the white ball on the
greens and loved fishing. His
membership in Shell Beach Literary
Society and gardening occupied much
of his free time. His wife of 46 years,
Angela, and their children, Harry Koch
IV and Kathleen, survive. Our
condolences to Angela, their children,
and his Phi Psi brothers.
Another bit of news, not sad, but
unfortunate, is that Greer Arthur was
listed erroneously with the Class of ’60
in the new alumni directory. The mea
culpa by Harris Connect, the publisher,
should absolve Greer of any suggestion
that he deliberately tried to falsify his
age. No self-respecting DU would do
such a thing anyway. If you purchased a
copy, you can look him up for yourself,
but if not, here’s a recap of his bio:
After Lafayette, Greer received his J.D.
from Columbia Law School. Eventually,
he became owner of a maritime
business, Greer Arthur & Co., in
Woodside, Calif. For those who want
to be in touch, he resides with wife
Veronica at 540 Moore Rd., Woodside,
CA 94062, (650) 851-7066, gmarthur
@gmaco.com. He and Veronica have
two daughters, Alexandra and Tanya,
and two sons, Vince and Greer III.
If not on paper, Greer, your name
is forever etched in the annals of the
Class of ’56. We will not abandon you.
Back to Tom Hays—he reminded me
of something I forgot I knew, that he
grew up in Emmitsburg, Md., seven
miles from our home here in Gettysburg,
Pa. I often drive across the MasonDixon Line to frequent a favorite
restaurant in Emmitsburg, and to get my
riding mower healed. Something I didn’t
forget about Tom, because I never knew
it, was that he was one of six in his
extended family to attend Lafayette,
including his father. He retired in 1996
after 40 years with Babcock & Wilcox,
and he and his wife, Alice, make their
home in Wadsworth, Ohio. Their two
sons have given them six grandchildren,
but “live too far away.” Tom golfs, fishes
in Canada, loves woodworking, and
contributes what Dr. John Raymond
taught those of us who were in the
college choir, singing with the 60member Canton (Ohio) Men’s Chorus
in 12 concerts a year. When not in the
south or Arizona during winter, Tom
and Alice support their local church,
where he is a trustee, a distinguished
office that entrusts him with a church
key and allows him the privilege of fixing
ruptured pipes and broken windows and
painting peeling walls. Tom didn’t say,
but it must be Presbyterian, since he was
born and bred to the fold, and these
days, we Presbyterians need all the help
we can get.
Good news for all of us comes from
the financial aid office via our class
president, Dick Graham, who proudly
reports on the three recipients of Class
of ’56 scholarships. Keith J. Kesten ’09,
from East Brunswick, N.J., received his
fourth grant. A senior history major, he
holds a B+ average. He is a member of
Phi Kappa Psi and the Lafayette String
Ensemble. Keith is the grandson of our
late classmate Ron Roman. Brian C.
Hendrickson ’10 hails from Belvidere,
N.J., and is a grandson of Arthur H.
Hendrickson ’51. A dean’s list civil
Class Notes
1956
engineering major, Bryan has captained
the men’s rugby club and is active in
the sports marketing club. Another
scholarship recipient and grandchild of
classmate Gordon Wright is Elizabeth
Blake ’12. This is her first grant.
Her home is Downingtown, Pa. She
is a member of the Lafayette Chamber
Singers. We’ll catch up with her
academic progress later. The three
grants total $11,542, the current book
value of the ’56 Scholarship Fund is
$105,500, and the market value was
$169,743 as of Sept. 30.
Speaking of Dick Graham, he
informs me that he and Mary have sold
their Gladwynne, Pa., house, and are
splitting their time between their farm
in Maryland and their ranch in
Wyoming. And get this: Their address
remains Box 739 in Gladwyn, Pa.,
19035. I’ve been brooding over that
living arrangement, wondering how
they’re going to pick up their mail in
Pennsylvania. The only conceivable
explanation: Dick is a Star Trek
aficionado who has broken the classified
code for “beaming up” or “beaming
over” or however you “beam” to
Pennsylvania from Maryland or
Wyoming. Seriously, Dick, we deserve
an explanation.
Have had some nice conversations
with a few conscientious classmates
who are courteous enough to make the
grapevine vibrate with news. Ed Landis
spent a generous nickel and called to
report on his recent travels. He spent
some time with Bill Eldridge while
passing through Florida, and also
revealed that his grandson, Alex
Osuchowski, will enter Lafayette in the
fall. With a humble ounce of pride, Ed
added that Alex is a catcher, which he
hopes will add clout to the Leopards’
baseball fortunes. Surely, the one man
When the Leopard
roundballers met Colorado,
(L–R) Bruce Kahn ’56, Bill
Goslau ’65, Bob Haigh ’60,
and Bill McClure ’63 were
there at the pregame
gathering in Boulder.
in our class who spends more time on
the Lafayette campus than any of us,
Ed needed another excuse to return to
the Hill. Thanks for taking time, Ed!
I was glad to reconnect with Bill
Kent, a sidekick during my four years
in the early 1960s while on the staff of
the Presbyterian Church in Camp Hill,
Pa. At that time, Bill proposed to Tanja,
who said yes. They have a son, Scott,
and still call Camp Hill home. Bill
earned his master’s from Penn State
and for several years, until retirement,
was director of the House Standing
Committee in the Pennsylvania House
of Representatives. Since breaking out
of the state house, he and Tanja have
become frequent flyers throughout the
world. When I said I missed them at
our big 50th reunion, his excuse was
that it would have been too
complicated a logistic to return from
Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle.
It was their second tour of that
forbidding, though magnificent, state.
But he testifies that their favorite place
is Turkey, especially Istanbul, for the
sheer intrigue of its history, its role as
the hinge between Western and Eastern
Europe, and for the incomparable
Hagia Sophia Basilica/Mosque. Bill
promises there is more travel to come.
Dependable and positive Misty
Sayenga sent an email that reads like a
travelogue, packed with people he’s
met and places he’s seen. I felt as if I
were riding in the back seat. For
starters, he and Carlene took off from
Tucson last fall for the long trek to
Easton and the Lehigh game but not
without detours to visit old wrestling
buddies, Fred Braun ’55 in Lake
Quivira, Kan., and Ralph Hutchison
in Fox Chapel, Pa., near Pittsburgh. He
says both of them are in good enough
shape to go a round or two with WWW
(that’s World Wide Wrestling, not
Professor William W. Watt). Fred is
proprietor of small companies that
provide job skills to prison inmates and
still finds time to run and to row his
shell on the lake. Misty found Hutch
still dealing with the aftershock of the
presidential election but happy for
Misty and Carlene’s visit. I had
occasion to talk with Hutch by phone
recently, and he sounds great. He and
Zelene had returned shortly before our
talk from a visit with their daughter
near Los Angeles. Hutch is active in
First Presbyterian Church in Fox
Chapel and spoke enthusiastically about
the congregation’s focus on missions.
In the 1960s, when I was minister at
First Presbyterian Church in Oil City,
Pa., Ralph, Zelene, and family lived in
nearby Franklin.
Getting back to Misty, by the time
he and Carlene reached Easton and the
game, the weather turned bitter cold,
and they were caught without enough
underwear and outer clothing and had
to surrender their seats on the 50-yard
line after the first quarter. He said that
with the snow, wind, and all spectators
wrapped up so tight, he hardly
recognized anyone. On a warmer note,
during the winter months in Arizona, he
and Bryan Satterlee, who has a winter
home close by, often get together. Bryan
and wife Pat took an extended cruise
around Cape Horn in January. Misty
also reported that John Salvador’s wife,
Kathy, fell and broke her hip at a mall
near their home in Lake George, N.Y.
Then to add injury to insult, while
recuperating in the hospital, fell out of
bed in her sleep and fractured the other
hip. Not good, not good at all.
Angelos Paleologos is in periodic
contact with Misty via email, and
recently wrote that his daughter is
living in New Orleans and teaching
dentistry at Louisiana State University.
And as we know from Misty’s past
correspondence, he keeps in touch with
Dieu Khuong-Huu in San Francisco.
One of Dieu’s avocations is photographing driftwood that he artfully
arranges in still-life and sets to music.
Dieu was kind enough to send me one
of his arrangements to download with
the background of Debussy’s La Mer. It
is a lovely piece of art. By the time those
of you with computers read this column,
I’ll have forwarded my copy to you for
download.
Class Notes
1956
And one last tidbit from our class
mystic: Last fall, he learned that Warren
Mann had played in the annual varsity
vs. alumni lacrosse game. Which goes to
prove what I always suspected, that
Phi Gams age slower than the rest of us.
It begs the question: Does getting
slugged with a stick hurt less when
you’re 75? Reply requested, Warren.
Bob Hand is planning to take two
long leaps in the near future. Presently,
he lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., and
has been instrumental in launching a
really creative project in Brazil under
the banner of BizKidz of Brazil,
featured in an earlier issue of the
Alumni News. It is a nonprofit
enterprise designed to help Brazilian
street kids learn new, productive skills,
like paper making, bee keeping,
computer techniques, imprinting
garments, etc. It sounds like a mission,
and knowing Bob, it is. You can check
it out and see for yourself by Googling
“BizKidz of Brazil.” Impressive stuff!
But volunteer service to the less
fortunate is not all that draws Bob to
Brazil; a wedding service is also just
over the horizon. During one of his
volunteer trips to Brazil, he met an
irresistible lady and volunteered to
marry her. She accepted his proposal,
and after the nuptials, date yet to be
determined, they will make their home
in the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio
Grande do Sul, in the small city of
Nova Petropolis. It is set in the lovely
mountainous region of Serra Gaúcha.
But that’s not all the retired electrical
engineer is working on; he’s taking golf
lessons. And since golf is overshadowed
by soccer, Brazil’s national pastime,
Bob dreams of developing golf to star
status there. Can an American golf
neophyte displace soccer as Brazil’s
favorite sport? Stay tuned! Best wishes
for happiness and success, Bob.
(P.S.–Since I’ve retired, I do weddings
anywhere north or south of the
Equator free, except for travel
expenses, of course.)
Since my last offering, Hazleton,
Pa., chum going back to elementary
school days Bob “Fish” Tunnessen and
wife Carol both have been diagnosed
with cancer but are responding well to
therapy and medications. They continue
their annual migration to Florida from
their home in Conyngham Valley near
Hazleton. Prayers for both of them.
Charlie Myers and Donna and Art
Herrmann and Ann spent an afternoon
revisiting old haunts and memories
from their childhood around Red Bank,
N.J. Charlie, Art, and Ann spent years
together in public schools there. Rumor
has it that Ann spent less time in the
Red Bank public system than Charlie
or Art did, but I’ve never been able to
confirm it. Donna Myers, by the way,
hails from the Dakotas and is a
successful marketing consultant,
specializing in outdoor cuisine and
entertaining.
Jim Phelps and wife Jane are
winding up a 108-day tour of the
South Pacific and eastern Asia as I write.
That’s almost a third of a year, Jim!
Who’s putting the dog out and stoking
the furnace at home in Ridgefield,
Conn.? Jim had a distinguished career at
Reader’s Digest, where he earned a vice
presidency. Upon their return, Jane will
undergo arthroscopic surgery. The Phi
Delts hope she recovers quickly and can
make Phi Delt Reunion III at
Homecoming in the fall.
Charlie Sitkin, as I’ve said
previously, has been in Seattle for years
and travels widely. His next destination
is Israel, sometime this year. Having
been to Israel myself, I gave hints about
fascinating sites and digs to visit. Then
my concern about Charlie’s well-being
pushed me to write and ask whether his
feet got wet during the awful flooding
in Seattle. He assures that apart from
being ice-bound, he was high and dry
through it all. I wasn’t sure if I was
assured. I know Charlie—we were
roommates as sophomores—but I never
knew him to be high and dry at the
same time. Just kidding, Charlie. You
were a model of decorum at all times,
in all beer rooms. I hope Marion and I
get to see you this summer, if our trip
to the Northwest materializes.
Another roommate I see occasionally
and talk to more often is Doug Horst.
In our last conversation, he said he was
doing fine following surgery at Sloan
Kettering to excise malignant tumors
from his liver. Although he will be
medicating from now on to prevent
reoccurrence, he is grateful to be doing
what he enjoys most, working outside
with Lennis and visiting their children
and grandchildren. Dick Faust also is
doing well after therapy to deal with his
cancer. He sent me some impressive
pictures of himself collecting maple
syrup around his home in Binghamton,
N.Y. He said that he and Deloris play a
lot but didn’t mention the sport. The
pictures took me back to the fun I
used to have watching Green Acres.
That’s about all the news I’ve
received, except to say that I’m still
holding forth with the wonderful
congregation of the Great Conewago
Presbyterian Church near Gettysburg.
We completed construction on our
new education/community building
in July 2008, and we’re having lots of
enjoyment furnishing it with stuff
and people.
Having said that, I want to
conclude by highlighting a member of
our class who has distinguished himself
and Lafayette, Gerald P. Bodey, M.D.
Gerald’s academic achievements are
already well known within our class.
After marrying wife Nancy in August
1956 in Colton Chapel, he took his
chemistry major and honors to Johns
Hopkins Medical School, where he did
his internship before heading out to
the University of Washington, and
subsequently working in leukemia
service of the National Cancer
Institute. Afterward, he served for
almost 30 years as a physician at the
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in
Houston, ultimately becoming chair of
the department of medical specialties
and chief of infectious diseases. He also
held professorships at the University of
Texas Medical School at Houston and
Baylor College of Medicine. He is
retired with emeritus status, yet goes to
his office once a week. An even more
compelling testament to his skill and
dedication, however, is the corpus of
his writing: He has either authored or
co-written almost 1,100 scientific
publications, among which are chapters
in books and education aids. The
critical value of his writing is confirmed
by his being listed among the 300
most-quoted authors in scientific
literature and his recognition in
seven Who’s Who publications. His
professional and scholarly stature has
taken him to 60 different countries.
He and Nancy have three children and
seven grandchildren. Gerald Bodey
deserves our respect and appreciation
as one more fine example of our alma
mater’s excellence in preparing its
students for service to humanity.
Well done!
For those of you who are literate,
I ask, “Where’s your news?”
Class Notes
1956-1957
1957
Glenn E. Grube
77 Eagle Harbor Trail
Palm Coast, FL 32164-6149
(386) 437-9715
[email protected]
President: Walter Oechsle
Fund Manager: Robert E. Moss
Reunion Chair: Glenn E. Grube
Web Page Administrator: David E. Cary,
www.class1957.net, [email protected]
In early March, I received the following
message from the Class Notes editor:
“I want to inform you of a decision
the College made in light of difficult
economic times. The Winter 2009
edition of Alumni News will not be
printed and mailed. The Class Notes
section that contains your Winter 2009
column will still appear, though solely
online in PDF format. Future editions
should be available in both printed and
online versions.” If you wish to see one
of my better columns, please follow the
following link to the actual PDF copy
of Class Notes Winter 2009. Don’t
forget to print it for posterity: www.
lafayette.edu/press/magazine/
spring09/classnotesW09_final.pdf
I had the opportunity to spend some
time with Bob Mueller in mid-March
at his home in Phillipsburg, N.J. He is
truly amazing! He has probably gone
through more painful procedures than
all of us put together, yet his outlook is
tremendously positive, and he looks
forward to getting out to the next car
show in the Lehigh Valley. He felt bad
Richard Grossmann ’64, P’97 (L–R),
Phil Wolfe ’57, P’86, and Jenny Boyar ’08
listen to President Dan Weiss’ speech at
the Naples/Ft. Myers (Fla.) Alumni
Chapter dinner.
Arr, matey! Members of the Class of ’57 met for a high seas adventure aboard the Carnival
Inspiration. (See column for more details.)
about missing the cruise but was
pleased that we had such a great time.
(Editors note: Bob Mueller passed away
May 21 as this column was going to
print. More details will follow in the
Fall 2009 Alumni News.)
There are some great 2009 cruise
pictures on our web site, www.class1957.
net. Those cruising in late January:
Delia and Gordie Brown, Bette and
Bob Coningsby, Cookie and Rick
Cortazzo, Anne Portlock and Henry
D’Alberto, BJ and Gary Evans, Carol
and Hank Darlington, Joan and Glenn
Grube, Lynne and Blair Ives, Ellie and
Kurt Klunder, Geraldine and Ken
Milhous, Barbara and Alan
Moorhouse, Betsy and John Moser,
Norma and Bob Moss, Loretta and Jim
Sandford, Margaret and Doc Scadron,
Susan and Larry Seggel, Gertrude and
Jack Sies, Joyce and Larry Smith,
Ginny and Russ Smith, Betty and Bob
Stearn, Carol and Jim Vorosmarti, and
travel coordinator and daughter of Betsy
and John, Pam Jacobs and husband
Bob. We missed some late cancellations
mostly due to health reasons—Carole
and Chuck Lusch, Christa and Walter
Oechsle, Rita and Dave Cary, and
Barbara and Cy Blackfan—but we had
them with us in spirit. Bob Rios had
hoped to join us in Cozumel, but
business kept him tied up in Guatemala.
Special thanks to Pam for all the
arranging she did throughout the cruise
and to Ed Feather ’59, who provided
us once again with very distinctive
shirts. When you have five extremely
full days of camaraderie, relaxation,
storytelling, memory sharing, and great
dining together, you could only wish
that every member of the Class of 1957
could have been with us.
David Powell had a heart attack,
is suffering with Alzheimer’s, and is
unable to cruise as he did in 2005.
Roger Nelson sent me a tome extolling
his “unique” experiences on some
personal cruises in the recent past, but
the economy caused him to pass on this
one. Carl Allspaw was only miles away
in Venice, Fla., and claimed that “our
plate is already full, so we will have to
bypass this trip.” (He may have known
that many in our cruise group ordered
two or three appetizers, two entrees,
and multiple desserts AT EVERY
MEAL and then had a midnight pizza.)
I promised another betweenreunions event in 2011; ANY
SUGGESTIONS? Pam awaits our
directions.
Dave Cary is doing a great job with
the web site (see above). If you want to
see the graduation movie that was
shown at our 50th, it is on the site.
Dave also has compiled a memorial list
of deceased classmates and asks anyone
who knows of others who have
departed from our ranks to contact him
([email protected]) so he can add the
name to the list. If you have any
photos, old or new, that might be of
interest to others in the class, please
send them to Dave, and he will add
them to the web site.
Talked at length with Bill Rude,
who appears to be creating a new career
in state-of-the-art technology appraisal
involving black box ventilators and
wind turbines. Good luck with your
latest venture. Dick Poole, another
Delt, sent me a long message wishing
Class Notes
1957-958
Class Notes Deadlines
Correspondents should email their columns in a Word document to classnotes@
lafayette.edu or mail them on a CD to Dan Edelen, Class Notes Editor,
4762 Bardwell Buford Rd., Mount Orab, OH 45154. Class notes may be edited
for length and clarity. Alumni should submit news and photos to their class
correspondent so they are received no later than two weeks before the deadlines
given below.
◆ Fall 2009 issue: Aug. 8, 2009
◆ Winter 2010 issue: Nov. 8, 2009
◆ Summer 2010 issue: April 8, 2010
us all well with the cruise. “One of these
days, if we ever get to Florida or up to
Lafayette, maybe we can get together.
If you and Joan ever come to Houston,
let us know, and if we are here, you are
always welcome to stay with us. We
moved around a lot when I was
working, and unlike you, I have not
kept in touch with any college friends
or fraternity brothers over the years.
Maybe during one of the future
reunions I will not be off on a trip and
will be able to make the trip back and
see some folks.” Many of us look
forward to seeing the Pooles.
We have lost six classmates in the
recent past. Bob Venner, Dick Mudge,
and G. Larry McKnight were listed in
the Winter issue that was not printed
but is available on the web site listed
earlier. William Habakus died in
December in Bethlehem, Pa. He retired
from Bethlehem Steel in 1984. He and
his wife, Louise, recently had celebrated
their 55th wedding anniversary. Dirk
R. Budd passed away in November in
Dade City, Fla. After receiving his
doctorate from the University of
Pennsylvania, he spent his career as an
English and theater professor at St. Leo
University. Mooshi R. Namordi died
in February in Fayetteville, N.Y. He had
a career as an engineer with General
Electric after receiving his Ph.D. from
Purdue University. Our condolences go
out to the families of our classmates.
To close on a high note—thanks to
George Tiger—have you seen the
pictures on the reunion invitation for
June 2009 and these same pictures plus
others in the new alumni directory? Our
class is not only GREAT but is
becoming as FAMOUS as we’ve been
INFAMOUS in the past.
Keep those cards and emails coming
so I do not have to make up new stories
or disinter past stories about you to
include in future columns.
1958
Edward Brunswick
4931 Bonita Bay Blvd., Apt. 801
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
(239) 949-0801
(239) 949-0802 (fax)
[email protected]
Jim Hourihan
8513 Sparger St.
McLean, VA 22102-1715
(703) 821-8225
[email protected]
President: Elbern H. Alkire Jr.
Fund Managers: S. Robert Beane
Reunion Chairs: C. Douglas Cherry,
Spencer A. Manthorpe
David S. Branch,
[email protected]
I, Ed, am writing this column in early
April. Hope all of you are doing well and
enjoying yourselves and your families.
I must start this column by telling an
incident about myself. In early February,
I received a call from the College to
acknowledge that I was going to be at
the president’s luncheon at the RitzCarlton in Naples, Fla. Then they
dropped the small bomb. They asked if
I would introduce the president at the
luncheon to the attendees. Fifty years
out and they pick on me. Obviously, I
was thrilled but then thought that they
probably would have had Bob Yohe
introduce him, but he was going to be
late because of physical therapy for a
recent operation. I thought I did a
pretty good job and fortunately, or
unfortunately, a lot of the faces in the
room I didn’t know, so I didn’t
embarrass our class as its representative.
President Dan Weiss brought us all
up to speed on what is happening at
Lafayette. One of the major topics was
that Lafayette recognizes there is an
economic slowdown and how the
college intends to handle it from the
staff’s point of view and also the
students’. It was a very informative talk,
and the question-and-answer period
that followed was truly fruitful to those
who attended.
The sad news. Ron Murray passed
away May 4, 2008. Unfortunately, the
bulletin that I received only listed his
family and that donations be made to
the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation in
Chicago. I do not know anything about
his work or friends except to mention
that he had a large family that truly
loved him.
The Military Officers Association
of America had a major meeting on
Feb. 26, with its keynote speaker being
Lt. Col. U.S. Army Chaplain Bill
Foreman. It printed a great picture of
Bill, which must have been taken 20
years ago. Good posture, lots of hair,
and a chubby, ready smile. He spoke
of his military experiences and what he
had learned about achieving personal
potential.
Received a lot of mail from the Phi
Delts. There is a reunion at the College
Oct. 10, with a tailgate party starting at
10 a.m. Lafayette plays Columbia at 1
p.m. Joe Bozik says that the after-game
dinner will be at the Café del Mar (was
Belfast Hotel) and rates it five stars. If
you are a Phi Delt and want to get in
on the action, email dmitchell365@
comcast.net. (Now you Phi Delts owe
me a drink for the plug.)
I probably made a mistake and
asked Lem Howell for a few words,
since he was so eloquent at our reunion.
Here goes: “At our 50th reunion, I
mentioned that I was supporting Barack
Obama for president, but the response
was tepid at best. At any rate, I got to
go to the Democratic National
Convention in Denver because my
daughter Helen was on the Obama
finance committee. She was also chair of
the Obama delegation from Washington
State. I sat on the second level between
MSNBC and NBC, right above the
New York delegation. The high point
for me was when Hillary Clinton moved
to suspend the rules so that the
convention could cast a unanimous
ballot that Senator Obama be the
Democratic nominee for president
of the United States, etc. I was also
fortunate enough to get a seat in
Class Notes
1958-1959
section 9 (near the front) for the
inauguration. See, I was at the March
on Washington in 1963 and to see
Dr. King’s dream come true was an
out-of-body experience.” Lem certainly
has his plate full, and as a classmate,
I revel at his tenacity and thought
process. Great, great, great.
You all remember our past class
president, Bill Kurtz. He sent me a
note that the Rotary Club of which he
is president was instrumental in making
the Center for Lifelong Learning in
Sayreville, N.J., a reality. The main
thrust is the School for Autistic Kids.
Bill, great job and I hope you’ll invite
classmates to see the facility—and also
open their pockets.
Dr. Richard Edlich, at the 40th
anniversary of the American College
of Emergency Physicians, received its
highest honor, the James Mills Award,
for developing emergency medical
systems in five states as well as a trauma
system in Virginia. Without pay, he
worked with the Secret Service and
developed a plan that saved President
Reagan’s life when he was shot. He
poses the question, “Does Lafayette
have a college plan to save the lives of
injured students?” Ed Alkire has passed
this question on to the proper people
for an answer to Dick. Congratulations
on your award.
Al Karetsky checked in, telling
us his new kidney is working fine.
Strength is coming back and his
therapy is going well.
Got greetings from the Land of the
Pharaohs from Charley Rose, who is
still working and wrote lots of news for
me. He had dinner with Dave and Judy
Hutchison at the Mena House Hotel
(one of the top 100 hotels in the world),
right next to the pyramids of Giza. He
sent a picture along of the three of them,
but unfortunately the resolution was not
good for reproduction. Dave had a knee
replacement.
Bob Lotz is doing well. His wife
recently retired from H&R Block. Al
Caesar has a new home in Florida. He
and Martha are doing better each day
as they fight their medical problems.
Bill Benger has health problems. Tried
to contact him myself but to no avail.
We all wish you good luck with
your problems. Mike Houldin has
recovered from heart surgery and is
spending time in warm climates taking
care of himself.
Mike ’59 and Mary Curtin strike a pose before
boarding a submarine to visit Davy Jones’
locker.
Wally ’59 and Dot French lend a helping hand
to Habitat for Humanity on a recent blitz build
in El Salvador.
We all received a letter from Bob
Beane bringing us up to date on our
class statistics as it pertains to college
support. Our class support looks like
this as of March 2009:
2009
2008
Donors
61
88
Annual Fund $137,118 $103,734
Overall Giving $235,616 $437,920
We have a long way to go, and there
is a plan in place to contact classmates
to see if they will loosen their purse
strings and give to the College. Don’t
forget charitable remainder trusts. A
good yield and a good way to leave a
legacy for your grandchildren.
Dave Zeyher writes that he has
been working hard to get his daughter
settled in Sarasota, Fla. Next fall, they
will be bringing their boat down south
and at some point will sail to the
Bahamas. I’m sure if any of you who
live along the East Coast contact Dave
and Lois, you will have a fine evening
and lots of fun.
Had lots of paperwork on voting
for Jack Slotter ’57 for the Lafayette
Athletic Hall of Fame. For further
information, write to Bill Kurtz or send
your inquiry to me, and I will make
sure it gets to the right people.
Hope you all are having a good
summer and are looking forward to the
fall and a possible visit to the College.
If you have not been there recently it is
unbelievable what the campus looks
like. Gorgeous, and with updating all of
the time. Don’t forget about your gift
for this year to sustain Lafayette.
1959
Norbert F. Smith
227 River’s Edge
Williamsburg, VA 23185-8933
(757) 229-7377
[email protected]
President: Edwin H. Feather Jr.
Fund Manager: James F. Mallay
Reunion Chairs: Jordan Engelman,
Bruce L. Forbes
Web Page Administrator: Frank V.
Hermann, [email protected]
Greetings to all our ’59 classmates,
wherever you may be! By the time you
read this, we’ll be well into summer
2009, and we already will have enjoyed
our great 50th reunion. This column
will cover news and information I’ve
received through March 2009. I’ll
report on all 50th reunion events in
the Fall 2009 column.
I begin with the announcement of
another magnificent gift to the College
from one of our classmates. In quoting
from President Dan Weiss’ March
letter to the Marquis Society members:
“Those of you who have been on
campus recently have seen the
considerable activity at 714 Sullivan
Lane, the former Phi Delta Theta
house, which is undergoing extensive
renovation in anticipation of its new
identity as Scott Hall. Named in
recognition of the generosity of Walter
and Kate Scott, the building will house
the Office of the Dean of the College,
Class Notes
1959
the Academic Resource Center, and the
new Center for Innovative Pedagogy
and Scholarship, which will begin
operating later this year. With the
opening of Scott Hall at the end of the
summer, we expect to build on the
demonstrable progress that is already
being made in such areas as quality
and effectiveness of our tutoring and
advising programs, the support we
provide for students applying to law
and medical schools, and the number
of students who are selected to receive
Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate
Fellowships, Morris K. Udall and
Goldwater scholarships, Fulbright
grants, and other prestigious fellowships
and awards.”
Your classmates extend our warmest
congratulations to you and Kate, Walt,
for your continued generosity to our
college, and for providing a lasting
legacy to the academic success of
Lafayette’s students for generations to
come!
Those wishing to extend
congratulations to Walt and Kate may
contact them at [email protected],
(441) 236-6059, 11 Salt Kettle Road,
Paget PG01, Bermuda.
According to the 2009 edition of the
alumni directory, Tom Carlson has
relocated. His new contact info:
[email protected], (215) 872-6928,
1525 School Road, Hatfield, PA
19440-1916.
Roger Comes has also relocated:
8 Park Square N., Beaufort, SC
29907-2160, (843) 522-4027.
I received a great, first-time update
from Mike Curtin. “I probably should
pass on some info about myself, since I
don’t believe I have ever sent a note to
our class correspondent. So here goes.
As Horace Greeley said: ‘Go west young
man,’ so I did—on to Pittsburgh to get
a master’s at Carnegie Mellon
University, then marriage in 1962 to
Mary Elizabeth, a CMU grad. We
moved to Cincinnati with Procter &
Gamble (P&G); two daughters,
Rebecca and Laura; M.B.A. program at
Xavier University. I left P&G after 11
years as group manager, household
detergents, to join Beatrice Foods
Company in Chicago as vice president
of its household chemical specialty
division. Five years later, Beatrice sold
the household chemicals division and
transferred me to California as executive
vice president of its wine division, which
it then sold six years later. I decided
after 22 years of corporate life and two
divisions sold out from under me, that
was enough, which was a good decision,
because two years later, Beatrice was
split up through a leveraged buyout
and ceased to exist. Anyway, I got my
securities and tax licenses plus certified
financial planner board certification, and
have been president of Curtin Financial
Services for the last 25+ years. Mary
Elizabeth is a retired University of
California interior design professor and
the retired president of Mary Elizabeth
of California, a ceramics manufacturer.
Rebecca is an accountant with the
University of California and took over
my tax practice five years ago. Laura is
president of an international chemical
specialty company.
“We have moved to a retirement
community in Arizona. I still maintain
my office in California and a small
investment client base. I gave up racing
sailboats and skiing when my back went
out and took up tennis, where I
qualified for five nationals in senior
doubles. I’m about to give up tennis for
pickleball, now that my knees are giving
out. Mary Elizabeth and I have found
cruising is a body-friendly way to see
the world. We did five cruises the last
couple of years and have three planned
for this year. By the way, did you know
that there is a Lafayette College Glacier
in College Fjord, Alaska?”
Wow, Mike, thanks so much for your
lifetime update since our graduation.
You have certainly had a very successful
career, have a successful and busy family,
and now get to enjoy retired life! And
speaking of enjoying the retired life,
Mike sent the enclosed photo taken last
January on Maui, when he and Mary
Elizabeth were on their way out to take
a submarine ride—“an unbelievable
experience!” Mike can be contacted
at [email protected], (520)
818-2829, P. O. Box 8969, Catalina,
AZ 85738-0969.
Dr. Ron Eshleman sent a short
note. “Great to hear from you and
thanks for your efforts! Perhaps
someday I will be able to contribute
more to the cause. Presently, I am
heading the Vibration Institute and
our Community Presbyterian Church.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to
attend our reunion because of business
commitments.”
Thanks, Ron, for keeping in contact.
While we’ll certainly miss you being on
the Hill this summer, we wish you
continued success with your business
and church responsibilities. Ron may be
contacted at [email protected],
(630) 654-2053, 183 Pheasant Hollow
Drive, Burr Ridge, IL 60527-5050.
Maryellen and I were treated to a
fabulous visit in March from our class
president, Ed Feather, his wife,
Mayleen, her sister, Wendy, and
Wendy’s husband, Bill Crouse. The
Feathers and the Crouses had just
enjoyed a fantastic two-week cruise
through the Panama Canal and to
Cartagena, Colombia, on the east coast
of South America. En route home, they
stopped in Williamsburg for three days
in Bill and Wendy’s timeshare. Their
visit occurred during St. Patrick’s Day,
and we were able to arrange for
everyone to celebrate with two Irish
dinners. Lots of Guinness, Irish stew,
and fish and chips were consumed by
all. And ladies, don’t bother to plan a
visit to the Williamsburg Pottery—
there’s nothing left! Ed and Mayleen
can be contacted at feathersnest@
hotmail.com, (215) 721-8707, 3116
Jerry ’59 and Sandye
Turnauer (L) and
Dave ’59 and Lynda
Trutt nosh together
in Jerusalem.
Class Notes
1959
Arbour Green Court, Hatfield, PA
19440-3487.
This note from Frank Fletcher will
bring back fond memories! “Thanks for
the update and the database of
classmates. Going down the list brought
back a flood of memories. There was
Don Kein, who like me was a member
of the Gates Hall basement gang in our
freshman year, and Dick Denman and
Larry Fritz, whose names had been
tucked away well in the deep recesses of
my memory. The list also brought back
memories of Professor Bill Watt’s
British Lit class, for there in the front
row were Feather, Fleischer, Fletcher
and Forbes—sounds like a law firm!
And imagine, Walt Scott living in
Bermuda while you and I camp out
in old Virginny. Anyway, Joan and I
will be attending our 50th, together
with Will and Jayne Smiles. I’m trying
to persuade others that it will be
a celebration of a lifetime. See you
in June.”
Thank you, Frank, for that great trip
down memory lane! For a lot of us, it
seems like just yesterday. Frank can be
contacted at [email protected], (804)
453-4564, 4 Thompson Court,
Reedville, VA 22539-3223.
To start the year off right, Wally
French sent a nice update in January.
“Dot and I are getting along about as
well as can be expected for folks our
age. We haven’t gotten back to campus
as often since our sons (Robert ’83 and
Scott ’85) graduated, but we do get
back every year or so and look forward
to doing so for our 50th. We see DU
friends Wally Knobel most years, and
every once in a while see Don Allen—
we talk a couple times a year. We also
see Fred LeDonne at work on the lines
at the U.S. Tennis Open most years.
“Dot and I founded and
subsequently operated a financial
research firm in 1982, but we have since
sold it and are enjoying retirement. One
observation I have about retirement:
How did I ever have time to go to
work? Nevertheless, we much enjoy our
travel activities, mostly involving hiking,
biking, or kayaking, and of late have
had many fun opportunities to watch
grandchildren participate in both club
and high school sports events. Dot is a
breast cancer survivor, and we are
resuming a more active schedule.
“We participated as construction
crew on our 10th Jimmy Carter Work
Project with Habitat for Humanity on
the Gulf Coast in May 2008, did a
bike-and-barge trip with VBT in
Belgium and Holland in June 2008,
and returned in November 2008 from
a Millard and Linda Fuller Blitz Build
with the Fuller Center for Housing in
El Salvador. So you can see we are active
again. As I write, Dot and I are about to
depart for a one-week Stephen Ministry
leaders’ training course, where we will
prepare to train lay members of our
congregation to provide Christian
caregiving on behalf of our church. P.S.
Attached is a picture of Dot and me at
the Blitz Build in El Salvador, when we
participated with 200 others from the
United States and El Salvador to build
16 houses in a week.”
Thanks so much, Wally! You and
Dot certainly had a very active 2008,
with the most rewarding part being the
many causes you undertook in helping
to improve the lives of those less
fortunate. What a wonderful way to live
your retirement years, thoroughly
enjoying what you do in a very active
way, while helping others at the same
time. Wally can be contacted at
305 Ocean Ave., Avon By The Sea, NJ
07717-1421.
We also have a new address and
phone number for Barry Friedman:
1228 Westwood Drive, Roanoke, TX
76262-8812, (817) 741-6555. This
info is courtesy of Bill Foster.
The College has been informed of
the passing of Robert J. Fulmer Feb. 17
in Johns Island, S.C. Born in Easton,
Pa., Bob completed a five-year tour of
duty with the U.S. Air Force before
entering Lafayette. Bob was a member
of Phi Gamma Delta, the Maroon Key,
the Calumet Society, and was awarded
the Class of 1936 Economics Prize. He
received an M.B.A. in finance from New
York University and was a graduate of
the Tuck School of Credit and Financial
Management at Dartmouth College.
Bob joined Armstrong World industries
in Lancaster, Pa., in 1962 and was
named general manager in 1972. Bob
chose early retirement from Armstrong
and subsequently worked in financial
management for Dauphin Bank in
Harrisburg, Pa. Bob and his wife,
Peggylee, moved to South Carolina in
1994, and he was very active in the local
community and his church. Bob is
survived by his wife, son Erich,
daughter Margaret Wolf, and six
grandchildren. Memorials may be made
to Roper Hospital, Bone Marrow
Transplant Unit, 316 Calhoun St.,
Charleston, SC 29401-1113.
I remember Bob well, as we took
several economics classes together, and
he always kept high academic standards.
We send condolences to his family.
Gordon “Hoot” Gibson sent a note
with his contact info: ritastoy@verizon.
net, (978) 456-3553, 34 Mettacomett
Path, Harvard, MA 01451-1864.
Thanks, Hoot, and we trust life is
good in Harvard Yard!
The alumni directory has updated
contact info for Rick Goudey:
[email protected], (386)
760-5794, 1859 Seclusion Drive,
Port Orange, FL 32128-6975.
Dr. George Irwin sent a great
update. “At this point, we don’t have a
lot of news. We just keep watching our
grandchildren get older and bigger. Our
children’s families live in West Chester,
Pa., and Royersford, Pa., and are only
15 and 25 minutes from us. We recently
moved to an over-55 community only
five miles from our hometown of the
previous 40 years, Chester Springs, Pa.
We are now in Kimberton, Pa., with a
Phoenixville, Pa., postal address. The
grandchildren range from 12 to 20
years old, with the oldest now in
college. This has been the first year that
I have had no specific part-time or
volunteer work since my retirement
from Wyeth 14 years ago. I received
the ‘classic’ golden parachute in 1995
after a total of 38 years’ work in the
pharmaceutical industry and have
enjoyed many activities since then. I
started with four years as an adjunct
professor at Temple University’s
Graduate School of Pharmacy while
continuing as a consultant to various
pharmaceutical companies and to
Wyeth’s legal department. I then served
six years as an acting township manager
while serving as chairman of the board
of supervisors in our township, West
Pikeland/Chester Springs. This was
accompanied by six years as the
volunteer business administrator in our
large church in West Chester, Pa. I also
served for four years on the board of
directors and as treasurer of a charitable
organization, Bridge of Hope, that
helped homeless and abused single
mothers. Next, I volunteered for a year
at the local high school in the chemistry
Class Notes
1959
department. Finally, I spent a year
planning our new home with Joan,
including many adjustments to the basic
plan. At this point, I don’t know what
is next, but I did take a course at West
Chester University last fall and really
enjoyed a course that did not include
a laboratory! The professor was our
state senator, and I thoroughly enjoyed
getting back to academia. It was
interesting to take a course at the same
school and at the same time as my
daughter, who is taking graduate-level
courses in dietetics, and my
granddaughter, who is a second-year
music and education major. I have been
in touch with Wally French, and we are
now booked for our reunion weekend,
as are a number of other DU’s. Joan
and I are definitely planning to be there,
and are delaying our annual summer
trek to our cottage in northern Ontario
to make the reunion.”
