News Alumni - The Putney School

Alumni 

News 

Alumni Authors 

Please let us know when you have (or plan to have) your work published. Please consider donating a copy 

or two to our school library. Contact Alison Frye at 802-387-6273 or afrye@putneyschool.org. 

We wish these and other present and future alumni authors well in their literary and scholarly endeavors. 

32 Putney post 

Shrink Rap: A Guide 

To Psychotherapy 

From A Frequent 

Flier 

Christopher “Kit” Lukas ’52 

CreateSpace, 2011 

Too many Americans are “shrink 

resistant,” says author Christopher 

Lukas. They live with the burdens 

of anxiety, depression, and other 

emotional problems, rather than 

engaging in what the author says 

is an effective educational process 

that can help them. Which is why 

he has written this easy-to-read 

consumer’s guide to psychotherapy 

—told through stories about his 

own emotional journeys, as well 

as those of others. 

Because Lukas is a consumer of 

psychotherapy, and not a doctor 

or social worker, he comes to the 

subject free of any theoretical or 

methodological persuasions. His 

goal? To counter many of the 

myths, falsehoods, and prejudices 

that keep millions of people from 

using the psychotherapeutic process. 

The author of several books 

on emotional matters, and a 

long-time producer for public 

television, Lukas writes without 

jargon, employing both a sense 

of serious purpose and a sense of 

humor. Chapters such as “Who 

Needs Therapy,” “What Happens 

in Therapy,” and “Children: 

A Special Need” make Shrink Rap 

a valuable book for people in 

emotional distress. 

The Assumptions 

Economists Make 

Jonathan Schlefer ’67 

Belknap/Harvard, 2012 

Economists make confident 

assertions in op-ed columns and 

on cable news—so why are their 

explanations often at odds with 

equally confident assertions from 

other economists? And why are 

all economic predictions so rarely 

borne out? Harnessing his frustration 

with these contradictions, 

Jonathan Schlefer set out to 

investigate how economists 

arrive at their opinions. 

While economists cloak their 

views in the aura of science, what 

they actually do is make assumptions 

about the world, use those 

assumptions to build imaginary 

economies (known as models), 

and from those models generate 

conclusions. Their models can 

be useful or dangerous, and it is 

surprisingly difficult to tell which

is which. Schlefer arms us with 

an understanding of rival assumptions 

and models reaching back 

to Adam Smith and forward to 

cutting-edge theorists today. 

Although abstract, mathematical 

thinking characterizes economists’ 

work, Schlefer reminds us 

that economists are unavoidably 

human. They fall prey to fads 

and enthusiasms and subscribe 

to ideologies that shape their 

assumptions, sometimes in 

problematic ways. 

Schlefer takes up current controversies 

such as income inequality 

and the financial crisis, for which 

he holds economists in large part 

accountable. Although theorists 

won international acclaim for 

creating models that demonstrated 

the inherent instability of markets, 

ostensibly practical economists 

ignored those accepted theories 

and instead relied on their blind 

faith in the invisible hand of 

unregulated enterprise. Schlefer 

explains how the politics of 

economics allowed them to do so. 

The Assumptions Economists Make 

renders the behavior of economists 

much more comprehensible, if not 

less irrational. 

Riding The Cyclone: 

Growing Up Feral In 

The ’60s 

Lauren Wiener ’71 

CreateSpace, 2011 

When Lauren Wiener was six, 

her mother died without warning. 

More interested in dating than 

child-rearing, her father left her 

in the care of a violent, unhinged 

nanny. A riveting first-person 

account, Riding the Cyclone careens 

like the Coney Island roller coaster 

from gut-wrenching sadism to 

hilariously caustic commentary as 

Lauren tries to make sense of her 

world. Growing up in extreme 

isolation amid suburban affluence, 

she suffers from the profound 

disconnect between appearance 

and reality. Seeking freedom from 

her terrifying home in an idyllic 

private high school, Lauren finds 

her inner chaos mirrored in the 

upheavals of the ’60s. 

Audacious Euphony: 

Chromaticism and 

the Triad’s Second 

Nature 

Rick Cohn ’72 

Oxford, 2012 

Music theorists have long believed 

that 19th-century triadic progressions 

idiomatically extend the 

diatonic syntax of 18th-century 

classical tonality, and have 

accordingly unified the two 

repertories under a single mode 

of representation. Post-structuralist 

musicologists have challenged this 

belief, advancing the view that 

many romantic triadic progressions 

exceed the reach of classical syntax 

and are mobilized as the result 

of a transgressive, anti-syntactic 

impulse. In Audacious Euphony, 

Richard Cohn takes both of 

these views to task, arguing that 

romantic harmony operates under 

syntactic principles distinct from 

those that underlie classical tonality, 

but no less susceptible to 

systematic definition. Charting 

this alternative triadic syntax, 

Cohn reconceives what 

consonant triads are, and how 

they relate to one another. In 

doing so, he shows that major 

and minor triads have two 

distinct natures: one based on 

their acoustic properties, and 

the other on their ability to voicelead 

smoothly to each other in 

the chromatic universe. Whereas 

their acoustic nature underlies 

the diatonic tonality of the 

classical tradition, their voiceleading 

properties are optimized 

by the pan-triadic progressions 

characteristic of the 19th century. 

Audacious Euphony develops a set 

of inter-related maps that organize 

intuitions about triadic proximity 

as seen through the lens of 

voice-leading proximity, using 

various geometries related to 

the 19th-century Tonnetz. 

This model leads to cogent 

analyses both of particular 

compositions and of historical 

trends across the long nineteenth 

century. Essential reading for 

music theorists, Audacious Euphony 

is also a valuable resource for 

music historians, performers, 

and composers. 

Putney post 33



Mycophilia 

Eugenia Giobbi Bone ’78 

Rodale, 2011 

Hailed by the New York Times 

as a “delicious, surprising and 

dizzyingly informative book,” 

Mycophilia is a fascinating journey 

into the world of mushrooms. 

Every day fungi and their fruiting 

bodies, mushrooms, dramatically 

affect our lives, though most of 

us don’t know it. Yet over the 

last 20 years the field of mycology 

(the study of fungi) has exploded, 

and as a result our understanding 

of mushrooms is changing rapidly: 

from deadly poison to potential 

cancer cure, from nutritionally 

insipid pizza topping to superfood, 

from blight of the forest to 

bioremediator, from pest to 

pesticide, from party compound to 

spiritual actuator. Mycophilia (from 

the Greek meaning “fungusloving”) 

reports on the many fascinating, 

provocative, and weirdly 

beautiful facts and new theories 

about fungi and their impact on 

life on earth, as well as the kooky, 

erudite, and obsessed subculture of 

mushroom enthusiasts. 

Opacity and the 

Closet: Queer 

Tactics in Foucault, 

Barthes, and 

Warhol 

Nicholas de Villiers ’94 

University of Minnesota Press, 2012 

Opacity and the Closet interrogates 

the viability of the metaphor of 

“the closet” when applied to 

three important queer figures 

in postwar American and French 

culture: the philosopher Michel 

Foucault, the literary critic Roland 

Barthes, and the pop artist Andy 

Warhol. Nicholas de Villiers 

proposes a new approach to 

these cultural icons that accounts 

for the queerness of their works 

and public personas. 

Rather than reading their 

self-presentations as “closeted,” 

de Villiers suggests that they 

invent and deploy productive 

strategies of “opacity” that resist 

the closet and the confessional 

discourse associated with it. 

Deconstructing binaries linked 

with the closet that have 

continued to influence both 

gay and straight receptions 

of these intellectual and pop 

celebrities, de Villiers illuminates 

the philosophical implications of 

this displacement for queer theory 

and introduces new ways to think 

about the space they make for 

queerness. Using the works of 

Foucault, Barthes, and Warhol to 

engage each other while exploring 

their shared historical context, 

de Villiers also shows their queer 

appropriations of the interview, 

the autobiography, the diary, 

and the documentary—forms 

typically linked to truth telling 

and authenticity. 

Playing Along: 

Digital Games, 

YouTube, 

and Virtual 

Performance 

Kiri Miller ’96 

Oxford University Press, 2012 

Why don’t Guitar Hero players 

just pick up real guitars? What 

happens when millions of people 

play the role of a young gang 

member in Grand Theft Auto: 

San Andreas? How are YouTubebased 

music lessons changing the 

nature of amateur musicianship? 

This book is about play, 

performance, and participatory 

culture in the digital age. Miller 

shows how video games and 

social media are bridging virtual 

and visceral experience, creating 

dispersed communities who 

forge meaningful connections 

by “playing along” with popular 

culture. Playing Along reveals 

how digital media are brought 

to bear in the transmission of 

embodied knowledge: how 

a Grand Theft Auto player uses 

a virtual radio to hear with her 

avatar’s ears; how a Guitar Hero 

player channels the experience of 

a live rock performer; and how a 

beginning guitar student translates 

a two-dimensional, pre-recorded 

online music lesson into threedimensional 

physical practice 

and an intimate relationship with 

a distant teacher. Through a 

series of engaging ethnographic 

case studies, Miller demonstrates 

that our everyday experiences 

with interactive digital media 

are gradually transforming our 

understanding of musicality, 

creativity, play, and participation. 

34 P utney post

Alumni Events 

This year, Harvest Festival returns to Columbus Day weekend. 

Join us, and hundreds of alumni, on Sunday, October 7, 2012. 

Alumni in the Bay Area 

Two Putney alumni, Tory Voight ’03 

and Bill Schilit ’77, currently work at 

Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, 

California. In December, they hosted a 

Putney gathering at the Google campus. 

Tory hopes to continue organizing San 

Francisco area Putney get-togethers, so 

join the fun and catch up with the Putney 

crowd in California. 

Tory Voight ’03, left, and Bill Schilit ’77, third from left, hosted a Putney gathering 

in December That also included Priscilla Birge ’52, George Bailey ’53, Karen Bailey, 

Nell Childs ’66, Jeri Howland (former faculty), and sione tangen ’84 




The Putney School Sing at The 

Cathedral of St. John the Divine 

in New York City 

Peggy King Jorde ’76 and a starstruck park ranger 

at the African Burial Ground 

Putney’s September 

Weekend in New York City 

In September, in a cathedral nearly a century old, with soaring 

ceilings and dark corners, one chapel hosted more than 100 

people connected in song. Alumni spanning seven decades, 

current students, parents, current and former faculty, and staff 

filled the room at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine with 

music for more than two hours. James Wallace, Putney’s 

music director, was treated to playing on Duke Ellington’s 

former piano, and he led the group in songs of all generations, 

from “Ave Verum Corpus” to “Spanish Ladies” 

and “Russia.” 

The morning following Sing, a Putney group was treated to a 

tour of the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan. One 

of the people most involved in the site’s preservation was 

Peggy King Jorde ’76, who accompanied the Putney group 

on its tour. The Burial Ground’s interpretive center presents 

a moving history of the site. Outside is the burial ground 

itself, a mystical place rich with symbols and meaning. 

If you have not had a chance to experience the African 

Burial Ground, it’s worth the trip. We thank Peggy and 

the National Park Service for their dedication. 

Putney alumni and friends toured the African 

Burial Ground in New York City 

36 Putney post

30s 

Agent, ’36 & ’37: Needed 

Agent, ’38: Needed 

Secretary: Alan Winslow 

28 Castlewood Drive 

Pleasanton, CA 94566-9728 

925-846-6550 

39 

alwins@comcast.net 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Warren Winkelstein 

560 Washington Avenue 

Point Richmond, CA 94801 

510-642-4304 

winkelstein@yahoo.com 

Tom Crowell: For the past 12 years 

I have been lucky to be living with 

my daughters, Lesslie and Allie, 

and Lesslie’s two boys, Gus and 

Tom. Now that Gus has graduated 

from the University of Colorado 

and Tom is a sophomore at 

Oberlin, my house no longer has 

a rural- or depression-type family 

of three generations. I am well 

and walk a lot—out of choice 

and necessity because of macular 

degeneration—and I hike in the 

nearby Blue Ridge. I often think 

of my excellent Putney teachers, 

among them Ursula MacDougall 

(English), Eric Rogers (algebra), 

and Daniel Morris (chemistry and 


Notes 

Alumni: As the years go by, there are more and more alumni! 

We are anxious to hear from all of you, but in the service of 

keeping the Alumni Notes section within reasonable limits, we 

would ask that you pare down your longer contributions. If you 

have a lot to say, or want to read it sooner, consider posting your 

news on our website: www.putneyschool.org/notes. 

Deadlines: August 15 for submission of notes for the fall 

Post, and February 15 for the spring issue. 

Contact: Please contact the alumni office by phone: 

802-387-6273 or email: afrye@putneyschool.org, if you need an 

alum’s phone number or address. We’d be happy to help! 

advanced math). Dan was an 

innovative and popular teacher in 

spite of Carol’s chronic illness. He 

had an admirable skepticism in his 

approach to science. His selection 

of subjects for the math course is 

memorable: polynomials, analytic 

geometry, a little calculus, and 

descriptive geometry. How many 

classes recall that two planes in a 

different three-dimensional space 

intersect in a point? An evening 

chamber music group that met at 

Dan’s house to drink goat’s milk 

and play the Bach B-minor suite 

and the Schumann piano quintet 

included, I think, Bill Uptegrove ’37 

(flute), his sister Betty Uptegrove 

Mathews ’40 (violin), Libby Haines 

Goldwater (viola), and Walter 

Pettit (cello). Was Betsy Doolin 

Uptegrove ’40 part of it too? The 

school had a small orchestra, with 

many cellos; do you remember the 

sound of the flute octet playing 

the Nutcracker? But the strongest 

musical effort in those pre-Norwood 

days was the chorus, directed 

by Hal Sproul. I have played 

French horn since I was 13, but 

didn’t really get going until college. 

Another activity I had to postpone 

was going to the barn, which I 

couldn’t do because I was troubled 

by asthma. The Putney nurse, 

Maria Phaneuf, gave me the first 

good medication for it. But at the 

recent reunion in 2008, I finally 

filled that gap with a most interesting 

early-morning tour of the 

dairy operation. Greetings to my 

classmates. This new decade of our 

lives is different. 

40 

Agent: Steve Tanner 

Secretary: Bob Darrow 

19 Cream Hill Road 

Mendon, VT 05701 

802-773-7144 

Submitted by Steve Tanner and Bob 

Darrow, who report that “all survivors 

of our class are active and feel indebted 

to the school that molded them.” 

Sally Bangs Compton is housebound 

but active, and has converted her 

Illinois farm into a tree nursery for 

reforestation. She also knits caps to 

be donated to sick children. Pinkle 

Hallam and Steve’s wife Nancy are 

also hat-knitters for kids. 

Bob Darrow retired from surgery 

at age 70 and took to the woods. 

He’s a founding member of the 

Vermont Woodlands Association, 

which has grown from eight to 

over 1,000 members. He also 

served as a member of the Current 

Use Advisory Board under three 

governors in Vermont, one 

Republican and two Democrats. 

These two programs—one voluntary 

and the other state government—have 

saved thousands of 

acres of Vermont farms and forests 

from development and have practically 

eliminated “slash and cash” 

logging. His wife Sue founded 

the Killington Music Festival 30 

years ago. Bob still serves on its 

board, and they expect another 

busy summer of world-class chamber 

music in the mountains from 

faculty and students. 

In Anchorage, Pinkle Hallam sticks 

both with her teaching career and 

with the home she and husband 

Bill built. She still teaches kindergarten 

as a volunteer three days a 

week. Only 100 guests came to 

her recent 90th birthday. 

Betty Uptegrove Mathews loves her 

serene life and interesting friends 

in Elder Spirit, a unique retirement 

home in Abingdon, VA, 

which is thriftily run and managed 

by its inmates. 


Ted Moore continues to fill store 

orders for his sturdy wooden toaster 

tweezers. A table he designed is 

also almost finished. He and his 

wife “Junebug” still live in their 

seaside Westport home and gorge 

on gargantuan lobsters caught by 

their son. 

Christiana Clapp Naff lives in the 

fine San Mateo, CA retirement 

community. Fit for local travel, 

she and her “boyfriend” go to art 

exhibits in San Francisco. 

Steve Tanner continues to sing and 

raise money for local charities in 

California and Vermont. Still a 

Putney maverick, he is conservative 

politically, and a member 

of two Christian churches and 

the American Legion. Two of 

his absorbing hobbies are keeping 

track of foreign affairs and reading 

history, particularly about morally 

-justified actions and regulations 

that backfired. 

Betsy Doolin Uptegrove and her 

husband Bill ’37 now lodge in 

Brattleboro. Betsy’s health is 

improving. A current favorite 

activity is driving south of 

Brattleboro to admire views 

of Mount Monadnock. May 

their lives be serene after years of 

41 

improving their part of Vermont. 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Phyllis Winkelstein Reicher 

232 Lockwood Road 

Syracuse, NY 13214 

315-446-0596 

Bill Densmore, co-founder of the 

Center for Nonviolent Solutions 

in Worcester, MA, was honored 

at the “Way of Nonviolence” 

recognition luncheon at Clark 

University in October. For 

decades, Bill has dedicated himself 

to his community, promoting 

education, forming non-profits, 

bringing community organizations 

together, and espousing the virtues 

of nonviolence. Bill has been 

Bill Densmore ’41 at a 

luncheon in his honor 

called “the best-known mover and 

shaker in the city of Worcester, 

with a quiet manner and an 

irresistible smile.” 

Alice Horton Tibbetts: I am grateful 

for the happy three years at Putney, 

so long ago. We spend winter in a 

retirement home in Madison, WI, 

42 

and summer in Randolph, NH. 

Agent: Ken Landis 

Secretary: Polly Braun Middleton 

706 Wake Robin Drive 

Shelburne, VT 05482 

802-985-5239 

Ralph and Virginia Wedgwood: 

Ralph and I are in our late 80s. 

We go into Seattle for the winter 

and will return to Shaw Island in 

February 2012. We have a small 

two-room apartment at a retirement 

center, which is extravagant 

but useful. There was much 

climate change in summer 

2011—a cool, dry summer. 

Plants objected, and so did we. 

(wedgwood@rockisland.com) 

43 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Needed 

Nancy Williamson Van Arsdale’s 

daughter Sarah has been researching 

Nancy’s early years, and in her 

research, she came across a drawing 

Nancy created for her dorm door 

while at Putney. Putneyites should 

easily recognize the locations it represents. 

