AUGUST 2005 PGBarker54

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AUGUST 2005
PGBarker54@aol.com (203) 661-7611

GUY WALKS INTO A BAR...

...... orders a beer. Bartender says: “Hey - you a Dartmouth ‘54? Guy says: “Yeah - how’dja know?” Bartender says: “You didn’t say please .......”

Now that I have your attention, listen up! Here are some words from president JAY DAVIS:

Mid-Year Report

Dear Classmates:

Post our 50th reunion, I’m happy to report that there appears to be no let up in our staying connected via Class gatherings, i.e., mini-reunions -- and communications, i.e., our outstanding Newsletter, website and Alumni Notes in the Alumni Magazine. In fact, the number of events and your participation in them is holding up well and in some cases, even increasing.

A quick review: The Boston and New York Holiday luncheons drew 52 classmates last December versus 57 the previous year; the ski minis in Vermont and Colorado drew 17 this year vs. 14 in the previous year; this year's golf outing in Florida drew a record-breaking 47 classmates, wives and kids; the cruise along the Dalmatian Coast and Venice had 57 classmates and wives; the new monthly luncheons in the Big Apple drew upwards of 15 classmates, and most recently, 8 fishermen teamed up in Maine to catch and release as many trout as they could bring aboard their boats.

For the future, we will be announcing some new mini ideas and opportunities at our Class meeting in October. Already on the books is a land trip to Provence and the Dordogne in June ‘06. In the meantime, I want to thank all those who have worked on or contributed to the above, especially JOHN FENN, PETE BARKER, DON BERLIN, PERRY DAVIS, BRYCE BASTIAN, TONY KANE, MORT GALPER, DICK LEWIS and anyone out there who may be working on putting a future mini together.

Finally, I have good news regarding the Alumni Magazine. As you know, the magazine has been funded out of class dues, placing a large financial burden on each class. Through pressure applied by various alumni groups, the College/Trustees have just agreed to pick up half the cost of the magazine if we keep all Classmates on the subscription list who have not been totally missing for at least ten years or requested to be dropped. We will do that and our cost per subscription will drop to $5.00 versus the three times that amount it has been -- a good saving. However, dues-payers will still be funding non-dues payer subscriptions, so for this reason and our special Class projects that support outstanding Dartmouth students, I hope every Classmate reading this will send in their dues when the time comes.

Best regards and be well.

Jay

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A few Green Cards:

-both PETE GEITHNER and JON MOORE chimed in on last newsletter’s reference to “the Geithner stalwart in the Treasury Department.” With a slight tone of chiding the editor, they noted that TIM is now the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and vice-chair of the Fed’s Open Market Committee. As the parent, Pete takes no blame for Classmates’ negative feelings about increases in interest rates. Jon also commented warmly on the contributions of PAUL DALTON and TOM AGAN to the “story” of our deceased Classmate, JOHN MELANSON.

-another PETE (ANKENY) reported that a fourth generation of Ankenys will matriculate in Hanover next fall - Kendall, daughter of Sally Ankeny Reiley ‘81 and Toby Reiley ‘81. A graduate of Exeter , Kendall picked the Green over acceptances at Yale, Stanford and MIT. Pete also mentioned that Hannah McLaughlin, granddaughter of DAVE and JUDY will also be an ‘09.

-GRANT SETTLEMIER still enjoys life in San Francisco and the yachting venue it supplies. ‘54s are invited to visit - see email change in the “change” section.

-ED HOBBIE felt it was important to correct my misreading of his MD-like handwriting when I reported four geese: “The bag I mentioned was four grouse, not geese. The geese are done mainly in winter in Massachusetts . Keep the Tanglewood lawn free of goose-poop. Can’t have lady music-lovers glued to the ground by errant gander leavings. Too much Spring rainwater for fishing in New Brunswick . Now it’s back to clay targets until September.”