Thanks much, George! After having
a very rewarding professional career,
you certainly are keeping active in
“retirement” as the voice of experience
in your pharmaceutical business and in
contributing to your local community
in many ways. George may be contacted
at [email protected], (610) 933-0718,
1048 Balfour Circle, Phoenixville, PA
19460-2110.
Dr. Gavin Jenney has sent his
contact info. “You may already have it,
but my email address is jenney@donet.
com. An alternate is gavin-jenney@
dci-ohio.com. I plan to attend the 50th.”
Thanks so much for the info, Gavin!
His USPS address and phone number
are 7060 Cliffwood Place, Dayton, OH
45424-2929, (937) 236-8112.
Last December, Rich Kohler lost
Patricia, his loving wife for over 50
years, to brain cancer. Rich and Pat
were married in 1958, when he was in
his junior year at Lafayette and she was
employed by Bethlehem Steel Co.
Upon graduation, Rich embarked on a
career in sales, and Pat was by his side as
he made eight business moves in 12
years. As their family grew, Pat was both
a Girl Scout leader and a Cub Scout den
mother, and during the time when they
resided in Hingham, Mass., she was
president of the local Women’s Club.
Rich and Pat moved to Doylestown,
Pa., in 1971, where he established the
Xerographic Supplies and Equipment
Co. She was the office manager and an
integral part of their family-owned
business. The firm is operated today by
their son, Richard Jr. Before becoming
ill in 2006, Pat owned a small business
entitled Remember When, an antique
store in Doylestown. She enjoyed being
with her grandchildren at the family
vacation home in the Poconos. In
addition to Rich and their son Richard
Jr., Pat is survived by daughters
Deborah Sewell and Pamela Smith, son
Brian, and eight grandchildren. Many
of our classmates knew Pat well for over
50 years, and we extend our sincere
condolences to Rich and his family. Rich
may be contacted at rkohler8@comcast.
net, (215) 297-5818, P.O. Box 608,
Danboro, PA 18916-0608.
In early March, I received the
following note from one of our
high-mileage travelers, Bill Lee:
“Norb, Kathryn, and I will be making a
10-week cross country car trip, with our
50th reunion in the middle. We plan to
be in the Williamsburg area around
Memorial Day weekend, and we’d be
delighted to take you up on your offer
to stay with you and Maryellen. We are
stopping in Williamsburg before we
head to Washington, D.C., where we’ll
spend some time before going north for
the reunion. I have been reading
Professor Edwin B. Coddington’s
book on the Battle of Gettysburg, a
place we plan to go later in June.
Interesting reading.”
Great, Bill, and we look forward to
having you visit us before our reunion!
Bill’s contact info is knblee2000@yahoo.
com, (928) 472-6023, 1107 N.
Bavarian Way, Payson, AZ 85541-2606.
Jim Levi sent a note that he and
Don Straub have been contacting their
’59 KDR brothers to encourage their
attendance at our reunion. Jim said that
after a few tries he was able to contact
Bob Sanderson, who lives in the
Phoenix, Ariz., area. Bob regrets that he
will be unable to make the reunion.
Thanks, Jim and Don, for making the
contacts. Contact info for Jim is jlevi@
tampabay.rr.com, (813) 654-4448, 106
Barrington Drive, Brandon, FL
33511-6448; for Bob is sanderson760@
msn.com, (480) 883-0775, 26013
S. Beech Creek Drive, Sun Lakes, AZ
85248-6808; and for Don is taldss@aol.
com, (914) 737-0710, 209 Halsted St.,
Peekskill, NY 10566-3507.
Jim Mallay writes: “The only news
from this corner of the world is that our
daughter, Cindy, got married in Fort
Lauderdale March 8. Yes, for the first
time at age 48. It was a grand affair.
And I’m finally retired, contingent on
the result of the last proposal I
submitted in February. See you in
June!”
Wow, Jim, after the very successful
career you’ve had working at the top of
your field, and with lots of relocations,
warmest congratulations and welcome
to the retired life! Jim’s contact info:
4518 NE 138th Way, Vancouver, WA
98686-3004.
The 2009 alumni directory has
updated contact info for Nick Muller:
1815 215th St., Apt. M, Bayside, NY
11360-2154.
There’s also updated contact info
for Jim Painter: [email protected],
(765) 918-0362, 632 Muirfield Drive,
Brownsburg, IN 46112-8322.
I have once again the delightful
opportunity to bring you an update on
our magnificent sculptor and artist-inresidence, Dick Poey, and to share
Dick’s and Heidi’s recent travels. Dick
sent the following note in early March:
“Heidi and I had a two-person show at
the Bloomington Art Center, OctoberNovember. The exhibition included
about 20 of Heidi’s paintings and 17 of
my sculptures. Simultaneously, that art
center had a members’ juried show and
I was awarded an honorable mention
for my stone and bronze sculpture,
‘Mountain Lakes Vessel.’ In February,
my alabaster and bronze sculpture,
‘Eve and the Forbidden Fruit,’ won an
honorable mention at the Elk River’s
national show. ‘Eve’ took about
5-6 months to carve and was quite
complicated. We recently escaped
Minnesota’s harsh winter, taking a
cruise to the Caribbean, where we had
ports of call in the Dominican Republic,
Tortola, Barbados, and St. Lucia. The
good news is that we didn’t gain any
weight! In April, we are taking a river
cruise in Holland to enjoy the spring
tulips, and in May, we start marketing
our art. We’ll have a home studio show
early in the month, and then we’ll be
part of the nation’s largest art crawl,
called Art-A-Whirl. We hope some art
will move from our house to other
people’s homes, so we can continue
our travel adventures!”
Thanks so much, Dick, for the
update on your recent worldwide travels,
Class Notes
1959
and for sharing your magnificent talents
with us! I also want to add that in his
“2008 in Review” letter that he shared
with me in December, Dick highlighted
a long-planned trip he and Heidi took in
September 2008 to Copper Canyon in
northern Mexico. On the way there they
were delighted to have lunch in Tucson
with Russ Garlin, Dick’s Zeta Psi
brother during their days on campus,
and his wife Zoe. Dick’s contact info is
16465 Ellerdale Lane, Eden Prairie, MN
55346-1430. Russ Garlin’s contact info
is [email protected], (480) 497-0413,
1309 Clearwater Lane, Gilbert, AZ
85234-2603.
I received an email from Sig Semon
with the news that he and Dr. Bernie
Blumenthal and their wives would be
attending our 50th. Sig’s contact info:
[email protected], (516) 365-8160, 46
Fairway Drive, Manhasset, NY 110303906. Bernie’s contact info: bblumen@
yahoo.com, (601) 982-3785, 2235
Wild Valley Drive, Jackson, MS
39211-6165.
Jad Sortore, one of our almost-fulltime master golfers, sent the following
in December: “We arrived home in
Aiken after a good week at a Marriott
resort in Panama City, Fla. We were
right on a superb Nicklaus golf course
and played a number of times. It was so
good, we’d like to go back sometime.”
That’s great, Jad, and I know your
goal must be to visit every Marriott golf
course in the U.S. in the next five years!
Jad’s contact info is rooster1@
gforcecable.com, (803) 643-3179,
227 Birch Tree Circle, Aiken, SC
29803-1016.
When I sent an email blast to our
classmates requesting inputs and
updates for this column, I received a
nice note from Dave Trutt, one of our
recent retirees from the business world.
“We passed through Virginia in January,
stopping overnight in Charlottesville at
the home of Jim and Ginger Rovnyak
’60. He retired from the math
department at the University of Virginia
two years ago. I taught in the math
department at Lehigh U. from 1965
to 1979 before moving to AT&T Bell
Labs in New Jersey. I have a conflict
on the big weekend, a 50th wedding
anniversary of very close friends that
Saturday, and have not figured out yet
what we will do. But it would be great
to see you young guys!”
Great to hear from you, Dave, and
we hope that you and Lynda spent at
least part of the reunion weekend with
your classmates! Dave and Lynda live in
Israel for most of the year, and they also
share a home in Boca Raton, Fla., with
Dave’s sister. Dave’s contact info for
both Israel and the U.S. is davetrutt@
gmail.com, (732) 572-5364, 14A Tovia
Ben Hefetz Street, Jerusalem, Israel /
22197 Thomas Terrace, Boca Raton,
FL 33433-4139.
And speaking of another very
frequent traveler to Israel, I received
two emails in March from Jerry
Turnauer, my Newkirk Hall
roommate during our sophomore
year. “Congratulations on another
outstanding Class of ’59 column in the
Winter 2009 Alumni News. Its success
is evidenced by the ever-growing
response from class members, some
of whom have been absent since
graduation. Keep up the good work.
I was pleasantly surprised to see my
email from Hungary included in your
column, since I had forgotten about it.
Sandye and I were really glad we went
to Hungary when we did. My cousin
Willy Turnauer, who was a young and
active 82, died suddenly about five
months after our visit. We’re so glad we
got to spend several days with him.
Sandye and I are in Israel for our annual
visit with our kids. We have tentative
plans to meet Dave and Lynda Trutt in
Jerusalem for lunch. We’ve been phone
and email buddies since you connected
us last year but have yet to meet
personally.” Two weeks later, Jerry sent
the following message, and the enclosed
photo. “The Turnauers and the Trutts
were finally able to get together on a
sunny and warm March day in
Jerusalem. We had a delightful couple
hours getting acquainted over lunch.
Lynda had just returned from the States
a couple days prior, and we were leaving
for the U.S.A. the next day after a
3-week stay. Dave and Lynda had us to
their newly constructed apartment,
which they moved into in May 2008.
It’s very comfortable and has a lovely
view of the Jerusalem hills from their
balcony. And we got to enjoy a piece
of two birthday cakes from Dave’s
birthday, celebrated the day before.
We’ll get together again either in Israel
or when the Trutts winter in their
Florida home in Deerfield Beach, which
is about a half-hour from our home in
Plantation. Best regards till we meet
at the 50th!”
Wow, Jerry, great as always to hear
from you, and I’m delighted that you
and Sandye were finally able to link up
in Jerusalem with Dave and Lynda—
that must have been quite a thrill for all
of you! Jerry’s contact info: jturnauer@
bayshoreford.com, (954) 476-9038,
10921 NW 3rd Street, Plantation, FL
33324-1539.
That’s it for this report, and I owe
a great debt of gratitude to our many
classmates who always send updates and
information. You are the lifeblood of
this column, and thanks again for your
great support!
I continue to update our Class
of ’59 electronic database, and I will
periodically forward it to you by email
so we can all stay connected. If you
don’t see your email address listed,
please forward it to me so I can include
it in our database, plus any other
necessary updates. We now have email
addresses for about 70 percent of our
classmates. For those classmates without
email, I will try to mail you a copy of
the ’59 database as I am able, or send
me a note in the mail and I’ll be very
glad to mail you a copy. Another great
way to keep connected with the College
and with our class is to access the
Alumni Online Community by going
online at www.lafayette.edu, then from
the home page accessing Alumni, then
Online Community on the right. You
also can register there, and that puts
you in the online database. Each class
also has a web page. Frank Hermann is
our ’59 webmaster and manages our
web page. You are always welcome to
put personal or class-related articles on
our class web page. Frank’s contact info
is [email protected], (702) 765-5494,
3440 Sego Glen Circle, Las Vegas, NV
89121-3809.
Maryellen and I wish everyone a
very enjoyable summer with family
and friends!
Class Notes
1960
1960
Paul A. Luscombe
737 Dowding Way
The Villages, FL 32162
(352) 750-2943
(973) 980-2629 (cell)
(352) 391-9169 (fax)
[email protected]
President: Robert S. Brodie Jr.
Fund Managers: Lauritz K. Knudsen,
M. Alden Siegel
Reunion Chairs: J. Richard Booth,
Donald J. Nikles
Paul A. Luscombe
Earlier this year, I was saddened when I
received a phone call from Ed Bantlow
indicating Karl Schultz had passed
away, suddenly and quietly, while sitting
in his favorite chair in front of the
computer at his home in Ormond
Beach, Fla. The night he died, Karl had
a relaxing evening writing emails and
teaching his son the ropes on the
computer. The main focus of the emails
was to communicate with his daughter,
Kristy.
Nicknamed “Kowboy,” Karl loved
life! He traveled all over Europe and
sold golf-related products. He had an
extended excursion in Costa Rica. He
also enjoyed our periodic class reunions
whenever his schedule permitted. He
was one of Dave Saalfrank’s favorite
committee chairmen. Karl would do
anything to keep the late-night party
going. He was very disappointed when
former athletic director Eve Atkinson
left LC. Karl claimed to be responsible
for Eve’s being adopted as our
honorary class coed.
I received a letter from Howard
Rednor (correspondent for the Class of
’68) on behalf of Sandy Bing. Howie
knows Bing from the days when Sandy
was the headmaster at the Hun School
and he had two cousins who were
attending. His purpose in writing was
to tell me that Sandy was the recipient
of the May Medoff Award as volunteer
of the year at Greenwood House, a
nonprofit health care organization
committed to caring for the Jewish
elderly. Commenting on this honor,
he said, “Working with Community
Hospice of Greenwood House has
given me a feeling of fulfillment...[it]
is different from anything else I do.”
Sandy works on several boards, such as
those of the HiTOPS Teen Health and
Education Center, Trinity Counseling,
and the Young Audiences of New
Jersey.
The Luscombe family seems to be
sprouting some offspring. The latest
news is that our daughter Alison Swift
brought us the family’s first grandson,
Andrew Bolten, in late January. I figure
he’ll be eligible for the Class of 2031.
Alison’s other child is Ella Taylor, 2.
Also, my daughter Priscilla gave us
Quinlyn Meadow Kostig in late
September.
At the other end of the spectrum,
John Falcone may have set a record
for alums. He writes that he has
22 grandchildren and 23 great
grandchildren, with three more due in
2009! John retired from his post as vice
president for finance and treasurer of
Lafayette College in 1990, moved to
Oneida, N.Y., and took the job as vice
president for administration for SUNY
Institute of Technology, where he
worked until 1996. This time he retired
for good, and he and his wife, Kay, have
been traveling extensively in North and
South America, Europe, and Africa.
They also spend four to six weeks in
Florida during the winter months.
Located in the central portion of
Florida, we expect a lot of guests to
check out our relaxing lifestyle in
The Villages. Many have stopped by,
including Ted Gailer, Alden Siegal,
John Hickman, Dick Beck, and many
others. Larry Knudsen initially
reserved the first week of the year but
had to cancel when business picked up
at his Riverhouse Inn in Snow Hill,
Md. Subsequently, Larry’s wife, Susan,
underwent a medical operation that
took her off the “traveling squad,” and
now they are looking at next year’s
calendar.
Dick and Elly Beck officially have
landed as members of The Villages
community, joining the Luscombes
and Bernie and Maria Guenther as
neighbors. The Becks have taken
advantage of the huge volume of
activities available in the complex.
They both play softball, bridge, and
volleyball. Dick also has an intense
interest in antique cars. His 1953
Ford Sunliner was awarded the Ladies
Choice Trophy as part of The Villages’
Vintage Car Club contest. My wife and
I, plus Jay Parker ’62 and his wife, Pat,
enjoyed lunch at the Becks’ new home,
which functions as a showcase for all
their collectibles. “If we couldn’t sell it,
we brought it with us!” was Elly’s
response when questioned as to the
antique sewing machines and car
models on display.
The last time I wrote about Ted
Gailer, he said he was “almost entirely
retired” from the textile industry. But
recently, as we enjoyed lunch together
at the Arnold Palmer Golf Club, he
now says he is “completely, 100 percent
retired.” With his extra time, he has
been heading up various social
committees for his Sun City Georgia
“pod” (i.e., home residential living
association). He also has taken a
position with the golf course facility and
on some late Friday afternoons can be
seen scooping up range balls in a
metal-screen-protected cart. He is
working at improving his 21 handicap.
Ted’s wife, Alta, travels actively in her
capacity as a representative for the
Jonathan Louis Furniture Company.
Some 25 years ago, Barry Pullen
moved to West Point, Va., where he
took the position of compensation
manager for the Chesapeake Corp.
After excelling at tennis in the 1970s,
he shifted to bicycling as his dedicated
sport, and he has been riding ever since.
When his corporate offices were
relocated to Richmond, he joined the
Richmond Area Bicycle Association.
Subsequently, he has come to lead
about 120 rides per year, while pedaling
5,000 miles annually. His travels have
taken him to some distant states (Texas,
Arizona, and California, for example)
and some foreign countries (New
Zealand, France, and Italy). He raced in
the Virginia Senior Games and finished
second in the 20K road race last year.
Bob Haigh gave me a short-notice
luncheon invite when he was in The
Villages’ vicinity, but I was on the verge
of leaving for the Phillies vs. Rays spring
training game, which featured a session
with Joe Maddon ’76. Bob has spent
over a month visiting friends in Florida.
He has been retired for nine years and
looks forward to our 50th reunion. In
an effort to bolster the Denver and
Boulder Lafayette College participation,
he put together a group of local alumni
for the Lafayette vs. Colorado
basketball game back on Nov. 25.
One totally unexpected visitor was
Alice Clearwater, whose husband. Bill,
Class Notes
1960-1961
passed away in January 1988. Alice acts
as caregiver for a Parkinson’s disease
victim, and she had just driven her
patient from Clifton, N.Y. (near
Albany), to The Villages—over 1,000
miles. Like most visitors, she responded
to the Lafayette banner adorning the
entrance to our house. Alice’s youngest
son, Craig, is a 1990 graduate of
Lafayette. Asked about her age, Alice
said, “I’ll never be 70!”
Ed Bantlow said he spotted Mike
Alber’s picture in the Facebook. Mike
says he hasn’t been back to Lafayette for
25 years but anticipates returning for
our 50th.
Phil Bollman says, “Things are
going well. My back operation was a
success, and I am now allowed to play
golf.” The Bollmans were about to
leave for their place in the Turks and
Caicos Islands for “golf and sunshine.”
If you are trying to communicate
with Dr. Dick Booth, he has sold his
dental practice and can be reached at
his Spring House, Pa., address.
1961
Douglas A. Hobby
29 Rowan Road
Chatham, NJ 07928
[email protected]
President: Joseph C. Nyce
Fund Manager: Ronald E. Geesey
Reunion Chair: Edward C. Auble
John A. Harobin
By the time you read this, we will be
less than 24 months away from our
50th reunion. The nearness of the event
has placed the class leadership team in
near-panic mode (that is, if you consider
being diverted from a few happy hours
as a cause for panic.) There are two
essential goals associated with the
reunion: The first is to gain as many
attendees as possible; the second is to
secure monies for the class gift which,
as previously reported, is to establish a
permanently endowed fund to sponsor
on-campus symposiums or a speaker
series on global issues. In a rare showing
of brilliance, the leadership team figured
that it needed the assistance of class
agents to best promote the reunion and
arm-twist you to donate big bucks for
the class gift. Under the direction of our
reunion chair, Ed Auble, we have to
Alumni Update
date been able to convince 24 of our
classmates to volunteer as agents. I have
provided the list below. It’s obvious that
more agents are needed to fill the
openings at several living groups,
athletic teams, and academic majors.
Please let Ed ([email protected]) know
if you are interested in helping out in
any way: Alpha Chi Rho–open; Chi
Phi–open; Delta Kappa Epsilon–John
Hossenlopp, George Benson; Delta
Tau Delta–Jim Oehlert, Ron Geesey;
Delta Upsilon–Bob Howard; Kappa
Delta Rho–open; Kappa Sigma–Don
MacDonald, Norm Gauss; Kirby
House–open; Phi Delta Theta–Dave
Bloys, Bill Buehler; Phi Gamma
Delta–Bill Reynolds; Phi Kappa
Psi–Harry Boyko; Phi Kappa Tau–
open; Pi Lambda Phi–open; Sigma
Alpha Epsilon–Peter Hanson; Sigma
Chi–Ed Auble, Larry Cassel; Sigma
Nu–Neil Van Cleef; Soles Hall–Denis
Gordon, Joe Nyce; Theta Chi–David
Dietz; Theta Delta Chi–Tom Grimm;
Theta Xi–Doug Hobby, Dick Webster;
Watson Hall–Ed Baumgardner; Zeta
Psi–open; Choir–Ralph Updegrove;
Electrical engineering–Norm Gauss.
Dick Webster has agreed to be our
reunion yearbook editor. No easy task,
but with your cooperation, it should be
manageable. Eventually you may be
asked to submit bio info, pictures, and
Ron Keyser ’56 installed as governor for Rotary International
district covering Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
Ray Moyer ’63 inducted into Temple Athletics Hall of Fame
after more than 20 years as athletic team physician
American Antiquarian Society honors John Hench ’65
by naming post-dissertation fellowship after him
Keyser ’56Moyer ’63 Hench ’65
Oil painting by Gary Masline ’69 among 50 artworks selected
from thousands for Chautauqua Institution’s Annual Exhibition
on American Art
Scott Spitzer ’73 elected deputy mayor of Bernards Township, N.J.
Bob Mollenhauer ’73 named director of development for
Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources
Masline ’69
Spitzer ’73Mollenhauer ’73
Class Notes
1961
whatever to Dick so that he can work
with the College and assemble the
yearbook. You may remember that
Dick was an editor for The Melange
when an undergraduate, so our yearbook
development will be in good and
experienced hands. Dick is professor
emeritus at West Chester University,
where he chaired the history department
for many years. He and his wife, Yvonne,
live in the West Chester, Pa., area.
We can’t leave the discussion of
our reunion without mentioning the
job that Ron Geesey, our class fund
chairman, has inherited. Extracting
monies when the economy is strong is
tough enough. But with the economy
in the doldrums, Ron’s job becomes
very difficult. Ron is considering some
changes in the way he will approach the
gift-giving process, since gaining
long-term commitments at this time is
not realistic. Please be kind to poor,
old Ron when and if he contacts you
concerning our class gift.
OK, enough about the reunion
details. In an attempt to gain some
further enthusiasm for our 50th and to
get you focused, albeit briefly, on our
College days, I am offering this quiz.
See if you can answer these questions
correctly without cheating (such as
going to an old yearbook). Get them all
correct and you have my permission to
cut classes for the rest of the year.
Answers appear at the end of the
column.
 Name of our library when we
attended Lafayette?
 Name of the building the
bookstore occupied?
 Class president our senior year?
 Defensive MVP in Lafayette’s only
football victory over Lehigh (1959)?
 Fraternity house, since renovated,
which is now the Ramer History House?
Prevailing winds have it that our Bob
Howard may be headed to the Maroon
Club’s Athletic Hall of Fame. If so, the
honor is long overdue. Bob was an
outstanding linebacker and center on
the 1958–60 football teams. In his
senior year, Bob was voted first team
All-Colonial League center and
honorable mention Little All-American.
He was also a catcher on the baseball
team for three years. Just as important,
Bob was an excellent student and a
member of the Maroon Key, Knights of
the Round Table, student council, and
Scabbard and Blade. He was also a
deacon in the College Church. If Bob
is elected, he will be formally inducted
Nov. 20, the night before the Lehigh
game. Place that date on your calendar.
The leadership team will make it a point
to get as many of our classmates to the
ceremony as possible. Ben Sack and
Tom Heist, some of Bob’s DU
brothers, already have indicated they
will do their best to attend.
On the subject of Lafayette’s Hall
of Fame, I would like to hear from
Charles Ross. In my opinion, Charlie’s
basketball accomplishments during our
years at the College should definitely
make him a candidate for induction.
In March, I was able to fly down to
the Tampa/Orlando area to visit some
friends, and while there, I took
advantage of the opportunity to meet
Rays manager Joe Maddon ’76. The
Tampa Bay area alumni chapter, ably
and enthusiastically headed by Bill
Harding ’58, arranged the meeting
with Joe before the scheduled preseason
game against the Phillies. Later, the
group convened at a local Chili’s
restaurant for some postgame festivities
and to take advantage of the two-fers.
It was there I had a chance to talk at
length with Tom Grimm, who now
lives in Ruskin, Fla. Tom’s more current
activities have been covered herein
recently, so I won’t elaborate. Tom did
indicate, though, he will be up north
this May attending his 45th reunion at
the University of Virginia School of Law
as well as his sons’ graduations. Tom’s
oldest son, Lars, is graduating from Yale
School of Medicine and will be going to
Duke for his residency. His youngest,
Nils, is graduating from Vanderbilt
University and in September will be
heading to the London School of
Economics. Tom expects to be at
our 50th.
Keeping our focus on the Tampa
area, it should be noted that Jay
Wrightstone and his wife, Marianne,
now reside in Poinciana, Fla., a lovely
lakeside community about 60 miles east
of the city. Jay is retired from AT&T.
Yes, it is a small world. In February,
Paul Ackerman and his wife, Barbara,
rented a home in The Villages, Fla.
One afternoon, they spotted a Lafayette
banner adorning a home in the
immediate area and knocked on the
door to see who the owner was. It turns
out it was fellow correspondent Paul
Luscombe ’60. Paul and his wife,
Cinnie, invited them in and proudly
showed them their home, which
features the “Lafayette Room” and
their maroon-and-white golf cart.
After graduating as a mechanical
engineer, our Paul spent four years as an
Air Force maintenance officer. He then
worked for several years with P&G
before taking over a family motel on
route 512 in Bethlehem, Pa. The motel
was later sold, and Paul formed a
business rehabbing homes, which he
continues today. Paul’s nephew is David
Yankovich ’08, a former kicker on the
football team. Paul said that he made
it to the last three Lafayette–Lehigh
games. I only wish he had visited the
Class of ’61 pregame luncheon at Kirby
House this past November. Along with
Ed Auble and me, he would have made
the turnout a crowd. (Isn’t three a
crowd?)
Stephen Saft, with his wife, Harriet,
now makes his home in the mountains
of southwest Virginia. Steve retired
from George Washington University
in 2004, where he was both an
administrator and instructor with the
division of continuing education. While
at GW, he founded the interactive
multimedia program, which taught
students how to create computer-based
applications for use in instruction and
entertainment. Since retirement, Steve
has kept himself busy writing. He
recently announced he has published
two books of poetry. Murdoch McLoon
and His Windmill Boat is an illustrated
story poem that employs a light touch
to focus on environmental concerns.
City Above the Sea and Other Poems is
an illustrated collection of short poems,
including one about his college days,
“To an Old Professor Wherever.” Steve
is working on a two-act play that also
will be published in book form, Homer
and the Flying Electric Car. It’s obvious
that Steve’s tongue-in-cheek humor
continues. We wish him the best of luck
with his books and play. For more on
Steve and his books, visit his web site:
www.sasaftwrites.com.
I asked my fraternity brother, Pete
Myers, if he had anything of interest to
report. He replied, with his customary
cryptic wit, the only things noteworthy
he has done recently is trout fish in
the Sierras and tutor math at San
Pedro (Calif.) High School. It’s
certain he has done much more,
but we’ll leave it at that. Pete and
Class Notes
1961-1962
Four for the course: (L–R) Roger Kramer,
Jim Vellott, and Trudy and Ed Baumgardner
’61 at the Central Pennsylvania Alumni
Chapter golf event.
Beverly and Ted Elsasser ’62 (R) display that
famous Southern hospitality to Jim Hartsel ’62
on his recent visit to their home in Tennessee.
Second-place winners of the Central
Pennsylvania Chapter golf outing were
(L–R) Jim Montgomery ’62, Bill Pharmer,
and Dale Cornelius.
his wife, Kay, live in Palos Verdes
Estates, Calif. He is retired from
TRW, where he was a mathematician.
It is with deep sorrow that we report
the passing of two more of our
classmates:
Dale Kleppinger died in November
2008 in Burlington, Vt. Dale graduated
as an electrical engineering major and
received his master’s in the same
discipline at Lehigh a few years later.
He then earned a Ph.D. in electrical
engineering at the University of
Florida. At Lafayette, Dale was a
perpetual dean’s list student and
member of Tau Beta Pi, the national
honorary engineering fraternity. He
worked for 21 years at IBM’s Essex
Junction, Vt., facility as an electrical
engineer and then embarked on a
successful career in his true avocation,
teaching. Dale served as an adjunct
professor at Champlain and Trinity
colleges before accepting a permanent
position at the University of Vermont,
where he taught until his death. He is
survived by his wife, Patricia, three
children, and 11 grandchildren.
Anthony Blasco passed away in
January. Anthony was from Easton and
lived his entire life in the Lehigh Valley.
He was an attorney admitted to the
Northampton County bar in 1968. He
eventually established his own law office
and practiced before the county court
of common pleas, the superior and
supreme courts of Pennsylvania, the
U.S. Federal Court–Eastern District,
and the U.S. Supreme Court. At
Lafayette, Anthony played varsity
football and was a member of Sigma
Chi fraternity. He received his law
degree from Catholic University.
Anthony is survived by his wife of
47 years, Beverly, and a son and
daughter. He was preceded in death
by another son, Anthony.
Want to reminisce about your days
at the College and have some fun? Did
you know that most of the copies of
Lafayette’s past newspapers now can
be accessed online? The College has
converted the microfiche editions of
The Lafayette that date back as far as
its founding in 1870 and made them
available via the Internet. The joke
issues are particularly hilarious. If you
are interested in viewing any past issues,
enter the following Internet address,
click on the era you want, and go from
there: newspaper.lafayette.edu.
How about letting me know what
you guys have been up to? My email
address is listed above, so please drop
me a line. And if you are planning to
attend any home football games this
year, you usually can find me and several
of our classmates gathered at the west
end of the parking garage on the lower
level. We normally share camaraderie
with the Class of ’60, so drop by and
join the fun.
Quiz answers: Van Wickle, Gayley
Hall, Bob Howard, Dick Herbster,
Theta Delta Chi
President: Jeffrey Ruthizer
Fund Manager: John R. Weis
Reunion Chairs: James A. Lyttle,
James M. Montgomery Jr.,
Gale R. “Sandy” Schwilk
Web Page Administrator: Jim Hartsel
1962
Jim Hartsel
10755 Moss Hill Lane
Cincinnati, OH 45249-3640
(513) 489-6786
[email protected]
A funny thing happened on the way to
the Winter 2009 Alumni News. Due to
the sagging economy, it was sidelined
to the College web site—I don’t take it
personally, however. ALL class columns
are posted on the web site and can be
read, but I have a feeling many of you
won’t be doing that. (Visit the alumni
web site and choose the magazine icon,
then Past Issues on the left.) So I will
merely mention the most important
(and saddest item) from the column,
which is the passing of two beloved
classmates, David Rhoads and Art
Vincent.
Happily, I have no further obituaries
to report. I’m getting to be like my
grandmother, who came to spend
winters with us in Florida in the ’50s.
She would scan the hometown weekly
newspaper from Ohio and, if none of
her friends’ names appeared on the obit
page, she would be absolutely ebullient
for another week.
Our own Bruce Vakiener has passed
through a trying health crisis, and I am
glad to report that he is mending well!
Bruce was taken to the hospital March
2 with pneumonia, had a heart attack in
the hospital, and eventually wound up
with a quadruple bypass and a new
aortic valve. He was released March 18
and is recuperating at home. As Bruce
phrases it, “The 250,000-mile rebuild
needs to gain some strength. Kate is
making sure that I follow doctor’s
orders.”
Class Notes
1962-1963
Jim Livingood has checked in with
a brief message that he is back from
living in Japan and is working for the
U.S. Navy Seabees in Gulfport, Miss.
He sends his best wishes to the class.
Closer to home, I received word
that Gene Avergon now is living only
50 miles away from me. I will check
this out ASAP, since Lafayette grads
here in the Ohio River Valley are pretty
rare. Gene and his bride, Diana, live in
Hebron, Ky., just across the river from
us. Gene is self-employed as both an
author and artist and, with Diana as his
artistic partner, authors and illustrates
the Art By Choice Books series,
published by enasco.com and NASCO
Inc. Gene is also a co-contributor to
Gifted Education Press Quarterly.
Jeff Ruthizer, our class president,
has announced his July 1 retirement
from his position as senior vice
president of the Walt Disney Company
and head of labor relations for the
American Broadcasting Co. Jeff started
at ABC in 1968 after a few years’
working as a lawyer for the federal
government. He will remain a
consultant for Disney, and hopefully
others, but he feels it is time to end
full-time work and enjoy what so many
of the rest of us have done! Jeff and
Monica will relocate later this year to
south Florida.
The ever-loyal Jim Lyttle has, as
usual, checked in with some news for
this column. Bless you, James; you are
the patron saint of class correspondents!
Jim reports that at the end of February,
the SAEs spent a weekend at Hershey,
Pa., hosted by Jim and Nancy
Montgomery. Those attending were
Jim and Marie Lyttle, Dave and Geri
Lowe, Greg and Sue Shannon, Harry
and Judy Irwin, and Walt and Jeanette
Doleschal.
That’s about it for this time. Please
keep your classmates in mind when you
have some news, and send it along!
Until next time, may God bless.
1963
D. Frederick Day
52D Springfield Ave.
Summit, NJ 07901
[email protected]
Dr. Michael A. Stillman
131 San Marco Drive
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
[email protected]
President: John H. Cooper III
Fund Manager: Robert T. Burns
Reunion Chair: Ronald A. Garfunkel
L. Steven Minkel,
[email protected]
As we move into summer, let’s
remember to send in our news to the
Alumni Online Community; include a
couple of pics of you and your family.
Jack O’Brien writes: “I was pleased
to read about the 45th reunion and to
catch up on news about our widely
dispersed classmates. Although I am
far from being a regular contributor to
Alumni News, I did want to submit
the following item for inclusion in the
next edition: Although unable to
attend our 45th reunion, Mark and
Carole Machina kindly hosted a fall
Sigma Nu mini-reunion at their lovely
Leesburg, Va., home involving Bob
and Ginny Miller (San Jose, Calif.),
Dave and Marion Williams (Bluffton,
S.C.), and Jack and Barbara O’Brien
(Watertown, Conn.). All were treated
to Carole’s gourmet cooking, many
stories, and an occasional libation (or
two). The only blight on an otherwise
thoroughly enjoyable weekend was the
Leopards’ close loss to Colgate. The
level of enthusiasm was such that this
long-overdue reunion will become an
annual event, and plans are already
under way for the 2009 reunion to be
held in the Outer Banks. Look also for
Sigma Nu representation at our
upcoming 50th.”
Jack Stutz sent this note: “I
thought that I would give you a short
update on myself since my career now
is winding down slowly. I have worked
in the U.S. steel industry for over 45
years in various management positions.
For the last 18 years, I have served in
the capacity of president/chief
executive officer (CEO). I was
president of Armco Steel’s Midwest
division and became part of a
management buyout team in 1992
while partnering with Bain Capital
in the buyout. I then served as
president/CEO of the newly named
company, GST Steel Company. In
1997, I moved to California and
became president/CEO of California’s
only steel manufacturing company,
Tamco Steel, where I still work. I was
an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the
Year finalist in 1999 for the Inland
Empire region in California. In 2005,
I was inducted into the Romanosky
Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports
Hall of Fame for high school football
and basketball. In 2007, I was named
to the Concrete Reinforced Steel
Institute’s Scholarship Foundation
Hall of Fame for raising scholarship
funds for the foundation. I have served
on several steel boards and have been
on the board of directors of the Steel
Manufacturing Association since 1990.
On the personal side, I have been
married to the same lovely lady,
Eileen, for the last 45 years, with two
children and two grandchildren. I have
played a lot of golf and was fortunate
to play in many pro-ams on the Nike
Tour, the Nationwide Tour, the
regular PGA Tour (Bob Hope
Classic), and the Senior Tour
(Las Vegas Senior Classic).”
Joe Cornell ’62 said that while he
was in Florida in March, he had dinner
with Jean and Jerry Ball, Jean and
Bill Stockman, and Sherry and Jim
Collins ’62. The Stockmans travel
between their home in Maine and
Hutchinson Island in Florida. Bill said
that he does not get back to Lafayette
and missed the 45th, so they all made
him feel uncomfortable and promise
to get back for our 50th. Happy to
hear that Jerry looks great and is still
doing well, with only minor
complications from his lung transplant.
Class Notes
1964-1965
1964
Stephen H. Green
Dolchin, Slotkin & Todd P.C.
2005 Market St., 24th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 751-1920
(215) 665-1565 (fax)
[email protected]
President: Gordon R. Evans
Fund Manager: Jeffrey P. Brown
Reunion Chair: Jeffrey P. Brown
Thomas L. Greenbaum,
[email protected]
Sadly, the opening note is that Mike
Emig passed away Nov. 11 at home.
He was our long-time reunion chair,
served on the Alumni Council Executive
Committee, and hosted Lafayette interns
and externs. He played basketball for the
Leopards, earned a bachelor’s in
psychology, and was a member of Phi
Gamma Delta fraternity and Psi Chi, the
national honor society for psychology.
Later in his career, he received an M.B.A.
Mike held leadership and executive
positions with Timex, Chase Manhattan
Bank, and Wyatt. The software and
human resource consulting company
he founded, OPS, was purchased by
Deloitte & Touche, where Mike finished
his career as a principal consultant in the
Washington, D.C., office. Among many
interests, Mike loved the ocean, sports,
and listening to John Denver music. We
have lost a good guy; he will be greatly
missed. Heartfelt condolences to wife
Cheryl, children Nathan, Heather, and
Rooting on the Leopards during the Big Game
telecast party in Baltimore were John Colton
’64 and Bruce Covahey ’88.
Stacey, his brother Donald and sister
Violet, and his three grandchildren.
The other sad note is that Paul W.
Moyer has died at 91. Paul obtained his
bachelor’s in electrical engineering later
in life after serving with the Army Air
Corps in World War II and despite
having contracted multiple sclerosis.
Rich Amman, my high school
classmate, proudly told me that he and
wife Trish have five grandchildren, four
of whom are girls. As was always the case,
he is surrounded by beautiful women.
Frank Platt, another Philly guy, is
pleased to report that with more than
25 years of commercial real estate
experience, he has “taken the reins”
at Eagle Property Management LLC,
specializing in management of retail,
office, and industrial properties. He and
Carolyn remain in the area, living in
Jenkintown, Pa.
Dee Rushforth updated us with the
news that he serves on the board of
directors of Optimist International, a
national community service organization
focused on “Bringing Out the Best in
Kids.” He and Barbara spend a lot of
time exploring the country in their
fifth-wheel travel trailer and truck.
Dan Tuck has finally retired, but
may be (or is) doing some contract
management consulting. He and
Denise (Gettysburg ’64) hope to
spend a good deal of time visiting
their daughters near Charlottesville,
Va., and in Michigan.
