1956

AHMED OSMAN'S GRADUATION CELEBRATION—

About thirty '56s and wives gathered in Hanover on August 21 for a special ceremony on the occasion of Ahmed Osman's graduation. Ahmed spoke appreciatively of what it has meant to him to become the personal friend of members of our class. As he received various gifts and tokens, he smiled and said he felt a little like a "bride." He described to us the experience of his recent pilgrimage to Mecca; his trip was sponsored by the Islamic Center in Geneva. Ahmed described the humble dress worn by all people, kings and laborers alike. He used the term "psychic unity" to convey the way in which his Islamic faith enables men to transcend the dividing lines set up by race, class, and nationality. On a previous occasion I remember how Ahmed described the importance of fasting, saying that deeper understanding of this world comes from first-hand experience with hunger. Ahmed compiled an outstanding record at Dartmouth and has been accepted at Harvard for graduate work in economics. He will be living at 96 Prescott St. in Cambridge, and he was duly welcomed into the alumni class of '56.

WEDDINGS AND ENGAGEMENTS -

During the Hanover get-together, it was good to have a chance to visit with BertWhittemore and come to know his bride, Kevin, who graduated from Smith in 1962. Kevin Sleigh Whittemore is from Marblehead, Mass., where they were married on July 10. Dick Kurts was an usher (Dick and Sally are living in Mamaroneck, N. Y.) and Bert's two brothers were in the wedding. Bert and Kevin are living on Waverly Street in Brighton. Bert is with Xerox Corp. Steve and Sally Swenson have an apartment on Chester Street in Newton Highlands. They were married in Laconia, N. H., on July 3 and took a wedding trip to Nantucket. Steve is continuing his studies for a doctorate in educational psychology at Boston University and Sally is teaching fourth grade in Westwood, Mass.

Jon "Tiny" Strong is engaged and plans to be married this fall to Sonja Stael Taylor. Sonja is from Skaneateles, N. Y.; she graduated from Wellesley College and is with Arthur D. Little, Inc., in Cambridge. Jon is with the law firm of Hill and Barlow in Boston. Alkie Voulgaris and Rita Hagnar Damadian were married in West Hartford, Conn., on May 29. Rita is also a Wellesley College graduate. Alkie and Rita are living at 13 Mellen Street in Cambridge. Pete Kirby '54 was married on June 5 in Rockville, Ontario. Pete's wife, Lynne Castonguay Kirby, is from Cloverdale Rd. in Rockliffe. Sam Fry is engaged to Polly Gann, who graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown and has been working with the Division of Protocol in the State Department. Polly is the daughter of novelist Ernest Gann. Sam and Polly will be living in Moscow where Sam has been assigned as second secretary in the U.S. Embassy.

Bernt and Marcia Stigum have their first child, a daughter, Tove Lee, born May 14. Bernt is assistant professor of economics at Cornell.

RECOGNITION AND BIGGERRESPONSIBILITIES FOR '56s -

Partly under the leadership of Associate Dean of the College "Doc" Dey, a program has been developing in the Northeast involving various colleges and preparatory schools and designed to give high school boys and girls "a better chance." Russ Mead was English coordinator on the Mount Holyoke "A.B.C." faculty last summer. Russ has been chairman of the English department at Concord Academy since 1962. Russ has written his second novel for teen-agers; "Tell Me Again About Snow White" was published this year. He is a member of the American Association of Rhodes Scholars. Russ and Flo and their three children are living in Concord, Mass.

Ray Austin has been promoted to lieutenant commander in the Navy and has been assigned to Walter Reed Hospital as a radiologist. After medical school and internship, Ray went through flight training at Pensacola as a flight surgeon and later took part in the recovery of astronaut Alan Shepard while aboard the "USS Lake Champlain." Last year Ray received a degree from Pennsylvania State College, with honors, in nuclear research and biology. Ray and Loraine and their two children are living in Woodbury, N. J. Steve Katz, a captain in the Air Force, completed a tour in Southeast Asia. On July 1 Steve received the Air Medal for "outstanding airmanship and courage ... in the successful accomplishments of important combat support missions under extremely hazardous conditions." Steve is back in the States stationed at Stewart AFB. He and Pat are living at 2513 Western Hills Drive, Nashville, Tenn.

