Nichols College Summer 2016 Magazine

MAGAZINE Volume 10, Issue 2 | Summer 2016

Gourmet Guru: Henry Wainer ’72

From the President MAGAZINE

Grit, the perseverance and passion for longterm goals, is not a new concept. The world is filled with examples of gritty individuals who persist in the face of difficulty to pursue their dreams. History has shown us that social status and opportunity are not always enough to overcome adversity.

Some researchers believe that grit is a predictor of success. Since 2006, a research team led by Angela Duckworth at the University of Pennsylvania has published and presented on the correlation between grit and achievement. Duckworth contends that grit may be more important than wealth, talent and intelligence as a determinant of success. Her thesis is sound and seems to be validated by a look at key leaders of Nichols College.

Our dogged founders, Amasa Nichols and Colonel James L. Conrad, had grit. In fact, over its 200-year history, several Nichols leaders were called upon to exhibit extreme grit during periods of tumult and uncertainty. Our success today is proof of their belief in the endurance, relevance, and value of a Nichols education.

Alumni grit abounds, as revealed in the stories I am constantly told of graduates whose passion and perseverance were shaped by their Nichols experience, who were given the opportunity to work hard to make their future a reality, and who were undaunted by naysayers or small failures.

I am continually impressed by the grit of our students. Never more so than at the recent fourth annual Elevator Speech Contest. In 60-second pitches, several students stood before judges and peers describing a personal tragedy or challenge and, more importantly, the inspirational ways they confront what plagues them, whether it is stress, racial bias, family dysfunction, or academic struggles.

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One of the winners of the competition, Jimmy Phillips ’18, actually captured the meaning of grit when he intoned, “If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it,” quoting the late comedian Jonathan Winters.

At Nichols we believe our students have grit, and we are determined to prove it.

As an institution of higher learning devoted to redefining business leadership and developing the full potential in students, the study of grit is a worthy exercise.

Leonard Samborowski, DM, assistant professor and management program chair, and Jason Price, PhD, associate professor of mathematics, are heading a longitudinal study to examine the relationship between grit levels and self-perceptions of leadership.

Now into the third year of their study, they have surveyed first-year students using the 12-Item Grit Scale developed by Duckworth and her colleagues to attain a Grit Score.

Once a student’s Grit Level is established, this number is compared to academic success (GPA) and self-perception of leadership (enrollment in the Emerging Leadership Program (ELP)). The preliminary results show that high Grit Levels are positively correlated with high academic achievement and participation in the ELP. The next step in the Nichols Grit Research Initiative is to determine if there are actions and exercises we can implement to engage our students in a manner that will enhance their Grit Levels and therefore contribute to academic success and leadership development. An important intended consequence of such efforts would be increased retention rates among our students.

Grit – perseverance and passion to achieve long-term goals – is alive and well on the Hill. We live it, teach it, and research the trait. Perhaps over the next 200 years, grit will be recognized as the trademark of our Nichols’ graduates, the leaders of the business world.

Dr. Susan West Engelkemeyer

Volume 10, Issue 2 Summer 2016

EDITOR Susan Veshi ON CAMPUS EDITOR Lorraine Martinelle VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT Bill Pieczynski CONTRIBUTORS Jacky Brown, Jim Douglas, Rae Glispin, Peter DiVito, Heather Maykel, Erica Milosh ’16, Ron Schachter, Len Suprise, Molly Thienel DESIGN Patricia Korch Studio K Design PRINTING Puritan Capital, Hollis, NH COVER PHOTO Dan Vaillancourt Patrick O’Connor Photography Shrewsbury, MA

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(UPSP 390480) is published three times a year by Nichols College, Dudley, MA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Office of Advancement Nichols College PO Box 5000 Dudley, MA 01571-5000

Cover: Henry Wainer ’72, president and owner of Sid Wainer & Son, showcases the wares of his specialty produce and gourmet foods empire.

CONTENTS

ON CAMPUS | 2–5 Destination Nichols, 2 HR students preview digital interviewing tool, 2 Marathon bombing survivor inspires and empowers at annual conference, 3

6–9 | The culinary cachet of Henry Wainer Wasabi oil, ginger vinegar, baby carrots, and micro arugula are not typical resume items, but they are among the ingredients that have helped define the remarkable career of Henry B. Wainer ’72, president and owner of Sid Wainer & Son Specialty Produce & Specialty Foods, founded in 1914 by his grandfather and namesake.

Criminal Justice BA Program launched, 3 Nichols holds 2016 Commencement, 4

ATHLETICS | 14 Grace on the ice and the field From the Archives

| 16–17

CLASS NOTES | 18–22 Catching Up With The Glove Doctor Howard Rubin ’59, 18 Catching Up With Stephen Westerlind ’88, 21 Catching Up With Christina Galbo Fox ’99, 22

10–11 | Memories on tap at the Bison’s Den It was a place where the twenty-five-cent Pabst Blue Ribbon flowed and where everybody most definitely knew your name.

NICHOLS REMEMBERS | 23 A Track Record of Giving

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13 | Alumni, faculty, students collaborate to launch import business

Scott Farland ’89 MSOL ’15, a member of the Board of Advisors, was very impressed at the board’s September 2015 meeting when Len Harmon, associate professor and chair of marketing, and recent graduate Nathan Hardt ’15 presented the market research consultative services offered by Nichols College marketing students.

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ON CAMPUS

Destination Nichols Nichols is increasing its efforts to become an international destination for college students around the world through the initiatives of its new Office for International Engagement (OIE). While the school has long hosted international undergraduates from over 40 countries, the newly designated office is aiming to increase their numbers, and along the way to forge new partnerships with European colleges.

“We currently have more than a dozen foreign students, from Russia and Serbia to Japan and Jordan,” says OIE Director Susan Wayman, who, since 2007, has served as the college’s international student advisor. “We’re looking to double that number.”

The presence of an international contingent provides a distinct benefit to the campus.

“They bring the world to Nichols. They serve as guest speakers in classes, sharing their experiences,” Wayman says. “Faculty have expressed excitement about international

students in their classes because they bring a sophistication into the mix of knowledge of the world to which many of our students aspire.” These students also dispel any misconceptions that the American students may have of other countries and cultures, Wayman adds, noting that American college graduates would do well to understand the wider world in which they will have to operate.

The OIE is establishing partnerships with schools in Europe that will not only bring their students to Nichols for a semester or two, but will also enable American students to study at those schools at the same time. Nichols already has an arrangement of bilateral exchanges with the University of St. Joseph in Macau, China.

Wayman is hoping to create similar programs with the American College in Athens, Greece, and the New European College in Munich, Germany.

As for more conventional study abroad programs, Wayman is seeking to ensure that for every Nichols student

Jillian Krish ’17 (above) measures up in France, while Lindsay Baker ’17 (below left) shows her Bison pride in Greece.

who travels to other countries (in recent years they have included England, France, Italy, Croatia, and Hungary), the college will receive an “inbound” student.

“Through exposure and travel, American students can become more comfortable with international contexts and issues. A college education should include a healthy international component for students to become world citizens,” Wayman says. “We all need to feel at home in the world.”

HR students preview digital interviewing tool Jackie McGravey, talent acquisition project consultant, and David Maglione, senior recruiter, both of MAPFRE Insurance, demonstrated the ins and outs of the company’s newly adopted digital interview tool, HireVue, to human resource majors and members of the HR Club this spring.

“When I toured the new academic building and saw the technology in the classrooms, I thought it would be a great place to demo the digital tool that we have implemented at MAPFRE Insurance,” says McGravey, a member of the

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Nichols College Board of Advisors. Libba Moore, PhD, professor and chair of human resources, jumped at the opportunity to expose her HR students to the interface, not only because they might find themselves being interviewed with a digital interviewing tool like HireVue, but also because they might find themselves using it as HR professionals in the marketplace.

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In addition to the product demonstration, McGravey and Maglione shared online interview tips with the students.

A few brave students even volunteered to complete the HireVue digital interviews. When one student remarked that he felt uncomfortable interviewing with the laptop instead of with a human being, McGravey and Maglione confirmed that while some applicants feel uncomfortable enough to opt out of the application process all

together, most do complete it.

“We know that a digital interaction cannot totally replace a personal interview,” McGravey says. “But it quickly is becoming a popular way for employers to screen candidates more efficiently and effectively, helping to send the best pool of candidates to our hiring managers.”

Thanks to the demonstration, these students are now more aware and prepared if they encounter digital interviewing in future job searches.

ON CAMPUS

Criminal Justice BA Program launched

Marathon bombing survivor inspires and empowers at annual conference

Nichols has established a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice degree to prepare students to work in growing, in-demand fields and agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, homeland security, state and local law enforcement, the judicial system, corporate and industry security, and fraud investigations.

“Career readiness requires developing skills in communication, behavioral sciences, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and dynamic experiential learning opportunities and required internships,” says Associate Professor Kimberly Charbonneau, chair of the Nichols College Criminal Justice Program. “The new Nichols criminal justice major offers undergraduate students an opportunity to develop these liberal arts-focused skills and knowledge required for careers in the public and private sectors.

“It also provides a wellrounded education for sustained professionalism and personal growth,” adds Charbonneau, a former Rhode Island deputy sheriff, director of training and development at Wyatt Detention Facility, and investigator of the Rhode Island Attorney General Office’s Medicaid Fraud Division.

The college will continue to offer the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a concentration in criminal justice management.

At the sixth annual Empowering Women in Business Conference this spring, keynote speaker, Adrianne Haslet-Davis, inspired an audience of some 200 female business professionals with her story of resilience and recovery.

Haslet-Davis, a survivor of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and a professional ballroom dancer, was “brushing shoulders” with one of the terrorists, and stood only a foot and a half away from the bomb when it detonated. The explosion caused her to lose her left leg below the knee – a tragedy for anyone, but especially for a dancer.

After being told by a doctor that the chances of her dancing again were one in a million, Haslet-Davis resolved to be that one.

“When someone tells you that something cannot be done, it is more of a reflection on their limitations, not yours,” the 35-year-old Boston resident said during her speech.

Haslet-Davis shared the importance of holding onto dreams and celebrating every day. She explained that it’s the little things in life that are worth celebrating and to believe in yourself – that what you are doing is enough.

