1951

Reunion reminiscences, continued: Bob Hopkins has written each of the '51 widows about the Memorial Service, including a copy of the program distributed in Rollins Chapel that morning.

'51 seems to have finally recorded an Alumni Fund gift appropriately reflecting this class' feelings towards the College. The official numbers will be recorded, will make you proud, and they are certainly a tribute to Head Agent Jake Livingston.

Class secretaries, someone assures me, cannot get fired, but this scribe came close. While reporting reunion news last month, we omitted any reference to our own Mike Heyman's election as chairman of the College's Board of Trustees. I can think of no one in our class for whom it would be easier to write a fervent letter of recommendation for that or any other post. Bravo, Mike. We know your agenda will be headed by an upgrade in 1951 's home-game seating assignments. (More respectful treatment of Mike's elevation surely appears elsewhere in these pages.)

Earlier this year, the Philadelphia Inquirer's business pages carried a half-page feature des cribing Paul Staley's leadership of the PQ Corp., Valley Forge, Perm., a major producer of sodium silicates and marketer of its related downstream products. After 160 years of family ownership, Paul became the first outsider invited to run the company. As chairman he quintupled sales, vastly expanded the product line, moved some operations overseas, and introduced several corporate innovations, including the concept of four annual shareholder meetings. (How many corporations would eliminate the one, if they could?) Paul retired as CEO last December but remains a director and chairman of the executive committee.

Class President Joe Welch must have a five-foot shelf of gavels. We have learned of his election as chairman of the board of the Anna Jaques Hospital in his hometown of Newburyport, Mass. Joe has also served as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Massachusetts, Newburyport's Chamber of Commerce, its Rotary, and its Maritime Society. He has been and continues as a trustee or director of numerous other civic organizations, none more eminent than the great class of 1951, to be sure!

Where's my freshman roommate, JimBorroughs? Check in, Jim!

Our Reunion seminar on life-style and career changes in the "latter middle" years should be extended to these columns. For those of you who were not panelists that day, let us know what you're giving back to the community after all the years of toil; or how you've changed course lately. These are engrossing stories. Write soon and stay well.

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