| Kenyon Class of 1981 Fall Class Letter
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| Dear Classmates,
Father Drinan – remember him? He was our Class of 1981 commencement speaker. Like me, I am sure many of you were exhausted after a long night of farewell parties and didn’t pay much attention to his remarks on that beautiful spring day. I do, however, remember one theme of his address. He called on each of us, as soon-to-be graduates, to dedicate our lives to helping people across the globe who lacked the perceived privileges of the Kenyon Class of `81. It was a challenge that resonated with me then, as it still does today.
So fast forward 40 years. Our alma mater has heeded Father Drinan’s call to action by adopting a new strategic plan that will guide its planning and actions leading up to the bicentennial in 2024 and beyond. You will be pleased to see it includes core elements such as enrolling, retaining, and graduating a student body that is representative of the talent and diversity of our nation and the world and expanding its commitment to environmental responsibility.
The College has also launched the Kenyon Access Initiative which will bring more high-achieving students to Kenyon thanks to a $25 million matching grant from the Schuler Education Foundation. Any amount we give through this Kenyon Access Initiative will be matched 1:1 and will go to a new scholarship for students from families with limited means and those ineligible for government aid — up to an additional $25 million.
Scroll on to learn more about Kenyon’s strategic plan and the Kenyon Access Initiative (and how they fit into our 2024 bicentennial celebration).
We are living in an increasingly polarized world: Right vs. Left; pro-vaccine vs. anti-vaccine; Fox News vs. MSNBC; mask mandates vs. no mask requirements…the chasm continues to widen on so many fronts. There is, however, one issue that unites us – our love of Kenyon and its long-standing commitment to educational excellence and cultural inclusion. The above programs are new chapters in the ethos of the College. Your continued contributions to the Kenyon Fund and the Kenyon Access Initiative will make these and future programs a reality.
Kenyon couldn’t be Kenyon without involved and supportive alumni like us. As the bicentennial draws closer, and in the spirit of Father Drinan, I challenge each of you to do a little more than you have in the past to help keep the College a special place. Your support can come in many forms – become an alumni volunteer, attend a school-sponsored event, submit a class note, or set up a recurring monthly gift.
Wishing you and your families a happy and healthy autumn.
Cheers,
Bud Grebes
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| There's a lot happening at Kenyon today.
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We want you to be a part of it.
The Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial campaign is about building a strong foundation for Kenyon’s third century by growing our endowment and strengthening alumni connections. Get involved by:
Staying connected to Kenyon
You may only be a Kenyon student for four years, but you’re a member of our alumni community for life. The Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement strives to make it easy — and fun — to stay connected. GET INVOLVED
Making a gift
Gifts of all sizes add up: every year, gifts of $100 or less to the Kenyon Fund total more than $250,000. Also, every dollar given to the Kenyon Access Initiative between now and June 2026 will be matched and used to create permanent new scholarship funds to enroll exceptional students with limited resources and those who are ineligible for government aid. MAKE A GIFT
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| Upcoming Events for Alumni
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Save the date for these upcoming events for alumni taking place online and on the Hill.
- Kenyon Women Giving Back
The quarterly event series continues on Tuesday, March 22 via Zoom.
- Kenyon Together
The 36-hour online giving challenge kicks off Tuesday, April 12.
- Reunion Weekend
All alumni are invited to join us on the Hill May 27–29.
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Class AgentsClass agents are your connection to campus. If you would like to learn more about becoming a class agent, contact Tracey Wilson at wilson1@kenyon.edu.
• Lori Nash Dhiraprasiddhi
• Liz Dickinson
• Luke Feely
• Doug Gertner
• Bud Grebey
• Sue Lawko Cuiffo
• Patty Lynn
• Susan Jones Oakes
• Jim Parker
• Dave Rose
• Lisa Sanders
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Cathy Hazlett shared the sad news that she lost her husband to prostate cancer in February. Adjusting to being alone has been challenging, she notes, but she is blessed with lots of friends, and work certainly keeps her busy. She is hoping that the Connecticut-based classmates will get together soon, since the reunion weekend CT gathering being hosted by Lisa Sanders and Bud Grebey did not work out due to uncooperative weather.
