2006 — FORTIETH REUNION
by
Gregory A. Weiss
June 1st marked the official start of the hurricane season, and guess what blew into New Haven: 305 Classmates bedecked in custom-fitted, blue-and-white-striped, Yale ’66 blazers. We had lots of rain, lots of great people and lots of fun! It was a terrific Reunion from all points of view. Our attendance set a record for 40th reunions — 33.6% of our mailable Classmates (38 of whom were attending their first reunion) and 529 total attendees (including 224 spouses, partners, girlfriends, children, etc.). The 76 cases of wine that we consumed attest to the fun we had. As to the untold inches of rain, we are starting to think that if we were racehorses they would call us “mudders”. The rain-drenched 35th, and now the 40th, prove that the more it rains the better times we have!
It started off as a beautiful early summer day on Thursday. Classmates and their families and guests began to drift in around noon, and by dinner over 300 had arrived – – along with a tremendous amount of thunder and lightning. The dinner meal featured Niman Ranch steaks supplied byMike McConnell and Calera Wines donated by the ever-colorfulJosh Jensen. Most of the afternoon was spent quietly moving in, reconnecting with old friends and exploring the renovations around the campus. A group of our avid golfers, organized byTom SlaterandNed Snyder, teed off at 1 pm on Yale’s championship golf course. Another group started play early on Friday morning. All 44 golfers luckily dodged the rain.
By Friday morning the Reunion was in full swing. After breakfast under the enormous tent in beautiful, newly renovated DavenportCollege, many of us were off to one of the numerous lectures by top Yale professors that were available to all reunion-goers. Those that seemed to draw the most comment and praise were by John Gaddis on “The Past and Future of the Bush Doctrine” and by Jon Butler on “The Surprise of Religion in Twentieth Century America”. Lunch was a ‘backyard barbeque” under the tent, again featuring Niman ranch products. Friday afternoon’s main event was a reprise of the “Class Adventures” discussion that was so popular at the 35th. Led this time byTim Wollaeger, it featured brief stories by over a dozen Classmates. Among the more memorable wereClark Abbott‘scomputer-aided description of his climb to the Everest base camp,Alex Yablonsky‘s hilarious story of being arrested by soldiers on an Arab desert (which ended up with cold beers all around) andDean Potter‘s story of his life on lam after a run-in with the law and how much he loves lawyers (who ultimately kept him out of the slammer).
After the panel (during which we avoided a huge downpour) we hustled over to Battell Chapel for a Memorial Service led byTom Porter,Steve Clement,Ben Liptzin andJed Mannis. New to the service for this Reunion was a feature initiated byBiff Folberth: a printed In Memoriam booklet which included written memorials to each of the 15 Classmates who had died since the 35th Reunion and to several of the others who had died previously. As part of the Service, the Classmate authors of the memorials gave two-minute oral remembrances of the 15 decedents. It was quite moving.
The rain Friday evening chased us indoors for the Class photo. The 70-seat auditorium in the Davenport basement where we gathered presented a major challenge to the photographer, who amazingly produced a digitalized photo overnight that somehow got us all in wearing our spanking new blazers. Immediately following was the Class Dinner — the “Main Event”. With almost all attending Classmates decked out in their blazers and a crowd of over 520, not to mention more thunder and lightning, it was quite a scene. Mike McConnell supplied the tasty, dry-aged steaks,Ted Elliott supplied the red wines, two “Queste” Pinot Noirs from his Elliott Family Cellars, and white wine drinkers were treated toJosh Jensen‘s Calera Central Coast Chardonnay. Tom Porter‘s invocation, which recalled our Class’s heritage from the civil rights movement, was especially memorable. Co-Class SecretaryBiff Folberth introduced our Alumni Fund Chairman, Bob Brundige, who described the incredibly large Class gift that we will soon deliver to the University (over $22 million) and honored the many Class agents who helped raise this amount and cause our Class donor percentage to exceed the stratospheric level of 85%. Bob andStephen Billard, who created our splendid, user-friendly Class website, were honored with AYA Distinguished Service Awards. After dinner Yale voices were in full throttle. We were first entertained by the Whiffenpoofs of ’66, still in excellent form. As the night wore on many of us moved to the strikingly attractive Davenport Common Room where we were led in song byDamon Baker at the piano and then entertained by the dazzlingRich Look, whose rendition of “Heartbreak Hotel” in Japanese is an enduring favorite.
