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Dear Classmates and Friends/Family/ Guests of the Wonderful Class of ‘71:
One hundred seventy-seven of us (see list) celebrated our 50th Reunion August 7th – 10th, 2022 — a year late, but well worth the wait! We have videos of the presentations, and lots of photos taken by the professional photographer the College hired. If you have some you’d like to add, send them, with some text identifying what they are, when/where they were taken, who’s in them, etc., to [email protected].
It takes a lot of people to make a Reunion come together; it takes more for a milestone like a 50th, and even more when it’s delayed. Our crew is listed on pages 250 and 251 of our Class Book. There are also some Reunion events that require specific prior planning: Sue Brown painted cows, Rob Farnham, Steve Latham, and Steve Brown helped Mark Robertson ’02 brew our “No Frats” beer,
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and Bob Eyre, Rob, Steve, and Commissioner Mark Engasser got the Pickleball courts ready.
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You can use the links below to jump to the part of the Reunion Program you’d like to visit; we also have some pictures of people in their free time.
Sunday:
Monday:
- Lighting the Brain
- Grandchildren Learning
- Athletics Today
- Sondheim
- Women of ’71
- Monday Cocktails and Dinner
Tuesday:
- Managing Infirmity
- Ukraine / Russian War
- Williams Students of Today
- Parade
- Picture on Farley-Lamb Field
- Box Lunch with students
- Classmate Memorial Service
- Tuesday Cocktails, Dinner, and Dance Party
Wednesday:
Sunday, August 7: Welcoming Dinner: Heavy hors d’oeuvres fit for dinner at the Faculty House. We had a selection of beers and wines Spinetta 21 Rose Casanova, Abc 20 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara, Gramona 16/17 Cava Grand Cuvee, and Vietti 21 Ameis), paid for by a group of beer aficionados and oenophiles. Tables were set up for House affiliations, and just for people to hang out. The bar remained open for continued conversation, etc.
Monday, August 8:
8 AM – 10 AM: Continental breakfast in Class Tent — coffee, juice, muffins / Danish, yogurt, fruit.
8 AM – 12:00 Noon: Free time. Activities included tours of Chapin Library Rare Books Special Collections hosted by Rich Casden; a visit to Professor Hank Art’s house for a tour of his meadow and vegetable garden; a tour of Sawyer Library; and a tour of Wachenheim Science Center.
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM: Lunch in Class Tent.
Programs:
Adding a Bit of Color and Light to the Brain: Associate Professor of Biology and Faculty Affiliate in Neuroscience Matt Carter discussed his collaborative research with students aiming to shine light on how factors such as sleep, food, and water produce sensations in the brain described as “tired / awake,” “hungry / full,” and “thirsty / quenched.”
Matt has shared his slides with us.
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What and How Will Your Grandchildren Learn: A discussion incorporating Judy Willis’ neuroscience expertise and David Sobel’s teaching and authorship on such subjects as “The Forest Kindergarten” or “Thinking Skills Developed in Nature.” John Chambers, with supervisory experience as Superintendent of Schools in Westchester, NY, moderated.
Judy has shared her slides with us, and David has given us some articles on Children’s Resilience and defining “readiness”.
What Would Chafe, Bobby Coombs, and Al Shaw Think: Coaching Today’s Williams Athlete: Athletics today on campus. Coaches Kevin App (Men’s Basketball), Alicia Lee (Women’s Lacrosse), and Pat Manning (Women’s Basketball) discuss today’s Williams athletes, the changes in coaching, and the role of athletics in the College’s educational mission.
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| Alicia, Pat, and Kevin |
Sondheim: Steve Lawson and Gordon Clapp traced Stephen Sondheim ’50, his artistic first steps while an undergraduate, and subsequent rise to becoming the leading theatrical composer/lyricist of our time. Steve also shared anecdotes from his personal acquaintance with Sondheim.
Women of ’71: Paul Lieberman’s documentary “The Pioneers” chronicles the experience of women on campus and their paths to becoming a critical and historical part of Williams ’71. The film runs 40 minutes, and was followed by a panel discussion with female classmates and exchange students.
A related piece appears on page 36 of our Class Book.
Dinner: Cocktails in our Class Tent, followed by a not-so-formal dinner. Business Casual attire gave way to “come as you are” given the weather. Class President Steve Brown and Reunion Chair Rob Farnham made some remarks, and President Maud S. Mandel described how ’71’s 50th Reunion Gift will be used and how it promotes the Williams strategic plan.
| Again, wine (Cremant de Bourgogne, Rose Granit, La Spinetta, Pierre Clement Menetou-Salon, Burgan’s Albariño, Louis Moreau Chablis, Andrew Rich Pinot Noir, and Chateau Blaignan, selected by Kent Rude and Class Sommeiller Steve Latham) was provided through the generosity of a group of classmates, along with beer. Mark Robertson ’02 dispensed some of his special “No Frats” beer to Reunion Chair Rob “Beer is Food” Farnham; they taste-tested with Steve Brown and Steve Latham, with Gene Bauer also providing expert assistance. |
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The 50th Reunion Team (Darlene “the Doer” Alderman, Kate “the Incredible” Hyde ’96, and Mark “Shackleton” Robertson ’02) were given ’71 tie-dye T-shirts, as was Maud; Steve Brown received the Rogerson Cup award, “the College’s highest award for alumni service;” and John Ackroff accepted the Sawyer Trophy on behalf of our Class.
