2001 — THIRTY-FIFTH REUNION
by
Gregory A. Weiss
Extraordinary! Expectations were high, but they were exceeded on all fronts (excluding, perhaps, the weather)! It really was a terrific Reunion. For whatever reasons, this one just “clicked”. It makes you look forward to the 40th!
Some of the highlights tremendous attendance (196 Classmates, 129 spouses/friends/guests and 31 children), a record 35th Reunion Gift ($11,270,494, blowing away the Class of 65’s previous record by over $1,300,000), and the announcement of the election of Ted Shen to the Yale Corporation. We couldn’t be prouder. Most gratifying was the return of 11 Classmates as first-time reunion attendees. Seven were recognized to great applause at the Class Dinner on Saturday night, but somehow we missed four more: Ken Forsythe, John Grubin, David Greenwald and Sandy Shapleigh. In addition to the 11 “first-timers”, eighteen Classmates were recognized for perfect attendance at all seven Yale ’66 Reunions.
Of course great successes like these just don’t happen. It takes a lot of work. Special Gifts Chairmen Tom Barry and Steve Timbers, together with co-leaders Biff Folberth and Dick Swingle, deserve special mention for their efforts in developing the Class gift. Tom Opladen has done a great job as the Class Treasurer for the past 10 years and was recognized with the AYA Distinguished Service Award. Reunion Co-Chair Lansing Palmer merits recognition for his work, most notably for putting together and moderating the highly successful “Yale ’66 Adventure” panel on Saturday afternoon (of which more later).
Our highest accolades and greatest thanks must, however, go to Cary Koplin. The amount of time and energy this guy put into the Reunion is inestimable. His focus on the details and his willingness to make the hundreds of decisions necessary to make an event as large as this one run smoothly are what made this Reunion a success. We cannot thank or praise him enough.. The biggest problem he now faces is reacquainting himself with his partners and clients at Neuberger Berman, who must have thought he was on a sabbatical for the last 6 weeks. We should count ourselves fortunate that Cary has agreed to Chair the 40th, and, to those of us who know him, it comes as no surprise to learn that he already started the planning. The only problem may result from the fact, revealed to the Class at dinner Saturday night by your Corresponding Secretary, that Cary is now working out religiously with a personal trainer. It’s great that no one will kick sand in his face any more, but we’re fearful that when we show up at the 40th we will find that the traditional reunion golf/polo shirt will be replaced by a “Y’66” logo’d tank top or torso tee shirt!
As for the events of the weekend, Classmates began gathering in JE on Thursday. After a delicious buffet dinner in the courtyard, conversation and song lasted beyond midnight as old bonds were renewed, and new friendships were forged. On Friday, the morning program was all Yale with a half-dozen offerings of faculty lectures by some of the University’s foremost professors. President and Mrs. Levin visited the Class during our All-American Class cookoutand picnic under the tent and recognized our record-breaking 35th Reunion Gift.What followed on Friday afternoon was a pure Yale ’66 program that played before an overflow crowd in Linsley Chittenden. First, our Class explorer, John Bockstoce, delivered an updated reprise of his successful 25th Reunion travelogue, and all Classmates who attended were given a copy of his latest book “Arctic Discoveries”. Next, Bill Hannay moderated a fascinating and thoughtful panel on “The Next Thirty-Five Years” with panelists Dr. Jeff Koplan, Dr. Ben Liptzin, Jeff Parish and Ted Shen. Peter Gisolfi then provided Classmates with an inside look at the changing architecture of Yale’s residential college system with an informative tour of several of the renovated colleges and buildings.
Friday evening featured a “New England Shore Dinner” under the tent in the JE courtyard. Highlighted by lobster and wine from Ted Elliot’s award-winning Sonoma-Cutrer vineyard (thanks again, Ted, for your generosity), the dinner was followed by a performance in the JE Common Room by 9 of the 10 living Whiffenpoofs of 1966. They were terrific! Voices still strong, they wowed the packed crowd and were called for two encores. A Yale song sing-along followed the Whiffs, with piano virtuoso Rob Ulery providing the musical accompaniment. Keeping to our well-established tradition, Rich Look was at the piano by midnight dazzling the crowd with his cabaret tunes. John Carney’s songs with guitar and Damon Baker’s piano extraordinaire provided additional entertainment. For some (we are told) the evening did not wind down until well past 3:00 A.M.
