 |
President's CornerAugust 2018 Dear Classmates: Every August, my predecessors and I have provided you with a brief summary of the past year and plans for the future. This year, I would like to emphasize our mini-reunion planning and our support of PICS, Princeton Internships in Civic Service. But first, the past year. We had a nice turnout for our 51st Reunion. The high points were, of course, seeing classmates and friends, as well as Tom Tulenko’s presentation of PJ&B: The Princeton and Back Railroad, 1865-1967 — before the Dinky and Doug Kelbaugh and Pepper Pettit’s presentation of URBAN COOL--How Cities Combat Climate Change. At the Alumni Association lunch, we accepted the coveted Class of 1945 Award for the P-rade at our 50th. Our gathering in front of Nassau Hall before this year’s the P-rade and the informal class dinner afterwards were great but somewhat dampened--figurately and literally--by the unprecedented cancellation of the P-rade due to threatening lighting storms. One of our classmates with whom I spoke prior to the P-rade was John Davis; I’m glad I did, because John unexpectedly passed away a few weeks later. I’m also saddened to report that Bill Richardson, with whom I remember talking last year, unexpectedly died a few weeks ago, and, as you are aware from the PAW, we lost John Bender in April. Thanks to our Annual Giving chairs, Sadler Poe (sadlerpoe@comcast.net) and Marty Eichelberger (martin@dr-eichelberger.com), we had a solid year with a good Class participation rate. You can assist this year by getting involved with the 67 for ’67 committee and, of course, by your contributions to the Best Old Place of All. This year, through the able leadership of Class Vice President Dave Martin (davem@280capitalpartners.com) and his mini-reunion committee, we expect to organize a number of local mini-reunions. The first will be held on September 13 at the San Jose Museum of Art, through the efforts of Mike Bewley. In addition, we are planning on Friday, March 8, 2019--the 67th day of the year--as the annual Gather Anywhere Day, a day on which we will encourage two or more classmates to gather anywhere they choose simply to enjoy one another’s company. In a year, as previously advised, we are planning a class weekend in New York on November 8-9, 2019, when Princeton will play Dartmouth at Yankee Stadium to celebrate the 150th anniversary of collegiate football. Thanks to Allen Adler, we have arranged an afternoon event at the Morgan Library and Museum followed by a great class dinner in New York for Friday night. We’re working on a reception after the game on Saturday. Last, please respond to Treasurer Bob Lem’s enclosed letter both for dues and for an additional contribution to the great organization that we have supported as a class for many years—Princeton Internships in Civic Service (PICS). After discussions with undergraduates, we concluded that there was a strong but insufficiently fulfilled need for internships. PICS provides civic service internships, has a very successful record, is well-organized, and our classmate Marty Eichelberger a board member. This summer, we sponsored internships at: Carrier Clinic, sourced by Tom Amato; Children’s National Medical Center, sourced by Marty Eichelberger; Bottom Line, sourced by Frank Strasburger and supported by Larry Lucchino; the Criminal Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida; the Princeton Blairstown Center; Make the Road NJ; uAspire Boston; and Center for Supportive Schools. Please strongly consider a gift through the Class to this worthy effort. Best regards, Richard O. Prentke President, Mighty Class of 1967 May 2017 Dear Classmates: Our 50th was great, and we want to maintain the momentum it generated. As a major part of doing so, we have organized a committee, enthusiastically chaired by Vice President Dave Martin, to provide leadership, planning and structure for future class activities. Other members of the committee include Tom Amato, Dick Fiss, Peter Holzer, and Bob Mayer, as well as emeritus members John Claster and Allen Adler. In addition to “off-year” reunions, which I will discuss later, the committee has focused on Mini-reunions. What exactly, you may ask, is meant by a Mini reunion? It is an organized class event other than the formal annual reunion in Princeton. We have had a variety of these events over the past 50 years that have provided excellent experiences and resulted in high levels of enthusiasm. We want to be proactive in helping our classmates facilitate as many quality Minis as possible in the future to continue to build and enjoy the comradery we experienced at our 50th. Minis are attractive for many reasons: they are smaller and therefore more intimate; anyone can organize one; they can be as frequent as you want; they can have a variety of focuses to attract various cross sections of the class; and they can be used for a variety of purposes, including, for example, to celebrate a specific event. They are almost always led by classmates--not the Class itself--and are paid for by the attendees. Examples of Minis include:
