Walter Baker Rose – 50th Reunion Essay

Walter Baker Rose

138 Woodland Ave.

San Anselmo, CA 94960

wbrose46@gmail.com

213-925-6272

Spouse(s): Kate Luppen Rose (1974–2010); Laurel Mellin (2013)

Child(ren): Thomas W. Rose (1977); Peter L. Rose (1980)

Grandchild(ren): Ellie Rose (2008); Thomas N. Rose (2010); Paige Rose (2013); Gwen Rose (2016)

Education: MBA Stanford (1977)

Career: Consultant (McKinsey); Private Equity (McBain, Rose Partners); Community Service (Board Chair-Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles)

Avocations: Skiing, Golf, Non-profit Organizations supporting young people

College: Silliman

My post-Yale life actually started in 1968. After the tragic death of our classmate and my best friend, Peter Anderson, and the turmoil engulfing the Yale campus, I decided to take a break to “find myself” and joined the Peace Corps in Colombia. My experience there was anything but typical. I was assigned to a project in the capital city of Bogotá with a government agricultural agency. So I ended up wearing a coat and tie to work, and learning to play polo on the side (a very long story!).

I returned to Yale to study Third World economic development with Professor Al Berry, graduating in 1971. My first job was with the International Department at Medtronic, a fast-growing heart pacemaker company in Minneapolis. After my first extremely cold winter, I negotiated a transfer in 1972 to an open position in Los Angeles (“Go west, young man!”). Two years later, I met and married a woman whose family had lived in LA since the 1800s. That year—1974—Nixon resigned and the Dow dropped to 600 (my, have times changed!), so we decided to forgo our European honeymoon and I enrolled at Stanford Business School. We returned to LA in 1977, where over the next 33 years my career path included management consulting (McKinsey), private equity (McBain, Rose Partners), and pro bono work at LA Children’s Hospital as co-chair of the board and capital campaign. Along the way, we raised two fine sons who are now married, and gainfully employed, and we have four grandchildren.

Then came 2010. That year, my two younger brothers both passed away from muscular dystrophy and my wife and I, unfortunately, went our separate ways after 36 years of marriage. I concluded that a change in venue was needed to begin a new chapter, so I moved into a furnished bachelor apartment in San Francisco. It was a difficult transition, leaving behind ties to my community and my friends. Those were sad and lonely times.

But out of ashes can come a new day. And one person can change everything. I met a wonderful woman who had been divorced and lived alone for 15 years, raising three children as a single mom. She is a professor of medicine at UCSF and the author of several New York Times bestselling books. Now happily living together in Marin County, we are working together on a startup company and nonprofit to develop a technology-based program to support people dealing with emotional health challenges—like anxiety, depression, obesity, etc. Managing a tech startup at age 72 is quite an interesting, but stimulating, challenge! Our goal is to help as many people as we can.

So it has been a half century of many ups and a few downs. I feel very grateful to have been given the opportunity of an extended Yale experience, and look forward to renewing old friendships as well as meeting new classmates at our 50th.