1949
In spite of the fact that everyone probably has been terribly busy the past month helping Bill Chapman improve the class' record in Alumni Fund giving, I've been able to gather a little information about the whereabouts and the pre- sent circumstances of some class members. I hope that you all will continue to send news and help me avoid that panicky feeling about the 25th of each month when I look through my file of news for this column.
A Christmas letter sent by the Dudley Bursches found its way to my desk and provides a very complete description of the things that Dudley and his wife Betsy have been doing. Dudley is now a 12-year veteran at IBM and still finds it a challenging experience, which is not surprising. He and Betsy are quite involved in jail ministry, which I assume means he is working with prisoners at one of the institutions around Vestal, N.Y. Betsy had her 25th Reunion at Wellesley last June. They have four children, Don, 23, finishing Dartmouth this June; Nancy, 22, graduated from St. Mary's. Notre Dame, last May, and is selling for Xerox in South Bend, Inc.; John, 20, at State University College at Cortland, N.Y., and heading for a career in optometry; and their youngest son. Dan, 18, who entered the U.S. Naval Academy last July. It sounds as though things are quieting down at home.
Joe Baker writes that he is a grandfather, having been presented with a grandson by his daughter Joan last year. His oldest daughter Suzanne graduated from Penn State and Thomas Jefferson University and is working as a nurse in Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia. His only son Joe Jr. is a student at the local community college and their youngest daughter Caroline is a freshman in high school. His wife Fran is busy keeping the home fires burning as he seeks electrical component customers for General Electric in the middle-Atlantic area. His offices are at King of Prussia, so stop in and see him if you're in the area. He's still doing a little skiing and managed to get to Snow Bird, Utah, in February. In the summer it's tennis and sailing. He recently was promoted to captain in the naval reserve. Says he saw Paul Erwin at the Glee Club Concert in Philadelphia in March.
Judson Blakely is very active in the Conservative Party in Staten Island, according to the Slaten Island Sunday Advance, and has been involved in some rather shrewd behind-the-scenes maneuvering. To quote from the newspaper, "one of the most fantastic characters in Staten politics is one Judson S. Blakely, chairman of the Middle Richmond Conservative Club. Little known outside Conservative Party circles, Blakely is respected as an independent thinker and articulate spokesman for his point of view within those circles and among others who know him. One of the things one must admire about Blakely is that he thinks big - a quality not common among those who participate in local politics." Judson apparently hatched a plot to shake up the State Assembly and to enhance the position of the conservative wing of the Democratic Party in Albany. Not being completely familiar with New York politics, it is difficult to-explain, but it sounds as though he has become quite a skilled politician. Unfortunately his scheme didn't work, but it looks as though he isn't planning to stop trying and we'll probably hear more about him.
Bill Bellows writes that he just left Aetna Life to become a procedures analyst at Mount Holyoke College, where he is putting his data processing experience to good use. He said he's had lunch occasionally with Ed Clogston, who is in Aetna's Hartford office. His family is getting smaller. His son George graduated from Hamilton in 1974 and daughter Lorraine from Colby-Sawyer in 1975. Alan is in the Class of '78 at Bates and Warren, a junior in high school.
I finally got to Bollie Bollenbach and he sat down and wrote a rather complete letter. He says he's been doing about the same things for the past 25 years, running a string of companies for a unit of Signal Companies/Gulf & Western. He apparently sold his family business to them some time ago. He continues to operate the company, which has grown to seven overseas factories and two in the United States. He has a few complaints about the stock market, which hasn't been too kind to Gulf & Western stock. He and his wife Nancy travel about three months a year. I suppose to visit those seven plants, as far as IRS is concerned. He claims he doesn't golf, fish, or chase girls (I question the latter). His son Willard III is a sophomore at Dartmouth and enjoys it immensely. His eldest daughter Leslie has just graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul and is seeking employment. His youngest daughter Anne has recently been married. He seldom sees any classmates in St. Paul and offers lunch to anyone who is in the area. Looks like a good opportunity.
Bob Zeiser reports that the past winter has been a disaster as far as his health is concerned. He has had back trouble for many years and it finally caught up with him last October. He spent ten days in the hospital in traction, five weeks at home with a pinched nerve, went back to work but the situation worsened and finally ended up with surgery for a disc removal. Next, lesser surgery on a tumor in his back and to top it all off, a mild heart attack, which he didn't even know he had. (Sounds terrible.) Fortunately, he seems to be on the mend, and although he is not back at work yet, will return on a limited basis soon. He feels pretty good but is still stiff and rather immobile. He appreciated a visit from Bert Rodman and Brud Becker, who dropped in on him recently. He also has seen Jack Kilmartin quite a bit for he's on the board of directors of the Richardson Ice Rink, which they own with 21 other guys. As far as his children are concerned, Kathy, 23, is at URI Grad School; Chris, 20, a sophomore at La Fayette; and Nick, 18, a freshman at Colby College in Maine. His wife Pat is an ice skating teacher, presumably at the rink he's involved in. He's involved in three jobs, his main endeavor being insurance.
Secretary, 677 Forest Hill Road Lake Forest, Ill. 60045
Class Agent, 81 Malvern Road, Stamford, Conn. 06905
