Yale University

Class Notes

January/February 2026

by Tony Lavely

Note: Classmates' names in gold font are links to a pre-addressed email form (if your browser is properly configured). Other links (underlined) take you to more information about the topic. These are the same class notes that are published in the Yale Alumni Magazine. If you would like to write a guest column, please let me know. Do we have your current email address in our website directory?

This is the first issue of the New Year, but it is being written in early November to accommodate the YAM deadline. There is still a lot happening in 2025. As I write this, the Bulldogs are still in contention for the first Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) post-season championships. There will be a group of classmates at The Game on November 22 which could decide the Ivy Title. If we run the table and beat Harvard, we will own the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Crimson and move on to the playoffs. The Friday night before The Game, a table of classmates will gather in Commons (aka Schwarzman Center) to honor Wendell Mottley as he is awarded the George Herbert Walker Bush Lifetime Leadership Award. Wendell will be the third 1964 classmate to be so honored. That same week in November, the YAA Assembly and YAF Convocation will take place on November 20-22. Tony Lavely, Ralph Jones, and Ward Wickwire will attend as your Class representatives and will file reports.

On November 6th, we had our fourth 2025 all-classmate Zoom call and the second in our 1964 Authors Series, organized by Don Van Doren. It featured Stephen Greenblatt and his new blockbuster book about Christopher Marlowe, Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival. Pete Putzel moderated the 90-minute session, for which over 100 classmates and friends registered. If you missed it, the full video is available on our Class Website/News. On October 9, another all-classmate Zoom — featuring a panel of five classmates who served in Vietnam — was organized by Joe Wishcamper and moderated by Bob Buchanan. The video of that session is also available on our Class Website/News. Both Don Van Doren and Joe Wishcamperare planning new Zoom events for 2026 in their respective series. Don has lined up Chas Freeman in the 1964 Authors Series for a date in May. So, watch for announcements on these future events and register to attend.

Ted Jones reported that eleven classmates and friends attended the Fall Golf Outing on October 30-November 1 that was hosted by Dave Kalayjian at his Clinton Hill CT golf club. Day two was at Lyman Orchard, in Middlefield CT. The group dined at Mory’s on Tuesday night. You can find Ted’s account on our Class Website/News. Further afield, Tony Lavely attended two popular events in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. On October 21 local alumni attended a lecture by Yale Professor Ahkil Amar (who also spoke at our 60th Class Reunion) about his new book, Born Equal: Remaking America's Constitution, 1840-1920. On a decidedly different note, on November 5 Tony Lavely attended the pre-Broadway opening of the stage musical Purple Rain, in Prince’s Minneapolis hometown. Representing our Class, Tony Lavely attended President Maurie McInnis’ Quarterly Update on Zoom in which she reported on the new academic year during challenging times. Tony Lavely also announced the date of our annual Class Council meeting on February 14, 2026. If you would like to serve on the Class Council, please contact Tony or any Class Council member.

Regional classmate luncheons continue monthly at Mory’s on first Wednesdays (Ralph Jones). Classmates gather via Zoom in the Bay area on second Wednesdays (Owen O’Donnell) and in the Boston area on third Wednesdays (Jerry Flannelly). Holidays sometimes cause the regular dates to be changed. Contact these classmates if you would like to be added to their email list.

In Class News, you should have received our annual Class Dues solicitation letter via USPS from Chip Brennan, Class Treasurer. We hope you will respond favorably by remitting the modest amount which helps underwrite many class activities. We are also pleased to acknowledge the tireless support we receive from Heather Corbett and Krystal Augustine at YAA. Six new News articles have been posted on our Class Website by our venerable webmaster, Sam Francis:

In Publications (where we have posted over 69 classmate authors who have published over 200 books since 2000), you can find updates for Stephen Greenblatt and a new article by Gene Van Loan.

I regret to inform you that Richard (Dick) Horgan died on October 22, 2025, in Wilmington NC. His daughter notified Yale. A memorial service was held on November 15, 2025. We also added a remembrance to Sam Brookfield’s In Memoriam page that was published by St. Paul’s School. Ted Jones and Sam Francis report that to date 348 Mory’s Memorial Bricks have been donated by classmates, with three of the recent names still to be honored. We invite classmates and friends to remember 1964 classmates in this meaningful way.