April 2008 Class Notes

Professor Bruce H. McCormick died November 30, 2007 in Rio Rancho, NM. His initial education was in physics; his career was characterized by interdisciplinary activity at the interfaces of physics, computer science and bioengineering, e.g., studying the microcircuitry of the brain. He retired in 2005 from Texas A&M University, where he had founded the Computer Science Department. His last known address is 2400 Manzano Loop NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144. Bruce is survived by his wife Molly.

Edward P. Cignoni Jr. passed away in Hyannis, MA on January 31, 2008. He had been a design engineer with the Missile Systems Division of Raytheon Corp. His last known address is P.O. Box 1587, Brewster, MA 02631. He is survived by his wife Ruth and three sons.

James T Y Wong died on February 15, 2008 in Sacramento. His last known address is 6180 Colgate Court, Sacramento, CA 95831. James was a veteran of the Korean War. He is survived by his wife Maylene, four children, and ten grandchildren.

Harry F. Raab Jr., who was the chief physicist on the Navy's nuclear propulsion program, died February 16, 2008 in Fairfax, VA. His last known address was 8202 Ector Court, Annandale, VA 22003. He spent 44 years with Westinghouse, under contract to the Navy, designing nuclear reactors for Navy submarines and ships. He was a top adviser to Adm. Hyman G. Rickover. Harry is survived by his wife of 56 years, Phebe Duerr Raab, three children, a sister, six grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

Walter Leslie Allison, Jr. of Hamden, CT, died February 23, 2008. Les was born in India (of missionary parents) and lived there until he was 16. After coming to the U.S., he served for two years in the Air Force before attending MIT. Les worked for the Olin Corporation for his entire 38-year career. His last known address is 200 Leeder Hill Dr Apt 408 Hamden CT 06517. Les is survived by his wife Peggy, four children and seven grandchildren.

Donald Clarke Lea passed away in Ayer, MA on February 26, 2008. His last known address is 38 Shirley St., Pepperell, MA 01463. Don served in the U.S. Army before entering MIT, where he received both SB and SM in Chemical Engineering Practice. After a time in industry, Don began a 41-year career as a secondary-school science teacher, where he also coached hockey, lacrosse and soccer. He retired from the Groton School in 1996. At MIT, Don was a brilliant hockey player – the December 10, 1948 issue of THE TECH contains the headline “Icemen Upset Northeastern 8-7 as Don Lea Scores Five Goals”. Don is survived by his wife Ellie, four sons and seven grandchildren.

Missing Persons Report

In last month’s notes (February 2008), we published a list of classmates whom we are currently unable to locate. Several of you have responded with leads. Sadly, most of these leads are to classmates who have died. We are currently in the process of having the information verified by the Alumni Association. We’ll keep you informed. In the meantime, when you have the time, please continue to review the list, and let us hear from you.

From: "Mel Z" ultraspace@gmail.com
To: joeviola@alum.mit.edu; tomkeane@alum.mit.edu
Subject: Class Notes -- Class '50
Date: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 9:47 PM

Attn: Joseph D'Annunzio Sec'y & Thomas R. Keane Ass't Sec'y

I'm Mel Zaid, Class of 50 and I will attend the California mini-reunion in late March.
I have been out of touch with many of my MIT associates over the years and thought the "Class Notes" column might be a good way of re-introducing myself by way of showing -- *regardless of where our life path leads – a good education is forever*.
Briefly after receiving plenty of degrees Stanford (BSME '48, MSAM '49) and MIT (MechE '50, ScD '51) and starting out as a "great engineer" who was going to change the world; and indeed doing a lot of that without actually making a dent -- amid a flash of lightning -- I realized that there were other things I needed to try while I still had my marbles together. So in the early 70's, with a period of retraining and a studio of my own I emerged from my cocoon as an artist -- a sculptor. But not being able to leave behind all that left brain stuff (that Stanford and MIT instilled to warp my brain) -- I have evolved my own art form, "left brain art".
Inquisitive about what a left brained scientist would do as an artist -- look at www.multispace.net and explore the hot links on the home page and the related images. Still inquisitive about the visual language and alternate universes -- I have a DVD which deals with these questions. I will send it to those who are interested - (request at studio@multispace.net )
Looks like I regressed since graduation -- but that's maturity for you.
Mel Zaid
P.O.Box 20148
Santa Barbara, CA 93120
studio@multispace.net
From: Ingalill Gilbraith ingalloyd@earthlink.net
To: joeviola@alum.mit.edu
Sent: Sat, 8 Mar 2008 3:31 pm
Subject: AES Memories
Joe -- Lloyd Licher here, class of 1950, course XVI, Aero. I had occasion recently to record some memories of MIT days for a history of the AES (MIT Glider Club) that Ira Blieden is compiling on a CD, and thought to send a copy to you (appended below) for possible posting on the class web site, if there is one. I recall getting an e-mail recently about some sort of reunion of ’50/XVI alums, but didn't keep a copy. If you have a contact e-mail address for that event I'd appreciate getting it so I could send them a copy of my AES Memories, also, unless you want to do it. Thanks. -- Lloyd