-Always a correspondent with offbeat aspects, DON AUSTERMANN asks whether: “... any Classmates have any bright ideas about how to get from I-40 in North Carolina to the New Jersey Turnpike without taking I-95 past Richmond , VA , Washington , DC and Baltimore , MD. Flying is not an option.” Somewhere, out there, I’m sure one of you is grabbing for his Mapquest atlas. Don and SALLIE are at their Jaffrey, NH place until October 1.

-Now here’s something unique and a joy to any editor’s ears - a letter from Mrs. KING: “As his wife, GRETCHEN, I’m writing an update - NEIL won’t. We’re both retired, Neil as a lawyer, although he’s still special counsel and does some work. I’m retired from 35 years as an Interior Designer. We have lived in the same house for 42 years - our 50th anniversary is July 30. We’re both painting and have been taking classes at the University of Colorado . Our five children are scattered and Neil, Jr., for one, is Diplomatic Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal in Washington .

- a news item: “BOB COLLINS has received the distinguished Dickson Emeriti Professorship from President Dynes of the University of California . His latest book, Civil Wars and Revolution in the Sudan : Essays on the Sudan , Southern Sudan and Dafur, 1962-2004 (Tsehai Publishers) appeared in June, nineteen mostly unpublished Plenary Papers, Memorial Lectures and Position Papers for NSC and State written over forty years from 1962 to 2004. His more controversial book, Alms for Jihad: Charities and Terrorism in the Islamic World, will be published by the Cambridge University Press in September.”

-another distaff correspondent, SALLY GRINTON reported that SKIP is nearing the end of treatments and that they will spend the summer in Arizona . She was effusive in her thanks for the letters, calls and emails from concerned Classmates

-some good advice from DICK SHELLEY: “This is a ‘widower-alert!’ - do not lose faith or hope, as miracles do happen. As in my case, along comes this Mary Washington graduate - bright, pretty, energetic and genuinely happy to be a steward of the planet. An overnight inspiration for me to quit worrying about arthritis and ‘senior moments’ and get on with living! Nix the TV ... and follow the Yellow Brick Road . May a miracle like this happen to you.” Delightful advice for those who have gone before and those who will come.

-MEREDITH JEAN MYSERIAN enjoyed an 8-day river cruise on the Seine , then dove into the Paris art scene. After touring the Louvre, she did a few watercolors of her own and: “... while painting, met a woman who said she lived in one of the houses in the scene in my painting. We talked for a while (amazing how much French one learns on the street versus the classroom). She asked if I would take a photo of the painting and send it to her. I said I would, then hustled back to my ship. As we left the dock, there she was, waving and throwing kisses. How’s that for loyalty?”

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In freshman English, we were treated to What Makes Sammy Run?, a novel written by Budd Schulberg ‘36 in 1941. The main character, Sammy Glick, was “an archetype for the ruthless climber who sheds scruples and uses up friends as he slithers his way to the top.” The book was never made into a film - too many movie people in Hollywood saw themselves as portrayed in the story - but it was presented on early television in 1959. As often happens, half of the kinescope (remember that word?) disappeared. In 1964, the story was made into an improbable Broadway production starring Steve Lawrence and ran for 500 performances. More recently, actress Dina Merrill asked to see the kinescope of her performance as Sammy’s “imperious goddess” and whatever Dina wants, Dina gets, so a nationwide search located the missing pieces, mislabeled in the Smithsonian. New energy is being put into bringing Sammy to the movie screen, but his venality is so commonplace today, there is doubt that it would sell.

PETE KENYON logged onto the College’s website (www.dartmouth.edu) then onto Alumni Relations. Among the photographs on the opening page, there is one showing three extraordinarily handsome fellows sporting 50th reunion ‘54 hats. Take a look and see if you can identify them. Let me know.

The Class of 1954 provided its usual support as DICK and JUDITH STEINBERG’s son, DAVID ‘88, was betrothed to Amanda Birnbaum in the Garden of Sculptures in Hamilton , NJ . In attendance as obvious founts of wisdom and experience for the younger ones were BOB and MARILYN CLEMENTS, ART and LYNN RAUCH, STAN and BETSY ROSENBERG, JERRY and DOROTHY GOLDSTEIN and PETE and GAIL BARKER. Jed Isaacs of the lesser Class of 1955 was encountered. The famous Steinberg penchant for gorgeous lifemates was reaffirmed.

