These pages contain all class notes from the Yale Alumni Magazine from 1957 on. The notes appear unchanged from their original publication save for the correction of misspellings and other small errors. The few gaps in coverage that exist result from the absence of Class of 1957 notes in a few issues of the magazine over the years. Also, in keeping with changes in the magazine itself, the frequency of publication occasionally changes.

Return to Master Index of All Class Notes

Notes: January/February 2016

Notes: March/April 2016

Notes: May/June 2016

Notes: July/August 2016

Notes: September/October 2016

Notes: November/December 2016

Notes: November/December 2016

Class news: 1) A reminder: our 60th reunion will take place May 25-28, 2017. Plan to attend! After all, we won't have such gatherings into the infinite future. 2) Making the case that Attention Must Be Paid to this ancient, honorable, and loyal Class of 1957 are the results of our 2015-2016 alumni fund drive. 57's persevering class agents, led by Alan Hockstader, raised 101.3% of the year's goal, the fourth highest of all Yale classes. We fell shy of the targeted number of contributors by only three. Well done, lads!

'57ers continue to break into the pages of this publication. The July/August issue carried letters from Ed Opton and Malcolm Mitchell, each protesting various aspects of Yale's decision not to change the name of Calhoun College. From Jerry Jonas comes news that after long stints at the New Yorker and New York Times (mostly simultaneous) and more than a decade writing museum audiotours for Acoustiguide (Met, MoMA, National Gallery, and many others), he's semi-retired, "which means I mostly edit other people's (mostly younger writers') work." He's now connected with a non-partisan political/cultural website (whowhatwhy.org), "which casts an informed but skeptical eye on what government, corporations and other large institutions say and do." He has also finished a yet-to-be-published novel and writes poetry.

In Memoriam: We learned from Ruben Shapiro of the death on May 28, 2016, of his roommate Edwin L. Johnson. Ed died of unstated causes in Culpeper, Virginia. After obtaining an M.S. in public administration and an M.A. in economics from Harvard, Ed spent his career almost entirely in the federal government. He first served as a commissioned Army officer in the U.S. Public Health Service, then joined the Interior Department in the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, thereafter becoming the Director of Water in the Federal Water Quality Administration. Soon after the formation of the Office of Pesticide Programs within the newly-established EPA, Ed became director for the Office of Pesticide Programs, then part of the management team of the Office of International Activities. Carl Brunjes, also a roommate, recalls Ed's sharp mind and the ease with which he could write and prepare for exams. Ruben writes that "he was impressively smart, but very low key about it." Ed is survived by his daughter Dee Diesman of Culpeper and others. Contributions in his memory may go to the First Lutheran Church, 77 Franklin Square, New Britain, CT 06051, the town of his birth and burial.

In Memoriam: Roger Cogswell alerted us to the death on June 7, 2016 of Colin B. Gracey, place and cause of death unspecified. Captain of Yale's varsity baseball team, after serving in the US Navy Colin was a member of the Episcopal clergy and served 37 years as chaplain at Northeastern University. He marched with Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1963, served on the Committee for Responsible Genetics, and was a member of several committees at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He and his wife Susan also founded Boston's Hospitality Homes program and the Fenway Community Health Center. Roommate Bill Mobley writes that "Coe was a man of strong character who stood strong for his beliefs yet was open to the views of others. He was loved by those close to him and respected by casual acquaintances." Bill also reports that the Graceys "owned a wonderful multi-story Boston brownstone a few blocks from Fenway Park—a fitting home for a baseball player from Needham, the town of Colin's birth," as well as a Provincetown house reputed once to have been a whorehouse. "My Episcopal priest friend," writes Bill, "could forgive past sins." In addition to his wife, Coe is survived by their children Haven DePietro, Virginia, Marianna, and Carla Gracey, grandchildren, and a brother. Contributions should go in his name to Hospitality Homes, PO Box 15265, Boston MA 02215 or to Fenway Community Health Center, 1340 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215.

