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A newsletter for Nichols College alumni of the past 50 years or more
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Vol 4 Issue 2: Fall 2023
NICHOLS COLLEGE FIRE DEPARTMENT
THE FOLLOWING TEXT WAS RE-PRINTED FROM BICENTENNIAL NC MAGAZINE
Despite early attempts by the students to organize a student-run fire department, the Nichols College Fire Department began in earnest in 1959. Starting with two 1927 fire trucks purchased from the Cranston, Rhode Island, Fire Department and later a ladder truck and 500-gallon pumper, this all-volunteer, student organization was in charge of planning the evacuation of all college buildings in the event of an emergency and with the scheduling and supervision of fire drills, which were required to be held by all dormitories at least once each quarter. Their service came in handy on several occasions, including on February 18, 1969, when strong winds fanned a blaze that destroyed Olsen Hall. More than 75 fire fighters from the college and neighboring towns fought the blaze for more than two hours. A day after the fire, a local newspaper article on the event noted that the 25-member college fire department was credited with a big assist by the fire fighters from Dudley, Webster, and Quinebaug (CT). One from Dudley was reported as having said, “These kids know what they are doing.”
Bob McIlvain ’70
I first found out about the NCFD during freshman indoctrination. I had never heard of a college fire department, but it seemed to fit Nichols. We seemed somewhat out in the boonies then and the dorms were mostly 2 by 4 military surplus; some would see these as very flammable. I joined as soon as I could and remained a member for all four years. We had three battalions, and each member was assigned to one. Monday through Friday two of the battalions were considered on duty and therefore couldn’t leave the Hill or consume alcohol. On the weekends, only one battalion was on duty. Each battalion had a drill every week. We started by learning how to hook up the hose to the hydrant and putting on the nozzle. It sounds simple when put like that, but there were a lot of different circumstances requiring different techniques. Some of the ones I remember: Straight lay, full reverse, straight lay broken down to inch and a half, full reverse broken down to inch and a half, partial reverse, and partial reverse broken down to inch and a half. We also had ladder drills. These I didn’t like so much as I was then, and still am, scared of heights. Nonetheless, I managed to make it up to the flat roof of Academy Hall at
least once a year. My freshman year we had a 40-hour advanced course for firefighting. We were taught by a fire chief from Worcester, Chief James Nally. We received certificates for the course and mine just happened to turn up during a recent move. We were called in to help Dudley Fire Department a couple of times, but we had a regular mutual aid response with Quinebaug Fire Department, just down the hill. I remember numerous brush fires in the spring. Of particular interest to me were the trucks themselves. They were old but still very useful. We had three: a 1940’s International Pumper Engine fire truck (the pump was broken but it still carried hose and some brushfire equipment), a 1941 Mack 500-gallon pumper, and my favorite (to drive), a 1927 Maxim ladder truck. None of them had synchromesh transmissions, so we had to double clutch going up and down
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Nichols Fire Department – continued
Choo was from Korea and didn’t speak English. She had two small children with her. Billy said it took a minute to get Mrs. Choo to understand the dorm was on fire. They were able to get all of them out. Billy and the other student got their pictures in the local paper for their quick thinking. The Nichols Fire Department was made up of volunteers; most were forestry majors and fully committed. As they rode around in the fire trucks, particularly the old hook and ladder truck whose engine made quite a racket. The NCFD sprang into action stretching their hoses and running into the flames. The local department finally showed up, but the pumps in their trucks were frozen and they could not use their hoses. It was up to the Nichols crew to put out the fire, which they did. Students flung their belongings out of windows before the flames got out of control. Professor Charles Grant, who oversaw the fire department, was in full gear and was told Professor Choo’s doctoral dissertation was still in the apartment. Without hesitation, he ran into the burning dorm and got the papers out.
NCFD, 1970
the gears. We started driving them toward the end of our freshman year. As I said, by far my favorite truck to drive was the 35-foot-long ladder truck. It had a four-speed stick, no power steering, and lots of power and noise. It was just plain fun! A couple of trips around the campus on a Friday afternoon would help clear the head of cobwebs. On a couple of homecoming football games, cheerleaders hung on from the firehouse to the football field. Sadly, the last I saw it was sometime in the mid-70s when I was in the Navy in Brunswick, Maine and breezed by the campus. It was abandoned behind the maintenance building — a sad end to a long career. It would have been a great vehicle for any fire parade today.
Later we were dispersed to empty rooms throughout campus. The new dorm, later called Olsen Dorm, was not yet completed. Gruber and I ended up in a room located in the basement of Goodell Hall. We had to send away a freshman squatter who wanted to room with us. Months later, we moved into the new Olsen; it was very nice. The Nichols College Fire Department was outstanding and performed as professionals. It all could have been much worse without them. When they passed a boot to collect funds to replace the equipment lost while fighting the fire, we gratefully gave.
We usually got about three calls a year for fires on campus. The Olsen fire was by far the biggest as we lost the total dorm. It was caused by an electrical overload but fortunately it was during the day, and everyone got out safely, though some lost their possessions. If I remember correctly, Alan Walsh ’70 had worn only a light coat to class (it was a somewhat warm February day) and lost everything in the fire. I remember seeing him as he hopped in his car with the coat and two books and headed home. No story about the fire department would be complete without a word about our commissioner, Professor “Charlie” Grant. Unknown to most, he was on the New York Fire Department during WWII.
