1965

At times when I wish I could look ahead, I just think about my next ALUMNI MAGAZINE deadline, which is the first of the month prior to the month of publication. I had not realized just .how many things I do around the first of the month, from business trips to other activities, which result inevitably in my asking for an extension. Now if I could just write two columns one month, I'd be in great shape! But then I wouldn't get to talk with my favorite editor, Dana Grossman - an articulate, generous, and most helpful person - as often, and would miss that one more contact with Hanover. I'll just have to keep trying. ...

Several of your class officers had a brief business meeting in early March, and some pertinent comments follow. Head Agent Bill Webster reported on fund organization for the 1982 campaign (just started as you read this): Can Boe, fraternities; Sid Stein, hard core. Weaver Gaines, participation; yours truly, matching gifts. We'll be organizing a network of key classmates to contact as many of you as we can to insure that '65 goes over the top wit a record year. Corrected goals (from last month's column) are 481 donors (65 pet and $83,000. As of mid-February, we had 151 donors and $39,000 already in, well ahead of last year (effect of the tax law changes?). Now let's keep up the momentum! For questions, to reach any of the people named above, or to volunteer to help, call Bill Webster at 8 243-4121. Note: There are-telethons each Monday in May in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Boston, and wrap-up telethons in several cities in June. It's fun to call your classmates and make money for the College at the same time. Look for the announcement in the mail or call Bill.

Treasurer Dennis Purnell reported that we currently are solvent, with 345 classmates having pay their 1981-82 class dues. Since dues are our only source of income, we hope more of you will participate, to help support subscriptions to the ALUMNI MAGAZINE and our super newsletter, and to provide seed money for worthwhile class activities. Send your $16 now to Dennis at 69 Bay Street, Manchester, N.H. 03104. The class can use the help.

Dick Avery agreed to look into possible class projects. If you have ideas as to something which will be meaningful to both class and College, inexpensive, and creative, contact Dick at 22 Surry Drive, Cohasset, Mass. 02025. The '65 cabin at Moosilauke gets a lot of use and is much appreciated but is there something else we can or should be doing? Let's hear your thoughts.

I reported that my store of news for future columns is keeping just ahead of demand, but it needs continual replenishment. Please take pen in hand (pencil will do, or crayon, especially for parents) and tell me what you're up to and/or what you know about other classmates.

The same request for news goes out from newsletter editor, Jack Heidbrink, I know (I'll speak for him since he decided to stay home with the flu instead of coming to the meeting). Or maybe he was just putting the finishing touches on his next masterpiece. . . .

The class has learned that Madge W. Shepard's memorial gift to the College has been established as the Alan Paul Shepard 1965 Memorial Fund. This will become part of the College's permanent endowment and will provide income for the general scholarship fund. If, over time, additions are made to this fund to raise it to the $50,000 level, it will be redesignated and the financial aid office will name an Alan Paul Shepard Scholar. In anticipation of a question some of you may have, I have been asked to mention an important distinction that you may wish to keep in mind as you consider a memorial gift for A1 or any other classmate. Memorial gifts to A1 may be made to the class and the Alumni Fund for credit. But if a gift is earmarked for the Scholarship Fund, it will be restricted (part of the scholarship endowment) and will not garner class or Alumni Fund credit. The classmate will be honored and the College will benefit in either case, but the class will benefit only in the former case, that of the gift to the Alumni Fund in the name of the alumnus. This gift is a fine act on the part of Mrs. Shepard, and it recognizes the strength of Al's ties to and feelings for the College.

Our president, Jock Hosmer, provided the agenda for the class meeting and presided comfortably in the manner of the bank president he is. He added a reminder be sure to mark your calendars for October 1-3, the dates of our next mini-reunion at Pierce's Lodge in Etna, Following this reminder and the above preliminaries, we repaired to Parkers' Lounge for some serious discussion.

For those of you planning a trek to China in the near future, plan to visit Guangzhou (Canton) during your trip, and call on Jerome C. Ogden, the United States consul general there. Jerry, a career diplomat, began his foreign travel by taking a year off to study in Greece and Germany and then came back to graduate in 1966. He subsequently received his M.P.A. degree in 1978 from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Public Administration. His career has kept him traveling from Washington to the western Pacific. He served as vice counsul in Hong Kong (1967-1969), attended Chinese Language Training (1969-197 1), was vice consul in Medan, Indonesia (1971-1973), consul in Hong Kong (1973-1975), U.S. liaison office first secretary in Peking (1975-1977), chief of the post liaison division, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Department of State (1978-1980), and chief of the economic section in the Office of Chinese Affairs (1980-1981) prior to his present assignment. Jerry and his wife and two children have been in Guangzhou since last July, and he writes that his territory includes the Guangdong, Fujian, and Gunagxi provinces, where, by Chinese standards, the population is modest only 115,000,000 people! Everything is relative!

A note from Neil and Rebekah Grossman starts off, "Better late than never! We had a great time at reunion - with all the children! But where were Chip Hayes, Mark Efron, and Joel Sternfeld? We are still in Wayland, Mass., and spending summers on Martha's Vineyard with Adam, almost ten; Gabriel, almost six; and Miranda, almost two."

We have learned recently that the Upjohn Company has named James W. Aiken Ph.D. to its elite group of senior scientists. Upjohn is a research-oriented producer and marketer of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and agricultural and veterinary products. Jim joined Upjohn's experimental biology group in 1977 and has contributed significantly to knowledge about how hormone-like body chemicals called prostaglandins are involved in various organ systems. He is known especially for his work on the role of prostaglandins in the cardiovascular system.

A fellow of the American Thoracic Society, Jim studied at the Royal College of Surgeons of England from 1969 to 197 1. Jim is also a consultant for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and a member of the Michigan Heart Association's peer review committee, the American Heart Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, the American Thoracic Society, the British Pharmacological Society, Sigma Xi, and the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.

Jim and his wife, Sue Smith Aiken, have two children and reside in Plainwell, Mich. That's it for now. Keep the faith!

M.I.T. Room #10-122 Cambridge, Mass. 02139