Have pets played an important role in your life?
July 27, 2025
Dear 1964 classmates and friends,
Many classmates who are friends with me on Facebook regularly post affectionate stories and photos of their pets. Pat Caviness, Ed Gaffney, Waldo Johnston come to mind. Chip Thomas (son of our late classmate Stan Thomas) has produced new music to honor his recently departed dog, Sasha. I’ve had two English Labs for a cumulative 26 years and am now kept on my toes by a Springer Spaniel named Winston.
Whether or not you still have a pet, have your pets been an important part of your life? Remember, our Yale mascot, Handsome Dan, is one of the best-known pets in history. Our late classmate Chris Getman kept more Handsome Dans as pets than any other Yale person.
NEWS FLASH: We just learned that Wendell Mottley ’64 will be honored with the George Herbert Walker Bush ’48 Lifetime of Leadership Award at the Blue Leadership Ball on November 21, 2025. (see news story)
The issue of Class Notes embedded below is labeled “September/October 2025” since that is the Yale Alumni Magazine issue in which the column will appear in truncated form. Enjoy the rest of the summer. Please let me know what you’re doing these days and especially write about your pet stories. I depart for Alaska, my 50th state, next week. Joe Wishcamper gave me a few tips on how to avoid a grizzly bear attack!
Cheers,
Tony Lavely
Yale ’64 Class Secretary
407-770-8942 (cell)
September/October Class Notes
[To read these Notes in your browser in living color, click here.]
As you read this September-October 2025 issue, the Yale football season schedule has been announced. They’re opening against Holy Cross on September 20 and playing a new non-Ivy, Stonehill College, on October 18. If the Bulldogs can repeat as Ivy League Champions, they’ll receive an automatic bid to the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs, like their brothers in basketball and hockey. Here’s the full season schedule.
There was no slowing down of Zoom events during the summer months. Don Van Doren organized a 1964 Class Authors Zoom event on June 26 that spotlighted Gus Speth and his poetry. Bill Woodfin moderated the session that was attended by about 60 classmates and friends. The video of the entire session is now posted on our Class Website/News. It’s well worth watching if only to hear an AI-inspired Chatbot singing one of Gus’ poems, titled “Hopium!” Next up on the Class Authors schedule is Stephen Greenblatt on November 6, featuring his new book, Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival. Pete Putzel will moderate the session. Make sure you register when the invitation comes out. In between these two Authors Zooms, Joe Wishcamper has organized a topical Zoom event in which Bob Buchanan will moderate a panel of 1964 Vietnam veterans on October 9. Make sure to register when the announcement is sent; you’ll need the Zoom link to participate. Family and friends are invited, too.
After a successful early summer golf outing on June 4-5, Ted Jones has organized a fall golf outing on September 30-October 1. The first day will be hosted by Dave Kalayjian at his Clinton Country Club. Day two will be at Lyman Orchards, in Middlefield CT. The group will dine at Mory’s on Tuesday night. If the renovation of the Yale Course stays on schedule, the outings will return there next Spring. The YAA Fall Assembly and YAF Convocation will take place November 20-22, 2025, with our class representatives attending. The Yale Athletics Blue Leadership Ball will be on Friday night, and “The Game” is on Saturday. We just learned that Wendell Mottley will be one of the honorees of the George Herbert Walker Bush ’48 Lifetime of Leadership Award at the Blue Leadership Ball, joining Jim Duderstadt and Chris Getman in winning this distinguished award. Classmates from the Class of ’64 are planning on a table or two at the event to celebrate this award for Wendell. (read more)
Regional classmate luncheons continue monthly at Mory’s on first Wednesdays (Ralph Jones), and Yale Club of NYC on third Wednesdays, after the summer hiatus (Ted Wagner). Classmates gather via Zoom in the Bay area on second Wednesdays (Owen O’Donnell) and in the Boston area on third Wednesdays (Jerry Flannelly). The regional Zooms are typically attended by 18-24 classmates/spouses with lively conversations. Contact these classmates if you would like to be added to their email list. For the Zoom gatherings, you do not have to live in the area. Are there any volunteers out there who would be willing to organize regional Zoom events? We have regional critical mass in Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Texas, London, and Asia. We can set you up and give a short tutorial.