It was still pouring when, groggily for many, we arose on Saturday morning. Thanks toTed Shen a group that numbered over 80 was given a private tour of the newly renovated Louis Kahn Art and ArchitectureBuilding by University Art Gallery Director, Jock Reynolds. Another group of intrepid souls made their way out to the boathouse for the traditional Class row organized byWill Rodgers andWaring Partridge. Others went to one of the numerous presentations available to attendees at all the reunions, including a very important one by the Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Jeff Brenzel. Lunch under the tent again featured excellent Niman Ranch meats supplied byMike McConnell, some tasty dogs and burgers.
The principal event on Saturday afternoon (and one of the highlights of the Reunion) was a Class panel entitled “The Road Less Traveled”. Led bySteve Clement, the panelists wereJed Mannis,Rob Van Leeuwen,Gene Dattel andTom Wilner. They were all incredibly articulate and inspirational in describing the diverse ways in which they were contributing to society by means other than financial. After their presentations and a brief Q and A, numerous Classmates in the audience came forward to the microphone and described each again in an impressively articulate manner, various socially beneficial projects and endeavors in which they were involved. It was still raining when the panel ended and as we gathered later for cocktails and a lobster dinner under the tent. We were joined during cocktails by University President Rick Levin, resplendent in his own Yale ’66 blazer (which we are sure (?) he will continue to wear proudly on a regular basis). Calera wines were again featured, and, as the evening became cooler, the crowd on the dance floor rocking to the sounds of the Bales-Gitlin Band became larger and more energized. During dinner awards were given to the three Classmates who had come the furthest to attend: Denis Gray(Bangkok),Steve Nelson(Hong Kong) andJitendra Singh(New Delhi).
Sunday morning came much too early for most. It was time to pack and say good-bye after an amazing brunch in University Commons (the immensity of which is always striking – – and to think that for nine months forty-four years ago we ate almost every one of our meals there!).
It was an incredible four days and a great success. Dozens of people contributed (hopefully all of whom are mentioned above), but the one guy who made it all come together was Reunion ChairmanCary Koplin. His devotion to Yale and our Class is extraordinary. We all benefit from it, and the standing ovation we gave him at the Class Dinner was a small token of the thanks we owe him. Co-ChairmanGreg Weisshad a great time working with Cary and learning the ropes at the foot of the master.
Reunion Attendees
John Abbott† (Lori Moreland), R. Clark Abbott (Saranne Abbott), Thomas J. Adams, Dick Allen (Mary Allen), Delane E. Anderson (Susan Anderson), Paul R. Anderson† (Laurel Ann Zepeda), Christopher S. Armstrong (Judy Armstrong), Robert D. Augusta (Dolly Augusta), John Badman, Theodore I. Bahn (Cheryl Bahn), Damon W. Baker (Ann Baker), Frank L. Baker† (Eileen Baker), Donald C. Balfour (Sharon Balfour), Daniel Barbiero (Helen Barbiero), Hamlet J. Barry (Gail Barry), Thomas C. Barry (Patricia Ryan Barry), Edward C. Beattie (Karen Beattie), Frederick W. Beinecke, J. Frederick Berg, Andrew S. Berkman (Kathy Berkman), Kenneth Bernhard, Kenneth Berv (1), Gray Bethea† (Mary Moore), Christopher Beutler (Judy Beutler), Donald A. Bickford, Stephen L. Billard (Susan Billard), Foster J. Blair (Linda Blair-Montgomery), Thomas J. Blanck (Maggie Blanck), Richard W. Bland, John R. Blossman (Courtney Blossman), John R. Bockstoce (Romayne Bockstoce), James H. Bodurtha (Betsy), Erno R. Bonebakker, Rex J. Bowser (Marylin Saxman), Timothy M. Bradford (Adrienne