1957

Immediately after graduation, Ken and Dot Rakouska entered the White Church, were married, and thereby became the first to win fame and admiration by appearing in this column. Skip Kerr, original class secretary, went on to chronicle 75 marriages and engagements during our first year after graduation. Comparison of early Alumni Magazine issues with the latest class list indicates that 72 percent (54) of those matches flourish yet.

When I called the Rakouskas for an update, Dot advised that Ken was out on the tractor mowing the lawn. Ken reserves part of his energies for running his own mechanical contracting business in St. Louis, providing the gadgetry for people to stay warm in winter and cool in summer. Ken mentioned that he and fishing buddies PhilByers and Bob Slaughter invaded the boundary waters between Minnesota and Canada this year in pursuit of the elusive walleyes.

The Rakouskas passed on the news that Bob Baehr recently spent a sabbatical working at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. He and wife Inga returned home to Grimstad, Norway, where Bob teaches American studies at Agder College. The Baehrs have kept close touch with PhilAnderson in Providence, R.I. Phil is now developing a new company that assembles nationwide data on perinatal care. That data base provides the foundation for seminars and management aids for hospitals, designed to help them deal more effectively with intensifying economic pressures. Speaking of Providence, Aaron Daniels exchanged it for New York about a year ago to become president of the 2,000-station ABC radio network. Arranging coverage of the winter Olympics from Calgary and the NBA playoffs is keeping Aaron occupied.

Like the Baehrs, John Berge calls Scandinavia home. He has been involved with Swedish mining companies since graduation, managing mining operations and mineral explorations in Sweden, West Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. In 1983, John started a firm just outside Stockholm which concentrates on exploration and prospecting in precious metals. Current projects include Middle East gold deposits not worked since Biblical times. According to John, technology of the time was incapable of exhausting those sites, and he has developed and patented processes for mining them economically. He regretted that the rocks business prevented him from attending the 30th and completing the original Indian Chiefs lineup.

Social chairman Hanny Mason advises that plans are firming up for a June minireunion in Des Moines featuring a Mississippi paddle-wheeler cruise, excellent golf, super food, opera, and other inducements for congregating in lowa. Further details will be forthcoming. After you arrive, ask Hanny to tell you about Big Ace, a 2,700-pound porker he met at the lowa State Fair. Big Ace's exploits topped the conversation at a recent luncheon in Boston where Hanny, Jack Cramer, Jack Hall, GeorgeJohnston, Bob MacDonald, and Joe andJane Stevenson celebrated beating last year's Alumni Fund target as well as Jack's assumption of head agent responsibilities. Jack and Liz recently moved to Hanover, right next door to Dave and Ruth Orr.

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