Kenyon Classes of 1958-59 Fall Class Letter

Dear gentlemen,

Lately, I know it can seem like good news is in short supply. So as we at Kenyon sat down to write this class letter, and started to make a list of the many positive updates we had to share with you, I felt a welcome sense of gratitude for your 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.

The 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.)

Yes, good things are happening at Kenyon and that is why alumni gifts to the Kenyon Fund are critical year after year — to keep the good news coming. Consider making a gift to bolster the student emergency assistance fund, which helped dozens of students get home when the spring semester unexpectedly went virtual. Or give to make it possible for the College to award more in financial aid this year, when many families’ budgets are strained. Or give to help fund new scholarships like the Kenyon Women’s Annual Scholarship and the Lowry Annual Scholarship for underrepresented students, which was announced just last month along with the renaming of the Kenyon Athletic Center to honor Emeritus Trustee William E. Lowry Jr. ’56 H’99. See below for full details on this exciting piece of Kenyon news.

During challenging times like these, alumni support is more critical than ever. Please consider making your gift to the Kenyon Fund today at gift.kenyon.edu to ensure good things continue to happen on the Hill this year, and in the years to come.

Thank you and stay well!

Sincerely,

Terry Dunnavant

Office of Alumni and Annual Giving

Kenyon College

P.S. Scroll down to read the fall class notes.

Introducing the Lowry Center & Scholarship

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.

Make a Gift

Upcoming Virtual Events for Alumni

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

Visit kenyon.edu/alumnievents to register and view our full alumni event calendar.

Classes of 1958-59 Fall Notes

Jennifer Taber (Wife of David ’58): David Taber '58 passed away on September 24 at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, IL. He always remembered his four years and reunions at Kenyon as some of his happiest memories.

Robert “Bob” Price ’58: There has been an unexpected side effect to Kenyon’s pandemic strategy. During this fall’s semester, only freshmen and sophomores are on campus; juniors and seniors are learning remotely. The reverse will occur during spring semester. The unexpected side effect is on Kenyon’s 8 fraternities and 4 sororities.

For example, Alpha Delta Phi was set to initiate 17 freshmen and 4 sophomores after spring break. That didn’t happen because the campus did not reopen. The 17 pledges are now sophomores but there are no juniors and seniors on campus to complete the initiation process.

For Alpha Delta Phi the prospect of missing an initiation in 2020 after 161 consecutive years of initiating Kenyon undergraduates is unusually painful. ADs are taught that in 1898 the entire chapter save one volunteered for the army in the Spanish-American war. Carl Ganter '99 remained to conduct Tuesday night’s meetings and marched down middle path singing our songs - alone. He initiated a number of freshmen to insure the chapter’s continuity. In 1943, when there were only 3 actives on campus, with Carl in mind they initiated two Kenyon students too young to be called up for service.

In September, the chapter, the East Wing Association, and I arranged for one of the 4 sophomores now a junior, to drive to Baltimore. Our Kenyon undergraduate was initiated by an undergraduate officer of the Yale chapter in the presence of alumni from Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Penn State and Kenyon chapters in a restaurant owned by a Cornell AD. That initiation insured the completion of the 162 consecutive year in which a Kenyon undergraduate has joined Alpha Delta Phi.

Dale Neuman ’58: As a resident of Parker Ridge Retirement Community in Blue Hill, Maine, I have been mostly sequestered inside the Inn (except for necessary medical appointments) since early March. (My car’s odometer shows that I travelled 291 miles between March 1 and October 1.) But all has gone well with no Covid here and only a few cases in the entire county. Visiting with family is by Zoom and grocery shopping is done by staff. Activities are properly distanced and masks are required. Dining was initially isolated and in our apartments but now we eat dinner in the common dining room two residents to a table with tables distanced and dining partners the same for a period of two weeks. We did celebrate one resident’s 100th birthday at the end of September but were not able to sing Happy Birthday to avoid possible contamination. As a result, much reading, television viewing and writing of various sorts keep me busy.

Harvey Adelstein ’58: Just want to say hello--been a long time. Last time back on campus was for our 50th. Been in Chicago practicing Labor Law until retirement--have 3 grown kids & 4 granddaughters (one a sophomore at Wesleyan). Spend time at our 2nd home in Mich. & travelling. Always interested in Kenyon's phenomenal growth & changes--exciting.

Dick Arkless ’58: Still living on a high bank on the east side of the Hood Canal, looking at the mountains in the Olympic National Park, and still biking, swimming and snorkeling in the south Pacific, and glad to have supplied the necessary funds for orthopods' and neurosurgeons' kids to attend the finest of colleges.

Bill Morrow ’58: We have moved to Shell Point Village near Fort Myers. I stay active with music, painting, gardening and volunteering during this election season.