Click here for Lloyd Licher’s AES Memories.

John Kocher chimes in : Lloyd, in case Joe hasn't answered your question, here's the link to our class website. http://alumweb.mit.edu/classes/1950/
Great story. I’ve thought about trying gliding/soaring, but somehow never had the opportunity.
By the way, I soloed in a J3 on skis in 1943.
John Kocher


A special message for all you baseball folks out there from Joe D’Annunzio:

MIT BASEBALL 60th Anniversary

There will be a 60th anniversary celebration of MIT Baseball on May 10. Al (Pete) Petrosky has written the memoirs of the team’s first spring training trip. Will all the baseball players get back to me (joeviola@alum.mit.edu) or register for the event (see below).

Here is the official announcement:

Come celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Baseball at MIT on Saturday, May 10, 2008. The day long event will begin with registration in the Johnson Lobby at 10:00 a.m., the Alumni Baseball Game at Noon, followed by a reception and banquet at Le Meridien Hotel in Cambridge.
Register at http://www.mitathletics.com (click on Alumni Resources and choose this event), or call Lauren McLean at 617-253-0153. Registration fee is $60 per person includes lunch, alumni game, baseball hat, reception and dinner. Guests are welcome. Please respond by May 6, 2008.
Thank you.
Richard Brewer rbrewer@mit.edu

Al ‘Pete’ Petrosky writes:
The attached document is a memoir written at the request of Joe D'Annunzio in connection with your 60th Anniversary celebration. I was student manager of the 1950 team.
I do not plan to attend events in Cambridge, but wish you well.

Alfred 'Pete' Petrofsky, 1950 CE

Click here to read Pete’s memoir.

Thank you so much for the great writeup, Pete. We are sorry that you cannot attend. We’ll miss you. - Joe

From Jack DeWitt :
Joe:

I am still at Holiday Drive as I have been for 44 years and have been retired from a position as Quality Assurance Manager of a metal working company in Bridgeport, CT. for 14 years now. I have become deeply involved in photography and have had several photos published in a national magazine.

My wife Susan is a fourteen year survivor of lung cancer and a volunteer at the charity (Corporate Angel Network) that matches unused corporate jet seats with cancer patients needing transportation to distant treatment facilities.

In two weeks I will be attending a retirement ceremony in Georgia. My son is retiring from the US Air force after 27 years of service.

Jack DeWitt norfolk@optonline.net



From President Mel:

Please congratulate our terrific webmasters, John Kocher and Bob Michel, on being named to the MIT's Volunteer Honor Roll of Service, acknowledging their outstanding contributions to our class and website.

See the following for details of their award.

Mel Gardner

The award citations read:
John Kocher ’50 John and classmate Bob Michel work their magic every month to create the best possible web site for the Class of 1950. Their most recent presentation of the class’s mini-reunion held in September 2007 allowed everyone, both attendees and non-attendees, to enjoy the weekend’s events.
Robert C. Michel ’50, SM ’51 Bob and classmate John Kocher work their magic every month to create the best possible web site for the Class of 1950. Their most recent presentation of the class’s mini-reunion held in September 2007 allowed everyone, both attendees and non-attendees, to enjoy the weekend’s events.


The entire 2008 Volunteer Honor Roll may be viewed at: http://alum.mit.edu/gv/volunteer/recognition/vhr.html



And speaking of great webmasters, Bob Michel shared the following on March 20:

I should be meeting my great grandson, Liam, for the first time today. My grandson's family is flying in for a two week vacation over Easter.
After that I have my cataract operations coming up, so I'll probably be slow in responding to e-mails until into May when the second eye is scheduled.

Bob, you have a lot of company in the cataract surgery department. It has gone pretty well for most of us, and we wish the best for you.
You have a lot less company in the great-grandchild department, We hope that you are having a great visit. How about a picture? Liam has probably put on a few pounds since the photo in the November notes!