If you want to know how Tom
Greenbaum keeps busy, go to the web
site www.groupsplus.com. The man
must never sleep! He’s also in charge
of our class home page.
Some “almost ’64” news:
Solesman Art Topilow ’63, M.D.,
in addition to an outstanding career in
hematology and oncology, is also a gifted
and respected concert pianist who has
played with, inter alia, the Cleveland
Pops. He and Judith, a pediatrician,
have visited India, Vietnam, Italy, Peru,
Tanzania, China, Uzbekistan, Morocco,
Kenya, and Cambodia.
Finally, Dennis Greene ’65, who
received both his M.B.A. and his J.D.
from Boston University (where he was
editor of the Law Review), was initially an
aerospace engineer but now focuses on
commercial and corporate transactions.
By the time this is published, I hope
the reunion will have been enormously
successful.
1965
Marshall J. Gluck
1133 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10128-1246
[email protected]
President: Edward A. McNally
Fund Manager: Howard N. Heller
Reunion Chair:
Stuart N. “Buzz” Hutchison III
Now that most of us have reached or
passed our 65th birthdays, I hope to
hear from more of you as to what
you are doing in retirement or in
anticipation of retirement. On the
current news front, our pickings are
a little slim, and they are as follows:
Zay Curtis is running on the
Republican and Independent party
tickets as a candidate for trustee in Lake
Placid, N.Y. Zay works as an investment
adviser and has been chairman of a
number of civic organizations in the
Lake Placid/Essex County area,
including the visitors bureau and Rotary
International, and has served as senior
warden and treasurer at St. Eustace
Episcopal Church. Zay is widowed with
three daughters, Cindy, Laurie, and
Betsy. Needless to say, we wish Zay the
best of luck, and if the Olympics come
back to Lake Placid, we know we have
someone to call upon for tickets.
Otherwise, news from the College is
that the Class of 2013 is better than ever,
and the number of applicants is holding
up quite well. I met recently with one of
the development officers, who told me the
College plans to add 35 faculty members
in the next several years and thus reduce
the faculty/student ratio even further.
I hope to hear from more of you for
my next column. I was at the College
April 24 for a Leadership Council
meeting, so if you have any questions
as to doings on the Hill, please feel free
to call or email me.
I hope you have a good summer.
Class Notes
1966-1968
Alumni Profile FRANK BASON ’65
Frank Bason ’65 is the founder, owner, and manager
of SolData Instruments, which produces devices
that help control and evaluate solar energy systems.
The Danish company boasts more than 3,000
instruments in use worldwide that measure solar
irradiance, the level of solar energy. It also writes
computer programs, consults for industry and
government, and manages research projects.
Bason developed one of Denmark’s first solar collectors in 1974, leading to
invitations to join government advisory committees and to perform evaluations
of solar energy resources in northern climates.
“The significance of my work in Denmark over the past 30 years has been more
and more independence from imported oil,” says Bason, a physics graduate who
spent his junior year in Denmark.
He participated in Galathea Expedition III, a 100,000-kilometer journey around
the world from 2006–07. Royal Danish Navy vessel Vaedderen carried several
hundred scientists, students, and journalists from Denmark as far north as
Greenland and as far south as Antarctica. Bason attended conferences in Riga,
Latvia, and Beijing in 2007 and Lisbon in 2008 to discuss his work with the
research trip. He also is senior lecturer of mathematics and physics at
Silkeborg Amtsgymnasium.
1966
David J. De Vries
6329 Pennsboro Drive
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
(717) 787-9350
[email protected]
President: Bradford C. Pierce
Fund Manager: Open
Reunion Chair: David J. De Vries
1967
Henry D. Ryder
30 McClelland Ave.
Pitman, NJ 08071
[email protected]
President: William Vonroth Jr.
Fund Manager: Christopher Cathcart
Reunion Chairs: Laurence G. Cole,
Thomas Royall Smith, Karl W. Pusch
Henry D. Ryder
I received an obituary from the Bucks
County (Pa.) Courier Times noting the
Oct. 23 passing of Russell Reed.
Following graduation from Lafayette,
Russell entered the U.S. Army in
October 1967 and was deployed to
Vietnam. He was awarded the National
Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam
Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service
Medal, and the Army Good Conduct
Medal. He was regional vice president
of sales for Hartford Insurance
Company, where he worked for 23
years. At his death, he was principal of
Buckingham Insurance Services in
Doylestown, Pa., which he founded
with his wife, Mary Ellen. Russ is
survived by Mary Ellen, daughter Ellen,
son Peter, and one grandson.
Jeff Weaver has been retired for
over four years after a career as a civil
engineer with the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation. He is
living in Mechanicsburg, Pa. He and
Bert have three children, all out of
school, married, and living close by.
They spend a lot of time with their five
grandchildren. Jeff and Bert are active
in a variety of ministries at their church,
where Jeff is the church’s webmaster.
Bob deVente leads Jeff by one
grandchild. Number five, Jacob Lucas,
who weighed 11 pounds, 10 ounces, at
birth, was born to daughter Emily last
September. Number six, Jaden Robert,
was born to son Robert and his wife,
Mona, Oct. 21.
Don Beaudreault was installed as the
settled minister of the Unitarian Church
of Norfolk, Va. Don writes, “This
congregation is noted for a strong
social-action profile and military
presence. Having not lived on the East
Coast of the United States for decades,
I am delighted to be here—specifically
because I am now closer to my
daughters, Claire, 27, and Therese, 25.”
Don is beginning his 30th year as an
ordained Unitarian Universalist minister.
Jim Turner, who operates the Estes
Park, Colo., Kampground of America
(KOA), reports (in November) that the
last camping season was another great
one for he and Ruth, their fourth in
Estes Park. They spent some time after
the season ended in Myrtle Beach
attending KOA meetings and just taking
in some southern hospitality. If you visit
Rocky Mountain National Park this
summer, be sure to stop at Jim’s
campground and ask for the Class of
1967 discount. Ruth’s older son, Paul
Molnar, got married Oct. 18 at the
Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort in
Nathrop, Colo.
Nick and Diane Azzolina remain in
Easton, where Nick is a CPA and Diane
is a school nurse. Their son Nick, a
graduate of Princeton University, is a
hydrogeologist; son Vince graduated
from Wake Forest University and is a
purchasing agent for Volvo.
1968
Howard S. Rednor
984 S. Broad St.
Trenton, NJ 08611-2008
[email protected]
President: Robert E. Albus
Fund Manager: Steven P. Bottcher
Reunion Chair: William L. Messick
William L. Messick,
[email protected]
I have a plethora of information this
column, most of it brief bits, along
with one death notice.
Dave Archibald’s wife, Judi, has
been recognized by the Pennsylvania
Department of Community and
Economic Development’s Best 50
Program, which recognizes the best 50
Class Notes
1968
businesswomen in the state. The winners
are nominated by their colleagues and
selected based on their professional and
personal accomplishments, community
involvement, and advocacy for women in
business. Gov. Edward G. Rendell called
the winners role models for younger
women everywhere when he unveiled the
list. Judi reminisced about the time when
women could be only housewives,
teachers, or secretaries. She is public
relations director for Waste Management
Inc. of Falls Township, Pa. She has served
in this capacity for 15 years. She
coordinates company communications
with the media, the community, and the
company’s governmental affairs
representatives. Judi also has served in the
regional Women’s Professional Network
and the Delaware Valley Women’s
Leadership Forum. Judi praised the
commonwealth for honoring women
and stated that she thinks it’s important
to give women the opportunity for
professional and personal development
and to mentor them and have them
mentor others in return. The award will
be presented to Judi and the other
winners in Harrisburg at a luncheon,
followed by an evening gala.
Hal Crane writes that his youngest
daughter, Joella, was married in
November to Andrew Kanter in
Newport, R.I. The bridegroom is a
lawyer in Boston, and the bride is
program director for the Providence
Foundation.
Ed Rubenstone notified me that
his law firm, Lamm Rubenstone LLC,
celebrated its 25th anniversary with
a party at the Union League of
Philadelphia in March. The firm has
three offices in Trevose and Allentown,
Pa., and West Cherry Hill, N.J.
Now for the bad news: Ray Arps died
April 2 of renal cancer, which he fought
for eight months. Ray graduated from
Glen Rock (N.J.) High School and
played baseball and football there. At
Lafayette, he was a Phi Delta Theta
brother.
Following college, Ray worked in
sales and marketing for Procter &
Gamble for 14 years. Then he joined
Anheuser Busch in Newark, N.J., as a
marketing manager for eight years.
He retired in May 2008 after 18 years
with Advantage (formerly Pezrow) in
Ramsey, N.J., where he worked as a
regional business development manager.
Ray resided in five states before
moving to East Hanover, N.J., 27 years
ago. In the summers, he called the
birches in the Adirondack Mountains
home.
Ray loved the Yankees and was a
devoted fan of the N.Y. Giants and had
Giants season tickets since 1984. He
Alumni Update
loved to play golf and was a member of
the Roxiticus Golf Club in Mendham,
N.J., since 2003.
Being together with family and
friends celebrating life and making
memories meant everything to Ray. He
loved to travel and he looked forward
to his annual family vacations and
golfing trips with friends.
Ray is survived by his beloved wife
of 40 years, Mary Lou (Moran); two
daughters, Kelly Marinelli (and her
husband, Frank) and Kristin Young (and
her husband, Brian); a son, Kevin Arps
(and his wife, Melissa); his brother,
Walter Arps Jr.; his sister, Adrienne Banks
(and her husband, Bob); sisters-in-law
Diane (and Ray) Tyrrell and Kathy (and
Frank) Tortorello; many nieces and
nephews; five grandchildren, Frankie Jr.,
Ava, Kevin, Audre, and Lilly; and a
lifetime of good friends, especially his
fellow alumni.
The family has requested donations
in memory of Ray be made to the
Cancer Research Foundation, Care
of Mary Meyer, 183 Main St., South
Salem, NJ 10590. Please write “Renal
Cancer—Arps” in the memo line.
My condolences on behalf of our
class go out to Mary Lou and the entire
Arps family.
Rev. Michael Duda ’73 honored as Champion for Children
by Children’s Friend and Family Services in Salem, Mass.
Russ Bauer ’75 named chair of clinical and health psychology
department at University of Florida
Jeffrey Levin ’75 joins Squire, Sanders & Dempsey law firm
as partner in tax and private wealth
Duda ’73
Bauer ’75 Levin ’75
Marc Finkelstein ’76 appointed to New York State Trauma
Advisory Committee and elected president of the Long Island
chapter of American College of Surgeons
Andrew McDaniel ’76 becomes chief financial officer
of Central Virginia Community Services
Barry Bregman ’77 promoted to vice chairman at CTPartners
executive search firm
Finkelstein ’76McDaniel ’76
Bregman ’77
Class Notes
1968-1969
1969
Michael L. Mouber
4001 Lincoln Drive West, Suite F
Marlton, NJ 08053-1525
(856) 985-1000
[email protected]
President: John C. Becica
Fund Manager: Abram I. Bluestein
Reunion Chair: David A. Piacente
John C. Becica, [email protected]
I think that several years ago we were
able to report on Martin Freifeld
regarding his band, Which Doctor? It’s
a good, original name, if you ask me,
and that’s why I think I remember the
reference. However, I’m not positive
that my recollection is correct, and any
confirming information would be on
my old hard drive (i.e., the one from
which most of the data were lost to me
and to posterity). Therefore, I cannot
confirm the recollection. Anyway,
Martin, the band-playing M.D., has
a challenging itinerary over the next
several months. After spending the
winter at his home on Grand Cayman,
he is off to Paris, a month-long
excursion to Africa (including a photo
safari through the Kalahari Desert),
London, and then back home to
Pennsylvania. Martin articulates a
concern that if the economic turndown
continues for too long, he may have to
go back to work. (Actually, Martin is
the lucky one. I spent 10 days in Paris
and came straight home. Now I may
have to go find more work, given the
dollar/euro relationship I encountered.)
Martin also faxed pictures. One says:
“Martin playing guitar at the Pines
Retirement Home on Grand Cayman
for their annual ‘birthday party’ last
month. Most of the residents were from
the ’30s and ’40s anyway, so they
seemed to enjoy it.” Now I’m just not
sure what that caption means. After all,
aren’t all of us, Doc Freifeld included,
also from the ’40s? Martin adds, “I’ll
befriend all Facebook requests from you
’69ers.” He also included his email
address: [email protected].
Every few years we can report on the
adventures of David Hughes. I have an
email from David dated March 2. He
informed me that the following day
he would be ending his career at the
Department of Energy. Of his time
there, David says it was “a trip.” He
began with the federal government in
the middle of Watergate, at the
“beginning of the end of President
Nixon’s administration, in a time of
great economic turmoil.” He also
remarks that he’s leaving the federal
government at the beginning of
President Obama’s administration, with
more economic turmoil. Very much like
some of the thoughts we all may have
when we begin to think about phasing
out of a full-blown work schedule,
David says he preferred walking out of
the office at a time of his own choosing,
meaning “upright, healthy, and happy,
rather than feet first, supine, and
wearing a toe tag.” David actually is
getting more lyrical as he gets older! He
says he will miss his friends at work but
will not miss the job that much. He
invites you all to know that his non-jobrelated email addresses are davhughes@
comcast.net and [email protected].
For those of you who were
engineering majors at school, I must
pass along the news of the death of one
of your professors, Donald Jenkins.
He was an associate professor of
chemical engineering at Lafayette for
34 years. His teaching career spanned
40 years, although I do not know
where he taught prior to coming to
Lafayette. He retired from Lafayette in
1987 and spent the balance of his years
in New Hampshire. Professor Jenkins
is survived by his wife of 61 years,
Lavinia Burns Jenkins, children
Winnie, Ralph, and Rachel, four
grandchildren, and a great grandson.
Another daughter, Gail, predeceased
him, as did a sister. For those who
might not have known anything more
about Professor Jenkins than what they
could observe in the classroom, he
graduated from Rutgers University and
from Lehigh University with degrees in
mechanical engineering. During World
War II, he served commendably in the
Army Air Corps in Europe as a first
lieutenant navigator on a B-24
Liberator bomber, for which he
received the Distinguished Flying
Cross and Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf
Clusters. His contributions to the
country and our lives are noteworthy
and appreciated.
Peter Marks’ son, Colin, has
achieved academic and athletic
milestones. At Council Rock North
High School in Newtown, Pa., Colin
earned varsity spots in both the soccer
and football programs. These are
simultaneous activities that undoubtedly
left little time for Colin to attend to the
more academic aspects of high school.
Nevertheless, Colin was valedictorian of
his high school class. Now he is on the
football team at Carnegie Mellon
University, where he and six of his
teammates have been entered into
regional competitions of athlete
scholars. Seven of the young men on
the Carnegie Mellon team have
maintained an average GPA of 3.7.
Now I would be remiss if I did not
confess that no one in the Marks family
has brought this information forward so
it could be used in this column. Rather,
Howard Rednor, class correspondent
for the Class of ’68, sent a clipping to
me about Colin in the hope we might
be able to include this information. The
clipping itself appears to be on the
letterhead or newspaper banner of the
Carnegie Mellon Tartans. Howard has
indicated to me that his own son is a
sophomore at Carnegie Mellon and is
also on the football team. Howard
indicated he was going to make his son,
appropriately, a subject of his own
column. I will have to take Howard to
lunch one of these days to thank him
for information for this column from
time to time. This is not the first
instance of his forwarding news to
me about class members.
Gary Masline and I had some
communications, and there’s a lot to
report about Gary since we were last
able to include information about him.
He is an assistant counsel and press
spokesperson for a governor’s
investigatory agency in New York State.
Gary also pursues painting, sketching,
and other art-related skills. He has a
studio in Troy, N.Y., and last year, one
of his oil paintings was among 50
artworks selected from thousands in
the Chautauqua Institution’s Annual
Exhibition of American Art. There’s
also plenty of family news. Gary and
Sharon’s son, Jeff, born while Gary was
at Lafayette, recently was elected to a
local school board. Jeff is the father of
Emily and Allison. Gary’s daughter,
Sara, had the family’s first grandson,
Martin, last May. Sharon is a software
Class Notes
1969-1970
engineering manager, and both she and
Gary are looking forward to retirement
in a couple of years. Thereafter, time
will be spent at a home in Corrales, N.M.
Now comes the point in this column
where I would like to request again
that you communicate at my email
address, [email protected]. I am trying
to spend more time on this column and
give more detailed coverage on the
information I receive. There is,
however, just so much that can be said
when we receive information that one
of us “has had a grandson.” Certainly,
I will report it. However, please don’t
hesitate to send anecdotes, thoughts,
and recollections. I very much would
like to be able to report more stories
like the ones here about Martin Freifeld
and David Hughes because they do
provide more substance and humor. I
hope they are appreciated by all. Tales
of retirement and what to pursue with
newly found time would be appreciated
greatly by all, I’m sure. Best regards.
1970
Michael H. LeWitt, M.D.
1128 Cymry Drive
Berwyn, PA 19312-2042
(610) 647-0732
(610) 993-0288 (fax)
[email protected]
President: Gary R. Platt
Fund Manager: Open
Reunion Chair: Gary R. Platt
A number of people in our class have
established a presence on Facebook,
so if anyone is interested, sign up on
Facebook, put in Lafayette College 1970
for search criteria, and you can be
matched up with those who have
subscribed.
From Frank Hoffman: “Since
I always enjoy hearing what my
classmates and fraternity brothers are up
to these days, I guess it’s about time I
checked in myself! I’m currently vice
president of learning and organizational
development at XL Capital, a Bermudabased insurance and reinsurance
company. My wife, Cathy, and I recently
celebrated our 36th wedding
anniversary. We live in an old farmhouse
(built in the 1820s) in West Chester, Pa.
Our son, Nicholas ’04, works as an
elementary school teacher in the area.
We make it a point to return to campus
every other year for the Lehigh game—
and this year, we’re excited to reunite
after almost 40 years(!) with our friend
and brother, Al Costantino, Delta Tau
Delta’s long-time chef.”
And from Don Prough ’69:
“Curiously, both my son and I are Penn
State fans, even though I never set foot
on the campus until I attended a football
game there in the early ’80s.”
I have been happy with my career
choice. Medicine isn’t what it used to
be, but I can’t imagine life teaching
English literature at a college. Actually,
it turns out that I spend a substantial
amount of my time writing and
speaking, so the nontraditional
pathway was good preparation. The
worst thing about a nontraditional
pathway was the first year of med
school. Sharp contrast to English
literature seminars.
In the first of three brief addenda
to my class notes, I wanted to mention
some of the changes at Lafayette since
we graduated. (Remember, our 40th
is coming up next year—think about
attending!)
I will mention some of the structural
changes in the campus in this column,
faculty changes in the next, and my
gestalt interpretation of the tenor of the
campus in the final. By that time, my
younger daughter, Rachel ’12, will have
started, so I also can get the perspective
of a current student.
The biggest change one will see
on visiting the campus is the Quad.
Skillman has been renovated into a
more beautiful, larger library. Phi
Kappa Psi has been moved nearer to
DKE. The library is really remarkable:
21st century in its utility and design
but with retention of its history and
functionality. Many more study areas,
all wired (as is the campus) for Internet
access, and with greater depth in print
and online resources. It is drop-dead
gorgeous.
At the other end of the Quad,
extending into some of the area where
the old DU house was, is the Farinon
College Center, the hub of activity for
meals, meetings, and college activities
(bookstore, post office, club rooms,
etc.).
Finally, thanks to the generosity
of many alumni, we have an alumni
building, the Robert E. ’32 and Hazel
E. Pfenning Alumni Center, which
opened in 2002 for meetings and
alumni-related activities.
There is the remarkable new
Kamine Gym, with state-of-the-art
equipment—tracks, rock-climbing wall,
pool, and more, and at the opposite
end of the field (which also has been
refurbished), a building primarily
devoted to football and conditioning,
the Bourger Varsity Football House,
courtesy of Jack Bourger ’71 and
family.
Olin Hall of Science, Acopian
Engineering Center, and the bio/
chem/physics departments have
undergone significant renovation,
as have the older residence halls.
There are more than a dozen new,
refurbished, or newly named buildings.
As many of the fraternities extant when
we were students are gone, new uses
have been found for the buildings,
including many sororities. There are
Hillel and a Newman buildings. There
is a child care center and excellent
college health facilities (Wetmore has
passed to his reward). There is Acopian
Engineering Center, named after
Sarkis ’51 and Bobbye Acopian,
parents of Greg Acopian. There is
Reeder House, which was developed
to be similar to McKelvy House in its
impact on the campus. The old Alumni
Memorial Gymmasium has been
reconfigured and renamed Oechsle
Hall; it houses psychology, as well as
other offices.
Consider coming back next year.
You will not see the same campus, but
a better one. You will be able to get
back in touch with people you may not
have seen for 40 years, but you can
pick up where you left off. Finally, you
can be reinvigorated by the atmosphere
that helped you develop into the
person you are now.
Hope to see you then!
Class Notes
1971
A Family Commencement:
Father, Son, and Nephew Graduate Together
Steven Zamore surprised to receive his diploma after 38 years
Steven Zamore left Lafayette in 1970 after his junior year to attend medical
school at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He earned his M.D. in
1974, did his residency at Yale, and became an obstetrician and gynecologist in
Connecticut. Although he was considered a member of Lafayette’s Class of 1971,
Zamore often complained he did not have a Lafayette diploma and couldn’t
get it because he was two courses short for his biology degree.
Steven’s wife, Peggy,
had heard the story often.
She thought it would be
nice to surprise Steven
with his Lafayette diploma.
And what better time than
this Commencement when
their son, Zachary Zamore,
and nephew, Matthew
Zamore, were graduating
as members of the Class
of 2009? Peggy, Zac, and
Matt secretly contacted
Lafayette to ask whether
courses Steven had taken
in medical school could be counted towards the two missing biology courses.
At a family dinner the evening before Commencement, Zac stood up to
make a speech and handed his father a mortar board hat.
“I said, ‘Dad, you’re walking with us tomorrow,’” Zac recounted. “‘This is
your cap and gown.’”
“I was surprised and shocked,” says Steven. “The whole family knew about
this but me. It brought a tear to my eye.”
So Steven’s wish came true May 23 when he walked up in line between
his nephew and son to receive a diploma from President Dan Weiss.
“The graduation ceremony was terrific,” says Steven. “It was fantastic to be
there as a recipient, especially because I was sitting between my son and nephew.”
Diploma firmly in hand, now Steven must make a big decision: Will he
continue to attend reunions with his original Class of 1971 or now join his son
and nephew and the Class of 2009?
(Note: Matthew’s father, Michael Zamore ’73 was Steven’s younger brother.
Michael followed in Steven’s footsteps, leaving Lafayette in 1972 after his junior year,
also to attend Thomas Jefferson University Medical School. Michael became
an ophthalmologist in Florida and sadly died eight years ago.)
1971
Arthur H. Goldsmith
29 Forest Ave.
West Newton, MA 02465
(617) 527-2640
(617) 244-1670 (fax)
[email protected]
President: Ronald C. Diment
Fund Manager: Paul H. Dimmick
Reunion Chair: Open
Tom Yoder of Leominster, Mass.,
reports that he finally, after 25 years,
met up with his fellow Soles Hall
member, senior off-campus roommate,
and fellow electrical engineering major,
Randy Rhoads. After graduating,
Randy and Tom continued to play gigs
in Philly and West Chester, Pa., in their
acoustic group called OAK. In 1979,
Tom moved to Leominster with wife
Janice to work as the facilities electrical
engineer at Simplex Time Recorder in
Gardner, Mass. Tom moved to FosterGrant’s plastics division and then to
Raytheon’s equipment division as
facilities engineering manager in
Sudbury, Mass. Health issues forced
Tom to leave the workforce in 1993,
but he stayed occupied with his antique
auto hobby, writing newsletters for old
car clubs, and volunteering for his
church. Tom’s two sons are both
University of Massachusetts–Amherst
graduates, working in construction and
landscaping. Tom has been happily
married to Janice for 35 years. He and
college buddy Randy drive identical
gray Audi TT convertibles.
Randy is married, lives in Denver,
Pa., and works in the computer world.
Len Conte lives in Northboro,
Mass. Len is a MathWorks senior
usability professional. Son Chris is a
senior at Boston University, and
daughter Alicia is a first-year student at
the University of Colorado–Boulder.
Fran Minotto, programmer/
analyst at Siemens Medical Solutions in
Malvern, Pa., reports that the 1968
football team had its 40th reunion at
the Lafayette–Harvard game Oct. 3,
which also marked Fran and wife
Kathie’s 10th anniversary.
Ross Stemmler, Horace Pierce,
and Ralph Massa gathered together
at Ross’ place in Tampa, Fla. Ralph is
retired from the Vancouver (Wash.)
Fire Department and lives “away from
it all” in Amboy, Wash., 25 miles from
Portland. Horace has called Australia
home for the past 30 years and owns
and runs a successful commercial air
conditioning company, Mechanical
Project Management Pty. Ltd., in
Perth. Ross and his wife moved to
Tampa in 1997. Ross retired two years
ago from his corporate job at CP Ships.
Ross now owns All World Shipping
Corp., which allows for plenty of travel
and keeps him involved in international
transportation.
Roger Weinreb reports his new job
as store manager for Batteries Plus
(www.batteriesplus.com) in Woburn,
Mass. In 2005, Roger closed his longheld Mass Gas family business. Wife
Didi is a certified United States Tennis
Association teaching pro, a 4.5
competitive player, and coach of the
Regis College (NCAA Div. III)
women’s tennis team in Weston, Mass.
Daughter Kate teaches fifth grade in
North Reading, Mass. A reading
Class Notes
1971-1972
specialist, Kate is getting married in
July 2009. Daughter Jill graduated
Suffolk University Law School. She
closed a Marblehead, Mass., shop she
ran and plans to get involved in law
enforcement. Max is a first-year student
at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
Ben is a Wellesley High School senior
who plans to enter the Marines upon
graduation. Roger’s father, Efrem ’42,
turned 89 in January.
1972
Francis T. Julia Jr.
20403 Sawgrass Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20886-4599
[email protected]
President: Edward C. Yakobitis Jr.
Fund Manager:
Ladimer Stadner Nagurney
Reunion Chair: Raymond F. Green
Francis T. Julia Jr.
A great greeting for you as you read this
sometime this summer.
Unfortunately, I must begin on a sad
note: Andrew Mark died of cancer in
February. Andrew had a successful
career as a music writer and producer.
He founded a number of firms that
produced music for TV, corporations,
and other venues. He wrote over 5,000
jingles for radio and TV. He is survived
by wife Cynthia, daughter Kimberly,
son Christian, and a grandchild. Our
sympathies to his family.
A. Lee Conrad informs me that he
and his wife, Linda, moved to Sun City
Center, Fla., last October. His wife’s
parents are living with them. They have
been enjoying swimming, cycling, and
boating in the Tampa and Sarasota areas.
Paul Grube and his wife, Marie
Josephe, and son, Christopher, enjoy
life in the Big Apple. Paul is the
attending anesthesiologist and associate
director, resident education, at Staten
Island University Hospital.
Greg Hill is living in New York City
these days. Greg spent 24 years
working in Silicon Valley. After retiring
in 1998, he moved to Occidental,
Calif., and enjoyed the quiet of the
Alumni Profile DICK BONDY ’71
In 2004, ITT, a longtime client of Dick Bondy ’71, was a
multi-industry conglomerate, which created branding
challenges. “ITT went to market in three primary
industries with three divisions, each with many different
brands,” he recalls. “Meanwhile, competitors were
organized as monolithic brands and could offer their
clients end-to end-solutions. ITT was just as capable of
powerfully delivering end-to-end solutions as GE and
Siemens, but it wasn’t apparent to customers.”
The confusion was particularly troubling at trade shows, which ITT’s
divisions attended as individual brands, each with their own booths, exhibiting
vastly different ways of depicting the corporate and product brands.
Bondy couldn’t change the displays because the divisions had contracts
with outside firms, so he and his group wrapped shuttle buses with ITT
imagery. And during a major trade show in Amsterdam, they developed a
billboard touting ITT outside the event entrance and placed its flags on
13 poles surrounding the venue.
“Our objective was to hijack the show for ITT, and it paid off handsomely in
terms of measurable increases in awareness, positive attribute ratings among
customers, and enthusiasm among employees,” says Bondy, who later led
a rebranding of ITT and recently rebranded himself. The consultant left the
advertising agency business to specialize in the events and activities involved
in corporate rebrandings.
redwoods. However, life is never
predictable and he moved back east in
2006. These days, he enjoys the people
in his life and being a “hands-on” uncle
for the first time since he graduated
from College Hill.
Charles Hogate sends best wishes
to all. Charles is retired these days in
Hot Springs, Ark., and is enjoying
much travel and outdoor recreation
with his wife, Terry. Charles worked for
Procter & Gamble and Weyerhaeuser in
the areas of manufacturing and finance.
Their sons, Brad and Tyler, have begun
their own lives and careers.
Bruce Lozito decided that a career
change was warranted after spending 20
years in community planning and as a
development consultant. He completed
law school and is now a practicing
attorney in New York in real estate,
land use, and environmental law. He
and his wife, Michelle, have moved to
Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., along with their
two cats.
James Roberts is at the Heritage
Foundation in Washington, D.C., as
the research fellow in economic
freedom and growth. Prior to this,
James was with the State Department
for 25 years, serving in Mexico,
Portugal, France, Panama, and
Haiti. James and his wife, Mary, live
in Burke, Va.
Paul Rowan has transitioned from
marketing and sales to commercial
acting. Paul has lived in the San
Francisco Bay area for the past 28
years. He and his wife, Wendy, enjoy
spending time with their “kids,” their
three black Labradors, which they
show in field competitions.
Your own correspondent and his
wife, Bonnie, continue to be healthy
and well. I said goodbye to my father
this March when he passed away at 88.
Unfortunately, that’s one less link to
the Lehigh Valley. So until next time,
Go ’Pards.
Class Notes
1973
As the saying behind
Class of ’73 friends (L–R)
Jim Roberts, Phil Gocke,
Les Wurfel, and Joel
Nemec notes, life is too
short to drink bad wine.
Mary Simon Streep, wife of Dana ’75, and
John Ward ’73 huddle before the Lafayette–
Lehigh game.
1973
Larry Gasda
2010 Huntington St.
(610) 758-9617
[email protected]
President: Lee Hoeting
Fund Manager: John W. Sullivan II
Reunion Chair: James C. Roberts
Caron B. Anderson,
[email protected]
This is my third column since I assumed
the position of class correspondent. I
have been hearing from more and more
of our classmates, and the news has all
been positive.
Keith Clark didn’t have anything
new to report about himself, but he is
organizing a reunion of KDR brothers
from the classes of 1973 and 1974 for
this September in northern Virginia.
Seventeen individuals already have
committed to attend, and he will no
doubt have plenty of news to share for
the fall edition.
Bob Mollenhauer of Roanoke,
Va., has been named the director of
development for Virginia Tech’s
College of Natural Resources. Bob will
be cultivating personal relationships with
alumni, friends, long-time supporters of
the college, and potential donors. “I have
a great deal of respect for Virginia Tech
and its College of Natural Resources,
which is internationally recognized,”
he affirmed. Most recently, Bob
worked as the vice president for resource
development at Roanoke College. Prior
to serving in that position, he held a
number of development positions at
different universities. After he received
his bachelor’s degree in English from
Lafayette, Bob completed his master’s
in counseling psychology at Boston
University.
Scott Spitzer was selected as deputy
mayor of Bernards Township (Basking
Ridge), N.J., in January. Bernards
Township is a central New Jersey
township of 25 square miles with
28,000 residents, including a number
of Lafayette graduates. In 2007, Scott
was elected to the township committee,
the five-member governing body. He
previously served on the township’s
planning board for seven years, including
five years as its chairman. The planning
board has quasi-judicial authority over all
subdivision and major land-use decisionmaking. Scott is senior vice president,
general counsel, and corporate secretary
of Bowne & Co. in New York City.
Bowne is a New York-based company in
the financial and business communications
field and is the oldest public company
listed on the New York Stock Exchange,
having been organized in 1775. Scott is
on the Alumni Association’s Alumni
Admissions Representatives Committee.
Blair Zwillman sent a note saying
that he and his wife, Katie, recently
celebrated their 10th anniversary. They
live in Randolph, N.J., with their two
little guys (“Yes, I was a late starter”),
Scott, 9, and Andrew, 5. He is a
partner at the Wilentz, Goldman, and
Spitzer law firm in Woodbridge, N.J.,
specializing in criminal defense.
Blair is also the past president of
the Association of Criminal Defense
Lawyers of New Jersey. Blair was back
on campus for Lafayette–Lehigh along
with a throng of 1970s-era Delta Tau
Delta brothers led by Dana Streep ’75,
Peter Simon ’75, John Layng ’75,
Ken Roberts ’74, Jim Turner ’75,
Tim Grip ’74, Steve Caraccia ’75,
Mike Guadagno ’75, John Ward ’73,
Mike Gorman ’77, Frank Phifer ’72,
and others he probably missed. Also
present was long-time DTD cook Al
Costantino. Everyone in the group had
a great time, and they may make this
an annual event. A lot of comical
incidents were relived and laughs
abounded.
Lew Kurland writes that this
February marked his 25th anniversary
as legal counsel for homebuilder K.
Hovnanian Enterprises. Lew noted that
he was “having lots of fun navigating
the ups and downs (mostly the latter)
in the residential development world
these days. Better days yet to come.”
Lew’s younger son, Dan, 27, is a store
manager for Wawa after working in
various jobs in minor league baseball.
His older son, Adam, 30, is studying
for an M.B.A. at Columbia after a
four-year stint in the Army. Adam
achieved the rank of captain and served
as the executive officer for a Stryker
Brigade company in Baghdad and
Mosul. Lew and his wife, Jane, live
in Shrewsbury, N.J.
Larry Berglund continues to ply
his trade as a portfolio manager with
Pennsylvania Trust in Radnor, Pa.
He enjoyed the reunion last summer,
although he’s sorry he was the only
Zete to make it back. Larry remains
active on campus as president of the
Class Notes
1973
ZPT Foundation, formed to raise
funds to restore the Zeta Psi house in
anticipation of its 100th anniversary
next year.
An avid horseman, Collin McNeil
has a new book, Bright Hunting Morn:
The 125th Anniversary of the Radnor
Hunt, which has been available in
bookstores and on Amazon since
March. The work chronicles the people,
the places, the racing, and the chasing
that so many have enjoyed and loved
for a century and a quarter. Collin
serves on the Radnor board of
governors as treasurer. For most of
the past decade his love of history has
served him well as chairman of the
board of trustees of the Historical
Society of Pennsylvania.
Alan Pralgever has joined the firm
of Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis
LLP as a partner in the litigation
department in their Roseland, N.J.,
office. Alan has handled a wide variety
of complex commercial and corporate
litigation in state and federal courts as
well as arbitrations. He has in-depth
experience in construction law and
related areas, about which he has
written and lectured extensively. After
Lafayette, Alan earned a master’s from
Columbia University and his law degree
from Antioch School of Law.
Greg Fiore has been living on
Longboat Key, Fla. (near Sarasota),
for 10 years. There are a number of
Lafayette and Lehigh graduates in the
area, and the alumni associations from
both schools organize an annual
gathering at a local sports bar that can
pick up the Lafayette–Lehigh football
John Ward ’73 and Fred Krumm ’75 discuss
ways to keep warm during the Lafayette–
Lehigh game.
game. Although it is not the same as
being at the game in cold weather, a
good time is had by all. Greg also noted
that the Lafayette Alumni Association
has done a great job arranging outings to
Tampa Bay Rays baseball games that
have included the opportunity to meet
with fellow Leopard and Tampa manager
Joe Maddon ’76.
Caron Anderson reports “no real
exciting news here in Easton.” She and
her husband, Rick, are busy this time of
the year getting their second home on
Lake Wallenpaupack ready for the
summer season. They usually have
several rentals in the summer, but with
the economic situation, they don’t
know if that will be the case this year.
Caron and Rick remain active with
Lafayette sports and alumni events.
They participated in the Lafapalooza:
Lafayette’s National Day of Service this
spring by working at a local no-kill
animal shelter. Also on their busy
warm-weather schedule is a brunch
with a speaker on the cranberry bogs in
the Poconos and the annual spring
baseball tailgate. The Andersons remain
active with the volunteer underwater
recovery dive unit. Caron was never a
diver but a support person with
line-tending and boat-handling. Rick is
more support, as well, and they let the
younger volunteers jump in the water
and ice to recover drowning victims,
a lost motor, or a weapon tossed into
the river from a crime scene. Caron is
working full time in purchasing and
regulatory for a small business in
Easton. Rick works three to four days
a week making and repairing antique
clocks (primarily tall case clocks) in the
Pocono Mountains.
Jim Roberts had this to say:
“Wanted to let you know that my wife,
Fred Krumm ’74, (L–R)
Blair Zwillman ’73,
Mike Gorman ’73,
Ken Roberts ’74,
Tim Grip ’74, and
Mitch Leibson ’74
prepare to root for
the Leopards at the
Big Game.
Barbara, and I hosted the annual PHI
SWC (Stowe Winter Carnival) over the
Martin Luther King Day weekend. This
is the fourth year running that we have
gathered here in Stowe, Vt. (where
Barbara and I now call home), to enjoy
a long weekend of winter activities with
some old friends. Attendees this year
were Phil and Joan Gocke (we missed
their daughter Lizzie, who was away in
Scotland), Les and ‘Jean-Joan’ Wurfel
(and their two daughters, Ellen and
Elizabeth), and Joel and Norma
Nemec (who returned after missing last
year’s event). Notably missing where
Ellsworth ‘Whitey’ Whiteman and his
lovely bride, Diana, as well as their
daughter, Olivia, all of whom had
attended the previous three events.
“Besides some fine schussing by
Phil, Les, Jim, and Barbara, attendees
this year participated in snowshoeing,
‘the Hot Tub,’ and a trip to the local
spa, as well as our first-ever Wii
tournament—including Rock Band.
“This has become an annual event,
and while space is limited at the
Roberts’ B&B for MLK weekend, we
would welcome any Lafayetters who
may be visiting the beautiful Green
Mountains of Vermont. Last year, Jim’s
first-year roommate, Eric Jaxheimer—
along with his wife, Marty, and
family—paid us a visit!”
My first-year roommate from the
third floor of South College, Fred
Panico, checked in with his usual
inimitable style: “Great 2 hear from
you. My daughter graduated from UD
and is ice skating and going on a dig in
Egypt. We are doing well... miss old
times on the campus, etc.”
The Winter edition of Alumni News
was only available online. If you’d like
to catch up with Joe Ferdinand,
Class Notes
1973-1975
Doing the Lord’s work for the
Presbytery of Eastern Virginia
are Rev. Doug Nagel ’76, Rev.
Judy Thomson ’73, and Elder
Don Bickhart ’58.
Dennis Vitrella, and Peter Newman,
you can read that column on the
alumni web site. Choose the magazine
icon on the right, then Past Issues on
the left.
