1978

Two summers ago Bill Dallas Lewis happened to be on a sales call in Los Angeles at the same time as the riots were raging in South Central L.A. In the aftermath of the destruction, Dallas and his father-in-law, Damon Mills, who lives in Palos Verdes, went with a shovel and gloves to help clean up and pass out food at a large church in Watts, which had been looted. In the midst of it all, says Dallas, "I thought to myself, 'Hey, what am I doing for the world?"'

This is the same Dallas Lewis who had the quintessential eighties experience of working for Dun & Bradstreet 'Credit Services in Cincinnati, blowing the whistle on a $200- million-a-year scandal, and suing D&B in a RICO class-action suit that was covered on "20/20" and the frontpage of The Wall Street Journal in March 1989. (The whole business was eventually settled out of court.)

But in that moment in L.A., Dallas decided to start a book company "to deliver messages to kids to motivate them to dream and to read." He and his wife, Lisa, incorporated Silly Billy's Books and embarked on a series entitled Read, Then Read More.

"Our theme is that through reading, anyone can do anything," says Dallas. Their first book, issued in October 1992, was entitled The Last Book. The main character is an African-American kid named Silly Billy who doesn't like to read. One day he looks up as a spaceship is sucking all the books out of the library windows. At first Billy thinks that's great, but later on he schemes to get them back.

In the next book Silly Billy goes to the Planet Yes, where, Dallas explains, "It doesn't matter what color you are. What matters is how much you dream, read, and grow and care for the other people on your planet."

There are other '78s contributing their own special gifts to the world. Ted Arnold is a painter in Emeryville, Calif. His works are sold at the Morphos Gallery in San Francisco. His wife, Tori Lambert, is a nurse manager. Eileen Carhart Cunis is an artist in Plymouth, N.H. Henry Loustau is a painter in West Grove, Pa. "I do large, colorful, figurative work," says Henry. "I'm not rich or famous, but I'm in some good collections, and I've survived more than 15 years now. It's what I enjoy doing." Henry's wife, Vickie Barone, is an elementary-school teacher.

Stanton "Gar" Waterman is a sculptor in Lawrenceville, N.J. Jane Erwin Hammett is an acclaimed opera star in San Francisco. Robert Fieldsteel is an actor in L.A. Chip Blough is a musician in Richmond. Peter Mose is a pianist and music teacher in Toronto. Heather Wilson is a singer in Tempe, Arizona.

And here are six recent '78 gifts to the world:

1) Alexander DeCrane Saralegui, son of Lisa DeCrane and Alvaro Saralegui, born October 10, 1993.

2) Cameron Meyer Shorb, second son of Ellen Meyer and Paul Shorb, born in a worldrecord 15 minutes on September 20, weighing 7 lbs., 7 oz.

3) Eric Paul Lippin, son of Barbara and Sam Lippin, born on November 4, at 8 lbs., 6 oz.

4 & 5) twins Jessica Morgan Linde and Michael Brandon Linde, born to Nancy Liebowitz-Linde and Gregg Linde (Oberlin '80) on November 16, at 7 lbs. and 5 lbs., 14 oz., respectively.

6) Hayley Lynn Adnopoz, third daughter of Ellen and Steve Adnopoz, born on January 4, at 7 lbs., 7 oz.

5317 White Horse Road, Knoxville, TN 37919-9344

In the aftermath of the destruction in L.A., Dallas Lewis decided to start a book company to "motivate kids to dream and to read." BROOKS CLARK '78