April 2012 - Alumni News - Williams College

1956 classmates (from left) Walter Jensen, Tom May and Bob Buss
enjoyed the sunny weather of Napa, Calif., in November.
1956
Vern Squires
727 Ardsley Road
Winnetka, IL 60093
1956secretary@williams.edu
I have one sad note with which
to commence this report. Jim
Innes passed away in August
of 2011. Jim practiced internal
medicine and gastroenterology
in Greenwich, Conn., from 1965
to 1997. During these years he
held multiple leadership positions
in local, state and national
medical organizations while
enjoying his passion for travel,
golf and skiing. Jim is survived
by Eleanor, his wife of 56 years,
and many members of their
extended family.
My apologies to Bill Kerr for
not incorporating his nice note
in my last article. It became a
victim of the column’s space limitation
rules. However, definitely
better late than never because it
is so interesting. Bill expressed
his regrets for not attending the
55th last June, but he had a very
good reason: That was also the
weekend for his 50th reunion
at Johns Hopkins Medical
School. Moreover, Bill was in
Williamstown the preceding
weekend for the graduation of
his grandson Connor Olvany ’11,
son of daughter Kendra Olvany
and son-in-law John Olvany,
both Class of ’82. Bill noted that
at the baccalaureate service an
honorary Doctor of Letters was
awarded to Bruce Russett for his
work in conflict resolution while
a professor of political science at
Yale. So a belated “congratulations”
to Bruce. Bill recalled that
during the Williams years he
and Bruce and three others
majored together in political
economy. Bill met Bruce at the
Faculty House and emerged with
much information. Bruce is now
emeritus at Yale but still working
hard. He thanks Professors
Fred Schuman and Emile Depres
for launching his career and
credits a year in Cambridge for
opening vistas beyond the world
of North Adams (his hometown)
and Williamstown. Bruce and
his wife, also a professor at
Yale, have four adult children.
International assignments have
conspired to keep him from
many of our reunions, but
let’s hope the 60th will find
him and many others back in
Williamstown.
I had a nice note from Clarke
Sperry, but he felt that (contrary
to my own belief) he really had
nothing to relate. So I will insert
a memory of Clarke: playing
first base on the baseball team of
1956 under the watchful eye of
coach Bobby Coombs.
A great letter arrived from
Wally Jensen that related several
items of interest. In November
Wally and Carolyn joined with
Martha and Tom May and
Bourne and Bob Buss to stage a
Class of ’56 minireunion in the
Napa Valley. As Wally related,
“We reestablished friendship,
enjoyed wonderful dining and
of course drank fabulous wine.”
Tom and Martha capped off
a great luncheon by bringing
two bottles of their classic 1990
Martha Vineyard Cabernet
Sauvignon. Wally concluded his
letter on a nice philosophical
note: “Again I was reminded
of the privilege given to us in
attending Williams. The breadth
n 1955–56
of knowledge possessed by Tom
and Martha bespoke of the
power of the Williams College
liberal arts education. It instilled
in us a curiosity about the workings
of the world. And somehow
it bred character, or was that
something Fred Copeland ’35
detected in those he chose to
enter each class?” Thanks,
Wally, for the reminder of how
fortunate we were.
Kay and Wayne Renneisen have
joined the list of classmates who
have said a goodbye to their
longtime residences in favor
of downsizing. After 48 years
in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., they are
now in a small apartment in
Wynnewood, Pa. However it
was not a far move, geographically.
As Wayne noted, 1.5 miles
and six traffic lights. Wayne
has retired from his position as
chairman of the board of trustees
of the Wetlands Institute but
remains a member of the board.
Paula and Tink Campbell
participated in a fall trip,
described by Tink as “fantastic,”
to Thailand, Vietnam
and Cambodia. The Thailand
component was just about the
time of the terrible flooding
around Bangkok, but they were
fortunate to escape it. Tink had
a couple of interesting side notes.
He encountered not a whisper
of the war, now more than 35
years behind us. And he found
many of the local people not
only friendly but quite fluent
in English. (Note to Tink: The
Wall Street Journal of Dec. 22,
2011, reported that a current
hot investment in Vietnam is
buying a membership in a golf
club. “Buying a membership is
better than putting cash in the
bank, better than putting it in
the stock market, and better
than putting it into gold,” said
Do Dinh Thjuy, a 48-year-old
management consultant.) The
next big trip for Paula and Tink
will be a journey to India in
which the head docent will be
former Williams President Frank
Oakley.
On a personal traveling note,
Judy and I spent the latter part
of November on the Hawaiian
Islands, first on Maui for the
Maui Invitational Basketball
Tournament (won by Duke,
her alma mater, for the fifth
time) and then on to Kauai for
Thanksgiving dinner and several
days of sightseeing, including
a catamaran ocean trip and a
helicopter flight over the virtually
inaccessible sections of the
interior of the island.
aPril 2012 | Williams PeoPle | 21