By Gregory A. Weiss
A recent press release announced that Manchester Community College in Manchester, Connecticut, has awarded an honorary degree to Chad Floyd, citing the “transformational difference” he has made to its campus. Chad was the master planner and architect for the college’s $52 million expansion in 2003. With no explanation, Case Whittemore has sent an e-mail announcing to his friends that “on July 8 Patty and I are moving to . . . Williamsburg, Virginia.” Sounds like a retirement move. Perhaps Case can fill us in on some details. Another win in the U.S. Supreme Court for Tom Wilner, who was the lead counsel and author of the prevailing brief in the June decision holding unconstitutional the statute that attempted to take away habeas corpus rights from the Guantanamo prisoners.
Doug Hurley died on June 13 after a brief illness. Doug earned his MD in 1970 from Johns Hopkins Med School, where he also completed his medical internship and residency. He joined the staff of Scott & White Clinic and Hospital in Temple, Texas, in 1975, and practiced there for 33 years. The part of his career he loved the most, however, was teaching at Texas A&M University School of Medicine from 1977 to 2008, first as a lecturer and eventually as professor of medicine. He received the “Best Clinical Physician and Teacher in Medicine” award in 1987–1988 and again in 2006–2007. Doug was also an active patron of and participant—as an actor and singer—in the cultural life of Temple. He is survived by his daughter, Jennifer, of Philadelphia. His wife, Marilynn, whom he married in August of 1966, died in a car accident in 1973.
We will let Bob Pratter’s recent e-mail to “family and friends” speak for itself: “When I departed PMA Capital a few months ago to join Ballard Spahr, I had every intention of staying put for a while. However, I recently received an offer to become executive deputy general counsel in the Pennsylvania Office of General Counsel, in charge of all OGC-Commonwealth litigation and related policy matters. I have always had an interest in public service, and this position offers me the opportunity to practice law in many new and stimulating areas. The OGC comprises about 500 lawyers working in the executive branch and Commonwealth agencies from Banking, to Insurance, to Public Welfare, etc., so I know that I will be busy and challenged to learn new things. I will split my time between offices in Harrisburg (commutable by car or train) and Philadelphia. I will be starting this new position in early July.” Sounds exciting.
Put March 24, 2009, on your calendars as the date the Yale Club of New York and Josh Jensen will host a Calera Wine Dinner. These have been a lot of fun in the past and should not be missed.
Sitting here marveling at the success of his April total knee replacement surgery, your corresponding secretary wonders whether, given our respective advancing ages, we should be starting a new contest: most replacement parts! We know Jesse Lovejoy has a new hip, Biff Folberth a new knee, and Jim Kovacs two hips. Surely there must be more!