Another memory-testing question: Which member of our Class was the only one to appear on the first page of the New York Times?

On July 31, the Class lost a true friend in the Blunt Alumni Center . Helen Farwell-Destino, the fine woman who provided all the production expertise for our newsletter through the Hillman and Barker reigns, retired. She was presented with a gift from the Class and was nicely grateful. This edition will be be the first post-Helen one and, at this writing, I am not all that sure as to the How and When of the activity. If you are reading this, it must have happened.

Somewhat edited, here is JIM ADAMS’ report of the annual trip of the ‘54 Fly Fishing Team. The group of 7 professional fly casters and one rookie (President JAY DAVIS) were hosted by DICK and AUDREY LEWIS and feasted on questionably-obtained lobsters and the fixin’s. The fishing took place at the storied Megantic Club, a 120-year-old facility which includes members DICK PAGE, BOB LEVINE and DICK LEWIS. The fishing is done from boats with dry flies on “ponds” which would be called “lakes” in the West. According to Jim: “All members of the Team had anticipated offering advice and kindly remarks (‘you’ll get the hang of it’) to our rookie member. As it turned out, the fish went out of their way to swim under his ‘short’ and at times ‘inept’ casts and his catch was above average. On the final night, all other rods came up empty while the ‘Prince of Connections’, against all odds, while fishing out of the wrong side of the boat and with a very short cast, ‘connected’ with and landed a 17’ Brook Trout. Jay may well become a regular. The 2006 trip is down to two possibilities - Idaho , near Yellowstone and an exciting float trip down the Blackwater River in British Columbia . Other ‘54s are encouraged to join us.” The other pros on the trip were WIL WILKINS, SHELLY WOOLF and PETE ANKENY.

PETE KENYON passed on the following fascinating two reports from Will Canestaro ‘06, our D.T. McLaughlin ‘54 Dickey intern in India . Because of their intensity and depth I have included the full texts.

July 13: “Namesteji from Dehra Dun ! Although I have been in India for over two weeks, I am just now settling down in the city. I spent all of last week working with Dr. U. S. Paul in the village of Than Gaon which is a 40 minute jeep ride north of Dehra Dun . Dr. Paul serves approximately sixteen villages in the area and offers all of his services free of charge to villagers (thanks to some generous donations from American NGOs). While in the village, I lived in a mud hut with three other Americans as we provided support to Dr. Paul while he held clinics in Than Gaon and when he went on his hikes to the surrounding villages. Mostly, the work that I did consisted of pre-examination, blood-pressure checking, looking in pupils and ears, checking breathing, etc. I am currently in Dehra Dun working in two locations - the Doon Coronation Hospital in the morning and the Sanjevani Nursing home in the afternoon, doing much of the same things I did in Than Gaon, although in a much more refined way, thanks to the better facilities here in the hospitals.

“I am learning an incredible amount about medicine from the doctors here as they deal with everything from meningitis to typhoid to tuberculosis to heart attacks to trauma to the most basic complications of poverty and malnutrition. I have to admit that the nature of the work that I do requires a lot of moving from site to site which, although it presents a large opportunity for learning, is very stressful as I am always trying to get comfortable in a new location. I feel like as soon as I do get comfortable with a city or village, I pack up and move on to the next place.

“I had a rather difficult time adjusting once I left the airplane. I had no conception of the magnitude of poverty here. I have never seen so many people living in the streets in the basest of conditions. Although this was hard to deal with in itself, the largest problem for me was getting over what I viewed to be the Indians’ general complacency with the issue.

“Monsoon is also in full swing here and started two days after I arrived in Delhi . It doesn’t rain all day or every day as I had imagined it might before I came, but the heat will rise and eventually reach a point where the clouds can no longer contain themselves and the skies open. This also affects my work in clinics. As I am quickly discovering, rain means people stay at home, so a doctor who would typically see 60-70 patients in a day will see only 6-7 when it is raining.