Haslet-Davis credits her Seattle-based parents for her

optimistic outlook. From a young age, she was taught there was no such thing as failure, just to try again from another angle. She desired to become a dancer after seeing the legendary Ginger Rogers perform on television. After countless auditions, HasletDavis finally made her dream a reality.

“Surround yourself with people who support your dream to come true,” she said.

Haslet-Davis also relayed her views on leadership. She defined leadership as someone who sets an example to others.

Leaders aren’t CEOs, she pointed out, but everyday people like mothers and workers; people who show up on good days and bad days.

The dancer advised attendees to be thankful for every day. She said to get up every morning and think of something for which they are grateful.

Since the 2013 bombing, Haslet-Davis has accomplished her goal to dance again. She participated in last year’s ABC-TV’s “Dancing with the Stars,” has given a TEDx Talk, and volunteers her time to organizations such as Limbs for Life. Her goal for this year was to run the 120th Boston Marathon, which she completed on April 18.

“When someone tells you that something cannot be done, it is more of a reflection on their limitations, not yours.”

“The main thing I took away from her talk is the optimism that she relearned as she went through the major challenges after the bombing; it was remarkable to hear,” said Nichols College President Susan West Engelkemeyer, PhD. Earlier in the day, when asked what advice she would give a young female college student looking to pursue a career in business, Haslet-Davis said, “I think it’s really important to pursue the career, but don’t let the fact that you’re a woman stop you. If women are shooting for equality, we’re clearly not aiming high enough.”

Adrianne Haslet-Davis (above) entertains and inspires at the 2016 Empowering Women in Business Conference, and chats with Jean Beaupre, faculty director of the Institute for Women’s Leadership (center) and President Susan Engelkemeyer.

— Erica Milosh ’16

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Nichols holds 2016 Commencement In his address to the more than 450 students graduating from Nichols College May 8, 2016, keynote speaker and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker predicted that the leadership skills that they have gained will help continue the Bay State’s leadership in innovation and economic development.

“We take great pride in the role Nichols College plays in enriching the Commonwealth’s communities, the lives of students, and alumni – who are among our greatest business minds – and also enriching Massachusetts’ reputation as a global economic leader in innovation and technology,” Gov. Baker told the graduates.

The school’s annual Commencement ceremony took place at the DCU Center in Worcester, where 300 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degrees; 25 Bachelor of Arts degrees; four Associate in Business Administration degrees; and 128 graduate degrees (Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Science in Organizational Leadership) were awarded.

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“We have been proud to mentor you, to challenge you, and to help you succeed and learn to lead,” Nichols College President Susan West Engelkemeyer told the graduates. “We know you leave us at your best – for now. Commencement, by definition, marks the time when something begins. Your time at Nichols was a dress rehearsal for what comes next, and your dress rehearsal prepared you well.”

“You’ve donated hundreds of hours of community service,” Engelkemeyer added. “Peer tutors and writing fellows provided over 1,500 hours of assistance to this class so you could excel in challenging courses. We estimate that you collectively delivered 11,940 presentations. Your professional preparation is remarkable; you have interned at organizations that include Boston Private Bank and Trust, Walt Disney World College Program, and the Worcester District Attorney’s Office.

“You, the Class of 2016, have inspired us as we watched you grow and develop, and we’re confident you’re ready to start down a new path on your life’s journey.”

Elected in November 2014 as the 72nd governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Baker served as cabinet secretary under governors William Weld and the late Argeo Paul Cellucci. In 1992, he served as the state’s secretary of health and human services; in 1994, he was appointed secretary of administration and finance.

ON CAMPUS

In his private sector career, Baker distinguished himself as the CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care from 1999 to 2009.

Under his leadership, the company was named one of Boston Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” seven years in a row.

In his remarks, Gov. Baker noted, “Nichols College’s footprint and talent in some of the world’s largest, most wellknown companies – as well as in small businesses right here in Massachusetts – speaks to the college’s success and legacy of preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs, CEOs, and business leaders to learn, lead, and succeed.

“We look forward to the contributions the graduating Class of 2016 will make, and to their success in future endeavors.”

Honorary degrees were conferred upon Gov. Baker (Doctor of Public Administration) as well as two other distinguished guests: Alfred D. Houston, former chairman of National Grid USA, and Mark W. Fuller, vice president of Benefit Development Group, Inc.; president of the Northeast Region at Industrial Distribution Group, Inc.; and chairman and treasurer of the George F. & Sybil H. Fuller Foundation in Worcester. Fuller and Houston each received the degree of Doctor of Business Administration.

Above, Board Chair John Davis ’72, Governor Charlie Baker, President Susan Engelkemeyer and Trustee Jen Caissie MBA ’00 pose in their regalia. In his remarks, Class President Sean Hoey (left) urges fellow graduates to “do your job,” while valedictorian Jaime L. Miglionico sums up their class experience as a “time to reflect, grow, and figure out who we are and what we strive to be.” Below, Trustee Tom Niles ’63 (center) spends a moment with his scholarship recipients.

“You, the Class of 2016, have inspired us as we watched you grow and develop, and we’re confident you’re ready to start down a new path on your life’s journey.” ~ Nichols College President Susan West Engelkemeyer

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The culinary cachet of Henry Wainer Wasabi oil, ginger vinegar, baby carrots, and micro arugula

are not typical resume items, but they are among the ingredients that have helped define the remarkable career of Henry B. Wainer ’72, president and owner of Sid Wainer & Son Specialty Produce & Specialty Foods, founded in 1914 by his grandfather and namesake.

Wainer – tall, tan, and smiling – has just returned from his annual winter sojourn in Florida, where for the past four months he still worked 40 to 50 hours a week, a fraction of his time commitment when he’s up north. On this Friday morning in early May, he makes the rounds of his company’s retail store, The Gourmet Outlet, greeting and hugging employees, who welcome him back.

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By Ron Schachter

“How is everybody?” Wainer asks two apron-clad workers behind the deli display case as he reaches out to shake their hands before moving on to a group of chefs creating an array of dishes in a large, open kitchen.

The store in New Bedford, Massachusetts, occupies part of a red-bricked former factory built in 1896 and storage building, which also serves as the headquarters for the far flung business Wainer does around the world.

There’s a 20-foot-long section of spices in 12- to 24-oz. bottles, burgundy wine powder, Vietnamese cinnamon, and Persia spice blend among them. Nearby, a walk-in refrigerator about half the size of a basketball court contains fresh produce, much of it grown on two of the farms owned by Wainer and hard to find elsewhere: starburst squash, edible flowers, and that micro arugula – at least 20 times tinier than its leafy cousin.

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In the cheese room – even larger and equally chilly – customers confront a non-stop array that includes black truffle cheddar and Wisconsin goat Gouda, with a side of mango habanero chicken sausage down the aisle.

It’s a retail miniature of the wholesale empire that has emerged under Wainer’s watch for more than four decades.

“We compete with every produce company in America, every cheese company, and everyone who sells high quality ingredients. We supply airlines, hotels and the finest restaurants and gourmet retailers in America.”

Wainer’s career at Nichols and the family business to which he was destined influenced each other. “When I wasn’t in college, I was working 100 hours a week with my dad,” he recalls, noting that the business at that time was largely limited to distributing produce from local farms.

A student leader, Wainer was president of his junior class, mayor of the Hill, and president of social life at Nichols.

He says he also valued the leadership and initiative he had long seen in his father, Sid. “I thought about my dad getting up at 3 a.m. in a snowstorm to get produce in the early morning marketplace,” he recalls.

“And while I interviewed with several companies that came to campus and had an offer from a large drug company, I had food in my blood. It was my passion.”

Fellow Nichols alumnus Peter L. Lynch ’74, who led major supermarket chains for more than 35 years, most recently as the chairman of the board, president, and CEO of Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., found a kindred spirit in Wainer.

“I met Henry on my first day at Nichols when he welcomed the new arrivals to

the Underhill dorm,” Lynch recalls.

“What impressed me on that day was Henry's leadership skills and his passion for people.”

It was also through Nichols that Wainer’s horizons expanded internationally. “My roommate came from Venezuela, and I spent a lot of time in South America,” he explains. “I went to fields and farms. I was on trucks, up in trees, and in the kitchen cooking.”

That was prelude to a career often spent in search of gourmet items around the world with his wife Marion, and expanding the family business from a well-respected produce provider into an international source of gourmet food.

“I’ve met the farmers, chefs, and cows,” Wainer says of his frequent visits to other countries. “It’s a matter of connecting to the soil and the source, to how things are

“When I wasn’t in college, I was working 100 hours a week with my dad.”

Henry Wainer in the test kitchen with Chef Edward Roszak, who prepares sample dishes for tastings using Sid Wainer & Son gourmet products.

“Frank Sinatra loved the marinated long stem artichokes.

Jimmy Buffett likes the anchovies and the 8-year-old balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy.”

grown and produced, branded and imported into the United States.”

“During the past 46 years I have had the opportunity to watch Henry take a local produce business and turn it into a global specialty foods business,” says Lynch, who sits on the company’s advisory board and credits more than Wainer’s business savvy. “Henry is a big man with a big heart and demonstrates his leadership and compassion for people every day.”

Food, passion, vision, and creativity also became keywords for the expanding family firm. “I was the first one to bring baby carrots, organic vegetables and herbs, and mesclun greens to market here,” Wainer notes, adding that he also created the wasabi oil and ginger vinegar that have become popular with master chefs in Japan.

Wainer adds that most of his business is aimed at – and to an unusual degree staffed by – chefs, who create recipes or

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work in sales and who account for about 70 of the company’s 670 employees. He points out that elite restaurants have become increasingly identified with the cooks in their kitchens.

“We were a part of making American chefs into rock stars,” Wainer says, adding that his specialty foods have reached the palettes of other luminaries.

“Frank Sinatra loved the marinated long stem artichokes. Jimmy Buffett likes the anchovies and the 8-year-old balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy.”

The New Bedford-born Wainer has enjoyed his own share of celebrity, besides being frequently honored in his field. “The Boston Globe called me the ‘Produce King,’ and the Herald called me the ‘Willy Wonka of Produce,’” he says.

“In our own way, we’re making New Bedford the culinary capital of the world.”

Daughter Allie, the company’s executive vice president, and her sister, Jamie, who heads up the sales west of the

Mississippi – the latest generation of Wainers to join the business – see a virtue in their small-city roots. “I was just at a tasting with our customers,” Allie explains, “and an old customer came up to me and said, ‘I can’t believe your dad remembered my name after 20 years.’”