In Memoriam: Donald D. Hester died on July 8, 2016, of complications from multiple system atrophy. An intensive major in economics in college, Don remained on the same intellectual path throughout his career—starting for a while in New Haven. Earning his PhD in economics from Yale in 1961, he taught on the university's economic faculty from 1960 until 1968, then joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, where he remained until his retirement in 2000. His specialty was money and banking, about which he wrote several books and many articles. He was also the creator of computer simulation software games used at Wisconsin and Yale and spent a year as visiting economist at the Federal Reserve. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, he was known as a superb teacher and was honored by the creation of a chair in his name in the economics department where he spent most of his career. He's survived by his wife Karen, their son Karl, and three grandchildren. Don and Karen's son Douglas predeceased him. Memorials in his name may be made to the Professor Donald Hester Chair at the University of Wisconsin Foundation, U.S. Bank Lockbox, P.O. Box 78807, Milwaukee, WI 53278 or to the Multiple System Atrophy Coalition.

In Memoriam: Jim Crooks notified us of the death in Jacksonville, FL, on July 14, 2016 of Robert H. Paul III. He died of metastatic melanoma. Bob (or "Bobby" as he was known to family members and friends) spent most of his life in Jacksonville, where his forebears long lived. In his work life, he turned a small local bottling company into the Southeast-Atlantic Beverage Corporation, one of the largest independent bottlers and distributors in the southeast. After gaining entry into the Beverage World Hall of Fame, he retired upon his firm's sale in 2007 while continuing to work as a partner in Southeast Atlantic Capital. Among volunteer positions, he served as chairman of the board of his pre-collegiate alma mater, the Bolles School (before a year at Hotchkiss), of the Jacksonville Art Museum, and of the University of North Florida Foundation. Having grown up on the historic St. Johns River, he was an outdoorsman and a lover of plants and gardens. Among his many posts, he was a trustee of the Cummer Land Trust, his family's conservancy. No one who recalls Bob, as his roommate Hal Russell and I do, can avoid thinking of the nattily turned-out man in fine-tailored clothes that he was--and that apparently he remained, inasmuch as his published obituary calls him a "distinguished" dresser. Bob is survived by his wife of 58 years, Pamela, and their children Robert, Pamela, Christopher, Barbara Barnett, a sister, and many others. Gifts in his memory may go to the Pam and Bobby Paul Endowed Scholarship, the University of North Florida Foundation, 1 UNF Drive (bldg 60), Jacksonville FL 32223.

—JMB

Notes: September/October 2016

Bob Barton was in Hartford for the first collegiate home run of Benny Wanger, Yale freshman baseball's pitcher/first baseman. "Benny," Bob writes, "is a grandson of our late classmate (and my high school buddy) Steve Wanger." Our sharp-eyed and wide-reading Don Roberts spotted a springtime Wall Street Journal editorial condemning Donald Trump's criticism of a federal judge. The editorial quoted the opinion of a "highly regarded" conservative appellate jurist's holding "that matters such as race or ethnicity are improper bases for challenging a judge's impartiality." That jurist? Ralph Winter.

Here's the kind of news one likes to receive: Tom Quirk has survived brain surgery. Although he hasn't abandoned his beloved Mets for the Red Sox, he's now in Watertown, MA in an assisted-living facility. "Feeling good and near my eldest son and grandchildren. Hope to get to reunion next year."

In Memoriam: Harold S. Gulliver, Jr. died on March 24, 2016 in Valdosta, GA, after declining health from Alzheimer's disease. A Scholar of the House and summa graduate, Hal was an associate editor of the Yale Daily News, whom Bud Trillin places "in the tradition of southern story tellers." After post-graduate study at the Free University of Berlin, Hal launched a distinguished career in journalism—one with portentous national consequences. As press secretary to Georgia's insurance commissioner, he met a then unknown state senator named James Earl Carter. Hal promoted Carter's campaign for lieutenant governor, and Carter reciprocated by always crediting Hal for starting his career on the national stage. After a year as reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Hal became its associate editor, then, from 1974 to 1982, editor, after which he was senior fellow and editorial director of the Southern Center for International Studies. As Hugh Peterson writes, "Hal knew everybody in Georgia politics. And he knew how to deal with them. An old time Georgia politician is quoted as saying that Hal 'could outthink, outdrink, and hoodwink' anybody in Georgia politics.'" He was predeceased by his wife Marian and their son Harold III. His family requests that memorial donations go to Pruitt Hospice, 407 Cowart Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31602 or the Alzheimer's Association.