Sarah would be happy to 

hear from anyone who remembers 

her mother and wants to share 

memories. You can reach Sarah by 

email at sva@together.net. 

Nancy Williamson Van 

Arsdale’s door decoration 

from her Putney days 

44 

Agent: Needed 


Sarah Symington Henderson: Jud 

and I are still upright, walking, 

and enjoying life here on the 

Chesapeake Bay. He is still writing, 

and I am still teaching ikebana 

flower arranging. 

45 

Agent: Dave Raynolds 

Secretary: Bill Wasserman 

193 Argilla Road 

Ipswich, MA 01938 

wassyw@verizon.net 

46 

Agent: Fred Hicks 

Secretary: Anne Cheney Zinsser 

47 

15 Town Street, Box 266 

West Cornwall, CT 06796 

860-672-6400 

akka@optonline.net 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Suzy Briggs Johnson 

4107 Springwood Drive 

Fort Wayne, IN 46815 

302-292-9320 

suzannejohnson29@yahoo.com 

Charles Staples: I’m continuing to 

maintain my health and strength 

through lots of exercise like stair 

climbing and walking, as well 

as eating sensibly. In summer, I 

get in some hiking in the NH 

and MA mountains, as well as in 

Rocky Mountain National Park. 

Both Joan and I are involved with 

volunteer work locally. We keep 

up our travels, and our latest trip 

abroad included a week’s cruise 

up the Elbe river in Germany, 

from Hamburg to beyond 

Dresden, with visits also to Berlin, 

Wittenberg, and more. The trip 

also included visits to Prague, 

Krakow, and Warsaw. We saw 

many fine historical sites. I sought 

out stairs, in towers, domes, and 

churches. My favorite were the 

299 spiral stairs in Prague’s wonderfully 

scenic Petrin Tower. 

We keep touch with several 

Putney alumni, including Julie 

Mears Marx, Bob Stainton ’49, Lydia 

Steinway Cochrane ’46, Peter Pereira 

’52, and Alison Cary Corson, and 

are looking forward to the 65th 

reunion! 

38 Putney post www.putneyschool.org/post password: elmsaver

48 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Jerry Selby 

104 Patton Farm Road, Apt 157 

Stuarts Draft, VA 24477 

Nancy Dennet: We have moved 

a stone’s throw away from our 

other house. It’s smaller and much 

nicer—more light and sky! I hated 

the move itself, and hope there 

won’t be any more moves! We 

and our family are all doing well. 

(nanwalt@gmail.com) 

Jerry Selby: I continue mostly 

ambulatory, though stumbling 

around a bit with peripheral 

neuropathy and other assorted 

ailments. I wonder what news 

does one have to offer after passing 

the 81 st mile marker that would be 

of anything but fleeting interest 

to anyone? We are all longdistance 

runners now, where 

horizons and goals are but things 

as seen through a glass darkly, 

although I do maintain a semblance 

of purpose and a degree of 

self respect and worthwhileness 

by serving as chaplain with all 

attendant duties here at the retirement 

community where I find 

myself somewhat incarcerated. 

Zdenek David: I am at the Woodrow 

Wilson Center in Washington, 

DC, as a senior scholar. A granddaughter 

was born last April as 

my 14 th grandchild; the grandkids 

now total eight boys and six girls. 

49 

(davidzde@aol.com) 

Agents: Harriet Stupp Rogers 

and Louis Sudler 

Secretary: Bill Kingsbury 

1905 Ivy Drive 

Cocoa, FL 32922-5435 

321-633-6979 

Geoffrey Hendricks: In March 

and early April, my partner Sur 

Rodney and I were on a residency 

in South Africa at the 

Nirox Foundation, in the 

cradle of humankind outside of 

Johannesburg. It was a fantastic 

experience. We also got down to 

Cape Town for a few days with 

some good South African friends, 

who showed us all around. My 

daughter, Tyche, is a producer at 

KQED in the Bay area, teaches 

a class at the journalism school 

at UC Berkeley, and for about 

a dozen years was a journalist 

with the San Francisco Chronicle. 

My granddaughter, Amelia, just 

graduated from Malcom X 

Elementary School in Berkeley, 

and will be going to junior high 

in the fall. My son, Bracken, is 

with the Center for American 

Progress, working on renewable 

energy issues, and a few years 

ago he co-authored the book 

Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean 

Energy Economy. My daughter has 

a book published by University of 

California Press, The Wind Doesn’t 

Need a Passport: Stories from the 

US-Mexico Borderlands. On July 30, 

I celebrated my 80 th birthday at 

my place on Cape Breton Island, 

Nova Scotia. 

Bruce Langmuir: 2011 flew by! 

Reviewing our 2011 calendar 

reveals that we have been culturally 

entertained with opera, ballet, 

symphony, and theater several 

times a month, plus visits to the 

Boston Museum of Fine Arts. 

How lucky we are to live so close 

to such a variety of diversions. 

Travel took us once again to our 

Bermuda timeshare. Each year we 

experience it in a whole new way 

with different friends. We spent 

the week of the 4 th of July in 

Colorado with my brother’s family. 

We enjoyed concerts and craft 

shows and the kid’s bicycle parade. 

The little kids tried out the pie and 

watermelon-eating contests. They 

are still too little to really get into 

it, but in a couple of years they will 

be experts. It is really fun to watch 

them grow. Our new experience 

was a Road Scholar (Elderhostel) 

cruise along the south and west 

coasts of Norway. The ship you 

would remember from The Love 

Boat, now the MV Discovery. 

Our Norwegian guide added a 

lot to enrich our experience. We 

weren’t sure that we would like a 

cruise ship as big as 650 passengers, 

but we did and would do it again, 

possibly to England, Scotland, and 

the Shetland Islands. Service on 

the ship was superb. We were 

saddened that our daughter Lisa 

and her son Sean could not go 

to Colorado. Travel is just out of 

the picture for Lisa, who is almost 

totally dependent on others. Sean 

decided to stay with her, as she 

had no way to get 24/7 care for 

a week. He is very attentive to 

his mom, and she is very lucky 

to have him for her son. She still 

communicates by internet, sharing 

her experience and advice on raising 

children while living with a 

debilitating disease. Sean is now 

a 6-foot tall 16-year old. He still 

loves his computer games more 

than homework. I guess he is a 

typical teenage boy except for 

his home responsibilities. Jonathan 

still lives in Easthampton, MA. 

He has two jobs involving his 

psychiatric nursing skills. He 

spends a lot of his free time in 

his organic garden and cooking 

his healthy produce, sharing it 

with friends. We had Christmas 

with him a week early because he 

had to work over the Christmas 

weekend, which is a downside 

of the nursing profession. Marge 

is still singing, doing metalwork, 

and enameling her forged bowls. 

The adorable grandchild of 

Harriet Stupp Rogers ’49 

I help set up the tent at craft 

shows and generally support the 

artistic attempts by manning the 

booth at times. She has joined the 

Sudbury Arts Association and the 

Lexington Arts and Crafts Society 

and had month-long shows of 

her work this December at both 

places. I keep up with all the 

latest on climate change and recommend 

that everyone view the 

DVDs Plan B: Mobilizing to Save 

Civilization, based on the book 

Plan B 4.0 by Lester R. Brown, 

and The Power of Community: How 

Cuba Survived Peak Oil. Both can 

be found through a Google search 

and streamed online. I experienced 

great disappointment with the lack 

of progress at the latest international 

meeting, and the fact that 

the U.S. did not take a leadership 

role. I was supposed to give a 

sermon on the subject of “Climate 

Change and Failed States” at 

church, but church was cancelled 

that day because of Hurricane 

Irene! We try to keep as physically 

active as our bodies can stand. 

Mostly that means walking and 

doing aerobics and gardening. We 

eat healthy organic produce from 

our local CSA farm, which is now 

on its winter shares producing 

greens through March. 


Harriet Stupp Rogers: It’s been the 

year of the grandmother. Me. It 

began in November 2010, when 

I spent 2 ½ months in Worcester, 

MA helping my granddaughter, 

Phoebe, while she waited for the 

birth of her 2nd child, and now, 

as I anticipate my grandson, Sean, 

finally moving into digs of his 

own, I may finally be reclaiming 

my small home. Sean is one of 

twins. He and his brother Zach 

(they turned 21 in December) 

have been living here singly or 

together since March, 2010, when 

they took jobs working on trails in 

the Gila Wilderness. Zach is now 

headed for Hawaii, and Sean will 

move out next weekend, probably. 

I am not holding my breath. While 

it’s been rewarding to have all this 

grandmother action—something I 

kind of avoided when they were 

all small—I’ll be glad to be back 

on my own. Meanwhile, I have 

become your typical retired volunteer 

lady: I am on the board of 

both the Unitarian Fellowship and 

the garden club, and may also take 

on the historical society. Add to 

all this a sweet dog who recently 

survived a cancer scare, and you 

can see that I’m fully occupied. 

Once Sean actually moves I’ll 

have a guest room again, so 

can welcome anyone straying 

into southwest New Mexico. 

(hrogers49@gmail.com) 

Submitted by Bill Kingsbury, 

Class Secretary: 

Jennifer Lurie Cooke sends new 

year’s greetings to the Class of 

1949. Kiriki de Diego Metzo ’46 lives 

two floors below her in the same 

New York City building, where 

they can both see the passing 

cruise ships that Jennifer imagines 

are heading to Florida and other 

warmer climates. 

George Dalphin appreciates continuing 

to receive news from Peg’s 

classmates, and he has an updated 

address following the reorganization 

of post offices in his town: 

4830 New Mexico Route 15, 

Pinos Altos, NM 88053. 

Mally Peer Haney reports that the 

August hurricane destroyed her 

garden, but Raymond, her husband, 

had room to plant lettuce in 

September, and they had great salads 

for weeks because of it. They are 

going Down Under again, for 

the 18 th year, which is difficult to 

believe. Her 23-year-old grandson 

and a friend biked from San 

Francisco to Fairfield, CT, camping 

along the way. They covered 

4,200 miles in seven weeks last 

summer, and the kindness of 

strangers is high on their memory 

list. He and his twin sister are both 

still looking for jobs. 

Emily Platt Hilburn was happy to get 

in touch with Harriet Stupp Rogers 

again, and is doing well. 

Charles Humpstone greatly misses 

Marty, his wife of 36 years, who 

passed on earlier this year from 

Alzheimer’s disease, and whose 

passing was noted in the spring 

issue of the Putney Post. In a letter, 

Charles reminisced on how 

through my 1972 alumni news column, 

I was responsible for getting 

the two of them reunited, which 

led to their marriage in 1975, 

and their subsequent many years 

of happiness together. Charles 

thanked me for those precious 

years, as he tries to recover from 

the void left by her passing. 

Penny Pereira Johnson sends good 

wishes and gratitude for our many 

blessings and fun-filled times with 

our families, which she hopes 

continue in 2012. 

Roger Peele reports that his family, 

his health, and his work are fine. 

He was reminded that he is not all 

that he was while at Putney more 

than six decades ago. “My kids 

were into every sport but baseball, 

so I had not been on a baseball 

field since ’49. Finally an opportunity 

arose this summer, when 

one of the grandchildren wanted 

me to pitch batting practice. On 

getting to the mound, I warned 

him that he wouldn’t be able to 

hit my blazing fast ball, did a long 

wind-up of which even Kingsbury 

would approve, fired away, 

and it headed straight for home 

plate, landing only 25 feet from 

the mound.” 

I paid a visit to Joan Watson for 

a few days while I was on a trip 

north in June. We had lunch with 

her oldest son, Phil, and his family 

in Southampton, NY. Phil and 

his wife Jill showed me the large 

vegetable garden they had made, 

and the swimming pool they had 

installed since I had last visited 

them. Their daughter, Kate, had 

just graduated from Northwestern 

University, and their daughter, 

Leah, had a busy year at Barnard 

College. Joan and I also had a couple 

of dinners with her son, Jamie, 

and his family in Bellport, NY. 

Jamie’s oldest daughter, Camille, 

who is attending Columbia 

University, was completing a study 

trip to New Zealand, where she 

experienced first-hand the earthquake 

they had in Christchurch 

earlier in the year that caused some 

anxious moments for her family. 

I am happy to say Joan is doing 

well, and has decided to stay in her 

home, where she and Dick lived 

for so many years. I was sorry I no 

longer had the strength to do some 

work in the garden where I had 

50 

worked many summers with Dick. 

Agents: Joan Buell, Peter Caldwell, 

and Dick Chaffin 

Secretary: Alfred Hudson 

111 Amherst Road 

Pelham, MA 01002 

413-256-6950 

abhudson@anthro.umass.edu 

Joan Strong Buell: When my 

79th birthday approached last 

November, I was asked what I 

wanted. I said I wanted to sing 

rounds with friends. Out of that 

came three wonderful song circle 

evenings, with friends I’d known 

most of my life, some of them 

for all their lives. We sang rounds 

and other songs. For a few it was 

a new experience. They had a 

glimpse of how it can feel to start a 

song with a few notes, have others 

join you, and feel the harmonies 

build. For one Putney friend and 

for me, it was made even more 

profound because we were using 

copies of rounds written out by 

Cornelia Hinkle at Putney in the 

1940s. Among the rounds: As 

I Me Walked; Doctor, Doctor Tell 

Me!; Alleluia; Adieu Sweet Amaryllis; 

When Sister Brothers; Dona Nobis 

Pacem; Fie, Nay Prithee John; Great 

Tom is Cast; Thou Poor Bird; Hey Ho, 

to the Greenwood; Little Jack Horner; 

Let’s Have a Peal; Hey Ho, What 

Shall I Say; Mourn the Thousand 

Slain; Marguerite; By the Waters of 

Babylon; Non Nobis Domine; Bona 

Nox; Today; The Mule; We Gather 

Here to Sing Together; My Soul There 

is a Country. From Newport, RI 

to Portland, OR, we sang during 

these October weeks, and from 

that came my thought to gather 

songs out of my own song book, 

and add them gradually to the list 

of songs this group was singing. 

Some are songs I notated in 

Scottish hostels when my friend 

Lee Spencer Hoefer and I were 

bicycling there in 1952, learned 

from an English schoolmaster who 

happened to be walking up a 

long hill at the same time we 

were pushing our bikes up it. 

Some are more newly learned 

from friends or from CDs. Several 

come from old 78 rpm records 

I listened to during lonely summers 

as a child in Connecticut, 

playing them over and over until 

I knew them: Burl Ives, Marais 

and Miranda, Edith Piaf, Charles 

Trenet. Many I sang with children 

in the Beehive at Catlin Gabel 

while I taught there from 1965 to 

1978. We sang for years driving 

in the car—dog, children (not in 

seatbelts), adults trading off driving 

from Oregon or Washington 

to New England and back. I’ve 

sung sitting with a dying friend, 

or in a hospice, sometimes only 

humming. I remember singing My 

Bonnie Dearie to a woman in St. 

Christopher’s Hospice outside of 

London in 1979. She had seemed 


comatose, but as I finished she said 

quietly, “I haven’t heard that song 

since I was a girl.” Pete Seeger in 

his introduction to the 15th anniversary 

edition of Rise Up Singing 

speaks of the power of singing to 

bring people together, as he sees it 

to bring us closer to “a world of 

peace and justice,” and he doesn’t 

ignore the fun, the feeling of 

“leaven in the loaf of bread” when 

a few people find they know the 

same song, and start to sing. 

Mary Eysenbach: The major change 

in my life is that I had eye surgery 

that yielded excellent results: I 

am not wearing glasses for the 

first time in 75 years! I went 

south for three weeks last winter: 

Antarctica, South Georgia, and 

the Falkland Islands with Lindblad 

Expeditions, which has an affiliation 

with National Geographic. 

Lots of knowledgeable naturalists 

on board to answer questions and 

point out things neophytes would 

otherwise miss. It was a great trip. 

Otherwise, life continues as normal 

here in New London. Putney 

is not far away, but I just seem to 

be heading in other directions. 

Boris Frank: I wanted to share a 

few bits of news with my classmates. 

I’ve completed two years as 

executive director of The Henry 

Vilas Zoological Society (Friends 

of the Zoo), and have just accepted 

a fulltime position as executive 

director of Madison Youth Choirs. 

Eleven choirs, ages 7–18, 600 kids, 

top notch quality. I can just hear 

Norwood saying . . . ”YOU????” 

I was appointed to the faculty of 

Madison College, responsible for 

establishing a certificate course in 

nonprofit management. I continue 

lecturing in nonprofit management 

on four University of Wisconsin 

campuses: Madison, Milwaukee, 

Oshkosh, and Superior. I also 

advise about 15 current consulting 

clients, including the Duluth 

Aquarium (the only freshwater 

aquarium in the country), several 

libraries, and assorted human 

service agencies in the Midwest. 

On the family front, my oldest 

great grandson married a few 

weeks ago. Scary!! My wife Terry 

and I also continue operating 

Bear’s Place, a nonprofit animal 

rescue and hospice. About 95 animals 

are currently in residence 

on our 3-acre spread just outside 

Madison. Terry is becoming 

known as one of the premiere 

stagers/choreographers of Gilbert 

& Sullivan, receiving widespread 

acclaim for her CDs on the 

Madison Savoyards label. Next 

is Pirates of Penzance this coming 

summer. Another very rewarding 

activity has been spending 

a great deal of time with a group 

in our State Capitol building, 

making sure the widely-publicized 

protests remain peaceful and relatively 

respectful. So far, we’ve had 

pretty good results, with only a 

few arrests. Not bad considering 

almost a million people have been 

involved. Other than serving 

on four boards, a bunch of 

committees (why do we have to 

create a committee for everything?), 

volunteering, getting to 

baseball games when I can, keeping 

up with the 17 progeny and 

their families, taking in our 

very fine Madison Opera, 

Madison Symphony, Wisconsin 

Chamber Orchestra and about 15 

competent theater groups, and 

dealing with our brain-addled 

governor in politically-correct 

Madison, there’s not much 

happening in my life. Mrs. H. sure 

stoked the fire in us, didn’t she? 

(borisfrank@tds.net) 

Peggy Hammond: I live in a small 

town in northern Wisconsin and 

I’m part of the community. I 

help out in the elementary school, 

belong to a book club, sing in a 

group when it’s active, and am on 

the board of our local museum. 

My arthritis is a problem, but I 

did manage a trip to London last 

March, also to Bordeaux to see 

my twin granddaughters, and a 

trip over Thanksgiving to Chicago 

with daughter #3. I traveled to 

Florida in December, where 

daughter #2 was playing tennis 

at the Club Med and we saw 

my brother-in-law and nephews. 