As of this writing, I am looking at
finishing my 36th year as a high school
social studies teacher, the last 28 at East
Stroudsburg (Pa.) High School South,
where I am also the department head.
My wife, Elise, and I have made it
through our first year as empty nesters.
Our son, Matt, is finishing up his
sophomore year at Syracuse University
and our daughter, Emily, has had a
successful and exciting first year at
Boston University.
I hope this column finds you all
happy and healthy. Please keep the
emails and photos coming.
1974
Edward K. DeHope
75 Fairwood Road
Madison, NJ 07940-1460
(973) 377-7338
[email protected]
President: Rhoda C. Rothkopf
Fund Manager: Robert A. Jacob
Reunion Chair: Joseph P. Grimes
Web Page Administrator: Jay H. Krall,
[email protected]
John Zembron reports the marriage
in May of son John Edward ’04 to
Lauren Breecker ’05. The couple
resides in Boston, where John works
for the John Hancock Company and
Lauren is employed as a middle school
guidance counselor. Daughter Anne
spent most of March and April touring
Europe. Upon her return, she
relocated to Southern California
to begin her career in the entertainment industry.
Ann Huntington Barnett retired
from IBM at the end of 2008 after 29
wonderful years. Ann states it was a “big
decision” and that she is very happy
about the path she has taken. Ann
advises that being paid not to work is
even more wonderful than you can
imagine. Since retiring, Ann has enjoyed
the luxury of time and has returned to
her former homes in Paris, San
Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Ann
expects that the reality of “pension vs.
salary will catch up to me soon, but I am
trying to ignore it, at least briefly.” Ann
has a few more trips planned, including
Ireland and St. Thomas, and then the
six-month party to celebrate her
retirement will come to an end.
Charles Rich reports that he and
wife Mad have been married 13 years.
His stepson, Matt, is 22, and Charles
and Mad have an 8-year-old daughter
named Eve. Charles and his family live
in New York in the Bronx. He is a
commercial real estate lawyer in
Manhattan with the law firm of
Golenbock Eiseman Assor Bell &
Peskoe LLP and is evaluating the tax
incentives for green construction that
are or will be available to the firm’s
owner, contractor, or architect clients.
Joe Grimes writes that daughter
Lindsay ’08 has become engaged to
classmate and fellow swimmer Jaryd
Freedman ’08. The couple started
dating at the end of their first year at
Lafayette and have been inseparable
since.
A trio of ’Pards, Frank Phifer ’72, Dana
Streep ’75, and Ken Roberts ’74, dream of
gridiron glory before the Lafayette–Lehigh
game.
1975
J. Gary Caputi (Outgoing correspondent)
Send news and photos to:
Pfenning Alumni Center
Lafayette College
Easton, PA 18042
[email protected]
President: Paul Steckel
Fund Managers: Laneta J. Dorflinger,
David R. Taschler
Reunion Chair: Charles P. Kurowsky
Web Page Administrator: J. Gary Caputi
Steve Goldberg reports that his
youngest, Stacey ’12, just finished her
first year at Lafayette. The middle child,
Zach, is a computer science engineering
student at University of Pennsylvania,
and his eldest, Daniel, is a graduate of
the Wharton School at UPenn trying to
survive today’s financial turmoil as a
bond trader. Steve has been busy as a
cardiologist in a 10-physician medical
group that recently merged with 165
doctors in the North Shore of Long
Island, N.Y. He also reports that he has
been busy as past president of the staff
of North Shore University Hospital.
He was past teacher of the year in its
department of medicine and now enjoys
being a national adviser to United
Health Care.
Also reporting in is Russ Bauer,
who is chair of the clinical and health
psychology department at the University
of Florida. His biography and more can
be read at http://neuropsy.phhp.ufl.
edu/facres/facprofiles/Bauer.html.
He is also in the running for chair of
Class Notes
1975
the American Psychological Association
this year.
I got a great email from Bill Sachs:
“It’s been a long time, and after seeing
the sparse response we get from our
class, I thought I’d send you a little
update to help you fill a little space. My
wife, Carolina, and I live in Little Silver,
N.J., and we have four children (not
really kids anymore). I am in my 25th
year of podiatry practice, with offices in
Shrewsbury and Toms River, N.J. My
goal these days is to play more golf
than I did the year before! Carolina is
a nurse and runs a home IV-infusion
company. She recently went to
Guatemala with Habitat for Humanity,
while I stayed home and took care of
the dogs. Our oldest, Adam, is a
Northwestern grad and a successful
entrepreneur. He is the chief executive
officer of a startup group-dating web
site that recently received over one
million dollars in venture capital
funding. His company, ignighter.com,
has been featured in the Wall Street
Journal and Inc.com. Christopher is
at Hofstra University and is a film
production major. He will be interning
at Comedy Central. Lauren is a student
at Widener University and a hospitality
major. She just completed her
internship at Whitemarsh Country
Club. Our youngest, Amanda, is a high
school honors student and my only
hope for a legacy; however, she is
driven to have a career as a professional
ballerina and to attend Julliard.”
I think I’d like to close sharing the
terrific Christmas 2008 letter from
Jan Petro and family: “While trying to
figure out a theme for this year’s update
on the Petros, it became apparent that
reality was strange enough this past
year, and nothing could top it. For
those of you out there who actually
Jim Curnal (L) and
Tom “OJ” Odjakjian
flank fellow ’76er
Joe Maddon,
congratulating him
on being named
American League
Manager
of the Year.
look forward to this letter and an actual
theme, we’ll try to work in something
creative later—but no promises this
time around.
“Talk about your roller-coaster ride
of a year! By now, in addition to having
a new president—not sure ‘We the
People’ have won either way, but we
can hope—we’ve seen the auto
companies, many banks, and the
financial markets tank (and, we hope,
start to work their way back by now)
and seen gas prices rise and fall, often
with no rhyme nor reason. The Hoosier
State experienced May tornados, June
flooding, and Hurricane Ike passing
through in September, with winds not
seen in years. Thankfully, our homestead
was spared the worst, and in some
cases, we were oblivious to it all until
after the fact and the sun rose the
next day. As Ike was passing through,
we were driving back from Toledo,
Ohio, after a fall visit with Michael to
celebrate his 30th birthday. It was a
‘two-hands-on-the-steering-wheel trip,’
and we should have been suspicious of
how bad it was when all the power was
out at the Mt. Comfort, Ind., exit as
we got off I-70 just a few miles from
home.
“We did have some enjoyable
moments this year though. After a
whole lot of years, we made another
Marriage Encounter Weekend in April
right after our anniversary (32nd) and
have tried to be a little more active in
the movement. We vacationed down in
Kentucky, staying at the Lake Barkley
State Park Lodge in both April and
October to make sure our lots—we
bought a second lot next to the first
one—were still there. In October, we
were also there for the Trigg County
Ham Festival, the social event of the
year, complete with the closing-day
parade down the main drag. Ah, small
town Americana—and someday we
hope to be living right in the heart of
it. We visited Linda and Henry Wren at
their home in Hayesville, N.C., over
Memorial Day and had a very enjoyable
visit. Carlye, 28, living on her own here
in Indy, was a bridesmaid in several
weddings in the spring that we also
attended. The kids pop in and out
when they’re able, and we managed to
catch up with local friends from time
to time. We enjoyed the out-of-town
company of Chris and Randy Winter
and Sue Stafura for short visits this year.
Symphony on the Prairie had a very
good outdoor concert season this
summer, including an ABBA tribute
band, concerts of Italian love songs,
and movie and TV music, and the
Beef and Boards Dinner Theater
put on a hilarious performance of Mel
Brooks’ The Producers. Our day after
Thanksgiving open house took place as
usual, and we had a fun time with many
good friends. Christmas week, we had
tickets for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
at Conseco Fieldhouse downtown as
a present to ourselves.
“After over 19 years, we finally
finished the first round of decorating
when we painted the master suite and
redid the floors: tile in the bathroom,
hardwood in the bedroom and upstairs
hall, and new carpet on the stairs. We
also installed a couple retractable screen
doors on the garage service doors and
again had our garden, the fruits of
which we not so willingly shared with
the neighborhood rabbits, in spite of
fencing it in. The moles came to visit
this year too.
“Marsha is still with Healthzone
Chiropractic and also works at Conner
Prairie when she can, including being a
member of its costumed spelling bee
team for a local charity fundraiser. She
continues to volunteer at church (lector
and Eucharistic minister), although she
hasn’t had to help ‘feed the priest’ as
often as last year.
“Jan almost completed 25 years
(minus one month) at GM. With the
auto industry meltdown, GM offered
several early-retirement packages
for salaried personnel, one of which
he qualified for. After much soul
searching, number crunching, and
praying–at least on Jan’s part, as
Marsha was all for his getting out from
the get go–Jan accepted the offer and,
Class Notes
1975-1976
as of Dec. 1, retired. The next step is
to decide what he wants to do for the
next few years. Work at a ‘job job’ that
may involve relocating, work with a
contract firm (and then maybe only
part time), or get a job locally where
he can tell people ‘the nails are in aisle
6.’ Just don’t know yet, but it does
give you news to look forward to in
the next letter. As this wasn’t his
original plan, it is still a strange feeling
not being employed full time, but he’s
adjusting, especially to not getting up
at 4:15 in the morning. This was an
opportunity to get out of a very
uncertain situation (kind of) on his
terms, and since it’s a done deal now,
we’ll just look forward and make the
best of the situation. Oh, one more
thing, Jan is in a BMV [Bureau of
Motor Vehicles] Satisfied Customer
campaign and has his picture posted
in the local license branch, done
by a professional photographer
and everything. Next year, maybe
he’ll make the post office wall.
“Well, only a one-pager this year,
allowing you to use the back side
for scrap paper, shopping lists, small
gift wrapping or whatever else you
may need a blank side of paper for.
If nothing else, at least remember
to recycle! Our best to you all,
and we hope to stay in touch in 2009.
Please call if you’ll be in the Indy
area.”
Well, this column marks my 30th
year of being your class correspondent,
and it is time for me to pass the reins to
someone else. So, if you’re interested,
please contact the alumni office. It really
was a pleasure writing this column for
you all these years; thanks for all of your
help, friendship, and encouragement.
Happy summer, everyone!
1976
Betsy Huston Fadem
[email protected]
Susan Krieger Harris
[email protected]
President: James A. Curnal
Fund Managers: Lori Glauberman
Rubin, Debra Waldele Champagne,
Ellen Kravet Burke,
Susan Barnes Carras
Reunion Chairs: Ann Shellenberger Bell,
Susan B. Tischler
James P. Simos, [email protected]
Alumni Update
Greetings to the Class of ’76. We have
received exciting updates from some of
our classmates who have not checked
in for a while. We hope our efforts to
bring you these tidbits have inspired
you all to get in touch with us. So sit
back, grab your favorite beverage, and
catch up with our classmates.
Stan Allison admits he has
neglected to communicate much with
his Lafayette friends since graduation,
but he offers us a thumbnail sketch of
what he has been up to. Stan and his
wife, Nan, have been married for 25
years, and since the early 1980s, along
with their three children, have been
living in the Charlotte, N.C., area,
where Stan had been working as an
investment banker with Bank of
America and then Wachovia. He
describes himself as a casualty of the
Wachovia problems and was planning
to move in the spring of 2009 to
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to serve as
managing director/head of private
placements at Al Rajhi Financial
Services. Stan included some of the
changes he and his wife are facing,
including sandstorms so strong that
they will strip the paint off cars, no
alcohol, and no driving privileges for
women. Stan is very much looking
forward to the opportunities for
personal and professional development,
Bill Naydan ’78 inducted into first class of Pennsylvania Music
Educators Association Hall of Fame
Robert D. Redmond ’79 joins Macquarie Capital Advisors
as vice chairman
John Stanley ’80 promoted to senior vice president and
general counsel at Air Products
Naydan ’78
Redmond ’79 Stanley ’80
Eric Bock ’87, Travelport chief administrative officer, honored
as outstanding lead in-house corporate counsel by
New York County Lawyers Association
Keith Costigan ’88 wins nearly $15,000 on Jeopardy! TV quiz show
Carrie Lee ’89 joins Thomson Reuters as head anchor
for Reuters Financial TV
Bock ’87
Costigan ’88Lee ’89
Class Notes
1976
and he is eager to begin the adventure.
Best of luck, and we hope Stan will
provide us with updates.
From Suffolk County, Long Island,
N.Y., we got word from Marc
Finkelstein that he is in a surgical
practice. He recently was appointed to
the New York State Trauma Advisory
Committee and is in the middle of his
term as president of the Long Island
chapter of the American College of
Surgeons. With two college-age
children, one who graduated in May
from Hofstra and one at the University
of Michigan, Marc has returned to
watching college sports. He stays in
touch with Barry Fried and caught up
with Ron Ranieri in December 2008
after 15 years.
It was my good fortune to run into
Tom “OJ” Odjakjian at the NCAA
Men’s Basketball Tournament regional
games in Boston in March. We caught
up as best we could at halftime of the
Villanova–Pitt game. He is the easiest
and most engaging person to talk to
and the best “ambassador” any class or
college could have. OJ is the associate
commissioner of the Big East
Conference in Providence, R.I., where
he lives with his wife and two children.
After our mini-reunion in Boston, OJ
forwarded me a picture taken at
Fenway Park before Game 5 of the
2008 America League Championship
Series between Tampa Bay and Boston.
You will recognize three of our
classmates, Jim Curnal, American
League Coach of the Year Joe
Maddon, and OJ. What a smile that
brings to us all. (See photo.)
Andre McDaniel reports that he
recently accepted a new role as chief
financial officer for Central Virginia
Community Services. This public agency
provides behavioral health services for
clients who suffer from mental illness or
are affected by substance abuse. Andre
and his wife will be relocating to the
Lynchburg area after spending 12 years
in Toledo, Ohio, where Andre worked
for Owens Corning.
More job-change news from Jim
Costello, who accepted a position in
January 2008 as president for the
fastener division of McKechnie
Aerospace, a corporation
headquartered in Irvine, Calif. Jim had
been working for the SPS Technologies
division of Precision Castparts Corp.
for the past 33-plus years and had been
living right around the corner from me
in Wayne, Pa., so I will miss running
into him.
Whether they know if or not,
Carl Peterson and Mike Blaine have
children who just completed their first
year at Ursinus College. I hope when
they read this column they can figure
out a way to connect at the next
Ursinus Parents Weekend.
Carl reports that since his youngest
headed to Ursinus, he and his wife have
been empty nesters. Since March 2008,
Carl has been working at J.P. Morgan
as executive director in the energy area
of its investment bank. New hobbies
have been the focus of Carl’s free time,
as he is developing his dance skills,
appreciating vintage 1950s films, and
playing tennis, golf, and platform
tennis. It seems Carl is not only playing
platform tennis, but excelling in it, as
he went to the 2007 Nationals in his
age group. He recently had dinner with
Mitch Herman and sees Drew ’75
and Sharon McGill Buge.
Mike reports that he is still with
Batelle and is now supporting the
Army Asymmetric Warfare Office in the
Pentagon. He is in email contact with
many classmates, including Gary
Wetzel, Joe Landy, and Charlie
Spigelman. Mike provides us with a
walk down memory lane, as he ran into
Coach Bill Lawson at the Lafayette–
Navy lacrosse game at Annapolis in
March. Coach Lawson coached the
Lafayette men’s lacrosse team 1975–
2002 and is back on the sidelines
as an assistant coach.
Speaking of Annapolis, Md., we
heard from Wes Wubbenhorst, who is
living there and is serving as a member
of Bishop Sutton’s staff for the
Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. Wes
has been a priest since 1981, serving
in Connecticut, New Jersey, and now
Maryland. For the past 16 years, he has
been leading missions to Honduras and
will be bringing 60 youth to work in
Episcopal orphanages this summer.
He and his wife, Vivienne, have five
children, one serving in the Peace
Corps, one at the University of
Delaware, and three in high school.
Wes finds time each year to make it
back to the Lafayette–Lehigh game
with Scott Pyle, Bruce Groves, and
Bob Wilson.
Steve Bull reports that his business,
Bull Metal Products, is chugging right
along, especially with Larry Malone
in charge of sales. Steve is very active
in his community through his
participation on several local boards
and committees, including a social
service agency, a recreational sports
organization, and a cultural center
rehab project at his old high school.
His family is doing well, and he still
manages to find time to play golf.
This fall, our youngest son will be
a first-year student at Boston College
and our eldest son will be a junior at
Boston University. I mention this in
case any classmates also have children
at these schools; perhaps we can get a
chance to meet up, because heavens
knows we may not be able to recognize
each other.
As I have watched our sons utilize
social networking sites, I have thought
often how different our alumni
connections would be if we had
attended Lafayette in the day of the
“electronic” Facebook, not the
freshman facebook we all grew attached
to. So imagine how surprised I was just
two days after writing this column to
receive an email from the alumni office
with the following: “Dear Lafayette
Alumni, The Lafayette College Alumni
Association is proud to announce the
new Lafayette College Alumni
Connections application built on the
Facebook platform. When you log into
Facebook and add the application to
your profile, you will gain access to the
following Lafayette College Alumni
Online Community features and
more….”
So while Sue Krieger Harris and
I do not necessarily want to be relieved
of our class correspondent duties,
maybe this is the wave of the future,
even for us older alumni. Until we
meet again, either in the pages of the
Alumni News or on Facebook, the best
to you all, as it seems to be a time of
career changes, empty nests, and
reconnecting.
Betsy Huston Fadem
Class Notes
1977-1978
Alumni Profile STEVEN SHANKMAN ’77
Steven Shankman ’77 is vice chairman of radiology at
Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn and director
of its residency program. He specializes in orthopedic
and muscoskeletal imaging and performs interventional
procedures like biopsies and therapeutic injections about
once a week.
“Many diagnoses are made in the radiology department,” he says. “If you’re a radiologist, you’re going to
see a lot of fascinating cases during the day.”
He also is assistant professor of clinical radiology at Mt. Sinai Medical School.
“I find that after doing the same thing for over 20 years, it becomes routine,”
he says. “When you’re working with people who are doing it for the first time,
it keeps it exciting.”
“My hope is that the radiologist can be a bit of a gatekeeper by doing the right
imaging and interpretation and guiding patient treatment in a more efficient
way that prevents unnecessary treatment,” he adds. “A large part of health care
is in the imaging; whether the imaging is preventing unnecessary surgeries and
improving patient care is really the debate.”
1977
D. Kirk Harman
1510 Unionville-Wawaset Road
West Chester, PA 19382-6755
[email protected]
President: Barbara Levy
Fund Manager: Michael A. Saffer
Reunion Chairs: Barry I. Bregman,
Michael Margello,
Nancy Edgar Winkler
Paula Askman Byrum,
[email protected]
Not much to report this time. Please
take the time to send me your news.
In December, Evan P. Williams was
selected as the new assistant superintendent for the Waynesboro Area (Pa.)
School District. Prior to this post, he
served as an elementary school principal
in the Upper Dauphin Area (Pa.) School
District. After graduation from Lafayette,
Evan received his master’s in education
from East Stroudsburg University. He
also has received secondary principal
certification from Penn State University
and superintendent certification from
Bucknell University. He spent 16 years
in the classroom before moving into
administration. Evan and his wife, Sue,
have two teenage sons.
Sadly, I must report the passing of
Thomas J. Scheurnen Dec. 3. After
Lafayette, Thomas earned his M.B.A.
from Lehigh and spent his career in the
banking industry. He is survived by
daughter Elizabeth L. Scheuren of
Bedford, N.Y.
(Editor’s note: The Winter 2009 column
for the Class of 1977 is available on the
alumni web site. Choose the magazine icon
on the right, then Past Issues on the left.)
1978
Kent R. Buzard
9113 Cotton Press Road
Charlotte, NC 28277
(704) 910-1495
[email protected]
President: Charles M. Snyder
Fund Manager: John A. Broderick
Reunion Chairs: Alan C. Good Jr.,
Carol Coffey Tarsa
Melinda Kwasnik Kraus,
[email protected]
For those who did not get the
electronic-only version of the last
Class Notes, please note my change
of contact information above.
In early March, I had a nice visit
from Adam Stauffer and Beth Nelson
’96 of the Office of Development and
College Relations. Despite difficult
economic times, Lafayette remains
committed to keeping alumni involved
with the College. Their efforts must be
paying off, as Lafayette has been able to
increase its financial aid at a time when
other small private colleges have had to
cut back. Beth gave me a good idea for
obtaining additional class news by
joining Facebook. She was right about
how many of you are cool, up to date,
and already on Facebook. If you see
something from me, I am looking for
news and not selling anything.
In September 2008, New York City
Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed
Alan Beckoff to be a family court
judge. His Honor sits in Kings County,
Brooklyn.
Charles Filardi Jr., Esq., has hung
out his own shingle in New Haven,
Conn., after 15 years’ working for big
Connecticut law firms. Charles earned
his J.D. magna cum laude from
Quinnipiac University in 1991 and is a
retired commander in the U.S. Naval
Reserve. His practice specializes in
business litigation, bankruptcy, and
personal injury.
The development folks told me that
Susan Oaks Little’s daughter has been
accepted at Lafayette, and if she decides
to attend would continue that family
legacy at the College. My own
daughter, Katie, is a high school junior,
but as she has lived her entire life in the
Carolinas and is freezing if the
temperature drops below 50, I don’t
think she will be heading north.
That’s all I have for now. I hope to
glean more from Facebook for next
time. Have a great summer.
Class Notes
1979
1979
Thomas J. Feehan Jr.
5005 40th Place
Hyattsville, MD 20781
[email protected]
President: Bonnie Butler
Fund Manager: Laurie B. Samet
Reunion Chairs: Gregory D. Eggert,
Laurie B. Samet
Dermot M. Murphy,
[email protected]
When this edition of Alumni News hits
your mailbox, our 30th reunion will
have become a legacy. My hope as
I write this is that the energy, fun,
renewed friendships, and reconnections
that so many of you anticipated all
materialized. The lead-up to this
historic event was bustling, so I’m
confident your expectations for the
weekend were fulfilled. With that, on
behalf of all of the members of the
Class of ’79, I extend a heartfelt thanks
to the reunion committee for its
dedication and commitment to making
this event special. Co-chairs Greg
Eggert and Laurie Samet deserve our
heartfelt gratitude for their outstanding
leadership. To committee members
Dermot Murphy, Lew Stival, Bonnie
Butler, Jeff Glascott, and Steve
Hurlbut—a tremendous thank you for
your contributions to making this event
successful. I am confident that the next
edition will be packed with reunion
news, so please enjoy this edition and
eagerly anticipate the next. Thanks to
everyone who passed along information
in the course of inquiring about and
committing to attend the reunion.
Many updates were provided in the
process, and I’m happy to pass them
along.
Mike McDonough was the first to
respond, and he wasn’t sure if he had
ever provided an update. My advice:
There is no time like the present!
Mike’s big news is that his daughter,
Katie, graduated from Lafayette as a
member of the Class of 2008, and she
enjoyed her time on the Hill as much
as Mike did. He’s waiting to see if
his 15-year-old son, Michael, is
also interested in expanding the
McDonoughs’ Lafayette tree. Mike
lives in Mountainside, N.J., and
mentioned that he reconnected with
the on-campus happenings at Lafayette
during Katie’s tenure, and has gotten
much more involved with the career
services staff.
Dave Cunningham wrote to
update us on his busy schedule.
The Cunningham clan resides
in Charlottesville, Va., in their
7,000-square-foot eco-home positioned
on 70 acres of land adjacent to the Blue
Ridge Mountains. Dave and Mary have
been married 23 years and are partners in
a tax accounting and financial planning
firm, Sherpa Financial Guides. They are
the parents of Benjamin, 15, and
Samantha, 17. Dave stays in shape by
playing basketball two days a week and
playing soccer on the weekends (ouch!)
and devotes time to involvement in
several support groups. He mentioned
that he would love to renew some of his
great Lafayette friendships and can be
reached at [email protected].
Bonnie Butler teaches Spanish at
Rutgers University, along with a similar
part-time gig at Lafayette. She is also
serving her third year as mayor of
Franklin Township in Warren County,
N.J. Madam Mayor looks forward to
seeing all her classmates at the reunion.
Perhaps my favorite Lafayette
connection/small-world/life-is-justa-big-network story was relayed by
Terry Madonia Breslin. Terry’s son
Michael is a senior at Blair Academy,
in Blairstown, N.J., where she
encountered Blair’s dean of college
admissions, Lew Stival, at a Blair
basketball game. Lew was one of my
first-year roommates, and in the course
of conversation, he asked Terry whom
she roomed with her first year. Terry’s
roommate was Dr. Sue Longenbach
Cooley, who is Lew’s eye doctor. Lew
alerted Terry that Sue also has a son
attending Blair who plays on the
basketball team. From that encounter,
Terry and Sue reconnected after some
12 years, now stay in touch regularly,
and made plans to attend Reunion.
Terry and her husband, Sean, live in
Lafayette, N.J., with Michael and their
other sons, Tom, a sophomore at Pope
John and an accomplished athlete, and
Kevin, a seventh-grade student at
Lafayette School. (I am seeing a theme
here.) Terry serves as vice president of
marketing for Asurion, and Sean is an
attorney and part-time basketball coach
and referee. She eagerly was waiting the
arrival of spring and golf season, the
end of the college decision process, and
the chance to catch up with old friends
at Reunion.
I reconnected with Jim Lassen, who
has been residing in the Boston area for
11 years now. Jim is chief underwriting
officer at Energi Holdings Inc., which
provides insurance brokerage services
and risk management to the energy
industry.
Two members of our class were
named to the Lafayette College lacrosse
“Team of the 70s.” Both Jud Linville
and Greg Slonaker were honored at
the annual lacrosse Alumni Day held
in April. Jud and wife Cindy Oaks
Linville ’80 reside in Princeton, N.J.
He is president and chief executive
officer of the consumer services division
of American Express, working in New
York City. The Linvilles have three
daughters who also play lacrosse.
The eldest is a junior at Columbia
University. The middle daughter,
Cameron ’13, will be entering
Lafayette this fall, and the youngest
attends Princeton Day School. Greg
lives in West Windsor, N.J., with wife
Anne and their three children. All of
Greg’s children are active in sports as
well, including lacrosse. Katie, the
eldest, is a first-year student at Towson
University. Jake is a sophomore at West
Windsor-Plainsboro High School
North. Maggie, the youngest child, is
in sixth grade. Greg has been with
MetLife’s investment department in
Morristown, N.J., for over 13 years.
Steve Hurlbut has been living
outside the Denver area in Centennial,
Colo., for just over two years. His
position as senior executive producer
and programming director with the
MountainWest Sports Network has
kept him very busy in sports television.
Steve, Connie, and their children
have taken nicely to the local skiing
opportunities. His son, Jack, is a firstyear student in high school, and
daughter Maggie is in the eighth grade.
Steve has been helping to establish an
alumni chapter in the area.
John Leible has assumed the new
title of customer service manager at BT,
an information technology and services
provider in the Greater Philadelphia
area. John resides in Bucks County, Pa.,
and mentioned that he stays in contact
with Karl and Barb Huster Sivek.
Last fall’s Lafayette–Lehigh game
was perhaps the coldest football game
Class Notes
1979-1981
I’ve ever attended, although it didn’t
deter the hard-core fans from
producing another sellout. Among the
faithful I caught up with were Phil
Christian, Mike Leone, Jeff Glascott,
Derm Murphy, Greg Eggert, and
Laurie Samet. Bob Waldele attended
the game with his daughters, although
we missed connecting.
On a solemn note, Linda Chubb,
beloved wife of Jeffrey Chubb, passed
away in February. The Chubb family
resides in Palmyra, Pa.
Thanks again for your contributions,
and please continue to keep in touch.
If you couldn’t make it to Reunion and
want information on another classmate
who may have attended, email me, and
I’ll gladly pass along what I know. Best
wishes for a great summer!
1980
Susan Sheehan Lee
1209 Wisteria Drive
Malvern, PA 19355-9736
[email protected]
President: Open
Fund Manager: Open
Reunion Chair: Daniel T. Everett
Erica S. Bonime
I have some bits of news, and hopefully
I’ll have reaped in more at Reunion
Weekend, but please email me if
you have anything going on that
might be of interest to your college
classmates.
Bruce Heike reports that he got
married (April 2006) somewhat late in
life. He and his wife, Melissa, just had
their first baby. Piper Rachel was born
Aug. 9.
She’s already been to Lafayette,
coming with her parents to the alumni
soccer game, where she was introduced
to Bruce’s teammates and friends Terry
“Muggs” Mulligan ’79, George Tiger
’81, Barrett Brown ’81, and former
coach Jamie McLaughlin ’76. All were
there to watch the varsity soccer team
beat Army and to pay respects to Dr.
Wilbur Oaks ’51 on his 80th birthday
celebration.
Bruce has been teaching English
at Roxbury High School in northwest
New Jersey since 1980, coaching soccer
and golf, and he thought he’d be
retiring soon. Piper has changed those
plans!
Another pair of alums with happy
news confided. Don Alabaster and
Peggy Watral, friends since their first
year at Lafayette, found each other
living far away from the Hill of Easton,
Pa., in the desert of Phoenix, Ariz.,
about two years ago. Now they have
built a loving relationship together
during the next phase of their lives.
It is a small world indeed!
Scott Beisler is now free of tuition
payments, as his youngest, Allison,
graduated in 2008 from James Madison
University with a degree in
communications and public relations.
I had lunch not long ago in Princeton,
N.J., with Susan Whitten Conners and
Susan Cassin Wilson. Both are in the
midst of college tuition payments.
Sue Conners’ eldest daughter is at
Dennison University and her second
is at Miami University, both in Ohio.
She’s not out of the woods yet, as she
has twin ninth-grade girls coming
along.
Sue Wilson is teaching Pilates almost
full time in the Philadelphia area.
Her older boy is at the University of
Pittsburgh, and her daughter got an offer
from her first choice, George Washington
University, so looks like there are some
trips to D.C. in the future.
That’s the news for now. Please drop
me a line when you get a free moment.
1981
Laura Isken Doyle
9706 Layminster Lane
Vienna, VA 22182-4404
(703) 255-1570
[email protected]
President: Antonio F. Fernandez
Fund Manager: Sharon Tchon Gruet
Reunion Chair: Daniel B. Rockafellow
Lots to report once again! Thanks to
everyone who responded to my email for
news. In October, Laurie Stull Geosits,
Wendy Miller Hart, Bernadette Maher
Flanigan, Michelle Math Bross, Ana
Duarte McCarthy and Monica Sullivan
Doyle met in Princeton at the Alchemist
and Barrister for Sunday brunch.
Everyone had a great time catching up
on kids, who range from kindergarten to
college; careers; current events; and of
course, some time reminiscing about
Lafayette College. A girls’ getaway
weekend in February was planned to
celebrate the BIG 50th birthdays!
Lori and Carl DiPiazza’s daughter
Sara finished her first year at Penn State.
She is in the business school and
enjoying herself. Lori and Carl went to
the Penn State vs. Oregon State game
in September with over 108,000 fans in
Beaver Stadium! It was quite an
experience—a huge tailgate party and a
great game. Their daughter Jacqueline
is a sophomore at Montville (N.J.)
High School and just turned 16. She
plays varsity and travel softball, soccer,
and winter track.
Cam and Cathy Cochran ’82
Warner’s son, Duncan, will be a
sophomore this fall at Franklin &
Marshall. The school’s president, many
of you may not know, is John Fry ’82.
Tony and Sue DePhillips ’83
Fernandez’s oldest daughter, Christina,
will be a sophomore this fall at Holy
Cross in Worcester, Mass., and seems to
be settling in well. Their middle
daughter completed her sophomore
year in high school, and the youngest
daughter is 9 and finished fourth grade.
Tony was just promoted to chief supply
chain officer for Cadbury and has
started to travel quite a bit back and
forth from New Jersey to London.
Tony attended Homecoming this year,
as it was also the 80th anniversary of
KDR fraternity. He ran into David
Gurniak and Jeff Goldberg (who now
goes by Jeff Mitchell) as well as Kevin
Rhodes ’82 and John Priola ’82.
Dave Turner wrote, “We had the
11th annual Anne Wolfe Turner
Christian Education Fund golf outing
and dinner on Saturday, Oct. 18, at
Lederach Golf Club in Harleysville, Pa.
This is a fund we set up after my mother
died 12 years ago. The fund has
contributed more than $100,000 to
various church building projects and
charitable causes over the past 11 years.
From our class, Tim McAndrew, Ken
Grevers, Bill Parkes, Bernie Fitzgerald,
Mark Mulholland, and Rick Speaker
contributed to and participated in the
event. Other Lafayette graduates who
participated included my dad, Bill
Turner ’55; my ever-wonderful wife,
Nancy Hollendoner Turner ’82; my
Class Notes
1981
brother, Jim Turner ’82; Steve Buck
’82; Bill Wetzel ’82; and Phil ’82 and
Jenny Glock ’84 Cinelli. As always, it
was a great day made even better by a
strong ’Pard showing.”
Dave and his wife, Nancy, also
attended a 50th birthday party Oct. 5
at the home of Joe ’80 and Toni
Mignogna ’82 Brugger to celebrate
Joe’s BIG day! In attendance were
Barb Mignogna ’79 (Toni’s sister),
Allan Good ’78, George Hahn ’78,
Dave Hansen ’80, Steve Bulger, Hal
Hocking, Rick Speaker, Bill Johnston,
Jim and Bernie Maher Flanigan, and
Pete Gargiulo. It was a great party. Joe
even had the opportunity to front the
band, playing harmonica in a way that
would make Bob Dylan proud! The
night ended with Macy’s-style
fireworks. Turning 50 is just ’round
the corner for all of us!
Mike “Gags” Gagliardi and Dodie
Ownes report that their son, Paul, 13,
completed a winning season in football,
going all the way to the playoffs. Now
that the snow is flying, Gags is spending
time slope-side. He took on the job
of national sales manager for Never
Summer snowboards, a premium brand
produced right in Denver. Dodie has
been producing webcasts for Library
Journal and launched a newsletter in
the spring for School Library Journal
titled SLJ Teen, which is targeted to
young adult and teen services librarians.
One thing I should add about Gags
is that he participated in a charity event
sponsored by Outdoor Divas, a
women’s active sportswear shop in
Boulder. The group behind the event,
Boarders for Breast Cancer Research,
organize a fashion show titled Divas in
Drag. Guess who was a model? Yes,
hairy, bearded, and heavily made up
Gags, eyeshadow and everything.
Thankfully, he was only modeling
women’s active sportswear, like a skort
and yoga top. I just can’t imagine what
that sight looked like!
Stevin Zorn left Pfizer after 19 years
and has returned to New Jersey as
executive vice president of research at
Lundbeck, which specializes in drugs
for psychiatric and neurologic disorders.
He is based in Paramus, N.J., with his
wife, Priscilla, and children, Asa, 17,
Sam, 15, and Shaylah, 11, four chatty
parrots, and four noisy dogs. He would
love to hear from any former classmates
Alumni Profile LENORA JOHNSON ’81
As director of the Office of Communications and
Education (OCE) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI),
Lenora Johnson ’81 helps oversee a staff of about 175–200
government employees and onsite contractors. She’s
come full circle in her career.
“I started at the American Cancer Society and now
I’m at NCI,” she says. “In between, I’ve worked with
just about every health issue: AIDS, cultural sensitivity
for health professionals, tobacco, diabetes. I’ve also
worked in every setting, from hospitals to colleges and
universities. Across all of that, what I’ve realized is that people do what’s best
for them when they have a full understanding and are able to make decisions
on their own. What we provide enables them to change and improve their
own situations.”
For Johnson, the holy grail of her profession is to translate a complex piece
of information so that a cancer patient can understand enough to make a
confident decision.
“I feel fortunate and blessed to be part of something much bigger than I
am and much bigger than one organization,” she says, noting that she and
her team have received samples of their work that have translated into other
languages.
in the area. His email is stevinzorn@
gmail.com.
Mike Corbo’s fourth annual Fiji
gathering at his home in Martha’s
Vineyard was attended by Chris Watts,
Jim Rufe, Bill Tucker, Lou Seneca,
Pete Geosits, Rob Little ’80, Len Fruci
’79, and Dave Harris ’80. It was a
challenge this year due to Hurricane Ike,
the financial meltdown, jury duty,
parents’ weekends, etc. A great time was
had by all in a weekend filled with golf,
wiffle ball, and reliving life at Lafayette!
Kristin MacCartney Fitzpatrick,
Beth Eckenrode Cennami, and
Sharon Tchon Gruet met for lunch
in Acton, Mass., this summer. They
enjoyed catching up on family news.
Sharon, our class fund manager, has
decided to use both email and letter
mailings for the class fund request. She
would love you to email and let her
know if you liked the email version or
would prefer receiving the hard copy
only. Lafayette is trying to cut a bit of
the mailing costs and hopes to utilize
Bill Giles P’81,
chairman and co-owner
of the Philadelphia
Phillies, spoke to the
Philadelphia chapter—
and may have shown
Carrie Chaitt ’03 his
secret formula for
winning a World Series.
Class Notes
1981-1983
that money for the College. Her email
address is [email protected].
Mike and Ana Duarte McCarthy
had a summer party at their house in
July—“Rock, Ribs, and Rum.” What
a great theme! Pete and Laurie Stull
Geosits, Monica Sullivan Doyle, and
Bob and Michelle Math Bross attended.
Monica’s oldest daughter, Shannon, is a
first-year student at George Washington
University. Morgan is a junior in high
school, and son Conor is a first-year
high school student.
Keep the news coming in. I would
love to hear from those of you who
haven’t kept in touch over the years.
Wishing you a wonderful 2009!
1982
Robert J. Meindl Jr.
3 Nolan Farm Road
Wayland, MA 01778
(508) 358-3393
[email protected]
President: Joan Dowgin Hilovsky
Fund Manager: Tracy Hagert Sutka
Reunion Chair: William M. McCartan
Hi, all!
How’d you like last issue’s new,
cost-saving online version of the
Alumni News? If you missed it, visit
the alumni web site and choose the
Past Issues on the left.
I am sad to report Liz Forsyth
Steupert passed away after battling
cancer. She left behind her husband,
Juergen, and her children, Klara,
Charlie, and Martha. I am sure many
of you remember Liz, as she was
friendly, caring, and outgoing. I know
that I was saddened by this news.
Tom Lawson writes that his son
Brendan ’11 was in Guatemala over
spring break. He was with a group of
volunteer optometrists running a clinic
who were handing out 3,000 pairs of
used glasses and performing visionsaving surgery to those in need. Tom
reports that Brendan found this
organization, Volunteer Optometric
Services to Humanity, through his
teammates on World of Warcraft—
maybe there is a benefit to that
time-eating game. Tom thought it
was pretty cool getting updates from
his son via email and Facebook.