In Memoriam: Bruce Keller informed us of the death on April 6, 2016, of James W. Nelson. Jim died suddenly in Solana Beach, CA. After taking an industrial engineering degree, he spent his career with Alcoa as engineer and technical manager, his specialty being the development of production techniques for titanium forgings. When the aerospace industry declined in the 1990s, Jim retired and moved near San Diego. Over the years he served on the Solana Beach budget and finance committee, with the Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society as president and treasurer, and as the curator of the Solana Beach Heritage Museum. In addition to his wife Kathalyn, Jim is survived by their daughters, Erica E. Nelson and Evelyn N. Chandler and their families. He was predeceased by their daughter, Karyn. The family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society.

In Memoriam: Ralph David Bowman died on May 5, 2016 at home in Connecticut. Dave was president of Fence Club and the Interfraternity Council, on the Record board, and a member of Skull and Bones. After college, he became a Marine Corps Major, then worked in advertising and marketing. Subsequently, he turned to acting. Brought low by drink and drugs (which Dave detailed in our 50th reunion book), he swore off both. During a relapse, he barely survived; but with the help of others, especially wife Gail and dear friend Don Roberts, Dave found the grit to live without drink. He spent the remainder of his life helping others with similar struggles. He "counseled troubled souls," Don writes, and "became a specialist at working with teenage boys on the edge of trouble" and convicted felons. "A playful arrogance was part of his charm. "He would make outrageous claims, but the look on his face made clear he didn't expect, nor want, you to take them seriously." In addition to Gail, Dave is survived by son Bruss, daughter Cindy Thimmesch, and Gail's son Daniel Paige, and grandchildren. Donations should go to Pivot Ministries or the Smile Train.

In Memoriam: We lost Ronald S. Morris on April 12, 2016 at home in Oakmont, PA. After naval service, Ron spent 30 years with U.S. Steel. He was a skilled athlete, especially in paddle tennis, which he played competitively into 2016. Oceanography was a passionate subject. A Master Scuba Diver, with his wife Elaine he traveled the seas widely, and his shell collection now resides in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Ernie Pepples recalls Ron as a "fun-loving, easygoing, and enjoyable companion." Steve Hopkins describes his Davenport roommate as "in fundamental ways much the same as in college—intellectually curious and engaged, articulate, and serious about his many activities." In addition to Elaine, Ron is survived by their children Douglas, Mary Bronner, Kate, Henry, and Jane, many grandchildren, and a brother. Donations in his memory may be made to an Audubon Society or the National Wildlife Federation.

—JMB

Notes: July/August 2016

Watching the Rachel Maddow Show on May 2d, I was treated to a viewing of Bill Bogert's classic, four-minute, brilliantly acted, heartfelt 1964 anti-Goldwater ad, "Confession of a Republican," produced by Lyndon Johnson's presidential campaign. Calling it "one of the most compelling political ads of all times," Maddow then interviewed characteristically debonair Bill, who rued the fact that, still a registered Republican, he hadn't voted Republican since John Lindsay's mayoral campaign.

Roly and Pam Machold have produced a new film, "Adults with Autism, the Journey Home." It concerns four adults, gainfully employed and living independently, who've come through the Macholds' teaching system, applied behavior analysis, at the Princeton Child Development Institute, the school for autistic children the Macholds founded in 1970. "It's a very repetitive and demanding methodology, but so," writes Roly, "is practicing the violin." A trailer about the film can be seen at www.pcdi.org. Frank Melhorn has produced a modern edition of Frederick Grimke's (YC 1810) The Rights of Women in a Democratic Republic, an 1856 essay in favor of women's education. All hail my fellow historian! And in early April, Ray Sipherd enjoyed another staged reading of his play-in-progress The Rescue Station, this time at the Brookfield (CT) Theater for the Arts, "to what," Ray reports, "seemed an enthusiastic audience."

Hugh and Mary Jane Peterson rotate between their Atlanta and Ailey, south Georgia, homes. Hugh's life, he reports, "centers around such things as playing the guitar and mandolin and performing in our Atlanta Mandolin Orchestra, in which I play the mandola (the mandolin counterpart to the viola). I also do a lot of reading and am part of a small group, which once a reads and discusses Yeats, Beckett, Heaney, and Joyce. We spent over a year drifting through Ulysses. For me, a history major, this is an immense amount of fun. I actually have become very engrossed with Joyce. Maybe senility is setting in."

