1961

The time is getting close for those of us who are still 49 or (horrors) 47 or 48 to learn how to pass the 50-year-old mark gracefully. Classes are May 5-7 in Washington, D.C. Class vice president Mike Murphy, who is the officer overseeing the 50th birthday weekend, says Charlie Buffon has agreed to chair the event. Charlie, you'll recall, has held key class positions before, and did a fantastic job as '61 Fellows chair, so we can be sure that planning for the big weekend is in good hands.

Because of deadlines, most of the specifics about the weekend will come through Wide Wide World I hope to have a complete rundown in the April issue of the Magazine.

Classmates are continuing to make news in a big way. Dick Beattie was the lead attorney in that megabillion buyout of RJR Nabisco by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. His picture appeared everywhere, and his name was in many of the news stories of the largest corporate buyout in history.

Sam Bell is getting married to Florida Education Commissioner Betty Castor. They plan a wedding this month (March). Bell lost his seat in the Florida House in a surprise upset, just as he was on the verge of becoming Speaker. Castor was elected education commissioner in 1986 after four years in the Florida senate. "We didn't mean to make it public quite so soon, but the word was getting out," Bell told The Orlando Sentinel. "We've been seeing each other for a couple of years." Sam is vice chairman of the board for American Pioneer Bank, and chairman of the board of American Pioneer Title Insurance Co. Let us meet you in Washington, Betty!

Bill Blue is the new commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association. "We had three final candidates on Sunday, and Bill was my first choice," player Amy Alcott told The New York Times. "As a competitor, I saw a spark and a twinkle in his eye." I suspect that we'll be hearing regularly from Bill as he tries to line up more TV exposure and more tour sponsors.

George Abbott Davis was elected senior vice president and managing director of the Commercial Mortgage Division for Apple Bank for Savings of New York, after nearly 20 years with Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., where his most recent job was a chairman of the Real Estate Investment Committee.

Mea Culpa: Pete Bleyler informs me that somehow I have never managed to mention him in the column, despite having seen and greeted him in Hanover on a whole bunch of Dartmouth Nights. He's right, in at least as many columns as I could quickly check. He has been present for a bunch of Dartmouth Nights, more than I have, and I thought I had mentioned him. Apologies.

As the year ticks away, keep your Wide Wide World list handy of those who have passed over the 50th horizon. As I'm writing this in the second week in January, this week's list of 50-year-olds includes Art Johnson, Marc Zimmerman, Jake Haertl, Marsh Bates, Chuck Ritchie, Guy Cox, Don Webb, and Harry Kreamer. Happy ...

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