Michael Weisburger reports that
between the RhoBoys Fantasy Football
league (20+ years in business) and the
RhoBoys March Madness Pool, he is
able to keep in touch with a large group
of ’Pards, including John Ventura,
Andy Addis, Lew Korngut, Alex
Blanchet, PJ Fletcher, Bob Graney,
Craig Kaisand ’91, Pete Blanchet ’86,
Brian Winiarski ’86, Jim Benjamin
’84, John Moser ’81, Cam Myers ’79,
Mitch Winter ’79, Rich Weiss ’79,
Robbie Geiger ’80, Vince DePalma
’79, Dermot Murphy ’79, Pete
Sullivan ’82, Scott Sautter ’79, and
Craig Holland ’78.
The annual RhoBoys FFL draft takes
place each August, typically at some fine
pub in New York City. Each year brings
with it new surprises and a ton of
unbridled laughter. If you’re interested
in coming to relive old times, feel free
to email Michael at mweisburger@gmail.
com for more details.
David Meckler provided a short
but sweet update. He has retired as a
lieutenant colonel from the Air Force
Reserve and is tenured at Cañada
College. He also serves as coordinator
of speech and fine & performing arts
at the college. You can check out his
impressive body of musical work at
users.rcn.com/dcmeckler/.
Tom Jackman sent a one-paragraph
description of the past 27 years. Upon
graduation, he joined Turner
Construction Company in Philadelphia
and is still with it 27 years later, acting
as a project manager in Philly. As many
know, Tom was married with two
daughters during his life at Lafayette.
His daughter Nichole (Bill Erickson is
her godfather) is now approaching the
big 3-0 and is mother to his first
granddaughter, Taylor, 3. YES, I SAID
SOMEONE IN OUR CLASS IS A
GRANDFATHER! Nichole is expecting
again in September. Daughter Ashley is
mother to his second granddaughter,
Alexis, who is also 3 years old. Tom
notes, “I spend my Sundays with Taylor
and Alexis.” And daughter Daniele
(Phil Ogden is her godfather) resides in
Alexandria, Va., and is mother to Tom’s
grandson, Aidyn, who is 1 year old.
Tom remarried in 2002. He and his
wife, Gerri (yes, Tom and Gerri), reside
in Morgantown, Pa. Tom reports that
when they are not with the grandkids,
they do plenty of traveling, with a goal
of four states per year. They are well on
their way to having visited all 50 states.
Next year, for Tom’s 50th, they will
cover the Plains states in an RV. They
also have fit in some overseas trips and
have visited about half the European
countries.
Outside the above busy schedule,
you can find Tom doing a bit of fishing,
finding some time to golf, or driving
his RX8 through the windy roads of
Lancaster farm country. He says that
he does watch for bikes and buggies.
I didn’t receive many updates this
issue, so I’d like to provide a challenge
to the rest of the class before the next
deadline. Please do one of the following:
(a) send me an update about someone
else in our class who is a grandparent, or
(b) think of a good friend from the Class
of ’82 and send in a totally fabricated
story about him or her. If nothing else,
it’ll get your creative juices flowing and
provide some good reading! (Though
this probably won’t fly with the editors.)
1983
Michael D. Browne
103 East 86th St., Apt. 1B
New York, NY 10028
(212) 847-5834
[email protected]
President: Jeffrey R. Purdon
Fund Managers: Cheryl L. Johnson,
Ellen Poriles Weiler
Reunion Chairs: Theresa Heaney Galla,
Let’s start with the milestones:
We are rapidly approaching the 30th
anniversary of the Class of 1983’s
arrival on the Lafayette College
grounds. I, for one, remember my first
day on campus, consisting largely of
hauling an 85-pound rental refrigerator
from South College back to my Blair
Hall dorm room (the refrigerator then
sat empty in my room for the next
eight months), helping my roommate
and friend Tony “Block” Furey unpack
his belongings (which did not take
long—Tony’s clothes for the entire
semester fit into one of those midsized
Samsonite suitcases they used to throw
out of airplanes), and attending the
welcome banquet the College threw for
us at Marquis Hall, complete with taco
bar and keynote speaker Dean of
Students Herman Kissiah.
We also are approaching the 40th
anniversary of commencement speaker
Class Notes
1983-1984
Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon.
Your correspondent, to date, has been
unsuccessful in attracting a response
from Dr. Armstrong (no responses
from Joe Hawk, Jim “JT” Torrence,
Laurie Tropiano, Richard “Golden”
Moller, Shari Kahan Nerreau, or
Dave “Gleas” Gleason either)
regarding his recollections of both
the moonwalk and his role in our
rain-delayed Kirby Field House
Commencement ceremony. I will
continue trying to incorporate
Dr. Armstrong in our updates; I think
this is worth the effort given his
professional accomplishments rival
both Magellan’s and Lindbergh’s and
will likely be talked about 500 years
from now.
Enough with the milestones and
on to some news involving classmates.
I got a note from fellow DKE
brother David “Lam” Lambert.
Professionally, Dave has spent the past
25 years working for the New Jersey
Department of Transportation. His
current role is as program manager for
South Jersey, where he oversees all the
infrastructure work in seven counties.
If you cross the 9th Street bridge into
Ocean City, you are the beneficiary of
a small piece of Dave’s work. (I
remember my ’78 Gran Torino broke
down on the predecessor bridge in ’81
with Jim Glascott in the car.) In the
course of his work, Dave keeps in
contact with fellow DKE’s Mark
Kaczinski and Craig Johnson ’81 as
well as Sue Fitzgerald Catlett ’83.
Dave has two children, Gretchen and
Eric. Eric is 6 feet, 4 inches, and
apparently still growing. Dave gets
back to campus for football games
and reports he has not missed a
Lehigh game since 1978. Dave was
always front and center when it came
to securing a piece of the goalpost for
the DKE living room; I am sure he
misses that part of the rivalry.
Mike “Pip” Pipa writes that the
oldest of he and wife Ann Marie’s eight
children is now 21 years old. Mike’s
third daughter, Jamie, wants to be an
engineer and is apparently considering
Lafayette. Should the College be lucky
enough to attract her, I hope her father
passes down the Man From U.N.C.L.E.
briefcase he used to transport his
homework to and from the library.
Speaking of alumni children at
Lafayette, I got a note from Daphna
Kilion, whose daughter Nicole Elstein
’12 is a biology major, seeking to
become a vet. Daphna’s son Mark
attends Duke University and is a double
major in electrical & computer
engineering and computer science (does
not sound like Mark has much time to
paint his face before the Blue Devil
basketball games). Daphna is still in
gynecology private practice on Long
Island and was recently president of the
Obstetrical and Gynecological Society
of Suffolk County.
Bruce Castor retired from the
Montgomery County District
Attorney’s Office after being elected
county commissioner. Bruce served 22
years in the D.A.’s office, where he
specialized in investigating and
prosecuting homicides; Bruce was also
president of the Pennsylvania District
Attorney’s Association. Bruce reports
that his cases have been the subject of
two books and numerous television
shows, including a TV pilot for a show
about Bruce’s career. (For our next
installment, I expect a note from all
other classmates who have had TV
pilots produced about their careers.)
Bruce, who will be celebrating his
20th wedding anniversary with wife
Elizabeth this year, has two children,
Bruce and Alexandra, and lives in
Lederach, Pa
Leslie Morgan writes that she is
still active in the real estate business;
it sounds like she is weathering the
recession very well. Also doing well
is her 14-year-old son, T.J., who will
enter high school this year, and whom
Leslie hopes will represent the third
generation of Morgans to attend the
College. Leslie, who is one of the
mainstays of our reunion efforts, writes
that she keeps in touch with Harlan
Levinson, a senior wealth-management
adviser at Merrill Lynch.
Before I close, I wanted to pass
along that the class has successfully
renewed its partnership with the Class
of 1978’s Alan “Goody” Good for the
provision of early afternoon and very
late evening music for the 30th-year
reunion in 2013. (His Tower of Power
set is especially memorable.) Please
mark your calendars. For the next issue,
it would be good to hear from Sarah
Sheeleigh Jeffers (who was at Reunion
and looked very well), Jon Fishbein,
Sue Bastan, Jodi Ecker Leonardi,
Sharon Basso, Maureen McKenna
Tymochko, Dennis Gillooly, Rick
DiPaulo, Chris Hyde, and Jeff
Oshinskie.
1984
Karen Ziegler Kelly
4304 Big House Road
Norcross, GA 30092
(770) 329-2244
[email protected]
President: Mandy Shane Dicker
Fund Manager: David E. Schwager
Reunion Chair: Douglas K. Easterly
Our 25th reunion is fast approaching,
and I am hoping that many of you will
attend this fun event. My 16-year-old
daughter, Megan, will be attending
with me. This will be her first college
visit, and I am trying very hard not to
meddle in her decision of where she
would like to go to college. However,
as you and I clearly know, Lafayette is a
great institution.
Allen Goetz is finishing up his third
year at Hess Corp., where he is the vice
president of corporate accounting. Alan
has liked the move from Pfizer. He and
his wife, Esther, are college-hunting
with their eldest child, Sarah, 16, a
junior at Watchung Hills Regional High
School. They have three other children,
Jared, 15, Joshua, 12, and Rachel, 9.
Alan has connected with many fellow
’Pards on online social network sites.
He has connected with Mark
Friedman ’83, Dave Schwager,
and Tucker Flood ’82 on Facebook.
On LinkedIn, he has connected with
a few former basketball teammates,
including Tony Duckett ’85 and
Stan Morse ’86, as well as some Theta
Deltas, including Joe Skladany ’82,
Mark Mulholland ’81, and Noel
Gerson ’82.
Jeff Bridgman, who resides in
West Hartford, Conn., with his wife,
Maureen, and three children, Ellen, 14,
Stephen, 12, and Kyle, 7, is doing
well. Jeff enjoys coaching Little League
baseball for his two boys in the summer,
and he looks forward to seeing his
daughter’s gymnastic competitions. Jeff
reports that he got together with his
Class Notes
1984-1985
old college friend and roommate Gerry
Crean for a round of golf last summer.
It was Gerry who told me that Jeff has
spent his entire career working for Pratt
& Whitney. Jeff’s wife is a nurse.
David Kim works as a professor of
marketing and M.B.A. program director
at the University of Central Arkansas.
He wrote to say that he and his family
have been blessed with John David,
who is 1 year old. John David joins
sister Grace, 3, and brother Daniel, 7.
Jeanette Gombosi Hogan is a
metallurgist at Carpenter Technology.
Part of her responsibilities involve work
as a product engineer as well as shortterm research and development.
Jeannette and her husband, Kevin, have
three children, Allison, 17, Tricia, 15,
and Kelly, 12.
Timothy M. Greco, M.D.,
F.A.C.S., received his doctorate from
Hahnemann University School of
Medicine. He did his residency at
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Tim is double board-certified by the
American Board of Facial Plastic &
Reconstructive Surgery and the
American Board of Otolaryngology,
Head and Neck Surgery. He is also a
clinical assistant professor at University
of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and
a Fellow at the American College of
Surgeons. Tim also has authored several
papers on facial plastic surgery.
After graduating from Lafayette,
Susan Ullmann Poster moved to
Hilton Head, S.C., where she taught
elementary school for several years.
Susan received her M.B.A. in finance
from the University of South Carolina.
She entered into the banking world
working for C&S Bank, which became
C&S Sovran Bank, which became
NationsBank, which became Bank of
America. At these banks, she was a credit
officer, trust officer, and loan officer.
In 1996, she started her own finance
company, which she has since sold.
Two-and-a-half years ago, Susan
was diagnosed with glioblastoma
multiforme, a stage-four brain tumor.
She has been rehabilitated successfully.
She is single, living with her six dogs
and two cats, so it comes as no surprise
that Susan does a lot of volunteer work
at the local SPCA. She is also a
guardian ad litem, a child’s advocate in
court assisting abused and neglected
children. Susan also does fundraising
for cancer research. She is on Facebook
and would love to hear from old
friends.
The Winter 2009 edition of Alumni
News was not printed or mailed due to
the difficult economic times, but the
Class Notes appear online in PDF
format. Visit the alumni web site and
choose the magazine icon on the right,
then Past Issues on the left. Future
editions should be available in both
printed and online versions. Go online
and read about Mandy Shane Dicker,
Michael Millar, Anders Berg, Jeff
Todd, Anne Marie Santos Alperin,
Tony Reese, and Sally Lou Oaks
Loveman.
I hope to see all of you at our 25th
reunion. A big thank you to Mandy
Shane Dicker, Barbara Strasburg
Tucker, Doug Easterly, and Lynne
Kizis for being a part of the 25th
reunion committee for our class. If you
were unable to attend the reunion,
please drop me a line to let me know
how and what you are doing.
1985
Sandy Kazinski
444 E. 75th St., Apt. 9H
New York, NY 10021-3448
[email protected]
President: Leo J. Greco Jr.
Fund Managers: Anne Harwood
Matlack, Amy Jack Powless
Reunion Chair: Marianne Johnston Poisel
Web Page Administrator: Sandy Kazinski
Classmates, I hope this note finds you
well and enjoying the sunnier, warmer
days. It seemed as if winter kept up its
presence for far too long.
There isn’t much news to share of
classmates’ whereabouts and doings. So
that begs the questions: What are you
doing? and Where are you? Let us know!
You may be wondering if you
overlooked an issue of the Alumni News.
You didn’t. In light of the economic times
challenging the nation, the College made
a decision to post the Winter 2009
edition online in PDF format only.
Visit the alumni web site and choose the
Issues on the left. Page forward to our
1985 class column; I promise it was
meatier than what you are currently
reading. Future editions should be
available both online and in print formats.
Didier Matel wrote me in February
and mentioned a birthday phone call
and surprise visit from Peter Brodnitz.
Peter popped in on a Sunday morning
during church services when Didier, his
wife, and his two youngest sons
performed a musical number. Didier,
who knew? Peter had front row seats
for a performance by Didier and the
Disciples. (Classmates, I am merely the
messenger here!) After many years in
the Far East, Peter and his family are
now based in Austin, Texas. Didier said
they shared a great day reminiscing and
swapping stories about their respective
sets of spouses and three kids, and he
remarked that Peter hasn’t aged a bit.
In December 2008, Cam Piscopo
Keener and husband Howard celebrated
their 24th wedding anniversary; they
renewed their vows Jan. 12 at Disney’s
Wedding Pavilion. Their daughter, Jenn,
20, was maid of honor, and their son,
Andrew, 15, was best man. Prior to the
wedding, Cam and Howard expended a
bit of adrenaline and energy, running a
half-marathon, Disney 5K, and full
marathon. In addition to family helping
celebrate their vow renewal, Marie
Saunders Mercready ’83 and her
husband, Jim, attended. The Keeners
stayed on at Disney for the honeymoon
they didn’t have in 1984.
Congratulations!
Classmates, we are fast approaching
the time when we need to begin
planning our 25th reunion. This means
a reunion chairperson, or co-chairs, and
class officer elections. If you are
interested, please pass along this
information. The College has a great
support network for all the Reunion
festivities. It’s just a matter of people
stepping up to the plate to help plan!
Also, think about the class officer
positions that are up for grabs (I mean
up for election and voting!)—class
president, class correspondent, Alumni
Council rep, and obviously, running the
reunion. For those of you in class officer
roles, please let me know if you are
interested in retaining your positions for
another five years so we can establish
the ballot process. Leo, Anne,
Marianne—are you up for another
term? Who’s willing to take on reunion
planning for 2010? Don’t be shy!
Stay well and stay in touch.
Class Notes
1986
Claudia Bierschwale Muller
(far L) celebrates
her Greenip
Award at the 2008
Lafayette Alumni
Association
Awards Luncheon
with ’86
classmates (L–R)
Joanne Campbell
Pohl, Wynne
Whitman,
Amanda Higgs
Drobac, and Sandi
Oehlert Yanisko.
1986
Peter A. Gilbertson
96 Battin Road
Fair Haven, NJ 07704-3203
(732) 842-8590
[email protected]
President: Robert D. Correll Jr.
Fund Manager: Open
Reunion Chairs: Wynne A. Whitman,
Thomas J. Kleinert
Dear Classmates,
I know we are all busier than ever
riding out the economic storm;
accordingly, correspondence traffic has
been lighter than ever. I trust it is the
economy and not the fact I moved to
a new position in January, with a new
email address for submissions. (Although
I understood the email blast the College
sent on my behalf specified my new
email address—peter.gilbertson@willis.
com.) For anyone who sent material to
my old address, please resend and I’ll
be sure to include it in the next issue.
So I’ll lead off with a brief update
on myself. Julie, my wife of nearly 19
years, and I live in Fair Haven, N.J.
(since 1992), with our two children,
Matthew, 16, and Annie, 14. After
seven years with AIG in New York, I’m
now executive vice president, managing
partner, of Willis North America, the
world’s third-largest commercial
insurance broker. I manage the Willis
HRH New Jersey operation, consisting
of five offices around the state.
Here’s a path we don’t hear about
every day. Dan Nickerson and his
family (Ada, Thomas, and Teresa) have
been in rural Loma de Flores, Mexico,
since July 2008, working on a
personal project called the BiblioBus
(Biblioteca-Autobus or “library bus”).
After working for five months
converting an old, unused bus into a
mobile library, last November they
inaugurated the BiblioBus at a huge
community day, with storytellers,
create-a-book activities, reading
sessions, and tours of the bus. Since
then, they’ve been operating the bus
in three communities two days a week,
providing access to books (very
expensive in Mexico) and promoting
literacy. They stockpile over 1,500
new and used books for all ages,
with special sections on history,
religion and faith, self-help, and
health and personal growth. With
over 100 member families, they have
a steady flow of readers, who typically
occupy every inch of space in the bus
as they curl up with a good book.
The BiblioBus project is a busy
undertaking and has much support
from friends, family, and the
community of Loma de Flores. The
rewards dwarf the investment, however,
in the form of little voices reading
aloud, the satisfied smiles as they finish
another story, and the gratification of
helping a parent find answers about
how to raise a child on his or her own.
“Nutcracker” sweet: Jackie Patterson (L),
daughter of John and Lisa Lacroce Patterson
(both ’86), and Kathryn Chesebrough, daughter
of Charlie and Julie Hull Chesebrough (both ’87),
danced as the Drummer Mouse and Soldier,
respectively, in the timeless holiday ballet.
The Nickersons invite our
suggestions for activities to help spread
interest in reading to young and old
alike. They live in the heart of Mexico,
away from the tourist areas, so anyone
who’s up for an adventure, get in
touch. Based on my own work stress
level right now, I just might take you
up on that, Dan.
More info and photos can be found
on their web page: www.myspace.com/
bibliobus_mexico.
Susan Palena Godwin and her
husband, Glenn, celebrated the birth
of their beautiful baby daughter,
Alexis Marie, Feb. 12. Alexis weighed
6 pounds, 5 ounces, and was
17½ inches. Susan and Glenn reside
near Boston, where they work for
the University of Massachusetts.
Sandi Oehlert Yanisko writes that
Claudia Bierschwale Muller was the
recipient of the Greenip Award during the
2008 Lafayette Alumni Association Awards
luncheon held Nov. 15. The award
recognizes an “active alumni chapter officer
based on service achievements over and
above his or her faithful carrying out of
regular officer assignments.” Claudia has
Consultant Glenn Young ’86 uses the Alumni
Online Community to reach out to potential
business partners, vendors, and clients.
“The online community helps me by seeing
what alumni have done and are doing and
by creating business opportunities with
each other,” he says.
Class Notes
1986-1987
Alumni Profile ALFREDO CAHUAS ’86
Alfredo Cahuas ’86 is chief financial officer (CFO) of
NaturEner in North America, a renewable energy company
based in San Francisco. When he joined the company less
than two years ago, it had 10 employees. Today, NaturEner
has a staff of 40 and recently completed a utility-scale
wind energy facility in Montana that required $190 million
in third-party funding.
Previously, Cahuas was director of renewable energy
finance at Evolution Markets Financial Services, which serves the environmental
and energy markets. Before that, he was CFO for the U.S. subsidiary of Gamesa,
a European wind energy company.
As an electrical engineering major, Cahuas was fascinated by the country’s
energy challenges and the excitement of finding alternatives to fossil fuels after
the energy crisis in the early 1980s.
“Last October, I came across an old box filled with books and notebooks
from my years at Lafayette,” he says. “I opened one book and started reading its
preface; it talked about our energy challenges, about geopolitical concerns, and
issues of energy independence. I was struck. The preface was written in the late
1970s, yet every single word of it was relevant today. Here we are 30 years later
still dealing with the same issues!”
been active with the Philadelphia chapter
for quite a few years!
Dr. Winston Thompson heads
the cooperative reproductive science
research center at Morehouse School
of Medicine in Atlanta. His focus is to
help cancer survivors left infertile by
radiation and chemotherapy treatments
bring new life into the world.
Techniques explored include storage
of premature egg follicles harvested
before aggressive cancer treatment
begins. Winston earned both his
master’s in endocrinology and his Ph.D.
in cell and developmental biology from
Jim Malina ’87 and Shimin Zheng beam on
their wedding day, Feb. 21, in Pasadena, Calif.
Rutgers University. Good luck with this
important research, Dr. Thompson. We
trust your efforts will provide cancer
survivors hope that a normal life,
including the ability to have and raise
children, is within reach. Success will
undoubtedly mean a monumental
enhancement in the quality of life
for many.
We picked up that Steven Locke
was named co-chair of the college and
university law section of the Boston
Bar Association. He is associate general
counsel at Brandeis University in
Waltham, Mass. He graduated from
Boston College Law School in 1991.
Lisa Lacroce Patterson earned a
master’s degree in arts and
management at New York University
following her bachelor’s in biology
from Lafayette. Lisa works at
Princeton University’s McCarter
Theater Center as a fundraiser. Lisa
stumbled upon an unexpected
opportunity to apply what she’d
learned as a bio major at Lafayette
when her daughter, Audrey, was
diagnosed with a cleft palate moments
after birth. Memories from genetics
courses bubbled to the surface and
have helped her to accept that, as
human beings, such things happen,
and to marvel at our ability to adapt
and thrive in the face of them.
1987
Edward I. Ackerman
276 Brookline St.
Needham, MA 02492
[email protected]
President: John C. Santos Jr.
Fund Manager: Sally Elbert Kalin
Reunion Chairs: Elise Nappi,
Madeline Green Smith
Edward I. Ackerman
It will surprise none of you who knows
me well that I’m newly addicted to the
“now-ness” of Facebook. And I’m
eager to become “friends” with more of
you via this “window” (through which
you can “talk” to me, potentially
resulting in my having a “life”). I
remember I used to regard the Wizard’s
advice to the Tinman as either ironically
or unintentionally backward: “A heart is
judged not by how much you love, but
by how much you are loved by others.”
But now I understand he was right: It is
vital that I rack up more Facebook
friends than my wife!
So while I await what I’m sure will
be an avalanche of new FB “friend
requests,” I’ll update you all on what
little has reached me by other means.
Whispering voices heard while
walking through an Iowa cornfield told
me that Eric Bock has been promoted
to the role of chief administrative officer
at Travelport Limited, where he will
manage its legal, government affairs,
communications, and compliance
teams, and will lead its corporate
strategy development efforts.
I’ve gleaned from patterns of text
encoded in various newspaper and
magazine articles that Martin Horne is
now the senior sales and business
development leader for Workscape Inc.
of Marlboro, Mass. Martin has a master’s
degree in management information
science from Boston University.
Only a person hip to the markings
on both sides of the headpiece of the
staff of Ra could have deduced that Jim
Class Notes
1987-1988
As co-founders of Flirty Finds, retailers Jamie
Dublirer Hoff ’88 (L) and Beth Hyer Roy ’88
anticipate the upcoming fashion trends that
will appeal to their customers’ inner flirt.
Malina married Shimin Zheng this past
February. Rob Litvin and Ted Sestak
attended with their lovely wives,
DeeDee and Kathy. Ted reported:
“The event took place on the campus
of CalTech in Pasadena on a beautiful
SoCal day. Neither the bride’s nor
groom’s side of the family is from
California (hers is from New York, and
Jim’s mom lives in New Jersey), so we
were pretty sure the location was some
kind of prank on the part of Jim and
Shimin. The bride looked gorgeous in
her gown, and Kathy thought it was
Priscilla of Boston, yet we could not
confirm.” Don’t worry, I’ll get that
confirmation or offend someone trying.
And a holographically projected and
uniquely coiffed princess relayed to
me—with the slightest hint of an
austere British accent in the first part
of her message that was completely
replaced by the hard-boiled rasp of a
chain-smoking roller derby queen by
the third and final part—news of
McGraw-Hill having released Ed
Landry’s new book, The Four Pillars
of Profit-Driven Marketing: How to
Maximize Creativity, Accountability
and ROI, in early 2009. The Spanishlanguage version, Los Cuatro Grandes
Cilindros…, is due out in January 2010.
Well, I have to go now—I’m being
summoned by a big, bat-shaped
spotlight in the sky.
Alumni Update
The March Madness Rick Thorpe
fundraiser brings out the
madness in (L–R) Marguerite
Valinoti White ’89, Bonnie Snyder
Winant ’89, Marita Failla Wolff
’89, Sheila McGrath Beljan ’87,
Tommy Gillan ’89, Tracy Krauser
Fincher ’88, Kathy Squires
Rodriquez ’88, Karin Pizzo Kulsar
’88, and Jody Guokas Kuntz ’88.
1988
Tim Hylan
50 Old Tappan Road
Glen Cove, NY 11542
[email protected]
President: David R. Rose Jr.
Fund Manager: Rachel Nelson Moeller
Reunion Chair: Elizabeth C. Freebairn
Our class has officially entered the social
networking arena of the 21st century
with Facebook.com! There are a few
ways to reach and connect with our
classmates on FB. Many thanks to Beth
Freebairn for starting the FB group
“Lafayette College Class of 1988.” To
join (if you already have a FB account),
type in Lafayette College Class of 1988 in
Tom Orecchio ’90, principal at Modera Wealth Management,
provides expert commentary for CNBC’s On the Money
Chris Mouron ’92 receives Clarence Day Dean’s Award
for Outstanding Research and/or Creative Activity from
Rhodes College in Memphis
Nina Campo Flood ’93 promoted to vice president of marketing
for Nautica apparel, accessories, and home goods company
Orecchio ’90Mouron ’92Flood ’93
Gabe Gagliano ’93 promoted to vice president of operations at
Hearts on Fire, a luxury diamond jewelry company based in Boston
Rick Klau ’93 delivers commencement address at University
of Richmond School of Law
Matt Vandall ’93 joins Littler Mendelson P.C. law firm as shareholder
Gagliano ’93
Klau ’93
Vandall ’93
Class Notes
1988-1989
Mom Ann Pisetzner Fatsi ’88 captures son
Thaddeus, 3, in mid cavort.
the search box to find the group and
join as you would any other group.
There are around 20+ classmates who
have joined so far, so spread the word
and join the fun! (You also can join
the “Lafayette College” group and
the “Lafayette College Alumni
Connections” page as well, which has
classmates from all classes.) As always,
feel free to write on my FB wall with any
updates! That was where Beth let me
know that Heidi Leibowitz Proodian
was recently promoted to vice president
of Chubb Insurance.
Frequent FB visitors I’ve seen over
the past few months include Bruce
Covahey (who wanted to add to his
update from our last column that he’s
married to wife Karen, and they have
two children, Jack, 7, and Alison, 4,
who each got their first tour of campus
last November), Bill and Lissette
Zamora ’89 Smead, Jim Turotsy,
Beth Freebairn, Rick Rice, Kathy
“Squid” Squires, Jeff Callan, Mark
Teel, and Gary Dunn.
Beth Hyer Roy and Jamie
Dublirer Hoff recently started
FlirtyFinds LLC. Beth writes: “Last
summer we launched a business
together, an online accessories and
clothing boutique, www.flirtyfinds.com.
Jamie is in New Jersey and I am in the
Boston area, but for years we talked
about starting a business together. Now
that our kids have gotten older (i.e.,
they go to school all day!), we have the
time, and it has been a great success.”
They offer a variety of bags, belts,
clothing, jewelry, and more, all to help
you “find your inner flirt!”
So how’d Beth and Jamie get here?
They’ve been friends since they first
met at Lafayette in the fall of 1984.
Following Lafayette, Beth participated
in the AT&T executive training
program and pursued a career in
corporate sales management at Tiffany
& Co. This experience served to foster
her ongoing interest in fashion at the
entrepreneurial level. Jamie began her
career in Macy’s executive training
program. As senior executive for
Ralph Lauren, Jamie was appointed
divisional merchandise manager for
a team of buyers. Her experience in
merchandising, product assortment,
inventory management, and business
analysis combined with Beth’s expertise
in marketing development, sales, and
web-based programs that have
supported successful small business
endeavors throughout the past 10
years. We’ve included their current
photos nearby, too!
From the mailbag, Ann Pisetzner
Fatsi writes that she was very much
looking forward to our 20th reunion,
but “I guess having my second child
took precedence! Ellie Georgeana was
born three days after our reunion
weekend, and she’s already donning
Lafayette clothes. She’s about 1 year
old (by the time you read this) and a
real doll. Her big brother, Thaddeus,
3, adores her, and when he wears his
Lafayette sweatshirt, they make quite
a pair. Even though I was unable to
make the reunion, I was fortunate to
reconnect with many friends through
the efforts of Cathy Earley. (Thanks
again for starting that email string!)
I also enjoyed exchanges with my old
friend Chris Trecker, who is just as
I remembered (and I mean that in a
good way, Chris). Cathy also sent me
some photos—hope to see more in the
next mag. I continue to get Lafayette
updates, as my niece is a junior there
and very active in student government
and other activities….I’m very proud
of her!”
Keith Costigan appeared on
Jeopardy! this past January, winning the
first day and just missing a second win
on day two by $1! Keith is an eighthgrade history teacher at Log College
Middle School in Warminster, Pa. After
Lafayette, Keith received two master’s
degrees from Villanova University and
University of Pennsylvania. You’ll
remember Keith was a history major at
Lafayette, which certainly helped in
answering questions, and he had a great
time on the show. It took more than
two years of tests, interviews, and
waiting, but he finally got his
opportunity! Speaking of game shows,
anyone remember Scott Duvall’s
TriviaQuest on WJRH on Sunday
nights? The winning dorm got all
those pizzas!
See you online!
1989
Marguerite Valinoti White
63 Nicholson Drive
Chatham, NJ 07928
(973) 635-1110
[email protected]
President: Erin Bass-Goldberg
Fund Manager: John T. Donovan
Reunion Chairs: M. Katherine Longo
Van Cleef, Marguerite Valinoti White
Vincent J. Petitto,
[email protected]
Dear Classmates,
Just a heads up: For those of you
who sent me updates over the last six
months and did not see them in print,
I promise you I published them. The
College made a decision to run the last
round of Class Notes on the web site
and did not send hard copies of Alumni
News. You can find my last column on
the alumni web site. Choose the
magazine icon on the top right, then
Past Issues on the left.
I heard some great news from Rich
DeMarco. He writes: “My wife and I
had a baby girl Nov. 5 at about 4 a.m.,
the night of the election, 6 pounds, 11
ounces.” I’m sure we’ll see Rich back
at Reunion. The KDRs always have
a strong showing. Can’t say I blame
them—their fraternity house is one of
the only ones left intact, so they have a
place to come home to. The Chi Phis
are going to get a rude awakening when
they discover DU has now taken over
their house.
Here is some news about our friend
Carrie Lee. She left CNN in January to
start working with Thomson Reuters in
Times Square. She is the head anchor
for a streaming video product set to
Class Notes
1989-1990
launch shortly on the subscriber-based
Reuters terminals. Stay tuned! At the
same time, Carrie moved off the
crowded island of Manhattan and back
to Brooklyn, where her new, longawaited (two years after the expected
completion date), high-rise condo
building was finally finished! Melissa
Shusterman was one of the first
weekend visitors to help break in her
new pad. Carrie will be heading to the
New Orleans Jazz Fest with Maria
Sigmond ’90 and other assorted music
fans in early May.
I now pass my pen over to Tommy
Gillan, who was instrumental in
planning and executing the now
annual Rick Thorpe March Madness
tournament. Our class has done an
inspired job of raising money and
awareness around the Rick Thorpe
Community Outreach program, and the
March Madness event is a key initiative
that fuels the fund.
In recapping the March Madness
pool results, Tommy writes: “The more
things change, the more they stay the
same. As in the past, it seems it doesn’t
matter how many Pi Phis you throw at
it, it only takes one good Kappa to take
the Chi Phi prize home!
“First Place: $500 cash to Jane
Leveroni Burns. Jane’s husband,
Pat, won last year, so the Burns have
graciously agreed to pick up the tab
for next year’s tournament party at
Tavern on the Green.
“Second Place: a video camera to
Tracy Krauser Fincher ’88. Tracy, I
must apologize. While at McFadden’s, I
recall that you were telling me all about
your wonderful husband and what a
great guy he is. And then you said he
was a Zete—and after a moment of
awkward silence, the best I could come
up with was ‘They had a pretty house.’
Sorry about that.
“Third Place: Mets tickets to Luke
Bathurst ’92. For those of you who
don’t remember Luke, he was a Chi
Phi, Class of ’92 (a young pup). I
remember getting him a bid because
he reminded me of Leif Garrett. Paul
‘Bernie’ Bernieri ’88 will take care of
the tickets for you. Last year, there was
a horde of chicks vying for those tickets.
Bernie and I offered to rent a stretch
Escalade and pick everyone up. Yours
will be waiting for you at will-call.
“Fourth Place: a case of wine to
Pocono Buck/Will Wenninger. If you
notice, there are two cases of wine on
the prize list. Actually, there are three,
but classifying Mad Dog as wine is a
loose interpretation. One case was
donated by Tom Goslau and the other
by our pal Andy Mott.
“Fifth Place: Planet Mom gear
(thank you Eileen Fisher Schneidman
’88 and Elise Nappi ’87) to Hummer,
aka Jim Hummerstone ’86. Wear it
well, my friend. If you have no use for
it, send it to Doug Fincher ’86.
“Sixth Place: Mott wine to Chris
‘CJ’ Ryan ’87. Some would say you’re
the big winner in this whole crazy thing,
although collecting might be a little
difficult. See if Mott can ship you what
Thomas Lerner ’90 won last year.
Chicken made some lame excuse last
year that there were value-added taxes
he would pay on international shipping
to Sweden.
“Booby Prize: a case of Orange Mad
Dog 20/20 to Melissa Valk Fitzgerald
’89. (Note to Melissa: Hummer wants
to trade.)
“I hope everyone had as much fun as
I did. I also hope everyone took the
ribbing in the right way, because it all
comes from the heart. Our friend Rick
would not have had it any other way.
I laugh because the next time I see him,
I know he is going to have this huge,
LOUD, shout-out, arms-open, big
smile, grinning like only he could, due
to this reincarnation of pub night rags.
There were 96 players and over $6,000
raised this year. That brings us to a
collective contribution of $20,000 to
the growing fund. Not bad for a bunch
of over-the-hill boozehounds. Warmest
regards, Gill.”
Thanks for that amazing update,
Tommy, and all the hard work!
Some random sound-bytes from
classmates who have emailed me:
Tom Goslau writes regarding his
prize contribution to the March
Madness Event: “I am putting together
a case of different wines from New
Mexico. There are certainly a few
surprises here that are a step above the
Mad Dog that Doug ‘Rockhead’
Warden is contributing. Unfortunately,
after getting completely destroyed in
this year’s tournament, I won’t be
enjoying them myself. Did you join the
fun at Ryan McFadden’s? Sounds like
Tommy Gillan was the life, or singing
voice, of the party. I wish I had some
new Lafayette moments for you, but
I’m sure we’ll get plenty in June. My
wife and I will get out there a few days
early for some fun in New York City
before heading up to Easton.”
After hearing that a bunch of Chi
Phis want to get a group together for a
soccer game in the Boston area,
Johanna Swift Hart writes: “Huh, I
always thought soccer was kind of ‘off,’
but my kids like it, and we already live
in Boston, so I guess I’m in. Gotta
check with the hubby. Will get back to
you with a head count, thanks! We
could probably get a Saturday night
sitter here at our place for people’s kids
(or party here), if it helps. Our house is
kind of chaotic, but kid-friendly
(kittens, art projects, a big trampoline in
the tiny back yard) and only 15 minutes
or so from downtown Boston—10 if
Steve Pinto gives me a ride on the back
of his bike. I also hear Jane Leveroni
Burns’ brother lives right around the
corner from me, so maybe we’ll get our
own ‘celebrity appearance’ at the party
up here.”
And finally, our good friend Laurie
Typermass Maggio gave birth to her
third boy. Thomas is adorable! We’re
convinced she named him after the
legendary Tommy Gillan, but she claims
that’s just not true. Congrats to Laurie
and her beautiful family!
1990
Beth Altman Saunders
431 W. 5th Ave.
Conshohocken, PA 19428
[email protected]
President: Open
Fund Manager: T. Brendan Gilligan
Reunion Chairs: Heather A. Medley,
Kimberly Ramstad Streamer,
Sharon M. Vivaldi
Beth Altman Saunders
Was it because a hard copy Alumni
News did not arrive in your mailboxes?
Was it because I sent only one email
blast? Whatever the reason, there was
little input for this column, so it is a
short one. However, all news is great
news, so read on and enjoy.
Class Notes
1990-1991
We’ll start with some news that
came on the heels of last issue’s
deadline, thus the delayed reporting.
Some may say it is ratting her out, while
others will say he is proud of her. Either
way, Brian Perry ’91 wrote to share
news about his wife that he is sure she
wouldn’t have shared. Debbie Ball
Perry ran the Harrisburg HalfMarathon Sept. 7, her first, and came
in 154 of 857 (top 20 percent) overall
and third in her age group. Taylor, 11,
Nick, 9, Jake, 7, and Brian were there
with signs to cheer her on. Their
daughter, Taylor, is also a star. She was
chosen for the lead role in the musical
Ruthless, which ran for eight days at
Harrisburg’s Whitaker Center last
February. “We are very proud of her
but are not quite sure where the
talent comes from!”
And here is another bit of news to
surprise a classmate (and his family)!
Since graduation, John Robinson
has been busy with quite a variety of
activities. John is married to Cheryl, his
high school sweetheart. They have two
children, Katie, 14, and John III, 17.
Apparently, Katie is determined to
attend Lafayette (good choice, Katie!),
and if all went well last fall, John is a
fully licensed Pennsylvania driver now.
(John III–I hope it went well!) The elder
John works for Accenture, a global
consulting firm that he joined at
graduation, where he is now a partner.
He is a volunteer firefighter, a Boy
Scout troop leader, a golfer, and a
hunter. He even finds time to do
volunteer work through his church,
having taken a missions trip to an
impoverished area of Kentucky to help
with the upkeep of a school. The most
recent family vacation was out to the
Grand Canyon (well, by now it may not
be the most recent) and Yellowstone.
(We’d love to see a photo or two—why
don’t you send one in for next time?)
Matt Sinclair became a proud papa
to twin girls, Cathleen Ann (4 pounds,
5.7 ounces) and Shannon Marie
(4 pounds, 8 ounces), born Dec. 30.
Congratulations to Matt and his
wife, Maureen!