Class of ’81 Denverites gathered on reunion weekend at Doug Gertner’s townhome in the downtown area. Attending were Doug, Michael Mizenko, Meg Handel, Cathy Regan, David (Benny) Gross, and Susan (Jones) Oakes. It was terrific to re-connect and enjoy company in a post-vaccine gathering, and especially to be able to enjoy Doug’s rooftop patio!
As the lockdown eased, Doug Gertner made a recent road trip from Denver to Gambier. Even with COVID protocols in place, he enjoyed seeing familiar sights and new buildings in process. The “new” Chalmers Library is as awesome as we've been told, and the new home of WKCO is impressive. Even as the main Village has changed a good bit, it retains what he remembers of it and he had several encounters along Middle Path just as in days long past. Doug attended an Alumni Council meeting where President Decatur briefed on the latest news including an exciting new partnership with the Schuler Education Foundation to create new scholarship funds for low-income students through a matching grant. Doug is feeling good about our alma mater after this short sojourn and is eager to get back for a Super Reunion (Classes of ’80, ’81 and ’82) in May.
Rehabbing and decluttering her parents' house for use as an AirBNB has kept Dorothy Lenard busy. She is learning all kinds of things about landscaping and home maintenance!
After 37 years as a clinical genetic counselor at the University of Washington, Robin Bennett has a new dream position at the University of Washington as Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Genetics and Director of the UW Genetic Counseling Graduate Program. She'll be welcoming the first class of 14 graduate students in September. While nervous, she is excited for this big career shift. In April, Robin enjoyed dinner with Wells Smith and Kathy Magan Smith in Bozeman, Montana, and in May she had a wonderful lunch and gathering with her Kenyon apartment mates Susie Lamb and Clara Church Cohen in CT.
This past year+ has put Leslie (Dotson) Dallas’s two adult kids (and everybody else!) to the test, and so far, so good. Maybe having to stay home more helps with having better focus? Leslie reports that her daughter, Mary (35), continues her online herbalism studies, while returning to her part-time sales position with The Herbiary at Reading Terminal Market, preparing to launch her own online herbalism apothecary (Ut Supra), and enjoying her new position as Advertising Sales Director for Philly Current magazine. Leslie’s son Jack (32) completed his Masters of Behavioral and Decision Science at UPenn in June, then accepted an offer right away as a Human Factors Researcher at Core Human Factors. Leslie has decided that keeping busy during pandemic-induced trying times helps to get through them!
Like many, dogs have kept Maggie Calkins sane throughout the pandemic - both her goldens Aquila and Tici (age 16 and 9) and her dog-walking friends. Maggie just returned from an amazing family reunion of descendants of the first Hugh and Ann Calkins who came over in 1640 and were among the founders of Norwich, CT. At the reunion, her closest relative (besides her brother) was 8 generations removed! Maggie is still working on research related to environments for people living with dementia, but she is looking to scale back to partial retirement someday soon.
In the first fall of his retirement from teaching high school history, Kerry Hall reports that he is still coaching tennis, and that two top freshmen on his varsity team are daughters of alums, Bob Zabel '89 and Mike Wilson '97. And he is also enjoying taking up pickle ball with Peter Flanzer '80.
What a year?! Doug Page reports that one daughter finishes her Master’s and moves from NYC to Atlanta for her new job via “Bulldog Moving, LLC”, i.e., Doug. Doug’s father died at 96 11/12th years old and just short of a 79th wedding anniversary. His other daughter bought a house, finished her Master’s, got married (a year late), and started a new job the day after she returned from her honeymoon. Doug retired from Temple Health after 10 years but is still doing project recruiting work. He notes that the work does seem to get in the way of free time though.
Patty Lynn reports that she recently retired as a librarian from the University of Pennsylvania after twenty eight years there, thirty five years in academic libraries, and forty years total working in libraries. She's busy volunteering at an area arboretum, among other things, and is loving retirement.
Sukie (Shaw) Hatcher is still living in Cornwall, CT. She has been working as the Special Ed teacher at her tiny K-8 school for 22 years now and is beginning to think about retiring. Her “boys” are Navy vet and Active duty Navy respectively; both are married to great women and have made her a grandma of 3.3 grandbabies (1 more due in May). With the exception of COVID (and all the stresses that entails for a teacher), life is good.