The men of the Nichols College Fire Department were our heroes. Thank you all for your service then and now. Fran Keefe ’73 My Uncle Joe Keefe from Newton, Massachusetts, was the head mechanic of the Newton Fire Department. He had quite a reputation as a fire equipment “whisperer.” He came up to Nichols during the 1960s to offer advice and worked on the antiquated equipment. He was a valuable resource for years. Tom Bassett ’75 I was a member of the NCFD from 1971 through 1975. I was the Deputy Chief and wrote a column for the issues of The Bison called Bells and Blazes. I recall a house fire on the Dudley/Quinebaug town line, the Treasure Island fire in Webster, a student grazed by a bullet in Budleigh Hall, a fire bug on campus (found him) and a larger brush/ forest fire in Dudley out toward Oxford.
He knew more about firefighting than any of us but did not flaunt his knowledge. He was always there when we needed him, though in a quiet but productive way. He went into Olsen at the height of the fire to retrieve Dr. Choo’s thesis. He was so unpretentious about this that I didn’t even know he had done it until Jack Hills ’69, the mayor of the Hill, gave him an award on parents day. There is also an alumnus that is well worth mentioning: Don Witcher ’70. “D.W.” as we called him, was on the fire department while at Nichols and worked at American Optical afterward. He was constantly helping us, both physically and financially. He paid for the siren that was mounted on the old gym. He joined the Southbridge Fire Department and oversaw the juniors. Unfortunately, he was killed in the mid-70s when he stopped to help what he thought was an accident but turned out to be what today would be called a carjacking. Rest in peace D.W. I hate to use the phrase, but it’s true: the fire department was a tight-knit group of guys. I’d like to say that I kept in touch, but I am a poor networker and haven’t. However, I still have strong memories of four years of teamwork and friendship.
Engine 1 was driven by Jim Krieger ’77 who went on for a career in the New York City Fire Department, retiring as a Captain a few years after the September 11 attacks. Several other members from my time also went on to careers in the fire service. My roommate and chief at the time, Glenn Coffin ’76 went on to be a chief on a department on Cape Cod. Many of us at that time came to Nichols with experience from our hometown departments. My active firefighting post-Nichols was with the Village of Briarcliff Manor Fire Department’s Scarborough Engine Company in New York where I served for 37 years. I remain a life member and most senior member of the company. (Senior member because I have
Rick Sweet ’70 The day was in the winter of my junior year in 1968. Billy Gruber ’69 and I roomed in Olsen #306 on the top floor, the best room on campus. Olsen was across the driveway from Budleigh Hall and next to the auditorium. Two days before the start of my junior year I was hit by a car while on my motorcycle. I spent most of the year in a leg cast and on crutches. It was the Monday after Winter Weekend. I was in my Business Statistics class, not one of my best, when the public address system announced that all Nichols firemen were excused from class, and they were to report to duty to fight the blaze at Olsen dorm. What?! I had parked my car, a 1959 4-door silver Chevrolet Biscayne, affectionately known, rust and all, as the “Silver Streak” in the back side of the dorm so I could unload it later from all the weekend’s events. It had a lot of my stuff in it including clothes and my manual typewriter I used to make money typing law briefs and term papers for students. This could be a disaster of enormous proportions. I stood up, grabbed my crutches, and stuffed my book in my beltline to leave. The professor asked me where I was going. I informed him I was going to fight the Olsen fire and crutched my way out of the classroom. I guess it made sense because he didn’t stop me. My classmates snickered. I made it to Olsen. It was engulfed in flames due to an electrical fire, we later learned. I was able to move my car out of harm’s way. Gruber and another student had the foresight to knock on Professor Choo’s 3rd-floor apartment. Professor Choo was our dorm director. Mrs.
1970 Yearbook. Left to right: J. T. Osborn, D. LaBonte, P. Boucher, G. McDonald, D. Basile, D. TenBroeck, R. Brake. First row: R. McIlvain, Professor Grant, C. Peterson. Second Row: G. Knapp, L. Ford, S. Michael, S. Aronson. 2
outlived everyone else.) I continued as a volunteer in my hometown near Savannah, Georgia. My brother Michael ’78 lives in Ossing, New York, as a captain and later his son a captain as well. My brother Bill ‘73 did not serve with the NCFD but joined his brothers at home to be the company’s chief driver and his son also served as a captain. Michael continues to be the chief driver instructing driving and pump operations to new members. His son, Bill III was also a captain of the fire department and is currently a sergeant with the Village of Briarcliff Manor Police Department. Firefighting is very much a family business which started with our father, grandfathers and great uncles serving Tarrytown and North Tarrytown (now Sleepy Hallow) fire departments. Mike Bassett ’78 I was a member of the department from the fall of 1974 until May of 1977. It was a great group of guys and many of the friendships continue to this day. The biggest event during my tenure was the New Dorm fire in the spring of 1976. My room was located on the third floor of New Dorm where we housed all the fire and security phones and radios for the department. Bob Cohen ’77, the chief of the department, came home about 2am and we talked in my room for a few minutes. He went to use the bathroom and came back and said there was smoke coming up through the floor. When the guy across the hall opened his door, we could see smoke coming through the electrical outlets and smoke out the back window from the second-floor landing. Chief Cohen pulled the fire alarm and began to evacuate the residents of the third floor, and I made the calls to the Dudley Fire Department and to the security detail on campus and sounded the campus fire whistle. By this time, the stairwells were filling with smoke, so myself and most of the other third-floor residents used bedsheets tied to the radiator and climbed out the third-floor window and then had to jump a few feet onto the roof over the first floor landing where other students were standing to support us. A couple of the students received minor injuries in exiting.