Although retail and online sales represents a small percentage of the family business, Allie Wainer says the company has just launched a retail division driven by the forces of social media, the ease of overnight shipping, and a market for gourmet cuisine.

“Nowadays, the home consumer is a chef,” she says. “They want to cook at home with the ingredients they are experiencing at their favorite restaurants.”

Henry Wainer has also stayed in touch with his Nichols roots, attending the

annual Nichols Golf Tournament in Dudley and hosting groups of Nichols business students in New Bedford. Allie recently dined with a group of female students on the Nichols campus as part of a program by the college’s Institute for Women’s Leadership to bring in successful professional women.

Henry Wainer says he appreciates the larger influence of Nichols. “Nichols has made a big difference in industry in America,” he notes, but he reserves his highest praise for the school’s more personal impact.

Pointing to a recent picture behind his office desk that shows him smiling with a group of other men, he says, “The friendships I developed in the ’60s are still my best friends today.”

Previous page, top left, Allie Wainer gathers produce in one of their greenhouses, and at right, with her father, Henry, in The Gourmet Outlet produce section.

This page, left, Henry Wainer discusses the new consumer branding initiative with Denell Pepin, Instagram and photography manager.

“The friendships I developed in the ’60s are still my best friends today.”

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Memories on tap at the Bison’s Den It was a place where the twenty-five-cent Pabst Blue Ribbon flowed and where everybody most definitely knew your name. But, more than a “beer joint” – as college administration had originally labeled it – the student-run Bison’s Den was as much a uniquely Nichols learning experience in establishing and operating a business, that started with two determined student leaders.

“We were up most of the night preparing for the presentation,” remembers Jack Hills ’69, then mayor of the Hill. He and Dick Patterson ’68, who was president of the Justinian Council, were granted an audience with the college’s Board of Trustees to request a “revision in the present social laws governing the Nichols College community.” In a letter to the board dated January 13, 1968, Hills and Patterson argued enthusiastically for the responsibility and maturity of the Nichols student body and the right of “those over twenty-one years of age to consume alcoholic beverages.” The letter assured the board that “rules and regulations governing the control of drinking would be strictly enforced” and that “any violation will be dealt with severely.”

“Going into the meeting, we were told that the board had no intention of approving this,” says Hills. “But we answered every question they had, and I

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guess they were satisfied.” Gordon Cross, then Nichols president, sent the good news of the board’s approval to Hills while he was vacationing in Bermuda during spring break.

“The administration and students co-operated and together they created the effort which resulted in a very acceptable student lounge,” wrote Tom Purple ’69 in the February 1969 Alumni Bulletin.

One hurdle jumped, the students sprang into action. Nichols provided the space, a storage area beneath the auditorium, but the rest was up to them. “We had to raise 100 percent of the funds,” Hills recalls. At one of the campus’ weekly meetings, Hills made a plea for donations and passed the plate. “It was a real community builder,” he says. “Even the freshmen, who would not be old enough to attend the bar, gave.”

In-kind donations, such as bar stools, tables and a cooler, came from local bars; building materials and equipment were contributed by families, faculty, and alumni. Everything else was sweat equity from student labor, volunteers who worked untold hours in between classes fixing up the space.

“Administration left the bar up to the students,” says Peter Lunsford ’69. “The school just gave us a lovely space. But it was not so lovely at first.” With experience in refinishing floors, Lunsford spent weeks sanding the floor and applying several coats of polyurethane. “One of the students had a father who owned a carpet business. He showed up one day with an enormous roll of green and black carpet

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and covered up all of my handiwork,” he recounts with a good-natured chuckle.

The campus lounge, as it was then called, opened during the first week of November in 1968 to student satisfaction. “The administration and students co-operated and together they created the effort which resulted in a very acceptable student lounge,” wrote Tom Purple ’69 in the February 1969 Alumni Bulletin.

Later known as “The Watering Hole,” the establishment was run by students, under the supervision of Hills as manager. Early bartenders, including Lunsford, Jack Cheney, Cliff Dietrich, Jeff Pakradooni, and Rich Rice, served four brands of beer and wine each day from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Any fear on the college’s part of student misbehavior appeared unrealized. “I don’t remember any problems,” says Lunsford. “We knew and understood that this was a real privilege for a small conservative college. It was a big deal, and we didn’t want to ruin it.”

Enter the ’70s, a lowered minimum drinking age, and the introduction of women on the Nichols campus. The once quaint lounge needed an expansion. “It used to be half the size,” says John “Bullit” Maffeo ’75, a student bar manager. “We had been sharing the space with the Nichols College Fire Department. We were able to relocate them, knock down a wall, and add windows.” Again, the work was done by student volunteers. In February 1975, the new and improved lounge was reopened and christened the Bison’s Den, thanks to a student naming contest.

With the purchase of brand new booths from a Worcester bar going out of business, and the addition of a TV to watch sports, a jukebox, and three pinball machines, the Bison’s Den became a “hot

spot,” says Maffeo. “We got an entertainment license and had a live band for the grand reopening. Everyone wanted to play there. It was always packed.”

A particularly memorable event was Growler Night in 1975. For $5, patrons received a small silver pail with a handle from which they could drink all evening.

The Bison’s Den drank in the profits, with beer donated by the father of bartender John Murphy ’75, who was president of Miller High Life.

An accounting major, Maffeo was drawn to the experience of working at the bar as an opportunity to take over the books. “Books? They only had one book – a check book,” he recalls. With assistance from Herbert Hunter, assistant professor of accounting, he overhauled the accounting to a one-write system. He also managed all aspects of the business, from ordering inventory to supervising employees.

The Bison’s Den enjoyed a heyday during this period. “It was a good place because you could walk there, and watch a game or chill out after an exam,” says Maffeo. But dryer times were ahead.

Massachusetts raised the drinking age from 18 to 20 in 1979 and then to 21 in 1985. Still, students found a way to keep the Bison’s Den alive.

“We knew and understood that this was a real privilege for a small conservative college. It was a big deal, and we didn’t want to ruin it,” says Peter Lunsford ’69.

“When I was a freshman, I started talking about reopening the Bison’s Den,” says Stephen Buchalter ’90, student director of activities and junior mayor of the Hill. “Eventually everyone started to talk about it, and we got administration to pass it through.” With the Bison’s Den closed for more than a year, he says unsealing it was like an “old musty basement. But it was as if the walls could talk.

There were initials on the beams and pictures of parties.” In the fall of 1989, Buchalter staged an impressive reopening, with a beach theme. “We worked with the maintenance department to get truckloads of sand from Webster Lake, and we flooded the floor with it.” The party was also the first DJ gig for Buchalter, which launched a 13-year career at stations such as Nichols’ own WNRC, WXLO and the Pike 100 FM. With the exception of a few occasions, alcohol was not permitted at the Bison’s

Den during this time. It served as a social activity center featuring pool and ping pong tables, pitch tournaments, and as a space for club meetings. An attempt to revive it as a “21 Club” in the early ’90s was moderately successful, and, after that, the Bison’s Den intermittently served as a funky office space, for Student Involvement from 2011 to 2013, and most recently for athletic coaches, who have now relocated to the renovated Chalmers Field House.

Today, amid a perennial desire of students over 21 for a safe and convenient place to responsibly relax and socialize, Nichols’ administration is currently weighing the option of returning the Bison’s Den to its roots as a campus bar. In the meantime, the Bison’s Den will be opened for a special pub night during Homecoming 2016 on Friday, September 30.

Whether it marks a new beginning or final call for the beloved campus watering hole, the Bison’s Den will be fondly remembered by many Nichols alumni as the center of campus life, and by others as their first start in business.

WANTED: Bison’s Den memorabilia for a display at Homecoming 2016!

If you have an item to lend to the collection, please contact Alumni Relations at 866-622-4766 or alumnioffice@nichols.edu

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Help us write the next chapter. . .

Securing a Legacy of Leadership is a precedent-setting campaign that celebrates 200 years of success and dares Nichols College to aspire to its next milestone.

On the strength of its proud past, Nichols is realizing a new vision as a college of choice for business and leadership education and charting a course to solidify its reputation for transforming today’s students to tomorrow’s leaders through a dynamic, career-focused business and professional education.

Invest in the Vision

Nichols is raising $45 million to promote academic excellence, professional development, financial strength and student involvement. The Bicentennial Campaign is an opportunity to invest in our vision and the future leaders we educate.

To learn more about the impact your gift can make, please contact the Advancement Office at 866-622-4766 or visit the Bicentennial Campaign website at campaign.nichols.edu.

Thank you!

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Bicentennial Campaign Priorities Endowment Growth • Scholarships

• Chairs/Professorships

• Institute for Women’s Leadership

• Academic Enhancement

Capital Improvements • Fels Student Center

• Nichols Academic Building

• New/Renovated Athletic and Recreation Facilities

• Center Road

Annual Support

• Term Scholarships and Professorships

• Student and Faculty Professional Development

• Curricular and Co-curricular Initiatives

• Campus Beautification and Maintenance

Alumni, faculty, students collaborate to launch import business

By Heather Maykel

Scott Farland ’89 MSOL ’15, a member

of the Board of Advisors, was very

impressed at the board’s September 2015 meeting when Len Harmon, associate

professor and chair of marketing, and recent graduate Nathan Hardt ’15

presented the market research

consultative services offered by Nichols

College marketing students. “Nathan had

a great understanding of what he worked

on, and the process that the team

followed was exactly what any marketing

services company would have done,” cites Farland.

At that same meeting, Farland was

introduced to Rich Suitum ’90, a new

member of the Board of Advisors and president of Exsel Advertising in Sturbridge.

Fast forward to January 2016, when

Lascaux, which is derived from the

Lascaux caves in France, famous for early

cave paintings of horses,” says Farland.

“They’ve created a logo along with a

brand identity guideline and will work on

a web site and social media strategy next.

That type of research and creativity is

exactly what we were looking for.”

For a new import business, Scott Farland (center) engaged the marketing consultation services of Professor Len Harmon (not pictured) and students Patrick Salkind ’16 (far left), Lindsay Oliver ’16 and Jennifer Doherty (far right), as well as the creative services of fellow alumnus and advertising executive Rick Suitum.

with the launch of a new brand will have immediate and lasting impact on these

students’ careers. They are all highly

invested in the business and eager to see what’s next!”