Mark Granger shares that he still living in the Los Angeles area with his wife and two college age children. He has been in the industrial real estate business for the last 38 years and has seen huge changes in the Los Angeles area. Mark speaks regularly with class mates Parker Monroe and James Klein who is also a in the same business. Hope all of you are doing well and please don't move to California -- we don't have any more water.
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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 2020-21 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.
1981
Annual Fund Total: $145,240
Class Participation: 37.6%
President's Society
Donors of $50,000 or more
James F. Parker P'10*
Kokosing Society
Donors of $25,000 to $49,999
Robert H. Dearborn P'11*
Philander Chase Society
Donors of $10,000 to $24,999
Clarence R. Grebey III*
Brian D. Rance*
The Rev. Canon Mark K. J.
Robinson P'12
David P. Rose*
Bexley Society
Donors of $2,500 to $9,999
Wm. McPherson Durrett P'12*
Jane W. Heiden*
Clark S. Kinlin*
Susan Oakes P'18*
Peter M. Olson
Michael J. Pariano*
J. Jeffrey Pasquale*
Frederick S. Roffman
Gregory P. Sesler P'10*
Lenore J. Sprague*
Kenyon Society
Donors of $1,000 to $2,499
Jonathan A. Bernstein P'10*
Mark A. Brown*
Stephen T. Coenen*
Wendy W. Cook P'11*
Lori L. Dhiraprasiddhi*
Karin Franck-Larsson*
Douglas Gertner*
Laura H. Gifford*
Mark S. Granger*
Diana L. Lingafelter
Wayne H. Lingafelter
John C. Litchfield Jr.
Kathleen S. Litchfield*
Lisa Staffileno Laube P'16*
James H. Stueber*
Sandra P. Stueber*
Nancy VandenBerg (widow of
Peter H. VandenBerg '80)*
Donors of $1 to $999
Jay N. Anania P'14
R. James Assaf
Barbara Ann Belovich*
Robin L. Bennett H'09
Hugh J. Burnstad*
Margaret P. Calkins
Mary B. Campbell
Stuart W. H. Ching*
Suzanne W. Crable*
William H. Derks
Elizabeth A. Dickinson
Daniel O. Dietchweiler*
Peter C. Dolan
Adrienne S. Doobin
Elizabeth A. Dougherty*
Luke J. Feely
Heather M. Fitz Gibbon
Lilith Z. C. Fondulas*
Mark A. Foreman
Michele P. Fracasso*
Barbara Frazer Franks*
William A. Fullmer
Randolph B. Gorman*
David E. Graham
Kerry Hall*
Philip N. Haselton*
Susan S. Hatcher*
Catherine Hazlett*
Philip A. Hooker*
Samuel M. Howell*
Susan J. Hudson P'19
Kaye Lynn Johnson*
Andrew E. Katz MD P'10*
Janet R. Katz P'10*
David L. Kaufman †
Sally Kozokoff Hirsh
Richard I. Landau*
Susan Lawko Cuiffo*
Dorothy Lenard
H. Gates Lloyd Jr.
Patricia D. Lynn*
Kathy Magan Smith*
David L. Maloney*
Maurice Y. Mongkuo
Rhonda Moore Bedall*
Deirdre K. Moore
Margaret Morgan*
Andrew P. Newcombe*
Mary Louise O'Connell*
Susan K. Orlady*
Betsi L. Orth*
Douglas E. Page
Robert F. Phillips*
Brett M. Pierce*
Belle Potter Marks
Matthew P. Richey*
Elizabeth T. Robb
E. Graham Robb Jr.
Sue A. Robb*
Merrill Robinson Peterson
(widow of Curtis A. Seichter '80)*
Jonathan B. Schulze*
Judee G. Schwartzman
Donald L. Shupe Jr.*
Katherine Simonds Dhanani H'16*
Wells Smith*
Gerald L. Stone
Barbara Swank (widow of Michael A. Swank '80 P'12)*
Reed Valliant
Richard D. Wathen Jr.
Peter White Jr., MD
Urquhart A. Wood*
Daniel G. Zeiser*
George Wharton Mariott Society
These alumni have included Kenyon in their estate plans or have made other planned gifts.
Margaret C. Chapin P'14
Elizabeth A. Dougherty
Bruce A. Freeman
Douglas E. Page
James F. Parker
Robert B. Payne
Sue A. Robb
Mark K.J. Robinson P'12
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Kenyon College
105 Chase Avenue, Gambier, OH 43022
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