Air travel is perfectly awful! I make 

a lot of noise about my disability 

and make them wheel me around, 

untie and re-tie my shoes and 

so forth. 

Nan Lee Heminway: Between 

Christmas and New Year’s we 

rented a house in Gold Beach, 

OR. It is equal distance for Jess in 

Alameda, CA and Rip in Olympia, 

WA, each driving about eight 

hours. We fly out to Oakland and 

drive up with Jess. It was mostly 

a week of rain, or hurricane, or 

driving wind, or all three together. 

They’ve been wild and exhilarating 

vacations that have accommodated 

the very large spread 

of ages—from four to 80. This 

latest vacation the kids all went 

swimming and buggy boarding, 

which in December, from my New 

England point of view, is crazy. 

But how we all loved playing, 

eating, and laughing together. 

Enough to hold us for another 

year—maybe. As for the rest of 

our lives, things are unchanged 

essentially, for which we are 

very grateful. 

Al Hudson: Judy continues as president 

of the Pioneer Symphony 

Orchestra, now in its 73rd 

season. We still get plenty of exercise 

and play string quartets on a 

regular basis. We still summer in 

Randolph, NH in the heart of the 

Phyllis Watt Ingersoll ’50, 

White Mountains. Last September 

we teamed up with Phyllis and 

Jerry ’49 Ingersoll to visit parts of 

the Pacific Northwest. We spent 

a couple of days at Joan Buell’s 

cottage on Puget Sound in 

Hansville, WA. (Unfortunately 

Joan wasn’t in residence, 

but she was certainly there in 

spirit.) Then we headed west, 

first to the Pacific coast and 

then up into Olympics high 

country. Finally we made a pilgrimage 

to Orcas Island, where 

we spent some wonderful days 

with Margot Sproul Shaw engaged 

in a variety of activities that you 

can read about in her report. One 

major change in our lives: our son 

Geoff and his family have moved 

back to the United States after 

some years in Vienna. And, as 

things have transpired, they have 

settled in Pelham, MA, not far 

from our house. So, now the families 

of both our kids live within 

a couple of miles of us. Another 

change: on Friday, January 6, I 

turned 80 and, thus, officially 

entered the ranks of the elderly. 

I don’t feel any older, but I guess 

that’s what they all say. I suspect 

that I am the first member of our 

class to make the 80-year milepost, 

but if one of you out there 

has beat me to it, let me know 

and I will pass on the golden 

cane. That’s about it for me. 

Dona nobis pacem. 

Al Hudson ’50, Jerry Ingersoll ’49, and Margot 

Sproul Shaw ’50 explored the Washington 

wilderness together 


Phyllis Watt Ingersoll: One year 

seems very like another but life 

goes on in interesting and busy 

ways. We live in the house on 

Buzzards Bay where Jerry was 

raised. Among other activities, 

we have spent many years converting 

a gentlewoman’s lovely 

but money-losing property into 

a rational, self supporting entity, 

while trying not to lose the charm 

and old-time values. From my 

perspective, this is a challenge, 

given my diploma in the history 

of art. But what did the English 

say about a general education? Of 

course the important point is what 

one thinks is important. So far 

we’ve been lucky and/or smart, 

and we’re still alive and planning 

for the future. The big distraction 

of the last several years has been 

to propose a development of wind 

turbines on 200 acres of wooded 

land. In May 2009 we started with 

Putney enthusiasm and a feeling 

of support from federal and state 

governments, and the town. Then 

the NIMBYs organized and threw 

up obstacles in surprising places. 

We have a big hearing coming 

up February 2 which may decide 

our fate—or not. It turns out Jerry 

likes a good fight for what he 

believes in. 

Mariah Josephy Schoolman: No 

news is good news at this point. 

Hugh Macdougall: 2011 was a year 

for the biannual James Fenimore 

Cooper Conference and Seminar 

at the State University of New 

York College at Oneonta (SUNY 

Oneonta). I have participated 

in every conference since 1984, 

and since 1986 have always presented 

a paper. In recent years I 

have also edited papers for publication 

by SUNY Oneonta and 

placed them online on the James 

Fenimore Cooper Society website. 

This year had an unusually 

large number of papers. My own 

paper this year was on Major John 

Richardson (1796–1852), the first 

Canadian-born novelist writing 

in English, often called “The 

Canadian Cooper” because of his 

two best-known novels Wacousta 

(1832), set in Fort Detroit in 

1763, and The Canadian Brothers 

(1840), a sequel set in Canada and 

America during the War of 1812. 

Though well known in Canadian 

literary circles, Richardson (a 

soldier, historian, and journalist 

as well as a novelist) is virtually 

forgotten in America. I found 

his life to be a fascinating one. 

Following this renewed Canadian 

interest (and my paternal ancestry), 

I joined the United Empire 

Loyalists Association of Canada. 

On other fronts, I continue in 

various capacities as: (1) the 

Cooper Society’s Corresponding 

Secretary; (2) the “webmaster” for 

the Society’s website; (3) a member 

of Cooperstown’s Historic 

Preservation and Architectural 

Review Board; (4) Cooperstown’s 

designated Village Historian; and 

(5) a board member of Otsego 

2000, an organization founded 

several decades ago to help preserve 

our local environment— 

today’s big issue is the struggle to 

prohibit natural gas wells using 

“hydrofracking” in our part of 

New York state. In August I 

presented three two-hour lectures 

based on my life in the United 

States Foreign Service from 1957 

to 1986. In 2012 I’ll present, in 

May, a three-lecture bicentennial 

course on “The War of 1812 

and the Birth of Canada,” and in 

the fall a two-lecture presentation 

on “A Vinland Saga: The Norse 

in America—Fact, Fantasy, and 

Wishful Thinking.” 

Steve Maddock: No new replacement 

body parts this year, only 

carpal tunnel and trigger finger 

repairs. We do seem to wear out 

these days. This fall Margot and I 

took a river trip from Moscow to 

St. Petersburg, with three days in 

each city. Russia is one of the few 

countries that is losing population 

and it worries that vast country. 

Russians almost never smile, 

but they love to tell jokes about 

their leadership and many are very 

critical of Putin’s latest plan to 

take over the presidency again. 

Skiing, both alpine and nordic, 

and hiking are weekly events for 

us here in northern NH, as well 

as my attempts to keep up our old 

1812 house. Spring maple sugaring 

is another of our activities along 

with Margot’s beekeeping and 

vegetable production. All in all, 

life is good! 

Harriet Robey Myers: I really have 

no news, particularly in the middle 

of winter. Nothing much goes on 

here and we don’t go south as so 

many of our friends do. Life is 

so daily. Happy New Year. 

Steve Ostrow: Your annual call for 

news has made me realize how 

diminished my accomplishments 

have become over time. Even 

though I think of myself as one 

who “drinks life to the leas,” sipping 

a cup of good, strong coffee, 

sitting in the sun on our enclosed 

balcony and reading rather than 

making history, seems a more 

apt image these days. True, I 

am “training for my 80s” (which 

begin in May), with strenuous 

sessions on the treadmill and more 

reasonable workouts with free 

weights and core exercises. But 

even here, the truth may be that 

I am training for my next nuclear 

stress test (my quintuple bypass is 

now seven years in the past). All 

this is another way of saying “not 

much has changed.” Our travel 

was curtailed this year. We did 

spend a wonderful week on Duck 

Key with our daughter Michele 

and granddaughter Esme (then 

age 4), using spring break (Misha 

works as librarian at University 

of Texas, Austin) for the family 

to be together. Parenthetically, 

“Esme” comes from the old 

French for “Aimée,” not from that 

wonderful heroine in Salinger’s 

magnificently crafted short story. 

A trip to Sicily was canceled when 

my wife Claudine inexplicably 

developed lymphedema in her left 

arm, five years after her surgery 

for Merkel Cell Carcinoma, with 

but one lymph node removed 

at that time. We are booked for 

the Benelux countries next spring. 

Finally, there was our annual 

trip to Portland, OR to attend 

the Distinguished Visitor in the 

Arts program that was endowed 

at Reed College in my honor 

and has been bringing artists, art 

historians, and critics to campus 

since 1997. The “Why me? Why 

there?” is a long story. I am still 

raising funds for the Leukemia and 

Lymphoma Society in the context 

of the Annapolis Leukemia Cup 

Regatta (our son, Alan, died of 

CML in 1984). The long drive 

to Annapolis, on the Beltway and 

during rush hour, with the return 

trip at night, has led me to resign 

from the steering committee after 

ten years, although I remain in 

close contact with the executive 

director of the Maryland chapter, 

and so have an outlet for my 

input. I am in discussions with the 

curator of old master drawings at 

the National Gallery of Art about 

doing volunteer curatorial work 

there, which I hope will come 

to a successful conclusion in the 

coming weeks. This will give me 

the opportunity to continue to 

do “things art historical,” with 

special reference to researching 

for the curatorial files. Further, 

I look forward to reconnecting 

with the social interaction of 

the workplace. 

We are now settled into and 

enjoying apartment life in this 

retirement community. The 

apartment is wonderful: spacious, 

gracious, and livable. In spite of 

my Putney-instilled manual work 

ethic, it is nice to have such tasks 

as snow shoveling taken care of 

by others. Such amenities as the 

gym are close by and much used. 

I still find the lack of chronological 

diversity disturbing, although 

living among the elderly (and 

what am I?) does teach patience 

and understanding. This is a most 

neighborly community and we 

have some warm and fascinating 

neighbors. I am now on my 

condo’s buildings and grounds 

committee, since the building and 


its many systems is where trouble 

lies in wait in this 25-year-old high 

rise. It is an interesting learning 

experience (ask me about the 

then-standard practice of adding a 

sodium-based chemical to cement 

to make it cure faster in cold 

weather), and it is nice to be 

somewhat useful. 

I did little sailing this past summer, 

since it is hard to find crew during 

the week and I no longer am 

secure sailing the J-80 (26 foot 

sloop) alone. I did make much 

use of a TwinVee 19 powerboat 

that the Sailing Club put at my 

disposal, taking advantage of its 

shallow draft to explore some of 

the many creeks and bays that 

branch off Chesapeake Bay. There 

is great beauty to be found there. 

Of course motoring is not sailing, 

since it has none of its challenges 

and beauty, and the prime mover 

is the destination rather than the 

voyage. And then there is the 

noise! But being a sailor at heart, 

I motored at about 7 knots, a nice 

pace for a sailor, although the 

TwinVee 19 had a cruising speed 

of 30 knots. 

I will not list the books I have 

read except to say that my current 

addiction is ancient history of 

the Near East. I’m now reading a 

history of Alexandria, my wife’s 

once-upon-a-time home town. I 

wish all of you a happy, healthy, 

creative, fulfilling, and prosperous 

(why not?) 2012, filled with 

wonderful surprises. 

Margot Sproul Shaw: The best news 

of the year was the visit I had 

in September from Judy and Al 

Hudson, and Phyllis and Jerry ’49 

Ingersoll. It was two action-packed 

days of blackberry picking, kayaking, 

whale watching, scenery 

viewing, “mountain” climbing, 

historical museum visiting, freshcaught 

Dungeness crab feasting, 

and general enjoyment of old 

friends. Though the group bridged 

the 80 mark in age, it was good 

to know we could keep up the 

pace! I’d love visits from others, 

any time. Orcas Island is a place 

where, if you’re not careful, you 

get involved. I have. I’ve stayed 

active with my photography and 

singing. For the last few years 

we’ve been monitoring the health 

of the inter-tidal species, birds, 

and plants on the small island 

just off our commercial hub of 

Eastsound. It’s easy, here, to be 

sensitive to the destruction that 

human activity can have on the 

ecosystem, particularly the disruption 

of our watershed: the process 

of rain passing onto and into the 

land and eventually finding its way 

to the salt water, and the effect 

the salt water’s composition has 

on all marine life. Former Putney 

director Sven Huseby’s documentary 

A Sea Change talks to the 

acidification of our oceans, and is 

worth viewing. 

Mariquita Villard Vitzthum: I’ve 

beaten Al Hudson to the “golden” 

cane, even if he is older than I am. 

The high point of 2011 for me 

was my third (and probably last) 

trip to Japan. I went with a group 

called Journeys East, which, after 

27 years, has now disbanded, so I 

was really lucky to be one of the 

12 included in this one (all of us 

having traveled previously with 

them). It was called “From Seaside 

to Riverside,” and included a visit 

to the Benesse Art Installations 

on an island in the Inland Sea, 

visiting the studio of a “National 

Treasure” potter on the southern 

island of Kyushu, and many more 

fascinating and off-the-beaten 

track adventures, finishing up at 

the northern tip of Honshu, the 

main island. At home, I took 

advantage of a matching state/ 

town grant, and had a lot of energy 

efficiency work done on my 

house, which turned into a much 

bigger and more disruptive project 

than I’d bargained for. Let’s hope 

it will make a positive difference 

to this 210-year old house! In 

May I’ll be having a hip replacement—will 

I be the first in our 

class, or have others gone before? 

I look forward to being able to 

walk more or less normally again, 

though doubtless trekking is now 

a happy memory. I will, however, 

be going to a family reunion in 

France in September. 

51 

Agent: Pat Colt 

Secretaries: Anne Carpenter Robertson 

1736 Alameda de las Pulgas 

Redwood City, CA 94061 

650-368-1541 

anne2bruce@aol.com 

Nancy Nomland Bernhardt 

325 Dale Crescent 

Waterloo, Ontario N2J 3Y6 

Canada 

519-884-1850 

nancybernhardt@aol.com 

Peter Castle: As I approach 80, 

everything that I have done seems 

increasingly surprising. So I write 

poetry to try and anchor myself, 

as well as to find out what I 

think. Ellen once observed to me 

that Bach makes arguments in his 

music. This eventually led to the 

following poem about the central 

musical influence at Putney: 

On Bach 

With Bach, it is always the center 

Every melody, every fugue, 

every variation 

Affirms that the center exists 

And will hold through thick and thin 

Through bold and beautiful inventions, 

And all majestic or subtle surprises. 

The argument is always for this center 

Not simply a matter of belief, 

but of logic, 

Along with the displays of hope, 

passion, and grief. 

Mel Dorr: The past three years 

illustrate the dismal consequences 

when this great nation lacks 

competent leadership. While we 

can survive the results of 

having elected probably the most 

inept and inappropriate president 

and members of congress in this 

nation’s history, we cannot, in the 

long term, endure endless repetition 

of the same ill-informed 

mistakes. We are fortunate to 

have a most able and competent 

educator in Putney’s Emily Jones. 

Give her the appropriate support 

and guidance she needs to make 

Putney a national leader by providing 

the right kind of education 

so the kids, when they become 

productive citizens, will make the 

right choices. She cannot do it 

alone. (DORRAV@aol.com) 

Bob Platt: My wife Bodil and I are 

both retired; she from nursing, 

I after 50 years of law. We both 

play a lot of tennis, and I am still 

singing in a chorus. We just finished 

a concert featuring Gabrielli, 

Bach, Mozart, and Randall 

Thompson; in the spring we will 

be doing Haydn’s Creation, one 

chorus of which, “The Heavens 

are Telling,” was a regular feature 

of Friday night singing at Putney. 

I am in regular touch with Peter 

Pratt and Pat Colt, both of whom 

are doing well. We all worry 

about the future of the world, but 

I tend to think our grandchildren 

are so smart they will take care of 

it. (bobnbodil@comcast.net) 

Binney Carpenter Robertson: We 

are concentrating on helping a 

grandson, Luke, who is good in 

math and physics to find a college 

we can afford, as his parents 

are unemployed. His grandfather 

you know as Ted Matthes. 

(anne2bruce@aol.com) 


52 

Agent: Nate Chaffin 


BEYOND THE 50TH 

REUNION MEMORY BOOK, 

submitted by Justin Biddle and 

his classmates: 

Justin Biddle: Ten years. It felt like 

a long time in 1952; seemingly 

much shorter today but still filled 

with important events. Two more 

grandchildren; another boy, now 

five, and at long last, a vivacious, 

feminine, charmer of three and 

one-half (a delight for my wife, 

Dorothy, to shop for). The three 

older boys are 10, 12, and 17. All 

five are developing into very different 

and interesting people. The 

oldest will graduate from high 

school on June 8 and we hope 

to gather the 11 of us in North 

Carolina for that. Unfortunately, 

this will probably prevent Dorothy 

from coming to the Reunion and 

will limit my presence—we hope 

the 10-year-old will be able to 

stay over to get to know his two 

older cousins. Yes, in 2005, after 

47 years in L.A., I quit working 

for The Aerospace Corporation (I 

had retired formally in 1996 but 

continued casually on previous 

projects). We “took our money 

and ran,” moving to a house in the 

woods near our daughter’s home 

in Hillsborough, NC. Our son’s 

family is in the Bay Area so we 

get plenty of frequent flyer miles. 

That “liberating” move allowed 

us to expand on our non-grandkid-related 

travel—there’s a stack 

of Shutterfly albums as evidence. 

One is from a tour of Russia 

in 2008 shortly after our 50th 

anniversary. I took Russian at 

Putney from Olga, Stepha (twice), 

and Valka; as a future engineer I 

thought the language might be 

useful. Prevented by security constraints 

while employed, I really 

wanted to go see what I had 

heard and read about. If you ever 

go, begin your trip with Kiev. 

Russia’s written language, religion, 

and pre-communist political system 

all started in Kiev. Our most 

recent trip was to Turkey, in 

part to see some of the ruins 

Geoffrey Bret Harte described in 

9th grade Ancient History. We 

hiked through the various cities of 

Troy and the capitol of the Hittite 

kingdom, plus some of the best 

Roman ruins around. The people 

are very friendly, Istanbul is a truly 

exotic city, the cave communities 

of Cappadocia are fascinating, the 

food is delicious and nutritious 

providing you go easy on the 

honeycomb available at meals in 

many hotels, the countryside picturesque—a 

delight for someone 

who sees it through a view-finder, 

and it is all quite safe. As a “bucket-list” 

item, Turkey should be a 

must. This has run on and contains 

a sentence that would have given 

Al and Ray fits. So be it. I hope 

to see many of you in June. 

(dorothyandjustin1@mac.com) 

Evan Birks: I’m still living in 

White Plains, NY, with my wife, 

Elizabeth, who retired six years 

ago after 30 years at IBM. I am 

semi-retired, working as chair of a 

charitable foundation in Montreal, 

which I visit roughly a week 

a month and then carry on by 

phone and internet from wherever. 

