Classmates Planning to Attend the Reunion

Winter 2008

Fall 2007

Dear Classmate,

We’re sure you’ve noticed that our 45th reunion is less than a year away! I hope you’ll make plans now to come celebrate with the class from Thursday, June 5, through Sunday, June 8, 2008.

Our reunion committee came up with the idea of holding our class events in many of the new buildings at MIT and in Boston. Here’s the current schedule for Tech Reunions 2008:

Thursday, June 5          MIT buys the house at Symphony Hall for Tech Night at the Pops. We start our night at the Prelude to Pops buffet on campus.

Friday, June 6              Explore what’s new at MIT through tours and other activities during the day. Our class is planning a tour of Boston’s new Institute of Contemporary Art during the day, and a casual dinner on campus.

Saturday, June 7           Learn about cutting-edge research from MIT’s great faculty during Technology Day. Our class dinner dance is scheduled for Saturday night.

Sunday, June 8             After Ron Young and crew lead our class to victory in the Reunion Row, we’ll cap our 45th with a “Reunion Row Victory Brunch” at the Stata Center, MIT’s talked-about new building designed by Frank Gehry.

You can read more about these programs online at http://alum.mit.edu/reunions/, and our class Web site at: http://alumweb.mit.edu/classes/1963/.

We’ll send registration materials in March, but you should start planning your trip to Cambridge now. Hotel rooms sell out quickly because of Commencement and reunion activities. The enclosed form has hotel information, or visit the Tech Reunions Web site, http://alum.mit.edu/reunions/ for information on accommodations. You’ll also be able to reserve dorm rooms beginning in March, at a lower rate than the hotels.

Help us find missing classmates! Everyone is invited to attend the reunion, but the Alumni Association does not have contact information for the enclosed list of lost alumni. If you know any of these classmates, please ask them to get in touch with the Alumni Association. Alumni can update their own information by logging onto the Infinite Connection at http://alum.mit.edu/, or they can contact the Reunions Office via email: reunions@mit.edu, phone: 617-253-8824 or fax: 617-258-7886.

We welcome your questions or comments. Robert Dimmick is our Alumni Association staff member. If you have questions about the accommodations or general reunion activities, you can reach him through email at rdimmick@mit.edu or by phone at 617-253-8225.

Your participation is needed to make this reunion our best yet! We hope you will join us for a wonderful Class of 1963 45th reunion weekend.

See you in June!

Larry Krakauer, Reunion Chair and President, Class of'63

Quick Reunion Checklist

'63 Class Dues: $45 for our forty fifth. These contributions are used to support our reunion and class activities.

Get in touch with classmates! Check the online alumni directory at http://web.mit.edu/alum/, and ensure that your information (mail and e-mail addresses) are current, so your classmates can get in touch with you.

Help locate classmates without contact information. Please review the attached list.

Check out our class web page for details on our class reunion activities. It will be updated as our plans progress. Go to http://alumweb.mit.edu/classes/1963/.

45th Reunion Planning

I just received a “Save the Date” postcard from myself, with a neat refrigerator magnet attached, reminding me of our upcoming 45th class reunion June 5-8, 2008.  This means it’s time to start putting together our reunion “Events Committee”, to plan our activities.  To get the ball rolling, I’m calling a kickoff “meeting”, actually a teleconference, to be held:

       Monday, September 17, at 7:30pm.

You’ll be delighted to hear that we’ll be ably assisted once again by Robert Dimmick at the Alumni Association.

If you’d like to help plan our reunion events, please join us on that call.  If you can make it, please let me know by replying to this e-mail, preferably by Friday, AND ADD rdimmick@mit.edu TO THE ADDRESS ON YOUR REPLY (Robert needs a count to set up the teleconference).  If you can’t make the initial teleconference, but are interested in helping anyway, let us know that too, and indicate any special interests (select wines, choose a band, etc.).

Robert or I will subsequently send out an agenda, and information about how to call in at the appointed time.

I’m sorry for the short notice.  I’m in the midst of preparing for a month-long vacation in France , and it would be nice if we could start the ball rolling on some preliminary research on possible venues before I leave.

Our class has always had an active and efficient reunion committee, and by dividing the work between many hands, it’s not too much to do for any one individual.  I look forward to hearing from you, and to talking with you on the 17th.

Regards,

Larry Krakauer

President, MIT Class of 1963

Comments for Initial Reunion "Events" Committee Meeting

Hi Larry,

Thanks for the invitation to the teleconference, but I cannot make it.

However, I do have a question
that could be on the agenda, maybe not this time but another.

Is there a way to sponsor mini-reunions of living groups and/or courses within the 45th reunion?