Dick Barnett has been elected a director of Reliable Stores Corporation in Baltimore. He has been supervisor of a group of the corporation's furniture stores. Dick and Lynn and son Mike are living in Washington, D. C. Nate Metzger has been elected a vice-president of Cliff Weil, Inc., in Richmond, Va. Nate has been with the company since 1960 and has recently been general manager of Cliff Weil Vending Services, Inc. Charlie Murray has been elected a vice president and assistant treasurer of G. H. Bass & Co., Wilton, Me., manufacturers of Bass boots. Charlie has been with the company for nine years. He and Amanda are living in Farmington, Me.

TO HIGHER POSITIONS INBANKING -

John "Snake" DiIorio has been elected assistant vice president of the Middlesex County National Bank in Winchester, Mass. John has been with the bank since 1957 and has been manager of the Davis Square office since 1963. John and Paula have three children and are living in Burlington, Mass. Jack Billhardt has been elected second vice president of Smith, Barney and Co., Inc., an investment banking firm in New York City. Jack has been manager of the Institutional Sales Department and has been with the firm since 1960. lack and Pat have three sons and are living in Stamford, Conn.

Ben Taylor has been promoted to assistant secretary of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co. of New York. Ben represents the bank in Pennsylvania. He started as an executive trainee in 1963. Ben is working toward his master's degree at NYU and lives on 66th Street in New York. Howie Sodokoff has been appointed assistant cashier in the Metropolitan Department of the Mellon Bank. Howie graduated from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Business and joined the Mellon Bank staff in 1960 in its management training program. He has been senior analyst and stalf assistant of the Metropolitan Department. Howie and Lois and son Lawrence Clark are living at 5836 Feree St. in Pittsburgh.

Shach Van Steenberg is commuting from his Cos Cob, Conn., family of four to greater responsibilities in the New York banking community as a result of his recent promotion to Assistant Vice President in the pension trust division of Bankers Trust Co. He joined Bankers Trust in 1957 and only five years later gained status as an officer. He served as a pension administrator and supervisor of pension investment.

'56 FALL GATHERINGS ANDSPRING REUNION -

Russ Brace will open the traditional autumn class meeting at 9:15 a.m. Saturday, October 9, in the Drake Room of the Hopkins Center. There will be a picnic before the afternoon football game and then dinner that evening at Ashley's Lodge in Etna (formerly the Keene's and Damen's. Make reservations with Mr. Harry Ashley). HankTaylor is working on plans for class gatherings at Harvard Oct. 23 and Yale Oct. 30. Hank and Janet may be reached at 42 Tally-Ho Drive in South Hamilton, Mass. After the Princeton game, Nov. 20, head for the ROTC Armory next to the stadium. BobFaulkner with Princeton's Alumni Council has arranged for "spacious rooms" in that building. Drinks and possibly supper will be served. Bob's and Margaret's address is 15 University Place, Princeton, N. J. 08540. Bob Dumont and the reunion committee met in Boston Sept. 9 to put together more details for the big tenth reunion June 17-19, and Dick Marsh has sent out an information card for the Class of '56 Directory. You should have received the card by now: be sure to send it back to Dick as soon as you can.

'56 Class President Russ Brace (l) congratulates Ahmed Osman '65 on his graduation in August, delayed because of apilgrimage to Mecca. Osman, from Khartoum, Sudan, was sponsored at the College by '56. He will enter Harvard thisfall for graduate work in economics.

Secretary, Apt. 28, 19 Everett St. Cambridge, Mass. 02138

Treasurer, 2 Read Rd., Hanover, N. H. 03755