We own multiple timeshares 

in Williamsburg, VA and Mexico, 

which we visit with friends or 

family quite regularly, or trade 

for spots in other locations from 

Hawaii to Budapest, and we love 

to travel—this year to India. My 

kids are in Ontario and Missouri, 

so we visit there too; my only 

grandchild is autistic so not a candidate 

for Putney. In her IBM days, 

Elizabeth traveled extensively, 

so she has friends all over the 

world, as do I from years of consulting, 

so we are blessed with 

visitors from all over. Also, sooner 

or later everybody passes through 

New York. We attended the 

Putney Class of ’52 50 th reunion 

and hope to make this year’s 

60 th . (birkseg@kurthbirks.com or 

914-761-7792) 

44 Putney post www.putneyschool.org/post password: elmsaver 

Lucia Mulliken Heard: I’m busy with 

many activities: theater, painting, 

exercise, reading, socializing, and 

more! All is well here, and I 

would welcome calls and news. 

(luciaheard@verizon.net) 

Tim Hersey: I’m still alive and 

kicking, although I had a couple 

of setbacks, a stroke and back 

surgery that left me using a walker 

to get around, but I still do 

my woodworking, You can see my 

stuff on Etsy.com under the name 

Craftnwood. I’m still married to 

Jeanne. We’ve been together 53 

years. It’s just us old folks and the 

two dogs, our Shelties Sami and 

Molly. (ccod@sbcglobal.net) 

Doug Hill: I don’t know if it’s an 

omen, but a year after our 50 th I 

had heart bypass surgery. Happily, 

it has enabled me to live an active 

life. Marge and I have been a part 

of three three-generation family 

trips to Europe. A fourth with 

travelers ages 14–85 is planned for 

June. I continue to cross-country 

ski in Colorado and enjoy August 

on Deer Isle, ME. My interest in 

poetry continues. I’ve published a 

chap book and participate in poetry 

workshops. I enjoy learning in 

retirement classes and belong to 

tennis and kayaking groups. I 

always look forward to visits with 

Pat Baker ’52 on trips to Maine. 

(Dhxctry@aol.com) 

Beth Rosegrant Muskat: I do thank 

Justin Biddle for taking on the secretary’s 

job. I send sincere thanks 

to all who donated to the Putney 

General Store rebuilding project. 

Members of our class donated 

more than $1,700. The store 

re-opened in early December, 

and even if there’s no pot-bellied 

wood stove and a barrel to sit 

on, it is still a marvel. If Putney 

has been labelled (by the Putney 

Historical Society) “The World’s 

Best Known Little Town,” then 

the new general store should be 

called “The World’s Biggest Little 

Store.” I hope those who come 

to the reunion will visit. Come 

hungry as Ming, the proprietor, 

has excellent Chinese take-out. 

(valhead@myfairpoint.net) 

Lisa Dodd Nicholson: The past 

decade has been a mixture of both 

change and continuity for me. 

The biggest personal change was 

adjusting to the dimensions of my 

life after the death of my beloved 

husband Desmond in 2006, after 

49 years of marriage. He had had 

a debilitating blood condition for 

about ten years, so in the end I 

could only welcome his release 

from his failing physical body and 

hope that he has moved on to 

explore other realms. We had a 

remarkable journey here together, 

for which I am thankful, and now 

it’s up to me to make the most of 

what the universe has in store for 

me ahead. 

I guess my main pleasure during 

these years has been watching with 

pride and fascination as our grandchildren 

mature. Four of them 

have now graduated from Putney: 

Kelsey is running an 82-foot yacht 

with her fiancé Shaun after graduating 

from Wellesley; Lia graduated 

from Scripps, spent nearly two 

years in Antigua running the 

Environmental Awareness Group 

and now is planning to start a 

master’s program in environmental 

policy at Columbia in June; 

Kai is continuing to pursue his 

ornithological passion and has just 

set out to spend time in Chile and 

Argentina; and just now Marley is 

working here in Antigua during 

his “gap year” before going to 

college in NC. Lia’s two brothers 

are both accomplished sailors, 

working on yachts. That leaves 

my three youngest, ranging in age 

from nearly 15 to 10, who are 

busy in school here in Antigua. Of 

course none of them could have 

achieved what they have without 

their parents, who have also been 

a wonderful support and source 

of pride to me over the years, 

so I salute my three wonderful 

daughters and their spouses. 

As for continuity in this world 

of change, I still live in the same 

house Desmond and I built in 

1957, and have now become the 

owner of the wonderful old family 

house in Cornwall, CT that I 

grew up in and inherited from my

mother when she died in 2000. So 

far I am fortunate enough to be 

able to spend most of the year in 

Antigua, and about four months in 

the summer in Connecticut, living 

right next door to my sister Roxana 

Dodd Laughlin ’54. I had some business 

and health challenges to cope 

with after Desmond died, but 

those are pretty well resolved, 

and life is good! I enjoy living 

life more slowly and taking time 

to appreciate the beauty of the 

physical world around me, as well 

as doing assorted volunteer activities. 

I am concerned about the 

political, social, environmental, 

and economic woes that abound, 

but at least do my best to lead my 

own life in a caring and compassionate 

way, ever hopeful that the 

“ripple effect” of goodness in the 

world will eventually prevail. I am 

thankful for all that Putney did 

to nurture many of the values I 

still hold dear, and look forward 

to coming back and being on 

that familiar Vermont hilltop and 

seeing old friends again in June. 

(nicholsond@candw.ag) 

Sally Winslow Thacher: My progeny 

keep me on my toes, and I have 

14 grandchildren (mostly grown) 

and two great-granddaughters. I 

like the “Occupy” breath of fresh 

air, so I am involved with them on 

Cape Cod where we are attending 

to the foreclosure epidemic. My 

husband Ben and I are in good 

health, albeit a little foggy in 

the head, and we’re having fun. 

The best thing about getting 

seriously old is that you have 

a ready excuse for being stupid 

and forgetful. Thanks for keeping 

track of the straying sheep, Justin. 

(benthacher@hotmail.com) 

Mary Wakeman: Oh, wow, what 

have I been doing since 2002, you 

ask? They may be the happiest 

years of my life so far! My daughter 

Nyaradzo (from Zimbabwe) married 

her sweetheart in Zimbabwe, 

came back and finished her B.A. 

in math education and took a 

job teaching high school so her 

husband (Lindo) could come as a 

dependent on her work permit. 

He arrived November 5, 2005 

and I heaved a deep sigh of relief! 

Whatever happens, they have each 

other. When neighbors moved 

away we bought their house and 

rented it for two years. Nyari and 

Lindo moved in in 2008 and had 

a baby boy (Rukudzo) in 2009, 

so now I have a two-year-old 

playmate living right next door! 

He is, of course, the love of my 

life. We are planning to go as a 

family to Zimbabwe for a month 

this summer. My Cambodian 

family is all grown up now, the 

youngest having married and produced 

a charming girl; the middle 

boy received his B.S. in electrical 

engineering in December. Last 

year I traveled (with Overseas 

Adventure Travel) to Vietnam, 

Cambodia, and Laos to learn 

about where my extended family 

came from, and went on a bike 

and barge trip in the Netherlands 

with friends who were returning 

to commemorate the lost 

lives of Jewish schoolmates who 

had attended the first Montessori 

school in Amsterdam during 

WWII. Otherwise, I’m busy with 

my little church, a small singing 

group, playing chamber music, 

walking four miles in the woods 

every other day, working with 

others on undoing racism, and 

hanging out with the Occupy 

people. The process at General 

Assemblies is truly transformational, 

inspiring hope, spawning 

all sorts of working groups. Lots 

of fresh new energy! I love it. 

(mkwakeman@triad.rr.com) 

Clare Hayden White: Justin is so 

right when he says we coalesced 

for four years and then spun off 

in many different directions. I 

have kept up with a few members 

of our class: Sue McIntosh 

Lloyd, Lisa Dodd Nicholson, Gus 

Trowbridge and his wife Marty ’57. 

It was Gus who, at the Brown 

freshman dance, introduced me 

to my husband of fifty-six years. 

Steve and Gus were roommates. 

Steve retired from teaching three 

years ago and we have, for the 

most part, enjoyed being “free at 

last.” Our two older grandsons 

are at Bowdoin and Worcester 

Polytechnical Institute. The older 

is declaring a major in neuroscience, 

which utterly confounds me, 

and the WPI grandson received, 

for Christmas, Seth Lloyd’s (son 

of Sue MacIntosh Lloyd) book 

Programming the Universe, from 

which he occasionally emerges. 

Funny how life continues to crisscross 

on its many paths. I am not 

sure I will make our 60th. I would 

rather remember us as young, 

engaged in life, ready-to-launch 

53 

kids. (cwbear1@gmail.com) 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Steve Addiss 

3040 Middlewood Road 

Midlothian, VA 23113 

804-320-8721 

Cell: 703-320-8721 

54 

saddiss@richmond.edu 

Agent: Needed 


55 

Agent: Needed 

56 

Secretary: Henry Harrison 

10104 Tuckahoe Road 

Denton, MD 21629 

henry@hhh3.net 

231-499-4189 

Agent: Needed 


57 

5440 Eastlake Boulevard 

58 

59 

Agents: Nick Davis and Betty Eldridge 

Secretary: Muffy Greil Vhay 

Carson City, NV 89704 

775-882-3643 

dandmvhay@aol.com 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Bill Hicks 

Agent: Lucy Barber Stroock 

Secretary: Lee Johnson Miller 

128 Brittany Drive 

Chalfont, PA 19814 

215-822-0629 

milleralee@comcast.net 

Joyce Richardson: I made a donation 

to a chamber group in honor of 

Norwood and Cornelia Hinkle. 

Other than my “audition” for 

madrigals, I never had personal 

contact with them. They are still 

two of the most important people 

in my life. This fall, I took up 

the tuba with New Horizons, an 

organization for musicians over 

60 

the age of 50. 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Rob DeWolfe 

sawasdeerob@gmail.com 


61 

Agents: David Doskow 

and Steve Heyneman 

Secretary: Ethan Cliffton 

62 Montell Street 

Oakland, CA 94611 

415-398-0212 

monoptecfsd@monoptec.com 

Sophia Van Arsdale Brooks: Our 50 th 

reunion was fun and heartwarming. 

Being now from the south 

I did not come prepared for the 

cold and wet! 

David Doskow: All is well with the 

Doskows. I cannot speak for the 

rest of the world. I guess that is 

obvious. My wife and I continue 

to run our manufacturing business, 

something that becomes increasingly 

difficult in this country. 

But that is a topic for a later time. 

We’re very lucky. We can do 

things we like to do and don’t 

have to do things we don’t like 

to do; but we can if we choose 

to. I guess that comes with getting 

older. So what we do is go 

to theater (live and film), read (all 

sorts of stuff), golf (not too well), 

work, and enjoy family. I am 

always following politics but can’t 

stand the cast of characters of any 

party. I believe the only answer is 

total public financing, kind of a 

single-payer system like we need 

for healthcare. I wish all of you 

the best. See you at our 55th. 

(david@doskow.com) 

Ralph Mendershausen: We are well 

and very active. The grandbabies 

are moving from central Florida 

to Seattle, which has to be good 

for everybody. Yoga helps me 

relax the mind, and we continue 

to have fun making pots. 

(ralphr@sti.net) 

62 

Agent: Nick Macdonald 

Secretary: Nick Wolfson 

179 W. 79 th Street, Apt. 6A 

New York, NY 10024 

212-873-0613 

nw@nicholaswolfson.com 

Judy Crockett: This year saw a 

huge amount of travel for me, 

some sadness, lots of food, the 

start of a micro business, and a 

blog. Boy I love that travel! First, 

off to Massachusetts in January 

for my nephew Jack’s wedding, 

complete with lots and lots of 

snow and a visit to New York 

and DC. I boogied down so much 

at the wedding party that I did 

something weird to my good knee 

(isn’t it a sign of age to have 

“good” and “bad” knees?) and 

had to hobble to the table and sit 

for the rest of the night and the 

next day. So shaming, that didn’t 

used to happen. That adventure 

was followed by a super reunion 

of the legislative office of the 

ACLU class of 1992 in DC. I had 

forgotten how funny and smart 

everyone is, and still filled with 

passion for their work. I felt like 

the country mouse in that crowd. 

People I knew as cute little interns 

were now all grown up and running 

things. It was the best. Next 

there was the tsunami alert on my 

birthday while Mike and I were 

camping at the beach. That was a 

thrill. Nothing like having people 

banging on the door of your 

campervan at 5:00 a.m. and then 

finding that your partner likes to 

take the slow and steady approach 

to fleeing, complete with coffee. 

I mean, I didn’t even change out 

of my jammies until we were 40 

miles away and here he is flossing 

his teeth (figuratively). My 

daughter Anne and her husband 

Brett and daughter Zella (4) were 

going to Chile and Argentina in 

late spring with students for two 

weeks. Of course, I had to invite 

myself along as nanny. But since 

I am retired (yay!) I could go for 

seven weeks instead of two. So 

I went to Brazil for two weeks, 


Chile for one, and Argentina for 

three. It was great and could be a 

letter in itself. I’m so glad I rented 

apartments and saw Salvador, 

Ouro Preto and Iguazu Falls, and 

couch-surfed. As part of the preparation 

for the trip I connected 

with a completely new group of 

people in a way I can highly 

recommend—Meetups. With the 

Spanish especially, I met a very 

fun and congenial group of people 

that I continue to see every week 

over coffee and pastries at one of 

my favorite bakeries, Fleur de Lis. 

And my Spanish is getting better. 

In the summer a friend sent 

me an article about Airbnb.com 

which is an internet B&B service 

that helps you rent out a room 

in your house or apartment on a 

temporary basis. Of course I loved 

the idea of my house working for 

me instead of just being a money 

sink, and I already rent the place 

out when I’m on vacation. Plus 

I’m a show-off cook. What could 

be bad? So now I have a tiny B&B 

in my guest bedroom. The extra 

money is plowed right back into 

the house. I’ve had lots of interesting 

guests. On a humbling note, I 

found that my recent Australian 

girl guests had described my place 

before they got here as “nice old 

lady with a cat.” Say it isn’t so! 

Check me out at http://www. 

airbnb.com/rooms/182465. Every 

time I get back from a long trip 

I swear I never want to go away 

again. And then a week later I’m 

up for the idea. Mike is in love 

with his ’68 Volvo wagon and this 

fall I horned in on a planned trip 

around the U.S. to celebrate his 

(interminable) installation of a new 

engine. We were just going to go 

to Kansas, Arkansas, New Orleans 

and back through the southwest. 

But when we got to Kansas 

my sweet niece Emmy died in 

Massachusetts after a really long 

bout with brain cancer. So I flew 

to Massachusetts and we extended 

the trip to the eastern seaboard, 

New York, and DC. We did 

get to see quite a few old Volvo 

repair shops along the way, closely 

escaped hitting a Massachusetts 

driver, and got to hang out with 

my son Jonathan and his new wife 

Jess before they left their Brooklyn 

apartment for Richmond, VA. I 

must say that the Grand Canyon in 

winter is fabulous and the eastern 

Sierras of California breathtaking. 

I could fill this letter with photos. 

I continue to cook, sing, hike 

and want you to visit. Thinking 

about going east for the reunion. 

Hope you are warm and happy. 

(jucycrow@gmail.com) 

James Greil: Although I retired 

from Cal Pol University in 1996, 

I’m still working as a consultant, 

fertilizer/pesticide salesman, 

and hay farmer, with no 

plans to quit any time soon. 

(jimgreil@clearwire.net) 

Jane Sherman: In January 2011, 

I received my MFA in creative 

writing from Fairfield University. 

I’m now working with an editor 

on my completed memoir. In 

February, a condensation of chapter 

one from the book will be in 

the eight magazines that are part 

of the Weston Magazine Group. 

Since we sold the family-owned 

aerospace manufacturing company 

in 2006, I’ve been managing the 

five commercial buildings that we 

didn’t sell, dealing with six tenants. 

Maury Hill and I have been 

happily together for three and a 

half years now and life is good. 

My son and daughter (and her 

family, including my nine-yearold 

grandson) live nearby. My 

father is very well and still lives in 

the house in which I grew up. He 

continues to enjoy and drive his 

Bugattis and other beautiful cars. 

I’m finally off the board of trustees 

for the Unitarian Church, but still 

sing in three choirs. Recently I’ve 

become active with the Westport 

Historical Society as well as Rotary. 

I know that I’ve packed too many 

stimulating things to do in my free 

time but each one is meaningful 

and I’m enjoying everything. 

(janesherman@optonline.net) 

Peter Watson: Greetings to everyone 

with Putney in their brain. 

We are all fine here. Forrest, 

age 21, just went off to New 

Zealand to motorcycle around the

Nick Wolfson ’62’s work 

was recently exhibited 

at the Andre Zarre 

Gallery in New York City. 

southern island for a month or 

so. Holly is working as deputy 

historian for Livingston County, 

NY. My wife Clara is planning a 

large renovation of our kitchen, 

“back room,” and woodshed. I 

am logging our property woodlot 

to get the logs for a timber frame 

structure for this renovation. The 

tear-down and rebuild is scheduled 

for June 2012. The chickens, 

horses and cats are happy. Get in 

touch—5325 Barber Rd. Avon, 

NY 14414 (malabar7art@yahoo. 

com or 585-226-6874) 

Nick Wolfson: I’ve been dividing 

my time between New York City 

and Rincon, Puerto Rico (“El 

Pueblo de los Bellos Atardeceres— 

The Town of Beautiful Sunsets”), 

with side-trips to all sorts of places 

around the world. The winter 

weather in Puerto Rico is great, 

the surf is up, and you’d never 

know it’s Christmas if not for 

the amazing constellations of flashing 

red and green lights adorning 

every other house in the neighborhood, 

and the weird late-night 

parades through the neighborhood 

of booming sound trucks, 

with live Santas HO!HO!HO!-ing 

in back. This autumn I visited 

Zuccatti Square (Occupy Wall 

Street) with John George, I gave 

the keynote presentation at an 

international human resources 

conference in Taiwan, and I’ve 

been getting ready for a show of 

my paintings at a Chelsea gallery 

in NYC that will run from January 

30 to February 25 at the Andre 

Zarre Gallery. I note that Chris 

Leonard left his home on Long 

Island, NY, to escape the potential 

ravages of Hurricane Irene as 

it worked its way north. He took 

refuge in Cavendish, VT! And the 

rest, if you were following the 

63 

news, is history! 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Pamela Hazel 

1033 Jennings Rd 

Statesville, NC 28625-9510 

704-876-2200 

psimon45@gmail.com 

Diana Gittins and Debbie Goldyne 

Sperry spent time together 

in New Enlgand last fall, and 

their trip included a walk 

around Putney’s campus, visiting 

their favorite Putney stomping 

grounds and reminiscing 

about their time here together. 