For example, at the 40th we had a reunion of all but one '63 pledge brother from our fraternity.
We met outside one of the rooms at the MIT Hotel. We took multiple photos of the whole group
with spouses then proceeded to the bar and then to the dinner that evening.

I propose mini-reunions as a way to encourage more participation.

1. find a way to advertise the idea and have a contact person from each group
email or write to <me I suppose;-> 

2. we/i would have a list of venues or rooms or places they could meet AND/OR
reserve tables at the dinner.

3. we/i would connect the groups to the venues and then advertise which groups
are having a mini-reunion. Do this early so other groups say "hey, we could do that."

4. help living groups who wanted to find missing members.

Regards,

Rick
Merrill

From: "Robert Dimmick"
To: "'Rick Merrill'" ,
"'MIT Class of 1963 Reunion Planning Committee'"
Subject: RE: [Plan1963] Class of '63: Living Group Gatherings Within the 45thReunion
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:15:52 -0500
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Good afternoon everyone,

Thanks for the good vigorous response for next Monday's teleconference. At
Larry's request, I'll circulate an agenda on Friday.

I do want to respond to Rick Merrill's excellent suggestion that living
groups have an opportunity to participate in the 45th reunion activities,
because we've seen classes do this successfully and unsuccessfully. I should
add that we tend to use the term "mini-reunion" to mean a class reunion
activity that's off-campus in a non-reunion year.

Two successful things:

* Sitting together at Pops: it's very easy on the registration form to
request to be seated with specific friends in your living group. This works
100% better when coordinated in advance and one person orders the tickets on
his registration form. Many living groups have done this successfully, and
you just happen to have the Alumni Association staff member in charge of
Pops ticket assignments staffing your committee :-)
* Reserved tables at class dinner: Whenever your formal dinner is to
take place, it's possible for us to reserve a table for specific living
groups, athletic teams, etc.

One unsuccessful approach is to have all the living groups scatter to their
own events on a given night. This not only leaves non-living-group alumni
stranded, it's also a series of (mostly) small dinners that go nowhere. The
only occasion where this might work is before Pops, for a dinner party. For
instance, if the class chooses to attend the Alumni Association's Prelude to
Pops buffet dinner, living group alumni could choose to dine on their own
someplace else and meet up with the class at Symphony Hall.

Rick, you are definitely right that is an idea we should seize on and
advertise early. Happily, a letter about the reunion will be going out to
your entire class in October, which is perfect timing.

Best regards to all,

/Robert

Robert B. Dimmick
Associate Director, Reunions and Events
MIT Alumni Association
77 Massachusetts Avenue, #10-370
Cambridge, MA  02139
t: (617) 253-8225
f: (617) 258-7886
e: rdimmick@mit.edu

Reunion Committee First Meeting Announcement

Good morning everyone,

At this time I have received seven affirmative responses for tonight's teleconference:

Paul Abramson
Steve Bernstein
Robert Dimmick
Larry Krakauer
Bob Johnson
Bob O'Donnell
Peter Van Aken

An MIT audio bridge has been arranged for this evening's teleconference. To access, please dial 617-452-2163. You will automatically be connected to the teleconference; there are no pre-recorded messages, access codes, etc. Please do not dial in before 7:30 PM.    If you are dialing from within the MIT phone system, just dial 2-2163.

If your plans have changed, please let me know by calling 617.253.8225 or e-mailing rdimmick@mit.edu.

I look forward to getting the ball rolling with you all tonight!

Best regards,

/Robert

Robert B. Dimmick
Associate Director, Reunions and Events
MIT Alumni Association
77 Massachusetts Avenue, #10-370
Cambridge, MA  02139
t: (617) 253-8225
f: (617) 258-7886
e: rdimmick@mit.edu

Menu

Minutes of first planning teleconference, held Sept 18, 2007

MIT Class of 1963 45^th Reunion Committee

Teleconference, Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Participating: Larry Krakauer, chair; Paul Abramson, Steven Bernstein, Bob Johnson, Bob O’Donnell, Peter Van Aken; Robert B. Dimmick, Alumni Association

ATTENDANCE FORECAST: Robert Dimmick did not have the Association’s forecast during the teleconference, but can now report that the Association officially estimates 87 alumni and 75 guests, for a total of 162 people attending one or more events. This is still in line with Robert’s estimate of 100-120 people at evening events. Some alumni who attend reunions only attend one event (e.g. Pops, Tech Day Luncheon, or one class event).

THEME: After much discussion about event spaces at MIT, Bob Johnson hit on an excellent theme for the 45^th reunion: “New Spaces,” holding all the class events in new buildings at MIT or in Boston.

