Having no exposure to affluence of any kind, let alone the kind associated with the families with “blue arms” who year after year produced the waves of prep school kids who flooded Yale’s campus, I received a crash course in the meaning of ascriptive wealth during my college years. My first lesson occurred during my very first year at Yale, when I met my freshman roommate, Burr Nash.
Fresh off its Intercollegiate Rowing Association national championship June 2, where they knocked off the west coast powerhouse Washington Huskies for the second year in a row, the Yale heavyweight men’s crew bested Harvard in the 153rd edition of the Harvard-Yale Regatta June 9. National athletic championships have been few and far between for Yale. To win two in one week, as well as defeating traditional rowing powerhouse Harvard a week later, marks a truly significant span in Yale athletics. (See video of the win.)
This is a first in a series of “mini-reunions” that we’ll hold over the next year. Stay tuned for events coming to YOUR city! And check out this report and the copious pictures of your Boston area Classmates!
Editor’s Note: Michael Folz has written a small book on these three years, capturing the “cinematic detail” and anachronism-free dialogue that will bring you right into Cutler’s Records, roommate challenges, John Hersey’s den, Olivia’s late at night, Bingham hijinks, bursary jobs, bull sessions, mixers, Coffin’s advice, and ultimately a profound disillusionment with (and alienation from) Yale, dropping out in Sophomore year, having tuned in and turned on much earlier than others in our class. Mike returned to Yale and graduated in ’73, but this memoir covers the end of HS through the end of 1967. It’s a long read, but worth it.
This is a combination post — reprising those silly buttons we bought and wore, and gearing up for a successful Yale-Harvard Game this year. In 1968, we wanted to “sterilize the Johns” but ended with a 29-29 tie. This year, however, we have a very good chance to win, and the whole 2018 Yale-Harvard Weekend (November 16-17) looks to be a great place to witness that and get together with friends. Back to the buttons: Does…
(from https://www.mdislander.com/obituary/michael-emery-smith) Michael Emery Smith, 71, died April 23, 2018, at home with his family by his side after a short, but hard fought battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born Nov. 8, 1946, in Bar Harbor, the son of Emery W. and Elaine (Rumill) Smith. Michael graduated from Pemetic High School (SWH), Class of 1965 and Yale University, Class of 1969. Michael’s career was mostly in commercial banking. Michael was an involved member of…
From the Chestnut Hill Local: Edmund Lee Wadhams, 70, of Onancock VA, died on March 21 of natural causes. He was born in Philadelphia, July 6, 1947, to the late Genevieve Newbold Lee and the late Albion James Wadhams, Jr. He was the grandson of Ellen Newbold and Charles Smith Lee, Marcia Elizabeth Hand and Albion James Wadhams. He is survived by his half-sister Katherine W. Cox, (Charles), of Haverford PA, and her mother, step…
After 47 years, Yale has ended the NCAA Divison I men’s lacrosse season as the best team in the country. I don’t remember much about our lacrosse team. Were we much of a contender? (Leave comments to answer.)
The Reunion Committee has gone all-out to make the Yale-Harvard weekend this November super-special. “The Game” is the 50th anniversary of the famous 29-29 tie, and it’s being held in Fenway Park. By being first in line, we scored the best seats available to Yale attendees. Prior to The Game, there will be a “private event” brunch at a fancy restaurant-bar just 3 blocks from Fenway, and there are events on Friday as well. Tickets go on sale today!
Editor’s Note: This is the first “Memories and Observations” post. The NCAA Lacrosse story was the second one. Hey, all you folks out there with memories and observations … share them here!
Author’s Note: The recent death of Tom Wolfe (Yale ’57 PhD, American Studies) brought up a bunch of memories, some of which are in an article I wrote for LEAR’S magazine in 1990, and republished recently on Salon.
Because some of our Classmates are in Europe, Yale1969.org has updated its Privacy Policy and Terms of Service to be consistent with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulations. Thanks to Bill Newman for getting this drafted for us pro bono. Read about your new rights (and responsibilities)!
We’ve had several requests from Classmates to simply open the website up and allow people to write freestyle posts on any subject they’d like to share with the Class. It might be a story, a scanned picture, a memory, a poem, a tribute to a teacher, a thought about Yale (then or now) — anything. It could even be something you are working on now — e.g., an article you wrote for another audience. Well, MOTION GRANTED!
Madeline Hoffman ’19 is our 1969 Scholarship beneficiary. Maddie is an intensive chemistry major, and she reports additional interests in chemical engineering and physics. She puts her engineering skills to work as lead of the earth science sub-team for the Yale Undergraduate Rover Association, and she also captains our club swimming team. Reflecting on her years at Yale, Maddie writes ‘I’ve learned how to branch out of my comfort zone and really work hard at…
We set a record! All of the follow-up efforts by the College Captains, the newsletter, the U.Va survey management team, and the Reunion Committee paid off. Here are the results: 494 unique entries from Classmates 128 remembrances about deceased Classmates 622 TOTAL This handily beats our 25th Reunion ClassBook … which only had 418 essays. Many Classmates used the webform on the Essay’s page, but 102 people used email to make part or all of their submission. Because uploading…
The Yale Class of 1969 Newsletter is published approximately monthly and contains “post summaries” of all new posts that have been published since the previous newsletter. Classmates can subscribe or unsubscribe by going to their edit-profile page, near the bottom, and changing subscription preferences. Here are all the back issues of the Newsletter: Vol. 1, No. 1, for 10/24/17 Vol. 1, No. 2, for 11/9/17 Vol. 1, No. 3, for 12/7/17 Vol. 2, No. 1,…
Skimming through the Personal Essays as they came in last month, I noticed how many people commented on their “draft number.” The draft number was established by lottery at the Selective Service System on December 1, 1969. Here is the chart showing what the number was. (Use comments below to share what YOUR number meant to you.)