Charles G. Adams ’58: I have completed 10 years of wonderful active retirement after 49 years of a great practice in Family Medicine. Of special importance is that Peg and I are approaching our 60th wedding, June 2021. We met in April, 1958, when our baseball team drove onto Maryville College, Tennessee campus. Our coach was the great Skip Falkenstine. Peg and I went to Buffalo, NY for medical school and college. After graduation we went to Akron General Hospital for internship and residency and then settled in Vermilion, Ohio.

Of interest is that our Lutheran Church has just selected Sarah Taylor '04, to become our next Pastor.

Phil Hammond ’58: Sorry, nothing from me.

Fred Mench ’59: Now living in Murfreesboro, TN, in a one-story house (save the knees) and teaching Latin as an adjunct at Middle Tennessee State University on-line (not preferred mode). Still ambulatory.

James Mahood ’59: Would like to receive email from fellow students who knew me at Kenyon regardless of their class year. You can reach me at jamesmahood@yahoo.com

Jeremy Bond ’59: I will feed you a bit of information. My wife Kathy and I, married fifty-eight years ago, still enjoy each other's presence and life together. We've lived here about a mile from the Pacific Ocean for sixteen years and three months. We live in a two floor, two bedroom condominium unit and feel great gratitude for our move here from Central Pennsylvania. I do have some health issues, mostly the fact that I now live with a health condition called Parkinson disease. It keeps slowing me down both physically and mentally. But, my wife's very healthy and takes good care of me. Who knows how long I'll last? Only God. So I wish good life and health to all who read this.

Read notes from the Classes of 1955-56 and the Class of 1960.

New this year! Read notes from faculty.

Support Kenyon

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.

Class Listing

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.

1958

Annual Fund Total: $21,025

Class Participation: 62.26%

Philander Chase Society

Donors of $10,000 to $24,999

William B. Cowles*

Bexley Society

Donors of $2,500 to $9,999

Todd K. Bender*

Stanley G. Fullwood

Kenyon Society

Donors of $1 to $2,499

Charles G. Adams MD

David C. Adams *

Harvey M. Adelstein *

Susan Ancker (widow of Leif E. Ancker '58)

Richard Arkless*

Martin A. Berg P'81*

The Rev. John E. Bowers P'82*

The Rev. Keith A. Brown*

Dean Burgess*

Marlene Campbell (widow of Alan M. Campbell '58)*

Allan A. Edwards*

Sheldon M. Fisher*

Andrew R. Graham*

Howard P. Jones*

Frederick E. Kellogg*

Robert A. McCullough Jr.

William R. Morrow

Dale A. Neuman*

Robert S. Price*

Julius S. Richter MD P'86*

Paul H. Sandstrom MD P'85*

Robert Kent Scott P'88 GP'10*

David M. Shearer MD P'87*

Clifford L. Slayman H'91*

William E. Swing H'80*

John M. Titchener PhD*

Joseph M. Topor Jr. P'83 '86 '88 GP'22*

David R. Willson*

Bruce B. Wilson*

George Wharton Mariott Society

These alumni have included Kenyon in their estate plans or have made other planned gifts.

Jon P. Barsanti

Riggs S. Miller

Dale A. Neuman

Robert S. Price

David M. Shearer P'87

Joseph M. Topor Jr.

1959

Annual Fund Total: $19,465

Class Participation: 47.46%

President's Society

Donors of $50,000 or more

James T. Kyle † GP'17*

Philander Chase Society

Donors of $10,000 to $24,999

David C. Daulton*

John R. Kirk*

Bexley Society

Donors of $2,500 to $9,999

Robert B. Palmer P'81*

Kenyon Society

Donors of $1 to $2,499

Ray E. Allen MD*

Max M. Bermann MD*

Raymond L. Brown*

Paul E. Bryant*

Robert W. Chapin Jr. USN(ret) P'85 '89*

Clair J. Cheer

Robert J. Clawson

Charles Deafenbaugh*

Richard A. Dickey MD*

Richard K. Erdmann*

David A. Grogan*

Bruce F. Kennedy*

Ralph G. Kennedy III

Mark Leggett (widow of James T. Kyle '59 GP'17)

John W. Liska Jr.*

Fred C. Mench*

Eric F. Pantzer*

Richard M. Robbins*

John B. Searles*

Robert M. Seymour MD

Daniel M. Smith Jr.*

Roger C. Smith*

A. Robert Stevenson

George Wharton Mariott Society

These alumni have included Kenyon in their estate plans or have made other planned gifts.

Jeremy W. Bond

David C. Daulton

Richard A. Dickey

Bruce F. Kennedy

John R. Kirk

James T. Kyle † and Mark L. Leggett

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