| Kenyon Class of 1969 Fall Class Letter
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Dear '69 Classmates,
Lately, I know it can seem like good news is in short supply, and I mean really short supply. So, as I sat down to write this class letter, and started to make a list of the many positive updates I had to share with you, I felt a welcome sense of gratitude for our alma mater. Even during the most challenging of years, Kenyon has remained a bright spot and a point of connection and positivity for its community.
In-person instruction just wrapped up for the approximately 950 first-years, sophomores and international students who studied on campus this fall, numbers intentionally kept low so no one would share a room (yes, it took a pandemic for a freshman to score a North Campus Apartment for one). The College developed clear COVID-related policies and protocols that included regular testing for those on campus and the implementation of the “Kenyon College Commitment,” a personal pledge developed in cooperation with the student council that emphasized the well-being of the entire community. Life on campus looked a bit different as Kenyon adapted its many facilities to ensure safe access to dining, athletics, research and more. Note: If you are reading this letter online, you can Ctrl+Click any of the items underlined to go right to the item on the website.
In addition to adaptations for on-campus instruction, juniors and seniors and members of the faculty discovered new ways to learn and teach remotely. Again, it took a pandemic to make sweatpants acceptable classroom attire, even for the professors.
Our alumni community has shifted to meet the challenges of 2020 with an equal degree of innovation — organizing and attending virtual events, connecting with current students and new graduates as volunteer mentors, and giving back during June’s record-breaking online giving challenge, Kenyon Together. And, though it was heartbreaking to see Reunion Weekend 2020 postponed, we’ve shifted our focus to Reunion Weekend 2021. Planning is underway and, if conditions allow, it could be the biggest alumni gathering in Kenyon history. (We’ll be sharing more details in the months to come, as all alumni will be invited back for the festivities, including those of us celebrating a post-50th reunion.)
I know that many of you, after seeing the initial construction barrier for the new library last year at our 50th reunion, might be interested in what’s happening with the construction. You can visit Chalmers Library (kenyon.edu/kenyon-on-a-tour/chalmers-library) to read about the library and check out the West Quad construction progress on that page.
Yes, good things are happening at Kenyon and that is why I support it year after year with a gift to the Kenyon Fund — to keep the good news coming. I give to bolster the student emergency assistance fund, which helped dozens of students get home when the spring semester unexpectedly went virtual. I give to make it possible for the College to award more in financial aid this year, when many families’ budgets are strained. And I give to Support Scholarships at Kenyon, like the Kenyon Women’s Annual Scholarship and the Pope Memorial Annual Scholarship. I’m sure most of you remember Eddie Pope (1948-2014), one of my basketball teammates and an ΑΔΦ from the class of '70, who went to Dean Edwards his senior year to get permission to start the Black Student Union. By the way, President Sean Decatur and William E. Lowry Jr. '56 H'99 announced that they will personally match any gift made to the Pope Memorial Annual Scholarship, up to $20,000.
During challenging times like these, alumni support is more critical than ever. Join me in making your gift to the Kenyon Fund at gift.kenyon.edu to ensure good things continue to happen on the Hill this year, and in the years to come.
Don’t forget to check out the notes from our classmates at the end of this letter (that’s always my favorite part).
Thank you and stay well!
Sincerely,
Kit Marty
P.S. Scroll down to read our fall class notes.
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| Introducing the Lowry Center & Scholarship
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William E. Lowry Jr. ’56 H’99 was the first Black student in the nation initiated into Beta Theta Pi, was student body president and captained the football, basketball and baseball teams. He went on to serve in many volunteer roles at Kenyon, including as trustee. In honor of Bill’s accomplishments and impact at Kenyon, the Board of Trustees decided to rename the Kenyon Athletic Center in his honor.
Recognizing his legacy, Board Vice Chair Joseph E. Lipscomb ’87 has created an endowed scholarship in Bill’s name to help bring more underrepresented students to Kenyon. Anyone can make a gift to the annual fund portion of this scholarship, or one of many other scholarships at Kenyon, and provide an immediate benefit to a current student.
Support currents students now with a gift to scholarships
Despite a challenging year, the College remains committed to continuing to meet 100% of students’ increased demonstrated need, with donor support. Every dollar you give goes directly to support students this academic year.
Consider giving today in support of:
- Hannah More Scholarship for first generation students
- Kenyon Women’s Annual Scholarship for female students
- Lowry Annual Scholarship for underrepresented students
- Pope Memorial Annual Scholarship for students from urban Ohio public school
And, of course, you can make a gift to the Kenyon Fund’s scholarships and financial aid designation, which supports the education of every single Kenyon student.
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| Upcoming Virtual Events for Alumni
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| You're invited to join us this winter at these free events for alumni.
- Alumni Town Halls with President Decatur
Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. ET and Thursday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. ET
- Five-week mini class with Professor Emerita Pam Jensen
"Democracy & Education: An Introduction to Rousseau's Emile"
Tuesdays, Jan. 5 – Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. ET
- A Celebration of Kenyon Green Initiatives (two-part series)
Wednesday, Jan. 20 and Thursday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. ET
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Pleased to report much continued success in helping people all over America being treated unjustly by our "Justice" system! Other than that, living a quiet and contented life in Dover, DE. I always have coffee on, so feel free to stop by; just call 302-423-4067 to be sure I am in; the guys at the homeless shelter, whom I also help, give me plenty of emergencies, calling for me to leave home. Carpe Diem!
Tony Lo Bello is the authorized English translator of the memoirs of Antonio Bacci, the late Italian lexicographer who was the chief Vatican Latinist for forty years. The book, Con il Latino a Servizio di Quattro Papi, first published by Editrice Studium in Rome in 1964, appeared this year in English as With Latin in the Service of the Popes (ISBN 978-1-989905-00-5).
