1955

To break up the post Christmas doldrums, Ruth and I returned to England in January for two weeks of "home leave" just one year after we ended our five-year stay there. While there I had the chance to catch up on the activities of our '55 in residence in London, Gus Aberle. Gus is taking advantage of his European location with such activities as a wine-tasting trip to Piedmont in Italy. He reports that the recent investment climate slowdown is having an effect on his business as Tom Roulston's representative. And he did manage to get in a holiday visit to his family in California.

The Thayer School has honored our classmate John Ballard by appointing him to their board of overseers. John is the president and CEO of TCI (Technology for Communications International) in Mountain View, Calif. After graduating from the Tuck/Thayer program in 1956, John spent three years in the U.S. Navy, followed by ten years with Granger Associates in Palo Alto. In 1968 he and two colleagues founded TCI. The company specializes in the manufacture of high-frequency antennas and electronic reconnaissance systems for large commercial firms and for the government. In 1988 TCI was included in the Forbes list of the "200 Best Small Companies." Today TCI has customers throughout the free world and annual sales exceeding $5O million. John and his wife, Sue, have six children and live in Los Altos Hills. He has been an active volunteer with both the College and Thayer School and we are pleased that his considerable talent will be formally available, to Thayer.

One of the class's long-standing holdouts against the spread of high technology into all aspects of our life has finally capitulated! When I telephoned Lyn Brock recently, I was connected to an answering machine, with a message that included the comment (from son Chris) that this was the only concession to the techno-age at the Brocks. Lyn admits that he and Claudie find it useful (as do the Blodgetts).

Another of our classmates has secured himself against the ever-increasing cost of medical care. Walt Boden's youngest son will shortly graduate from the University of Georgia Medical School. Great timing, considering that at the current pace of increase, health benefits for retirees are expected to exceed the rate of current earnings. Walt is senior VP of the Atlanta real estate firm John Hunsinger & Cos.

And continuing the Dartmouth tradition of roaming 'round the globe, I have heard from several sources that the Earle Benisings in the company of two other couples celebrated their joint 34th wedding anniversary with a trip through Alaska last June.

By the time you reaa this, Head Agent Brooks Parker and his team will be hard at work on the 1990 Alumni Fund. Please make their job easier and make an early pledge or gift so they can put their efforts on the real hold-outs.

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