The future looks exciting for Velo

Farland found himself in an exciting new

role as vice president and co-founder of

Squared, as it introduces its new brand of

ing on imports of high-end goods from

later this year, and when Lascaux eques-

hiring a creative team to develop a name,

fall. Farland gets the sparkle in his eye of

equestrian imports. “I said to myself,

additional product lines that Velo

imported vodka under the brand Everest

Velo Squared, a holding company focus-

trian apparel becomes available in the

various Asian countries, and in need of

an entrepreneur when he discusses the

logo and strategy for the company’s

‘Why not call in Len Harmon and his

students to help?’” Simultaneously, he

engaged Suitum and Exsel Advertising.

Since January, Harmon’s team has

been working collaboratively with Velo

Squared and Exsel to support the launch

of the business and the brand. “Rich

and his team are very talented. They

researched the equestrian apparel

market, and recommended the name of

“I’m forever grateful to our alumni, like

Scott and Rich, who are ready and willing

to provide our students with opportuni-

ties to gain valuable experience in their

field,” says Harmon. “Our students were

able to investigate the market conditions,

analyze the competitive dynamics, iden-

tify appropriate target markets and

match it up with Lascaux’s competitive

advantage. Having direct involvement

Squared hopes to bring to the U.S. from around the world.

Like any entrepreneur, Farland some-

times feels like he is climbing Mt.

Everest, but one thing he’s sure of is that

“Suitum and Exsel will continue to be our

creative anchor, and Len Harmon and

his students will have the opportunity

every year to work on a new project with Velo Squared.”

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AT H L E T I C S

Grace on the ice and the field

By Peter DiVito

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Nichols after playing with 18- and 19-year-old boys who are very big, so that helped me stand my ground.

The men’s game is faster, but the finesse aspect of the women’s game is better.”

Following ice hockey season, Murphy played for the women’s lacrosse team and finished second in both goals (36) and points (39). “I played lacrosse in high school. It’s bigger down south. I started playing in fifth grade because I didn’t make the hockey team, and I actually hated it. I picked it back up as a freshman in high school. I basically played because I was good at it.”

“The biggest adjustment was finding that barrier between a friend and a coach.”

Good indeed. Murphy finished up her collegiate lacrosse career No. 1 in program history in draw controls (184) and caused turnovers (84), No. 2 in goals (143), and No. 3 in points (159). Following the completion of her lacrosse playing career, Murphy began working as an assistant coach at Nichols under second-year head coach Kathryn Beall and alongside assistant Marissa Fisher. The Bison struggled in her first season with the team, but Murphy says she learned a tremendous amount from both coaches.

“The transition [from player to coach] has been pretty easy,” explains Murphy. “The biggest adjustment was finding that barrier between a friend and a coach.

Kathryn and Marissa have helped a lot with that. There are a lot of things that I can say now that I couldn’t say as a teammate. I can give them that constructive criticism

Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | S u m m e r 2 0 1 6

Photos: Jill Souza

The story of one of the most successful female student-athletes in Nichols College history, Grace Murphy ’15, starts in the non-traditional hockey market of Virginia.

Growing up playing against boys in high school, Murphy was scarcely recruited to play collegiately and learned of Nichols because one of the boys she played hockey with has a sister enrolled here.

But why was Murphy – who went on to become the program’s all-time leader in goals (48), assists (35), and points (83) – not more sought after? Here’s where Murphy’s story gets that much more interesting.

“I played boys’ hockey in high school,” says Murphy. “I played on a few girls’ teams and we won some league championships, but I enjoyed playing with the boys. I didn’t go the prep school route, either, which is what most kids down south do. I just didn’t put myself out there to be recruited, but playing against the boys definitely helped me succeed.”

Murphy contacted then-Nichols head women’s ice hockey coach Guy Angers and came for an official visit.

“I wasn’t planning to play college hockey, but when I found Nichols, I found an opening and felt I could succeed there and help the program.

My overnight visit really sold me. I liked the atmosphere and the closeknit community.”

In her first season on the ice wearing the green and white, Murphy was third on the team in scoring with 19 points in 26 games. “My freshman year was tough because, in women’s hockey, there are a lot of opportunities to hit,” she says.

(Checking is illegal in women’s ice hockey.) “Players have their heads down or aren’t expecting it. That was the hardest adjustment, but I made it fairly quickly. Also, I came to

A standout student-athlete in ice hockey and lacrosse, Grace Murphy is adjusting to life as an assistant coach.

and they take it better than they would have when I was a player. I also think that because I was a captain and took on a leadership role when I played with them, it’s made the adjustment easier as well.”

Murphy went on to describe many of the things she has learned about the game and coaching now that she’s on the other side of the game.

“There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that I was unaware of and give coaches a lot of credit for it – especially the ones who, like me, work a full-time job. There is a huge amount of dedication that goes into it. Little things like watching film takes up a lot of your time, as does practice. I have seen so much more and have a greater respect for the profession.”

Murphy – who works primarily with the attack and midfielders – says she would definitely love to coach her own program and pass along her knowledge of the game to others. And while Murphy has hung up her lacrosse cleats, she has continued her ice hockey playing career with the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL).

With the creation of the National Women’s Hockey League last year, many of the players from the CWHL departed, leaving several roster spots open. Nichols women’s ice hockey goaltending coach Melissa Mansfield

’11 recommended Murphy to the general manager of the Blades and, following a tryout, Murphy made the team.

“There are only a few Division III players in the league,” says Murphy.

“Our team has a lot of former Boston University and Boston College players. The league itself doesn’t pay, so they work around our schedules for practice. We play on Saturday and Sunday. I love it. I learned a lot and played with some of the best players in the world. It was tough. They’re very good.”

Murphy hopes to play for the team next year as well, when all returning players are offered a tryout. In the meantime, Murphy hopes to expand her coaching repertoire by taking her first official lacrosse recruiting trip this summer as she continues to work as a stop loss underwriting consultant at Sun Life Financial.

“Nichols helped me academically and athletically. I would not have the opportunities I have now, whether it be coaching or playing, if it wasn’t for Nichols,” says Murphy. “Academically, I grew as a person and created some great friends. I developed great references. All of my professors were great. My interviewing skills are great. I am not where I want to be in my career yet, but I will be.”

IT’S MORE THAN JUST AN MSA.

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Here’s why an MSA at Nichols is right for you: > Get your CPA and MSA in 18 months, and make career strides faster > Leadership and applied skills development are taken to another level > CPA exam-focused coursework and online exam prep are part of your degree > Your professors are highly experienced CPAs—so you can exam cram to the fullest > Our pricing is highly competitive, so you can see greater return on investment

It’s time to change the game.

Request more information at go.nichols.edu/MSA

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Our courses are 7 weeks long and start 6 times a year. We’re flexible—learn online or on campus—it’s up to you!

Nichols College alumni enjoy a 10% discount.

From the Archives

logue assured that “The student here is free from the temptations of city life, and the quiet of the country is more congenial to thorough scholarship.” But by the 1840s, promotional materials pointed out the proximity to the Webster train depot and accessibility “from stage lines from every direction,” to show that Nichols was not isolated.

Marketing the Institution Contributed by Jim Douglas

Until just fifty years ago, the idea of “marketing” a college or university was deemed inappropriate, even unprofessional, as it conjured up images of a high-pressure salesman using every means possible to push a product on an unwilling consumer.

That is not to say, however, that academic institutions, like Nichols, did not promote themselves or adapt to consumer needs and interests, because they clearly did.

In the early 1800s, Nichols Academy relied heavily on word of mouth. The first students were presumably children of local Universalists whose parents were either founders of the Academy or heard about the new academy at church meetings or through correspondence. Although the Academy’s roots were religious in nature, the school itself was non-denominationalist, attracting non-Universalists in the surrounding area who were also interested in furthering their education.

Marketing an academy throughout the 19th century also included advertisements in newspapers and the publication of circulars and catalogues sent to prospective students and their families. Not too long after its founding, ads for Nichols Academy appeared in local papers in Southbridge, Webster, and Worcester, and later in larger cities such as New York and Boston. [A]

Technology. By the 1840s, new “Philosophical (i.e., natural science and physics) Apparatus,” which may have included instruments such as air pumps, electrical machines, and microscopes, was noted, and after 1882 the Observatory was always mentioned.

EARLY MESSAGING The Academy’s promotional materials generally focused on five main areas of presumed interest, which became the staples of the Nichols message: Academic courses. Early ads talked of “fitting” students for higher education at elite institutions, such as Harvard and Yale, and/or business careers and, by the 1840s, for careers in teaching, presumably more for females, as that was a significant career path for women at the time.

Accommodations. Describing Roger Conant Hall, a new boarding house erected in 1883 when the previous one was destroyed by fire, the 1886 Catalogue boasts, “…The furniture is new, the beds are all fitted with the best quality hair mattresses, and the building is heated in the most approved manner by steam, radiators being placed in every room.

The utmost care has been bestowed upon the plumbing and sanitary arrangements, and for comfort and convenience it has no superior…. ”

Rural location. By the late 19th century, there was a distinct bias against “the city” and the perceived ills that came with industrialization and urbanization. The 1875 Cata-

Athletics. After 1895, a new gymnasium in the back of the Academy building was touted as “equipped with parallel bars, dumbbells, chest weights, punching bag, etc.”

[A]

[C]

Text only was the norm in Nichols Academy ads, but one 1878 Academy circular had an engraving of the new boarding house, and an 1895 newspaper ad featured a picture of the campus.

Large format photos and images showing greater diversity on campus characterized view books in the 1960s and 1970s.

THE COLLEGE VIEW BOOK The early 20th century saw widespread use of a new marketing tool, the college “view book.” A view book, as the name suggests, was typically an 8 ½” x 11” bound or unbound collection of campusrelated pictures accompanied by a bit of text. The first Nichols view book, titled, Nichols: A Junior College of Business Administration and Executive Training, was published in 1931 and featured captioned photos of the residence halls, campus buildings, and students posed in classes or with athletic teams and organizations. [B] In the 1960s and 1970s, as competition for students increased dramatically, the college view book began to reflect new potential market populations. After 1971, when Nichols became coed, white males were still predominant in view book photos (as they were in real life at Nichols) but now women and people of color appeared. A more “customer-oriented” approach was clearly evident in the view books.

