Alumni Class Notes I Want to Shake Your Hand
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50’s Hal Pickett ’50, ’52 is one of the oldest health care professionals in the state of Idaho at 86. He also is one of six prosthodontists (a dentist who specializes in fixing and replacing teeth and the structures around them) working in Idaho. He has been seeing patients since the 1950s. William Stephens ’59 is retired and spends his summers in Elk City, Idaho and his winters in Lewiston, ID.
I had the privilege of shaking hands with Clifford Pratt ’49 at an alumni golf outing a few months ago. A humble man, he doesn’t usually talk about his many accomplishments. After his 1943 graduation from Grangeville High School, he landed a University of Idaho football scholarship. But the Army had different plans. They included earning battles stars in Europe as a World War II paratrooper. Landing back home in 1946, he headed to Moscow, where he enrolled in spring semester classes. He was snapped up by the Vandal football team and offered a new scholarship. He graduated in 1949 with a degree from the College of Education. Then, he re-upped in the U. S. Army. The Korean War was on and Pratt was named a second lieutenant in what was then a new branch of service: the U.S. Air Force. He continued to serve during the Cold War, the Cuban missile crisis and the war in Vietnam. After 26 years, he mustered out at the rank of colonel. From there, he became a high school principal in Nebraska, a post he held for more than two decades. Pratt was permitted to keep his paratrooper uniform back in 1946. This spring, he and his sons traveled to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans to donate it. Museum curators were ecstatic. They asked Pratt if he was sure was ready to part with the piece of history. “Gosh, I don’t think I’ll need it any more,” Pratt joked. Mr. Pratt, it was my honor to shake your hand.
Steven C. Johnson ’71 Executive Director of Alumni Relations
34 idaho Summer 2013
60’s Gary Blank ’60 was elected USA President 2014 of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) with 200,000 members in the U.S. IEEE is the largest professional technical association in the world. Ralph “Freddie” Jannino ’61 reunited after a fifty year separation with Jerry Kramer ’58 in Malden, MA where Jerry was for an autograph session. They spent the evening with friends enjoying a gala time. Joseph Delfino ’65 has been a professor of Environmental Engineering Sciences at the University of Florida for the past 30 years. He served as Department Chair for 10 of those years. He has been elected Fellow of two professional societies and received several departmental “Teacher of the Year” recognitions. He previously served as professor at the University of Wisconsin and the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is married to his wife Dotti and has two adult children, Janelle and Justin. Charlie Hinds ’67 was inducted to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, OK as a coach.
Douglas ’68 and Arthur “Skip” ’68 Oppenheimer received honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Idaho. Honorary degrees are awarded to alumni whose impacts include outstanding public service.
70’s Bob Dixon ’70 retired in September 2012 after 22 years as a Deputy Assistant Director of the Division of Engineering & Architectural Services for the State of Washington. He passed the Washington State Architectural Licensing requirement in 1977 and opened a private architectural firm in 1980. During his time with the State of Washington he managed a biennial budget of $500-$650 million in capital projects for various state agencies. Dennis Jones ’73 is the new Chief Marketing and Development Officer for the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care in Portland, OR. Dennis lives in Troy, MI and has had over thirty years’ experience in the not-for-profit fundraising field and including 20 years as a consultant for national consulting firms, as well as his own company. He has worked with major hospitals, colleges, national health agencies, social service, arts and cultural institutions throughout the United States raising over $500 million for his clients. Danny Rich ’73, Manager of the Color Research Laboratory, Sun Chemical Corporation, Carlstadt, NJ, is the recipient of the 2013 Robert F. Reed Technology Medal recognizing outstanding engineers, scientists, inventors, and