Bruce Keller reports that he is "living an uneventful life in Los Angeles, doing what I have always done and enjoyed, working 24-7 as an industrial electronic engineer in the electromagnetic field, trying to bring order out of chaos." May he succeed!

The nation's capital attracts many classmates. Recently, Phyllis and I lunched with Peter and Maria Kosinski. Peter continues to practice architecture out of Fort Lauderdale. His visit was closely followed by that of Reed and Jane Rubin. An earlier-in-life alumnus and rower for Merton College, Oxford, Reed and Jane brought the college choir, which they helped establish, to the National Cathedral, in whose choir stalls he and I sat. I can attest to the quality of Reed's singing voice as much as I can to the generosity of the Rubins's philanthropy.

In Memoriam: Jack Turben and Al Clovis notified us of the death at home in Vero Beach, Florida, of H. Theodore Meyer on March 7, 2016. After Yale, Ted worked as a chemical/petroleum engineer while earning an MBA from Rutgers, then took a law degree at Cornell. Over more than thirty years with the law firm of Jones Day in Columbus and Cleveland, Ted advised leading corporations and helped other professionals build their careers. He became a partner in 1970 and, starting in 1985, served for ten years as partner-in-charge of the Columbus office. In Columbus and Ohio, he was deeply involved in civic affairs and, likewise upon retiring, in Vero Beach. Jack, Ted's happy legal client for 60 years, writes that "a favorite of Ted's pranks was to insert an outrageous statement on about page 55 of a legal agreement to see if I was actually paying attention to his handiwork." In addition to his wife Karen, Ted is survived by their children Gregory, Stephen, and Victoria E. Langerman, nine grandchildren, and a sister. Memorial contributions may go to VNA/ Hospice at 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960; to McKee Botanical Garden, 350 US Highway, Vero Beach, FL 32962; or to a charity of choice.

In Memoriam: Donald B. Gurland died in San Diego on September 26, 2015. He attended Yale with '57 but did not graduate, nor was he listed in the Freshman Register nor the 1957 Yale Banner with the class. We have no further record of him.

In Memoriam: Henry A. Into, formerly of Cromwell, Connecticut, died in The Villages, Florida, of unstated causes on March 6, 2016. Hank entered Yale with '54, served in the Army, then re-entered Yale with '57 as a non-resident member of Timothy Dwight College. With a degree in industrial administration, he became a firearms designer for Winchester, Sturm Ruger, Colt Firearms, and Smith & Wesson. As a result, he held 16 patents in the US and many in foreign countries. He's survived by his wife Francis Harrison and their daughter Karen, by his former wife Ellen Chambers and their children John, Pamela, and Stephen, as well as by two grandchildren and a brother. Contributions in Hank's memory may go to the National Firearms Museum, 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030; Cornerstone Hospice, 601 Casa Bella, The Villages, FL 32162; or Villages Honor Flight, PO Box 490, Lady Lake, FL 32158.

—JMB

Notes: May/June 2016

Regarding the class's Donald K. Walker '26 Scholarship Fund: Bill Wrean (whose inspiration initiated the Fund), John Watling, Tom Chittenden, Merrell Clark, and Don Roberts recently hosted the current four scholarship holders as they do annually for dinner at Mory's. (By coincidence, all four are residents of Calhoun.) Since 1982, gifts to the fund have totaled over $360,000, grown to over $2.8 million, and provided roughly 100 full annual scholarships. The annual report of the scholarships has been posted, as usual, on the class website.

Phil Clover spotted this on the blog of the North Carolina Symphony: "Thank you to the Yale College Class of 1957 for funding the Symposium and to the Yale School of Music for awarding the North Carolina Symphony and Wake County Public School System the Yale Distinguished Music Education Partnership Award." Also pertinent: three of five YSM student instrumentalists performing in recital at the Kennedy Center this past winter listed their participation in the Music in Schools Initiative in their profiles. '57 is making a difference!