(dianagittins@gmail.com) 

Diana Forbes McPhail: This has 

been a year of weddings for me. 

My son Edward was married on 

Naushon Island in September, and 

my niece Judith was married in 

Scotland in October. Bruce and 

I enjoyed a trip to Vietnam last 

spring. (di.droste@gmail.com) 

Jock Gill as a young boy, 

outside of White Cottage, 

where he lived 

with his family 

Diana Gittins ’63 and 

Debbie Goldyne Sperry ’63 

outside of the Art Barn 

on Putney’s campus 

Milton Quigless: After four years 

with the Air Force (Civil Service) 

at Yokota Air Base in Japan, I 

am now working for the Army 

at Fort Eustis in Newport News, 

VA. I am still a general surgeon 

and going strong at age 66! It was 

very nice to have Thanksgiving 

Dinner with Victor Lewis ’73 and 

his family. Victor is an M.D., and 

another black Putney grad who 

happens to live just 40 miles from 

me. I will be happy to meet any 

more Putney people who live in 

the Virginia Tidewater area. I plan 

to attend the Reunion in June 

2012. (miltonquigless@aol.com or 

64 

252-219-6386) 

Agent: Needed 


Gael Rockwell Minton: A highlight 

of our summer was having 

Dan Grace ’60 fly in to Jackson 

Hole, WY, for breakfast with Ty 

and me, our daughter Bronwyn 

and grandson Odin, age two. 

(sbfarm03@gmail.com) 

David Shelton: It was a great year 

for us. We became grandparents 

when our second daughter gave 

birth to her son, Grayden David 

Morgan. Our other daughter is 

also expecting a child this April. 

It’s great fun for us. We also did 

a five-week road trip to Alaska 

with our truck/camper, where 

we saw fabulous wildlife, glaciers, 

people, and fresh fish. Our lives 

are good as is our health. Come to 

Colorado and visit us. (shelton@ 

sheltonenvironmental.net) 

Nancy Perelman Sondow: James 

Sondow, my elder son, married 

Lisa in Saint Petersberg, Russia, 

this summer and this fall. I went 

65 

to the second marriage in the fall. 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Nancy Jeanne Peacock 

PO Box 47346 

Seattle, WA 98146 

206-242-8884 

steviepeacock@gmail.com 

Lydia Davis: I’m continuing to 

write and translate—now from 

Dutch, which is a new language 

for me. I read recently in New 

York City with Eliot Weinberger 

’66 at the always-crowded KGB 

Bar on the lower east side. It 

was great fun! Best wishes to all. 

66 

(cote@bard.edu) 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Seth Bates 

501 Valenzuela Road 

Carmel, CA 93923 

408-373-0430 

sbates@sjsu.com 

Susel Merton Fagan: I am still working 

around the world with my 

brilliant husband, Dr. John Fagan, 

to restore the sustainability of the 

food system, which is the cornerstone 

for global sustainability. 

Every day we realize more deeply 

that true sustainability starts with 

the individual. Transformation of 

the level of misinformation and 

knowledge is a small piece of 

the equation. I’m working on 

the fundamental level of development 

of consciousness to bring 

into harmony with all the laws of 

nature; this is true sustainability 

in our experience, on whichever 


continent or in whatever culture 

we’re working. The most powerful 

transformative influence is 

transcending, and the tool we 

continue to use is Maharishi’s 

67 

transcendental meditation. 

Agent: Needed 

Secretaries: Molly Scoville Fitzmaurice 

5032 Glenbrook Terrace, NW 

Washington, D.C. 20016 

202-363-8103 

msfitzm@aol.com 

Jonathan Schlefer 

80 Sheridan Street 

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 

617-524-9104 

schlefer@alum.mit.edu 

Sarah Cooper-Ellis: The big change 

in my life this year is that I’ve 

retired from teaching and have 

been swept up in my brother 

Peter Cooper-Ellis ’72’s new maple 

syrup store and internet business. 

Stop by the store if you’re in 

Putney. It’s in an amazing rebuilt 

barn at 162 Westminster Road. 

Our grand store opening featured 

a visit from Governor Peter 

Shumlin, the Stockwell Brothers 

band, and catering by Terri Ziter. 

Several alumni attended. My sister 

Catherine Cooper-Ellis ’65, my two 

sons, and various nieces and nephews 

(Andrew Parker Cooper-Ellis ‘11 

and Jon Cooper-Ellis ‘07) are also 

involved in the business. It is a 

rollicking good family time! We 

sell maple syrup and products at 

www.hiddenspringsmaple.com. 

(scoopere@gmail.com) 

Fred Strasser: I finally escaped the 

Jersey suburbs, fleeing the empty 

nest for a perfect townhouse on 

Capitol Hill a few blocks behind 

the dome. With the swamp this 

town is, it’s good to be on high 

ground. I’m still with Bloomberg, 

now as the Washington legal editor. 

My wife is at AARP, running 

part of its publishing wing. The 

prospects for writing well into our 

old age are excellent. Is that good? 

(fred.joel.strasser@gmail.com) 

68 

1710 Owensville Road 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Marney Lindsay Morrison 

Charlottesville, VA 22901 

434-295-6854 

marney@morsn.com 

Steven Horowitz: I have two kids 

graduating from college this year. 

When they started, we all thought 

school would be a refuge from a 

lousy job market and the world 

would be bright and shiny again 

by the time they finished. Good 

69 

planning! (shorowitz@cgsh.com) 

Agent: Daniel Martin 

Secretary: Judi Lowenburg Forman 

PO Box 1895 

Grantham, NH 03753 

603-865-2982 

Judith.L.Forman@Dartmouth.edu 

Deb Burns: I’m still enjoying my 

role as acquiring editor at Storey 

Publishing, overseeing farming 

books on everything from attracting 

native pollinators to raising ducks 

and dairy goats, from sustainable 

aquaculture to mobile slaughterhouses 

to fiber breeds. I am so 

impressed by the thriving farm at 

Putney and have donated books to 

the school library now and then. 

In a week I will leave for a threeweek 

singing adventure around 

South Africa, touring with a choir, 

a longtime dream of mine. My 

daughter Tess just graduated from 

Williams and is pursuing a theater 

career; my son lives near me in 

Massachusetts and is completing 

his second novel. I keep running 

into Putney alumni of different 

classes and generations—I must be 

doing something right! 

Steve Cartwright: I don’t feel old, 

but when I see I photo of myself, 

stand back! Here’s a pic from New 

Year’s Day 5k race in Camden 

(I ran 20:50, not a personal 

record, but not shabby either). 

It was 50 degrees, hence the 


Hawaiian shirt, and I ran barefoot. 

I’m still writing, sailing, swimming, 

running, and missing my 

son since his death at 24. A sweet 

time it was, long ago, with wife, 

son and daughter; it now seems 

so far away. 

Judi Lowenburg Forman: The foremost 

thing in my life this past year 

was that it was the second year of 

living without Michael. While my 

status as a widow is not front and 

center every moment, everything 

I do is accompanied by the awareness 

of that very profound loss 

and change in my life. And I am 

doing well, keeping good on my 

promise to live as well and fully 

as I can. In addition to my job 

at Dartmouth, where I’ve been a 

research associate at the medical 

school for, by the time you read 

this, 13 years, I have continued to 

passionately play with metal and 

attempt to sell my jewelry. I did 

so this past Harvest Festival where 

I was a vendor, and that was a real 

kick for me. It would have been 

a lot more fun if the seemingly 

gale force winds didn’t have us 

picking earrings up off the ground 

all day (smiley face). I also made a 

life-long dream come true when I 

spent my 60th birthday, which is 

on Bastille Day, in Paris. It definitely 

softened the blow (another 

smiley face). And now on to year 

three of my second chapter. 

Henry Isaacs: We’re in our fourth 

year of living on Islesford, Little 

Cranberry Island, off the Maine 

coast. The island has a year-round 

population of 65. For a brief eight 

weeks in the summer, that number 

swells to four hundred. Donna 

teaches in the island’s two-room 

school house. She has thirteen students, 

spread from kindergarten to 

eighth grade. I continue to paint, 

and to be amazed that this passion 

actually pays the bills. Three kids, 

Zoe, Simon, and Olive, now 21, 

32, and 35, are scattered around 

the globe doing good deeds. We 

see them, though getting to and 

from this island in winter months 

can be challenging. The mail boat 

runs—mostly. Simon will get 

married in Pomfret this June to 

our favorite daughter-in-law, Liza. 

We rarely get back, but still call 

Vermont “home,” and we hope 

to move back to Sharon, VT soon. 

John Mundy: I trust all is well 

with my classmates. I was back 

in the states for Christmas with 

three grown-up kids and reconnected 

after many years with 

Richie Hamburger, who now lives 

in NYC. He’s one of the greatest 

characters on earth! I’m now back 

in Denmark, and anyone coming 

through Copenhagen is welcome 

to crash at our house! (mundy@ 

science.ku.dk or +45 28754278) 

Anna Shapiro: I can’t remember 

when I last wrote in. In December 

2009, I essentially stopped commuting 

to London to stay with 

my mother in Vermont in her 

terminal stage of lung cancer. She 

died in April 2010. Judi Lowenburg 

Forman, newly widowed, angelically 

came over that very day 

to spend time with me, a 

never-to-be-forgotten gesture of 

support. I’ve spent much of the 

time since dealing with the property 

—renovating derelict gardens, 

Steve Cartwright ’69 running 

in short-sleeves, and 

barefoot (not pictured) 

on New Year’s Day, 2012

trying to care for my father’s 

artworks and studio, and, recently, 

dividing the paintings with my 

sister and trying to get them catalogued, 

not to mention free of 

mildew. My husband’s job moved 

from London to New York in 

September 2010—he now edits 

the Guardian’s op-ed page for 

their American web site. So that 

was another big upheaval, though 

a very welcome one. I only miss 

my English roses, last glimpsed in 

July 2010 and no doubt sprawling, 

but I will find some that can 

grow in Vermont. Our adolescent 

twins opted for boarding schools 

in England (scholarship!) but are 

getting to like New York on visits. 

I’ve taken up private editing, or 

book-doctoring. It is very gratifying 

when I can help someone 

improve a work, and a relief to be 

making much-needed money. I’m 

not pursuing book-reviewing at 

all and I’m doing very little writing, 

but I expect that to change as 

things settle further. I went to the 

Putney Sing at St. John the Divine 

in NYC, where I saw Lucy Winner, 

Richie Hamburger, and Susan 

Scheftel—and Marnie Morrison ’68, 

or was that just in Vermont?—and 

Sonia Kelley Reese and others I just 

didn’t talk to as much. We were 

disappointed to find relatively few 

of our old favorites in the new 

Putney songbook, but I did think 

the new music director was very 

good in the way he conducted 

and actually paused to teach the 

parts. Most of the songs are much 

easier than the old ones, more like 

camp songs, but that did mean that 

when I joined a Sing at Putney at 

Harvest Festival, I was practically 

an habitué. It seems emblematic of 

the ways in which the school itself 

has changed. I think it is a kinder 

place, and in many ways closer to 

its original ideals—students growing 

the vegetables, baking bread 

for the entire school, serving in 

the kitchen, and quite devoted to 

conservation and recycling. I was 

delighted to see home-made signs 

with animals’ names in the cow 

barn —even the cows are treated 

far better than in our day, and 

quite evidently loved by students. 

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen 

such clean calves. But the school 

also seems too cushy or overbuilt, 

and I say this as one who saw little 

virtue in the puritanical discomfort 

of the old days. But I suspect this 

is just the resistance of an old curmudgeon 

to any kind of change. 

When I spoke to students, even 

they seemed nicer than in our day, 

less oppressed by the stringencies 

of being cool, willing to talk to an 

70 

old-fogey stranger. 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Tim Rieser 

1949 Calvert Street NW, Apt. D 

Washington, D.C. 20009 

202-224-7284 

Tim_Rieser@appro.senate.gov 

Jane Dickson (from a press release 

regarding her Tokyo, Japan show in 

early 2012): Continuing her longterm 

exploration of the spectacle 

of commercial entertainment 

zones, Jane Dickson presents new 

evanescent nightscapes of carnivals’ 

make-believe structures 

viewed from the top of a ferris 

wheel. Painted on a synthetic deep 

blue felt produced for convention 

booths, this series was begun at 

the peak of the economic bubble, 

reflecting the surreal zeitgeist of that 

moment’s “irrational exuberance,” 

“Coney from Above,” 

by Jane Dickson, was part 

of her recent exhibit 

in Tokyo, Japan. 

The Raynolds family 

in great number at the 

Grand Canyon 

a moment when anything that 

glittered, even if we didn’t understand 

what it was, felt irresistible, 

a time that now feels like a distant 

dream of a perfection that never 

really was. 

Linda Raynolds: It was a great 

year for my sculpture. I won the 

Premiere Platinum Award (Best 

of Show) at the Buffalo Bill Art 

Show and Sale here in Cody, 

WY, and did a two-person show 

with a painter at a small museum 

venue. On the family front, Elijah 

Cobb ’69 and I spent two weeks 

rafting to the Grand Canyon with 

my four Putney-grad siblings and 

their Putney-grad spouses and 

their kids, including a Putney-grad 

niece, Margi Dashevsky ’05. 

71 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Michael Tanner 

316 W. 79th Street, Apt. 7E 

New York, NY 10024 

212-595-4655 

maptanner@aol.com 

Su Bowerman: I moved to Naples, 

Italy a year and a half ago, and 

have not looked back! The weather 

is warm in the spring and 

autumn (and hot in the summer!), 

although the winter is woolwearing 

temperature and Mount 

Vesusius, towering above the city, 

is covered in snow. The people 

are lively, creative, and irrepressible. 

I am teaching English as an 

additional language, and meditation/yoga/breathing 

exercises 

for stress management—much 

needed in this city of chaos! My 

kids are great. Julia is in her last 

year of Sussex University doing 

a B.A. in international development 

and Spanish, and Niel is 

finishing his Ph.D. in physics 

at Oxford University. Come 

visit! (su.bowerman@gmail.com) 

Patrick Trowbridge: We are doing 

well, and I send you all warm 

wishes. The kids are growing, and 

the parents are adjusting! I’m looking 

forward to February, when 

I’ll begin sugaring in our new 

solar house. Speaking of solaring: 

putsch trivia—does anyone recall 

the name of Gary-the-herdsman’s 

72 

Holstein oxen? 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Lisa Schilit Pearson 

8 Tompkins Place 

Brooklyn, NY 11231 

718-596-9332 

lpearson@kilpatrickstockton.com 

Rebecca Black: I had a small-world 

encounter in finding Molly Gray, 

granddaughter of Mabel and Ed 

Gray (daughter of Bob ’57), grandparents 

to all of us in the class 

of ’72, among the 60 June/July 

students at the Institute de Francais 

in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France. 

(rebeccarwblack@yahoo.com ) 


Rebecca Black ’72 and 

Molly Gray, Ed and Mabel’s 

granddaughter, met 

up in France recently 

Rick Cohn: My book, Audacious 

Euphony: Chromaticism and the 

Triad’s Second Nature, was published 

recently by Oxford 

University Press (see Alumni 

Authors, page 33). It pulls together 

two decades of research on 

harmony in 19th century music. 

A tenuous Putney connection: 

Marti Straus ’73’s brother, Joe, also 

a music theorist, wrote one of the 

three blurbs on the back. I am 

living in New Haven, CT, where 

I am Battell Professor of Music 

Theory at Yale University. (richard.cohn@yale.edu) 

Jackson Gillman: At this past June 

reunion, I shared memories of 

Norwood Hinkle. There were 

a lot of alumni who remembered 

Norwood similarly, so my 

story was resonant for many. I’ll 

be returning to the International 

Storytelling Center in TN as a 

Teller-in-Residence for a week 

this spring. And I still do an annual 

stint as Rudyard-in-Residence 

at Kipling’s historic Brattleboro, 

VT home, Naulakha. I also rent 

Naulakha for the first February 

weekend each year to host my 

“Springboards for Stories” 

workshop, helping others craft 

their personal stories. www. 

jacksongillman.com has details, 

schedule, and more stories. 

Anne Meyer: All I can tell you is 

that I am still living in France in 

the Abbaye de Varennes painting 

away and studying piano. 

Dreams do come true. All those 

who crave peace and need soul 

searching are welcome to visit. 

73 

(annedevarennes@orange.fr) 

Agent: Janine Hamilton 

Secretary: Diana Krumholz 

McDonald 

104 Crofton Road 

Newton, MA 02468 

617-527-3237 

74 

dianakmcdonald@verizon.net 

Agents: Donald Chong and 

Tim Dwight 

Secretary: Debbie Smith Ameele 

7 Lakeview Avenue 

Wakefield, MA 01880 

781-245-0864 

kameele@aol.com 

Sharon McIlwaine: My kids are 

growing up! April is 15 and 

Duncan is 11. Our dogs number 

three. Andy and I are on year 

number 31. We still live in the 

wilds of Worcester, VT, on 100 

acres. Life is busy, rich, and full. 

Love to all. (shmci@earthlink.net) 

Paul Smart hosted more than 

twenty Putney students during 

their project week excursion to 

Woodstock, NY. The “Rock 

Your World” project week group 

studied music and history. Paul 

graciously took them in, and fed 

them many, many pancakes. 

students at his New York home 

75 78 

Agent: Needed 

Agent: Needed 


Secretary: John Bidwell 

76 

2334 Valley Strett 

Berkeley, CA 94702 

510-845-1005 

79 

dobrojohn@aol.com 

Agent: James Schor 


Margot Perron: I started the Van 

Cortlandt Park Conservancy in Agents: Ra Eldredge, Carolyn 

2009 (www.vcpark.org). It was Fairchild, and Mary 

terrific to have help planting here Colman St. John 

from Putneyites on the Worldwide Secretary: Andy Cohen 

Work Day last April. Let’s do it 3806 Manitou Way 

77 

again soon! (margperr@aol.com) Madison, WI 53711 

608-249-4995 

andy@athleticbusiness.com 

Eugenia Giobbi Bone: My new 

book is Mycophilia: Revelations 

Agent: Needed 

from the Weird World of Mushrooms 

Secretary: Jen Just 

(see Alumni Authors, page 34). 