Finally, our trusty news clipping
service turned up some news about
John Cunningham. John was named
to the board of directors of the Greater
West Chester Chamber of Commerce
last fall. In addition to his work in the
litigation department and post-trial &
appellate advocacy group of Lamb
McErlane PC, John is a youth soccer
coach and member of the board of the
West Chester United Soccer Club.
Well, there it is. Please feel free to
write anytime; I save the news and
report it with each issue. Or you can
post your news online, as I check there
also. Go to lafayetteexperience.com/
alumni/ and select the link under
Alumni Online Community. Once
logged in, you can post notes, look for
friends, register for alumni events, and
more. And while you’re online, you
can read the Winter 2009 column
by visiting the alumni web site and
choosing the magazine icon on the
right, then Past Issues on the left.
Enjoy the summer!
1991
Susan Githens Cable
506 Jennifer Lane
Gibsonia, PA 15044
[email protected]
President: Patrick J. Mazur
Fund Manager: Open
Reunion Chair:
Catherine Moran Lippman
Thank you to everyone who has found
me on Facebook since November or
responded to my email blast for
information. Isn’t it nicer to see lots
and lots of text in our column than
none at all?
As you may know, I live north of
Pittsburgh. Recently while watching an
ad on TV, I was startled to see a face
I recognized! Our very own Jason
Lichtenstein is a partner with Edgar
Readying to go over the hill (or at least down
it), ’91 classmates Kevin Cardinal, Brian
Hartstein, Lee Kaplan, and Chris Nolan
celebrate turning 40 with four days of skiing
in Park City, Utah.
He’s funny, Mommy! Lilah Sigalos, daughter
of Jason ’91 and Tracey Gutierrez Sigalos ’92,
laughs along with her new baby brother,
Theodore.
Snyder & Associates, a local law firm
representing injured people. The firm
recently was featured in the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette in an article looking at Mr.
Snyder’s success in marketing his firm
and his plans for succession, plans that
include his now more visible partners!
Jason was named a 2007
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, an honor
awarded to the top five percent of
statewide lawyers. Prior to working
at Edgar Snyder & Associates, Jason
worked as a defense attorney
representing insurance companies.
After Lafayette, he received his J.D.
from Duquesne University Law
School in Pittsburgh.
After nine years at his last firm,
Steven Fairlie has started a new law
firm. He will handle criminal defense,
personal injury, and civil litigation,
primarily in Bucks and Montgomery
counties in Pennsylvania and in the
Philadelphia area.
I hear from Rasha Sabkar that she
is living in Bahrain with her husband,
Matthew, and their three children,
Leith, 6, Lara, 5, and Dean, 1. Rasha
has her own law practice, which she
started in 2003. They visit the U.S.
once or twice a year to see family in
Connecticut. They will bring Dean
with them on his first airplane flight
this summer. She sends greetings to
Amer Akhtar and Kamran Siddiqui,
with whom she recently has been in
contact.
David Waggoner checked in from
Atlanta with his first update to me.
After working for Turner Construction
for 10 years (to the day), he left and
started a company to help schools
manage construction projects. He
started just before the stock market
Class Notes
1991
bottomed out; needless to say, his
timing could have been better. With
construction being a little slow, he has
transitioned into making buildings
more sustainable. Instead of creating
new structures, he helps people make
the buildings they have more efficient.
Dave recently visited with Jamie
Bruton, Zia Quraishi, and Matt
Langa. Dave reports that they are
doing well and enjoying family life.
Jamie is in Downingtown, Pa.; Zia is in
Annapolis, Md.; and Matt is in Seattle.
It’s always great to hear from
Courtney Ryan Pierce. She writes to
say that as of June 2007, she finished
her active duty time in the U.S. Air
Force as a military physician. She took a
little time off to be a full-time mom but
then started working again in January
2008. She does urgent care medicine at
a group of clinics in Delaware, working
only 5–10 hours most weeks. She likes
that she works primarily evenings and
occasional weekends, so she is able to
handle most of the child care. Courtney
reports that Taylor, 5, is in kindergarten,
while Tori, 4, and James, 2, are both in
preschool. The two girls and boy are
extremely active and keep Courtney
running! Her husband, Rich, continues
to do investment banking at Stifel
Nicolaus in Baltimore, and they live
in Elkton, Md.
Courtney said she recently spoke
with Sue Lopiparo Barrett, who is
married to Matt ’90 and is living in
Madison, Conn. Their girls are Annie,
Grace, and Jane, who was born in
June 2008.
Last December, Dawn Botti
Szczecina invited me to a CD release
party at Mexacali Live in Teaneck, N.J.
Holly Marcin Demeritt and Susan Githens
Cable (both ’91) snorkel the caves of
the British Virgin Islands over the
Thanksgiving holiday.
Her band, New Day Dawn, debuted its
first full-length CD, The Company We
Keep. The band’s web site (www.
newdaydawnband.com) describes its
sound as what you might hear if a
modern-day Pat Benatar sang with the
Foo Fighters—powerful, sultry female
vocals driving undeniably catchy,
amped-up pop/rock tunes. Dawn
commented that New Day Dawn plays
shows all around New Jersey and New
York, and she would love to see some
friendly faces in the audience. Check
out the web site for show dates.
Carolyn Wylde Greenberg and her
hubby, John ’89, were on hand to lend
support to Dawn and her husband (and
drummer), Gary. I was unable to
attend, but I was happy that I could
listen to Dawn rock out on her new CD
on iTunes. You can check out free song
clips there or on the band’s web site. You
also can buy the CD at CDBaby.com.
Great stuff.
Dawn and Gary are living in
Maplewood, N.J., with their 4-year-old
son, Walker. She recently was promoted
to senior vice president of business and
legal affairs for NBC Universal
Television Distribution. Busy lady.
Dawn’s friend Piera Cote Robson
checked in with an update. She reports
that she is still happily married to Mark:
“He is a saint, no doubt.” Their life is
devoted to their girls, Giovanna and
Aly (Alessandra), who are 4½ and
2½ respectively. The Robson girls
attend a wonderful preschool with the
sons of Jana O’Brien Trevino ’92.
Piera says that getting in touch with
Jana again was a great “small-world”
moment.
After singing “Hit Me
With Your Best Shot,”
Kay Tweedy Weeder
relaxes with ’91ers
(front, L–R) Deb
Stanek Johnston,
Leanne Pike Treese,
and Rachel Rankin
Van Der Stuyf; (back)
Kay, Jody Harrison
Giedraitis, Katie
Moran Lippman, Leigh
Grygotis Cherry, and
Stacey Looney Flynn.
Piera and Mark are still working at
the same hospital, which is so big that
she doesn’t see him during the day. She
is finishing up one research paper for
publication and received funding for
another. She is still in grad school at
Hunter College in its nurse practitioner
program—“Definitely should have
done that before kids.” She hopes to be
enrolled in a Ph.D. program by 2012, if
she can sustain her enthusiasm. In their
free time, Piera and her family poke
around the city, hang at home on Block
Island, R.I., or vacation in Culebra,
Puerto Rico.
November 2008 kicked off what
will be a terrific 40th birthday year of
traveling for me. Over Thanksgiving,
my husband, Graham, and I tried our
hand at bareboat sailing. We spent six
nights on a 50-foot sailboat in the
British Virgin Islands. Holly Marcin
Demeritt and husband Steve joined us
aboard Pleasure, so aptly named. We
were sure to pose for a Lafayette photo
while snorkeling the caves. (See photo.)
I’d like to send a shout-out to fellow
Verbier vacationer Mike Logothetis
’94, who checked in after my last
column to say hello. He’s a busy
single guy, so his salutations were
brief! He was looking forward to his
15th reunion with some consternation
over how time flies.
Brian Hartstein, Kevin Cardinal,
Chris Nolan, and Lee Kaplan decided
that they should get together to
celebrate turning 40 and also have a
little Lafayette reunion. Kevin and Chris
turned 40 in November, and Brian and
Lee will mark the milestone in August.
They met in Park City, Utah, for four
Class Notes
1991-1992
days in February and hit the slopes.
Check out the great photo they
submitted. Brian said they had such
a blast skiing, eating, drinking, and
relaxing that they are considering
making it an annual or semi-annual
event.
Another group of friends decided to
celebrate turning 40 this year by getting
away together without their husbands
or 19 kids! Leanne Pike Treese wrote
to say that she joined Kay TweedyWeeder, Jody Harrison Giedraitis,
Katie Moran Lippman, Leigh
Grygotis Cherry, Stacey Looney
Flynn, Deb Stanek Johnston, and
Rachel Rankin Van Der Stuyf in
Jupiter, Fla., in March for some fun.
Their activities included sunbathing,
ocean swimming, canoeing, bike riding,
running, and a visit to a turtle rescue
center. Leanne said that one of the trip
highlights was Kay singing “Hit Me
with Your Best Shot” at a bar to a
standing ovation. Leanne submitted a
great photo. Be sure to look for it.
I want to thank Jody Harrison
Giedraitis and Ron Dauphin, from
whom I received my first two Facebook
requests to be a friend. I have
reconnected with dear childhood
friends, umpteen folks from high
school, and many of you. It’s been a lot
of fun. As you may have seen, Lafayette
now has an application on Facebook,
Lafayette College Alumni Connections,
through which you can access the
Alumni Online Community and alumni
web site. It makes it very easy to reach
out to classmates and stay in tune with
the happenings on campus.
While on Facebook, I was happy to
learn that Chris Hutchison and his
wife, Elizabeth Bunch Hutchison, gave
birth to their first child on the eve of
the Steelers playoff game against San
Diego. Given Chris’ allegiance to
Pittsburgh, that was quite significant!
Mackroth was born Jan. 10 in Houston.
Congratulations to Chris and Elizabeth
on their new Steelers fan.
In closing, I have sad news to share:
Cynthia Hardenbergh passed away
Jan. 19 from breast cancer. Our
sympathies to her family and friends.
Classmates, I hope to have plenty of
reports of 40th birthday celebrations
and Lafayette reunions for our next
column. If you haven’t made plans
already, use the new Facebook
application or go straight to the Alumni
Online Community and find some of
your old college friends!
1992
Rachel Gordon Skrzypczak
224 Central Ave.
Pleasantville, NY 10570
[email protected]
Presidents: Laurie Gormley Broderick,
Jennifer Van Cleef Wilke
Fund Manager: Thomas J. Costello
Reunion Chair: Christine O’Hea Pitluk
It is with great sadness that I must
inform you of the passing of one of our
classmates. Dr. Robert Anthony Rossi
lost his battle with leukemia Feb. 23.
At Lafayette, Rob was a member of the
Rho Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon
fraternity and was commissioned as a
major in the U.S. Air Force Reserve
at McGuire Air Force Base. After
graduating from Lafayette, Rob went
to St. George’s University School of
Medicine in Grenada, West Indies, then
performed his medical residency at
Jersey Shore University Medical Center
in Neptune, N.J. Rob worked at
Southern Ocean County Hospital in
Manahawkin, N.J. He is survived by
his parents, Michael and Angela Rossi;
brother and sister-in-law Michael Jr. and
Marianne Rossi; sister Maria Donadia;
niece Lacey Donadia; nephews A.J. and
Nicholas Donadia; and his girlfriend,
Tara DiLeo. Donations in his name can
be made to Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society Donor Services, P.O. Box 4072,
Pittsfield, MA 01202. As a friend of
Rob’s, I deeply regret not being able to
see him in his last days. At Lafayette and
after graduation, he always was a warm,
happy, fun guy, ready to jump out on
the dance floor with us ladies (even
when Donna Summer was playing).
He will be greatly missed by everyone
who knew him.
On a brighter note, Tracey
Gutierrez Sigalos and husband Jason
’91 welcomed their second child,
Theodore, in October. Theo joins big
sister Lilah as part of the family.
Julie Epperlein Zadow wants to
share some news and an opportunity
with classmates. Julie recently started
her job as the senior director of
marketing communications/events for
the Aberdeen Group in Boston, and as
part of that role, she is producing a
number of business summits this fall.
One of them is a chief marketing officer
summit at the Grand Hyatt in San
Francisco, Sept. 9–10. Julie says it will
be a phenomenal event, and since she
knows there are many Lafayette alums
in the marketing field, she is making 20
complimentary passes available for
Lafayette grads (must be director-level
marketing practitioners, not marketing
vendors) to attend the summit. The
passes are available on a first-come,
first-served basis. More details are
available at www.summits.aberdeen.
com, and anyone who is interested in
one of the complimentary passes can
send Julie an email at julie.zadow@
aberdeen.com.
Tim McCumber writes that he
recently joined the Budd Lake
Volunteer Fire Department in New
Jersey. “It has been a long time since
I’ve been a firefighter,” says Tim, “but
things are slowly coming back to me.”
Tim is also back to school in the fall to
get his New Jersey teacher certification,
with plans to become a high school
science teacher.
Kim Bishop sent in a brief career
update. She works in Los Angeles as the
costume supervisor on a feature film and
also acted in a short film that will be a
part of the Charleston International Film
Festival (www.charlestoniff.com). Kim
says she is enjoying working on both
sides of the camera.
A couple of our classmates recently
have returned from overseas. For
Melissa DiMemmo, her return marks
a permanent move back to the United
States (New York, to be exact) after
spending six years living and working in
Paris. “Although I’ll miss Paris and
everyone I knew over there, I am glad
to be back,” says Melissa, “and I look
forward to reconnecting with Lafayette
alums.”
Darryl Newman just returned from
the Las Fallas Festival in Valencia, Spain.
The festival is one of Europe’s largest
and most colorful celebrations. “It was
a blast!” says Darryl, and he will send us
more details later on. Darryl lives in
Wilmette, Ill., just outside Chicago,
with his wife, Kimberly, and 1½-yearold son, Benjamin.
Class Notes
1992-1994
Jennifer Van Cleef Wilke sent me
a note on what she’s been up to. She’s
been busy with her four children—
Ryan, 8, Megan, 5, Katherine, 3, and
Elizabeth, 1—and she keeps in touch
with many Lafayette grads. “I recently
saw Laurie Gormley Broderick and
Kort and Alison Pressman Schickfus
at a dinner party. Juliana Papa
Drinane ’93 and Monica Morgan
Levy ’93 and husband Adam ’95 were
also there,” writes Jennifer. She also
recently heard from Joe Perno, who is
still living in Florida.
1993
Stan G. Horowitz
342 E. 67th St., Unit 3E
New York, NY 10065
[email protected]
President: Alexis J. Belladonna
Fund Managers: Monica Morgan Levy,
Ryan E. Schedler
Reunion Chair: Mark Suffredini
Let’s begin this issue with an update on
some of our classmates pursuing careers
and interests in the arts.
First and foremost, an update on
the acting career of our own Brian
Hutchison, who (at the time this
article was written) was performing to
excellent reviews alongside Geoffrey
Rush, Susan Sarandon, Lauren
Ambrose, William Sadler, and
Andrea Martin in Exit the King
on Broadway.
Gordon Hill, who makes his home
in Arlington, Mass., has been playing
with The Wicked Pickers, a four-man
acoustic jazz band founded in 2005.
The band enjoys a lot of local success
and has plans to continue playing
local venues and arts festivals.
Colton Tyler Anckaitis was born
to Jeannine Fallon Anckaitis and
husband Todd ’95 (and big sister
Amanda) in May 2008.
Jen Morelli Style lives north of
Atlanta, where husband Keith ’95 was
transferred from New York City. She
is homeschooling her oldest, Colin, 7,
while Ella, 3, is having fun
in preschool. She runs her business
Alumni Profile EILEEN MURRAY ’93
When Eileen Murray ’93 began playing club rugby her
junior year at Lafayette, she became club president.
There was only one problem: None of the students
knew how to play.
“I had to figure it out and lead the team,” she says.
“We got a coach, but I also helped run practices and
teach skills. It helped me realize that not only did I
like leading a team, but I was pretty good at it too!”
No surprise, then, that Murray coached the national junior girls’ ultimate
Frisbee team to a bronze medal. The team mounted a comeback victory by
scoring five points in a row against Colombia.
“It was so great to see the heart and spirit of the girls, and then to stand
on the podium with them was amazing,” she says.
The junior girls’ national team has a roster of 21 players ranging in age
from 15 to 19. It assembles every two to three years with tryouts each time.
“The most rewarding thing was to help a group of 21 strangers become
a team,” says Murray, former youth coordinator for the Ultimate Players
Association and coach of the University of Georgia women’s ultimate Frisbee
team for three years.
(www.cobblestonecards.com) from
home, so be sure to check it out.
Nina Campo Flood recently
was promoted to vice president of
marketing for Nautica after 10 years
with Guess. She keeps busy with her
husband, Trey ’94, and their two kids,
Jake, 8, and Ella, 7. Between hockey
and soccer, fall weekends are packed.
Stacy McIlraith Campbell is living
in Athens, Ga., with husband Keith
and their two little girls, McKinley, 6,
and Charlotte, 1. She is a professor in
the management department at Coles
College of Business at Kennesaw State
University.
Suzanne Williams got her master’s
at Old Dominion University in 1995
and then coached women’s basketball
at Lehigh for two years. While
there, her team beat Lafayette in the
conference championship to go to the
NCAA tournament for the first time.
She did confess feeling guilty about
beating her former coach, Pat Fisher.
After that, Suzanne coached at Towson
University for three years, which was
enough for her to realize that coaching
was not what she wanted to do with
her life. Since then, she has worked
as a financial analyst at a health care
company near Baltimore. She has been
with her partner for eight years and has
three wonderful children, a girl, Hailey,
who is 2, and twin boys Carter and
Cole, 1.
Nancy Labriola McAloon saw
Billy Shaw ’92 this past fall in
Newport. Something having to do with
a bachelorette party?
1994
Mara Weinstein Friedman
15 Rainbow Ridge Drive
Livingston, NJ 07039
(973) 994-1128
[email protected]
President: Wendy R. Furrer
Fund Manager:
Kim Gronquist Dennison
Reunion Chairs: Wendy R. Furrer,
Melanie Armstrong Jaenicke
Tracey Long Berton,
[email protected]
Hello, classmates! I’ve had a busy
winter, so I’m ready to relax this
summer. I was just elected as a vice
president for my kids’ Home and
School Association for next year. I’m
also working part time as a speechSUMMER 2009 • lafayette 157
Class Notes
1994-1995
language pathologist doing early intervention with children through age 3.
I recently saw Kathryn Kerge at a
New York City Alumni Chapter event
at Saks Fifth Avenue. Kathryn started
Kerge Consulting and is enjoying being
her own boss.
I also saw Neelah Alpert when I was
down in Florida. Neelah is excited to be
living with her long-term boyfriend,
Jason, now in Aventura, Fla. She works
at ADP in sales and had a great time
at the Lafayette–Lehigh telecast party
in Miami.
Laura MacAvoy Bazarian and her
husband, Andy ’90, live in Hong Kong
with their three children, Drew, 9, Ally,
8, and Christian, 4.
Elisabeth Curti Schroder has an
interesting story to tell. She moved to
Raleigh, N.C., in summer 2003. A
few months later, she was reading the
Alumni News and came across a picture
of a woman who looked like her
neighbor down the street in North
Carolina. It turns out that it was Lisa
Pfeiffer Freeman ’91. They couldn’t
believe that they ended up just four
houses away from each other. At
Lafayette, they were both psychology
majors, resident advisers in the same
dorm, AND on the same floor (three
years apart). In September 2001, they
both gave birth to twins, just two
weeks apart. Elisabeth’s twins are
Melissa and Nicole, while Lisa’s twins
are Hope and Owen (who joined
siblings Evan and Drew). The children
happen to be best of friends. Elisabeth
writes that “although our paths did not
cross at Lafayette, an instant friendship
was struck between Lisa and me, and
our families as well. Lisa and I often
talk about our Lafayette days, and I
find it amazing to talk with someone
who knows my college experience so
well. It certainly can be a small world,
that’s for sure!”
Kimberlee Hovis Joy and husband
Christopher welcomed Riley Michael
March 9, and she says that “he literally
is a bundle of joy!”
RJ Wiegand was elected to
membership in The PGA of America as
a teaching professional. He continues
to grow his teaching business in the
Pittsburgh area and play tournament
golf in the tri-state PGA. Anyone
interested can see what he offers
at www.rmuislandsports.org.
Andrea Dagostino Brennan
was inducted into the Maroon Club
Athletic Hall of Fame for field hockey
and lacrosse in November.
Shanen Aranmor resigned from
her position as director of wellness
and physical education at Arizona
Western College (AWC) in Yuma,
Ariz., to assume the role of director of
development at the Humane Society of
Yuma. She loves her new job and all the
strange responsibilities it involves. She
gets to be on local television four times
a week with the pet of the week and
represents the society as official
spokesperson. She also became the
AWC 2009 Teacher of the Year. She
loves teaching part time and working
with students as an associate faculty
member. She continues to teach a
variety of classes, like rock climbing,
blacksmithing, and marriage and family.
Alison Falt ’94 used the Alumni Online
Community to track down a classmate now
living in Asia. “I value the time I spent at
Lafayette and the life-changing relationships
I formed there,” she says. “The online
community is an opportunity to maintain
this connection.”
The Armitage Golf Club in
Camp Hill, Pa., welcomed
friends of the College and
alumni from the Central
Pennsylvania Chapter,
including (L-R) Roger
Hummel P’94, Bill Zilch,
Huey Long, and Chris
Hummel ’94.
Her collection of four-legged creatures
continues to grow, as her retired
greyhounds were joined by a
100-pound Weimaraner in December.
She also had the privilege of traveling
to Belize this winter with her sister.
Above all, while she still voyages out to
climb the peaks of the Grand Teton
National Park, she appreciates the
warmth and sunshine of the desert
Southwest.
Gabrielle Laux became engaged to
Bill Aitchison on Christmas Day. They
are planning a July 2010 wedding.
Sally Durgan will be a bridesmaid.
1995
Vicki Salemi
c/o Pfenning Alumni Center
Lafayette College
Easton, PA 18042
[email protected]
President: Karen L. Hughes
Fund Manager: Jacqueline A. Wendt
Reunion Chair: Siobhan Crann Winograd
Web Page Administrator: Vicki Salemi
Hi there!
Shona Paston Blonsky has been
busy finishing construction on a new
house and planned to welcome baby #2
in June!
Jen Hitchens is now the director of
interactive services at Alstin Communications in Philadelphia. She writes: “A
bunch of us got together at the house
Class Notes
1995-1996
of By ’94 and Laura Bennett ’94
Brogan in Gwynedd Valley for the
Lafayette–Lehigh game. I saw a lot of
people from our year that I hadn’t seen
in ages. It was nice to catch up with
everyone and meet everyone’s children.
My son, Sam, just turned 4, and he’s
doing great.... I also went down to
Richmond, Va., to visit Lauren
Schulte Kjeldsen, who married Kirk.
Lauren is back in the States from living
in Germany for 4+ years. She’s doing
great and enjoying life, her new dog,
and her beautiful home in Richmond.”
David Hulac Facebooked: “Mary
and I live in Vermillion, S.D., and I’m
working as a professor of school
psychology at the University of South
Dakota. On Sept. 23, Mary and I had
our third child, a son named Paul Jacob.
The five of us are busy but happy!”
Jo-Ellen Paradise Holbrook also
sent me a note via Facebook. “We
moved to Pound Ridge in Northern
Westchester, N.Y., in February 2008
after living in Park Slope, Brooklyn, for
about 10 years. We were just bursting
at the seams after a while with our
twins, Mia and Nicholas. We are loving
the new house and suburbia. I’ve been
home with the kids since we moved,
but I’m beginning to do some contract
work from home now.” Jo-Ellen
celebrated Lafayette–Lehigh with
Tracey Cooney and her family along
with Whelan ’94 and Kristin McGinn
Mahoney and their kids.
That’s all for now. Drop me a line
when you have a second—would love
to hear from you. Have a fabulous
summer!
1996
Alison Shipitofsky
1500 Hudson St., Apt. 6-S
Hoboken, NJ 07030
[email protected]
President: Thomas A. DiGiovanni
Fund Managers: Lynne A. Cavanaugh,
Rawle G. Howard
Reunion Chair: Stephen H. Konya
Web Page Administrator: Audrey
Twyman Langan,
[email protected]
Welcome back to Page ’96! The who’s
who and what’s what of all things
Class of 1996.
Hello, my fellow ’Pards, and once
again the advantage of writing the
column is that I can write what’s
going on with me first! And boy have
I been busy—so busy that the tone of
the column may reflect my busyness,
Alumni Update
Jo-Ellen Paradise Holbrook ’95 snapped her son
Nicholas (far L) hanging with pals (L–R) Alex
Loffredo (son of Tracy Cooney Loffredo ’95 and
husband Michael), sister Mia, and Alice and
Lucy Mahoney (daughters of Whelan ’94 and
Kristin McGinn ’95 Mahoney).
or truth be told, I just realized what
time it is and the column is due in
the next hour. Clearly my last-minute
study habits and paper-writing skills
have not changed since my time at
O’Lafayette.
Here’s what’s happened since our
last column:
Melanie Seiden Lewin welcomed
a son June 21, 2008. His name is
Marc. Melanie, husband Adam, and
family are headed out of Center City
Philly and moving to Blue Bell, Pa.
Angie Eifert Key took a new job
as an instructional facilitator with the
Harrisburg (Pa.) School District.
Shanen Aranmor ’94 named Arizona Western College’s
Teacher of the Year
Whelan Mahoney ’94 promoted to publisher of Inc.com
and associate publisher of Inc. magazine
Jen Hitchens Greenfield ’95 appointed director of interactive
services at Alstin Communications in Philadelphia
Aranmor ’94Mahoney ’94 Greenfield ’95
Raphael Chillious ’96 named assistant men’s basketball coach
at University of Washington
Dara Brown Johnson ’97 joins Field Point Private Bank & Trust in
Greenwich, Conn., as managing director of wealth management
Kevin Kasarjian ’97 makes partner at Holden Willits Murphy
PLC law firm in Phoenix, Ariz.
Chillious ’96
Johnson ’97
Kasarjian ’97
Class Notes
1996
Alumni Profile ROBERT UBHAUS ’96
After studying in Paris and working in well–regarded
restaurants in California, New York, and New Jersey,
Robert Ubhaus ’96 opened Resto in May 2008 in Madison,
N.J. In January, a reviewer from the Newark Star-Ledger
wrote, “Resto is an innovative bistro offering its patrons
excitement without risk” while rating it 3½ out of 4 stars.
And none other than The New York Times lauded Resto
and Ubhaus as “excellent” (the highest rating for a
New Jersey restaurant) in March.
Ubhaus’ vision is a fine-dining restaurant “without any of the pretension. We
want our guests to have the great food of New York City without having to worry
about using the right fork,” he says.
The restaurant already has had more than a dozen menus. Doing so
keeps Ubhaus’ skills sharp and allows him to be creative with ingredients
and combinations.
A double major in international affairs and economics & business, Ubhaus
used his experience writing business plans during a college class when he
developed one for Resto. He also turned to friend Tom Urbaniak ’96 to do
his general contracting work.
Carter and Lindsay Phillips
Bateman welcomed Carter John
Bateman Jr. Jan. 4! He joins big sister
Abigail.
Raphael Chillious writes that all is
well with the Chillious family. He serves
as the business manager at Nike for Elite
Youth Basketball and was promoted in
January to national camp director for all
the major elite-level basketball camps,
including Nike Hoop Jamboree and
Nike Skills Academy. Raphael traveled to
Lithuania for the second annual Jordan
Brand Classic International Tour
Alumni Weddings
Patricia Carabello ’96 and Joseph Di Toro ’96 exchanged their vows Oct. 18. In attendance
were (L–R) William ’96 and Christine Crane Ventresca ’96, David and Ellen Meyers
Malterre ’96, Kevin ’96 and Ann Kennedy, Trish and Joe, Megan O’Neill ’96 and
Seth Marlatt ’98, Sara Wolkowitz Bakes ’96 and Anthony Bakes, Christina Seckar ’96
and William Agnew ’95, and Andrew Wickersham ’97.
(jordanbrandclassic.com, click on
international), where Nike ran a
2½-day camp for the top 40 15-yearolds in Europe. Nike then selected
a group of them to play in the
International All-Star Game of the
Jordan Brand Classic in Madison
Square Garden this past April. Raphael
coached one of the teams this year.
Last year, his team won the game in
overtime. Can we say, “Go, repeat!”?
(Side note to the readers: I’m not really
a sports person, so why do I feel
slightly envious of this job?) As for the
Chillious family, daughter Zaya will be
2 years old in June. She is very tall
(Mom and Dad are both 6 feet, 2
inches) and has an amazing personality
and intelligence level. Her language
skills are off the charts. Raphael wrote
that there is a “slight” chance that she
will be quite the athlete as well. To
which I’d like to add, “maybe at
Lafayette!”
MaryEllen Farmer Rudoi and
husband Serg welcomed baby Avery in
October. And a small-world Lafayette
story for you: MaryEllen got back in
touch with Rob Cuscino ’96, and they
realized that their kids are in the same
class at daycare. Perhaps this means
they are destined to be future chem e’s
together at Lafayette College some day
as well?
Back in January, I attended a
Lafayette networking event, where
I caught up with Trish Carabello
and Joe Di Toro. Turns out, they are
married! On their behalf, I am happy to
announce that Patricia Carabello and
Joseph Di Toro were married Oct. 18
in Bennington, Vt. They reside in
New York City.
A big upheaval for Joe and Melissa
Winsor Tacchino in spring 2008:
They decided, for many reasons, that
the timing was right to accept an
offer of relocation from New York to
northern Virginia made by Melissa’s
employer, ExxonMobil. By the time
the offer was official, it was already the
end of summer, and thus began the
mad scramble. Joe had to give notice
to Toll Brothers, his employer of
almost a decade, a new house needed
to be found, bought, inspected, and
closed on, moving arrangements
needed to be made, and new daycare
needed to be found. Needless to say, it
was a very busy late summer and early
fall for the whole family! A marathon
Class Notes
1996-1997
two-day tour of over 25 houses in
August yielded a keeper in West
Springfield, Va., which they moved
into in mid-September and are now in
the process of making their own. Son
Nathan, who turned 2 in January,
weathered the move without a hiccup
and loves to run around in the fenced
yard. Joe loves the two-car garage and
the finished basement. Melissa loves
the whole house except for the kitchen
(Joe hates it too), but they knew that
going in and are already planning an
early summer, full gut-and-replace job.
As it turned out, fall 2008 was a
horrible time to voluntarily quit a job,
but Joe found a great position with
Bohler Engineering, an East Coast
civil engineering consulting company.
Joe is heading up a department that
operates out of four mid-Atlantic
offices, and he is very much enjoying a
role different from the one he played
for a decade at Toll Brothers.
The Tacchinoes are looking forward
to making new friends in NoVA and
reconnecting with alumni in the area.
Steve Konya, one of Joe’s Chi Phi
classmates, lives only 20 minutes away,
and they’re planning to get together
soon. It was hard to leave behind a lot
of family and friends, but in the end
they think it will be worth it!
Former class columnist Jessica Leas
returned from Sri Lanka in August. She
is living and working on the West Coast
as the development associate for
ClimateWorks Foundation in San
Francisco. Jessica and the foundation
are working to secure large donations to
systematically combat climate change.
She’s looking forward to a new, less
bomb-filled life on the West Coast.
Charis Kozic O’Connor and
husband Mike are enjoying parenthood.
Their daughter, Regan, was born in
October (which you know from last
edition’s column). Charis writes,
“Regan is 5 months old now and is our
pride and joy. She is such a good baby
and is smiling, cooing, rolling, and
growing!” The family resides in
Annapolis, Md., and is planning to take
some sailing lessons this spring and
summer.
And speaking of the joys of
parenthood, Jill Harmon Selbo and
husband Scot welcomed their first baby
Oct. 13. His name is Nicholas Hayden.
Phew, I made the deadline! Hope
everyone is well. Ciao for now!
1997
Shannon Gregg Agin
325 Lafayette St., Apt. 6
New York, NY 10012
[email protected]
President: Kimberly A. Leary
Fund Manager: Timothy E. Herburger
Reunion Chair: Michele Kaplan
McMillan
Shannon Gregg Agin
Hey, ’Pards! As you may already be
aware, the Winter 2009 edition of
Alumni News was not printed and
mailed, but the Class Notes section of
that edition is still available online: Visit
the alumni web site and choose the
Issues on the left. Here’s what’s
happened with some of our classmates
since then.
This past April, Matt Bartlett
married Rose Heuser at a vineyard in
the Willamette Valley outside Portland,
Ore., where the newlyweds reside. Matt
is the engineering manager for Kiewit
Construction, working on the East Side
CSO Tunnel Project in Portland. Rose
is an internal medicine resident at
Oregon Health & Science University
in Portland. In attendance at their
wedding festivities were Seth Brogadir
(who officiated the ceremony!), Greg
Domber, Justin and Shannon Leib
Engelland ’99 (along with their
1-year-old son, JR), Alex and Adria
Lazur Kinnier (and their 18-monthold daughter, Claire), Jon and Sara
Stollar Deren (with their baby, Tyler,
in tow, who was born Jan. 25), Andrew
Bartlett ’06, and Lauren Moulder
’08. The happy couple enjoyed a
two-week honeymoon in New Zealand.
Kevin Connell and Liza Miller are
engaged, and their wedding will take
place in the Poconos this August. They
live in Portola Valley, Calif.
Deb Elliott Knox and husband
Brian ’96 are the proud parents of a
second baby girl. Taylor Anne Knox
joined big sister Jordan May 30, 2008.
Deb will return to teaching high school
While they didn’t spot any hobbits, Rose
Heuser and Matt Bartlett ’97 nonetheless
enjoyed the sights while honeymooning in
Milford Track, New Zealand.
English this fall, and Brian continues to
teach history. The Knoxes live in the
Philadelphia suburbs, just outside
Media, Pa.
Two alumni babies were born in
June 2008: Grace, the daughter of
Andy and Tami Rork DeAngelis, and
Lotte June, the daughter of Tracy
Bacher-Johnson and her husband,
Pete. Tracy has been on leave from
teaching in order to stay home with her
little “Junebug.” The Johnsons reside
in the Park Slope neighborhood of
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Geraldine George Tama and her
husband, Michael, moved to Old
Tappan, N.J., in the summer of 2008. In
December, their family officially became a
“Party of Five” when big sis Alexandra
welcomed into the world her twin sisters,
Reagan Catherine and Madelynne Rose.
Quincy Miller has been appointed
director of retail branch banking at
Citizens Bank, Massachusetts.
Carla Bailey Murphy was elected
principal of the Baltimore-based law
firm Ober|Kaler, where she practices in
their employment & labor group. She
lives in the Roland Park community of
Baltimore.
Paul Farkas practices Internet law
and domain names. He is general
counsel for .music as well as a consultant
for the .nyc project.
Dara Brown Johnson recently
moved to the Upper East Side of
Manhattan to be closer to Greenwich,
Conn., the site of her new job. Dara is
now the managing director of wealth
management for Field Point Private
Bank & Trust.
Congrats to everyone on all their
good news. If you have news of any
Class Notes
1997-1998
kind you’d like to share, please mail or
email it to me at the above addresses or
post it on the Lafayette Alumni Online
Community. I’ve also finally decided to
succumb to the peer pressure all around
me and join Facebook, primarily for the
purposes of gathering more alumni
news, so you can search for me there
(but please, no poking). Until next
time!
1998
Maureen Rafferty Hopper
3424 Wabash St.
Denver, CO 80238
[email protected]
Alumni Weddings
President: David A. Cheney
Fund Manager: Jonathan S. Ellis
Reunion Chair:
Nicole Magnant Morrissey
Maureen Rafferty Hopper
I hope you all are enjoying your
summer! We have just a few updates
to report this time around.
Liz Pittoni married Dan Kinnier
June 21, 2008, at the Darien Country
Club in Darien, Conn. Several alumni
were in attendance, including
bridesmaids Susan Waters, Jen
Mandelson ’97, and Meredith Lee.
The newlyweds enjoyed a honeymoon
safari and wine tasting in South Africa.
They reside in Bermuda. Dan works for
Montpelier Re as an underwriter, and
Liz works for Citibank.
Liz Pittoni ’98 and Dan Kinnier
celebrated their June 21, 2008,
nuptials with Lafayette friends and
others: (front, L–R) Jenn Rossmann
Baptiste ’98, Sue Waters ’98, Dan
and Liz, Lori Toney, and Meredith
Lee ’98; (middle) Michelle “Moe”
Grasso ’98, Meredith Steadman
Dunn ’98, Jenn Klein ’98, Megan
Bruther Macmillian ’97, Jen
Mandelson ’97, and Jia Chang ’97;
(back) Jessica Tofighbakhsh ’99,
Jen Womer Kreatsoulas ’99, Amy
Spanbauer Maier ’98, Elizabeth
Fialcowitz White ’98, Portia Pollock
Fudala ’98, Jonna DeSimone ’99,
and Evan Berger ’98.
Adriana Franceschini ’99
and Bill Casey exchanged
their wedding vows Sept
13. Celebrating with them
were (front, L–R) Matthew
Roux ’99, Bill and Adriana,
and Daniel Wiedemann
’99; (back) Jennifer Heim
Roux ’99, David Stein ’94,
Lindsay Suthard Nero ’99,
Emily Selinger ’99, Aubrey
Goward Cashion ’99,
Jennifer Mehr ’99, Peggy
Savage Faughnan ’74,
and Lia Caiazzo
Wiedemann ’99.
Lindsay Laird Pope and her
husband, Amman, are living outside
Annapolis, Md. Amman is a
construction manager for a real estate
development company based out of
Baltimore, and Lindsay left her job as a
kindergarten teacher to open a daycare
so that she could stay home with their
daughter, Riley. Heather Hinckley
Leslie, her husband, Kirk ’97, and
their 2-year-old son, Brayden, recently
moved back to Colorado after less than
a year in Louisiana.
Dani Shotel Greene is celebrating
the impressive “Year of Dani.” She was
nominated as a candidate for Teacher of
the Year for Arlington County Public
Schools and as a candidate for the Man
& Woman of the Year campaign put on
by The Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society. All of the nominees in this
campaign are competing to raise the
most money for the society. This is truly
an amazing campaign, with very little
overhead: 93 percent of profits raised
go directly to cancer research! Dani
would love it if you could make a
donation through her by visiting www.
lls.org/ncamanandwoman and clicking
on her photo. Good luck, Dani!
Kevin McKernan graduated with his
M.B.A from Drexel University in June.
Although a businessman, he still hasn’t
given up the baseball dream. He is
playing baseball and recruiting current
Lafayette players to help out his team.
During the summer, you can find Kevin
playing golf in his hometown of West
Chester, Pa., with Mark Sessanta, Scott
Heiser ’00, and Steve Miller ’00.
Kevin’s brother, Bryan ’97, and his wife,
Dr. Erica Steinhouse McKernan ’97,
live in Lafayette Hill, Pa. Bryan works
with Mike Graham at Intuitive Surgical.
Bryan and Erica have two children, Ellie
and Kyle. Apparently, Kyle McKernan is
already trying to be the next McKernan
baseball player at LC!