Jack Hughes has sent welcome word about '57ers who attended Cornell Medical School with him. Bill Schaffner is "a superstar in infectious disease and preventative medicine," Frank Top has done "a phenomenal job with the development of immune materials for Medimmune," and Hugh Thompson "did his clinical years in orthopedic surgery in Tucson and is often at our meetings of the Yale Club of Southern Arizona." There's also Franco Muggia ("ongoing service at NYU in oncology and in other domains of service"), Joel Colker (East Coast), Gordon Frierson (West Coast), and Carl Becker ("since 1990 Professor and Chairman of Pathology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, while pursuing interests in immunopathology"). Though not a Cornellian, Phil Wedermeyer "was the medical director of a large institution, the Allegheny Valley School, dealing with the handicapped. He also runs the well-baby clinic for Allegheny County." There's also John Bussard ("a retired anesthesiologist in New Jersey").

Andrew MacAoidh Jergens (middle name important here) sends word that he's "working on learning Scottish Gàidhlig, the language of my forebears. I grasp the grammar and language structure. My retention of vocabulary is, however, lamentable. I think I have too much in my 80-year old brain, and no more wants to get in." [Editorial note to Andy: A good single-malt whiskey might help the brain's retentiveness.] Terry Carlisle, also of hoary age, indulges in Cajun/Zydeco dancing, as he did to celebrate his 80th birthday. His wife Susan, he writes with due self-satisfaction and in the third person, "can't keep up with Terry as he dances all day and into the evening." And who says we're getting old?

Muller Davis tells me that he was recently given a Lifetime Achievement Award for his activities as a family lawyer. Like the rest of us achieving a certain ancientness, he and his family, 19 in all, gathered in Palm Springs for a memorable 80th birthday get-together. "I think it was the best such trip that we've ever taken." Vic Goodman is serving his second term on the Ohio University board of trustees. An attorney, he's long been active in professional, civic, and educational affairs in the Buckeye State as well as in Republican political circles.

In Memoriam: Through the skilled detective work of Talbott Huey, we have identified and learned a bit of the life of George Alexander, one of our heretofore "lost" classmates. It seems that he was born George Alexander Lobodzinski in Poland on November 2, 1926. He emigrated to the US in 1949, having arrived in New York by boat from Italy. During the Korean War, he served in the US Army as an Airborne Ranger in the 7th Ranger Company. In 1953, having left the army, he became a naturalized citizen, changed his name by dropping Lobodzinsky, and entered Yale with '57, where he is listed as having been a resident of Berkeley College. Yet he did not graduate with us, and his subsequent career is unknown. According to Social Security records, someone of his name and birth date died in West Haven in July 1970.

In Memoriam: Richard F. LaGanza died on December 2, 2015, in Sydney, Australia. After receiving his geology degree magna cum laude with us, Dick received an M.A. in mineralogy from the University of Adelaide on a Fulbright Scholarship. He worked as a mining manager for Shell Chemical Company in Sydney, then as consultant for the Fuchs Group as well as a director for Trend Laboratories. He held a number of patents, the most significant one being for a resin that secured the outside tiles onto the Sydney Opera House.

In Memoriam: Paul Eisele alerted us that we lost Richard J. Massey to stomach cancer on January 24, 2016 in or near San Rafael, CA. Dick served after graduation in the U.S. Army, then returned home to take an MBA at Stanford. From 1984 on, he was a stockbroker at UBS, work he loved and which saw him in his office the day before he died. One of his other great loves was classical music, of which he had a deep knowledge. All who knew Dick knew that his modesty and reserve hid a firm will and strong character. Paul describes him as a "quiet, thoughtful person." Dick is survived by his second wife, Alice Corning, to whom he was married for 18 years, her children, and many family members. Gifts in Dick's memory should go to the San Francisco Symphony or the San Francisco Opera.

—JMB

Notes: March/April 2016

In October, President Peter Salovey and Vice President Linda K. Lorimer presented the Linda K. Lorimer Award for Staff Excellence and Distinguished Service to the University to nine key initiatives. '57's Music in Schools Project was among them. Its citation read: "By teaming to develop the innovative Music in Schools Program, they have reinforced Yale's connections with the New Haven community and earned us national recognition for this model of cultural leadership." The most recent superb annual report of the project is available on the Class Projects page of the '57 website.

Alan Hockstader has received delayed word of the uses of a gift he and his fellow travelers to South Africa made in 2005 to the Cape Agulhas Sport and Education Trust, a project of Napier High School then introducing a program on biodiversity and tourism development. The touring '57ers provided $550 for the purchase of books, and Phil Weymouth donated a laptop for research and administration.