(Click here for the latest mini-reunion news: Home-coming, Oct. 21-22, 2005)

“I feel that I can honestly say that so far being here has done more to change my perspective than any other experience at Dartmouth - and I still have six more weeks.”

July 30: “Hello. Let me start off by saying that I’m still OK. Although there has been a lot of rain, because I’m in the mountains, there hasn’t been much flooding, although the south and Mumbai are getting hit very hard.

“I just got back from spending a week with Dr. Paul in the village of Than Gaon where I will be spending my last four weeks as well. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking and my work in the clinic is getting more and more interesting.

“Dr. Paul is getting more comfortable with me and is beginning to trust me more and more. This week I was able to help out in several procedures in addition to just doing some of the pre-diagnosis evaluations. I have done countless dressing of wounds (most of which are severely infected) and cleaned countless ears of schoolchildren.

“Twice a week, we hike out to different villages that otherwise wouldn’t receive any health care and set up shop at one of the local schools. Not only do we see villagers, but we also do hygiene checkups for the schoolchildren. Seemingly, all these children have earaches due to poor sanitation and the monsoon, so cleaning ears becomes a near Sisyphusian task. Probably most exciting, though, I got to give my first injection this week. it was a tetanus shot for a woman who had stepped on a nail and, judging from the look on her face when I gave her the injection, I still have a lot to learn.

“Medical privacy is virtually nonexistent here. All of the villagers wait in a general crowd behind the patient being seen and listen to their complaints and the subsequent diagnosis by Dr. Paul. When ever there is something interesting going on, like an injection, people will crowd around in order to get a glimpse of what’s going on.

“I’m also beginning to discover that height, like all things, is very culturally relative. I never thought of myself as tall, but I am taller than the average Indian and much taller than the average Indian villager. This translates into lower door frames and ceilings and cars. I seem to be always hunching over in order to fit. Whenever I forget, I am given a harsh reminder in the form of a very painful bump on the head. I probably hit my head on at least a half-dozen door frames last week and my head is covered with bumps. I only hope that there will be no long-term damage.

“On a more down note, one of the most frustrating things happened to me this week. We were holding a camp at the village of Davitar when the most torrential rains I have ever seen broke. There were several mudslides on the three-hour hike back, some of which were very serious, but all of which we were able to avoid and, needless to say, everything got wet, including my camera, which is now no longer operational. It’s quite frustrating to be in such a beautiful place and not be able to take any photos. I only hope that my memory card is still all right, otherwise I will have lost all of my pictures from the trip, which would be devastating.

“Even considering the loss of my camera, last week was one of the best in my life. I really love the mountains and the work that we’re doing has me waking up excited each day.”

Wil Canestaro’s experience is partially supported by the portions of your Class dues allocated to college interns.

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WAYNE WEIL’s thought for the day: “It’s hard to be nostalgic when you can’t remember anything .......”

From HERB HILLMAN: “I know at my age I am one beat behind, but we just had a concert here in Stowe by the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy group. They were fabulous! They are evidently well-known, but I had never heard of them. Worth a CD if you want a little pick-me-up music.” Herb and ANN celebrated 50 years together last January and are pleased that granddaughter Sarah Van Dyke will join the Class of ‘09 in September.

Speaking of music, SKIP WEYMOUTH supplied a wonderful Stan Kenton quote when asked why so few people in our society recognized jazz as an art form: “Well, the problem is, you have to be gifted with a certain amount of perception to communicate with jazz. Many people don’t have that kind of perception. After all, jazz is an abstract form of communication and you have to have perception to communicate with abstracts! Your mind has got to work for you, your fantasies have to come alive! So that’s why jazz can never be a mass music; the masses aren’t gifted with perception. It’s only a small minority group. All the arts are that way.” Skip copied what amounted to a fairly small group of “perceptive” jazz musicians from the Class of ‘54, plus surrounding classes. Explains a lot about DUNTON.