EVENTS: At this time the 45^th reunion schedule is as follows:

Thursday: Alumni Association Prelude to Pops Buffet (Stratton Student Center), Tech Night at the Pops

Friday: Either a morning or afternoon tour of the new Institute of Contemporary Art, possibly including lunch at Anthony’s Pier 4; casual dinner in Simmons Hall

Saturday: Technology Day Program and Luncheon; dress-up dinner (with dancing?) in either Broad Institute, Moakley Courthouse, new Physics building (if available for events), or another location.

Sunday: “Reunion Row Victory Brunch” in the Stata Center, timed to coincide with the end of the Row.

Other event venues that were considered include the Odyssey, American Joe’s on the Waterfront, and Baker House.

LIVING GROUP EVENTS: The committee liked very much the idea that living groups could request seats together at Pops and at the class’s formal event. Bob Johnson felt that this could even be a selling point, eliminating the anxiety of being seated with strangers, especially at Pops. Many living groups have receptions of their own on Saturday afternoon that end in time for alumni to attend class events.

ACCOMMODATIONS: The Alumni Association has reserved blocks of rooms at the Marriott, Royal Sonesta, and Hotel@MIT. The room block at the Hyatt is reserved exclusively for the 50^th reunion. Information may be found at http://alum.mit.edu/ne/reunions/accommodations.html Dormitory accommodations will also be available; reservations may be made on the registration form in March.

REPORT OF THE TREASURER: Steven Bernstein reported that the treasury held a balance of $11,000. The committee voted to set class dues of $45 for this reunion. This will permit treasury growth in order to subsidize more events for the 50^th reunion in 2013.

MARKETING: The Alumni Association has already sent out a save-the-date postcard with magnet. A letter from the reunion chair will be mailed in mid-October and the registration mailing will be sent in mid-March. In addition the reunion committee may choose to send either a letter in January or a postcard in April. The Alumni Association will cover the costs of these mailings.

REUNION BOOK: Robert Dimmick reported that the Alumni Association will debut an on-line reunion book tool at the Alumni Leadership Conference September 28-29. There did not seem to be much interest in having a 45^th reunion book, although the suggestion was made that if Mike Burton wanted to do it – or a blog – it would be an excellent product.

NEXT STEPS: Larry Krakauer is leaving shortly for a month in France. During his absence vice president Paul Abramson will lead the reunion planning effort. Robert Dimmick will schedule site visits of the campus buildings being considered (Simmons, Broad, Stata, etc.) and announce so that all committee members may participate if they wish.

Robert B. Dimmick
Associate Director, Reunions and Events
MIT Alumni Association
77 Massachusetts Avenue, #10-370
Cambridge, MA  02139
t: (617) 253-8225
f: (617) 258-7886
e: rdimmick@mit.edu

Ron Young has created an e-mail list to allow our classmates to easily exchange ideas about the reunion. It's called "plan1963", and it can be subscribed to from the alumni site, the "Infinite Connection". Go to the instructions as to how to subscribe to the plan1963 list.

If you have any problems subscribing, contact Ron Young.

Menu

Request '63 photos; reunion planning

Planning for our 45th reunion is underway. We're currently looking for photos from previous reunions,. Digitized pictures can be e-mailed to "rey@alum.mit.edu".

There has been an initial conference call meeting of the Reunion "Events" committee, and you can see the minutes at:

http://alumweb.mit.edu/classes/1963/planning2008.shtml#Committee

If you'd like to help out on the committee, or just follow the committee's work, monitor this web site and/or join the committee's mailing list. There are plenty of things that we could use help with that don't require you to be in the Boston area, and many of them are simple: finding lost alums, contacting members of your living group, or even just following our minutes and making suggestions. Now is the time to start influencing our reunion planning.

A reunion discussion list has been established, for public dialog. For instructions on joining, see:
http://alumweb.mit.edu/classes/1963/plan1963.shtml

Let's work and plan together to make this a memorable event.

The Class of 1963 web pages have quite a few changes. See
http://alumweb.mit.edu/classes/1963/ for a list.

In particular, please check the Missing Persons Page:
http://alumweb.mit.edu/classes/1963/missing.shtml
to help us find lost alums.

Note that you will be on the Missing Persons Page if the 'tute does not have a snailmail address for you. Update your contact information so you can start receiving your free subscription to Technology Review. Preferably, you can do this at the Alumni website:
http://web.mit.edu/alum/.
Alternatively, send an email to mitalum@mit.edu.

...Ron Young, '63 Webmaster and EMail List manager Please mailto:rey@alum.mit.edu to reach me

Menu

Take a look at previous Reunion Highlights.