Jan/Feb 2005

My mission this month is to provide a respite from the past year’s intense political debate, fully manifest in the seemingly endless e-mail letters circulated through the class listserv. While the nation ponders which Yalie to elect in 2008, here is some truly momentous news regarding your classmates.

Ralph Sando has notified us that he has suffered the ultimate humiliation: witnessing his wife score an ace during a golf game. Joyce holed a nine iron from 90 yards on the eighth hole at the Manufacturers Golf Club in Philly. It was her first ace, while poor Ralph can only dream.

Doug Colton sent the following report, alas from our nation’s capital (we can’t escape): “I am practicing law less but have started a new career as a volunteer debate and speech coach at Washington International School, the small IB-based private school our daughter attends. I get all of the aggravation of being a teacher with none of the job’s usual glamour or financial rewards. Wife Roberta returned to law practice after about a decade at home with the kids. We sometimes wonder when things will stop changing on us, but I think we know the answer.”

Okay, enough philosophical musing, and on to business. Eric Muirhead wrote from Houston to flog his new book, Cab Tales, published by Panther Creek Press and available through, of course, amazon.com. While we’re not in the habit of plugging books, Eric’s bio is worth noting, because he began his career working for Houston’s Brown & Root (now part of Halliburton) teaching kids who were part of the overseas families. He went on to teach English at a Los Angeles prep school, and now teaches same at San Jacinto College. He attended graduate school at Rice, where he began writing poetry. Earlier he had worked as a cab driver, which gave him some of the material for his new book.

Help Wanted: Ted Robinson wrote to inform that he is “looking for one crew for next June’s Bermuda 1-2, a small-boat Newport-Bermuda race. (Pictures and story of the last race at bulldogtrust.com.) He also relates that he sold his airplane (not sure why we need to know), but also that he rode across the country with Frank Demaree, who took pictures the whole way.

Also heard from Lee Bachman, writing from the blue state of Minnesota. “My son Andrew married Katherine Leuck on October 16. Both are ER physicians based here in Minneapolis.”

Finally, in a note from a person to whom I have always felt close, since we were together at the end of the alphabet, Atom Yee reported that as of last February, he had become the permanent dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University, after serving for 18 months as acting dean. However, one must question Yee’s mental state, as he is now on sabbatical at Dartmouth, doing chemistry research. Writing in October, Yee advised that his wife Amy and kids Abby and David are “thriving here so far, but we haven’t experienced the winter yet.” Of course, as you read this, they are likely pining away for the Pacific.

Happy Holidays to everyone.