Bradford), Lawrence Braman†, R. Huntington Breed (Lucy Breed), Herbert C. Broadfoot (Nancy Broadfoot), Steven N. Brody, Thomas W. Brookover (Cicely Brookover), George A. Brown, George C. Brown (3: Dawn Brown), Robert W. Brundige (Kay Brundige), Lewis Bryden (Elizabeth Bryden), Harvey H. Bundy (Blakely Bundy), Perry Burr† (2: Linda Burr, Olivia Burr), Peter Butler (Marie Butler), Duncan A. Campbell (Edna Brillon), Joseph Carnwath (Sigrun Kloepfer), Franklyn H. Carrington (3: Carolyn Carrington, Franklyn Carrington III, Isabelle Hinman), Cecil Chang, Victor C. Chen, Frankland F. Cheung (Joy Cheung), Henry N. Christensen (Susan Christensen), Steven Clark (Joan Clark), Stephen M. Clement, John H. Clippinger, Arthur Condliffe (Nancy Condliffe), Daniel N. Copp†, Russell Crawford (Donna Crawford), Lawrence Crocker, Alan W. Cross, Edmund G. Crotty, Michael B. Crutcher (Judith Crutcher), E. Geoffrey Cullen, Michael T. Dalby, Eugene R. Dattel (Licia Hahn), Peter R. Day, Paul DeVries (Marty P Major), Russell Dilley (Susan Dilley), Jack H. Dunn (Rosemary Dunn), Morton Dworken (Anna Dworken), Bruce A. Eberle (1), Stephen B. Edelman† (2: Sharon Edelman, David Edelman ’07), Ted Elliott, Alvin W. Fargo, Charles N. Farmer (Serene Farmer), William D. Farnam (Cal Alde), Paul E. Farren (4: Vivan Farren), Ralph F. Faville (Carol Faville), Howell L. Ferguson (Sharon Ferguson), Lewis H. Ferguson (Molly Mahoney), Thomas F. Fiorito, Anthony M. Fitzgerald (Anne Fitzgerald), Chad Floyd†, William M. Folberth (Liz Folberth), Edward D. Folland (Karen Folland), James S. Fox (1), John Foy (Paula Foy), Robert Frame† (Joan Frame), Joseph S. Freeman (Cynthia), Horace W. French, Donald E. Gastwirth, Tull N. Gearreald (Nely Gearreald), Richard A. Gerard (Gail Gerard), Stephen E. Gilhuley (Anna Gilhuley), Peter Gisolfi, Richard Glazier (Judith Glazier), Eric A. Gordon†, Denis Gray† (Sarah McLean), Halcott P. Green, Richard C. Green, William G. Green (Shand Green), Mark H. Greene (Doris Greene), Peter H. Greenwalt, Mark E. Greenwold (Betty Greenwold), James G. Groninger (Elisabeth Groninger), John F. Grubin (Roselle Grubin), Walter M. Guterbock (Susan Guterbock), John A. Hamilton(Widow), Jerome Hamlin, William R. Hammock (Jackie Hammock), William M. Hannay, John R. Harpold, W. Gibson Harris, Lynn H. Harrison (2: Lura Harrison, Parker Harrison), Richard Hart, Francis Hartley (1), John C. Harvey (Kazie Metzger Harvey), Lee E. Hassig, Thomas J. Hayes (Sherri Hayes), William Hazard (Jerri Hazard), Paul Hazel† (Regina Hazel), Marc Hecht, Stanley I. Hegg (Laurie Karzen), Guy L. Heinemann, Frank O. Heintz, Raymond T. Heizer (Hannelore Heizer), Paul R. Hickey† (Ann Marie Hickey), Jeffrey D. Hill (Diana Hill), Jan V. Hirschmann, James Hoak, Peter R. Holbrook, James E. Howard (Marianne Howard), Edmund G. Howe, Douglas L. Hurley, Thomas B. Hyman (Jennie), Thomas C. Israel (Barbara Israel), Bruce Jaffe†, Josh Jensen, Lyle Jensen†, Gregory D. Jones (Barbara Jones), James A. Jones† (Nancy Jones), M. Albin Jubitz, Gerald H. Kahn (Barbara Stark), Konrad K. Kalba (Pat Kalba), James Kaplan (Brooks Robards), Samuel R. Karetsky (Nancy Karetsky), Gary C. Karschmer (Jill Karshmer), Stephen Kaufman (Margel Kaufman), Robert L. Keeney, Bingham Kennedy (3: Elizabeth Kennedy, Andrew Kennedy, Shameem Black), John F. Kerry, Thomas D. Kitch (Sally Kitch), Douglas Knott (Janet Sager), Jeffrey Koplan (Carol Koplan), Cary A. Koplin (Sherry Koplin), Donald Kornblet† (Ann Kornblet), Peter Kornblum† (Avital Kornblum), Mark A. Korsten (Susan Korsten), Uldis Kruze, David Laidley†, Robin Landis (Sally Barrett), James M. Landwehr (Jacqueline Landwehr), Ivar Larsen (3: Barbara Larsen), Andrew R. Lear (Candyce Rylander), John R. Lease (Linda Lease), Darrow A. Lebovici (Meg Twohey), David E. Lefevre, George M. Levin (Nancy Levin), James K. Levin† (Joanna Levin), Jeffrey