Students became the focus, always pictured “in action” whether in class or on the field, and there were now many more photos of students in social and informal contexts than was previously the case. A single aerial photo of campus replaced the many pictures of buildings that were

[B] In 1931, the first Nichols College view book was a tan-colored three-page, double-sided, folded pamphlet.

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[D] In fall 1987, Nichols distributed an oversized 11” x 15” view book that featured large type and eye-catching “tongue-in-cheek” photos. “First impressions” (left), for example, shows a running girl in shorts, sneakers and an official’s striped shirt in mid-air in front of a scoreboard. In the bottom right corner is a fox sitting in front of some shrubbery. On the far left is a Greek column. “A little culture” exclaims that one can “soar with the arts at Nichols.”

the mainstay of earlier view books, and captions were dropped in favor of more text. The word “community” appears frequently. Faculty are also highlighted, lauded for their “academic excellence…their ability to impart that knowledge…and, above all, for their genuine concern for students.” [C]

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING In the late 1970s and early 1980s, with the pool of high school graduates shrinking, the division of continuing education allowed the college to expand its reputation and markets. Dr. Edward G. Warren, dean of academic affairs, oversaw the marketing of the evening program, promoting satellite campuses around central Massachusetts with billboards, radio, and large newspaper ads (Nichols was “20 minutes away from wherever you are”) that were credited with keeping the college name and programs visible.

By the early 1980s, “marketing” was being embraced by colleges across the country and by the end of the decade an entire industry had developed to aid in the creation of marketing campaigns. Like other colleges, Nichols experimented with creative design to help separate itself from the pack. It also began to recognize the value of producing

higher end publications, as full-color images now popped off the page on glossy coated paper. [D] In the early 1990s, the college employed a succession of marketing agencies. One marketing agency developed a humorous ad campaign for undergraduates that ran for a year. A series of ads took familiar business phrases and jargon and connected them to the undergraduate programs and experience Nichols provided. To maximize the campaign’s reach and frequency, the ads rotated a variety of headlines throughout the year. [E] By 1997 the college reversed a previous trend to recruit out of state, even out of New England, and re-focused efforts in the tri-state area. An “Add It Up” advertising campaign highlighting positives that “add up to a successful value-based outcome” was developed.

BRANDING TAKES CENTER STAGE In the late 1990s and early 2000s, “branding” became a ubiquitous term on college campuses. Nichols made a concerted effort to brand itself as a business school with a career success focus and a place where students could receive personal attention.

After being field-tested in a number of local high schools, the Nichols’ tagline of the early 1990s

[E]

went from “Invent Yourself” to “Your Success Is Our Business.”

(Apparently other educational institutions liked this line as well; Nichols had to defend its trademark from unauthorized use a number of times – always successfully.) Mission statements were revised. A new logo was created. [F] Technology, in the form of the Internet and the World Wide Web, was also making a significant impact in college marketing and recruitment. In 1996, the first Nichols website was created in a computer applications class by students of Professor Mauri Pelto. Before long, students could “tour” the campus, look at the college catalog, submit application forms, and pay their bills online. Today’s website is much more sophisticated, but the main objectives and features remain the same. [G] The college’s most recent (and ongoing) branding campaign centers on “leadership” and a new vision statement (“Nichols College is a college of choice for business and leadership education as a result of its distinctive career-focused and leadership-based approaches to learning, both in and out of the classroom”), logo and tagline – “Learn. Lead. Succeed” – have been created. [H&I] Currently, the college’s marketing effort is focused on reaching poten-

[F]

tial Bison where they live – online. To enhance the Nichols brand and name recognition, along with pictures and text on the college’s website, short videos – especially studentto-student testimonials – are embedded on our site and distributed on social networks. In November 2015, within the first three days of the posting of virtual tour and open house videos on Facebook, it was reported that there were over 7,492 views.

As important as technology is, however, the college has not forgotten the importance of one-on-one contact. A fully staffed, student call center, for example, is busy most evenings maintaining a personal touch with potential students through all stages of the admission process, from the inquiry to arrival on campus as new Bison.

Marketing and promotion have come a long way in the last 200 years, from word of mouth and small ads in local papers to harnessing the power and reach of the Internet. The fact that Nichols is still going strong is a testament to our ability to create a valued product and being able to successfully attract attention and interest.

Special thanks to Edward Warren, Thomas Cafaro, and Cynthia Goodwin Brown for their time and information.

[H]

Your Success Is Our Business

[G] [I]

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C L A S S N OT E S

Catching Up With The Glove Doctor

Howard Rubin ’59 1948 Class Scribe: Stanley Finn 70 Franklin St. Northampton, MA 01060-2039 413-586-0886

1951 » 65th Reunion 1956 » 60th Reunion Class Scribe: Arthur Fries 917 Jordan Ct. Nipomo, CA 93444-6625 805-343-6400 friesart@hotmail.com

1957

Class Scribe: Kent Tarrant 45 Valley View Dr. P.O. Box 496 Hampden, MA 01036-0496 413-566-5130 kent100@charter.net

1958

Class Scribe: Reverend Paul Price 3214 Sudbury St. Springfield, OH 45503-1731 pprice@woh.rr.com From the Class Scribe…

Here is an update on my personal happenings. I retired five years ago as a minister, but still remain active, subbing for vacationing ministers, doing weddings and funerals. I’ve had a few fellow clergy that tell me “ministers never retire, they just keep on going with shorter prayers.” This is a big year for me, reaching that magic number of 80!

My family is in the process of having a family reunion with all the grandkids, sometime this summer.

Besides that, my wife and I will be celebrating our fifth anniversary in June. We are looking towards having a trip back to the New England area and hope that we can plan on a stop off at the Nichols campus.

Harry Rocker graduated from Michigan State, worked for OwenIllinois Glass Co. He met his wife there, however, just this last year she passed on. He didn’t stay with Owen-Illinois Glass, but for the last 24 years has been working at his own promotional products business. Hobbies still include antique cars and street rods, which he says he has had many over the years, but currently only has two.

18

Howard Kack writes: “Last year Vicki and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. We have one daughter, Wendy, and son-in-law, Denny, who reside in Temecula, CA, which is located about an hour north of San Diego. After 35 years of owning two printing companies (in Louisville, KY, and Victorville, CA), we retired nine years ago and followed our grandchildren to Temecula. It is a beautiful, small city of about 100,000 with 40 wineries which makes for lots of fun and recreation. Average age is 33 so we have a very active community. Volunteering with my dog, Abby, keeps me busy. We do pet therapy at our local hospital and retirement homes and give a few minutes of joy to people who miss their dogs. UCLA ('66) football and basketball are my hobbies.

Retirement is awesome as it gives us time to be with grandsons, Ben (16), and Jake (13), and to be involved in their sporting and school activities.”

1960

Paul Duval writes that he has moved with his wife, Anna, to Beaufort, SC, and invites guests south to the Low Country. “We have had enough of the cold weather,” he says. “We miss our family but not the snow.”

1961 » 55th Reunion 1962

Class Scribe: Charlie Howe May-September 212-22nd St. Surf City, NJ 08008-4926 609-494-5450 charleskatehowe@gmail.com October- April 17468 Cornflower Ln. Punta Gorda, FL 33955 941-575-8150 From the Class Scribe…

It has been kind of a crazy winter in Fla. If you like a lot of HOT, we sure have had it. The Nichols winter gathering in Naples at Grey Oaks Country Club was both well attended and a beautiful evening.

Thank you, John McClutchy '72 and wife, Janet, for hosting the

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Howard Rubin loves gloves. As former president of Kombi Gloves (Kombi meaning the combination of quality and craftsmanship), he was born in Gloversville, New York, an early glove producing epicenter in the U.S. Rubin came to Nichols through a heartfelt recommendation by the chancellor at his New York high school, despite even physical pressure from his mother for her children to attend Syracuse University. “I still have the scar from where she kicked me under the table at that meeting,” Rubin laughs in retelling. He endeavored to find a small business school and Nichols was the right fit. After graduating from Nichols in 1959, Rubin went on to the University of Miami to study engineering. With a passion for design and an eagerness to get back to his family business, J.M. Rubin and Sons, he returned to work in his early 20s. From his travels to Europe he brought back knowledge to the glove business where he paid homage to style and different quality of leathers. He later went on to become the vice president of Rossignol, working on product placement and increasing annual sales by $1.5 million in his first year.

As one of the top innovators in the industry, and with a family that’s been in the glove business since the late 1800s, Rubin has spent most of his career working with leathers and specialty sport performance gloves, most notably ones including heating technology. Wired gloves have been and still are a fad in the glove business. Rubin claims industry leaders copied his wire technology, which was incorrect in concept. This technology had heated the hands but ran the heat and blood back towards the heart, only to leave the fingertips cold. Rubin has since perfected this technology after the trial and error that led many others in the industry to follow suit.

Asked in a late ’80s interview whether glove making was disappearing as a craft, Rubin replied, “Yes, because no one is being taught the trade.” He has devoted his life to that trade, employing his business and engineering know-how and experimenting with the latest technologies in the field.

Rubin is currently working with fellow Bison Marty Meyers ’67 at their startup company, Ski Signature. The two alumni met in the industry and later learned they had the Nichols connection in common. The partners have had a successful first-year launch, and Rubin looks forward to bringing his newest patented technology into their product line.

Rubin recently enjoyed a trip to Spain to visit his grandson, whose father, Jay, works for Bollman in the hat industry and lives in Westport, Conn.

Rubin named his son J.M. Rubin after his grandfather and his father’s company, where he started his legacy as The Glove Doctor.

A golfer and avid Miami sports fan, Rubin isn’t interested in retirement.

“It’s a hobby, and a passion, so if it isn’t work. I don’t need to plan on retiring from it,” he says.

– Jacky Brown MSOL ’14 and Molly Thienel

event. Kate and I drove down to Bonita Springs where we visited Hugo Pagliccia ’63 and his wife, Carol. By the time we arrived at Grey Oaks, things were in full swing. One of the nice things for me was that I personally knew the majority of the people in the room.

I guess that when you become nearly as old as dirt, you know a

few people. How is this for a list…

Ken Beyer ’60, John Girvin ’59, Sandy Tuttle ’59, Dick Makin, Hugo Pagliccia. My only regret is that I didn't write everyone's name down. I'm slipping a bit.