On Saturday morning we were offered a wide choice of fascinating tours of the art galleries and other Yale facilities and lectures by leading Yale professors, including a stimulating discussion by Paul Bracken on “Will there be war with China”. By lunchtime, the rain was coming down in buckets (thank goodness Cary had selected “Y-66” umbrellas as Reunion favors), and we were thankful to be once again under the shelter of the JE tent for a buffet lunch. The afternoon featured Lansing Palmer’s panel/town meeting “Yale ’66 Adventures We Survived to Share Them With You.” Twelve Classmates regaled us over the hour and a half with some truly fascinating tales and more hands were raised when we had to quit. Among the stories were Tim Wollaeger’s captaincy of a refrigerator ship right out of Naval OCS during the Vietnam War, Josh Jensen’s early trials and tribulations in the wine business, Waring Partridge’s Asia to Europe motorcycle trip after his discharge from Vietnam, Bill Mather’s discovery of a sunken Spanish galleon with $5,000,000 of gold and Robert Van Leeuwen’s two “run-ins” with his then boss, U.N. Secretary General Butros Butros Ghali, including a hilarious scene of perceived (but actually totally innocent) indiscretion with Mrs. Ghali. We had no idea so many Classmates have hitchhiked across Afghanistan or spent time in jail!
The Class Council met late Saturday afternoon and, perhaps as punishment for our sins, re-elected Cary Koplin and Biff Folberth as Co-Class Secretaries and yours truly, Greg Weiss, as Corresponding Secretary. This was followed by a well attended and meaningful Memorial Service at Dwight Chapel conducted by Reverends Robert Hughes and Tom Porter and Dr.Ben Liptzin honoring the 68 Classmates who have died since we entered Yale in 1962.
Cocktails from 6:30 to 7:30 jammed the tent, but, mercifully (since it had become quite muddy), we moved into the JE Dining Hall and Common Room for the Saturday night Class Dinner. Josh Jensen generously supplied his Calera wines for the sit-down meal featuring beef tenderloin. With such a large group, seating was tight, but the resulting “intimacy” may have contributed to the great warmth and high spirit that permeated the room. Following dinner, a large contingent was on the cleared-out floor dancing to tunes from the 60’s spun by DJ Dina Regineof Tom Kaufman Productions. For those still standing/functioning, Yorkside pizza was delivered at midnight, and the tent finally cleared out at 3:30 a.m.
Sunday morning was a time to sleep in late, pack, check out and say our good-bys. The University served a wonderful brunch for all the Reunion classes in Commons for some it was a final chance to catch up with old friends and to develop some new ones.
Again, we can’t say it enough it was a great time. For those of you who were there, we are sure you agree. For those of you who weren’t, you must come to the 40th!