157 Center Road 

(egbone@aol.com) 

Woodbridge, CT 06525 

203-389-8559 

jenjust@optonline.net 

Paul Smart ’74, with a gaggle of Putney 

Donald Campbell: Putney was a 

wonderful host to the Vermont 

Land Trust’s annual meeting this 

year. Director Emily Jones gave a 

speech that was deeply personal, 

moving, and inspiring. It was great 

eating at the KDU again and seeing 

so many good changes . . . 

along with many good things left 

the same! (dcbell@sover.net) 


80 

Agent: Jonah Maidoff 

81 


Agent: Natasha Maidoff 

Secretary: Lisa Cohen Peet 

145 Summit Place 

Bronx, NY 10463 

201-637-8581 

82 

lisapeet@optonline.com 

Agents: Anne Dillenbeck 

and Jamie Isaacs 

Secretary: Maggie Da Silva 

34 Third Place 

Brooklyn, NY 11231 

917-592-7412 

mdgs@aol.com 

Randy Barrett: It’s never a dull 

moment around our place in 

Falls Church, VA, these days. My 

daughter Grace (16) is the last 

in the nest. Caleb (20) is studying 

film at NYU. Tyson (25) is 

launched in a chef career, and 

our oldest Zack (27) continues his 

quest for self-discovery through 

protracted college studies. He’s a 

great guy and will get there. My 

wife, Kendall, continues in her 

wedding cake business, www.kendallscakes.com. 

I’ve shifted gears 

slightly and am now working as 

communications director for the 

Center for Public Integrity—a 

nonprofit that does investigative 

reporting. As the news industry 

continues its financial free fall, 

it’s pretty clear that public interest 

journalism will only survive 

through philanthropic support. 

Sad but true. Donate today! In my 

voluminous spare time I continue 

to play, teach banjo, and run the 

DC Bluegrass Union, a nonprofit 

that promotes the music through 

performance and education. We 

produce the annual DC Bluegrass 

Festival. Oh, and I took up the 

fiddle a few years ago. It’s insanely 

challenging but a wonderful diversion 

after 35 years of playing only 

eighth notes. I’m in regular touch 

with Donald Campbell ’79 and Jason 

Whiton ’83. All my best to the rest 

of you that I haven’t seen in years. 

If you’re in the DC area, give me a 

holler. (mrbarretone@gmail.com) 

Maggie Da Silva: I continue to write 

family eguidebooks, which is fun. 

I spend a lot of time on Twitter 

and Facebook and other places 

where it’s considered productive 

to waste time. Pete is now eight, 

Holly and David are five. Please 

visit when you come to town. 

I’ll be right here, in front of the 

computer. (mgds@aol.com) 

Erin Doolittle: My new job as a gardener 

has been a wonderful change 

for me. I spend all day every day 

outside planting, weeding, mulching, 

visiting nurseries, and learning. 

(saranacc11@yahoo.com) 

Chris Rogers: My wife and I are 

doing well. Last year we made 

some changes around the house 

and this year we bought a new car. 

Last year I spent too much money 

at the NYC Ballet. In January we 

went to the ballet and I got a visit 

from the Geek Squad. In February 

we went to the ballet and watched 

the Oscars. In March an 8.9 level 

earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. 

We took a friend to Washington, 

DC, and Elizabeth Taylor died. 

In April my wife and I went to 

see Kousuke Ono’s friend’s movie 

at Lincoln Center. Also in April 

I was unable to visit my aunt in 

St. Louis because the roof of the 

St. Louis airport was torn off in a 

storm. Many different interesting 

events happened last year, including 

Japan winning the women’s 

soccer world cup. My wife and I 

were also witnesses to the marriage 

of two of our Chinese friends. Last 

year Regis Philbin retired, Amy 

Winehouse said goodbye at age 

27, and Gil Scott-Heron passed 

on at 62. Count your blessings 

every day and live in the moment. 

(wildlifeforever2003@yahoo.com) 

83 

Agent: Needed 


84 

Agents: Cyane Dandridge 

and Dana Hokin 

Secretary: Phil Rutovitz 

Taununsstrasse 3 

Frankfurt 65835 

Germany 

69-680-97658 

85 

prutovitz@gmail.com 

Agent: Elizabeth Harris-Warner 

Secretary: Sarah Zevin Vela 

403 West 55½ Street 

Austin, TX 78751 

86 

sarah.vela@gmail.com 

Agent: Ben Mitchell 


Nathan Brauer: I visited a lovely 

school today with my daughter 

Esme, who is going into fifth 

grade. The tour guide looked 

at me like I was crazy when 

I asked if there were ever any 

school sings. No place like Putney. 

(nbrauer718@yahoo.com) 

87 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Elizabeth Thankful Shannon 

thankfulissima@yahoo.com 

Alicia Brelsford Dana: I have gotten 

myself back into athletic competition, 

after about eight years off 

raising my daughter. I’m handcycle 

racing and Nordic sit-skiing. 

It feels good to be training again, 

and periodically visiting the 

“subculture” of adaptive sports is 

pretty interesting. There are so 

many different stories, disabilities, 

and ways of “coping,” striving, 

adapting, and pushing through. 

Many are military vets, from 

recent wars, and the U.S. military 

supports these athletes very well; 

it’s a bit harder for us “peace-loving” 

crips, but thanks to support 

from friends, a few non-profits, 

and the amazing community of 

Putney, I am managing to get 

the equipment I need, and to 

races around the country. My 

daughter, Willa, now eight, is an 

avid reader, plays piano, skis, and 

has a wonderful sense of humor 

that keeps me smiling inside. 

(aliciabdana@gmail.com) 

Elizabeth Thankful Shannon: We’re 

having a phenomenal winter here 

in Venice, CA, so I really can’t 

complain. (Thank you, global 

warming. Tee hee.) Yes, 2012 is 

starting off on so many positive 

notes: (1) I’m in love (although 

I’m not really sure if that’s a blessing 

or a curse. LOL); (2) I have a 

couple of photography shows in 

the works and am thrilled that even 

my 8x10s are now selling in the 

triple digits (view them at www. 

facebook.com/ETSPhotography); 

(3) I have several wonderful trips 

booked (not all of them for work, 

one of which might even be to a 

certain reunion in June); (4) I got 

a significant salary upgrade from 

my day job (Regional Manager 

of Anglo American Optical, the 

London-based company that made 

all the kick-ass shades for Elton 

John in the ’70s); (5) I was asked 

to become Putney class secretary, 

so can now officially harass you all 

on a regular basis. Wink; and 6, 7, 

8, 9, 10, etc . . . health and all that 

jazz . . . The year 2011, on the 

other hand, was full of so many 

lessons, the most dreadful being 

the death of a way-too-young 

dear friend to excruciating bodyand-soul-consuming 

tumors. That 

one was taxing, yet I was given so 

much strength from her bravery, 

that I have her with me every 


step of the way. Life is fleeting, 

we know, but it really sinks in 

when someone with so much joie 

de vivre perishes without much 

warning. So I am trying harder 

and harder not to sweat the 

small stuff, and hope that talking 

about Lucia (the light that she 

is) will help spread that message. 

My biggest New Year’s resolution: 

curbing my road rage. I will 

now strive to wish the hordes of 

totally unskilled L.A. drivers much 

improvement, instead of aiming 

abusive words like 6-point ninja 

stars. I think that’s a good start . . . 

88 

(thankfulissima@yahoo.com) 

Agent: Gabe Gilligan 

Secretary: Caitlin Clancy 

31 Myrtle Street, Unit 1 

Boston, MA 02114 

617-720-1391 

cclancy@mfa.org 

Samantha Silliman Webster: I 

am living my dream in northern 

Minnesota. I just bought a 

wonderful house (including 

Finnish sauna) on ten acres. We 

are sharing it with our two kids 

and 22 furry animals, including 

three dairy goats. Come visit! 

89 

(perryandsam@yahoo.com) 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Keen Grant 

7 Hillsea Road 

Yarmouthport, MA 02675 

617-905-8065 

keen1619@gmail.com 

Submitted by Keen Grant, 

Class Secretary 

Until October rolled around, 

2011 was the very worst year on 

record for me personally, yet my 

life was enriched considerably by 

Putney people. I was honored 

when Helen Stickney ’94 reached 

out to me for support in making 

Putney a reality for her fourteenyear-old 

daughter Maude ’14, who 

entered last September with a 

boost from an outpouring from 

eager fellow alums and others in 

our extended network who value 

the opportunities long provided 

by Putney. Helen is working as 

a visiting professor of linguistics 

at the University of Pittsburgh, 

and has a brilliant daughter and 

a mountain of grad-student debt, 

and we were both thrilled to 

find enthusiasm even from grads 

in the ’80s for an opportunity to 

support both Putney and a 

promising student. 

From Ben Reed ’90 I learned he had 

completed his masters degree in arts 

education, commenced teaching 

in the Catskills, and continues his 

study of aikido. Sculptor, painter, 

master chef, and cool hand cardplayer 

Tobias Shepard ’91 took a 

stint as a private chef for Keith 

Richards last summer on the 

Vineyard. Last fall I spent Monday 

afternoons together with social 

worker and private client therapist 

Jen Saba ’90, gazing out over the 

entire Charles River basin and 

Boston skyline from her 24th floor 

flat . . . the two of us intend to 

shanghai Jason Mosley ’90 from his 

work as a restaurant man on the 

North Shore of Massachusetts. At 

Harvest Festival I had the pleasure 

of visiting with Erich Lehnartz, Zach 

Weinberg ’88, and Jared Williams ’90 

and their families and children. 

Jared Williams, his son Silas, and 

Amanda Montgomery ’95 and I 

attended a gathering hosted by 

Putney affiliate and Marlboro 

College graduate Bonnie Rovics 

in Jamaica Plain—it seems there 

is a Putney alum on every block. 

2011 was a fruitful one for ’80s 

and ’90s new parents: Goody-B 

Wiseman ’91 has returned to bronze 

casting from her home in Maine 

since her sprightly son was born. 

Jamaica Rafael ’90 and her husband 

Paul were also blessed with a son. 

Leah King ’90’s daughter arrived, 

and Adrienne Kraines Pine ’88 took 

a sabbatical from her work at 

American University and, according 

to brother Benny Kraines, 

extended it so that she could 

return to work in the District 

of Columbia with a daughter. 

Mission accomplished. Amos 

Newton ’90 and Ilana Savel ’97 

home-birthed another Newton- 

Savel Vermont wild-one to join 

Abraham. Cheryl Morgan ’91 wrote 

to tell that she and her son and 

daughter are living in Chicago and 

make regular trips to Barcelona 

to visit their in-laws. My close 

friend (brother to Lauren ’90 and 

Adrienne) Benny Kraines closed 

down his Huntington Avenue 

restaurant/artspace/and hotspot 

“The Savant Project” that served 

Putney grads well, and is plotting 

his next run. Camille Collins 

Lovell ’91 and her husband Oscar 

Estrada entered seven-year-old 

Owen into the Brimfield, MA 

school system, leaving behind 

Tegucigalpa, Honduras for a year 

while Camille contracts for a 

Waltham-based women’s health 

organization. Most importantly 

for me, Amanda Montgomery ’95 

plucked me from the deep pit 

into which I had strayed and she 

and her four-year-old son Wilder 

and I have been building momentum 

from a beachside shanty here 

on the coast, within swimming 

distance of Minot light. Amanda 

is the art director at Elizabeth 

Seton Academy, a grant-funded 

Catholic girls’ high school in 

Dorchester, MA that boasts a 99% 

placement rate into college for 

young women from underserved 

Boston neighborhoods. Through 

her role as student advisor and 

advocate she plays an instrumental 

part in accomplishing and maintaining 

that. Amanda’s brother 

Tyler ’98 and I have become close. 

Tyler works as the chief operations 

officer for a Boston company 

that among other things publishes 

Playbill. Tyler and his wife Jenny 

are raising a daughter. In January 

Sarah Foudy ’90 undertook work 

full-time with producer/director 

Lee Hirsch ’90 on his film Bully 

(see News, page 32) for the 

Weinstein Group. 

With Kate Moxham ’90 and my 

own Brooklyn running bunch we 

dropped in on the opening of Jon 

Zimmerman’s aeronautical-inspired 

architectural prints last fall—the 

fruit of his thesis work for the 

MFA program at Hunter. Kate 

completed a degree in architecture 

at Pratt recently and is in the 

process of applying to master’s 

degree programs when not sailing 

out of Fire Island with her partner 

in crime. She and I played host to 

Sarah Cowles, who continues her 

Midwestern run by doing a stint 

as visiting professor of architecture 

in St. Louis. The New York City 

Putney School Sing at St. John the 

Divine was a precious treat. There 

were a few dozen professionalquality 

singers and a cadre of 

current students leading the charge 

for a group that appeared to be 

nearly 100 in number. All agreed 

there ought to be more traveling 

Sings hosted in more cities around 

90 

the country. 

Agents: Torin Koester and 

Emily Bibbins Silas 

Secretaries: Meghan Campbell O’Toole 

megan.campbell.otoole@gmail.com 

Emily Bibbins Silas 

mizsilas@comcast.net 

Amos Newton: On August 1, 2011, 

Ilana Savel ’97 and I welcomed our 

second child, Lilian Jean Newton, 

born healthy at home. 

Rosie Weaver: The most interesting 

things in my life right now are 

my daughter, JoJo, about to turn 

six, and the monthly sexualitythemed 

reading and performance 

series I coproduce. Keep your eye 

out for BedPost Confessions—we 

have occasional touring dates! Oh, 

and my husband Dan joined an 

undead marching band. He plays 

euphonium in skeleton makeup. 

I got to spend some quality time 

with Keen Grant ’89 last fall, and 

reconfirmed my taste in high 

school crushes was not all bad. 


I’m in near daily communication 

with Sarah Jane Leitao ’91. She gets 

more beautiful every minute. She’s 

part of several singing groups, 

including Sacred Harp, Rounds, 

and a traditional Georgian choir. 

91 

(rqweaver@gmail.com) 

Agent: Needed 


92 

Agent:Needed 

Secretary: Jonathan Zurbel 

jzurbel@gmail.com 

Abby Braithwaite: 2012 finds me 

in my seventh year of marriage, 

sixth year of motherhood, fifth 

year of life on the farm, fourth 

year post-throat surgery, third year 

as a mother of two, second year 

in a new home, and first year 

as a parent of a child in public 

school. This last one leaves me 

more nostalgic for Putney than 

ever, as this kindergarten stuff 

is wacky business! But the kids 

are thriving, the farm is trucking 

along, and I am continuing 

to mostly enjoy working in the 

world of disability advocacy. If 

you find yourself in the Pacific 

Northwest, come spend a night on 

the farm. We have lots of room! 

(aabraithwaite@plasnewydd.org) 

Diana Brewer: Life is good in 

Northampton, MA. My Milly 

turned five, and can’t wait to go 

back to school. I tour about with 

my wonderful group, Tapestry. 

We eat from our garden and a local 

farm, and soak up the splendors 

of “The Valley” in summertime. 

(dbrewer@alumnae.smith.edu) 

Alef de Ghizé (The artist formerly 

known as Alef Elbers): It is quite 

possible that the statute of limitations 

has passed on this, but if 

not, I would like to apologize for 

pretend-shooting our graduation 

speaker way back when. I know 

some people were understandably 

offended, and it was obviously 

immature and rude on my part 

(unfortunately it took me a while 

to realize that), so again, I apologize. 

My studio is in Los Angeles; 

anyone in the area feel free to 

93 

contact me at alef@alefdeghize.us. 

Agents: Luke Potoski and Nat Taylor 

Secretary: Joy Woodward 

joy.woodward@gmail.com 

Skeet Frazee: We have three girls 

now. We thought going from 

two to three would be no big 

deal, but this little one is mixing 

things up all over again. I’m 

so busy, and loving all of the 

energy in this mid-life period. 

94 

(skeet@livinghabitat.net) 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Caroline Roman 

carolineroman@hotmail.com 

Nkomo Morris: I’m about to graduate 

from my master’s program in 

special education, still working in 

public school in Brooklyn, and 

thinking of buying a bike, hoping 

against hope that I don’t get 

run over by a car, and feeling old. 

95 

Hello, mid 30s! 

Agents: Jessica Becker 

and Sarah Parrott Berlinger 

Secretary: Jesse Kurlancheek 

jdk@nookie.org 

Amanda Montgomery: I teach art 

at Elizabeth Seton Academy in 

Dorchester, MA. ESA is the last 

all-girls Catholic school in Boston. 

I have been there for six years 

and love my girls! I have written 

my own curriculum and teach 

drawing, painting, sculpture, and 

printmaking to grades 10–12 on a 

very, very small budget. I take my 

Emily Buckbee Carey ’95 

enjoyed Harvest 

Festival with her 

daughter Adelaide 

students out into the park to draw 

and try to give them a Putney 

experience in the city! I am living 

in Scituate, MA with my son 

Wilder who is almost four. Things 

are good! My brother Tyler ’98 is 

married and has a beautiful little 

girl named Ella who will be two in 

October. He works full-time running 

my Dad’s company and plays 

with his band www.Typhoonferri. 

com in his spare time. I’m still 

painting and enjoying the beach 

this summer. I’ve submitted a few 

photos from our trip to Harvest 

Festival this past fall. It was great 

to be back on the hill and to 

see so many co-conspirators. I 

enjoyed seeing Jesse Greist ’93 

and his two sons, who traveled 

from Costa Rica, artist Dave 

Cole ’95 and his dog, and Emily 

Buckbee Carey ’95 and her daughter 

Adelaide. I finally met the ambitious 

Maude ’14 with her mother 

Helen Stickney ’94! Afterwards Keen 

Grant ’89 and I enjoyed a sunset 

Dave Cole ’95, with 

dog and friend at 

Harvest Festival 

Jesse Greist ’93 at Harvest 

Festival, all the way 

from Costa Rica 

picnic on Watertower hill with 

my son Wilder, who turned four 

this past November. 

Wells Wilson: Jill and I welcomed 

our first child, Evelyn 

Blaine Wilson, to the family on 

November 17. Evelyn was born 

eight pounds, nine ounces, and is 

growing quickly. She has started 

smiling and enjoys waving her 

arms about and is cooing regularly. 