Retired orthopedic surgeon Hugh Tompson has been working hard from his Tucson home to help eradicate polio around the world. In November, he and other Rotarians bicycled 40 miles to raise funds for their efforts. Then, having worked successfully to strengthen his own thigh muscles as he'd long advised his patients to do, he was able to postpone total knee surgery. Well done, doc!

Writing from Cleveland, South Carolina, Dick Young writes of his 2010 retirement from a successful, almost 40-year career as financial planner. During that time, as board member of the International Association of Financial Planners he worked to develop best practices in his field. Dick plans to move with his wife Joan to Ashville in 2017.

My fellow historian Jim Crooks has for many years spent much volunteer time addressing issues of race, poverty, gender identity, and the like in Jacksonville, "a city more popularly known as the capital of South Georgia." For 8 years he served on the city's Human Rights Commission, three of those years as chair. After completing an oral history of the University of North Florida in 2008, among other things he's been a board member and vice chair of the Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network, helping LGBT young people "have the resources to succeed in a conservative community."

In Memoriam: John R. Plecas died on August 27, 2015, in or near Seminole, Florida. We have little information about him. A native of Detroit, at Yale John was a resident of Trumbull College, a psychology major, and a member of the Young Democrats.

In Memoriam: We lost David K. Hyatt on September 5, 2015. He died at home in Branford, CT, of undisclosed causes. Dave followed his Yale years with graduate study of physics at Brown, then spent much of his life teaching in independent schools and at Albertus Magnus College. He also was a family life counselor for some period, as well as a carpenter--as he listed himself in our 25th reunion book. His published obituary, referring to his "eccentric lifestyle," notes that he framed houses, taught skiing in Colorado, excelled at and taught bridge, rowed, and cared for his Branford land. He was also known for his benefactions--to Yale and Albertus Magnus, as well as to the Branford Community Foundation. Dave is survived by his daughter Janet B. Knox. Contributions in his memory should go to the Community Dining Room, 30 Harrison Avenue #1, Branford, CT 06405.

In Memoriam: Richard B. Turner died on September 15, 2015 in Bristol, RI, of unstated causes. After Yale, Dick took a graduate degree in classics at Harvard but then decided to become a medical doctor with an M.D. degree from Tufts. At some point, he joined the U.S. Navy and served, no doubt at as doctor, in Vietnam. Subsequently, he practiced medicine in Providence. An avid outdoorsman, he was a member of the Atlantic Tuna Club and the Mt. Tom Club. He's described as having had a keen intellect, a sharp wit, and a deep understanding of human nature. Dick is survived by his son Richard B. Turner, Jr., and two daughters Sally V. Turner and Penelope T. Leuchtag.

In Memoriam: Chauncey Dewey sends word that Lawrence H. de Sola died of cancer on December 6, 2015 on St. Simon's Island, Georgia. Born in El Salvador, after Yale he joined his family business as a coffee merchant. Ivan Selin watched Larry assimilate into being an American while in college, moving from friendships principally with other Latin American students with whom he spoke Spanish to ease and friendship with Americans and, by senior year, rarely speaking anything but English. In later life, he pursued his investments, was an avid sportsman and golfer, and became deeply involved in community affairs and family. Ivan describes him as "a lovely fellow, gentle, considerate, and empathetic, quiet but not overly reserved, friendly, and responsible." Larry is survived by his wife of 57 years, Malie, their daughter Lorena and sons Victor and Mateo. Contributions in his memory should go to his beloved Humane Society of Glynn County, Georgia.

—JMB

Notes: January/February 2016

I risk being Trump-ish in reporting that everyone, including its local planning committee members, thought the October minireunion in Washington a HUGE success. The weather was perfect, the program segments all they could have been, old friendships sustaining. Like the rest of its participants, I just wish that more of you had been present.

