1980

No, my eyes did not deceive me: It was indeed Dave Watt who was voted by his peers as one of the top retina specialists in Maryland. I rang up Dave in Annapolis, and while we spoke mostly of my myopic view of the financial markets, he confirmed the news. Dave also reported a Bob Attori sighting, in Tuscany of all places ('round the girdled earth we do roam). Dave and Bob, now a pediatric surgeon, met at a wedding under the blinding Tuscan sun; we assume they wore sunglasses. Wattman also spoke of the vision of Buddy Teevens '79, which is to restore a first-class football program to Hanover. Dave and others participated in Buddy's fall mentoring program in Hanover, where alums advised current players about how to envision career paths.

New Jersey has seen the light: Governor Corzine has appointed Ron Chen as its public advocate. Ron had been serving as dean of academic affairs at Rutgers Law School when he got the call. A Newark Star-Ledger story on his appointment noted that Ron almost always wears bow ties and can never seem to control the riotous cowlick at the crown of his head." Some of us would like to have enough hair so as to have that problem, as opposed to, say, a riotous, uncontrollably receding hairline.

Trina Olin Santry observes that the widespread popularity of girls' and women's athletics today is a pleasant contrast to the situation 25 years ago, when both opportunities and acceptance in that regard were limited. Trina and her husband live in northern Virginia with their three athletic children.

I was thrilled to hear that the Rev. Gerry Murray and Winston Hutchins had lunch in New York after they connected over a hockey reference in my last column, because that proved someone had read it. Gerry laces 'em up for (small world) my old law firm. In his spare time he is pastor of St. Vincent de Paul, where the services are bilingual. Judging from Gerry's voice mail greeting, it will take some time before he masters the French accent the way Dennis Murphy has. Murph has the advantage of living in France. Gerry did LSA in Granada, lived in Rome for a spell and picked up some Spanglish in Washington Heights, so perhaps this combination of Spanish, Italian and Latin has contributed to his riotous (to coin a phrase) quasi-Quebecois accent.

I walked into the reception area of a prestigious prep school and did a doubletake: There was Dan Fitzpatrick with his wife and daughter. They, together with their second daughter, live in Greenwich but escape to the city from time to time for a cultural booster shot. Dan is now CEO of Citigroup's trust company, following a successful run at Goldman Sachs.

I had a delightful visit in Chicago with Lisa Shanahan Tomlinson. If you have one, you know that the reunion essay book she edited is a gem. If you don't, Lisa has about 50 left in her garage, so contact her ASAP for your copy. If you happen by the Hanover Inn, you'll find a copy by the fireplace.

I am off to my wife's 25th Duke reunion. Boy, does she have a tough act to follow. But I promised I'd be nice, and maybe I'll hang with Tom Wolfe or Coach K.

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