A letter from Bill Arbiter:
Dear Joe,
I have just finished reading the latest issue of the TechnologyReview and I decided that it would now be appropriate for me to provide some personal information in response to your request in the 1950 Class Notes. To that end, please note what follows.
Here is a brief summary of the pertinent episodes in my life prior to and since my MIT years.
I had graduated from Yonkers High School in Yonkers, NY in 1935 and had worked in my father’s wholesale business for several years. After saving sufficient money to start my advanced education at the University of Texas in Austin, I hitch-hiked there in 1938. When my money ran out I hitch-hiked back home. At about the time that I had returned home, my number in the national draft had been close to being called so I again returned to Austin using my chosen travel mode.
Shortly after arrival I decided to enlist in the Army Air Corps. As a result, I became a member of the ground crew of P43 fighter planes at Hamilton Field near San Francisco, Cal. That was followed by a transfer to Portland, Oregon where the plane was the P38. Another move resulted in my presence at Paine Field in Washington state where the Plane was the P47.
Next I was sent To Chanute Field, Ill. for training as an Airplane Mechanic. While there the Pearl Harbor attack occurred and after graduation a series of additional training sessions resulted in my becoming a 2nd Lieutenant and a bombardier/navigator.
In that capacity, I arrived at an air base in Yankai, China. From there I flew in 21 combat missions, spent some time in India, and at the war’s end I returned home.
Now it was time to again pursue a college education. I was fortunate to have been accepted for entrance to MIT on the basis of the grades that I had obtained at the University of Texas. Initially I had enrolled in Course III, Mineral Engineering. But after a short time I changed to Powder Metallurgy.
The first year was difficult for me not only because of the length of time since high school, but also because many of the courses that I needed I had not taken in high school. As a result, I had failed several of my courses and was required to drop out,
I was still determined to achieve an MIT education so I returned home and back to high school where I took the necessary courses and achieved excellent grades. This was accomplished at age 30.
On my return to MIT I was able to satisfactorily complete all the requirements for graduation in June 1950 as a Metallurgist.
This was followed by employment at seven different companies over the course of 33 years. During those years my activities included research efforts related to nuclear powered aircraft, solid state rocketry, mixer technology, atmosphere controls in apple storage warehouses and in nuclear submarines. Beyond research, there were the efforts aimed at constructing Floating Nuclear Power Plants where I managed many of the laboratories required for that activity.
In addition, there were stints during which studies to determine the cause of the failure of the vessel head bolts of a commercial nuclear test reactor were performed. As my career was nearing its final days I was again involved in nuclear work. Now, my primary task was to prepare final reports on the results of the inspections of failed fuel elements in several commercial reactors. However, because of a shortage of qualified personnel, I was also involved in several of the inspections.
To round out my varied experiences during those 33 years I must mention that I was awarded 3 patents on 3 different subjects, I had numerous disclosures that should have led to patents, but for quirks in fate, and I have had numerous reports and articles published in many prestigious publications.
I have now been retired for 25 years and during those years I have lived in Palm Beach County in Florida. While here I lost my wonderful wife Jewel after 49 years of ideal marriage. I have volunteered at a local hospital 3 days a week for the past 19 years. I have gone green by giving up my car and using a tricycle for transportation, and I have replaced incandescent bulbs with energy savers.

Home address: 1948 Polo Lake Dr. E. Wellington, FL 33414 ;
email address: aarrbbww@comcast .net;
Home telephone: 561-615-1066.

I suspect that there are not too many of us Course III students left. I was one of the oldest in my class and at 89 now, probably the oldest. I hope that this will be of use to you,

Sincerely,

William (Bill) Arbiter

Phishing Emails:

During March we sent out a couple of emails (to those of you who are on our email list) warning you about some fraudulent emails that seem to circulating. They appear to be official MIT communications, but they are not. They are attempts to steal passwords. In our second warning letter we asked folks to let us know if they had actually received these fake messages. The results were very interesting. Nearly all of the messages went to your class officers! So maybe our warnings were not necessary. But we are glad we warned you. It is better to be safe than sorry.


We want to wish you all a pleasant spring, filled with interesting experiences which you will let us hear about.

Joseph D’Annunzio, Class Secretary       Thomas R. Keane, Assistant Secretary
6943 Greentree Drive   332 Spalding Road
Naples, Florida 34108-8528   Wilmington, DE 19803
joeviola@alum.mit.edu    tomkeane@alum.mit.edu 
Phone 239-566-7346   Phone 302-658-2095

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