Tom Bassett ’75 (L) and Glenn Coffin ’76 (R) conferring after a small fire outside the Auditorium. of schoolwork, college life, and extracurriculars, the members managed to staff the department 24 hours a day for emergencies. Countless trips made to Hubbard and Harrington hospitals for students in need, responding to dorm-room-lockouts with ladders, fires, or emergencies small and large on campus, and coordinating with the Dudley Fire Department. I learned to get over my fear of heights while climbing ladders in drills and how to drive a 25,000-pound truck with a manual transmission and back it uphill into the station where the doors had about 2 inches of clearance on each side. We made training drills fun. We played 3-on3 basketball in full gear and air pack to practice how to control our breathing. The brush clearing and burning on the campus golf course was run by NCFD, as was the maintenance and testing of all the fire alarms on campus.
Most of us who were on the department got our fire gear and assisted the other members of the department who had responded with Engine 16 and the Dudley Fire Department. The fire was extinguished quickly, but there was severe heat and smoke damage on the second floor of the dorm. The fire alarm melted off the wall; records in another room began to melt.
Some members continued in the field after graduation, whether as volunteers or as a professional career. Many of us went to train at the Massachusetts Fire Academy in Stow, which was an incredible experience, if slightly intimidating. We spent days running into burning concrete training buildings, extinguishing exploding propane tanks, and practicing extricating people out of cars with the jaws of life. I recall one of our biggest burn building day of drills before graduation for structural firefighting, which ended with a cellar fire drill final exam. Each person was outfitted with a hose and had to slide on their belly through bulkhead doors and down stairs into a pitch black, fully engulfed basement to put out a fire of pallets and hay. I still get chills – one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. It made a Nichols final exam seem chill in comparison.
There was some concern as to the cause of fire and the college asked the State Police to investigate, so that there was no long-term safety issue for the residents. The State Police came and did their investigation and determined that the cause of the fire was from the use of fireworks and a bottle rocket going off into the room of origin. The college to their credit was not looking to punish the persons involved, but to make sure there was not any kind of danger from something else. One of the drawbacks of the fire, was that we either had to throw all are belongings out or have them cleaned. Couches and stuff alike filled the dumpsters. The company that came to repair the damage developed a friendship with the guys in our dorm and we ended up having all playing a softball game together.
The Nichols College Fire Department was certainly one of the most influential experiences I had while on campus. I cherish the camaraderie, sense of teamwork, skills learned, and both the thrill and responsibility for others in equal parts. It’s one of my favorite college memories and I have enjoyed connecting with former NCFD folks at Homecoming. I am thankful for the great group of men and women that welcomed me in that first year and proud of the work of the NCFD over the years of its existence.
My time with the Nichols College Fire Department allowed me to find what I wanted to do in life and after leaving Nichols, I went on to have a 34-year career as a police officer. I am currently in my 50th year as an active firefighter in my hometown. Probably the most memorable person at the college was Herb Durfee who was the head of security at the time. He was a real character who loved to stir the soup and at the same time when it was time to buckle down, he was able to take the appropriate action.
The Nichols College Fire Department was dissolved in 1999. The equipment was sold or donated to local fire department training programs. Many in the Nichols College community relied on this group for years and are forever grateful for their commitment and service.
Rob McDiarmid ’98 When my roommate moved out after only 3 days my freshman year, I wasn’t sure what to do. I figured he’d be my first friend and would make more from there. I went looking around for kids in a similar situation to bond with as I began living away from home for the first time. The group I ended up finding was one of the friendliest, most fun, welcoming crew I have ever met, before, during, or after Nichols. The members of the Nichols College Fire Department greeted me with open arms from day one. They gave me a nickname, showed me around campus and the fire station behind the auditorium, and got me set up with gear and instruction. We trained each week, hung out every weekend, rolled deep into the cafeteria for meals, and gathered every Thursday for “must-see-TV,” back when that was a thing. It was a dedicated crew, not only responding to calls on campus for alarms and medical issues, but also many volunteering in the town of Dudley for overnight ambulance shifts and emergency calls. On top
NCFD, 1998 3
SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Submitted by Rick Blankley ’65
For Gene Carlo ’73, the key to success is to work hard and surround yourself with good people. It happened for him in both high school and college, and he devoted his 36-year career as a teacher and administrator to making it happen for others.
