Class Notes

January/February 2004

by Tony Lee

I'm normally a "small is beautiful" kind of guy. I drive small cars and live in a relatively small house. I grow some of our food in a backyard vegetable garden. I take Gandhi's admonition seriously: "Live simply so others can simply live." But in looking at our 40th Reunion, I'd like to throw the small is beautiful concept out the window. For this event, Fat Albert reigns supreme. Big is beautiful, and bigger is better. I hope every classmate will attend. The more classmates sign up early, the greater likelihood fence-straddling classmates will show up to see old friends. June 3 through 6 in New Haven is going to be a lot of fun. Be there!

Bob Hilgendorf sent the following in October: "It was a lonely and nostalgic weekend for us as we watched the leaves fall and the balloons fly, and remembered the mini-reunion one year ago in Santa Fe. Maybe next October we can do a mini-mini for anyone who missed attending or wants to come back. Thank you for your notes of appreciation, pictures, and good spirit. Ling and I treasure the memories." As do all of us who attended.

Francis Snyder wrote: "I just returned from one of the most rewarding teaching experiences of my life: a one-month stint at the Center of Studies and Research at the Hague Academy of International Law, where I was director of the 2003 session on food security. I led a research group of ten outstanding young lawyers from around the world. Otherwise I am a professor of European Union Law at the Université d'Aix-Marseille III in France and centennial visiting professor at the London School of Economics. For the past years, I have also spent a good deal of time in China, including helping to establish an Academy of International Trade Law in Macao to train young lawyers and academics from the Asia-Pacific region and increasingly from Europe. I would be interested in catching up with classmates based in France, London or China."

Sam Goldberger: "I have taken retirement from full-time instruction at Capital Community College in Hartford, CT but will continue teaching on a part-time basis. I recently took my first trip to Israel and participated in a project of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAND) to build a center in an Arab town on the West Bank devoted to exhibits on house demolitions by the IDF."

From Peter Yerkes: "I took early retirement from the Port Authority last December, giving me a revenue stream and health insurance. I was lucky enough to get a part-time job with the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, aka the Federal 9-11 Commission, which is looking at how 9-11 happened and ways to prevent such attacks. I was at the World Trade Center for both attacks, in 1993 and 2001, so this is something I have strong feelings about. I have a second role as Mr. Mom, which is a lot harder than I thought. After 12 years as a stay-at-home mother, my wife Liberty is finishing her Master's Degree in Decorative Arts and preparing to return to the workforce as an appraiser. So I take care of a lot of the family stuff involving daughter Isabel 16 and son Harry 13. Change is good."

Michael Nagel reports: "Good News, New News! I am extending my stay in St. Petersburg as Senior Adviser to the Russian Venture Capital Association and would welcome any classmates to visit me in Russia's most beautiful city."

Tom Susman's wife Susan Braden was confirmed after a 15-month process to be judge of the Court of Federal Claims. They are both thrilled. Bill Taylor's son Brian is a naval aviator and was on the aircraft carrier Abe Lincoln when President Bush flew out to the ship.

Bob Lamson is Sr. Vice President and Managing Director for the "Beyond" business initiative of Salton, Inc (of George Foreman Grill and Juiceman appliance fame). Beyond is a new line of "connected home" products featuring home-networking capabilities based upon broadband internet access and wireless in-home communications.

From John Hanold: "Since our move a year ago to Turners Falls MA we have spent most of the time supervising the fix-up of a house considerably older (125 - 130 yrs) than the one we had in Albuquerque. Mimi and Jon McBride visited last fall on their way to VT and saw it in an early and unimpressive state; I'm glad to say it is much nicer now. Andy Burrows and Tupper Brown live within a half-hour drive of us, and we've shared a garden with Tupper during this past summer. Phil Lochner has been picking off sections of the Appalachian Trail in VT and since our house is only 20 min. south of Brattleboro it is a natural jumping-off point for those expeditions. Pete Igoe and Dave Turner joined us for one segment. We've hiked in steady rain, beautiful fall weather, even in snow on the upper elevations near Killington Peak — damp, lacy flakes on evergreen limbs, very artistic. Under conditions of exertion we don't talk much, just engage in parallel observation of trees, swamps, rocky trails, and fauna. We aren't as fast as some of the other hikers we encounter but we enjoy doing this. I'm grateful for a chance to re-connect with people I spent a lot of time with in college."

I'm sorry to report that Trevor Cushman died July 9, 2003 after a 2-year battle with brain cancer. Prior to his illness he was executive director of the Louisville Ballet and had similar positions with the Hartford and Salt Lake City Ballets. See the In Memoriam piece.