Classmates in attendance:
Howard Alpert (Ellen Smith), John M. Amatruda (Mary-Jo Amatruda), Christopher S. Armstrong (Judith Armstrong), Robert D. Augusta (Dolly Augusta), Theodore I. Bahn (2: Cheryl Bahn, Charlane Pierce), Damon W. Baker† (Ann Baker), Daniel Barbiero (Helen Barbiero), Thomas C. Barry (Pat Barry), Frederick W. Beinecke, J. Frederick Berg, Andrew S. Berkman (Kathy Berkman), Kenneth Bernhard, Donald A. Bickford, Stephen L. Billard (Susan Billard), Foster J. Blair, John R. Bockstoce (Romayne Bockstoce), Robert W. Bogue† (Lauren L. Bogue), Rex J. Bowser (Marylin Saxman), Timothy M. Bradford, R. Huntington Breed (Lucy Breed), Herbert C. Broadfoot (Nancy Broadfoot), Thomas W. Brookover† (Cicely Brookover), George A. Brown (2: Mrs. George A. Brown, Nancy Brown), George C. Brown (4: Dawn Brown, Caitlin Brown, Cliff Brown, Betsy Brown), Robert W. Brundige (Kay Brundige), Lewis Bryden (2: Elizabeth Bryden, Edward Bryden), Morgan G. Bulkeley (Eleanor Tillinghast), Harvey H. Bundy (Blakely Bundy), John M. Carney (Donna Carney), Franklyn H. Carrington (4: Carolyn Carrington, Christopher Carrington, Caroline Carrington, Bif Carrington), Frankland F. Cheung (1), Dugald D. Chisholm (Mary Alice Chisholm), Stephen M. Clement, John H. Clippinger (Emma Clippinger), Howard A. Cohen, Arthur Condliffe (Nancy Condliffe), Russell Crawford (Donna Crawford), Lawrence Crocker (2: Mark Crocker, Stephanie Crocker), Edmund G. Crotty, Michael T. Dalby, Eugene R. Dattel, Adam Donovan, Jack H. Dunn, Bruce A. Eberle (Gail D’Ambrosio), K. Thomas Elghanayan (Sharon Elghanayan), William D. Farnam (Cal Alde), Paul E. Farren (4: Vivian Farren, Kristie, Steve, Peyton Cortese), Ralph F. Faville (Carol Faville), Howell L. Ferguson, Thomas F. Fiorito (2: Pamela Peters, Caitlin Fiorito), Anthony M. Fitzgerald, Steven M. Fleischer†, William M. Folberth (Elizabeth Folberth), Kenton G. Forsythe† (Johnathan Forsythe), James S. Fox, John Foy (2: Paula Foy, Jeanne Foy), Richard W. Frank (Barbara K. Frank), Joseph S. Freeman (Cynthia), Horace W. French (Carol French), Donald E. Gastwirth, Richard A. Gerard (Gail Erway-Gerard), Stephen E. Gilhuley (Anna Gilhuley), Peter Gisolfi, Richard Glazier (Judith Glazier), Geoffrey M. Graeber (Janet Graber), Mark H. Greene (Doris Greene), John F. Grubin† (Roselle Grubin), John A. Hamilton(Widow) (John Paul Hamilton), William M. Hannay (Donna), John R. Harpold, Richard Hart, John C. Harvey (3: Kazie Harvey, Alexandra harvey), Lee E. Hassig, David R. Hathaway (Nancy Hathaway), Thomas J. Hayes (Sherri Hayes), Marc Hecht (2: Anne Wilder, Henry Hecht), Stanley I. Hegg (Laurie Karzen), Guy L. Heinemann (Ana Riewerts), Raymond T. Heizer, Jan V. Hirschmann†, James E. Howard, Edmund G. Howe (Natalia Moskovchenko), Robert D. Hughes (Barbara Hughs), Douglas L. Hurley (Julian Bourdon), Thomas B. Hyman (Jennie), Thomas C. Israel, Josh Jensen, Hugh M. Jones (Carolyn P. Merson), M. Albin Jubitz, James Kaplan, Samuel R. Karetsky (Nancy Karetsky), Gary C. Karschmer (Barbara Law), Leo Kayser, Robert L. Keeney, Bingham Kennedy (Elizabeth Kennedy), Thomas D. Kitch (Sally Kitch), James Knowles, Jeffrey Koplan (Carol Koplan), Cary A. Koplin (Sherry Koplin), Mark A. Korsten (Susan Korsten), James P. Kovacs† (Justin Kovacs), Uldis Kruze, James M. Landwehr, Ivar Larsen (Barbara L. Larsen), Andrew R. Lear (Candyce Rylander), John R. Lease (2: Linda Lease, Amanda Lease), George M. Levin (Nancy Levin), Jeffrey Lewis, Donald B. Liberman (Linda Palumbo), John A. Lindburg, Benjamin Liptzin (Sharon Liptzin), Richard P. Livingston, Richard E. Look (Cassandra Look), Luke D. Lynch, Mark Lynch, Thomas D. Maher (Pat Maher), Howard Mallory (2: Nora Berko, Eliana Mallory), Robert J. Malovany (Maureen Malovany), Edward C. Marschner (Francine Harris), William M. Mathers, Thomas J. McCaffrey, Glenn B. McClelland (Ramona (Bebet) McClelland), Jeffrey T. McGrath, Thomas M. Mitchell† (2: Debra Mitchell, Kaley Mitchell), Edward Mogul, David E. Monahan (Sally Monahan), Guy B. Moss, Terrance J. Mullin (Natasha Mullin), James Munson (3: Melinda Munson, Jimmy Munson, Libby Munson), Bruce Murrie (Ilya Levin), William Nelson, Thomas O’Brien, Thomas J. Opladen (Randi Opladen), Harold H. Osborn (Jennifer Dohrn), Lansing R. Palmer, Jeffrey J. Parish, Michael F. Parry (Patricia Parry), Waring Partridge (Julia Partridge), Day Patterson (Jannet Patterson), Scott Peterson, David E. Pinkham (Ann Newhall), Thomas W. Porter (Zozic Porter), Dean L. Potter, Robert L. Pratter (Gene Pratter), Thomas J. Press (Barbara Press), Neil S. J. Raymond, Peep Rebassoo (Cindy Malin), John H. Reid (Macy Reid), David Reuben, David B. Rigney, Robert W. Riordan (Mona Pessolano), William H. Rodgers, Sigourney B. Romaine, Jonathan Romeyn (Mary Elizabeth Romeyn), Roy M. Rubin (Anita Rubin), William Ruth (Karlen Lyons-Ruth), William T. Sandalls, Allen H. Sandler (2: Etta Sandler, Zak Sandler), John P. Sawyer (Susan Sawyer), Bernard P. Schachtel, Martin L. Senzel (Dagni Senzel), Alexander W. Shapleigh† (Catherine Shapleigh), Vincent J. Sharkey (3: Joyce Sharkey, Jack Sharkey, Julia Sharkey), Steven Shelov, Theodore P. Shen (Carol Shen), Burt R. Shurly (Mary Ann Shurly), Ronald L. Singer (Violaine Sanson-Tricard), Henry V. Soper, Jon Streltzer (Sheila Streltzer), Joel Suttenberg, Chris A. Swindells (Heidi Swindells), Richard S. Swingle, Stephen B. Timbers (Elaine Timbers), Denis R. Tippo (Hazel Tippo), Timothy W. Tunney, John T. Tyler†, Robert W. Ulery, William Urich (3: Jeanne Urich, Will Urich, Tom Urich), Robert J. Van Leeuwen (Richenda Van Leeuwen), Joseph S. von Kaenel (Margaret von Kaenel), Philip M. Walker (Cheryl Trit), Alvin C. Warren (Judy Warren), Edward Warren (Harriet Warren), Dean A. Weidner (Wendy Weidner), George H. Weiler, Gregory Weiss (Karen), Charles D. Weller (Pam Morgan), Tracy J. Whitaker (Cathy Whitaker), John R. Whitman (Christine Whitman), F. Case Whittemore (Anne Marie Whittemore), Kent A. Willever† (Nina Willever), Alexander H. Williams (Doris Weitz), Timothy J. Wollaeger (Cynthia Wollaeger), David A. Worth (Barbara Worth), Elliott A. Yolles
† First time at a Reunion
(Guests: Guest names)
Disclaimer: The historical attendance records have been recreated from files and lists thought to be accurate but no guarantee as to completeness. If you are not listed for a reunion you attended or if you are listed and did not attend, please email us and we will correct the lists. The easiest way to check is to look up your name in the “Classmates who have attended a Reunion” list. By your name will be a list of the Reunions our records show you as having attended.