A Mini occurs because one or two people decide to step forward and organize it. It’s up to you. The role of the Mini Committee is simply to help facilitate Mini reunions. It can, for example, provide you with classmate contact information sorted in just about any way you want, or it can assist with access to the Alumni Affairs Office or the Class website, or it can just provide advice. You can contact members of the committee through the following email addresses: Dave Martin davem@280capitalpartners.com Tom Amato tom@amatoventures.com Dick Fiss ddsciao@aol.com Peter Holzer peterjholzer@aol.com Bob Mayer writergm@earthlink.netNote that we already have tab for Minis on the Class website (http://www.princeton67.com), with more to come. Best regards, Richard O. Prentke President, Mighty Class of 1967 Thank you for your kind comments, emails and notes expressing the great time you had at our 50th Reunion. Many reflected on the “mellowness” of our classmates, the thoughtful events, and the enjoyable discussions with old and new friends. These experiences were facilitated by the behind-the-scenes work of a diverse group of classmates over several years. The purpose of this letter is to recognize them and to provide you with requested links to various aspects of the reunion I must start with our reunion co-chairs, Tom Amato and Bob Mayer. Their leadership of a group of volunteers, their attention to detail, and their abiding sensitivity made the reunion great. On behalf of the class, thanks to Tom and Bob. By the way, the video that our crack professional video crew struggled to project at the Friday dinner has been retrieved and, in a week or two, will be posted in its entirety on www.Princeton67.com, with additional footage from the 50th. Note the prescient words of Robert Goheen at the end. Thanks to Bob Mayer and his son Ian for creating a great video. And, by popular demand, Tom has arranged to make the class wine available for purchase—with those custom labels—here. John Klein and his editors Ken Logan, Tom Gross, Jim Kempf and John Alexander created an unprecedented, monumental book, on time and on budget, that helped inspire about 350 of our classmates to attend the reunion—more than half our surviving classmates. The book was sent, free of charge, to each classmate as a result of the generous patronage of classmates Bob Booth, John Claster, Tom Gross, David Hoster, Ken Logan, John Klein, Steve Oxman, myself, Steve Ranney, Peter Turchi, and Dubby Wynne. Galen Aoki was singularly responsible for maintaining the central communication link to you: www.Princeton67.com. Galen was not only talented but also incredibly responsive and diplomatic as the inevitable questions and issues arose. Peter Holzer oversaw registration and finance and was critical to producing a reunion that ran in the black and, through his insight, provided a vehicle for financial assistance that allowed a number of classmates and widows to attend. Thanks to all classmates who donated to this much needed fund. The creativity of Tim Tulenko was put to use in overseeing the ’67 wardrobe and theme and producing the popular optional supplements to the ’67 wardrobe—how about those orange railroad pants? Thanks to Tom Tulenko for overseeing the theme, organizing the P-rade and striving to herd our wandering classmates as we strolled through the campus. Pepper Pettit and Bob Lem were responsible for our reunion headquarters. Pepper led a terrific student crew, and Bob headed our broad housing effort. Laura and Ted Todd oversaw food and beverages from our informal dinner on Thursday through a wonderful brunch at the boathouse on Sunday. The ability of legendary Lanny Springs to find the best bands was once again demonstrated by the fact that the word got around, and we once again hosted many younger classes by the late show on Saturday night. Allen Adler facilitated our access to his much-loved Art Museum for the wonderful cocktail party on Friday evening. Rev. Frank Strasburger arranged for the warm and powerful class memorial service at the Chapel on Saturday morning. As each deceased classmate’s photo was shown, a friend spoke his name. Frank’s moving homily can be read here [link], the selection from This Side of Paradise that I read