With COVID my retirement career of lecturing on cruise ships is on hold. Am still giving Zoom talks to Rotary, Senior Centers, the local College and others. Had the opportunity to go fly fishing with Pierce Scranton '68 at Silver Creek Idaho.
Still living in the Western burbs of Philly, the "Main Line". Working part-time with my business brokerage. Debi and I have two married children, Deanie and Andrew. Deanie has a year and a half old daughter, Sylvie, and Andrew was just married this year. We had Deanie, Gary and Sylvie living with us for 6 months as they were in Manhattan. Lots of young people moving out. They just purchased a house in New Rochelle, the town I was brought up in. All in all, we are very lucky, enjoy life and our friends. However, let's move on from this mess and get back to normal.
Stacy Evans retired from active ministry with the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church in 2007. Since then he has been engaging in short-term interim ministries in many churches. (Note: Stacy holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Ashland Theological Seminary)
I am expanding my third career as a psychoanalytic psychoanalyst. It's been a long and winding road to quote some band from the 60's. Grateful for the education I received at Kenyon although I did the most to resist it at the time. Those were the days. I have spent a lifetime going in and out of graduate schools since Kenyon finally becoming an LCSW and CASAC. It's hard to believe after struggling through Professor Baker's Basic History Course that reading history would become one of my favorite pastimes.
It was wonderful seeing everyone at our 50th Reunion. I have now been retired four years from a career as a Social Work Administrator and Mental Health Therapist. This last year has been the most challenging period of my life. Within a month of our reunion, I had been diagnosed with Lymphoma and have since gone through chemotherapy and a number of surgeries. I am now in a state of partial remission and have some minor physical limitations. The past two summers I have had to give up golf. I have hopes of playing in my golf league again next summer, if all continues to go well. With a compromised immune system as a result of chemo, I have had to adopt a social isolated lifestyle. This is not easy for me, being a BS artist from way back. In my recovery period I have received a multitude of blessings and gifts such as the love and support of my wife, family and friends. For these I am incredibly grateful. I have even got support and phone calls from a number of my fellow Gambier grade school classmates. I have used the social isolation to become reacquainted with a love of history. Modern technology and the internet have allowed me free access to the courses, books and lectures of some of our greatest historians and thinkers. Every day, I try to spend several hours in structured learning and have found it incredibly satisfying. I think it would have been so much easier at Kenyon in the late sixties, if we had access to these incredible tools. Hope you all are doing well. Take care.
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If you missed the chance to share your news for this letter, you can submit a class note at any time via class.letters@kenyon.edu.
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Kenyon is grateful to the following donors for their generous support of the College, including the Kenyon Fund, during the 2019-20 fiscal year. An asterisk (*) indicates a donor is a member of the Henry J. Abraham Society for loyal and consecutive giving. An obelisk (†) indicates an individual who is deceased. Please note that as of July 1, 2019 Kenyon’s annual giving societies have changed. Visit kenyon.edu/societies for more information.
1969
Annual Fund Total: $188,210
Class Participation: 44.78%
President's Society
Donors of $50,000 or more
Brackett B. Denniston*
Barry P. Goode*
Barrett A. Toan H'09*
Kokosing Society
Donors of $25,000 to $49,999
Thomas Y. Au P'08*
Roger A. Bell*
Bexley Society
Donors of $2,500 to $9,999
Peter S. Greer*
William J. Murray*
Kenyon Society
Donors of $1 to $2,499
Anonymous (2)
Steven C. Althoen*
G. Lawrence Atkins P'99*
Richard A. Baehr*
Scott R. Baird*
Richard Baker Jr. P'94 '96 '99*
Jane Bandler (widow of Donald K. Bandler '69 H'06)
William E. Blank*
James A. Brady III*
John E. Braslin Jr., CQA, CSTE*
Frederick H. Bump*
Thomas R. Callihan MD*
Jan Ehrenwerth MD*
Stacy A. Evans
Robert J. Falkenstine*
John J. Fallat*
James S. Fine III*
Charles H. Hollinger*
David C. Houghtlin*
Ronald A. Hoxter*
Michael T. Hull*
Douglas S. Johnston Jr.
J. Keith Kalinowski*
William A. Kobelak*
Peter D. Lawrason MD*
Edgar F. Lentz Jr.*
Fredrick D. Linck*
William M. Lokey*
Kurt F. Lorenz
Robert S. MacIntyre Jr.
Christopher H. Marty*
Marc Mason*
Jonathan Meigs*
Greg L. Offenburger DDS*
Carl E. Olsson*
Wesley S. Poth*
Jesse C. Robinson*
Mossman Roueche Jr.*
John F. Saari MD*
E. Patterson Scarlett Jr.*
Gregory D. Seeley P'93*
Philip E. Smith*
John M. Smyth Jr. P'08*
Dan T. Suratt*
David O. Ulery MD*
Lawrence H. Witner P'01*
M. David Wollam*
Alexander G. Yearley*
Percy S. Young III*
S. Richard Zagol*
George Ziga*
Jeffrey W. Zoller*
George Wharton Mariott Society
These alumni have included Kenyon in their estate plans or have made other planned gifts.
Steven C. Althoen
Richard A. Baehr
Roger A. Bell
Peter W. Dickson
Dr. Stacy A. Evans
Peter S. Greer
Austin C. McElroy P'98 (IMO Austin McElroy G'1909, H'64
William J. and Judy Murray
Alexander G. Yearley
Jeffrey W. Zoller
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Kenyon College
105 Chase Avenue, Gambier, OH 43022
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