Here's the second column with
notes from our reunion last June. I'm writing in September and the reunion
seems like a long time ago. It was hard to get a count on how many classmates
attended. The Alumni Association lists weren't quite accurate, and some
people only attended one event. My estimate is that from Tech Night
at the Pops to Sunday brunch about 80 to 85 members of the Class of
1963 were on campus. Not a huge turnout, but more than some of our earlier
odd year reunions. Anyone want to wager on how many will show up for
the 50th reunion?
First a mea culpa. If I have
details wrong, incorrectly identified a spouse or significant other,
failed to write down the last name or relationship of a guest, I'm going
to blame it on the tiny handwriting I used for my notes. I'm working
from chicken scratchings I made on two yellow pages that are now over
three months old and crumbling from age. Please forgive me and, if the
error was egregious, send me the correct information - I'll get things
right in a future issue. If your information doesn't appear here I've
got perhaps two more columns with mostly reunion news. If I only had
a snippet of your news, send me more, and I'll put it in. Your classmates
like hearing from you. Trust me on this.
*Phil Marcus said he never
has a quiet moment. He's busy marketing and negotiating patent licenses.
His son Gary, MIT Ph.D. 1993, has his third book out, his daughter,
Julie, 20, is beginning a career in auto repair, and his wife Peg Silloway
has just begun a custom publishing business. *Steve Ditmeyer retired
in 2007 from the US Department of Transportation and his position as
DOT faculty chair at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National
Defense University. Steve now teaches part-time at Michigan State in
its new Railway Management Program. He and wife, Marty, continue to
live in Alexandria, VA. *Don Knutsen taught at Boston College, at Fordham
University in New York and worked much of his career at CBS. He is the
father of two MIT grads. Emma and *Calvin Yee told me about what they
enjoyed about the reunion. The Woods Hole tour was great, from the speakers
to the demos to the Cape Cod experience, and the Technology Day presentations
about cosmology and human space exploration were engrossing. In particular
Calvin and Emma enjoyed getting together with classmates and renewing
friendships. Calvin and Emma live on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.
They went to this spot as an experiment, but it became permanent. Calvin
is retired, and spends his time with family, especially his three granddaughters,
and on occasional travel. I talked to *John Wasserlein and Luci Braun
at the Saturday night MIT Museum evening. John is keeping busy as a
private investor and mentoring MIT entrepreneurs. Luci is a hedge fund
manager and has a son at MIT.
Barbara and I arrived on Thursday,
and wandered around Baker House where we met *Jerry Skinner. Jerry had
come specifically for the Reunion Row, all the way from Orlando, FL.
Jerry participated in crew freshman year and was later on the rifle
team, but he rowed on Sunday morning. We also met *Steve Bram and his
wife, Connie in Baker House. Connie was the roommate of *Jerry Cooperstein's
wife, Myrna, at Simmons, and that's how they were introduced. Barbara
and Connie sat in the lobby (on the *Frank Model memorial couch) while
Steve and I went up to see our old rooms. Strange, when I knocked on
the door there was a girl in the room. I fantasized about this for 4
years at MIT. A girl in my room. Times have changed. Tara Chang '09
is a senior, and has been doing marketing for Web MD. She was very tolerant
of the gray haired old guy who knocked on her door. Steve worked for
Con Edison for 45 years, starting as an engineer and finishing as Senior
Vice President of Operations. "Every time the lights blinked it
was my problem," he said. Later he was President of Orange and
Rockland County Utilities. Steve was hoping to see his Brooklyn, NY,
Midwood High School classmate *Alan Bell, but Alan didn't make it to
this reunion. Steve and Connie have two sons, one in San Francisco,
one in New Jersey, and 4 grandkids. During my wanderings in Baker House
I also met Karen and *Mike Feezor. I sat near them at Tech Night at
the Pops, but I didn't recognize them. In the evening they were elegantly
dressed, instead of being in casual attire.
Our Sunday event was, as advertised,
a victory brunch for the Class of 1963 oarsmen. Fifteen members of the
class of 1963 participated, Bill Gadzuk, Bob Kurtz, Bob Vernon, Dennis
Buss, Harvey Bines, Jack Lynch, Jerry Skinner, Jim Latimer, Ken Andersen,
Lou Taff, Mike Greata, Rick Metzinger, Ron Cheek, Ron Young, Tony Fiory.
Bob Johnson videotaped the row instead of rowing and Elliot Bird, the
hardworking manager of the MIT crew, was present to support the boats.
10 boats rowed in two five boat heats. We were the only class to have
two shells. One boat was composed of all '63 rowers, the other had 3
additional volunteers, Alec Jessiman '88, Eric Fitch and Pete Staecker.
Alec has a legitimate '63 connection; his father is our classmate *Bill
Jessiman. One of our boats rowed a “smart” race at a very low stroke
which conserved their limited resources and allowed them to row more
smoothly, making them faster. They finished almost tied with the class
of ’73 boat and with the age handicap secured a lane in the final
race. Despite two oarsmen who said they were totally exhausted after
the first heat, the final race went even more smoothly and the B boat,
given their age handicap, was declared the reunion row winner. Once
again, the Class of 1963 demonstrated what it means to have a “boatload
of guts.” Our oarsmen have participated in all three reunion rows,
and have won them all. Gary Zwart and Jack Frailey, who coached these
oarsmen as undergraduates, were on the banks of the Charles to cheer
on their proteges. Read more about the Reunion row on our class website
at alumweb.mit.edu/classes/1963/
On a sad note, Harry Movitz
passed away in May 2008 in Pembroke Pines, FL after being ill with cancer.
Harry was a graduate of Boston Latin School and MIT. He lived for many
years in Framingham, MA, and in his career he was an engineer for the
first lunar landing, and later helped run family businesses including
a lawn care company, a drycleaner, and a stable of racehorses. He is
survived by his wife, Marilyn, his daughter Michelle, and son Louis
and daughter-in-law Lisa, several grandchildren. Our condolences to
the family. If anyone has any fond remembrances of Harry that they would
like to share please send them to me.
More reunion news next issue. Regards to all. You can reach me at: Mike Bertin, 22 Gillman St, Irvine, CA 92612. E-mail: MCB1@aol.com. If you want to schmooze, call me at (949) 786-9450