There are three new articles posted on Class Website/News. On Memorial Day 2025, Tony Lavely posted a remembrance of our three classmates who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. The fiftieth anniversary of the end of that conflict is celebrated this year. Already reported as an upcoming Zoom event is a panel of classmates who served in Vietnam that will be moderated by Bob Buchanan on October 9, 2025. Dick duPont posted an article about flying the Pacific, “Helluva Lotta Blue — Not Much Tan.” Lastly, there is a summary of Gus Speth’s appearance on our Class Authors Zoom on June 26, 2025, which also has a link to a video of the full session moderated by Bill Woodfin. Let’s tip our collective hats to the classmates who are featured in these Zoom events and to the moderators and organizers, including Janene Castaldi at YAA. While the sessions typically last for 90 minutes, there is a lot of prep and rehearsal time (usually 3-4 hours) that goes into making the events successful. A special shoutout to Joe Wishcamper who hung in despite a shoulder replacement followed by a broken wrist on the other arm due to a fall. After the Zoom event, John Wylie emailed: “I thought Gus' Zoom was nothing less than spectacular!!! He is such a wonderful presence! I thought it was one of the most enjoyable 90 minutes I've spent in a very long time. I’ve heard about the book, Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit. Wasn't Len Baker talking about it? I asked my AIs whether Kissinger's view was any different than mine, which is that AI won't change what it's always been: ‘The good guys against the bad guys.’ My AIs told me it was a little more complicated than that but, basically, ‘yes.’ But it is really something I will have to get to.”
There has been an extensive amount of news posted on Yale News and various YAA sites about the impact on Yale’s endowment and operating budget from the recent legislation in H.R.1: “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Ten 1964 classmates from the Bay Area Zoom group signed a letter to President Maurie McGinnis expressing their support for Yale in challenging the legislation. President McGinnis replied to John Wylie (for the group) on June 3: “Thank you so much for the thoughtful letter and words of support from you and your classmates from the Class of 1964. It means a great deal to me during this critical time. I also appreciate your suggestions and will keep them in mind as I continue to advocate for higher education at every turn. With deep appreciation from campus, Maurie”.
As reported earlier, Stephen Greenblatt’s new book — Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival — was released on September 9, just in time for our next Class Authors Zoom event on November 6, 2025. Stephen Greenblatt will discuss his new book at the Cambridge MA Library on September 20. Here’s the link to the event. Last May, Stephen spoke at the 92nd Street Y Roundtable in NYC. His topic that day was Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
For you Yale history buffs out there, I learned about two books that are worth reading: Classmate Bill Shields sent me a summary of a book titled Puritan Protagonist: President Thomas Clap of Yale College written by Len Tucker. Clap was Yale’s first president. The other is No Small Coincidence: How Yale Alumni Made History in Minnesota, by Ron Goldser ’75. Ron and Tony Lavely met at the Minneapolis Club on July 8, 2025. After he finished the new Ron Chernow biography of Mark Twain, Tony Lavely posted about Twain’s ten separate connections to Yale over the course of his life, including two honorary degrees. Chip Thomas (son of Stan Thomas) recently produced a new extended play album with original songs inspired by the death of his beloved dog, Sasha.
Classmate bloggers continue to be active in 2025; you can read their work on our Class website in Publications/Bloggers.
It saddens me to report the deaths of four classmates since the previous issue. Joe Wishcamper reported that his roommate Charles “Charlie” Barker died on February 2, 2025, in San Diego CA. Joe wrote: “Charlie remained true to his Texas roots; after medical school and military service, he returned to Texas for the balance of his professional life.” Our classmate Doug Grandgeorge reported that Roy Felshin died on February 20, 2025, in NYC. Doug (who is an ordained minister) officiated at Roy’s memorial service on April 26, 2025, “attended by about 100 people, including Roy’s wife, Stephanie. Roy wrote a poignant essay for our 60th Reunion Book. Sandy McKleroy reported the death of Andrew “Andy” Lauritzen on April 30, 2025 in Milwaukee WI where he had been a lawyer, a lifelong Packers fan, and a civic leader. Andy served on the board of Camp Manito-wish in Northern WI for many years. He was survived by his wife Raquel and their two sons. Al Rossiter reported the death of Robert “Bob” Bulkeley on May 11, 2025, in Campton NH. As his hometown hints, Bob was a camping enthusiast and was involved with Camp Pasquaney for 66 years. His surviving wife Ouisie scheduled a celebration of life for August 16, 2025. Thanks to the classmates who alert us to these events, so we can remember them in a timely manner. If you want to add a remembrance to any of our In Memoriam pages, please send your statement to Tony Lavely or Sam Francis. Also, you can donate a Mory’s Memorial Brink in the name of any departed classmate, by contacting Ted Jones.
