secretary ran into were Tom Chadwick, Mike Cherry, Nick Ciriello, Terry Combs and Tom Goodale. All of us looked pretty good, our accumulated scars of half a century hidden under well-tailored suits. Apologies to any classmates we didn’t run into and therefore aren’t mentioned. Determinedly absent was Marty Rosol, not a reunion enthusiast. Marty writes: “Jeanne and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on July 25. All our children and grandchildren were present, which was a true blessing and joy. This definitely had a greater emotional impact than did the Taft 50th.” So there.
1956
Class Secretary/Head Class Agent: Jack McLeod, 275 Heron’s Run Dr., #710, Sarasota, FL 34232
Chris Davenport writes, “I was interested to read in the ’55 class notes (Summer 2009) Chic Gast’s recollection of the Great Dining Room Caper. Even though he was one of the perpetrators, his memory of the incident differs somewhat from mine. The incident happened in the spring of 1955. Early on a Sat., we came down to breakfast on that warm morning and found the car chained and padlocked to the banister of the stairs outside the dining hall; I don’t think it was chained to a table. Since both Mr. Oscarson and Mr. McKinley were new that year, they had not yet earned seniority for a garage across the street, so both of them kept their cars parked in one of the circles. It would have added considerably to the difficulty of their task if the perpetrators had had to unlock a garage door and roll a car across Route 6. They picked one parked in the Headmaster’s Circle. Mr. Oscarson was tall and rather husky. My recollection is that his car was a big, clunky Buick. He would have had something of a hard time trying to fold himself into a Morris Minor. (At 6′4″ I speak from experience.) The McKinleys’ car was a blue Morris Minor convertible. And it was a cynosure for students because it had a Princeton decal on the back. In fact, the car’s nickname was the Tigermobile. I believe that the maintenance crew spent some time that morning using a hacksaw to cut the chain and free the car. We all went to Jobs Assembly that day, dreading what the administration might have decided about the matter. In one of the very few times that Mr. Cruikshank ever let his hair down, he began to talk about the matter. He said that there had been a trustees’ meeting that morning and that the trustees wondered if he had done it. He went on to say what a tragedy it was that the people who engineered this
feat would be unsung heroes—no one would ever know who they were. And he added that if they would like to reveal themselves to him, he would be happy to give them credit. Then he walked out to loud cheers from the assembly.”
1957
Class Secretary: Dick McGavern, 4335 Tichenor Point Dr., Canandaigua, NY 14424-8230, rmcgaver@rochester.rr.com; Head Class Agent: William C. Weeks, 11 Fresenius Rd., Westport, CT 06880, cindybill@optonline.net
I, Dick, recently read and enjoyed Peter Kilborn’s Next Stop Reloville. I recommend it to you and your children, who may be more able to relate to “Relovillers” than our generation. Peter did a very good job of researching and reporting on this large group of American Workers. Holcombe Green writes: “I continue to remain active in my private equity business and currently have a significant investment in a telecom co. headquartered in Atlanta. My oldest son, Holcombe III ’87, is on the board at Taft and was chair of the Annual Fund for the past few years.” From Noel Laing: “Things are going well for the Va. Tafties. Charles Harris bought a house just a mile from our farm so we are neighbors. I see him and John Sullivan every Sun. as we go to Trinity Episcopal Church together. We are all also in the Brotherhood of St. Andrews, which is a men’s group that meets every other Sat. for breakfast and lively discussions on many topics from religion to politics with everything in between. I do a lot of volunteering with our local senior center in spite of the fact that I should be attending, not helping out. Charles is into beekeeping and American chestnut redevelopment. John has not retired but splits his time between Washington, D.C., and Washington, Va. Can’t get in touch with Frank Chapin ’56. He is here in the county but I am unable to reach him.” From Roger Hartley in Duluth, Minn.: “I have been busy the last few months—traveling to weddings. Starting in early May we went to one of our friends in Siegsdorf, Bavaria, Germany; next, to one of Sandra’s nephews in St Paul, Minn.; then to another of Sandra’s nephews in Dublin, Ireland; and finally, back here to my son Eric’s. Now we are home and trying to catch up on sleep and money. I work two days a week as a sports massage therapist and just had a client win the 40–45 age group at the National Triathlon Championships in Tuskaloosa, Ala. In Oct. I worked with the National Biathlon team for a week at Soldier Hollow, Utah,
as they prepared for the 2010 Olympics in Whistler, B.C., Canada. Sandra and I will attend the Olympics right after I go to Hanover to attend the 50th Reunion of Dartmouth’s undefeated Ivy League season. Rusty Ingersoll ’56 will be there too, as he heads the committee that is organizing the event.” Jim Rogers reports that his doctors found some new locations of cancer; his oncologist is working to put together a new chemical program. Jim adds, “So the fight goes on.” From Ed Wang: “My wife Yam and I have traveled to seven countries and 12 must-see places in the States since retirement. We are the true believers of ‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the places and moments that take our breath away.’ Besides exercising three times a week in gym, at least once a week we take our inquisitive 2½-year-old grandson to educational places around the SF Bay area. My present hobby is creating some videos on YouTube. (See: 148mSv for my health, gocreate65 for hobbies and hcc77777 for fun.)” Bill Weeks writes, “I continue to be in ‘complete remission.’ When I asked my oncologist, ‘How do you explain that?’ He answered with a big smile, ‘What do you care? Get out of here! I have sick patients to see.’ I am now volunteering at Norwalk Hospital to try to give back to an institution that has taken such good care of me. It’s a very special place with very special people—I am indeed fortunate.” Art Johnson was dealing with the cold wet summer when he wrote: “I have a large vegetable garden as well as an orchard, grape vines, etc., and Mother Nature has not been smiling down on most of these endeavors.” Tommy Hickcox relaxed with the border patrol recently: “Jean and I and the hounds made a quick trip to the family summer place on Lake Memphremagog right on the border of Vt. and Quebec. The leisure time in the woods along and either side of the border is out now thanks to Homeland Security. Our encounters with the Border Patrol were quite polite. Apparently, we didn’t fit any evildoer profile. Having visited there off and on for 70 years was to my advantage.” Burt Lippa writes: “Patti and Jim Rogers visited in the summer. We spent time in both Taos and Santa Fe. Highlights of the visit were viewing the sculptures of John Simms ’56 and attending the Indian Market.” It is good to hear from more of us. Please continue to contribute. We are all interested and to make this interesting, we need news from everyone! [The Bulletin apologizes for the incorrect caption in the summer issue of the photo on p. 54. It should have read, “Bill Mazeine ’57 visits Wayne Jackson ’57 in Bermuda.”] Taft Bulletin Fall 2009 51