can be seen here [link], and Andie Laporte’s reading from the book of Micah is here [link]. We were able to obtain an audio recording of the entire service, which is available here [link]. There were few dry eyes in the congregation as the service concluded with Old Nassau, the last verse of which ends with “Till then with joy our songs we’ll sing, / And while a breath we draw, / We’ll all unite to shout and sing: / Long life to Old Nassau.” We made three new honorary classmates at the Friday dinner: Mollie Marcoux Samaan ‘91, worthy successor of Gary Walters as Director of Athletics; Sue Pierson, the Director of Residential Dining, who has been a great friend of the class for many reunions; and Mibs Southerland Mara, the Senor Associate Director for Class Affairs and Reunions. Two extraordinary recognitions were also announced at the dinner. Dr. Marty Eichelberger was surprised by the Board of Princeton Internships in Civic Service—an organization that we as a class have annually supported. They announced that the medical internships Marty championed will henceforth be named the “Martin Eichelberger ’67 Medical Internships.” [http://pics.princeton.edu] Walt Kozumbo then described an event earlier that day at which Hayward Gipson was honored by the University and the class with a plaque and display in Jadwin that recognized his achievements as the first African-American student at Princeton to earn a varsity letter in football. [https://www.princetontigersfootball.com/2017/06/princeton-wins-one-for-gip/] Gip’s remarks, and the standing ovation he received from the class, were heartfelt. [See also: http://goprincetontigers.com/news/2000/12/4/670928.aspx?path=general] After the class photo on Saturday morning, Gary Walters awarded Sam Isaly an honorary varsity letter on behalf of the class and the Department of Athletics, and Sam was truly inspiring. [http://goprincetontigers.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-ride-around-reunions.html] The class conducted a number of well-attended forums. Thanks to Dr. Collin Weber for organizing the Medical Insights & Realities for our Lives forum with Drs. Bob Booth, John Baker, Marty Eichelberger, Bob Beart, Ron Grossman, Phil Burstein and Bill Chambers. Their slides will be available by next week on the class website. Architects Rob Brown and Pepper Pettit discussed Climate Change and Urbanism; much to his dismay, University of Michigan Dean Doug Kelbaugh was unable to join the panel, but with a good excuse—he could not fly from England because he suffered a punctured lung in a bicycle accident earlier in the week. The class also conducted a forum for poets and writers moderated by Bob Mayer with featured special guest Bob Holman, founder of the Bowery Poetry Club: The Power of Word: How Do We Use It? In addition, classmates participated in University-wide forums, including Larry Lucchino in Beyond the Scoreboard: The Business of Sports; Frank Strasburger in The Developing Landscape of Africa; Tom Tulenko in The Princeton Junction and Back Railroad 1865-1967 – Before the Dinky; and Professor Alan Blinder in Divided We Stand: Dysfunction in DC. I especially want to thank my colleagues and your class officers: Treasurer Bob Lem, Secretaries Lanny Springs and Peter Safir, Vice Presidents Galen Aoki, John Claster, Bob Grant, Bob Popkin, and Frank Strasburger, and Executive Committee members Allen Adler, Jim Edmondson, and Bill Paternotte. I will continue my term as President for the next five years; Ken Logan and Tom Gross will replace Lanny and join Peter as Class Tri-Secretaries; Jim Kempf will become our Class Memorialist; and the following classmates will join our current Vice Presidents—Tom Amato, Dick Fiss, John Klein, Dave Martin, and Bob Mayer. Last—Annual Giving. Thanks to the enormous efforts of Dick Fiss, Bob Popkin, 67 for ’67, John Claster, Dubby Wynne and their Special Gifts Committee, we are headed to an unprecedented Annual Giving dollar record. Many classmates have stretched to make a gift that is significant to them for the special time of our 50th Reunion. We are also striving to challenge the participation record for a 50th Reunion, which means donations from more than 80% of the class. We are just about there, but we need your help. As of today, we are over 70%, and we reach our goal if, appropriately, only 67 more classmates donate by June 30. Please do not procrastinate—make a gift of any size today in honor of our 50th. It’s easy to give at http://giving.princeton.edu/make-gift. We have a mighty class. We have great classmates. We had a great reunion. Thanks to everyone! Best regards, Richard O. Prentke President, Mighty Class of 1967 |
|