Lewis, Donald B. Liberman, John A. Lindburg, Stephen P. Lindsay (Linda Lindsay), Benjamin Liptzin (Sharon Liptzin), Michael M. Lonergan (Wendy Shoer), Richard E. Look (Cassandra Look), Jesse R. Lovejoy† (Patricia Lovejoy), Mark Lynch, Thomas D. Maher (Lisa Wolff), Howard Mallory, Robert J. Malovany (Maureen Malovany), Peter J. Mandell (Jeanne Mandell), Jedediah E. Mannis (Joyce Mannis), Edward C. Marschner (Francine Harris), Thomas J. McCaffrey (Deborah Kotelly), L. Thorne McCarty (Mary Lynne Robertson), Glenn B. McClelland (Ramona McClelland), Michael A. McConnell† (Marilyn McConnell), Charles E. McGregor† (Joanne Pillinger), Daniel McNamee, Loren Meierding†, David W. Mette (Colleen Mette), J. Gregg Miller (Mary Miller), J. David Mills (Sherry), Thomas M. Mitchell (Debbie Mitchell), Howard Moffett, Edward Mogul, David E. Monahan (Sally Monahan), Terrance J. Mullin (Natasha Mullin), James Munson (Melinda Munson), Bruce Murrie, Frederick Nagle, Steven C, Nelson† (Yukari Tokiwa), William Nelson, Brad Niebling† (Laura), Laurence Norton (Helen Norton), Thomas O’Brien (1), Barry O’Connor†, Griffen Okie† (Cyrie Okie), Thomas J. Opladen (Randi Opladen), Harold H. Osborn, Lansing R. Palmer (Pat Giberson), Jeffrey J. Parish (3), Michael F. Parry (Patricia Parry), Waring Partridge (2: Carmen Partridge), Day Patterson, Scott Peterson, David E. Pinkham, David D. Platt, Thomas W. Porter (Zozic Porter), Dean L. Potter, Robert L. Pratter (Gene Pratter), Jonathan Price (Janice Cataldi-Price), Roger Putzel, Chris Quigg (Liz Quigg), Neil S. J. Raymond, Peep Rebassoo (Mary), John H. Reid (Macy Reid), Kirk Ressler, David Reuben, Bruce L. Reynolds (Yoke San Reynolds), David B. Rigney, Robert W. Riordan (Mona Riordan), George Rodenhausen† (Joan Steiner), William H. Rodgers (Christine Rodgers), Sigourney B. Romaine (Liane McAllister Romaine), Jonathan Romeyn (Mary Elizabeth Romeyn), Gerald A. Rosenberg (Rosalind Rosenberg), James B. Rule, Frank P. Samford (Sharon Samford), Allen H. Sandler (Etta Sandler), James C. Sanford (Jean Doyle), John P. Sawyer (Susan Sawyer), Bernard P. Schachtel, Thomas Scott (Betsy Sue Scott), Edward B. Self (Leslie Smith), Martin L. Senzel (Dagni Senzel), Steven Shelov (Marsha), Theodore P. Shen (Mary Jo Wright), Burt R. Shurly (2: Mary Ann Shurly, Rosmary Shurly), Ronald L. Singer (Violaine Sanson-Tricard), Jitendra Singh†, Charles E. Skubas, Thomas Slater (Anna Bain Ladt), Cameron M. Smith, Dean Smylie, Edward J. Snyder (Dot Snyder), Henry V. Soper, William B. Stanberry (Janet Gibson), Herbert Stein, R. Leonard Stokes Jr.†, Michael Straight, Jon Streltzer (Sheila Streltzer), James L. Stripling† (Mahala Stripling), Chris A. Swindells, James E. Swinger, Richard S. Swingle (Mrs. Bennett Swingle), Tedwilliam Theodore (Susan Theodore), David Thorne, William F. Tilghman† (Juliette Tilghman), Stephen B. Timbers (Elaine Timbers), Richard C. Tolbert, Thadeus F. Tuleja (Andree Nolen), Robert Tynes† (Elvira Tynes), Robert W. Ulery, Joseph Upton (Linda), Robert J. Van Leeuwen (Richenda Van Leeuwen), Joseph S. von Kaenel (Margaret von Kaenel), Christopher Walker, Laurence Walker (Victoria Walker), Alvin C. Warren (Judy Warren), Sam Watkins, Dean A. Weidner (Wendy Weidner), George H. Weiler (Mary Ann Weiler), Gregory Weiss (Karen), Charles D. Weller (Lucy Weller), John C. Westcott, Robert E. White (Linda White), John R. Whitman (Christine Whitman), David Whitridge, F. Case Whittemore (Patricia Whittemore), Robert B. Whittredge (Deanna Whittredge), Kent A. Willever (Nina Willever), Alexander H. Williams (Doris Weitz), Patrick Wilmot†, Thomas B. Wilner, Michael Woleben, Joseph G. Wolf† (Keala Smith), Andrew M. Wolfe, Timothy J. Wollaeger (Cynthia Wollaeger), David A. Worth (Barbara Worth), Alex Yablonsky†, Elliott A. Yolles, Henry Zaleski
† 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.