Gene Carlo ’73
The Class of ’65 Scholarship recipient for 2023-24 is sophomore Jenna Bankowski ’26 of Woodstock, CT. She wanted a small college close to home and was enraptured by the campus. She is studying psychology and works two campus jobs, to sustain her college expenses. When asked about her future goals after graduating, she shares, “My dream is to become a social worker or counselor so I can help people and children. I would like to work for the state of Connecticut.” Her favorite activities outside the classroom are attending football and basketball games and being in the herd of the fans rooting on the Bison. To her scholarship donors she states, “I would like to thank the Class of ’65 for your generous donations to the scholarship that I have been awarded. I really struggle with paying for college, working two jobs, and can tell you that you have helped me a great deal. I am an average student, so I appreciate that this scholarship does not require having straight A’s. I appreciate everyone from the Class of ’65 who is supporting my educational journey.” As class scribe, I can reply to Jenna that we are proud to have her as our class recipient scholar as she fits right into the Class of ’65 academic posture because we didn’t have any straight “A” performers either. Jenna’s professors have made it quite clear that she is a very good student.
As a student at Grafton High School in the late 1960s, Carlo was a standout athlete. Captain of both the football and track teams, he held the record as one of the leading scorers in yardage in Worcester County at that time. “I was blessed,” he admits. “God gave me a little bit of size and a little bit of speed, and I put it to good use.” He also credits his coaches for his achievements and a “great” high school for preparing him academically. A senior with an athletic scholarship to Syracuse University, Carlo was all set. But fate had other plans. One of his uncles, who had played high school football with Mike Vendetti, the Nichols football and track coach, had encouraged him to “take a peek” at Nichols. In yet another twist, Carlo discovered that his advanced accounting teacher was a Nichols graduate who raved about the school. So, he took a peek.
TIME RUNS OUT FOR THE SHADOWHAWK
“When I visited, it was one of these things that I could feel myself going to school there,” he says. “The amount of people that knew everyone, teachers knew students, students knew teachers. I fell in love with it.” As a student, Carlo felt that same level of camaraderie, from peers to professors, throughout campus, “Right up to Herbie, the cop,” he adds, referring to Herb Durfee, the college’s storied head of security from 1961 to 1984. He thrived under Coach Vendetti, again becoming captain of both the football and track teams, as well as a conference all-star and a small college All American, and eventually earning a spot in the Nichols Athletic Hall of Fame.
Continued from the last Golden Bison Bulletin. Submitted by Dan Stewart ’69
The clock was running, a race against time for the whole Shadow Hawk dream. I turned to the notorious “box,” the one you need to get outside of sometimes. Selling a million-dollar Super Terrain Vehicle (STV) with no prototype to stroke, smell and maybe even drive, dictated that this wasn’t typical sales; I saw it as a distribution question. While still looking for individual buyers, I needed distribution. I needed a sales and dealer network and needed it right away. The ugly financial realities of the ’08 crash still gripped the economy. Considering the compressed timeline, it became apparent that I needed a force multiplier, boots on the ground. Pursuit of individual customers couldn’t be the main effort. Sales network? The sticky wicket was that there was no money to pay a sales force. I needed a sales force, and it needed to be as instant as a just-add-water packet of oatmeal. I decided to focus on existing organizations that were in the mega money product business. With the gusto of a man staring at a finite business life, I created a target list of business segments that were not intimidated by multi-million-dollar, big-ticket items.
Carlo also found his calling. In 1971, he was selected to participate in a new education program at Nichols that prepared students to teach in secondary schools. At first, he was skeptical, but after a turn as a substitute teacher and coach at Oxford High School, he was hooked. “I thought, ‘I can see myself doing this,’” he recalls. Following graduation, Carlo was given the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new school, Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, located in Marlborough, Mass., and serving seven towns. “It was a dream come true,” he says. He was the first (and only) business education teacher, as well as the department head, and football coach, track coach, class advisor. “I jumped in with two feet right away,” he remembers. “And, as the school grew, I grew.” He became the director of finance and ultimately was appointed by the school district as superintendent and director. The position allowed him to take on other leadership and advocacy roles to enhance public education, such as president of both the Worcester County Superintendents and Massachusetts Vocational Schools and serving on statewide policy-making boards, such as the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.
My segment target list included manufacturers and sellers of yachts, private jets, and exotic automobiles. Of course, money talks and I needed a compensation plan conversation that allowed the seller to make enough money to catch their attention and would get me to Shadow Hawk details that were steak and sizzle simultaneously. With the $1-3 million price range, it was possible to carve out some attractive plans that included the business along with the individual sales associate. More than that was needed of course. I needed retail floor presence; I needed to get the STV story told. The answer was a kiosk. I turned to my experience at Kiosk Information Systems where I had been Director of International Sales. I secured an interactive kiosk running a motion activated loop on a big monitor. It had “wings” and a parasol top and guaranteed round the clock retail floor presence. The fixture was free.
