Summer 2023 (Dan’s swansong)
Submitted by outgoing Class Secretary Dan Farley: There is much to celebrate and chronicle, as the 50th reunion for Williams’ Class of ’73 appeared to engage and fulfill nearly 200 alums and dozens of their spouses, partners and other guests.
Lifelong friendships were enriched in person, reconnections were deepened over meals more so than Zoom sessions ever could, and conversations and sharing among classmates who’d barely, if at all, known one another on campus were frequent and satisfying. The positive outcomes are testaments to the work done by so many. Those present at Saturday night’s dinner heard Class President Steve Harty acclaim more than 120 persons who’d contributed over the past year-plus in the buildup to the weekend.
Tom Geissler and Robert Koegel, as co-chairs, get tremendous and deserved credit. Their co-conspirators in planning and organizing, and in adding style and panache to the affair—Charlotte Neuville and Marta Rudolph—were no less significant. Tom Lee’s inspiring and impressively productive 50th reunion fund leadership performance made for more than $10 million donated to the college and our designated class gifts.
So many deserve acknowledgement for the weekend and the years leading up to it. Among them, class officers Steve Harty, Juli Parker and Dave Futransky. Julian Beckford for helming our alumni fund efforts. Scott Hopkins for his outreach work. Two others for notable class connecting: Peter Pierson, managing the class website (williamscollege73.com), and Field Horne, shepherding the marvelous Class of ’73 book.
The next five years will see new and familiar faces heading ’73: Ken Bates, president; Connie Rudnick Grayson, VP; Scott Hopkins, VP for connections; David Futransky, again, treasurer; Dick Tavelli, planned giving chair; Peter Pierson, continuing as webmaster; Steve Hauge, class secretary; and class agent, TBD.
Many classmates wrote in advance of the reunion. My neighbor John Alper told me he hoped to see Kara and me, at least in Williamstown. Mike Stevens noted grandparent duties with his older daughter and her children but said he was looking forward to Williamstown and friends. Jackie Oliveri, who lured me to the secretary job 10 years earlier, turned down the reciprocal offer but did value “how class notes keep us updated and together.” Jim Clemons and Putnam Smith expressed gratitude for all that was being done “to make this reunion so easily accessible and welcoming.”
Dan Schwartzman, who went on to competitive achievement Saturday night, shared greetings from absent mutual friend Tracy Brown. That eve, Dan says he bested classmates and may even have had a perfect score identifying “the 20 bands or single musical performers who graced the AMT, Chapin Hall and hockey rink stages between September 1969 and May 1973, with six of them Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees (marked with *): Stevie Wonder*; Rahsaan Roland Kirk; Jim Croce; John Sebastian*; Buddy Tate; Mahavishnu Orchestra; Taj Mahal; Rod Stewart and the Faces*; The Byrds*; Pink Floyd*; Little Feat; Leo Kottke; Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen; The Youngbloods; Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee; The Persuasions; The Flying Burrito Brothers; Poco; Van Morrison*; John McLaughlin; and Livingston Taylor.”
A number of classmates messaged about missing the Golden Get-together. Michael Stewart “got together with Randy Perry here in Munich—he’s still translating for Siemens and helping English teachers in the Ukraine. I’m still selling veneer, building cabinets, fly-fishing and babysitting.” They provided a great photo for the class website, which, Peter Pierson reminds me to report, features many photos shared during the weekend as well as some sent afterward. Please do send Peter photos you took or that friends shared.
Mark Donahue wrote with concerns about the air quality due to the Canadian wildfires. He reminded me that continued Covid concerns preempted his and Julie’s making the trip.
Niko Durich missed the reunion and the deadline for the class book, but he wrote from Croatia with this update: “After Williams, I spent a year at the Heidelberg University in Germany and then went to Zagreb University Law School to complete my law study. After graduation and bar exam, I started my law practice handling conflict-of-law cases. From 1997-1999, I was a member of a defense team at the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia at the Hague in the Netherlands. I also served as a permanent court-appointed and certified translator and interpreter of English, German and French languages and avocat de confiance for U.S., German, Swiss and French embassies. I’ve also been a member of the Social Orchestra of the Croatian Musical Institute. Married and have two daughters. Now, in my hometown, Dubrovnik, I am working on a book about Croatian history and a four-language (Croatian-English-German-French) law dictionary.”