96 

Life is good. 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Charles Foster 

mallardman2@earthlink.net 

Kiri Miller: I’m now in my fifth 

year of teaching ethnomusicology 

at Brown. James and I bought a 

little house this past spring, mainly 

so that we could consider getting 

some backyard chickens. (I need 

lots of eggs to help sustain me on 

the tenure track.) Stay tuned for 

chick pictures if we go through 

with it. I’m also excited to report 

that my new book Playing Along: 

Digital Games, YouTube, and Virtual 

Performance will be out from 

Oxford University Press by the 

time you read this (see Alumni 

Authors, page 34). It’s about 

Grand Theft Auto, Guitar Hero, 

online music lessons, yoga blogs, 

and other forms of digitally-mediated 

participatory culture. My 

experience at Putney continues to 


inform all of my research projects, 

and is probably the single most 

important influence on my teaching 

and advising work at Brown. 

I’m looking forward to reunion! 

97 

(kiri_miller@brown.edu) 

Agent: Vasya Dostoinov 

and Joshu Harris 

Secretary: Rickey Bevington 

erickeyb@gmail.com 

Gabriel Adams: This was a momentous 

year. I traveled across some 

of mid-Asia (more or less above 

the 30th parallel), following the 

ancient trade route of the Tea 

Horse Road with Nine Dragon 

Heads. We traveled on various 

routes of what once boasted a 

massive export of Chinese tea 

and other goods (like salt) across 

the Himalayas into the verdant 

valleys of Nepal and beyond. In 

August we landed in Kunming, 

the capitol of Yunnan Province 

in southwest China. From there 

we traveled west across southern 

China. I hiked Tiger Leaping 

Gorge, a meandering path of 

cliffs, overhangs, goats, and of 

course rock slides. It follows the 

Mekong river; it’s beautiful, go 

there! After that we traversed the 

Tibetan (occupied) plateau to 

Himalayan Base Camp (17,700 

feet), where I tried to breathe 

with ease on the Chinese/Tibetan 

side of Mount Everest—also called 

Chomolungma), then descended 

the Tingri Plain to Kodari, Nepal 

just in time to slip over the summer 

landslides (thank you Sherpas, 

but I still got very, very muddy) 

where I hot-wired a bus bound 

for Kathmandu (it’s not every day 

one gets to feel like a hero). I also 

lugged 40 pounds of Himalayan 

sea salt and an ice cream maker 

the entire route. Insane. I presented 

on some of this work at the 

national museum of Nepal, as well 

as in Nişantaşı, Istanbul during the 

opening of the Istanbul Biennial. 

That was fun. I also participated in 

Katharine Brown Adams ’97 

is the happy mother of Levi 

an environmental art symposium 

in Bern, Switzerland (home of 

Swiss watch making and the “lake 

dwellers,” the only underwater 

UNESCO world heritage site!). 

This is all to say I’m both exhausted, 

financially desperate, and completely 

inspired! All is well. I miss 

our beautiful years at Putney, all 

of which helped to open my eyes 

from the slumber/angst of teenage 

drama. I caught up with Sam Gressel 

recently, and I hope to see more of 

you somewhere, sometime soon. 

(gabrieledwardadams@gmail.com) 

Katharine Brown Adams: I’m still 

at Fort Bragg, NC as a judge 

advocate in the Army. We 

welcomed our first baby, Levi 

Adams, in June. He is adorable! 

(brownkatharine@gmail.com) 

Rickey Bevington: I’m marking 

my sixth year in Atlanta working 

at Georgia Public Broadcasting. 

Recently, I became senior news 

editor, and I also enjoy hosting 

GPB-TV’s Georgia Traveler and 

anchoring for GPB Radio during 

NPR’s All Things Considered. 

Reaping the benefits of Putney’s 

strong arts program, I serve as board 

chair for the Oglethorpe University 

Museum of Art and volunteer 

with other arts organizations. 

I have yet to find a volunteer 

project that involves mucking pig 

stalls (I miss those amazing creatures), 

but I’ll keep you posted. 

(erickeyb@gmail.com) 

Joshu Harris: Hey 97! Greetings 

from the City of Brotherly Love. 

I’m working as a lawyer for the 

city and doing a lot of extracurriculars 

just like Putney taught us 

to do. The big one is my ongoing 

volunteer work with kids, including 

helping to run a citywide high 

school mock trial program. I’m 

also doing my best to write music 

and play gigs whenever possible. 

I’m looking forward to playing a 

mini-tour in early February with 

some friends who have an upand-coming 

band called Work 

Drugs—we’ll be opening up for 

Umphrey’s McGee at House of 

Blues in Boston, at Electric Factory 

in Philly, and at Ram’s Head in 

Baltimore. You can also check 

out some recent music I’ve made 

under the name Argot at http:// 

soundcloud.com/argot-1. 

really looking forward to seeing 

everyone at Reunion June 15–17. 

Don’t forget that Vas Dostoinov 

and I have arranged a special 

deal for Reunion year: mini-Sing 

books for everyone who donates 

to the Annual Fund, and the classic-but-super-rare 

brass Elm logo 

keychains for those giving at least 

$100. See you up on Elm Lea! 

98 

(joshuharris@gmail.com) 

Agent: Charlotte deVilliers Cathro 


99 

Agent: Needed 


Ben Coven married Liz Menard in 

Saratoga Springs, NY on October 

8, 2011. The wedding party 

included Toby Wells and Brayton 

Osgood. The ceremony was officiated 

by Ben’s sister, Abby Coven ’94. 

Also in attendance were Emily 

Osgood ’01, Neil Taylor ’97, and 

Jessica Taylor ’94. Ben and Liz are 

00 

living in Arlington, MA. 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Katie Graves Bowen 

I’m 

01 

kategraves2@yahoo.com 

Agent: Jamie Duong 


Jada Lindblom: I’m no longer moving 

every few months! I’ve been 

enjoying the giant playground of 

Utah for over a year now, and have 

been splitting my time between 

work at the Utah Association 

for Justice, school at University 

of Utah (Parks, Recreation and 

Tourism M.S.), skiing at Alta, and 

hiking with my dog Paco, the 

The wedding party of Ben Coven ’99 

included many Putneyites 


shaggy poodle mutt. Life is busy 

but good! Best wishes to you all. 

(jadalind@gmail.com) 

Jessamee Sanders: As you may (or 

may not) have heard by now, 

Zach and I are in the process of 

planning a year-long bicycle tour 

across the USA in 2012. It’s exciting 

(thrilling in fact) and daunting 

(seems impossible, frankly) and 

I’ve just started blogging about it 

at thepeddlersblog.com. I wanted 

to share the link with you so you 

can keep up with us as we get into 

the nitty-gritty of planning and 

executing this crazy little journey. 

Zach regularly rides 100+ miles a 

day so he’s going to be just fine 

. . . but I know next to nothing 

about riding a bicycle even 

this far, so there’s a lot I have to 

learn, and lots to share. Basically, 

we hope to get into awesome 

shape, see the country in a very 

new way, and maybe find a cool 

place to move to while we’re at it. 

We’re selling handmade customstamped 

pendants to help finance 

this epic adventure and if you, 

or anyone you know is looking 

for a special gift, go check out 

the necklace we’re making. Each 

necklace we sell puts one of us 

on the road for a day (so that’s 2 

per day x 365 = 730 necklaces!!!). 

We’ll also be making them on 

the road so we won’t have to 

sell them all before we leave. 

(jessamee.sanders@gmail.com) 

Sol Slay: I am currently living in 

Sacramento, CA. I have been 

working in the IT field for a 

Fortune 500 company to build 

up my professional portfolio. 

Meanwhile I have been going 

back to my Putney roots and 

playing a lot of Ultimate Frisbee. 

This year we started a club team 

in Sacramento called “Capitol 

Punishment,” and successfully 

won one of seven coveted seats 

to the regional tournament in 

Washington, despite our section 

being the toughest in the nation. 

We are the first Sacramento club 

team to win a seat to regionals, 

thus putting Sacramento on the 

map in terms of Ultimate. I have 

also been spending some time in 

the back country doing backpacking 

trips, outdoor rock climbing, 

and would like to spend more 

time snowboarding, but California 

is currently experiencing its worst 

winter in decades from a lack of 

snowfall. Perhaps I will have to 

visit Jada Lindblom out in Utah 

where they have more snow. 

02 

(solslay@gmail.com) 

Agent: Joie Botkin 


Emma Creighton’s mother reports 

that she is competing in the Mini 

Transat 6.50, a solo sailing race 

from Brazil to France and back 

again. Emma is the only American 

to compete in the race, and one 

of the few women. Learn more at 

emmacreighton.net. 

Annalee Harris: Fall in Boston made 

me miss being on the hill. I found 

myself thinking of Vermont often 

last summer, too, as I rode crosscountry 

on my bicycle. It still 

amazes me how adventures only 

make me more fond of home, 

no matter how spectacular they 

are! I was sad to miss my 10-year 

reunion in June, but am looking 

forward to 15! 

Jenny Nicoll’s mother reports 

that Jenny and her husband 

Adam live outside New York 

Emma Creighton ’02 on her 

solo, trans-Atlantic 

Mini Transat race 

City, where she is developing 

the art program at a North 

Star academy in Newark, NJ. 

(jnnypnnynicoll@yahoo.com) 

Emily Pechet: It was great to see 

everyone at Reunion! I wish 

more people from ’02 were able 

to attend. My semester in Paris 

studying at the École de Beaux- 

Arts was great, and I am looking 

forward to moving back to NYC 

to finish my M.F.A. at Hunter. 

03 

(emilypechet@gmail.com) 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Tory Voight 

vvoight@gmail.com 

Rachel JungMin Ahn: I’m in Seoul, 

working as a secondary division art 

teacher at an international school. 

I will be having my first solo 

exhibition soon. 

Robin Bicknell: I (finally) graduated 

from Sweet Briar College last 

December with a biology degree, 

after going back and forth between 

school in VA and winter up north. 

I’m working as a working student/assistant 

trainer at a barn in 

Springfield, VT and at Okemo 

Mountain, spending as many days 

on the slopes as possible! I hope to 

get a job at Dartmouth Hitchcock 

Medical Center once the winter 

is over, as I am very interested 

in cancer research after conducting 

two studies to see what effect 

three different fruit extracts would 

have on the growth of three types 

of lung cancer cells. All I have to 

say is “go red wine!” 

Brian Burns: I graduated from Clark 

University in 2007 with a degree 

in political science and entrepreneurship, 

spent four years being 

self-employed in Boulder, CO, 

and this fall enrolled in the fulltime 

program at the Charleston 

School of Law in Charleston, SC. 

I enjoy receiving each new issue 

of the Putney Post as a chance to 

reconnect with my school and my 

former classmates. 

Casey Darrow: I got married this 

past May, and we’re in the process 

of building a house in Putney, on 

the backside of Green Mountain 

Orchards where I am making my 

living running the farm with my 

family and enjoying life. 

Ellie Holt: I’m working in Jersey 

. . . on my tan. I’m a nurse practitioner 

for the US Public Health 

Service. I work in a men’s prison. 

Sara Matsui-Colby: The independent 

anime that I had voiced 

in Japanese and English this past 

summer, Exaella, has finally been 

released, and I am excited to continue 

working as a voice actor. I 

am also still working as a stage and 

film actor, and have done some 

print jobs here in San Francisco. 

In addition to all my freelancing, 

I am also an apprentice with 

Theatre of Yugen, a Japanese dramatic 

arts theatre group. We have 

an up-and-coming new play in 

the works and for this project I am 

learning how to play my mother’s 

shamisen. In February, I will be 

learning Kabuki with my theatre. 

If any one is in San Francisco in 

May, please feel free to contact me 

and come see our new play! 

Leah McGowan: I hope you are all 

enjoying a beautiful year full of 

delicious foods and good friends. 

I am the founding special education 

director at a charter school in 

Boston, and that’s kept me super 

busy this year. When I get the 

chance, I’ve been playing ultimate 

frisbee and enjoying the company 

of some lovely Putney alumni like 

Jillian Brelsford, Annalee Harris ’02, 

and Claudia Peknik ’02. Be in touch 

if you visit Boston! 

Kelsey van Beever: I’ve been working 

as a chef on an 82-foot private 

sailboat, with my fiancé as captain. 

We sail between the east coast of 

the U.S. and the Caribbean, and 

are heading to the Mediterranean 

for the summer of 2012. I have 

Marty to thank for being the first 

person to teach me how to hold a 

knife correctly, and Pete for teaching 

me how to flip an egg! You 

can see some of my creations on: 

kelseysfood.blogspot.com. 


Tory Voight: It’s been a lovely year 

in Bay! I’m still at the Haight 

Ashbury in San Francisco and 

working at Google. I’m an avid 

visitor of City Lights Books in 

North Beach, where I recently 

saw David Melzter and Lawrence 

Ferlingetti read their poetry. Like 

a good Californian, I’m a member 

of the SurfRider Foundation and 

surf Ocean Beach or Santa Cruz 

before work and on weekends. 

I’m making my own short board 

with a local carver and hope to 

finish it in time for my trip to 

Mexico. I’ve started to host Bay 

Area alumni at Google—lunch 

and a tour—with fellow Googler 

and Putney Alum, Bill Schilit ’77. 

I’m reading the Steve Jobs book 

and was surprised to find that he 

practiced at the Zen Center that 

I am part of—Silicon Valley really 

04 

is a bubble. 

Agent: Matthew Diamante 

Secretary: Abram Fleishman 

afleishman@prescott.edu 

05 

Agent: Anne Carter 


Cindy Gooden: I’m very excited 

because I’ve just signed to Infinite 

Best Records, a small but mighty 

independent record label out of 

Brooklyn that has catapulted the 

careers of several of my friends. 

They’ll be putting out my 

project Very Fresh’s first fulllength 

in the fall of 2012. In the 

meantime, I’m recording, playing 

lots of shows, fundraising, and 

preparing for the record’s release. 

You can read more about my 

music at www.veryfreshmusic.com. 

Sam Slowinski: I’m starting a Ph.D. 

program in ecology and evolutionary 

biology at Indiana University. 

(sslowins@umail.iu.edu) 

06 

Agent: Kyra Sparrow-Pepin Chapin 


Drew Jacobson-Mohr: After spending 

last winter in Cambodia, Laos, 

and Thailand, I have settled (more 

or less) back to Arcata, in northern 

California, for now working 

part-time as a carpenter and fulltime 

as a musician. I am currently 

playing electric bass for a steel 

pan Latin/calypso ensemble called 

Steel Standing, a hip-hop group 

called Area Sound, an original 

funk/jazz quintet called Gentle 

Toes, recording with my rock 

power trio Children of the Sun, 

and I sometimes play in a jazz 

quartet every other week at a 

local café. I had my first proper 

art show last October, which was 

very exciting, and forced me to 

come up with some big pieces 

that didn’t look like I found a 

paper bag and decided to doodle 

on it. It was wonderful to be able 

to collect all of my recent material 

in one place and hold an opening; 

I worked very hard to fake some 

sort of professionalism, and turn 

my artwork into sellable pieces. 

I have also been doing album art 

for a lot of different bands, and 

inlay designs for a really talented 

custom-guitar maker. This summer 

I will be going on tour with 

Inspired Flight, a group out of 

San Diego, and look forward to 

it as my first real paying tour as a 

musician. I will be heading down 

to San Diego to rehearse early in 

the summer, and be on the road 

for the majority of the upcoming 

year. After that, who knows what 

the future holds—maybe back 

to the east coast? We shall see. 

07 

(iknowkungdrew@gmail.com) 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Elisabeth Yazdzik 

les_miserable@myway.com 

Ilana Newman ’08 during 

her tour in Québec and 

08 

Agent: Needed 

New England 

Secretary: Olivia Hooper 

SteveIrwinInDisguise@gmail.com 

Olivia Hooper: Hello, Putney! 

By the time this prints, I’ll be— 

gulp—a college graduate. Right 

now, though, it’s bloody cold outside 

and I still have one semester 

between me and the weight of my 

student debt. This spring I’ll be 

taking classes as well as completing 

my second internship with my 

local humane society, where I’ll be 

doing behavioral training with the 

dogs to make them more adoptable, 

along with minor medical 

procedures on all the animals such 

as drawing blood and administering 

medication. I’m starting the 

job search, looking for keeper 

positions in AZA-accredited zoos. 

With any luck, I’ll be taking part 

in the great American tradition of 

setting out for the territories by 

the end of the year, and moving 

somewhere fascinating and exciting. 

I’ll be looking up alumni in whichever 

city I find work, so I look 

forward to seeing some of you soon! 

(SteveIrwinInDisguise@gmail.com) 

Ilana Newman: I’m still living in 

Toronto, finishing up my degree 

in Jewish Studies with a double 

minor in ethnomusicology and 

anthropology. This year I began 

writing for Global Jewish Voice, a 

web publication; you can read my 

articles at www.globaljewishvoice. 

com/author/ilana-newman. This 

past summer, I sang with Village 

Harmony (www.villageharmony. 

org) for the first time in four years, 

and it was one of the best experiences 

I’ve had. It was so amazing 

to get to sing Georgian and 

Bulgarian music again, especially 

for the wonderful audiences we 

had in Québec and New England. 

I hope to get to visit Putney 

soon—maybe in 2013! (hallie. 

09 

ilana.newman@gmail.com) 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Gordon Greer 

greergb@hotmail.com 

10 

Agent: Needed 

Secretary: Sydney Leed 

sunburst.refracted@gmail.com 

Lydia Gorham: Lydia’s family 

reports that after working in 

Alaska all summer and fall, Lydia 

is currently traveling in South 

America. She will be starting at 

the University of Chicago as a 

sophomore in the fall of 2012. 

(lgorham@uchicago.edu) 

FORMER FACULTY 

Joan Shore: I came to work at 

The Putney School’s summer farm 

program in 1949, 63 years ago, 

and returned in 1954 with Ed 

Shore. We stayed until 1988, and 

all four of our children graduated 

from Putney. Last October, the 

week before Harvest Festival, on a 

Friday, I was showing the parents 

and the aunt and uncle of Putney 

alum Kristina McBlain Beckley ’86 

the Putney campus. We were 

greeted by friendly, happy people 

and invited to lunch. Marty and 

his team presented a wonderful 

Chinese banquet. It was a wonderful 

day. All of us want to thank 

the people who made us feel 

so welcome. 


in 

Memoriam 

Elizabeth “Liebe” 

Coolidge Winship ’39 

Liebe Coolidge Winship, 90, died October 

23, 2011 at her home in Roseville, Minnesota. 