When he retired from Assabet Valley in 2008, he continued to use his background in finance, by helping schools who were struggling during the Global Financial Crisis, and by teaching graduate-level courses at Fitchburg State University for 10 years. Carlo is grateful for his Nichols education. “Academics are academics. Some people fall in love with them,” he states. “To me, it was just a process. I did what I had to do and got decent grades. But then when I got out of Nichols, I realized how much I really knew when it came time to put it to good use to teach. I wouldn’t change a thing.” Over the years, Carlo has returned to campus to speak with aspiring teachers and has even hired Nichols graduates.
This is about where the Shadow Hawk story stands. Time did run out. I said goodbye to Shadow Hawk and James Engineering. The Shadow Hawk Facebook is as I left it. I’m happy to answer any questions. And bet I can talk them into building a Shadow Hawk for you, even now. Pictures of Shadow Hawk Vehicles can still be found on Facebook.
When his daughter, Christie, was looking at colleges, he encouraged her to “take a peek” at Nichols. An outstanding athlete like her father, 4
Christie had been recruited by Division I Michigan State. “When she looked at the DI contract, she realized she would have no life. You sign your life away in DI,” Carlo relates. At Nichols, Christie felt the same warmth of the campus community that impressed Carlo. She excelled academically and athletically and met her future husband, Nick Stefos ’95. Today, Christie (Carlo) Stefos ’98 works at Greenwich Capital Investments on Wall Street. She is also a member of the Nichols Athletic Hall of Fame for field hockey and track, completing what is believed to be the only father-daughter inductees in Bison history. These days, Carlo has traded football and track for golf and pickle ball, both of which he enjoys with his wife of 50 years, Deborah. The couple resides in Millbury, Mass., close to their two children and three grandsons, and spend winters in Naples, Fla. They also love to travel, most extensively through Italy, from which both of their families hail (the province of Reggio de Calabria, to be exact.)
he learned about the popularity of authentic African-made merchandise and convinced management to stock the merchandise in stores with a strong African American customer base. In July 1992, The New York Times pictured JC Penney models in these styles with a full-page article in their Business Section to illustrate the growing interest. In 1994, after nearly forty years with JC Penney, Ackerman became President and CEO of Antthony Mark Hankins Company which reached $40 million in sales in 1996 and remains a leader in the fashion and clothing industry. Ackerman maintains that his business and marketing education and his experience in the Black Tavern Annex equipped him well for a long career with a Fortune 500 company. He is extremely proud of his impact on diversity in businesses and considers it one of the major accomplishments in his career with JC Penney. Ackerman lives in Texas with his husband, Stan Feaster.
1962
Charles L. “Skip” Colton ’61 with his wife, Nancy.
Class Champion: Charlie Howe 619-494-5450 charleskatehowe@gmail.com
1957
“We’ve been to every village in Italy, from the south to the north, and each one is different,” he says, referring to the food, the style of cooking, the retail, even the dialect. “In the heart of the village, everything is walkable, the restaurants, the shops, the piazzas. To me, I feel like I am at home.” They recently returned from a three-week trip that brought them from Milan through the north to Bologna.
Class Champion:
Carlo is proud of his heritage, as an Italian and a Bison.
Our class, the Class of 1957 was diversified. We had veterans and guys right out of high school. Despite the differences in experiences at this young age, we all got along. During my Ron Schmitt ’62 & ’65, Jenness Robbins ’62, Frank Jolly second year, along with Dixon Fairbanks, and ’62 & ’66, Rick LaVergne ’62 and Frank Sweeney ’61 the college, we were able to form a Nichols “The Best Damn Group That Ever Lived!” Ice Hockey Team. We played our games in the old Worcester Skating Arena on Main Ron Schmitt ’62 & ’65 writes: Street in Worcester. At the end of the season, Jenness Robbins ’62 was celebrated by his we organized two road games played at the Greenwich Country Day School’s outdoor rink. friends and family on Saturday, October 7. Although a “Celebration of Life” is typically We were able to change into our uniforms at held after a person dies, Jenness is alive and my family home in Greenwich. That was the well! His family felt it should be held while he start of Nichols Ice Hockey. can see how many people he touched and It’s been many years since my days at Nichols have appreciated what he has done in his life. Jr. College in Dudley, Massachusetts. Over A few of us went up to Maine to visit his home the years, I was privileged to help organize in Searsmont. The affair was held at the main and execute a scholarship from the Class of lumber facility of Robbins Lumber Company 1957 to a deserving student. The planning which now has four locations. It was attended of this scholarship and subsequent meetings by over 300 people. It was a very moving enabled me to continue to stay in contact affair. with the college and classmates. Having English Muffins at Bazzie’s Spa while listening to the 1956 World Series on the radio, 1964 wearing beanie hats around campus during Class Champion: my freshman year, taking a ride with my roommate, David Copp on the brand new Dan Tomassetti “Massachusetts Turnpike,” all are wonderful 413-567-0085 memories of my two years on the Hill. papa.wadur@gmail.com Charles L. Colton ’61 is retired yet still active with his hobby of ham radios and being a tour Ed Mazzetta ’64 has sold his second home in guide and moderator at the Vintage Radio and Florida and permanently resides on a lake in Communications Museum of Connecticut in Connestee Falls in Brevard, North Carolina. “A Windsor for the last six years. lifestyle of fishing, hiking, kayaking and golf makes for the best retirement.” He recently He has also worked part-time at The Bushnell visited Nichols with his grandson and daughter Performing Arts Center in Hartford, CT, for the and was “totally impressed with the academic past 32 years supervising ticket-takers and programs, learning processes, infrastructure, ushers. He has been married for 60 years, and and recent accreditation accomplishments.” has two children and five granddaughters. He He was most impressed with the admissions reports that his health is good! staff who provided an outstanding orientation. Ed remarks, “I know what my decision would be!” His grandson would be a third generation Bison. Ed is looking forward to the Class of 1964’s 60th reunion in the fall of 2024.