MIKE BIGGS passed on the following from “he who never sleeps” (the ineffable RON): TERRY and I just returned last night from six weeks in the UK , Wales and, mainly, Ireland - motorcycling and hiking around. Never in my life have I met such charming, friendly, affable, voluble and humorous folk as the Irish - in Ireland anyway. We leave next week for Wyoming and the Wind River Mountains . Pick up our pack goats (named, somewhat ridiculously, after motorcycles - ‘Beemer’, ‘Guzzi’, ‘Honda’ and ‘Zuki’). We get back in the first days of September then go back to Europe, pick up our MCs (stashed in Brighton) and head for Spain and Portugal - the idea being to ride around the edge of Iberia as we rode around the edge of Eire - for as long as it takes or as long as we can take it.” ... impossible to comment.

Another perceptive, MIKE PAYSON, confirmed that the Mike Payson, 42, reported in National Masters’ News as having just missed a 10k win by 9 seconds was indeed Mike, Jr. He had made the Yale varsity as a freshman and got better from there. Mike’s daughter, Katie ‘87 “was a world champion duathlonist and a national champion triathlonist. After motherhood and a layoff, Katie took second in a triathlon recently in the 40+ category. Mike admits to exuding pride.

Lastly, perceptive JOHN PRATT, past leader of The Climax Six, felt compelled to identify the other three members of the group not pictured on the back of the last newsletter - Ron Dunton, Bob Lounsbery (recently deceased) and Colonel Pratt himself on banjo.

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Changes

Go get your BILL WHITE - produced Class Directory and record the following changes:

-JOEL LASKY joellasky@sbcglobal.net

    -GEORGE KINGSLEY
      12626 Calle Tamega #94
      San Diego , CA 92128

-BEN GILSON: benjamingilson@mac.com

   -BOB BERRY
      15 Whalen Court
      West Orange , NJ 07052

   -DON AUSTERMANN (Summer)
      PO Box 367
      Jaffrey , NH 03452
      (603) 532-8322

-TOM McCONNON: mcconnon@stny.rr.com

-GRANT SETTLEMIER: GRANTSETT@yahoo.com

Dates
Now grab your date book and record:
- Boston holiday luncheon again in the company of the class of 1953

Wednesday, December 7, 2005 - Noon
The Weston Golf Club

- New York holiday luncheon:
Thursday, December 8 at Noon
Yale-Dartmouth Club

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IN MEMORIAM

Belated condolences are extended to TOM MALCOLM for the sad loss of his beloved wife, HELEN, a year ago. After a visit with a son and family in Wisconsin , they were broad-sided during a massive rainstorm in Ohio and Helen’s injuries were so severe that Tom and the family elected to remove life support. Tom’s other children live nearby and are a source of support.

Condolences also to CLIFF EVANS, who lost MARY-ANNE on May 19 in Rancho Palos Verdes , CA . She had been unfairly besieged with cancer on top of a painful lifetime of rheumatoid arthritis. The love of their 50+ years of marriage was beautifully captured in Cliff’s tribute to her memory which has been shared with many Classmates by Rev. RIP COFFIN.

DONALD RAY DESCOMBES

“Deke” left us on May 23, a succumbing to myelodysplasia syndrome (MDS). He and BETTY had joined us at our 50th reunion only a short year ago, so we were fortunate to have the opportunity to exchange thoughts with this extraordinary man.

After leading his high school team to the football championship in Colorado , Don joined us in Hanover and proceeded to generate the recognition which would characterize his later life: football, track, Green Key and Casque & Gauntlet. He was a brother of the Psi U fraternity. Betty became his wife in 1955 and the Air Force consumed a few years as he made captain as a Troop Carrier pilot. In 1958, Deke stepped through the door of the insurance business and never looked back - his success in the industry took him to the presidency of his firm and to national roles in associations which nurtured positive changes. He involved himself in a wide array of community interests ranging from the Boy Scouts to the 1984 Olympics to a cancer center to a businessmen’s round table. As a board member of a local savings and loan association, he successfully guided its growth and development to an eventual IPO and listing on the New York Stock Exchange. As a trustee of Claremont Graduate University , Deke’s innumerable contributions were recognized in many ways, including the “DesCombes Gate” entrance to the institution. He served the Class in several ways, including Alumni Council representative and Head Agent. In addition to Betty, he is survived by sons Jeff ‘80, Gordon and five grandchildren. Pete Reich ‘53 spoke of Deke’s days at Dartmouth and his athletic achievements. STAN KLIPPI attended the memorial service for the Class.