Speaking of little alumni, Melissa
Hermann Noon and her husband,
Kevin, welcomed their first child, a little
boy named Braden, Sept. 25. They live
in Chester Springs, Pa. Melissa recently
completed her R.N.-B.S.N. from
Villanova University. Susan Foster
Morse and Dave Morse had their
second baby girl, Zoe, and Jen Beane
DeLalio welcomed a baby boy, Collin.
Chris Tierney and his wife, Sara, just
welcomed their first child, a baby girl,
in March. Jen Cascardi Pierce and her
Class Notes
1998-2000
husband, Clay, are expecting their third
in early June. Big siblings Cody, 5, and
Brooke, 3, anxiously are awaiting their
new baby brother. There are also several
other classmates expecting babies in the
next few days, weeks, and months—
we’ll look forward to reading those
updates in the next column! Hope you
are all well. Please keep us updated!
1999
Amanda Alpert Knight
1816 W. Melrose St.
Chicago, IL 60657
[email protected]
President: Lori Janelle Chen
Fund Manager: Amanda Alpert Knight
Reunion Chair: Pamela Perez
Amanda Alpert Knight
2000
Colleen Gleeson Greshock
478 Shakespeare Drive
Collegeville, PA 19426
[email protected]
President: Jeremy A. Weinstein
Fund Manager: George Beres
Reunion Chair: Bryce G. Murray
Hello, everyone, hope you are enjoying
a happy, carefree summer! Thanks to all
who submitted updates for this column.
I look forward to hearing from even
more of you for the Fall edition.
Sarah Ferraro was set to finish her
doctoral studies in psychology at the
American School of Professional
Steve Ryder ’01 and Leif Rune Evje, husband
of Carrie Hope Ryder ’00, tackle a box of fresh
Norwegian shrimp in Kristiansand.
Alumni Profile ALEX LaROCHE ’98
Alex LaRoche ’98 believes a typical undergraduate
education wouldn’t have prepared him well for his job as
vice president of sales and engineering at Moser Jewel
Co. in Phillipsburg, N.J. He majored in engineering
studies, then called A.B. engineering.
“The liberal arts aspect of Lafayette ensures that all
engineers become very proficient in communicating their
ideas,” says LaRoche. “Speaking ‘engineering’ only works
when dealing directly with engineers. In the field of technical sales, it is very
important that one can communicate with anybody. In a given day, I’ll
communicate with engineers, purchasing managers/buyers, production
personnel, vendors, and owners of other companies.”
Moser Jewel is a small supplier of micro-precision components and assemblies,
with clients such as IBM, Lockheed-Martin, Hughes Aircraft, General Motors, and
Eastman Kodak. Devising creative solutions to difficult problems is a must.
“The fun part is when customers use their CAD [computer-aided design]
programs to design and draw components that are impossible to manufacture
due to machining, dimensional tolerances, or material limitations,” LaRoche
says. “Working with customers and vendors in solving problems keeps things
very interesting.”
Psychology in June. She works at the
University of San Francisco’s counseling
center. Next year, she will work at Kaiser
Permanente’s Chemical Dependency
Recovery Center in San Francisco. Sarah
not only dedicates her professional life to
helping others, but her personal life as
well. From May 31 to June 6, Sarah
completed the AIDS Lifecycle Ride.
A 545-mile cycling event from San
Francisco to Los Angeles, the trek raised
money for AIDS treatment and research
around the world. Please check out
Sarah’s site at www.tofighthiv.org/goto/
sarahferraro. She is taking a muchdeserved vacation this summer to
Honduras, where she will train to
become a professional scuba diver.
Karen DiBisceglie Rode received
a master’s degree from Fairleigh
Dickinson University Feb. 1. Karen
holds certifications to teach Spanish and
English as a second language in New
Jersey. She has received her supervision
certification as well. She is a tenured
teacher at Northern Highlands Regional
High School in Allendale, N.J., where
she also coaches lacrosse and advises
the Spanish Club and Class Council.
AnnMarie Granite joined the
History Channel, headquartered in
Manhattan, in 2008 as its director of
marketing.
Carrie Ryder and her husband,
Leif Rune Evje, are still enjoying life in
Norway. Carrie’s brother, Steve ’01,
recently visited them for 10 days. During
his stay, they went to Stavanger, Mandal,
and Kristiansand. They drove the scenic
Suleskarvegen over the mountains. In the
fall, Carrie and Leif bought a low-energy
house and unwittingly timed the sale of
their condo right before the financial
crisis, luckily avoiding double mortgage
payments. In June, they flew to New
Jersey for the wedding of Carrie’s sister,
Suzi ’05.
Brian Guzas and Emily Leigh
married at Cornell University Sept. 13.
Amy Mussen, Kevin Franklin, Brian
Macdonald, Genevieve DeJose
Palmer ’99, Jeff Palmer ’99, and
Daniel Cline ’99 attended. Brian and
Emily started dating in 2004 while
working at the same engineering firm in
Baltimore. Emily hails from Herndon,
Va., and is an alumna of the University
of Virginia. She is a doctoral student in
structural engineering at Cornell
University. Brian is a structural engineer
for McFarland-Johnson in Binghamton,
N.Y. The newlyweds reside in Ithaca.
Alumni Babies
Riley Michael Joy
Ellie Georgeana Fatsi
Wyatt Churchill
Williamson
Vivian Jane Skidd
Emma Joyce Burd
Nicholas Hayden Selbo
Braden Noon
Bruce Heike ’80, Melissa Heike
8/9/08 Piper Rachel
David Kim ’84, Mi-Seon Seong
3/20/08 John David
Susan Palena Godwin ’86, Glenn Godwin
2/12/09 Alexis Marie
Ann Pisetzner Fatsi ’88, Jim Fatsi
6/11/08 Ellie Georgeana
Laurie Typermass Maggio ’89, Joseph Maggio
1/2/09 Thomas
Matt Barrett ’90, Sue Lopiparo Barrett ’91
6/08 Jane
Matt Sinclair ’90, Maureen Sinclair
12/30/08 Cathleen Ann & Shannon Marie
Jason Sigalos ’91, Tracey Gutierrez Sigalos ’92
10/08 Theodore
Chris Hutchison ’91, Elizabeth Hutchison
1/10/09 Mackroth
Jeannine Fallon Anckaitis ’93, Todd Anckaitis ’95
5/17/08 Colton Tyler
Kimberlee Hovis Joy ’94, Christopher Joy
3/9/09 Riley Michael
David Hulac ’95, Mary Hulac
9/23/08 Paul Jacob
Brian Knox ’96, Deb Elliott Knox ’97
5/30/08 Taylor Anna
Melanie Seiden Lewin ’96, Adam Lewin
6/21/08 Marc
Mary Ellen Farmer Rudoi ’96, Serg Rudoi
10/08 Avery
Jill Harmon Selbo ’96, Scot Selbo
10/13/08 Nicholas Hayden
Lindsay Phillips Bateman ’96, Carter Bateman ’96
1/4/09 Carter John
Tracy Bacher-Johnson ’97, Pete Johnson
6/5/08 Lotte June
Tami Rork DeAngelis ’97, Andy DeAngelis ’97
6/20/08 Grace
Geraldine George Tama ’97, Michael Tama
12/27/08 Reagan Catherine &
Madelynne Rose
Sara Stollar Deren ’97, Jon Deren
1/25/09 Tyler
Daniel Williamson ’98, Kimberly Vormschlag Williamson ’99 5/16/08 Wyatt Churchill
Melissa Hermann Noon ’98, Kevin Noon
9/25/08 Braden
Jen Beane DeLalio ’98, Perry DeLalio
10/24/08 Colin Reece
Susan Foster Morse ’98, Dave Morse ’98
1/20/09 Zoe
Chris Tierney ’98, Sara Tierney
3/7/09 Channing Elizabeth
Allison Marko Skidd ’00, Gabe Skidd
1/17/09 Vivian Jane
Kristin Martin Osipower ’00, Bob Osipower ’00
2/5/09 Kevin Alexander
Shannon Perreca Gunther ’01, Matthew Gunther
2/24/09 Evan Matthew
Rachel Korpanty Lee ’03, Andrew Lee ’03
10/08 Jacob Kenneth
Morgan Albus Mooney ’03, Mark Mooney
10/3/08 Jack Robert
MaryKate Giufurta Burd ’03, Cori Burd
11/17/08 Emma Joyce
Phil Kolarczyk ’03, Shelley Kolarczyk
3/14/09 Steele Elijah
Pete Susi ’03, Meagan Susi
5/20/09 Kevin Vincent
Stephen Tanner ’04, Jessica Tanner
2/23/09 Cameron James
Shawn Regits ’05, Nicole Regits
9/11/08 Gavin Thomas
Babies pictured here were less than one year old at the time of their photograph. (Older children are pictured near their
alumni parents’ class column.) To have your baby included in the next issue, provide parents’ names, date of birth, and
name of child to the Office of Alumni Affairs.
Steele Elijah Kolarczyk
Jacob Kenneth Lee
Jack Robert Mooney
Cameron James Tanner
Class Notes
2000
Billy Eisenberg and Nissa Grant
also wed Sept. 13. Sandy Doyle ’01,
Heather Murray, Bobb Hawkey ’01,
Adam Bibi, Dennis Melesky ’99,
Rick Craw, Jason Brock, Neil
Sullivan, Justin Morris, and Michael
Ermold attended the nuptials in
Manchester, Conn.
Alyssa Markert and Ken Kolesar
married Jan. 1 at the Rainbow Room in
New York City. On March 21, they held
a second wedding reception at the Bank
Street in Stamford, Conn. Alumni in
attendance included maid-of-honor
Carol McKeever, Ilya Fishman ’99,
Evan Berger ’98, Greg Smith ’98,
Ron Clark ’97, Jon Levy ’98, Doug
Tracy, and Nate Went ’99. Ken and
Alyssa live in Fairfield, Conn.
Allison Marko Skidd and her
husband, Gabe, married in 2006
and had their first child, Vivian Jane, Jan.
17. The happy family is living in Kennett
Square, Pa. Allison has worked as an
engineer for DuPont since graduation.
Diane Pisseri married Chris
Lindemann Oct. 11. The bridal party
consisted of Marissa Kimmel Hine,
Keri Grunther Brady, and Janelle
Maginnis. Other grads in attendance
were Marianne Gawler, Nicole Reilly,
Lucy Effman, John Hannafin, Chris
Hine, Chris “Ox” Parrott, Praveen
Reddy ’99, and Andrew Rose ’99.
Diane and Chris honeymooned in
Hawaii for two weeks and reside in
Douglaston, N.Y. Diane is still at Simon
& Schuster in Manhattan as a digital
contracts manager, and her husband
works for the New York City Fire
Department. The happy couple is
excited to announce they are expecting
their first child in October.
Barry and Lindsay Brown ’01
Dobil live in Orefield, Pa., with their
two children, 3-year-old Morgan and
2-year-old William. Barry works for
Josh Early Candies in Allentown.
Bob and Kristin Martin Osipower
welcomed their third son, Kevin
Alexander, Feb. 5. Kevin weighed a
healthy 7 pounds, 9 ounces. He joins
7-year-old Tyler and 4-year-old Bryan.
Bob is a project engineer with Procter
& Gamble, and Kristin stays home with
their “budding baseball team.”
Alumni Weddings
Billy Eisenberg ’00 and
Nissa Grant tied the knot
Sept. 13. Pictured at their
reception are (front, L–R)
Sandy Doyle ’01, Nissa and
Billy, and Heather Murray
’00; (middle) Bobb Hawkey
’01, Adam Bibi ’00, Dennis
Melesky ’99, and Richard
Craw ’00; (back) Jason
Brock ’00, Neil Sullivan
’00, and Justin Morris ’00.
Attended, but not pictured:
Michael Ermold ’00.
Diane Pisseri ’00 and
Chris Lindemann wed
last October. Pictured at
the nuptials are (L–R, all
’00, except as noted) Keri
Grunther Brady, Chris
Parrott, Chris and Diane,
Andrew Roe ’99, Chris and
Marissa Kimmel Hine,
Nicole Reilly, Janelle
Maginnis, John Hannafin,
and Preveen Reddy ’98.
Alyssa Markert ’00 and Ken Kolesar
’00 held their wedding reception
March 21. Pictured are (clockwise
from bottom left) Ron Clark ’97,
Ilya Fishman ’99, Jon Levy ’98,
Doug Tracy ’00, Greg Smith ’98,
Evan Berger ’98, Carol McKeever ’00,
Alyssa and Ken, and (center)
Nate Went ’99.
Class Notes
2001
Alumni Weddings
2001
Paige Olek Ingelsby
1321 Statesman Road
Norristown, PA 19403
[email protected]
President: Sara Viehman Diehl
Fund Manager:
Rebecca Waxman Kaufman
Reunion Chair: Nicholas M. Groch
Brian Guzas ’00 and Emily Leigh were married Sept. 13. Kevin Franklin ’00 (L–R),
Amy Mussen ’00, Brian Macdonald ’00, Brian and Emily, Dan Cline ’99, and Jeff ’99
and Genevieve DeJose Palmer ’99 are pictured enjoying the festivities.
Peter Hedley ’01 wed
Clare McLean Sept. 6.
Joining them were
(L–R) Robert McLean
’05, Clare and Peter,
Clive Michaels ’60,
Alicia Michaels Breen
’91, Tara Gorny ’01
and Matt Belson ’01
(both seated), Matt
Grandis ’01, Kevin
Bromby ’01, James
Sallada ’01, Mike
Burack ’01, Will
Johnson ’02,
Morgan Battle ’01,
and Megan
Bodtke ’03.
Joy Krueger ’02 wed Joel Roberson Oct. 4. Enjoying the event were (front, L–R) Mike ’02
and Lindy Mills Pocceschi ’02, Courtney Flashover ’02, and Katie Ferrone ’02; (center) Joy
and Joel; (back) Lori Williams Wolfersberger ’00 , Megan Greevy ’01, Christie Taylor ’01,
Andy Blair ’02, Mary Lovatt ’00, Sherry Sanderson ’02, Art ’01 and Liz Westgate ’01
Lathers , Carrie Baker Neigel ’02, Bethany Abele ’03, Erin Fitzpatrick Mackey ’02 and
Allen Mackey, and Christine Socha ’02.
Hi, class! Hope everyone kept warm
this winter and is doing well. This is a
shorter column this time, so remember
to email me noteworthy news or post it
on the Alumni Online Community.
Kerri Holick tied the knot Aug. 16
with John Pierz. The couple wed at St.
Joseph Church in Brookfield, Conn.,
and honeymooned in St. Maarten.
Kerri works as a clinical geneticist at
PGxHealth in New Haven, and John is
a manager at Pepsi Bottling Group in
Somers, N.Y. Amy Scott Mobley
writes that she and husband Greg were
married Oct. 18 and reside in League
City, Texas. Amy works as an archivist
at the Museum of Fine Arts in
Houston.
Shannon Perreca Gunther and
husband Matthew are proud to
announce the birth of a baby boy,
Evan Matthew. He was born Feb. 24
in Morristown, N.J., and weighed
9¼ pounds.
Lindsay Brown Dobil and husband
Barry ’00 live in Orefield, Pa., and have
two children, Morgan and William. In
career news, Megan Kintzer was
named director of development at
Reading Public Museum. In this role
she is responsible for planning and
implementing development programs,
such as annual and corporate giving,
capital campaign, major gifts, planned
giving, and grants.
Last but not least, I could in no way
paraphrase an update I received from
my former Alpha Phi roommate,
Christie Taylor. Christie wrote: “On
April 9, I turn 30, which means I have
to quit shopping at Wet Seal and start
wearing support socks…. I have started
informal jam sessions in downtown Philly
with fellow alums Ben Persofsky (piano)
and Lori Williams Wolfersberger ’00
(sax). If we play any big venues, I’ll keep
you posted. Right now, we’re in practice
mode. In terms of social media, I’ve
reached 200 friends but still need 100
Class Notes
2001-2002
more to reach my important goal that
I set last year. I have started writing
comedy scripts for TV and hope to get
some of my quips published on SNL or
Letterman by this time next year. Megan
Greevy and I are running the Annapolis
half-marathon in May, and she plans to
win. Also, in light of the economic
downturn, I’ve started living in a tent
behind my house to practice in case I
have to foreclose.”
Cheers, and don’t forget to pass on
that news!
2002
Christine D. Socha
(908) 451-9159
[email protected]
President: Clifford C. Michaels
Fund Manager: Cara E. Belardi
Reunion Chair: Tracy E. Kirwan
Christine D. Socha
Hello, Class of 2002! Thanks for all the
updates, everyone. Keep them coming
(via email or Facebook)!
Eric Hauck and Jessica Molek ’03
were married Aug. 3 in a ceremony at
Toftrees Golf Resort in State College,
Pa. The couple honeymooned in
Florida and the Bahamas before heading
back to State College, where they
reside. Eric is a graduate student at
Penn State University, pursuing a Ph.D.
in engineering science and mechanics.
Stacie Truesdell married Justin
Michaels Aug. 16 in Lexington, Ky.
Melissa Truesdell ’00 was the maid of
honor, and Catherine Curcio ’03 and
Maria Fekete Brugg were bridesmaids.
Other alums in attendance were Jordan
Brugg ’03, Matthew Curcio ’00, and
Bonnie Butler ’79.
On Sept. 13, Olivia Kerstetter wed
Sean Moschberger at the Bedford
Presbyterian Church in Bedford, Pa. A
reception at the Bedford Springs Hotel
followed. Bridesmaids included
Elizabeth Loretz, Kristen Boyle, and
Mollie Moschberger ’04. Olivia and
Sean reside in Raleigh, N.C.
In January, Alexandra Pelberg
married Michael Slawter (Lehigh ’94) at
the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
in Philadelphia. Bridesmaids included
Jessica MacDermant and Carrie
Chaitt ’03.
Elizabeth Matakitis is happy and
very excited to announce her
engagement to Tom Graziano. The
couple is eagerly looking forward to
an October wedding in Summit, N.J.
Elizabeth is working as a sales product
trainer for Takeda Pharmaceuticals
while getting her M.B.A. Tom works
for a commercial real estate investment
bank in New York City.
In October 2007, Chris Erickson
proposed to his long-time girlfriend,
Nicole Byrne. The couple is planning a
July 2009 wedding in Philadelphia,
where they reside. Chris is a licensed
social worker on the kidney transplant
team at the Hospital of the University
of Pennsylvania.
On Feb. 2, I, Christine Socha,
received the Professional Service Award
from Raritan Valley Habitat for
Humanity. I provided pro bono legal
services to the organization in
connection with land use approvals
sought from the planning and zoning
boards of Franklin Township, N.J.
Kaye Powell reported big news of a
big move. In late December, she moved
from Washington, D.C., to Auckland,
New Zealand. After traveling for about
a month, Kaye started her new job as
an environmental engineer; she is
managing investigation and
remediation activities in sites
throughout New Zealand. Kaye reports
she is traveling as much as she can and
is “loving it so far!”
Christopher Ollinick joined the
law firm of Jaeckle Fleischmann &
Mugel as an associate in the firm’s
Buffalo office, where he will
concentrate his practice in tax and
economic & land development. Chris
received his J.D. from the University at
Buffalo Law School.
Lisa Cardito reports she is working
as a sales representative for Cisco
Systems and living in Boston. She is
“happy” and “doing well.” She and
fiancé Pete Oliver planned a June 2009
wedding in Newport, R.I.
Todd Baldwin is working for BortonLawson Engineering in its Lehigh Valley
office in Bethlehem, Pa., as a civil
engineer in the land development group.
Again, thank you to everyone who
submitted an update. I really enjoy
learning about and reporting on the
joyous occasions, proud moments, and
accomplishments of everyone’s lives.
Unfortunately, my job as class correspondent has its difficult moments as well.
It is with the heaviest of hearts that
I report the passing of our classmate,
Leslie Smith. After fighting a
courageous, 20-month battle with
leukemia, Leslie passed away Dec. 16,
surrounded by family and friends,
including her fiancé, Dustin Davis.
Several of her close friends (Dustin,
Ami Davey, Malinda Morain, Dana
Newcomb, Keith Rosmarin, Sarah
Ryan, and Jaime Schwartz) had the
following to share about Leslie: “There
are two things that no one can deny
about Leslie. She loved life—and she
LOVED Lafayette. If you were a student
at any point during the years 1998–
2002, then you probably knew Leslie.
You may have sat next to her in Spanish
class, played rugby with her, attended
one of the parties she planned, spent a
semester with her in Spain, walked next
to her on the Great Wall of China,
danced with her on a table at Campus
Pizza, tossed a baseball on the Quad
with her, ate lunch with her in the pit at
Farinon, or simply admired her from
afar—her smile and energy lit up every
room she entered. Leslie didn’t just get a
great education at Lafayette, she got
everything that was most important to
her. It’s where she grew up, traveled the
world, made her most precious
memories, met her best friends, and
most importantly, found her fiancé,
Dustin. Leslie LOVED Lafayette, and
that’s why we think it is so fitting to start
a scholarship fund in her name.”
By now you all should have received
information regarding the scholarship
fund that has been created to honor
Leslie’s memory. For more information,
or to donate to this fund, please visit
Lafayette’s web site or contact Emily
Kernan in the Annual Fund office,
[email protected]. When making
this donation, whether online or by
check, please be sure to note that you
are giving to the Leslie Smith ’02
Scholarship Fund so it can be applied to
this specific fund. Also, a fundraiser to
be held at Lafayette sometime in the fall
is in the works, so be on the lookout for
more information!
Class Notes
2002-2003
Alumni Weddings
Alexandra Pelberg ’02 married
Michael Slawter in January.
’Pards pictured huddling
around the bride are (L–R)
Carrie Chaitt ’03, Cindy Lee
’02, Joseph “JJ” Schariter ’02,
Jessica MacDermant ’02, Liza
Lesser ’03, Lauren Mack-Teti
’03, Kate McGovern ’03,
Katie Duffy Kleeblatt ’02,
and Heather Rabinowicz
Mermel ’02.
Ali Scudder ’03 and Royal Tuthill ’03 married Oct. 25. Sharing in the day were (L–R)
Elizabeth Schaefer ’04, Colin Feehan ’03, Elizabeth Scott ’03, Alison and Royal, Mary Stehle
’03, Ted Kapusta ’03, and Lily Fardshisheh ’03.
Alyson Gross ’04 and John Ricketts ’03 were wed May 17, 2008. Many fellow ’Pards turned
out for the big day: (front, L–R) Jill Saporetti ’06, Alissa Romano ’04, Christopher ’04 and
Emily Myers ’03 Royle, Kimberly Enoch ’04, Kelley Anthes ’04, Bethany Abele ’03, Alyson and
John, Kirsten Ricketts Hazard ’91 and Bill Hazard ’93; (middle) Adam Bucci ’05, Rebecca
Breese ’04, Shannon Sullivan McFadden ’04, David Norton ’04, John Farkas ’03, Debbie
Rhebergen ’03, Darrell Daman ’03, Kristen Quigley Saporetti ’04 and Joseph Saporetti
’03, Elizabeth Hallowell ’04, Brian Hobby ’03, and Diana Griggs Foltz ’03; (back) Michael
McFadden ’04, Matt Cantner ’97, Paul Staub ’03, Eric Keto ’03, Paul Stack ’03, Vince Boyer
’03, Andrew Moyer ’05, Derek Balent ’03, Mark Brault ’03, and Adam Foltz ’03.
2003
Liza Lesser
[email protected]
President: Morgan Albus Mooney
Fund Manager: Melissa Mitchell Pizarro
Reunion Chair: Alison W. Ahart
Michael De Lisi, [email protected]
I’m proud to report our Class Notes are
back in print after the Winter 2009
edition was only available online. To
read it, visit the alumni web site and
choose the magazine icon on the right,
then Past Issues on the left.
I hope your summers are off to a
good start.
Believe it or not, our classmates are
starting to have kids! Morgan Albus
Mooney and husband welcomed their
son, Jack Robert, Oct. 3. He was born
in Manhattan, where the Mooneys
reside. Pete Susi and wife Meagan had
a son, Kevin Vincent, May 20. Pete and
Meagan couldn’t be happier. Pete
graduated May 2008 from the Yale
School of Management with an M.B.A.
(along with Amy Emerick). He works
for The Hartford and moved into a new
home he purchased in Middletown,
Conn. Phil Kolarczyk and wife Shelley
would like to announce the March 14
birth of Steele Elijah. Steele was 7
pounds, 13 ounces, and 21½ inches
long. Mom, dad, and baby are doing
well and finally getting a little sleep.
MaryKate Giufurta Burd and her
husband, Cori, welcomed a baby girl,
Emma Joyce, Nov. 17. She weighed 6
pounds and was 19 inches long. Dianna
Griggs Foltz and Adam Foltz are
expecting a baby, due at the end of
September. Best of luck to the Foltzes.
Rachel Korpanty Lee and Andrew Lee
celebrated their third wedding
anniversary in October and not long
after welcomed their son, Jacob
Kenneth. Rachel writes: “We’re all
having fun, learning how to be a family,
and we certainly have a lot to be
thankful for this year! We are still living
outside D.C. in northern Virginia (and
will be until the market improves and
we can sell and move someplace less
urban). Andrew’s a radio producer for
talk radio shows. I graduated in May
Class Notes
2003
Alumni Weddings
Sylvia Anserian ’04 and Andrew Cooper ’03 were married Sept. 1. Many ’Pards attended:
(row 1, L–R) Christine Siebold ’04, Amy Giacobone ’04, Tara O’Neill ’04, Ilana Strauss
’04, and Stephanie Napolitano Mejia ’04; (row 2) Keith O’Brien ’03, Kimberly Sica ’04,
Andrew and Sylvia, and Teva Miller ’04; (row 3) Dave Watts ’04, Scott North ’03, Simmone
Chaddan ’04, Ryan Rubino ’03, and John Veltri ’04; (row 4) Thomas Sheehan ’03, Jodi
Spector Kimmel ’03, James LaBuz ’04, Brad Bertkau ’03, Alex Karapetian ’04, Ted McHugh
’03, and Lucas Kimmel ’03; (row 5) Jarrod Poveromo ’03, James Haroldson ’03, Kam Taitt
’03, Courtney Nemec ’02, Henry Gabathuler ’03, Adam Decker ’03, and Shane Mohr ’03.
Not pictured: Samantha Molyneaux ’04.
2008 from George Mason University
with a master’s in non-Western world
history.”
Royal Tuthill and Ali Scudder were
married Oct. 25 in Shelter Island, N.Y.
Lots of Lafayette friends were there to
celebrate, including Elizabeth Schaefer
’04, Colin Feehan, Elizabeth Scott,
Mary Stehle, Ted Kapusta, and Lily
Fardshisheh. Royal and Ali are living in
Boston, where Ali is an advertising
manager at PUMA and Royal is a health
care consultant at Deloitte.
Abigail Stringer Willitsford was
looking forward to receiving her
Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at
the University of Louisville School of
Dentistry in May. Abby’s husband,
Dr. Adam Willitsford ’02, is working
as a research engineer at the university’s
ElectroOptics Research Institute &
Nanotechnology Center. Adam’s areas
of research include the use of optical
fingerprinting for remote detection of
chemical species. Abby and Adam are
having a great time in Kentucky, and
they say, “Go Cards!”
Dana Emerson Cartwright and her
husband, Edward, will be moving to
England this summer. Dana will begin a
master’s program in nature, society, and
environmental policy this fall at Oxford
University. Liz McKeon is living in
Hoboken, N.J., and working in
advertising for the NFL. She hangs out
with a number of alumni in the area.
Charles Druckman graduated in May
from Pennsylvania College of
Optometry and moved down to
Baltimore to begin a year-long
residency program in ocular disease at
the VA Medical Center. He’s excited to
finally be finished with grad school and
to start his career. Matt Rausch
finished his Ph.D. in microbiology and
immunology at the University of
Arizona in December. He works as a
postdoc at the university’s College of
Medicine in Phoenix, studying the
immune response to melanoma. Nick
Harvey wrote: “I am studying for an
M.B.A. at London (UK) Business
School. I’ll be working at Shell (the oil
company) over the summer in their
London offices, doing a strategy project
for their chemicals group. When I’m
not studying, I travel around a bit….
Little buddy Kevin hitches a ride atop dad
Pete Susi ’03.
I’ve been to Morocco and Bruges,
Belgium, and I went to Cuba for
spring break. In April, I was in Iowa to
do a project for a client for one of my
business school classes, and in May, I
spent a week in Portugal earning my
day skipper license (basically a driver’s
license for boats).” John Ahearn did
real estate for the last four years with a
major corporate brokerage. Last fall,
he decided to start a new company
with a few of his associates. He is now
the broker/manager for United Global
Properties, based out of North Bergen,
N.J. They handle residential and
commercial real estate all over north
Jersey, with a specific focus on the
Gold Coast (Hoboken, Jersey City,
etc.). He is also in the process of
getting his New York real estate
license so he also can do business in
Manhattan. If anyone ever has any
real estate needs in north Jersey,
contact John or visit his web site,
www.UnitedGlobalProperties.com.
That’s it for this time. Stay cool and
enjoy the rest of your summer.
Ryan Sakmar ’04 uploaded his résumé to the Alumni
Online Community to maximize exposure to possible
alumni employers. “This is an extremely useful networking
tool for identifying those alumni who may have similar
backgrounds,” he says. “As the online community grows,
the résumé bank will become even more useful.”
Class Notes
2004
Stephen ’04 and Jessica Tanner enjoy family
time with new arrival Cameron.
2004
David R. Norton
3415 B. Holmead Place NW
Washington, D.C. 20010
[email protected]
President: Alex L. Karapetian
Fund Managers: Megan Longo
Villanella, Christine L. Bender
Reunion Chair: Amy A. Giacobone
We, the Class of 2004, have come
pretty far since we became ’Pards
nine years ago, from land-line phones
and four-digit extensions to now
connecting instantly via Facebook
and the Lafayette Alumni Online
Community. It would be a good time
to log on to the College web site and
join. You can keep up with other alums,
read Class Notes, make contacts, and
register for email blast notification
when Class Notes are due.
The column is a little shorter than
normal, but I’m sure that’s because
everyone saved up his or her news
to share at the reunion. Thanks to
everyone who came out to make it a
success, especially Christine Bender,
Amy Giacabone, Alex Karapetian, and
Megan Longo Villanella, who worked
hard to make it happen.
Our Lafayette class actually has
grown since we last spoke. Stephen
Tanner and wife Jessica welcomed their
first child, son Cameron James, Feb. 23.
A 2008 graduate of the University of
Alabama School of Medicine, Stephen
lives in Virginia, where he is finishing
up his first year of residency in
anesthesiology at the School of
Medicine at the University of Virginia.
Stephen often sees Ryon Clarke and
Nick Hargus, who are both in the
neuroscience program at UVA.
Sofia Kourtesis and Kevin
Colantropo were married Oct. 18 at
St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church
in Paramus, N.J., before honeymooning
in Hawaii. The happy couple resides in
Manhattan, where Sophia works for a
global media agency in corporate
development and Kevin is an associate
at Morgan Stanley.
Sylvia Anserian is happy to
announce she married Andrew Cooper
’03 Sept. 1 at the Tribeca Rooftop in
New York City amid several Lafayette
friends.
Derek Pizarro and Melissa Mitchell
’03 were married Sept. 6 in
Merchantville, N.J., with a reception at
the Cooper River Boathouse in
Pennsauken, N.J. In attendance were
Steve Berkowitz, Angela Coxe ’03,
Emily Ginsberg ’03, Ryan and Kelly
Cusick ’06 Sakmar, Mike and
Shannon Sullivan McFadden,
Christine Bender, Kathy Vassos ’03,
Steve Connlain ’05, Stephanie
Benash ’05, Johanna Garschina ’05,
Debbie Rhebergen ’03, Greg ’03 and
Uschi Vanderberg ’01 Staszowski,
Ryan ’03 and Jen Gentile ’03 Collins,
Rob Gates ’06, Carrie Abildgaard,
Dan Williams ’03, Bill Thygeson ’68,
and Larry Malinconico, associate
professor of geology. The couple
honeymooned in Cabo San Lucas,
Mexico, and then headed to Kauai,
Hawaii, in January. They reside in
Oreland, Pa.
“I joined the Alumni Online Community to stay in
touch with the College and my former classmates,”
says Katherine Blair ’04. “It allows me to keep
everyone–including the College–up to date in
one spot.”
Nicole Schenk and Ralph
Wasiakowski are happy to announce
their marriage Sept. 19 in Stroudsmoor
Country Inn, Stroudsburg, Pa. They
reside in Allentown, Pa.
Danielle Fecso and Robert Bartko
are happy to announce their
engagement. The wedding ceremony
was scheduled for May 2009. Danielle
accepted a position at Three Hierarchs
Eastern Orthodox School in Pittsburgh
as a middle school science and math
teacher.
Our class has been busy in the
business world too.
Abigail Frueh took over responsibility
for M&T Bank’s management development program and in January was
promoted to assistant vice president
in the human resources department.
Ross Dodd finished his first year
of business school at the University of
Maryland–College Park and was elected
to executive vice president of the
M.B.A. Association. Ross is spending
the summer living and working in
Hamburg, Germany, for Munters
Corporation as a private human capital
management consultant. Over spring
break, he caught up with Jim Sarruda,
Nick Katchen, and Jessie Walters.
Finally, Patrick Doherty just
finished his first season as an assistant
basketball coach at Williams College in
Massachusetts, where the team finished
17–9 and won the Little Three
(William–Amherst–Wesleyan) rivalry.
Pat says the experience was great.
As for me, I’ve had a busy year
teaching high school English at
Gonzaga College High School in
Washington, D.C., and coaching the
varsity swim team. I had the nice
end-of-the-season surprise of being
named The Washington Post District
Coach of the Year. It’s a very rewarding
job, and I’m happy to say that a couple
of our seniors are going to be fellow
’Pards next year, including one on the
football team. So look out for him at
Lafayette–Lehigh this fall.
I hope that our class has much more
good news to come after the reunion.
Until next time, be well.
Class Notes
2005
Class of ’05 chums (L–R) Kellen Baker, William Broomall, and Matt
O’Donnell relive the glory days at the Lafayette–Lehigh game.
2005
Catherine A. Hobby
29 Rowan Road
Chatham, NJ 07928
(973) 769-0012
[email protected]
President: Louise A. Boudart
Fund Manager: Lee M. Goldfarb
Reunion Chair: Erin C. McKan
Yashpal Subedi,
[email protected]
What’s up, Class of ’05? Thank you to
everyone who has sent me updates.
Without you, I’d be out of a class
officer position and this column would
be incredibly boring! I’ve included a
few pictures from the Lafayette–Lehigh
football game, where I saw a bunch of
great friends and missed many more.
I hope everyone had a great time, and
I am excited to see more of you over
the summer. Anyway, let’s get this
thing started!
An August 2010 wedding is in the
works for Kelly Foran and Mike
Tuller. The wedding will be held in the
City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia,
and looks as though it might resemble
a high-class KDR floor party. Just
kidding, Kell! I have no doubts that the
wedding will be absolutely amazing.
Kelly also was recently matched for her
clinical psychology doctoral residency
at Yale University School of Medicine
and was set to start July 1, 2009. Her
residency will finish in May, and then
Lafayette–Lehigh brings out Catherine Hobby ’05, Mark Brault ’03, and
Michael Landers, father of Rian ’03, Taryn ’05, and Devon ’05.
she will be moving to the New Haven
area to be closer to Mike.
Congratulations to the both of you!
And Kell, if you are pleased with this
update, please feel free to send some
homemade cookies and brownies to me
as a “thank you.”
Jamie Hughes and Lindsey Streeter
also were engaged in January! I had the
pleasure of seeing Jamie recently and
can say that he is more than excited
about the upcoming wedding. Jamie
also informed me that he accepted a
new position in the development office
as the assistant director of athletic
enhancement. Congratulations on the
engagement and new job, Jamie!
Toni Ahrens recently was engaged
to the wonderful Darren Segool. The
two will wed July 20 on the beautiful
beaches of Jamaica at the Riu Ocho
Rios resort. Jessica Lenza will be
Toni’s maid of honor. Toni is a
sixth-grade language arts teacher in
North Carolina and performs with
various community theater companies
as much as possible. Congratulations,
Toni, and be sure to send me a few
pictures of your wedding for the next
class column!
Gabi Engelhart and Jeff Farnham
finalized their wedding date for July
2009. Congratulations! I hope the
wedding plans ran smoothly.
In January, Joe Ungrady proposed
to Maureen O’Connor. Eduardo
Sanchez ’06 and Kelli McMahon ’07
also were engaged in January! Joe
McCourt and Heather Dugan were
recently engaged. Congratulations to
you all, and I wish you nothing but the
absolute best.
A gorgeous wedding ceremony
was held Nov. 22 for Greg Gibbs and
Courtney Weibel. Numerous Lafayette
alumni were in attendance to bring
down the house!
On Sept. 6, Tyler Papaz married
Jenna Belisonzi (Muhlenberg ’05) in
Morristown, N.J. As we all know, Tyler
throws the greatest parties ever; all the
guests agreed that the wedding was
“off the chain” as the seven-piece
band rocked the house all night long.
Attendees included Evan Laya, Gloria
Fontanetta ’04, Catie Donnelly ’07,
Susan King Nachtigall ’04 used the Alumni Online Community to
announce her engagement. “The more of us that register, the more
likely we’ll find it helpful,” she says. “It should become an easy way
to network among fellow alumni.”
Class Notes
2005
Alumni Weddings
Farhan Ahmed ’05
and Andrea Dietz ’05
wed Feb. 23. Standing
behind the couple are
Lafayette well-wishers
(L–R) Merhawi Redda
’05, Stephanie Moss
’05, Rebecca Banchik
’05, Joseph Benoit ’04,
Mayank Lahiri ’05,
and Ajay Hirani ’04.
Greg Gibbs ’05 and Courtney
Weibel were wed Nov. 22.
Pictured are Steve Bono ’05,
Mike Lewandos ’05, Mike
Davis ’05, John-Frank Stubits
’05, Eduardo Sanchez ’06,
Joel Miner ’06, Chris Brungo
’06, Janell Weis, Gus
Ottoson ’06, Brian Carstens
’05, Sarah Segal ’05, Natalie
Kuhnert ’05, Brendon Green
’05, Kelli McMahon ’07, Tim
Nish ’06, Wes Erbe ’05, Dave
Nelson ’06, Joe Ungrady ’05,
and Ashley Dvorak ’05.
Tyler Papaz ’05 married Jenna Belisonzi in Morristown, N.J. They are pictured in front,
backed by ’Pards (middle, L–R) Evan Laya ’05, Caitie Donnelly ’07, Jesse Morgan ’05, and
Paul Johnston ’05; (back) Gloria Fontanetta ’04, Kevin McCabe ’04, Tom “Woj” Wajda ’04,
Joe Barham ’05, and Michael Cohn ’04.