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Tuesday, August 9:
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Continental breakfast like Monday’s.
Programs:
Home Caregivers: Managing infirmity to stay at home. Dr. Mark Ruchman led a discussion with Paul Willis, Bruce MacNelly, and Wendy Morrow regarding infirmities of vision, mobility, and cognition, sharing ideas on how be be alert to symptoms, and managing the care of loved ones at home.
Paul has shared his slides with us. We also have videos of Paul’s talk, Wendy’s talk, and Bruce’s talk.
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Ukraine / Russian War: John Walcott, past editor of Knight Ridder newsgroup, Bill Strong, President of Eschaton Funds, and John Finnerty, Professor of Finance at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business discussed the resulting geopolitics of the Ukraine War, the effectiveness of economic sanctions as a global policy tool, and its impact on U.S. and global economies.
John Walcott has shared the notes from his presentation with us.
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What would Fred Rudolph, Bob Gaudino, and Whit Stoddard Think of Teaching Today’s Williams Classroom? Williams Student of Today. Faculty members Gretchen Long (Dean of the College and Frederick Rudolph ’42 – Class of 1965 Professor of American Culture), Eiko Maruko Siniawer’97 (Provost and Class of 1955 Memorial Professor of History and Chair of Asian Studies), and Julie Blackwood (Associate Professor, Mathematics and Statistics) discussed student body make-up, the increased role of STEM courses within the liberal arts, challenges in the classroom (e.g., cancel culture), the tutorial experience, and theme housing.
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| Gretchen, Eiko, and Julie |
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Class Parade:
We “marched” to Farley-Lamb field for our Class Picture. Along the way, classmates gathered with Maud, and Mort Wasserman, Doug Pickard, and Pat Stone stepped aside for a picture under the watchful (?) eye of Nick Tortorello:
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Class Picture:
Our Class Picture was taken on Farley-Lamb Field just before the next round of rain showers arrived.
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Lunch with Students:
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| Cara Sturdevant ’25 with Ned Weihman and Rob Farnham |
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| Mike and Laura Foley with John MacAllister and Laurel Moranz | Wally Schlech, and Eimear O’Loughlin Schlech and Bo Schlech; Lachlan, Will, and Maeve Schlech | Roommates John MacAllister, Steve Brown, and Mike Foley |
12:00 Noon – 4:00 PM: Free time. Activities included tours of Chapin Library Rare Books Special Collections hosted by Rich Casden; a visit to Professor Hank Art’s house for a tour of his meadow and vegetable garden; a tour of Sawyer Library; and a tour of Wachenheim Science Center.
Classmate Memorial Service: Shared memories of classmates we’ve lost since our 45th Reunion including a video loop, as well as recognition of all our deceased classmates. Piano accompaniment by Bob Eyre, with Geo Estes lending his voice.
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Tuesday Dinner: Cocktails and informal buffet dinner in Class Tent, with recognition and thanks to Class members, followed by dancing to the golden era of music (1967 – 1971) spiced with some fun disco and recent hits. All styles (Twist, Jerk, Watusi, Frug, etc.) and motions were encouraged with no embarrassment allowed.
Again, beer and wine (Raventos Cava, Gavoty Cotes de Provence Rosé, Pierre Clement Menetou Salon, Storm Point Chenin Blanc, RouteStock Chardonnay, Stolpman Syrah Santa Barbara, Notre Dame Gigondas, and Black Slate Priorat) was provided through the generosity of a group of classmates.
Morgan West was represented by Andy Grunwald, Mike Rade, Gene Bauer, Nick Tortorello, and Don Macartney in the front row, and Doug Pickard, Dave Olson, Colin Brown, Pat Stone, Mort Wasserman, and Brian Burke in back.
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Wednesday, August 10:
Upscale Brunch in Class Tent
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| Bill Wilson displayed his Collector Cars (including 1949 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special) to Bernie Brush and Steve Saxby. | Robert Steinglass, Ed Lipkin, Bruce Duncan, Annie Ager (left photo) and Ann Lipkin (right photo), John Ager, Sam Beer, Pat Stone, and Mort Wasserman in the Hopkins Memorial Forest. | ||||||
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| George Reigeluth, Jennifer Kramer, David Sobel, Howie Horn, Cornelia Carey, and Paul Hannan enjoy the view at the high point of a ride led by Tony Goodwin; they’re east of Adams, with the Hoosac Range in the background. | |||||||
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| Rob Farnham lines the Pickleball court, supervised by Mark Engasser and Bob Eyre. | Bob, Mark, and Rob survey the results. | Steve Brown congratulates Bob on a job well done. | |||||
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