WALTER LEE CLARKSON

The consummate runner during our Hanover days, passed away in his sleep on May 21 in Hamburg , NJ . Of the dozen newspaper articles and emails received, AUDREY’s observation that he was “the most fulfilled man I have ever known” says it all about a life of dedication to students and student athletes. His time on campus was notable by academic achievements - cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, - his athletic accomplishments as a distance runner and captain of both Track & Field and Cross Country teams and his involvements as a brother of Sigma Nu and election to Green Key and Casque & Gauntlet. The immediate years following graduation were consumed by the Marine Corps, a Masters in English from Columbia and duty in Art Kendl’s office at Dartmouth . He signed on at Westfield High School (NJ) in 1959 and marriage to Audrey in 1961 brought structure to his life.

When you are known as “Coach”, it says a lot about the earned respect and hundreds turned out at his daughter Karen’s home to celebrate the life of a teacher, a coach and a mentor. In the classroom, he had a reputation for a strictness which was later acknowledged as “tough love.” His track teams had an incredible record of 462-55-3 and his swim teams did as well. Under his guidance, the school newspaper, Hi’s Eye, won All-American status 25 times. The National Scholastic Press Association has established The Walt Clarkson Memorial Award for Excellence in Student Journalism Advising.

Unlike many, Walt was able to discover and live the life and career best suited to what his heart dictated. Audrey reflected that he was self-effacing, an attribute many will remember from knowing him.

In addition to Audrey, Walt is survived by three daughters, a son and four grandchildren.

MICHAEL JOSEPH McDONALD

Mike passed away on May 15 in New Hartford, NY after a prolonged battle with cancer and emphysema. A three-letter man at Port Henry High School in New York , his initial time on campus was aimed at basketball and baseball, then turned successfully to academics. Mike was a history major and a brother of the infamous DKE house. After graduation he served as an Army Specialist in Germany and had the opportunity to ski, skate and captain a winning basketball team. Settling down after discharge, he earned a law degree at Albany Law School , then made the best decision of his life when he married MARY Burleigh in 1962. They settled in Clinton , NY where Mike joined a local law firm. After practicing for most of his career, he was representing the Oneida County Department of Social Services when he retired .

Mary quoted Dartmouth coach Bob Shawkey as saying that pitcher Mike “had heart”. That observation continued to be true in his life, but in a more people-oriented way. He coached local youngsters in basketball and baseball, plus assisting at the Youth Hockey League. He brought his unique skills in outdoor cooking to Boy Scout camping trips and helped handicapped children connected with the County Special Education program. Then, once a week, he made a lengthy roundtrip to take a legally blind man to his therapy. His love of reading found him often at the Kirkland Town Library and, on vacation, as a devotee of the history of Fort Ticonderoga .

Mary describes Mike as a quiet, self-effacing man, devoted to his three sons and a grandfather who doted on his children’s children. His faith helped him through his health problems and he met life with a quiet dignity and a sense of humor. We are diminished by his loss.

A book will be placed in Baker Library in the memory of each of our three fallen Classmates.

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Buoyed by the Greencard from Gretchen King, allow me to propose that more wives/significant others take pen in hand and send news and commentary to the newsletter. During the reign of Jerry Goldstein, the Class voted to regard the distaff side as Class members, so it’s time we begin to hear from more of you.

Cinco de Mayo Festivale!
Shelly Woolf, Dick Barker, Lew Milkey, Dick Page, John Gillespie

Click on the photo for an enlargement