The Isthmus For Christmas

The Isthmus For Christmas

ByMichael Folz

Editor’s Note: I’m still looking for News and other items ABOUT classmates.   Given gaps, though, I’m sharing stories, poems, essays, and other works FROM you.  This one’s a Christmas-time adventure story. See also Michael’s memoir about 1965, 1966, 1967.

Back in the 1950’s, when I was a skinny little kid with a preternatural love of geography, I used to spend long half-hours staring at the maps of the world and imagining myself somewhere out there. … One of my favorite romantic places to imagine myself being was on the Pan American Highway, that thin red line on […]

An Impactful and Memorable Conversation –Class Colloquium #11

An Impactful and Memorable Conversation –Class Colloquium #11

ByArthur Segal

Class Colloqium 11, held July 14, 2021, featured Classmate Richard Breitman in a thought-provoking discussion of ‘Refugee and Immigrant Crises’, an area of his broad expertise. See the video below.

Professor Emeritus, after a 40-year career at American University, Richard commented based upon his knowledge of early 20th century German History, extensive Holocaust documentation and […]

Big Chill + 40

Big Chill + 40

ByDavid Howorth

Scott Herstin hosted five fellow Davenporters —Ned Culver, Brad Davenport, Dave Howorth, Dick Tucker, Harry Wise, plus spouses and fiancées—for a week on Kiawah Island. My report: Scott is living in Naples, FL, where he takes an interest in Everglades restoration and reads Randy Wayne White novels. Ned splits the year between homes in Charleston,…

Frank Shorter: What’s Behind Our Olympic Gold Medalist

Frank Shorter: What’s Behind Our Olympic Gold Medalist

ByAdmin

The latest Class Colloquium featured Frank Shorter and a new format: His track teammate and fellow Morse man, Dr. Ken Davis, interviewed Frank.

As if Ken’s questions weren’t enough, Q&A from the 100 people registered for the event filled the last 15-20 minutes of the hour.

Watch this video of the talk to witness a surprisingly candid, ntimate and deep discussion of […]

OUR Andrew Yang (Class of ’69 Scholar!)

OUR Andrew Yang (Class of ’69 Scholar!)

ByAdmin

Editor’s Note: This is not only a report on this year’s recipient of scholarship monies from the Class of 1969 Scholarship Fund — but also the financial statements about the fund (and recent growth in value under the able management of Yale’s endowment managers.) There’s also some background on how the Fund came to be and how you can support it if you want.

Yarmuth-Authored American Rescue Plan Sent to President Biden’s Desk

Yarmuth-Authored American Rescue Plan Sent to President Biden’s Desk

ByAdmin

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the life-saving legislation authored by House Budget Committee Chair John Yarmuth. The bill now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk where he is expected to immediately sign it into law, fulfilling a promise to respond boldly to the ongoing health and economic crisis in America amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairman Yarmuth introduced and shepherded the $1.9 trillion […]

Connecting Across the Racial Divide: Two Men at Yale

Connecting Across the Racial Divide: Two Men at Yale

ByWayne Willis

In September ’65, two freshmen arrived at Bingham Hall, assigned to the same entryway. Both had come from highly segregated high schools.  One was black, and he confessed such shock at the sea of white faces that “I couldn’t tell you all apart!  So, I just said ‘hi, there’ and hoped I didn’t need your…

Direct Democracy or The “Old Boys Network”?

Direct Democracy or The “Old Boys Network”?

ByWayne Willis

Turmoil on campuses, Yale included, is not just a student phenomenon.  Yale Alumni are challenging the nomination process for the “Alumni Fellow” seat on the governing board of trustees (aka “the Yale Corporation”).

There are two ways to get on the ballot; Nominating Committee or Petition. The next three weeks are critical – will these two Petition drives work? What’s at stake is nothing less than the transparency of the nominating process itself. Learn more; maybe sign a petition?

My 12 Quake Books
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My 12 Quake Books

ByNicholas Hawkin

There have been 12 really influencial books in my life: The Magus by John Fowles.  I relate to it because Nicholas Urfe, the protagonist, became an English teacher abroad when he couldn’t think of anything else to do – just like me.   It’s essentially a lesson in learning to love and this is one of…

What were YOUR “Quake Books?”
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What were YOUR “Quake Books?”

ByWayne Willis

I was recently introduced to the concept of a “Quake book” — a book (or other work of art) that profoundly changed the way you look at things.   “Occasionally I stumble across something really wild. Gray matter lurches and heaves.  Neural pathways are destroyed and rebuilt.  When the tremors finally stop, nothing looks the same.”

What were YOUR quake books?   List yours here.  See what books “shook” your classmates … and why.   Who knows, you might see something you’ve been meaning to read!

Dating After 70

Dating After 70

ByAnonymous Classmate

My wife of many years, whom I will call Alice in this piece, died when I was 69.

At the age of 70, I began dating for the first time since I was at Yale.  Dating at 70 is different from dating when you’re young, and a number of friends who have long been married are curious about what this experience is like.  A couple of them asked about that, and I thought some of my Yale classmates might share that curiosity. So I’ve written this account of what it was like.