GOLDEN BISON NOTES AND UPDATES
Bruce Ackerman ’56 recently attended the alumni gathering on Cape Cod in July. Bruce recalled how he got his 1955 Chevy 210 shortly after arriving to Nichols after his parents promised him a new car if he made the Dean’s List in the first semester. Following graduation, Bruce was hired on the spot as a Manager Trainee with JC Penney in New Hyde Park, Long Island. Within a few years, he made a name for himself by introducing new, effective promotions. He drove sports cars into the store and staged them with mannequins for the May Dress Carnival, including his own 1958 Corvette. His innovative marketing ideas awarded him a transfer to the New York office in 1963 where he remained for decades and was eventually promoted to the position of Minority Supplier Development Manager when the company became focused on diversity and inclusion. His success continued when
Kent Tarrant 413-566-5130 tarrantkent@gmail.com The Class of 1957 was at the end of Nichols junior era and dwindling. I reached out to Dave Fleming for a reflection, and he sent the following message:
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GOLDEN BISON NOTES AND UPDATES 1965 Class Champion: Rick Blankley 610-430-1483 tango12rick@aol.com Great to see Lew Gelman ’65 at the basketball game at Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, middle of March 2023. The Bison were playing against Stockton College (NJ) in effort to proceed to the final eight teams of this year’s Div. 3 NCAA Tourney. Nichols won by double digits, the second time in three years reaching the final eight. Unfortunately, the Bison lost to Swarthmore the following night by one point after leading most of the game. A real heartbreaker. Lew looked terrific, or as good as anybody from the Class of ’65 reaching the age of 80! After graduation, Lew worked for his father at L. Gelman & Son, the third generation to do so. Gelman & Son were plumbing contractors in Northeast New Jersey, operating 18 trucks, with over 25 employees. It was about this time that Lew married the love of his life, Carol, have had two children (boy and girl), with five current grandchildren. After Lew took over the business, he decided to trim down to a few trucks, but the firm continued to prosper. While operating the family business for many years, Lew decided to try a fling at entrepreneurship and developed a retail business selling college sweatshirts. He operated two College Mania retail stores in North Jersey for close to 14 years before selling the business, which survives today only featuring local high schools. He later sold the family plumbing business as well. Golf has become a rewarding hobby. He still at his age today can play in the low eighties. He has been a member of Crestmont Country Club, West Orange, NJ, for many years, having served as a past president of the club and spent many years as greens chairman. He is currently a rules official for The New Jersey Golf Association, a very prestigious position. Lew is long-time chairman for the annual Saint Barnabas Golf Open in North Jersey which benefits the Saint Barnabas Medical Center. Lew is understandably proud to be associated with this event. Lew is, again understandably, proud of his baseball experiences while at Nichols. He was a starter on the 1964 undefeated team and the 1965 team that went 19-1 (he thinks, however, that 1965 team was better). He played wherever coach Hal Chalmers asked,
kitchen. We still made the same money. He had the fastest handeye coordination I think I had ever seen. He could grab a bunch of plates at one time with each hand and load the dishwasher. He would empty the cycle even faster. He spurred everyone else on, and according to the kitchen manager at the time (a farmer’s wife, as I remember), it was not possible that we were done, and that it was done correctly. But it always was. As Tuli would say, “Guys, that’s business 101, let’s go play poker.”
including outfield, third base, and first base. His most precious memory is from early spring of 1965, when Hal appointed him team captain! Congratulations to Lew for his extraordinary success. Should you have any personal news to report, don’t be shy. I am always eager to hear from my classmates. Either drop me an email or contact the Alumni Office. Arthur Assad ’65 writes that he just celebrated 25 years in business with Agrisel USA, Inc. and having built the company into a multimillion-dollar chemical company operating throughout the United States with all American-made agricultural and home and garden products. “I owe a great deal to Nichols for helping me support myself with the business knowledge and professionalism to operate and build a successful American business.”
Bill died in 1999, much too young. He was a Vietnam veteran and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He was something else. Mike Runyon ’67 will be meeting scholarship recipient Mary Seabury ’24 in North Carolina this winter. Seabury is a marketing major and lives in New Hampshire. She is traveling to visit a friend and made plans to connect with Runyon while in the state. They communicate often and share stories about Nichols now verses Nichols then. The Mike Runyon ‘67 Endowed Scholarship (in Memory of Chris Runyon) assists a sophomore student who has demonstrated financial need, maintains a 3.0 GPA and intends to pursue a specialization in Marketing.