At class gatherings, I always ask for material for this column. In October, I got two animal stories, viz. 1) In re bovine musicology. (I kid you not.) John Brooke has, he reports from Texas, "accidentally become a student of bovine discrimination in classical music: On cold days, my cattle herd overwhelmingly prefers Ravel. Otherwise, it unanimously prefers Hayden's "Water Music" to the extent that its members will stand around my pickup and listen, follow me to the next pasture, and demand an encore. They won't buy a ticket to Brahms or Beethoven." A very narrow repertoire, Mr. Brooke. How about the works of Karlheinz Stockhausen and John Cage? 2) In re avian jurisprudence. (Again I kid you not.) Trying to reduce the tick population on his Williamstown property, Morris Raker brought in guinea fowl. Called before town authorities to justify harboring poultry as public nuisances, he coolly brandished his dictionary to argue successfully that his birds were not being raised to lay eggs or be eaten (the definition of poultry) and thus fell outside the town's poultry ordinance. Morris notes that his birds are now legally free to seek entrance to the library to read Mother Goose. And these fellows claim Yale degrees?

Otis Graham's latest book, Presidents and the American Environment, is out from the University of Kansas Press. Above all things, it reveals the decisive role of presidents in environmental policy-making. Larry Kramer is the subject of the revealing, eponymous HBO film "Larry Kramer in Love and Anger" released in early 2015.

From our sports desk: Patty Ann and Ed Meyer now play the senior husband and wife tennis circuit. "We had a recent national ranking," writes Ed, "of #6!" And in October the National Sailing Hall of Fame inducted Steve Colgate into membership. Steve's election moves the organization's elite membership to 48. He writes that "it's a lifetime honor for a sailor." Indeed it is. Well done!

Dick Munn reports that "one recent biggie for me was the 'observance' of my 80th. My three children each came with a letter expressing what I'd contributed to their lives. We compared the values I tried to pass on and that they felt they'd gotten from me. A little like attending your own memorial service. The other biggie was getting within one stoke of shooting my age in golf." As for age, this from Talbott Huey: "Just for fun, I used the class directory to estimate what percentage of us 80-year-olds have survived the tumultuous years. Answer: about 60%. Not bad!"

In Memoriam: With the help of classmates Tod Mann in Brooklyn and Yuji Ito in Japan, we've learned that Norio Iguchi died on September 20, 2005. From what we can learn, after attending, but not graduating from, Yale, Norio gained an M.A. degree in literature and subsequently had a career in journalism.

In Memoriam: Ray Sipherd informs us of the death, sometime in June 2015, of Thomas P. D'Esposito. We know little more. Ray writes that after Yale, where Tom was a ranking scholar, he attended Harvard Law School, then became an officer in his family's New York business, The Press of Fremont Payne.

In Memoriam: Joseph Wood Oliver, Jr. died of lung cancer in Naples, Florida on August 1, 2015. After Yale, Woody joined the corporate lending division of Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh, where he remained his entire career. Karl Van Horn characterizes Woody as "a socializer, with drink and cigarette always in hand. He had many friends and no enemies. Un-ambitious professionally, balance was his priority." Woody is survived by his wife Lucy, their children Joseph Wood Oliver III and Margaret Marshall, and four grandchildren. Memorial contributions in his name may be made to Christ Church Fox Chapel, the church with which his family was long associated.

In Memoriam: We lost David D. Griffith to unstated causes on August 22, 2015. Dave died at home on Marco Island, Florida. Trained after college at Yale Medical School, he and his wife Marcia joined the Peace Corps in 1962, where they were members of the Corps' first medical teams sent to Africa, in their case to Sierra Leone. Upon returning, Dave joined the US Public Health Service for continuing work for the Peace Corps in Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia, after which he directed the Corps' Far East Medical Desk. Subsequently, he practiced as a psychiatrist. In addition to his wife, he's survived by their sons John and Jeffrey and four grandchildren. Donations in his memory may go to the American Heart Association or to Avow Hospice, 1095 Whippoorwill Lane, Naples, FL 34105.

In Memoriam: Theodore R. Walser died of cancer on September 13, 2015. After Yale, Ted commenced a long career in banking, first at Chemical Bank, then as senior vice president of Lloyd's Bank. After retirement, he was a consultant for Greenwich Associates. His college roommate and former brother-in-law Bill Mallender writes that Ted was "great company," "generous and loving," and never known to be disliked by anyone. He's survived by his wife Sandra; four children Julia Allan, Elizabeth Gassimi, and James and Kenneth Walser; a sister; and six grandchildren. Donations in Ted's memory may go to Doctors Without Borders, 333 7th Avenue, New York NY 10001.

—JMB