It was nice to reconnect with Bob Davis ’58, who was president of the Justinian Council when I was a lowly freshman. Duke put me in

C L A S S N OT E S

touch with Bob Ansalone ’65 who, along with the late Ronnie Noyes ’65, were very outstanding contributors to the '62 lacrosse team. It was really nice to spend a short time with President Engelkemeyer as well as engaging with Bill Pieczynski. We are blessed to have these two talented people in leadership roles at Nichols. I also had time to visit with Chris Colvin, the new athletic director on the Hill.

He's young, energetic and appears to be the right person at the right time to lead what is already an outstanding athletic program. For those of you who have had the opportunity to represent Nichols on the athletic field, please remember how proud you were and consider supporting the sport of your choice during the upcoming year and in the future. As always, it is nice to read the class scribe columns from Bruce Haslun ‘63 (Thank you, Carol, for editing for your husband) and Warren Bender ’64. (I'll see if I can get a picture of the painting Kate did of Henri David's Woodie station wagon in the magazine). By the way, my wife’s painting, “As Time Goes By,” was honored as the People's Choice Award in the national exhibit I mentioned last time.

Until next time, keep in touch and don't forget to support Nichols. It's called Bison Pride! ~ Charlie

1963

Class Scribe: Bruce I. Haslun 207 Shore Street, Unit 2 Falmouth, MA 02540 508-388-7816 hashardt@att.net From the Class Scribe...

Let me first get the terrible news out to you. My good buddy, Jack Lubbers ’62, despite taking great care with frequent examinations for the dreaded prostate problems, slipped through the cracks. Pain in his thigh brought him to the hospital by ambulance.

He has been diagnosed with inoperable bone cancer, i.e., they can’t just lop off an appendage; the cancer is in his frame. Chemo, of course, and his doctor says, “Some years left,” but isn’t going further.

Jack is a Marine veteran and a tough guy, but this is awfully bad news. For those of us who pray, please do. For those who think,

please keep Jack and Theresa in your thoughts.

Might have a hard time imagining this, but I’ve just been elected a deacon of First Congregational Church in Falmouth. I just heard a kerthunk-like sound. Probably Pete Brusman hitting the floor after fainting dead away? Sorry, Pete, I shouldn’t give you surprises like that!

Carol and I are volunteers with Neighborhood Falmouth whose goal is to keep older folks (like us’ns of ‘63?) in their own homes for as long as practical. We drive them to doctors and dentists, hairdressers and barbers, the supermarket, yoga class, you name it. Will also telephone to be sure they’re okay, take the garbage pail to the curb, help with minor repairs. I write a monthly column, Cookin’ Cozy, for our newsletter in which I provide recipes for good home-cooked meals for one or two people. Great fun meeting very interesting people!

Our condo, one of three, is in a house built in 1804 which almost requires us to be members of the Falmouth Historical Society. That has provided us with a quick and overall introduction to our little village. Another group, the Old Stone Dock Association, concentrates more intently on our immediate neighborhood which is a designated historic district. We’ve learned a lot about the ancestry of our own house. It makes it a lot easier recognizing the various ghosts who roam about at night, carrying harpoons, anchor chains, and steering oars! Happily, they seem respectful of my Coast Guard Quartermaster status and don’t haunt us too badly.

So, we slowly fit into our new northern digs. Y’all know from my writings that I loved South Carolina and those good folk and so I suppose I’m prejudiced. Be in a Piggly Wiggly in Edisto Beach (SC) and sneeze, and from one aisle after another you will hear, “God bless you!” I was in a Christmas Tree Shop in Orleans (MA) the other afternoon and a woman next to me sneezed. I quietly said, “God bless.” She turned, glared at me, for some reason saw that I was sincere and said in a surprised voice, “Thank you!” I would feel good if I could merge my acquired southern-ness into my Yankee

rooted-ness and make us all one. In this turbulent political season, it’s something we could use. (Thanks, Art Tozzi, for keeping me up with the jokes.)

Enough about me. Would love to hear from y’all as would all your classmates. If you get within striking distance of Cape Cod, we have accommodations for two, and two B&Bs/inns within walking and cocktail distance. Have a great summer wherever you spend it!

1964

Class Scribe: Warren Bender 3604 Kingsley Dr. Myrtle Beach, SC 29588-7714 843-492-6727 wbender@sc.rr.com From the Class Scribe...

It’s been a while since my last scribe’s notes. Personally, not much has changed in my retirement life.

Just started my seasonal job at Ocean Lakes Family Campground working just three mornings a week, which is perfect for me.

Helps keep me in shape.

Guess it’s time for Bob Hood ’66 to start his northern migration from winter in Florida to beautiful Candlewood Lake in CT. This means he’ll be stopping at Ocean Lakes for a few days in May to break up his trip. Talk about “it’s a small world”…went to get a haircut and while waiting for my barber, I heard the name Nichols mentioned.

Thought they were talking about a small town next to Marion, where we lived for 28 years before moving to the beach. When I got in the chair I told him I heard the name Nichols and asked if it was the town they were talking about.

He said no it was Nichols College.

I knew he lived in MA and said that’s where I went to college. He told me his daughter graduated about 20–22 years ago. He was impressed when I said I graduated

52 years ago. I asked him to write down his daughter’s name so I could put this in the next scribe notes for her class year.

Well, got my haircut, paid, and he never brought up the subject. Then driving home I kept wondering why he never said anything and it struck me why he didn’t. Actually, I too would never have given personal info to someone I didn’t know, except for cutting his hair. For all he knew, I could have been some whacko. Well, I’ve thought the same thing at times.

Lastly, hope you keep the Class of ’64 Endowed Scholarship Fund in mind when giving your donation to Nichols, and keep in mind that I’m always looking forward to hearing from you about what’s going on at your end. And the Beat Goes On. Dan Tomassetti writes that Capt.

Michael "Buzz" Donnelly, son of Phil Donnelly, has just been promoted to commander of the Nimitz Class Super Nuclear Carrier USS Ronald Reagan CVN-76. Also, Phil's granddaughter plays soccer for the USCG, which Nichols plays.

1966 » 50th Reunion

From the 50th Reunion Committee…

The 50th reunion planning is well underway, with the successful fundraising of an endowed class scholarship receiving support from many classmates. The committee and Alumni Relations will be sharing updates and details in the coming weeks. The public schedule and registration is available at community.nichols.edu/ Homecoming2016. For more information, please call Alumni Relations at 866-622-4766. We hope you are planning to join us as we celebrate this milestone! ~ Phil Collins, Duke MacNair, and Henry St.Cyr

Please send your news directly to your class scribe.

If you do not have a class scribe, news may be forwarded to classnotes@nichols.edu.

 Digital images are preferred, but please do not

crop them! The higher the resolution the better – 300 dpi (dots per inch) is best. Digital images may be sent directly to the Alumni Relations Office – classnotes@nichols.edu.

 Prints may be sent to: Nichols College, Alumni

Relations Office, P.O. Box 5000, Dudley, MA 01571.

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C L A S S N OT E S

1969

1983

1991 » 25th Reunion

2003

Class Scribe: Robert Kuppenheimer 4627 Tremont Ln. Corona del Mar, CA 92625-3130 rkuppy@gmail.com From the Class Scribe…

Found....Glenn Hovell. I talked with Glenn at length after only 40+ years. It was great to catch up. Let me do the same for you: He had a funny story about being hired out of Nichols at State Street Bank, where he worked from 1969–77.

He then went to Ropes & Grey and did trust work from 1977 to retirement. Sadly, he lost his wonderful bride in 2011. He has two beautiful daughters, both residing in Virginia, and a few grandchildren.

He is living on the Cape (from where he commuted 160 miles round trip per day!) Great story teller!

I also heard from Ken Burrill, who writes: “Kuppy, I am a little older than you. Remember I had put in four years in the U.S. Navy before I did my last two years at Nichols, therefore I am 75. I have been back to Nichols many times over the years, especially the last ten or more years. My youngest child graduated from Nichols in 2010. I almost did a few cartwheels across the athletic field. My address, which you have, has been my home since two weeks after my birth.

It is still my home. My wife and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary.”

Class Scribe: Michael Donehey Phone: 508-376-5469 Fax: 508-376-5043 mdonehey@live.com

Class Scribe: Donna Small 4905 Bay Harvest Ct. Clemmons, NC 27012-8245 336-712-1053 (home) 336-692-5157 (cell) dsmall9242000@yahoo.com

Class Scribe: Jillian (Hayes) Smerage jnhayes80@gmail.com

Peter Lunsford writes: “I’m almost fully retired after over 45 years in the employee benefits field (17+ with Aetna Life & Casualty and 29 on my own as a broker and consultant).

I enjoy fishing, both locally here in NH and in Canada, for salmon.

When fall rolls around I enjoy bird hunting with my English Setter, Innis, locally and in northern NH.”

1971 » 45th Reunion 1972

Class Scribe: Mark Alexander mark1alex12@gmail.com

1976 » 40th Reunion 1981 » 35th Reunion

20

Gene A. Ferrari Jr. MBA ’99 was hired as the town accountant for Charlton, MA. He is the former city auditor for Gardner and had also served for many years as chief financial officer/town accountant for Pepperell, and the town accountant for Athol for nine years.

1985

Class Scribe: John P. Donahue 10 Corsham Drive Medford, NJ 08055-8434 609-257-8191 jdonahue5@csc.com

1986 » 30th Reunion

Class Scribe: Susan Zimonis 18930 Misty Lake Dr. Jupiter, FL 33458 561-707-8781 susanzimonis@bellsouth.net

1988

Class Scribe: Diane Bellerose Golas 90 Lebanon St. Southbridge, MA 01550-1332 508-764-6077 spongedicat@aol.com

1990

Brenda M. Bianculli was one of five new members selected to serve on the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council.

The council provides an organized public forum for IRS officials and the public to discuss key tax administration issues. A CPA, Bianculli is the owner of an accounting firm in Charlton, MA. She has worked in the tax field for more than 25 years, handling a variety of clients and specializing in the real estate and service industries. She sits on the Nichols College Board of Advisors, and is a corporator for Southbridge Savings Bank and the treasurer of Woman in Business Inc.

