April 2012 - Alumni News - Williams College

CLASS NOTES
1958
Dick Davis
5732 East Woodridge Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
1958secretary@williams.edu
Last fall was a great one for
’58 conviviality. It started in
September with the collegesponsored
jazz cruise to Nova
Scotia and back. Bob Kingsbury
and Fred Clifford led the musical
way; I’ll bet Clare and Barbara at
some point supplied some lyrics.
Marcia Schoeller was aboard,
along with Pete Paullin and
Ann; Joe Young and Betsy; David
Grossman and Jill; Jim Bowers
and Suzie; and Bill Harter. Tom
Hayne ’59, with Martha, was
beatin’ on the drums, and John
Halsey ’59 tickled the ivories.
Three other ’59ers many of us
know, Bill Applegate, Tony Volpe
and Bob O’Neill,were also on
board.
Sam Jones and Becky had lunch
with David Grossman and Jill and
Bill Harter before the cruise was
under way. I understand there
was a pre-cruise concert where
Spencer Jones was honored for
his contributions over the years;
a taped solo was played.
In October there was a
beautiful minireunion. The following
were there: Dave Allan
and Connie; Ron Anderson and
Barbie; Jim Bowers; Fred Clifford
and Barbara; Dave Cook and
Loy; Tom Connolly and Ann; Rick
Driscoll and Jeanne; Steve Frost
and Anne; David Grossman and
Jill; Joel Greeley and Louise;
Spence Jones and Susan; David
Kane and Siegrun; Chet Lasell and
Kate; Skip Martin and Nancy;
Bruce Maxwell; Jock Purcell and
Nancy; Dick Siegel and Pam; and
Joe Young and Betsy. Matt Donner
and Judy and David Sims were
there for the “Tentgate Lunch”
and football game. Joe Young
reported that the seminars were
stimulating, especially on immigration
and movements in South
America. The Eph gridders beat
Tufts. The ’58-’59 joint Friday
dinner at the 1896 House and
the Saturday class dinner at the
Williams Inn were first rate. Joe
and Betsy stayed with Chet and
Kate. We all are grateful for Joe’s
continuing contributions. Major
credits for the weekend to Chet
and Rick.
On Dec. 2, the urbane gathered
at the Williams Club within
the Princeton Club in New
York. Matt Donner writes: “We
had a successful holiday lunch
at the Williams/Princeton Club
24 | Williams PeoPle | aPril 2012
attended by Brad Thayer, Dick
Lisle, Jim Conlan, Bob Guyett, Bill
Kaufmann, Lin Patterson, Tom
Synnott, Rich Lombard, Joe Young,
Arnie Sher, Dave Grossman,
Howard Abbott and myself. It
was an upbeat get together.”
That was the sentiment of all I
heard from. I’m told the waitstaff
loves the Ephs.
Just when you think a Texan,
even a transplanted one, would
be kicking back, you learn
that Carl Vogt is taking on the
chairmanship of the Ephraim
Williams Society, succeeding
fellow President Emeritus John
Chandler. The society encourages
testamentary and other major
gifts to the college, and Carl
aims to expand the universe of
donors. Congratulations, Carl,
on undertaking this additional,
and major, service to the alma.
Tex and Margrit visited
Mongolia last summer on an
“adventure” tour. They typically
stayed in yurts, called “gers”
there. It’s a huge, friendly country,
Carl says, and something
of a model in its distribution
of ownership shares in mining
enterprises to citizens. Mining
royalties to the nation should
cover most of the national
budget. “The Russian influence
is everywhere, including some
world-class vodka. Should only
be visited in the summer, as Ulan
Bator is the coldest capital city in
the world.”
Skip Martin and Nancy were
recent guests of George Vare
and Elsa. They got Tex and
Margrit up to Napa for some
wine tasting. George and Elsa are
looking toward slimming down
and George is considering and
promoting a “village” concept
for the Napa area similar to the
Beacon Hill village in Boston.
George says there are 60 or so of
these around the nation.
Rick Driscoll and Jeanne have
moved to a condo a little north
of their former house. Rick says
he is happy to be out of the
home-owning business. The new
address is 403 North Hemlock
Lane in Williamstown. Rick’s
new email address is driscoll.
ephans@gmail.com; phone is the
same: 413.458.8681.
Larry Nilsen and Barbara are
going to hold their next family
reunion, Thanksgiving, in
Williams, Ariz. If you’re ever
near the Grand Canyon, spend
a day and night at Williams,
named for Bill, a kind of
Mountain Man. It’s in the
mountains west of Flag, cool in
the summer, on old Route 66.
Black Jack Pershing stayed at the
old hotel there I think before he
took on Panchovilla. Larry and
Barbara’s son Scott and his wife
Megan, who live in Colorado
Springs, are expanding their
family from four to six with the
adoption of two young children
from Ethiopia. The paperwork
and vetting took 16 months.
Larry says if anyone can handle
the challenges, Scott and Megan
can.
Joe Borus and Carolyn and Sam
Jones and Becky attended the
50th reunion of the law school
class of 1961 at Yale. Sam and
others filled me in. Phil McKean
and Deborah got to Phil’s 50th
reunion at the Yale Divinity
School. Phil and others recalled
the Rev. William Sloane Coffin,
our chaplain senior year, who
spearheaded the Divinity School
in those subsequent years. Phil’s
new address is 633 Leyden Lane,
#203, Claremont, Calif. 91711.
They expect to be back in Maine
in the summer to visit with,
among many others, Charlie
Hudson.
George McCracken continues
his teaching, practicing and journal
editorship and has received
the 2012 Maxwell Finland
Lectureship by the Infectious
Disease Society of America. He
will deliver the honorary lecture
in October.
Peter Bogle was to retire from
Smurfit-Stone at the end of
January, since it was acquired
by Rock-Tenn and moved its tax
operations to Georgia. Peter and
Cheryl are still raising their two
grandsons, and Peter is starting
a home-based business dealing
in wellness and health care products.
Peter’s new email address is
peche1978@gmail.com. Pete says
he’ll enjoy being his own boss.
When I turned on the TV this
morning, I turned it up to better
hear Mohamed El-Erian, the
Pimco CEO. When he was last
out here the group was talking
bonds, and Dave Cook remarked
that in his last career, setting up
a security system for the IMF, he
developed a close and personal
relationship with El-Erian, then
still the head of the Harvard
Endowment Fund. This in my
humble opinion is a world-class
financial sage.
In the same realm Matt
Donner audited one of Prof. Tom
Synnott’s classes on business
economics at Cooper Union.
Matt notes that Cooper Union
was rated by Newsweek in 2010
as the “#1 Most Desired Small
School.” It is highly selective