Jesse Morgan, Michael Cohn ’04,
Paul Johnston, Tom “Woj” Wajda
’04, Joe Barham ’05, and Kevin
McCabe ’04. Surely this wedding will
go down in history as a night when
Lafayette alumni showed they can still
party as if they were college students.
Samantha Lucas was married
July 25, 2008, to Scott Walley in Long
Island, N.Y. Alumni in attendance were
Megan Longo Villanella ’04, Laura
Schrager ’04, Michelle Ellis ’07,
Erin Pawlak ’07, and Lindsay Rubin.
Samantha is teaching fourth grade in
Queens Village, N.Y. Congratulations
on everything, Samantha!
On Feb. 23, a traditional Muslim
wedding was held in Lucknow, India,
for Farhan Ahmed and Andrea Dietz.
The beautiful festivities lasted for three
days, and both Farhan and Andrea
were happy a few of their closest friends
from Lafayette could share in their
joyous occasion. The newlyweds moved
into an apartment in Seattle, Wash.,
and enjoyed a second ceremony in
Andrea’s hometown of Scituate, Mass.,
in June.
Shawn Regits was ecstatic to
inform me of the birth of his second
son, Gavin Thomas Regits, Sept. 11.
Congratulations to the family!
Jessica Lenza lived and studied in
Israel the year following graduation,
then moved back to the States to
continue graduate studies in
Manhattan. For the past two years she
has been working as a full-time teacher
at Central Synagogue. Jessica is now
planning to make another big move:
She was accepted to a rabbinic
program at Leo Baeck College in
London. She will be moving to
London for the next four years—
at the very least! During her time as a
student, Jessica will be eligible to serve
at synagogues worldwide! To say the
very least, Jessica is very excited about
this new phase in her life and would
love to connect with any alums in
England.
Joelle Sobin traveled to Israel
May 10–20 through Birthright Israel.
Beyond that, she’s working on her
master’s in counseling and hopes to
intern next year at a high school
nearby. I can’t wait to see you at
Devon Landers’ wedding, Joelle!
Mr. Landers has two arms for date
escorting, and there are two of us!
Coincidence? I think not!
Class Notes
2005-2006
By the time this column is printed,
Jack Furlong will have completed his
master’s degree thesis. Jack’s topic: the
relationship between jazz and the
music of James Bond. He focused on
how the composers of both the theme
songs to the movies, as well as the
scores, were influenced by jazz and
how that music can help jazz progress
in the modern day. Jack was fortunate
enough to interview many prominent
figures in the industry, most notably
David Arnold, who has done the music
for the Bond films since 1997.
As part of Jack’s defense, he had to
perform some of his arrangements of
Bond theme songs for big band.
Helping him were the members of his
illustrious quartet, Sean Gough ’09,
Pat Kelley ’09, and John O’Keefe
’96, as well as Rob Follett ’09 and
Tim Zirkel ’08.
Finally, Jack’s new web site is up
and running at www.jackfurlong.com.
He hopes this will be an easy way for
people to keep up with his work and
see how he is putting his degree to
work. As always, Jack is doing
numerous wonderful things—we hope
the New York Yankees will not ruin his
mood and perhaps step up the pitching
they recently bought! Let me know if
you ever go to a game, Jack. Maybe
I’ll see you there!
Those are all the updates I have
for now! Please continue to send me
updates, especially those of you who
have yet to send anything! Stay
classy, ’05.
excited to share your news with the
class. I hope the rest of you are doing
well. Please do not hesitate to contact
me at any time.
Congratulations to Meghan Tavani
and Frank Morici on their March
marriage. Meghan’s bridesmaids
included Jennie O’Brien, Lindsey
Calla, Kaleigh Mountain, Emily
Allen, Brittney Rothweiler, Jennifer
Ryan, Diana Crai, and Erin
Sauchelli. A big thank you to Erin for
sending the update! This is Erin’s third
year of living in New York City. She
recently changed jobs after working for
two years in print and online sales
support at Real Simple magazine. She
now works at ABC, where she manages
online advertising sponsorships for
ABC.com, ABCNews.com, Oscar.com,
and SOAPnet.com. Last fall, Erin
traveled back to St. Andrews in
Alumni Weddings
Scotland, reuniting with a friend from
her semester abroad.
Emily Becher and Chris Magee
were married June 13. Emily is
finishing her master’s in couple and
family therapy at the University of
Rochester’s School of Medicine &
Dentistry. She plans to go to the
University of Minnesota in the fall for
her Ph.D. in the same area of study,
specializing in military families. The
couple will be moving from Rochester,
N.Y., to Minneapolis–St. Paul this
summer. Congratulations, Emily—
please send some wedding pictures!
Congratulations to Mark Ranta
on his engagement to Suzanne
Dommerich ’05. The former swim
team members are planning a Sept. 19
wedding. Mark is a project director at
Greenwich Associates in Stamford,
Conn., while Suzanne is in custom and
Jonathan Farrar ’07 married Leigh
Castaldo Dec. 6. Pictured are (L–R)
Matt Root ’06, Brandon Benjamin
’06, Jen Cambell, Nate Durning ’06,
Louise Boudart ’05, Steve Caruso
’06, Jonathan, Ben Lee ’06, Jamie
Papageorgiou ’06, Brian Laverty ’07,
Mike Elzinga ’07, and Char Gray,
with bride Leigh in front.
2006
Amy B. Schwartz
(908) 403-3492
[email protected]
President: Kelly E. Barrows
Fund Managers: Kelly E. Barrows,
Melissa J. Spitz
Reunion Chair: Melissa J. Spitz
David C. Glasser,
[email protected]
Hi, Class of 2006! Thanks to those
who sent me their updates. I am
Meghan Tavani ’06 and Frank Morici were married March 9. The bride’s attendants were
(L–R) Jennie O’Brien ’06, Lindsey Calla ’06, Jill Krivoski, Kaleigh Mountain ’06, Emily
Allen ’06, Brittney Rothweiler ’06, Jennifer Ryan ’06, Diana Crai ’06, Bridget Tavani,
Erin Sauchelli ’06, and Ashley Morici.
Class Notes
2006
collegiate sales for Vineyard Vines, also
in Stamford.
Kristen Tull and Jonathan Rowe
are living in Raleigh, N.C. Jonathan is
getting his Ph.D. in computer science
at North Carolina State University, and
Kristen is a staff engineer at Environmental Resources Management, an
environmental consulting firm. The
two got engaged Nov. 24 and are
getting married Oct. 18 at the Duke
Gardens in Durham. They also have a
new addition to their family: an
11-month-old puppy named Sephora,
an American Staffordshire terrier mix
who has endless amounts of energy
and loves to play.
Cedric Lourie and Kristen Rabuck
are celebrating their engagement as
well. The couple lives in Philadelphia,
where Cedric works in fraud
investigation for a large e-commerce
institution, while Kristen works for the
pediatric intensive care unit at
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Cedric and Kristen are planning a
spring wedding.
Congratulations to Colleen Walsh
on her recent engagement to Marc
Cardella. Colleen is finishing up her
third year of medical school at Wake
Forest University in Winston–Salem,
N.C., while Marc is working as a
senior fund administrator for TIAA-
CREF in Charlotte. They are looking
forward to celebrating with their
families and friends at their summer
wedding.
Maureen Coleman is busy planning
her March wedding to Kris Bower. Mo’s
friends are eagerly looking forward to
planning her bachelorette party.
Congratulations on the engagement!
In other news, Brian Regan
became a Fellow of the Society of
Actuaries this past December and
continues to work at Aetna. Brian
has worked there since graduation
and is a health actuary.
In Hampton, Va., Dion
Witherspoon is a proud member
Alumni Update
Enjoying the camaraderie
at the Philadelphia Alumni
Chapter’s 138th annual
dinner are (L–R) Kelly
Cusick Sakmar ’06, Carrie
Chaitt ’03, and Sarah
Smith ’07.
of the Virginia Crusaders semi-pro
football team, the 2008 MDFL
Champions. The team also was ranked
#1 in the nation. Outside football,
Dion works as a behavioral counselor
for the Hampton–Newport News
Community Service Board.
Benji Berlow moved to San Jose,
Calif., this past summer with his
girlfriend to work as program director
for Hillel of Silicon Valley, a Jewish
collegiate organization. Benji has
staffed a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip,
helped coordinate Jewish Heritage
Month 2009: From Generation to
Generation at Foothill College, created
a monthly Taboo Torah program at
Steve Acunto ’97 joins HSM Americas executive event and
media company as vice president, corporate sponsorships
Scott Malyk ’98 named to New Jersey Rising Stars list by
New Jersey Super Lawyers magazine
Christine Socha ’02 receives Professional Service Award from
Raritan Valley (N.J.) Chapter of Habitat for Humanity
Acunto ’97Malyk ’98
Socha ’02
Brett Harvey ’04 hired as head track and field coach at
Georgian Court University in Lakewood, N.J.
David Norton ’04 named District Football Coach of the Year
by The Washington Post
Maya Freelon Asante ’05 has solo exhibit of tissue-paper art
at Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American
History & Culture
Harvey ’04 Norton ’04
Asante ’05
Class Notes
2006-2007
San Jose State (with rabbis talking
about issues ranging from Jewish
pirates to tattoos to foods of the Bible),
and worked on Hillel Hikers, the third
annual Purim Ball, and many other
creative, engaging programs on
campus. He spends most of his free
time with his dog, London, whom he
rescued last August.
Kristine Kath graduated from
Midwestern University in Glendale,
Ariz., with her master’s in occupational
therapy. Kristine also passed her
national board exam and is licensed as
an occupational therapist in Arizona.
She works in an elementary school
district full time and at a pediatric
long-term care facility, where she does
pediatric home health on the side.
Kristine is living on her own with her
two dogs and loves the sunny Arizona
weather.
This May signaled the end of many
graduate programs; congratulations to
everyone who has received or will
receive a new degree. Dana Swartz
will be finishing up her master’s in
higher education management at the
University of Pennsylvania. Dana is
hoping to stay in the Philadelphia area
after graduating. Nicole Black was set
to graduate from Pace Law School in
May and was planning to take the New
York and Connecticut bar exams in
July. Nicole is hoping to either practice
in the area of criminal prosecution or
family law soon after. Good luck with
the job search!
Also finishing up her law degree is
Kathryn Kelley, who is in her third
year at Georgetown University Law
Center and will be working for Baker
Botts LLP starting in September.
Since September 2006, Rachel
Korn has been working at Merck &
Co. Inc., doing research at its West
Point, Pa., facilities. Specifically, she
has been involved in novel target
identification within the ophthalmics
department. Rachel is also busy
pursuing a master’s degree in biology
at Drexel University, with plans to
finish in 2011. In her spare time,
Rachel continues to train and
compete horses.
Last, but certainly not least, Max
Rovzar was commissioned as a U.S.
Army infantry officer upon graduation
and attended the infantry officers basic
course, Ranger school, and Airborne
school. Max has moved to Fort Bliss,
Alumni Profile KIM NIESKENS ’07
As a traffic coordinator at Women’s Entertainment Network
(WE), Kim Nieskens ’07 is responsible for ensuring programs
air on time and in their correct slots and for placing all internal
commercials. She also participates in meetings where staff
decide which programs should be developed and which the
network will acquire.
A student internship at NBC Universal in New York City
enabled her to land the job.
“It helped me make several connections in the business, and several of my
colleagues [at WE] worked there,” she says. “An internship in the city opens up
a ton of doors; it gives you an edge over the person from Indiana who worked
at the college’s TV station.”
Nieskens interned in the promotions department of Universal Film. She
sent out press packages to radio stations and colleges and organized events
to promote new movies.
“Being able to have an internship in New York City was invaluable to me,”
says Nieskens, who also served an externship with Robert Spagnoletti ’84
at the Office of the Corporation Counsel for D.C.
Texas, and served as a platoon leader
testing the Army’s Future Combat
Systems. He is the executive officer
of Bravo Company, 1-36 Infantry,
1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team,
1st Armored Division. Max recently
received orders to assume a job as a
company mentor for an embedded
training team in Afghanistan. He will
train approximately 100 Afghan
soldiers and lead them for a year.
While he is looking forward to this
opportunity, Max is also excited to play
golf with Bryan Mabe at Christopher
Magee and Emily Becher’s wedding.
Max, the class wishes you the best of
luck next year and a safe return after
your service.
Thank you again for all the
responses. I look forward to hearing
more from you this summer!
2007
Jillian M. Gaeta
[email protected]
President: Meghan J. Hargrave
Fund Managers: Carli A. Siger, Matthew
J. Potter
Reunion Chair: Lauren M. Fisher
Web Page Administrator: Frank R.
Giannelli III, [email protected]
Leigh Anne Alexander will be
attending the University of Maryland
for her M.B.A.
James Conrad moved to Lexington,
Va., in August and took a position as
an assistant baseball coach at Virginia
Military Institute.
Lindsay Bryant and Edward
Dutch got engaged in August and are
planning their wedding in Somerset,
N.J., for July 2010.
Bonnie Hoy and Mike Elzinga
celebrated their wedding in Palm
Beach, Calif., in August.
Congratulations, Mike and Bonnie!
Jacqueline Golden was accepted to
the University of Miami’s Leonard M.
Miller School of Medicine.
Jessica Haase and Peter
Dimmick ’08 got engaged. They
are planning a wedding for next
spring in Charlottesville, Va.
Jonathan Farrar married Leigh
Castaldo Dec. 6 in Philadelphia at the
Glen Ford mansion. Many alums
attended the wedding.
Congratulations, Jon and Leigh! (See
photo for details.)
Elizabeth Jenkins will be moving
to Washington, D.C., in August and
will be attending George Washington
University School of Public Health to
get her master’s in global health, with a
concentration in HIV/AIDS research.
Class Notes
2007-2009
She is working at Columbia University’s
NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital as a
graduate research assistant in the
department of epidemiology, writing
grant proposals for the National
Institute of Health.
Caitlin Kelly will be finishing her
master’s of science in biology at
Villanova University this summer. She
will be moving to Boulder this August,
where she will begin her Ph.D. studies
in ecology and evolution at the
University of Colorado.
Marissa Malcolm received her
Master of Public Health degree from
Columbia University Mailman School
of Public Health in February. She
recently moved to Baltimore, Md.,
where she works as a health insurance
specialist for the Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services, under the U.S.
Department
of Health and Human Services.
Rachael Magner got engaged
to Jason Sandler. They plan to marry
in May.
Cara O’Donnell accepted a
fellowship in microbial risk assessment
and is pursuing her master’s degree
in public health.
2008
Lauren Steinitz
1014 Spruce St., Apt. 4-1
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(206) 459-0687
[email protected]
President: Carolyn R. Romney
Fund Managers: Amanda L. Niederauer,
Steven T. Roe, Andrew L. Stella
Reunion Chair: Amanda L. Niederauer
Web Administrator: Stefan J. McVeigh,
[email protected]
Dear Class of 2008,
Can you believe an entire year has
passed since graduation? There has been
a lot of exciting news in newspapers
around the country since we graduated.
Lindsey Brough took top honors in
the annual United States Green
Building Council Natural Talent Design
competition in spring 2008. The
Lafayette team was the only
undergraduate one to receive such top
honors. She joined Wright-Pierce last
July as a project engineer
in the wastewater practice group. Karla
Barbiche married Ian Brawner from her
hometown in Montana. She is working
with Kiewit Corp. as a field engineer in
Portland, Ore. Kevin Reese played
professional independent baseball in the
Frontier League in the fall and also
coached football at Blair Academy in
Blairstown, N.J.
Two more very exciting
engagements from our class: Shelby
Grabowski has announced her
engagement to Eli Hostetter. Shelby is
pursuing her law degree at Widener
Law in Harrisburg, Pa. Her groom-tobe is a Lehigh graduate employed with
PricewaterhouseCoopers. The wedding
is planned for Aug. 1. Another big
congratulation is sent out to Aaron
Buchman and Bonnie Brady for their
engagement. The wedding was planned
for June 27. Bonnie graduated with a
degree in applied psychology and in the
fall will pursue a master’s degree at
Temple University. Aaron is employed
by Dewberry. Cheers!
To connect with more members of
the alumni community, friend the
Marquis de Lafayette on Facebook or
add the Lafayette Community Facebook
application. Also, keep your eyes open
for the recently published Young
Alumni Newsletter, and connect with
friends at local chapter events.
Please do keep in touch and have a
wonderful summer!
2009
Colleen Sullivan
3 Dunhill Rd.
Jackson, NJ 08527
[email protected]
President: A.J. Ernst
Fund Managers: Sarah Maxwell
Reunion Chair: TarynAnn Barry
Web Administrator: Robert Follett,
[email protected]
The San Francisco Bay Area chapter’s Lafapalooza project helped prepare grocery packages for low-income
families and individuals at the San Francisco Food Bank.
News from the Chapters
The alumni web site offers more current and comprehensive information on chapter and other alumni events
through the online version of News from the Chapters, the Calendar of Events, and chapter web pages.
Registration for chapter and other alumni events is available through the events calendar in the Alumni
Online Community. Those interested in starting, revitalizing, or serving a regional chapter should get in
touch with an alumni affairs liaison.
Arizona: Greater Phoenix
Contacts: Donald Wiltshire ’61, dwiltshire1@ cox.net,
William Davies Jr. ’59, bilnanaz @ msn.com
Liaison: Mary Pat Staats
Wiltshire and Davies are working with Staats to revitalize
the chapter. Results are being tabulated for a survey seeking
support and ideas for future events. Several alumni interested
in serving as event chairs and members of the executive
planning committee are discussing the next steps for chapter
development. Contact Wiltshire, Davies, or Staats if you have
questions or are willing to get involved.
Tokyo alumni ambassador: Patrick R. Consolla ’93,
consolla @ alcatel-lucent.com
Barry McCarty, former dean of enrollment services, is
planning a recruitment trip to the region. He welcomes the
opportunity to meet with alumni and parents: Singapore,
Wednesday, Sept. 2; Hong Kong, Monday, Sept. 7; Shanghai,
Friday, Sept. 11; Beijing, Wednesday–Friday, Sept. 16–18.
Alumni are needed to coordinate gatherings. Contact Staats
or Cecelia DelBacco-Merchant, admissions secretary,
delbaccc @ lafayette.edu.
Asia
California: Greater Los Angeles
Shanghai alumni ambassadors:
Leslie Yuen ’94, yuenle @ yahoo.com,
Haunani Yap ’06, haunani.yap @ gmail.com
Hong Kong alumni ambassador: Patrick W.C. Ting ’95,
patrick.ting @ morganstanley.com
Singapore alumni ambassador: Michael O. Choo ’93,
mchoo69 @ gmail.com
Contacts: Seth Marlatt ’98, smarlatt@ cadencequest.com,
Megan O’Neill ’96, meganoneill @ quinnemanuel.com
Liaison: Sarah Trimmer
Trudy and William Rutledge ’63 hosted a reception for
accepted students and their families at their home in Pacific
Palisades April 5.
President Dan Weiss and Shirley M. Ramirez, vice
president for institutional planning and community engagement,
visited the chapter April 2 at the California Club.
Liaisons
Mary Pat Staats, senior associate director of alumni affairs, [email protected], (610) 330-5036
Sarah Trimmer, assistant director of alumni affairs, [email protected], (610) 330-5024
Office of Alumni Affairs: [email protected], 1-800-LAFAYETTE
Alumni from the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter watched the Oakland
Athletics take on the Tampa Bay Rays in Major League Baseball action
April 25 at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. The outing featured a
pregame meeting with Rays manager Joe Maddon ’76 (center).
The Florida Gulf Coast Chapter hit the links at Eagles Golf Club of Tampa
Bay: (front, L–R) Dick ’46 and Claire Katz; (back) Mary Pat Staats of the
alumni office, Joanne and Pete Turrell ’65, Bill Harding ’58, and Mary
Smedley Donohue ’89.
California: San Francisco Bay Area
President Dan Weiss and Shirley M. Ramirez,
vice president for institutional planning and community
engagement, visited the chapter for dinner April 1
at St. Francis Yacht Club.
President: Tripp Hemphill ’99, jthemphill76 @ yahoo.com
Vice President: Kris Bornemann ’91,
kristian.bornemann @ wellsfargo.com
The chapter has reserved a block of tickets to see
Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 19, at the de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara
Tea Garden Drive. The exhibit features more than 130 works
from the tomb of King Tut, as well as those of his royal
predecessors, family, and court officials. Cost is $24 per
person. Reservations must be made online or with alumni
affairs by July 16.
Alumni watched the Oakland Athletics take on the
Tampa Bay Rays in Major League Baseball action April 25
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. The game featured
a pregame meeting with Rays manager Joe Maddon ’76.
Chapter alumni assisted in preparing grocery packages
for the needy at the San Francisco Food Bank April 18 for
Lafapalooza: Lafayette’s National Day of Service.
Contact: Kelly A. Martin ’03, kellyannmartin06 @ gmail.com
Gary ’88 and Jennifer Gardner ’88 Dunn planned to host
a wine-tasting party June 19 at their Spiritus Wines store in
Hartford. They recently traveled to Spain and were to present
a variety of Spanish wines.
Holding court in Boulder, Colo., at a reception preceding the Lafayette
men’s basketball game against the University of Colorado are (L–R) Bill
Goslau ’65, Bill McClure ’63, Jim Quin ’66, Dan Greenholz ’55 and wife
Ellen, and Joanne Halbrecht ’85 and daughter.
The Central Connecticut Chapter hosted its second annual dinner.
Enjoying the food and fellowship were (front, L–R) Andrew Blair ’02,
Sherry Sanderson ’02, Kelly Martin ’03, Valeri French ’89, Anna Cole
Huttner ’99, and Jennifer Mackey Burke ’99; (back) Fletcher Thomson
’98, Professor Ilan Peleg, Seth Huttner ’99, Nicholas Rotondo ’03, and
David Reif ’68.
Colorado: Denver
Contacts: James Muchmore ’96, jmuchmore @ pattonboggs.
com, Ryann Dubiel ’04, ryanndubiel @ gmail.com
Pam and Jim Quin ’66 hosted a reception for accepted
students and their families at their home in Greenwood
Village April 5.
Connecticut: Central Connecticut
President Dan Weiss shares dinner with
Northeast Florida Chapter alumni and
friends of the College.
Brandon Mitchell ’08 catches President
Dan Weiss’ vision for the college during the
Northeast Florida Alumni Chapter’s
reception.
The chapter enjoyed happy hour May 21 at Black Bear
Saloon in Hartford.
The chapter’s second annual dinner was April 30 at
The First & Last Tavern of Plainville. Ilan Peleg, Charles A.
Dana Professor of Social Science, was the featured speaker.
Connecticut: Fairfield
see New York/Connecticut: Westchester/Fairfield
Delaware
Contacts: Alan Runk ’60, alan.runk @ comcast.net,
Jeffrey Martin ’78, jmartin @ martinandwilson.com
Those interested in efforts to revitalize the chapter should
contact Runk, Martin, or Staats.
District of Columbia
President: Christina Griffin ’99, cgriffin @ gwu.edu
As part of Lafapalooza: Lafayette’s National Day of
Service, volunteers assisted in sorting and packaging food at
the Capital Area Food Bank April 18 for projects such as the
Kids Weekend Bag and Seniors Brown Bag programs.
Brent D. Glass ’69, Lafayette trustee and director of the
National Museum of American History, gave a private tour
of The Star Spangled Banner April 2 at the museum.
Susan Barnes Carras ’76 hosted a reception March 31
for accepted students and their families at TPC Potomac at
Avenel Farm in Potomac, Md.
The chapter joined alumni from Lehigh and Bucknell for
a Patriot League St. Patrick’s Day happy hour March 18 at
Ireland’s Four Fields.
England: London
President: Andrew Readinger ’87,
andrew.readinger @ psi-partners.com
Kate Ross ’90 and her husband, Roberto Pozzi, planned
to host the second annual 4th of July picnic at their home.
Those invited included guest speaker Stephen Lammers,
Manson Professor of the English Bible, and his students
studying and interning in London during the summer
interim session.
Naples/Ft. Myers Chapter attendees Marv
Riddle ’51, P’80 and wife Mary Jane Riddle
P’80, Geraldine Zirinsky P’95,’98 and
husband Bob ’68, P’95,’98 host President
Dan Weiss.
Florida: Gold Coast
Contacts: Thomas Daiello ’67, TD_family @ comcast.net,
Liza Lesser ’03, lizalesser @ gmail.com
Florida: Gulf Coast
Contact: Bill Harding ’58, HardingBill @ gmail.com
Lafayette Evening at the Trop was planned for the June 27
game pitting the Tampa Bay Rays against the Florida Marlins.
For the second year in a row, a pregame visit with Rays
manager Joe Maddon ’76 was scheduled.
Volunteers served at St. Francis Animal Rescue of Venice
April 18 for Lafapalooza: Lafayette’s National Day of Service.
The chapter attended two spring training games featuring
the Tampa Bay Rays, with a pregame tailgate as the Detroit
Tigers visited Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland March
26, and a battle with the Philadelphia Phillies March 12 at
Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte.
Florida: Naples/Fort Myers
Contacts: Joe Skladany ’82, JoeSkladany @ yahoo.com,
Ricardo Skerrett ’82, ricardoskerrett @ gmail.com
Florida: Northeast
Contact:
Hugh Jones ’52,
hughhjonesjr@ yahoo.com
Georgia: Atlanta
President:
Jeff Purdon ’83,
jpurdon @ rwbaird.com
Jeanne and Jim
Benjamin ’84 will host
the Fourth Annual
Atlanta Chapter Picnic
3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15,
at their home, 30
Brookside Walk. Bring
Dr. Robert Franco ’75 (L) and Dr. David
Doward ’91 chat at the Northeast
Florida Chapter’s reception and dinner
with President Dan Weiss Feb. 9 in
Jacksonville.
Catching the vision for the College’s future
are Naples/Ft. Myers Chapter members (L–R)
Dana Professor Emeritus of Mechanical
Engineering Mike Paolino P’92 and wife
Carole P’92, Bob Ives ’61, Arlene and Nick
Cullen ’64, and Judy Yohe S’58.
Intent on the Big Game from their vantage
point at a Tampa Bay telecast party are (L–R)
Dan Shoman ’57, Diane Shane ’06, James
Sommers ’06, and Matt Young ’05.
In Baltimore watching Lafayette battle Lehigh
at the telecast party were Eric Bukowski ’99,
Steve Konya ’96, Tim Farmer ’98, Meghan
Vellotti ’08, and Jeremy Winkler ’98.
swimsuits, towels, and secret family recipes. Cost is $20 for
adults and children 13 and over and $10 for children under 12.
The chapter will head out to Monmouth Park Racetrack
in Oceanport Saturday, Aug. 15.
Illinois: Chicago
New Jersey: Jersey Shore South
President: Megan Sweeney Waite ’99, Megan_waite @ ml.com
Amanda Alpert Knight ’99 hosted a reception for
accepted students and their families at Champps Americana
Restaurant in Skokie April 5.
Maryland: Baltimore
Contacts: Chris Cosgrove ’98, chriscoz @ gmail.com,
Justin Pettigrew ’04, Justin.c.pettigrew @ gsk.com
Massachusetts: Greater Boston
Contacts: Meg Bennett ’78, meg.bennett@ db.com,
Mike De Lisi ’03, delisim @ comcast.net
The chapter’s annual baseball outing will feature the
Red Sox against the Oakland A’s Tuesday, July 28.
Volunteers unloaded a donation truck for Cradles to
Crayons–The Giving Factory in North Quincy, which provides
basic necessities for children in need, April 18 for Lafapalooza:
Lafayette’s National Day of Service.
Laura and Bill Murphy P’11 hosted a reception for accepted
students and their families at their home in Stoughton April 5.
Alumni from American, Bucknell, Army, Navy, Colgate,
and Holy Cross gathered for the third annual Boston Patriot
League Happy Hour Feb. 5 at Dillon’s Restaurant in Back Bay.
Contacts: Francey Kanengiser Burke ’80,
franceyburke @ hotmail.com, Amy Mahon ’00,
amyjmahon @ yahoo.com
The annual dinner was scheduled for June 25 at Wildwood
Golf and Country Club in Cape May Court House. Fran
O’Hanlon, head men’s basketball coach, was to be guest
speaker.
Alumni from the Jersey Shore South, North Jersey, and
Skylands chapters teamed up for Lafapalooza: Lafayette’s
National Day of Service April 18 at the Sharing Village
mini-horse farm. Projects included setting up/serving/cleaning
up lunch for children in the pediatric oncology program,
cleaning tack and carts, grooming, and barn maintenance.
New Jersey: North
Chapter members hosted several receptions for accepted
students and their families: Michael ’77 and Marion Shapiro
’77 Saffer, April 16; Lori and Michael Isherwood P’10,
April 16; and Betsy and Don Ohnegian ’60, P’90,’94, April 5.
New Hampshire
Contact: Dawn Murray Zebuhr ’90, dawnzebuhr@ comcast.net
New Jersey: Hunterdon and Warren County
see Pennsylvania: Lehigh Valley
New Jersey: Jersey Shore North
Contacts: Barbara Strasburg Tucker ’84,
barbaratucker @ aol.com, Lee Purcell ’66,
leopard980 @ comcast.net
Steve Konya ’96 (L–R), Kevin Rowley ’76, Chris Cosgrove ’98, Eric
Bukowski ’99, Jeremy Winkler ’98, Brian Eybs ’99, and Tim Farmer ’98
gathered in Baltimore at the telecast party to watch the Lafayette–
Lehigh gridiron epic.
A good walk spoiled? Not for the winners (with a score of 63) of the
Central Pennsylvania Chapter golf outing May 8: (L–R) Tom Kirchhoff
’93, Brian Perry ’91, Mark Pickering ’85, and Fred Brown ’89.
New Jersey: Princeton
Alumni and friends from the New York City Chapter listen to Michelle
Geoffrion-Vinci, associate professor of foreign languages and
literatures, discuss “The Allure of Chocolate” during an evening of
networking and shopping at Saks 5th Avenue.
New York: Rochester
Watch the Trenton Thunder take on the Harrisburg
Senators in AA baseball action Wednesday, July 29. The event
will include exclusive access to the Yankee Club at Mercer
County Waterfront Park. Cost is $40.
Contact: Tiffany Folmer Lawrence ’00, tflaw737@ gmail.com
The Lafayette–Lehigh football telecast party took place
Nov. 22 at Tailgaters in Fairport.
New Jersey: Skylands (Morris/Sussex/Somerset counties)
Westchester contact: To be announced
Fairfield contact: Greg Crawford ’68,
gcrawford @ alumni.lafayette.edu
Receptions for accepted students and their families were
hosted at the homes of Michael ’83 and Tracy Hagert ’82
Sutka in Wilton, Conn., April 7, and Milton and Marsha
Springut P’12 in Scarsdale, N.Y., April 6.
Contacts: Cynthia Strahler Rhodes ’90,
cindyrhodes @ comcast.net, Michael Moroney ’83,
mmoroney @ wglaw.com
New Jersey: South
New York/Connecticut: Westchester/Fairfield
President: Joe Grimes ’74, josephpgrimes @ aol.com
Jay ’76 and Andrea Cohen ’78 Malamut P’09 hosted
a reception for accepted students and their families at their
home in Cherry Hill April 6.
Contact: Steve Sivak ’01, stevenjsivak @ alumni.lafayette.edu
New York: Albany
Oregon: Portland
New York: Long Island
Pennsylvania: Bucks County
President: Jim Werner ’97, james.werner@ ubs.com
New York: New York City
President: Brian Sliwinski ’08, brian_sliwinski @ ml.com
Baseball fans watched the New York Mets battle the NL
East rival Atlanta Braves May 12 at Citi Field. The group met
for a pregame gathering at the Pershing Square Café
and Restaurant.
The chapter hosted an exclusive tour of the New York
Stock Exchange April 29 and private reception in the NYSE
Board Room.
Mitch Winter ’79 and Lisa Kassel ’79 hosted a reception
for accepted students and their families at Merrill Lynch April 7.
The chapter enjoyed a stand-up comedy performance featuring
Corey Alexander ’95 March 31 at Gotham Comedy Club.
An outing to the Blue Note Jazz Club featured a
performance by the Spanish Harlem Orchestra Feb. 26.
North Carolina: Charlotte
Contacts: Howard Rednor ’68,
seeligandrednorlaw @ comcast.net,
Dan Rockafellow ’81, daniel_rockafellow @ hotmail.com
Rednor hosted an organizational meeting for those
interested in becoming chapter volunteers Feb. 26 at the
Lions Heart Pub in Washington Crossing.
Pennsylvania: Central
Leader: Ed Baumgardner ’61, edbaumgardner@ epix.net
Ronald Pollock ’85 hosted the Lafayette–Lehigh football
telecast party Nov. 22 at The Brickyard Restaurant and
Sports Pub in Lancaster.
The annual dinner and cocktail hour took place Nov. 20
at The Hershey Country Club in Hershey. Barry McCarty,
former dean of enrollment services, discussed recruiting
prospective students from Asia.
Pennsylvania: Lehigh Valley and
New Jersey: Hunterdon and Warren counties
President: Brian Cort ’99, brian_cort@ ml.com
Alumni enjoyed dinner at VIP Night at Coca Cola Park
May 4, but the baseball game was rained out. Guests were given
vouchers for an Iron Pigs game later in the season.
Chapter and baseball alumni celebrated the final weekend
of Patriot League baseball with the annual Spring Tailgate at
Metzgar Fields April 25. Student-athletes Brian Mostek ’09,
Ian McCutcheon ’09, and Hannah Fink ’09 received awards
from the chapter in recognition of their contributions to the
College and the athletics program.
The Stroudsmoor Country Inn in Stroudsburg hosted
the chapter for a champagne brunch and talk by a Nature
Conservancy speaker about the Pocono Mountains cranberry
bog April 26.
Animal lovers organized donations, cleaned up grounds and
kennels, walked dogs, brushed cats, and assisted with general
cleanup April 18 at the Center for Animal Health & Welfare as
part of Lafapalooza: Lafayette’s National Day of Service.
Lafayette families and members of the ice hockey team
enjoyed the annual Family Skate March 7 at the Steel Ice
Center in Bethlehem. Afterward, the team took on alumni
in a friendly game.
Pennsylvania: Northeast
President: Dick Hughes III ’83, hugheslaw @ epix.net
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia
The Greater Pittsburgh Chapter hosted a dinner with President
Dan Weiss March 18 at The Duquesne Club.
Mitchell L. Wein, Lafayette’s vice president for business
affairs and treasurer, was guest speaker for a Leopard Luncheon
April 16 at The Vesper Club. William H. Lynch Jr. ’80 spoke
at the March 26 luncheon.
JoAnn and George Jenkins ’74 hosted a reception for accepted
students and their families at their home in Radnor April 16.
The chapter’s young alumni gathered for happy hours
March 26 at Table 31 and Feb. 26 at Victory Brewing
Company in Downingtown.
Pennsylvania: Greater Pittsburgh
President: John Krah ’75, jkrah @ acms.org
Vice President: Erin North ’03, enorth @ wilbursmith.com
The chapter welcomed President Dan Weiss March 18 at
The Duquesne Club.
President: Carrie Chaitt ’03, Carreb16 @ aol.com
Eric Ludwig ’93 was scheduled to lead a tutored tasting of
single malt Scotch whiskeys from various regions of Scotland
May 21 at The Drafting Room in Exton.
The Council of Lafayette Women hosted 36 alumni and
guests for a tour of the Cezanne and Beyond exhibit and
champagne brunch May 3 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Bill Giles P’81, chairman and co-owner of the Philadelphia
Phillies, was featured speaker at the 138th Annual Dinner
April 23 at the Radnor Hotel in Wayne.
Volunteers from the Philadelphia, Bucks County, and
Princeton chapters celebrated Lafapalooza: Lafayette’s National
Day of Service April 18 at PhilAbundance, packing and sorting
non-perishable food items for distribution throughout the
Delaware Valley.
Texas: Dallas
The longtime Philly
chapter dinner
gathered many,
including (L–R)
Carrie Chaitt ’03,
Glenn Landis ’44,
’83, David Akhimien
’08, and Claudia
Bierschwale
Muller ’86.
Vermont: North (joint chapter with Lehigh)
Contact: Julia Fleener Hamrick ’81,
Julie.hamrick@ ignitesales.com
Texas: Houston
President: George Gick ’60, georgegick@ yahoo.com
The chapter hosted a reception for accepted students
and their families April 7 at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Bill Starr ’76, the Greater Houston alumni admissions
representative (AAR) coordinator, hosted the first
organizational meeting for area AARs and other interested
alumni Jan. 6 at the Hilton Garden Inn. Those interested in
becoming an AAR should contact Starr, b455starr@ hotmail.
com, or Anne Marie Ferriere, associate director of admissions
and AAR program coordinator, ferriera @ lafayette.edu.
Contact: Ray Jacoby ’57, jacoby @ together.net
The annual Lake Champlain Lobster Cruise will take place
7–9 p.m. Sunday, July 12.
Washington: Seattle
Contact: Kimberly Ramstad Streamer ’90,
kim.streamer@ corporate.ge.com
Chapters from Washington D.C.,
to San Francisco made a
Above and right:
Volunteers from the
Washington, D.C., Chapter
assisted in sorting and
packaging food at the
Capital Area Food Bank.
difference in their communities
during Lafapalooza:
Lafayette’s National Day of Service.
Greater Boston Chapter alumni unloaded a donation truck for Cradles to Crayons–The
Giving Factory in North Quincy, Mass., which provides basic necessities for children in
need. Pictured are (L–R) Kristen Hamman ’07, Lee Vanzler ’07, Allison McGann ’05,
Johanna Turley ’03, Amanda Carey Faulkner ’03, Allen Orsi ’00, Jim Faulkner (husband
of Amanda), Joelle Sobin ’05, and Cari Powers (guest of Allen).
Alumni from the Lehigh Valley and New Jersey North and
Skylands chapters helped on a horse farm, including (front,
L–R) Adam Foltz ’03 and Matt Tomik ’03; (back) Dylan
Noyes ’03, Candace Noyes, Angela Coxe ’03, Diana Griggs
Foltz ’03, and Kristin McGroarty Marsh ’03.
The Philadelphia Chapter enjoyed a fine outing helping others: (L–R) Karr Weiler with
mom Ellen Poriles Weiler ’83, Kieran Monaghan (son of Ruthanne Boylan), Debbie
Cipriani ’80, Brendan Monaghan (husband of Ruthanne Boylan), Jackie Boyd
(daughter of Debbie Cipriani), Carrie Chaitt ’03, Corey Alexander ’95, Ruthanne
Boylan ’80, Sarah Smith ’07, Natasha Washlick ’08, Jessica Majewski ’07, and
John Washlick (father of Natasha).
Volunteers from the Philadelphia Chapter packed and
sorted nonperishable food items at the PhilAbundance
food bank. Pictured are (L–R) Debbie Cipriani ’80,
Brendan Monaghan (spouse of Ruthanne Boylan ’80),
and Jackie Boyd (daughter of Debbie).
Above and Below: ’Pards partner with the San Francisco Food Bank to package food for low-income families.

summer 2009 - Lafayette Magazine

Transcription

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