1966 Class Champion: Phil Collins 703-627-9924 pecollins10@aol.com
Marilyn and Jerry Fels ’66 attend the President’s Society Dinner in October. This annual dinner invited donors of the President’s Society to celebrate Nichols. This year’s event focused on experiential learning opportunities (internships and other real-world projects) – a hallmark of the Nichols College education.
Nichols College Trustee Jim Coghlin ’67 and his wife Nancy traveled to Jerusalem in March.
Don Parsons ’67 Business 101 I think most Nichols students in the early to late 1960s knew or heard of Bill Matulewicz (aka Tuli), who graduated in 1967. He was a spectacular athlete, helping lead the soccer team to a memorable 4 years as goalie. As my roommate for two years, I got to know him well. We both had “scholarships” along with a few others, to work in the kitchen after meals and clean up. I don’t recall, but we may have been paid $2.00 per meal? So, Tuli came up with a plan. The faster we worked, the less time it took in the
Chuck Piazza ’67 playing keyboard with the Van-dels. Rick Sweet ’70 offered this story in memory of Chuck Piazza ’67, who passed away on December 6, 2022: As a freshman in 1966, I lived in the original Olsen Hall #306. Best room on campus until the dorm burned down in 1968 due 6
to an overload on the electrical system. My room was closest to Bazzie’s, the Dining Hall and classrooms. It also had the best view of all the lower campus. I roomed on a senior floor with a senior roommate, Gary Tomlinson ’67. Gary was a good roommate. Always helpful. A friend…. Chuck Piazza ’67 lived across the hallway with Ernie Pekmezaris ’67. Chuck and Ernie were good friends to this lowly freshman. We spoke and laughed often. Chuck had a car. Ernie was from New York City and didn’t have a license. He said he didn’t need one in New York City. Difficult to understand in my mind. Every 16-year-old wanted a driver’s license. If I needed a ride somewhere, Chuck would offer to take me. If I needed advice or a verbal pick- me-up Chuck and Ernie would listen and help me. I went to their graduation in 1967 to congratulate them all and see the three seniors off. I did see Chuck and Ernie in 1969 on fall weekend. It was the last time I spoke to either one. Again, so many laughs. I was a married senior, and we introduced all our wives and even went out for a bite to eat. Alex Gottfried ’69 called me this past December. I hadn’t spoken to Alex since my 25th class reunion (just me and one other guy I barely knew) on fall weekend. Alex had Chuck’s old room across the hall from me. We wrote a gossip column for The Bison called “Rumor Has It.” That was a popular saying on campus prefixed to any juicy gossip that had taken place, and Alex and I could expand upon. All rumors were written in a humorous way. But I don’t think our brand of humor would be acceptable in today’s atmosphere. I was Alex’s best man at his wedding to Karen, who recently passed. Alex called to tell me that Chuck Piazza was dying and didn’t have much time left. He suggested I give him a call. Chuck would get a kick out of it he told me. I hadn’t spoken to Chuck in over 50 years. I called him at his home in Massachusetts. His wife answered the phone and screened the call to make sure I was legit. She asked a few questions. I passed and she handed Chuck the phone. He yelled “Rick!” It was like we had spoken last week instead of 50 years ago. We laughed about Nichols memories. I told him how grateful I was to have known him and the friendship we had. We spoke about his life and his children. I asked him if he had a
GOLDEN BISON NOTES AND UPDATES good life. He said he had and was ready to go. We spoke about his band which played at Nichols and even after graduation, the Van-dels. Friends were remastering a record they cut, and it would be out soon. He was excited about it. He said he spoke to Ernie every day. We laughed about many things. I didn’t want to wear him out, so I said goodbye and God bless. I would see him on the other side. We would speak again. He thanked me for calling. Chuck Piazza died on December 6, 2022.
shooting and enjoying a round of golf occasionally. I’m in touch with my dear friend Tom McIlvain ’70 weekly and we reminisce about our days at Nichols every time we talk. Great memories! The Van-dels, Coach Vendetti and road trips to Boston! I was so pleased to see how the college has grown when I came back for my 50th reunion with my old roommate and friend Henry Howard ’69 who now lives in the Burlington area. Thanks for the memories. J
his daughter Katelyn celebrating Father’s Day at a Red Sox vs. Colorado Rockies game over the summer. 1973 Class Champion: Jay Reese wjay.reese@gmail.com
1970
Class Champion: I write this not for a pat on my back for calling a sick friend at the Jim Mulcunry end of his life. I write to remind mulcunryjl@charter.net people that friendship never ends. Make the call.
Tim Craig ’73 was unable to attend his 50th class reunion because he had planned to be in New Jersey to celebrate his motherin-law’s 95th birthday party. Little did he know that his daughters organized a surprise 50th wedding anniversary celebration for he and his wife Danelle! They are pictured here with his daughters Allison, and D’Arcy.