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1994

2005

Class Scribe: Melissa Jackson msmeljackson@gmail.com

Class Scribe: Danielle (Troiano) Sprague 20 Stagecoach Rd. Leominster, MA 01453 508-845-6604 thedwoman@yahoo.com

1996 » 20th Reunion 1998

Class Scribe: Emily (Seiferman) Alves millie.176@hotmail.com

2000

Class Scribe: Andrea Sacco andrea.j.sacco@gmail.com David Peterson was promoted to vice president of HR Total Rewards at Hologic, Inc., a $3 billion global medical device and diagnostics company with operations in over 20 countries. He is responsible for developing and administering all company-wide compensation, benefits and stock programs and has been employed at Hologic, Inc. of Marlborough, MA, since 2012. He will be presenting an educational workshop at the 2016 WorldatWork Conference in San Diego this June, the largest HR compensation and benefits conference held in the U.S. each year.

Sherry (Turner) Rotondo accepted a position with Shepherd & Goldstein LLP in Worcester as a client relationship manager accountant. She resides in Rutland with her husband, Michael, and two children, Brianna and Mikey.

2001 » 15th Reunion

Class Scribe: David Twiss 978-979-7658 (cell) david.twiss14@gmail.com

 Christopher Hull is engaged to Lisa Banks. A November wedding is planned. Lisa, a graduate of Salve Regina University with an MBA from Assumption College, is a sales representative at Lantheus Medical Imaging, and Christopher is a sales representative with Sayers Technologies.

The Wretched Road to Success: A Book on Business & Management Theories, by Matthew Krumsiek, was published in 2014. It is a resource for entrepreneurs and everyone from small business owners to high-power corporate executives in their mission to negotiate that long and often arduous journey. For more information, visit www.authormatthewkrumsiek.com.

2006 » 10th Reunion

Class Scribe: Erica (Mello) Boulay erica.boulay@hotmail.com Brennan R. Campbell has been promoted to vice president, commercial relationship manager, at Fidelity Bank in Worcester. He advises the bank's commercial lending clients on industry risks, business cycles and growth opportunities and has more than 12 years of banking experience. He is a volunteer at SHINE Initiative, a bank-affiliated nonprofit dedicated to fighting mental illness in children and teens.

Continued on page 22

C L A S S N OT E S

Catching Up With

Stephen Westerlind ’88

Stephen Westerlind has followed a financial odyssey through a wide range of industries. Along the way, he’s kept up a steady career trajectory. He began with stints as a CPA in Worcester with Big Eight company KPMG Peat Marwick and then Love, Bollus, Lynch & Rogers, where he was one of the first employees, and eventually becoming the chief financial officer for companies that couldn’t be more different.

Today, he serves as the CFO of Auburn, Massachusettsbased Accelerated Media Technologies, which turns out highly specialized communication vehicles for various industries. They range from news vans equipped with transmitting antennas and satellite dishes to Mobile Command Offices for the homeland security field.

He notes that his employer was seeking a high level of financial expertise. “They needed someone to help them on the accounting and finance end of it,” he says. “They wanted to get to the next level of costing, banking, and risk management.”

Complex areas like these, Westerlind says, make accounting and finance more exciting.

“The world of finance is very challenging because the numbers tell the whole story beyond just profit and loss, but the numbers need to be correct,” Westerlind explains.

“What you really need is to project forward, where you’re going – achieving efficiency, buying the right materials, having the right labor.”

“I absolutely loved my time at Nichols...

I loved everything about those four years...”

After public accounting, Westerlind spent over 12 years with Washington Mills Company, an international manufacturer of abrasives, as corporate controller overseeing subsidiaries in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Then a challenge came a decade ago when Westerlind accepted the CFO position at Worcesterbased Technology Container Corporation, which produced specialty corrugated paper and plastic boxes and where the president aimed to significantly grow the company’s annual revenue.

The numbers told Westerlind that Technology Container could profitably fill a niche in the paper products world for the kind of boxes it produced. Besides developing the numbers to ramp up production, he also shaped the financial strategy to open a plant in DeSoto, Texas, where there was a good labor force and favorable costs. Next was to acquire sophisticated extrusion equipment that converted plastic resin into reusable plastic packaging.

“There was risk of putting so much capital into the equipment. Would we get the return on the investment?”

Westerlind says. “It would be very tight.”

Technology Container achieved its revenue goals and in a consequential financial decision, Westerlind helped sell the paper segment of the business, close the Massachusetts plant and move all of the company’s assets to the Texas location.

As a lifelong resident of Massachusetts with three children, and not wanting to relocate, this was the right time to go on his own as a sole-practitioner CPA and business consultant.

That was when the opportunity at Accelerated Media Technologies happened.

Throughout his career, Westerlind says, he has always carried memories of Nichols and this spring joined the Nichols Board of Advisors. “I absolutely loved my time at Nichols,” he recalls. “I loved everything about those four years – having Saturday nights in the Bison’s Den, playing intramural sports, and life in the dorms.”

He also learned from his professors, who “taught us how not only to study for and take an exam but to take that information and use it outside of the classroom,” he explains.

“You don’t have to know everything but you need to know how to get the information you need and to use it to figure out problems.”

With a goal of continuing to run companies financially and operationally, Westerlind feels that his work so far has prepared him well for the position. “When you get into the financial part of the company, you get to work with sales, product development, production, and you see everything,” he says. “I like the big picture.”

– Ron Schachter

Stephen Westerlind displays an outfitted SUV for the KOCO Channel 5 storm chasers in Oklahoma City.

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2007

Continued

Class Scribe: Meaghan Larkin meaglark@gmail.com From the Class Scribe…

 Kristin (Mason) and Kevin Paszkewicz welcomed their first child, daughter, Kaylee Ramona Paszkewicz, on Feb. 10, 2016.

Sarah A. Day MBA was promoted to assistant vice president, commercial loan officer, at St. Mary's Credit Union in Marlborough. She joined in 2010 as marketing manager. She joined the commercial lending team in 2013, where she specializes in commercial mortgages, vehicle and equipment lending and commercial lines of credit. Prior to joining St. Mary's Credit Union, she had many years of financial services experience working for a Worcester bank.

She is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

2008

Class Scribe: Nicole Silvio nms31@msn.com

2010

Class Scribe: Katelyn Vella katelyn.vella@yahoo.com  Robert McDonagh was married

to Gina Gleason on Sept. 26, 2015, at the Blessed Mother Teresa Church in Dorchester, MA. Family and friends celebrated at the Wellesley Country Club. Jimmy Elder was a groomsman and many other Nichols alumni were in attendance to celebrate the couple!

2011 » 5th Reunion

Class Scribe: Alexandria M. Hallam aliemchal@gmail.com

 Carly Kelly is happy to announce her engagement to Jon Snediker ’09.

2015

 Jamie (Sommers) Vincent and

husband, Dave, welcomed daughter, Faye Taylor Vincent, on Jan. 29, 2016. Dave is a Massachusetts State Trooper which inspired her newborn photo!

Andrew Jolda was elected to the Webster, MA, Board of Selectmen in May 2014 for a 3-year term. In January 2016, he joined Movement Mortgage after spending nearly 14 years with Webster Five Cents Savings Bank.

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Katelyn Martin published a book in March. The Empower Young Women Project is a book filled with guidance, hope, support, life lessons, and inspiring stories by females from around the world. She writes: “I grew up in a tiny town, itching to create a career for myself that would involve helping and inspiring others. After graduating from Nichols College with my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, I set out to do so. I created The Empower Young Women Project with the intention to create a bond among females of all ages.” The book is available on Amazon.

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Catching Up With

Christina Galbo Fox ’99 Originally from New Hampshire, Christina Galbo Fox attended a large high school, so the size of Nichols was a transition but a welcome one. “It was a small campus where everyone knew each other,” she says. She was a resident assistant as a freshman, which was unique.

Even more unique was that upperclassman, and future husband, David Fox ’97, was one of the RAs who interviewed her and told Residence Life staff not to hire her. She enjoys telling the story of how she and David met long ago on the Hill; the alternative outcome has clearly been a positive one.

Fox holds great memories from her time on the Hill, studying accounting with Professor Jack Armstrong, and as a teaching assistant and RA. In her senior year she was promoted to head residence assistant, and was the first and only female residing in Budleigh. “If I used a blow dryer, the power would go out,” she says of her basement-level housing.

By the end of her accounting studies at Nichols, Fox knew she wanted to work for a large firm. She recalls mailing over 30 resumes to the Big Five, and Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers, or PwC) was her first call back. She was offered an auditing position the summer before senior year. Faculty appreciated her initiative and early decision success, and asked her to talk to their classes about it before she graduated.

Fox began at PwC in Hartford, Conn., that summer, with over 15 new hires, three of whom, she mentions, are currently partners at the firm. She obtained her CPA while in Connecticut, and is also a CPA, CA, licensed in Canada as well. She transitioned to PwC Canada in 2003, calling it a wonderful experience, both professionally and personally.

She was admitted as a partner in 2014 in a firm that employs 195,000 professionals in 157 countries, and Fox is still drawn to PwC and its large partnership structure and international opportunities. In her field of assurance, she enjoys problem solving, mentoring young new professionals and empowering the decision making of her clients. PwC Canada has provided many great opportunities for Fox as a professional woman, and she also takes great pride in mentoring young female professionals within PwC’s Women in Leadership program. Her husband, David, a CPA and lawyer, left a large firm, where he practiced tax law for 14 years, for a smaller firm not long ago and has not looked back, but Christina still enjoys the benefits of her tenure, including working with the newest generation at PwC. Her Toronto office hires 75 to 80 interns and new recruits each year, and she enjoys interacting with their “energy and excitement. The team is like family.”

Fox lives in Toronto with her husband, 6-year-old daughter Katie, and their three dogs. She also enjoys leading by example, for Katie, promoting the importance of philanthropy. In recent years, she has served as a volunteer board member for humanitarian agencies such as The Gatehouse, as former chair of the board of the Adoption Council of Ontario for two years, and as current treasurer for the Children’s Bridge.

– Molly Thienel

NICHOLS REMEMBERS

Lewis G. “Bud” Miller, Jr. ’40, of Albemarle, N.C., Feb. 23, 2016. He was the comptroller at the Naval Air Propulsion Center in Trenton, N.J. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Nancy; a son; two daughters; and grandchildren.

Thomas S. Bernie, Jr. ’41, of Centennial, Colo., Feb. 12, 2016. He had several advanced degrees, including Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine and Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, and he was a diplomat of the Board of the American Biofeedback Society.

Predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Imogene, he is survived by four sons; two daughters; 14 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

John S. Cross ’48, of Holden, Mass., Oct. 1, 2015. He served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, and was discharged as a corporal in 1946. He was an internal auditor at the former Peoples’ Savings Bank in Worcester, and served on the Holden Fire Department for 50 years, retiring in 1989 as a captain.

His wife, Ruth, died in 2010, and he leaves a son; a daughter; three grandchildren; and three greatgrandchildren.

Donald W. Ecker ’48, of Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., Sept. 16, 2015.

He was retired from banking and previously worked at the Atlantic Federal Savings and Loan Association.

Sherwood E. Parmelee ’48, of Guilford, Conn., March 4, 2016. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Before retiring, he owned a real estate company, County Inc., and worked as a real estate developer. He was predeceased by his former wife, Janice, and is survived by his wife, Cynthia; a son; a daughter; and three grandchildren.

Everett S. Albee II ’49, of Wolfeboro Falls, N.H., Jan. 28, 2016. He owned and operated several businesses in town, most recently Albee Contractors. He is survived by his wife, Sandra; two daughters; two sons; a stepson; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Lafayette "Laf" Keeney ’49, of Old Saybrook, Conn., Feb. 18, 2016. He served in the U.S. Army as part of the force that occupied Germany at

the conclusion of World War II. He spent his entire business life at Sage-Allen & Co., a specialty department store headquartered in Hartford until his retirement as chairman and CEO in 1990. He served on many boards, including Nichols College. Predeceased by his wife, Janet, and a granddaughter, he is survived by three sons; eight grandchildren; and five greatgrandchildren.

Robert Risk Jr., ’50, of Wayne, Penn., March 6, 2016. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and had a 40-year career as a sales manager for Fleming Foods.

Risk was a star athlete at Nichols College and was inducted in the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1975 for football, basketball, and baseball.

He was a devoted class ambassador and an enthusiastic class scribe for Nichols College Magazine. He was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy, and leaves a son and daughter-in-law; three grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister.

Rogers N. Fowler ’53, of Brewster, Mass., and Sherburne, N.Y., March 27, 2016. He began as a sales representative for Kraft foods in upstate New York and also worked for Victory Markets. He and his wife purchased several markets, including Records IGA Foodliner (later changed to Sherburne Big M), Hendrickson's Market (Earlville Little M.), and Rowe's Red and White grocery store, which was later named DeRuyter Big M and still remains today. They retired in 1994. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Gloria; three sons; seven grandchildren; and four greatgrandchildren.

John P. Avery ’56, of Granby, Conn., Feb. 17, 2016. He ran the family store, Avery's General Store, from 1970-1986 and was a past member of the Lost Acres Volunteer Fire Dept. and the Granby Republican Town Committee. He is survived by a twin sister; and a brother.

Royal N. Waitt ’60, of Wayne, Maine, Feb. 26, 2016. He owned and operated a saw mill before joining International Paper, where he worked for over 30 years until his retirement. He was predeceased by two brothers. He is survived by his

two daughters; four grandchildren; two brothers; and a sister.

wife of 20 years, Regina; two sons; two grandchildren; and a greatgranddaughter.

Thomas D. "Stizzy" Stazzone ’75, of Morristown, N.J., April 8, 2016. He began his sales career at IMS Health, where he worked for 32 years, retiring as a global vice president of sales.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Ellen; and two daughters.

John E. Hula ’62, of McKinney, Texas, March 24, 2016. He was employed by Greyhound Lines, Inc. as a senior claims manager for 25 years, working in Cleveland, St. Louis, and Des Moines. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Marcia; two daughters; three grandsons; and one granddaughter.

Edwin F. Sadowski, Jr. MBA ’93, of League City, Texas, and Worcester, Mass., Dec. 22, 2015. He is a former employee of Saint Gobain.

J. Michael Eash ’65, of Sherman, Maine, Oct. 31, 2015. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, and worked as a forester for Great Northern Paper Co. for 27 years, after which he had his own consulting business. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Lois; three children; one granddaughter; and two grandsons.

Sandra A. Walsh MBA ’95, of Webster, Mass., Jan. 13, 2016. She was a retired college administrator for the University of Phoenix, and was previously director of audit/control for Nichols College.

She is survived by a sister.

FACULTY/STAFF

John R. Schunder, Sr. ’68, of Northborough, Mass., Feb. 7, 2016. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. An AllAmerican lacrosse player who was inducted into the Nichols College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992, he started Algonquin Regional High School's boys' lacrosse program and became the team's first coach. He worked in the Northborough D.P.W. from 1972 until his retirement in 2006, becoming the first public works director in 1990. He leaves his wife of 38 years, Katherine; three sons; one daughter; and nine grandchildren.

Avis E. (Beauregard) Gomes Hon. ’04, of Thompson, Conn., and Webster, Mass., Oct. 17, 2015. She retired from American Optical in Southbridge, where she worked for over 25 years, and in retirement worked as a cashier in the Dining Hall at Nichols College. Shortly after her retirement from Nichols in 2004, she was granted an honorary Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree at the request of students.

She was predeceased by her husband of 42 years, Louis, and a daughter, and is survived by three children; nine grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and a sister.

John M. Armstrong ’73, of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., March 8, 2016. He worked as the West Coast construction manager for JV Industrial. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, JoAnn; two daughters; and two sisters.

Joseph M. Krosoczka ’74, of Spencer, Mass., Feb. 29, 2016. He served as president and CEO of Sem-Tec Inc., a company started by his father, for over 40 years. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Diane; a brother; and three sisters.

Lawrence "Larry" J. Saad ’74, of Thompson, Conn., Jan. 15, 2015.

He was a store house supervisor for the former Westborough State Hospital for over 34 years, retiring in 2012. Predeceased by his wife of 12 years, Janet, he is survived by

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Don MacQuarrie ’69: A Track Record of Giving

By Heather Maykel

Like many Nichols alumni, Don MacQuarrie’s fondest memories of his collegiate experience are centered on athletics. He came back to campus on September 19, 2015, for the induction of his undefeated 1965 cross country team into the Nichols College Athletic Hall of Honor. But this was not his first time being honored for his athletic prowess: In 1978 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame to honor his individual accomplishments in track and field.

While he was a freshman for the 1965 season, MacQuarrie literally hit the ground running and was a major contributor to the team’s undefeated season. His participation in the team early in his college career fostered a spirit of community and involvement that stayed with him through his four years at Nichols and then throughout his adult life. As a senior, MacQuarrie parlayed his desire to be involved and give back into leadership roles on campus – as the president of the student government and as captain of the track team.

MacQuarrie made the most of Don MacQuarrie (above, front right) his time at Nichols, and now stands proud among his 1965 cross considers it his duty to repay country teammates and reflects on his alma mater for giving him their undefeated season at the team’s Hall of Honor induction in September such a great foundation of (upper right). participation and leadership.

“The older you get, you realize the impact the school had on you. This makes you want to give back,” MacQuarrie says.

One manner in which he has opted to give back is through making a planned gift to Nichols. MacQuarrie made a provision in his will for Nichols, for which Nichols has named him a member of the Colonel Conrad Society, Nichols College’s legacy society that honors donors who have documented planned gifts to the college.

“Nichols was a key component of my development,” MacQuarrie says. “I think everybody should give back.”

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Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | S u m m e r 2 0 1 6

“The older you get, you realize the impact the school had on you. This makes you want to give back.”

If, like Don MacQuarrie ’69, you have also made provisions in your will for Nichols, please inform the Advancement Office so that we may include you in the Conrad Society and thank you appropriately. For more information on these and other planned gifts, such as naming Nichols as a beneficiary in a life insurance policy or retirement account, charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts, contact Heather Maykel, planned giving coordinator, at 508-213-2425 or heather.maykel@nichols.edu.

You may also visit www.nicholsgiving.org for helpful information about the tax advantages of these gifts.

S TAY C O N N E C T E D

CLASS OF 1966

50th Reunion September 30, 2016

Moments in Time Your alma mater and classmates want to keep in touch with you!

Sign up for the alumni email newsletter Nichols & Sense by sending your email address to: alumnioffice@nichols.edu.

alumnioffice@nichols.edu | community.nichols.edu

F Nichols.College

t @NicholsAlumni

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PA I D PERMIT #375 NASHUA NH

P.O. Box 5000 Dudley, MA 01571-5000

Visit online at community.nichols.edu

Homecoming 2016: Beyond the BISONtennial Friday, September 30, 2016

Saturday, October 1, 2016

10:30 and 11 a.m—Golf (Dudley Hill Golf Club) Limited tee times for alumni

8–11 a.m.—Alumni Check-In/Registration & Welcome (Lot J and Race Tent on Center Road)

4–6 p.m.—Alumni Check-In (Fels Student Center)

9 a.m. start—5K Stampede (Center Road) $15 per runner, students free with ID, includes Hall of Fame brunch

4 p.m.—Field Hockey vs. Gordon College (Vendetti Field) 5–6:30 p.m.—Golden Bison Reception and Class of ’66 Induction (Fels Student Center) Off-site dinner to follow 6:30–10:30 p.m.—Alumni & Legacy Dinner and Bison’s Den Pub Night (Daniels Auditorium Tent and the Bison’s Den) Music, bar, and comfort food, followed by snacks and a cold one in the Bison’s Den (for alumni 21 plus), $15 per person, registration required 7 p.m.—Women’s Soccer vs. Endicott College (Vendetti Field)

For an updated schedule and information on accommodations and shuttles, visit community.nichols.edu or call 866-622-4766.

9–11 a.m.—Campus Tours with Student Ambassadors (Upper Campus) 10 a.m.–1 p.m.—Family Activities: “Beach Volleyball,” Rock Wall Climbing (Athletic Center) 10–11:30 a.m.—Hall of Fame Brunch (Daniels Auditorium)$10 per person, registration required 10–4 p.m.—Tailgating (Lot M) 1 p.m.—Football vs. WNEU (Vendetti Field) 5 p.m.—Tailgate attendee/GOLD Grad Reunion (Drafters/ Tri-State Speedway) First 30 get Homecoming T-shirt/ Swag/Apps!

6–9 p.m.—Class of 1966 Dinner (Off Campus, TBD)