Larry Shoer shared photos along with a multifaceted weekend update: “Fellow reunioners, it was delightful to spend time with you this weekend. I knew the weekend would end too soon, and indeed it did. I’m covering a lot of ground this June. The 1952 MG TD roadster in which Dick Tavelli and I followed our class in the reunion parade continued its steadfast service, delivering man and machine back home along wonderfully winding and hilly roads in western and central Massachusetts (and no rain). Tuesday, I fly to Portland, Ore., while my reunion date and daughter, Rebecca ’13, flies to Denver. I join my wife, Emily, our daughter Leah ’09, her husband Nathan and our granddaughter Helen as Leah’s June 15 due date quickly approaches. Rebecca joins her brother Joseph ’06, his wife, Nicole, and my grandson Peter, Nicole’s second child. Thank you for being part of this magical weekend and my month full of Eph events!”
Peter Harnik replied to Larry about the photo of “part of the Japan hand reunion with Charlie Fox, the real deal, having essentially been there since graduation, aside from occasional trips to visit his twin sons Boon and Masa, both ’05, in L.A. I lived in Japan 17 years over three different occasions, including the five leading up to matriculation, and was the first ever to go to Williams from the American School in Japan. As I write this, we are back at our apartment on the south bank of the Thames after enduring a delayed flight back to Gatwick and an even worse trip up to London, courtesy of industrial action carryovers, missing train crew and putative signal failures causing delays and cancellations. Next stop is West Sussex to put out the green waste for collection (every other Tuesday).”
There were so many rewarding, scheduled or optional sessions and events among the three full days, yet space limitations prevent me from reporting or highlighting them.
Dave Butts summed it up eloquently: “I’ve been to all of our reunions. This one topped them all. A very large turnout, great spirit and enthusiasm, wonderful conversations, a sense of gratitude and profound appreciation for the impact Williams has had on our collective lives. I really enjoyed seeing Tyler House friends Bill Harding and Karl Machata, whom I had not seen in years. Charlie Fox from Japan, Dave Rutledge from California. Charlie and Dave reminded me they had known each other since third grade in Fort Worth, Texas. My Tyler friend Roger Kriete and I have known each other since first grade and even followed each other into the same profession! Although there was much joy and laughter throughout the four reunion days, there was also a palpable sense of loss of many classmates. For me, that included Chris Pitt and Dave Laidlaw as well as longtime role model and mentor Steve Birrell ’64. I was heartened to see Dottie Pitt enjoying herself at reunion. The Friday evening remembrance service at the MainStage was a wonderful, heartfelt touch, with Bill Tarter’s eloquence and the very moving video. Other highlights for Sue and me included our son David ’06 sharing reunion with us (he so enjoyed speaking with numerous classmates), Larry Shoer driving his amazing ’52 MG TD in the parade (with copilot Dick Tavelli), terrific meals, Bill Moomaw ’58 and the climate change lecture, Jackie Oliveri’s RBG, ’73 ‘fireside chats’ at the Williams Inn and playing Taconic with Rob Cella on Sunday. We also enjoyed many discussions about where we all are in our lives: Covid-delayed travel, health issues, downsizing, simplifying, moving closer to family, children, grandchildren. Sue and I are very appreciative of having such a terrific peer group for these evolving 50-year discussions. Finally, I was happy so see Steve Harty, Bill Simon, Janet Brown, Dan Farley and Pete Farwell recognized for their important contributions to both Williams and to our class. So well deserved. Thanks also to Field Horne’s efforts to produce our amazing 50th reunion book. I feel this book will help us remain in touch as we move forward with our lives.”
Johnson Chang wrote after reunion with recognition and regard for the “organizational efforts in making the reunion so classic. After Williamstown, I spent a few happy days with Phil Mitsis ’72 in NYC. Seeing him at the ’72 reunion last year, our original freshman class, was a highlight for me and Ernie Wolfe ’72, who stayed in L.A. as we three connected on Zoom.” Another anecdote Johnson shared was a reunion-defining one for me: “Michael Pete and I met for the first time on Sunday after the service at Thompson Chapel. He stopped me pouring coffee and asked me if I was me, which I admitted. Michael then proceeded to detail the saga of his journey to Taiwan in December 1971. The long and short is, even though Michael traveled light like a nomad, he brought a Williams class book with him. During a short stopover in Hong Kong, he consulted the class book and found one Chinese person in his class. He went straight to the address for a surprise visit, and, alas, my parents told him I didn’t come home for the winter holidays. After half a century, I finally came to answer the door, at the Faculty House, to greet a classmate I had never known.”