1969 Class Champion: Robert “Kuppy” Kuppenheimer 4627 Tremont Lane Corona del Mar, CA 92625 rkuppy@gmail.com
Another great reunion of old and new friends at Lake Winnipesaukee in July 2023 Front Row (left to right) Sandy Perrotti ’94, Maddie Perrotti ’23, Jeannie Wheeler, Linda Mulcunry and Pat Innis
Jim Jackson ’69 was given the David F. Lombard ’65 Outstanding Alumnus Award from Nichols College at a campus dinner on May 5, with classmates and family members in attendance. He was cited for his many contributions to the college including his support of the Forestry Program and the creation of a unique internship for Nichols students at the Royal Bluff Orchards in Royal City, WA. The orchard had a record-breaking harvest in 2023 exceeding their estimated 13,000 bins of apples reporting a final harvest total of 16,121 bins, which doubled 2022 production.
Jay Robinson ’69 writes: Thought I’d pass along a picture of my family. I can’t believe it’s been fifty four years since I graduated. I’m enjoying retirement and spending time with the family in Burlington, VT. My wife Judy and I just celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with the whole family. I’m still doing a lot of sporting clays
He writes: Dear Nicky U Alumni, I want to express my regrets to you all for not attending the very important event. We have been planning a trip since before Covid. We were finally able to go to Florence and Cinque Terre Italy, a trip of a lifetime! Lorinda and I have celebrated our 47th anniversary, have two sons, Paul and Tyler. We love living in midcoastal Maine! If you’re in the area, please look us up.
Interested in helping Nichols keep classmates connected? Become a class champion! If you don’t see a class champion listed for your class year then the job could be yours! Not too much heavy lifting and a lot of fun. Contact Chrissy Manzi ’92 508-213-2218 Chrissy.Manzi@nichols.edu
Back Row (left to right) Ed Perrotti ’95, Jeff Innis ’70, Jim Mulcunry ’70 and John Wheeler ’70 Brad Boyd ’73 was traveling in Italy at the time of the class of 1973 50th reunion. He and his wife Lorinda recently celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary.
1972 Class Champion: Mark Alexander mark1alex12@gmail.com
GOLDEN BISON BULLETIN Volume 4, Issue 2 Fall 2023
Editor Chrissy Manzi ’92 Director of Alumni & Family Engagement Staff Contributors Kevin Chetwynd ’22 Susan Veshi
Mark Alexander ’72 and his wife Sue visited Hawaii in March and caught up with Mark’s former roommate Rick Ryzow ’72. Says Mark: “Rick returned to his native Hawaii after graduation, and we haven’t seen each other since graduation in 1972.”
Design Dean Roussel Nichols College P.O. Box 5000 123 Center Road Dudley, MA, 01571-5000 Alumni Office 508-213-2423 8 AM-4:30 PM. M-F http://aumninichols.edu/ alumni.office@nichols.edu
Lee McNelly ’72 attended Reading Rotary’s 100th Anniversary and celebrates his 52nd year of being a Rotarian. Lee is seen here with
The Golden Bison Bulletin is published twice a year by the alumni office at Nichols College.
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CLASS OF 1973 CELEBRATES 50TH REUNION DURING HOMECOMING WEEKEND
Jay Reese, David Alvord, Andy Rich, Greg King, Jeff Allen, and Joe Donahue present a check for $25,000 towards the Class of 1973 Scholarship Fund.
Hundreds of alumni returned home to the Hill on September 29 and 30 to celebrate homecoming weekend. The weekend began on Friday night at the Golden Bison Dinner in Daniels Auditorium. Over thirty Golden Bison gathered to welcome newbies from the Class of 1973. Despite lastminute events that prohibited some classmates from joining, a solid group proudly represented the newly inducted class and presented its inaugural scholarship gift of $25,000. After a slideshow presentation of nostalgic pictures, Jeff Allen, then a class president, and current president of the Institute for Women’s Leadership student leadership team, Claire Curry ’24 performed a jovial skit demonstrating a day in the life of a Nichols student, then and now. As more classmates shared stories, Andy Rich recalled a time when then security officer Herb Durfee confiscated a bottle of spirits from his room – of which then, Robert Toth realized he was the recipient of that ‘gift’ from Durfee at the end of that year. In true Nicky U fashion, the group found their way to meet up with other graduates in town for homecoming weekend and a late night was had by all. Saturday turned out to be a typical fall day on the Hill, complete with football, good food and drink, and new memories were made with old friends.
UPCOMING EVENTS Boston Landing Alumni & Fan Event January 6, 2024 Warrior Ice Arena, Brighton, MA Nichols in Naples February 6, 2024 Grey Oaks Country Club, Naples, FL
Typical Greaser Weekend in 1973 for Dave & Cindy Hoffert, Tim & Danelle Craig, and John & Gerry Hachmann.
45th Annual Alumni Golf Tournament July 20, 2024 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend September 20-21, 2024 Dick Barber ’73 attended homecoming weekend at Nichols with his wife Rhonda to celebrate his 50th class reunion.
UPCOMING ISSUES OF THE GOLDEN BISON Do you have an idea for a feature story in an upcoming Golden Bison Bulletin? Send your thoughts to Chrissy Manzi ’92, Director of Alumni & Family Engagement Chrissy.Manzi@nichols.edu
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