1960

A tour of Richard Levy's firm, Varian Medical Systems, in Palo Alto followed a fall lunch of Bay Area '6os organized by Bruce Hasenkamp. Also attending were John Wheaton, Dick Foley, Bob Caulfield, Peter Farquhar, Ed Berkowitz and class president Rick Roesch, who owns a condo in San Francisco and often spends time there.

Dick Levy has been CEO of Varian since 1999, but really has been running its business since 1986. He has worked for the firm for 35 years, and it is a fascinating business as the biggest company in the world devoted solely to the manufacture of radiation equipment used to treat cancer. Varian has produced thousands of pieces of equipment, selling for $1.5 to $2 million each, and just this past year exceeded $1 billion in annual sales for the first time.

Dick pointed out when I called that 60 percent of all cancer patients in developed countries use at least some radiation treatment, so this is vital technology and he is appropriately proud of his work. He lives with his wife, Susan, in nearby Portola Valley.

Bruce says the Bay Area luncheon group plans to get together four times a year.

We're on a drive to encourage those who haven't been paying the $40 annual class dues to pay, so as to keep them receiving the Alumni Magazine. Class treasurer Jay Emery sends me a note from Bob Hill's significant other with a dues check, in which he conveys the sad news that Bob "has a disease called PSP (progressive supranuclear palsy), a rare brain disorder and is unable to write, speak, drive or walk unassisted."

A spouse sent in a check for another '60 who, she said, is angry at the College for not admitting one of their children as a legacy, unfortunately a fairly common cause of disaffection with the College. She indicated she hadn't let him know she was paying, so no name is being used here.

Bob Brown e-mails news of his wedding "barefoot in the sand" at St. George Island off the Florida Panhandle last October to Nancy, nee Howard, of Tallahassee, a high school sweetheart of his in Fairfax County, Virginia, and his date at the '57 and '58 Winter Carnivals. They honeymooned with a week's trip up the Mississippi on the steamboat American Queen and are now back in the Florida state capital, where they each operate their own businesses from offices at the opposite ends of their house.

"Tell the '60s that when the winter blahs become intolerable, there's always room for visitors here in the Panhandle," Bob concludes. "Just give us a call and come on down."

By the time this is out, we may have definitive news on the fortunes, or lack of them, for Sen. John Kerry's campaign for president. Our classmate Bob Farmer has been serving as treasurer of his campaign, a function he also performed for John Glenn, Mike Dukakis and Bill Clinton.

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