Many wrote to appreciate organizers and classmates, among them James Stedronsky. Alan McDermott shared a photo of longhaired me from graduation; my appearance shocked my wife, Kara, and entertained our kids. On reunion Saturday, Kara and I visited MASS MoCA to again savor the work of Sol LeWitt. There we saw and chatted with Chris Zook and his wife, Donna Robinson. Chris said that he has referred to LeWitt’s work in several of his books.
After reunion, Jeff Bowen wrote, “In the span of a year and a half, our next generationers have completed four master’s degrees: son-in-law Zac and daughters James, Becky and Hannah.”
Linda Heath offered, “I want to express my thanks to all who worked on making our reunion such a success. The whole weekend was most enjoyable. Hard to believe we now join the ranks of the old guard. I don’t have any specific stories to share about people I reconnected with, but Jackie Oliveri’s performance was a highlight, and the women’s lunch was such a treat. We rarely, if ever, were in a room together when we all were undergrads.”
Wylie Mitchell and Barbara Mitchell sent a “Purple People” submission: “A big thank-you to everyone who planned for and participated in reunion. It was a wonderful and memorable weekend to be with so many old and new friends. Our big news—one day after reunion—is the arrival of our sixth grandchild. We can now field a 3-and-under, all-boys hockey team! We continue to be lucky enough to live year-round on a lake in Maine, where we often host our expanding family; we would welcome our Williams friends to come experience ‘the way life should be.’”
Dede Gotthelf Moan messaged, “Was happy to stand and clap when you received the award. Am happy to have attended the milestone reunion, as everyone was so friendly! And welcoming! And cohesive! And such an enormous group of successes in many ways (not only monetary—so many good works for the world) in one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
Scott Hopkins, ever the connector, wrote, “Had a great time. As Steve commented to me, there was a pervasive ‘mellow vibe’ throughout the weekend—no posturing, just folks having fun with old and new friends alike. Nancy and I left on Sunday after brunch and drove to the Delaware shore for a night and then to New Bern, N.C., stopping in Kill Devil Hills for lunch with Bob Muller (Williams C and Agard), who wasn’t able to come due to a high school graduation. Had a great lunch, and he sends his best to everyone. Nancy and I are going to stop at Sea Pines Plantation after several days on Tybee Island, Ga., to visit with the other Cecily, Cecily Steele, who is headed for a long (three-month) stay in Charlotte to have her replacement knee replaced. No fun for sure. Hot and humid here in Savannah, what a surprise!” Pre-reunion, Scott and Nancy stopped to visit Bob Tucker. They’d also met Field Horne in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for a tour of his museum and Saratoga town and for dinner. I hope that many classmates took advantage of the generous offerings of fruit preserves that Scott prepared for alums and displayed at our Horn Hall HQ.
Notes and key addenda: Field Horne said that should any classmate, domestic or international, not have received a copy of the class book, please contact him: field.horne@gmail.com.
Among recent communications from the college, the June edition of EphNotes cited the leading declared majors of the class 50 years in our wake, that of 2023: biology, economics, English, mathematics and psychology.
As Kara and I were leaving the reunion Sunday breakfast, I was heartened to see a celebratory photo being taken of our Rogerson Cup prizewinners, Steve Harty and Bill Simon. When recognizing this pair for their long-lived and overall leadership contributions to Williams, President Maud Mandel said this was the college’s most significant award. Bravi. Well-earned, and thanks, guys.
I sign off, after 10 years, with appreciation for the support of Brooks Foehl ’88 of alumni relations and Regina Velázquez, our estimable Williams People editor, who has polished my and your prose. Above all, I want to thank all of you who have written to me and my predecessors and, henceforth, to Steve Hauge. Our narrative collaboration has been meaningful, and I’ve valued my role in helping to bring classmates together. I have gained from it a better connection with the ’73 community (important for me, since my first two years were as a ’72). I may have had to return my Thurston Cup, but the satisfaction of our collective achievement will linger. Thank you.
Ciao, Dan
DAN FARLEY
dhfarley1@gmail.com
619.770.9958