She was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the 

daughter of Albert and Margaret Coolidge. 

Liebe was proud to have been the first student 

to enroll at Putney (other than Mrs. Hinton’s 

own children) when Mrs. Hinton opened 

The Putney School in 1935, and the school 

remained important to her throughout her life. 

Following her graduation from Putney in 

1939, Liebe attended Vassar College and 

transferred to Radcliffe College, from which 

she graduated with a B.S. in psychology 

in 1943. She met her husband, Thomas 

Winship, when she was a junior at Radcliffe 

and he was a senior at Harvard. They married 

in 1942 and were together until his death 

in 2002. 

After graduation, she pursued her interest in 

psychology through her own research and soon 

began raising a family of four. In 1952, she was 

hired by the Boston Globe as a book reviewer, 

and from 1960-63 worked as a children’s book 

editor for the newspaper. Her husband was 

the editor of the Globe from 1965 until his 

retirement in 1984. 

Beginning in 1963, Liebe wrote “Ask Beth,” 

an advice column for teenagers, after it was 

suggested to her by an editor at the Globe. She 

soon found success, due mainly to her sensible 

and thoughtful approach to teen questions, and 

partly from the lack of other advice outlets 

for teens on sex and relationships, particularly 

during the early years of her column. The Globe 

wrote, in its obituary, “during the cultural 

upheaval of the 1960s and ’70s, questions arose 

as never before about formerly forbidden topics 

such as sex. And when millions of teenagers 

and parents could not find answers elsewhere, 

there was one thing to do: Ask Beth. Elizabeth 

Winship took the venue of an advice column, 

often a haven for the lovelorn, and over the 

course of 35 years transformed it into a place 

readers turned for frank, detailed discussions of 

the day’s most delicate topics.” At its peak, “Ask 

Beth” was syndicated in 70 newspapers. 

In addition to her column, she authored several 

books and tackled various health and sexuality 

issues in numerous publications. She regularly 

spoke with high school students, parents, and 

community groups on the topic of teenage 

sexual behavior and was also a consultant for a 

variety of family life educational programs. She 

was the recipient of many professional accolades 

throughout her career. 

William McKibben, in a 1985 New Yorker 

profile on Liebe’s husband Tom, wrote “if 

they awarded Pulitzers for good sense and 

stable judgment, (Liebe) would win one 

every year.” 

Her son Ben ’77, recounts her spirit, and the 

importance of her Putney experience throughout 

her life, adding that “true to her lifelong 

Putney spirit, she was still going for walks and 

singing up until the day before she died. The 

school had a huge impact on her. She was a 

lifelong horseback rider, writer, singer, student 

of the outdoors, independent thinker and 

practitioner of amazing common sense. She 

cared immensely about the school and took 

a keen interest in its evolution and survival.” 

Her generous gift to Putney upon her death 

will help insure the school’s success and 

security for years to come. 

Liebe is survived by her four children, Ben ’77, 

Peg, Josie, and Larry Winship, eight grandchildren, 

one great-grandchild, niece Liebe 

Coolidge ’66, nephew Jeffrey Coolidge ’74, 

and her sister, Margaret Coolidge Seeger ’46. 


John Sampson Toll ’41 

John Sampson Toll was an educator, a physicist, 

and a dedicated leader. His vision and tireless 

work transformed universities and improved 

access to education over a career that spanned 

six decades. 

Born in Denver, Colorado in 1923, John attended 

Putney in its early years, after which he graduated 

from Yale with a degree in physics. He entered 

the Navy during World War II, and completed 

his Ph.D. at Princeton, where he helped established 

what is now known as the Princeton Plasma 

Physics Laboratory. 

His first faculty job was as chair of the 

then-little-known physics and astronomy department 

at the University of Maryland. Serving 

in this role from 1953 to 1965, he published 

groundbreaking work, and built the department’s 

size and reputation, leaving it as one the 

university’s most prestigious. 

His success at Maryland led to his next position 

as President of SUNY Stony Brook, where he 

remained until 1978. Under John’s leadership, 

Stony Brook transformed from a small campus of 

1,800 students into a state university with over 

17,000 and a top-notch faculty that included a 

Nobel prize winner. 

In 1978, John returned to the University of 

Maryland, this time as president. In more than 

10 years there, he oversaw the merger of the 

state’s public universities, ultimately creating the 

University System of Maryland, of which he was 

appointed as first chancellor in 1988 by thengovernor 

William Donald Schaefer. His work at 

Maryland galvanized the people in its many different 

arenas, and led the system into its new era. 

John spent the early 1990s as president of the 

Universities Research Association, while it oversaw 

the US Superconducting Super Collider 

project. 

Not satisfied with that last act, John accepted 

the interim presidency of Washington College 

in 1995, at age 71. The liberal arts school with 

under a thousand students benefited greatly from 

his leadership. His interim presidency became 

a ten-year tenure, during which he quadrupled 

the school’s endowment, raised $20 million for 

a new science building, established a scholarship 

fund that supports more than half of the college’s 

students, and greatly increased its notoriety. 

He is remembered by all who knew him 

personally and professionally as industrious, 

selfless, humble, and visionary. John was “an 

indefatigable worker who led three institutions 

of higher learning in his six decades in 

education,” according to the Baltimore Sun. 

“John was credited by friends and colleagues 

with bringing national recognition to each of 

the colleges and universities he had a hand 

in steering,” 

John is survived by his wife of 40 years, 

Deborah Taintor Toll, two daughters, a 

brother, and one grandchild. 

Ina Micheels ’44 

Ina passed away peacefully at home in Newton, 

Massachusetts on November 27, 2011, surrounded 

by family. She was born in Amersfoort, 

Netherlands, in 1927, and also lived in 

Amsterdam. In 1938, at age 11, Ina came 

with her mother, Mily Polak, to New York 

City. Ina was married to Louis J. Micheels, 

a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, for 61 years 

until his death in 2008. Following Putney, she 

attended Russell Sage College, after which 

she worked as a photographer in a studio 

that specialized in fashion photography in 

New York City. 

Ina was a family person, a dedicated and 

loving wife to Louis, and mother to Ronald 

and Elizabeth. She lived for 52 years in 

Westport, Connecticut and then moved to 

Newton for the last six years or her life. She 

enjoyed sculpture, photography, competitive 

sailing with her husband, gardening, visiting 

art museums and galleries, attending classical 

music performances, and playing with her four 

grandchildren. She also loved spending time in 

her second home on Martha’s Vineyard, where 

she enjoyed family and friends and the beautiful 

landscape. She is survived by her two children 

and four grandchildren. 

Mary Wild Molinari ’45 

Mary died December 18, 2011 in Santa Fe, New 

Mexico, at age 84. Her passions included books, 

music, animals, family, NPR, and her adopted 

home of New Mexico. She was born in New 

Haven, Connecticut, and attended Putney and 

Sarah Lawrence College, where she received a 

B.A. She subsequently studied music at Santa 

Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, Italy. It was in 

Rome that she met her future husband, Mario 

Molinari. Following a marriage in Connecticut, 

the couple lived for a number of years in Rome 

and had three children. She later moved back to 

Connecticut. Mary studied speech pathology at 

Columbia University in New York and worked 

as a volunteer at the tumor registry at the Yale 

School of Medicine. She also played viola with 

a local chamber group. In the early 1980s, she 

moved to New Mexico and settled quietly in 

Santa Fe with a menagerie that included four dogs 

and two cats. She said the most contented time 

of her life was the years spent in Santa Fe. Her 

friends and family most remember her for her 

sharp wit and dry, understated sense of humor. 

“I knew when my mother was on the telephone 

with Mary,” said a nephew, “because she would be 

laughing. Mary had a great gift for the unexpected 

one liner.” Survivors include her brother, her son 

and daughter, four grandchildren, and many nieces 

and nephews. 

Mary Sayre Haverstock ’50 

Mary Sayre Haverstock, 79, died at home 

on December 10, 2011. Born in Cambridge, 

Massachusetts, she was a member of the Putney 

class of 1950. She later graduated magna cum 

laude from Radcliffe College in 1954, where she 

majored in fine arts. 

When she moved to Oberlin, Ohio, in 1985, Mary 

became one of the first Affiliate Scholars at Oberlin 

College. In that capacity, she compiled and edited 

Artists in Ohio, 1787–1900, overseeing a small 

research team at the college library that was supported 

by a grant from the National Endowment 

for the Humanities. The book, the labor of 15 

years, was published by Kent State University Press 

in 2000. Its 1,066 pages have biographical information 

on more than 13,000 artists born in Ohio. 

Her other major work while in Oberlin, George 

Bellows: An Artist in Action won the 2008 Ohioana 

Award for the best book about an Ohio subject. 

While engaged in these projects, she also wrote 

several articles for Timeline magazine, published 

by the Ohio Historical Society. 


Before moving to Oberlin, Mary wrote 

An American Bestiary, a beautifully illustrated 

work on the rendering of animals by American 

artists, and Indian Gallery: The Story of George 

Catlin. She also served as art critic for The 

Washington Post, was a contributing editor to Art 

in America, and wrote articles for the Smithsonian 

and Américas magazines, among others. 

Her survivors include Mike Haverstock, 

her husband of 57 years, and five children, 

including Julia Haverstock Poll ’77, and 

six grandchildren. 

Roger Sherman Pratt ’56 

Submitted by Roger’s classmates John Richardson, 

Ross Harris, and Dix Campbell, as well as 

Roger’s family. 

Roger Sherman Pratt died at his home in 

Woodbury, Connecticut on December 11, 

2011, after a long illness. He came to Putney 

from the City and Country School in New York 

in 1952. He was known as Mickey then and was 

from a dedicated Putney family, having been 

preceded by his brother Peter ’51, sister Vera 

’52, and followed by his half brother Jonathan 

Lash ’62. From his father he inherited a love of 

the outdoors and an athletic ability that he used 

to good advantage both on the school ski team 

and as a stalwart on the baseball team. From 

his mother and stepfather (the journalist Joseph 

Lash) he acquired a strong social conscience 

and a highly discerning aesthetic appreciation. 

It was this appreciation that directed him 

toward architecture. 

Roger attended Amherst College, where he 

studied English and was a leader on the squash 

team. From Amherst he went to The University 

of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Architecture. 

After graduating, Roger practiced architecture in 

Philadelphia, setting up partnerships with local 

firms. In 1994 he moved to his father’s antique 

farmhouse in New Milford, Connecticut, and 

continued his practice. In 2004 he was diagnosed 

with Parkinson’s disease, which caused him to 

discontinue his architectural work sooner than 

he wished. 

Roger was passionate about design, cooking and 

fly-fishing. To the end, and even in sickness, 

he was uncomplaining and even-tempered. He 

loved carpentry and hands-on invention of all 

kinds, creating everything from beds and ingenious 

suspension systems, to tree houses and 

whimsical toys for his kids. In his later years, he 

often walked the local nature trails, accompanied 

by a son or two and his yellow lab, Anthony. He 

is survived by his wife of 32 years, Ann Nevel, 

and his five children. 

Elizabeth St. John ’74 

Elizabeth Seymour St. John of Putney died 

unexpectedly on October 5, 2011 at the age 

of 54. 

Elizabeth was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts 

and grew up in Amenia, New York and 

Putney, graduating from The Grammar 

School and The Putney School. After 

attending Sterling College in Craftsbury 

Common, Vermont, she graduated from 

the University of Vermont. 

Elizabeth was an environmental activist long 

before it was fashionable, living her life in 

accordance with environmental principles that 

are now becoming part of the mainstream. 

Throughout her life she was a gardener, 

and worked on farms all over Vermont. For 

several years in her 20s she ran a dairy farm 

in Charlotte, Vermont with her partner. Her 

connection to the outdoors was combined with 

a love of physical activity. She maintained a 

rigorous schedule of walking and bicycling. In 

2010 she walked the Camino Real, a 500-mile 

pilgrimage through Spain. Her love of music and 

joy in dancing were mainstays of her life. 

A core of Elizabeth’s personality was her abiding 

commitment to the rights of the underprivileged. 

She carried a vision of a better world, one 

based on social justice and environmental sustainability. 

She lived her politics, and was never 

afraid of acting outside cultural norms when 

guided by her principles. 

The daughter of linguists, Elizabeth was 

interested in other cultures. She had the gift 

of languages, and was fluent in French, Spanish, 

and Norwegian. She lived and worked in 

France and Norway, and later developed a 

special interest in the language and culture 

of Latin America. In the 1980s she traveled 

to Guatemala to work with Peace 

Brigades International. 

In the late 1980s she spent several years working 

in homeless shelters in and around Boston. A 

natural teacher, her work with Latin American 

immigrants transitioned to teaching English 

to speakers of other languages throughout the 

greater Boston area. 

In 1992 Elizabeth married Juan Carlos Cruz 

Jimenez, and their daughter was born the next 

year. Elizabeth focused a great deal of her 

creative energy on parenting Clara Leonor. 

After Carlos died in 1995, mother and daughter 

traveled extensively in Latin America, spending 

time with his family in Mexico and leading 

student groups on work trips to El Salvador after 

the liberation struggle there. 

Two years after the birth of her daughter, she 

returned to the area in which she had grown 

up and took a job teaching Spanish at The 

Putney School, eventually becoming chair of the 

language department. She understood teenagers 

and pushed them to be their own best selves. She 

led regular student trips to Latin America and 

set many students on a lifelong path of commitment 

to social justice. For more than a decade 

her energy and passion buoyed the school community 

in good times and bad. A colleague 

characterized Elizabeth as “the most important 

support in my teaching life.” 

Elizabeth is survived by her daughter, Clara 

Leonor Cruz-St. John, by her siblings, Susan, 

Andrew, and Mary Colman St. John ’79, 

by seventeen loving nephews and nieces, and by 

an even larger extended family including David, 

Alexa, and Nicole ’05 Ritchie. Her passing 

is mourned by her communities in Putney, 

Norway, Mexico, El Salvador and Maine, and 

by the many students for whom she was a loving 

and brilliant role model. A memorial service was 

held at The Putney School in November. 


Jennifer Caldwell ’75 

Jennifer Caldwell, daughter of John Caldwell 

and Hester Goodenough Caldwell, passed away 

in her home in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, 

on December 27, 2011. Jennifer attended 

Middlebury College after her graduation from 

Putney, and graduated with a B.A. degree from 

the University of Vermont. In 1988, following 

her marriage to Howie Bean, she moved to 

Wolfeboro, where they built their home and 

raised their daughter, Anya. 

Musician, choral scholar, avid reader, and 

gardener, Jennifer actively engaged in the art 

of living and gave pleasure and comfort to all 

who knew her. Jennifer will be well remembered 

for her work at the Tuftonboro Library 

in Tuftonboro, New Hampshire, and for 

working with the Huggins Hospital Meals 

on Wheels program. 

Preferring collecting sap to boiling it, she fully 

embraced the joys of outdoor labor. 

Beyond the simple pleasures of her home, 

Jennifer won the American Bierkebeiner, was 

two-time champion of the Great American Ski 

Chase, and a member of the U.S. Ski Team. 

In the later years of her athletic life, she 

became a competitive canoe racer and was a 

U.S. Canoe Association national champion. She 

participated in the Prouty ride, raising thousands 

of dollars for cancer research, and was 

a member of the Clearlakes Chorale. 

Teammates on the National Ski Team, Jennifer 

and Howie enjoyed a partnership that included 

canoeing and skiing at the national level, biking, 

running, hiking, and working the land. 

Jennifer is survived by her husband Howie, her 

daughter Anya, her parents, John ’46 and Hep ’46 

Caldwell, three older brothers, Tim ’72, Sverre 

’73, and Peter ’74, their wives, and many loving 

nieces and nephews. 

Rosette Lattimore ’77 

Rosette Lattimore, age 52, died October 26, 

2011, after battling cancer. She was born in New 

York City on July 7, 1959, to David and Emily 

Lewis Lattimore. After attending Putney, she 

graduated from Hartt College of Music at the 

University of Hartford and Manhattan School of 

Music. She worked as a piano teacher at Holy 

Names University in Oakland, California and 

at the John G. Shedd Institute. She was also a 

music teacher at schools in New York City, 

Oakland, California, and multiple schools in 

Eugene, Oregon. 

Rosette’s survivors include her parents, David 

’48 and Emily ’49, her son, Rhodec Erickson, 

two brothers, Evan and Michael, and three 

sisters, Maria Sheppard, Clare Lattimore ’73, and 

Anne Price ’76. Her domestic partner, Melvin 

Erickson, died in 2010. 

Her father, David, reflected on his time with 

Rosette toward the end of her life: “Her emotional 

or spiritual roots delved down into earth 

and water, sources of sustenance for her. Like 

the Greek demigod Antaeus, son of Gaia, she 

renewed her strength by touching the earth. 

Several times during these months she asked that 

her friend John or I take her to Mt. Pisgah, so 

she could wade into the river, or to Florence, so 

she could ford a stream and lie on a dune under 

the relentless blast of Pacific air—efforts beyond 

her strength, I would have thought, at that stage 

of her illness. Sometimes she would stretch out 

on her backyard grass, to feel the earth. She recognized 

herself as a spiritual person. The spirits 

she communed with, though, were of earth 

and water. She felt their music even when it 

came soundlessly.” 

Karen Goodlatte 

Karen Swing Goodlatte, of Putney and of 

Alexandria, Virginia, died May 25, 2011, at the 

age of 89. Karen was born to Herbert Randolph 

Swing and Martha Thompson in 1921, grew up in 

New York City and France, and attended Olivet 

College, where she met her husband. In 1951, the 

family moved to Putney, and both worked at 

The Putney School, Karen as librarian, until 

retirement in 1982. Among Karen’s many and 

varied interests were long walks on back roads 

of Putney, birding, backpacking, and singing in 

several choruses. She developed an herbarium at 

Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, where she 

volunteered for over 20 years. Karen was interested 

in languages, and studied French, Spanish, 

German, and ASL. Karen is survived by her sister, 

her half-brother, three daughters, including 

Joyce Goodlatte ’68, four grandchildren, 

ten great-grandchildren, and one great-greatgrandson. 

Her husband of 68 years, Ray, 

predeceased her in November of 2009. She was 

also predeceased by a son, Dirk, in 1949. Karen 

was a loving presence in the lives of her family 

and friends, and will be missed by them.

News Alumni - The Putney School

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