| Kenyon Class of 1979 Fall Class Letter
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| Dear Kenyon Classmates of ’79,
So great to hear from all who submitted memories, reports and photos for our fall class letter. Thank you! We’ll get to those shortly, after an update on current events at our alma mater.
This semester, 12 members of the Class of 2026 were able to enroll as the direct result of donor support for the Kenyon Access Initiative (KAI), a new scholarship effort to increase access for low-income students. The college aims to enroll 50 students each year beginning in 2026 through KAI and other robust financial aid. The college expects the additional diversity in backgrounds and lived experiences will further enrich daily life on campus.
Chalmers Library in the West Quad has reopened and has quickly become a hub for campus life. Also open now is its neighbor Lowell House, home to admissions and financial aid and named for Pulitzer Prize winning poet Robert T.S. Lowell IV ’40. Oden Hall, future home to social sciences and named for former president Robert Oden (1995-2002), will open for instruction next year. A 261-space underground parking garage for visitors and employees is already helping to ease congestion in the Village without disrupting the beauty of Gambier we all remember so fondly.
In other college news, the Music Department is celebrating its 75th year. The Alumni Council is developing an updated version of the Kenyon songbook which will be viewable online soon and distributed at Reunion Weekend during the all-class sing. If you haven’t saved the date yet for Reunion Weekend, remember that all alumni are welcome to attend May 26-28, 2023.
On the north side of campus, your editor was surprised to learn that the New Apartments, built as temporary student housing in 1962, are still soldiering on. There is also a new modular housing option called Meadow Lane, better known as the “Mods”, located behind the New Apartments.
The college invites everyone to donate the Kenyon Fund. Through the fund you can direct your donation to the Kenyon Access Initiative, broader scholarships and financial aid efforts, athletics, one of the College’s many green centers and more.
Donations to the Kenyon Access Initiative are matched dollar for dollar by the Schuler Education Foundation. Please consider making your alma mater and today’s Kenyon students a philanthropic priority this year by giving online at gift.kenyon.edu.
I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing the news from the College this fall. I have certainly enjoyed (as always) hearing from those of you who submitted class notes for this letter (see below). I encourage folks who haven’t updated us with one recently, to consider submitting a quick life update for the next batch of notes in the spring.
Thank you!
Jeff Day and the rest of your class committee: Kristin (Olsen) Kiser, Peter Hoagland, Mike Cummiskey, Middleton (Price) Thompson, Dave Troup, and Julia Welsh.
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| Reunited and it feels so Kenyon
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Reunion Weekend 2023
will take place in Gambier May 26 - 28
Along with special programming for the 50th Reunion class on May 25, we’ll be celebrating milestone reunions for classes that end with 3 and 8, as well as K80s, Peeps and Chamber Singers.
All alumni are invited to return to the Hill for Reunion Weekend, especially those celebrating a reunion beyond their 50th. Registration details will be emailed in early 2023. If you think we may not have your most current info, please share your up-to-date email and phone number with us at updateinfo@kenyon.edu. (We can’t invite you if we can’t reach you!)
We are so excited to reunite with you! See you soon.
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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.
- The Center for American Democracy's Midterm Elections Panel
Hear from alumni experts at this free, virtual event Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 7-8 p.m. ET.
- Spring Giving Challenge
Our annual 36-hour online giving challenge will take place Wednesday, April 26 – Thursday, April 27.
- Reunion Weekend
All alumni are invited to join us on the Hill May 26-28.
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Class AgentsClass agents are your connection to campus. To learn more about becoming one, contact Director of Leadership Annual Giving Tracey Wilson via email.
• Mike Cummiskey
• Jeff Day
• Peter Hoagland
• Kristin Olsen Kiser
• Middleton Price Thompson
• Dave Troup
• Julia Robinson Welsh
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Leslie (Olsen) Andren: We sent our only child Jamie to college this year (pictured here with dad Dale Andren). Jamie started as a freshman at Tulane University in New Orleans. I lobbied hard for Kenyon but he fell in love with Tulane and New Orleans. Tulane has a family connection for us since two of my cousins went there, one undergrad at Tulane Med and the other Tulane Law. We are figuring out what it is like as empty nesters, which is more what it was like in the 13 years we weren't parents before Jamie was born (it took medicine that long to catch up with our infertility treatment needs!). My husband Dale is retired - sort of. I am still working and looking at a new opportunity to run the development team to develop a large-scale resort in the Caribbean. Hard to resist an opportunity like that! We are blessed to have such a great kid and a chance to enjoy life in a new stage. My best to all my fellow classmates!
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John Cluff fondly remembers going to Greece five times. John is currently semi-retired and lives in Toms River and Ocean Gate, N.J. and recommends going to Canada as well. He is currently involved with a Christian Bible Group which meets locally.
Jeff Day learned recently that extensive recordings of the 1977 Little Feat tour with the Tower of Power horn section were made and are now on the market -- in an 8 CD set! Their show in the Wertheimer Fieldhouse was phenomenal - classmate Rob Slattery recalls that songwriter, lead singer and pedal steel man Lowell George “was on fire.” Many thanks to the Social Committee for that show and so many other great performances in our four years on the Hill ... Here’s Jeff and his one-year-old grandson Theo, son of Annie Drury and Sam Day.
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Amos Guiora: Delighted to share that we have two grandchildren, Ruth and Neta (both live in Israel). On the Kenyon “front” I will be speaking at Kenyon on November 3; my talk is entitled Criminalizing Bystanders and Enablers of Childhood Sexual Abuse in the United States.
Peter Hoagland: I’m excited to report we now have three grandchildren. All three will be celebrating birthdays soon: Miles 2 (Kigali, Rwanda), Spencer 1 (Boston), and Conor 1 (Chicago). The cousins were all together this summer in Massachusetts. It was a blast. The Hohohoh2o business is chugging along ( hohohoh2o.com). We have been asked to submit audition tapes to Shark Tank twice but have not made it to the final round. Better luck next year.
Robin Inboden: After several years of a COVID-induced break, Brenda Shaver, Sondra (Swartz) KassHana, Sally (Bates) Goodroe, and Robin Inboden gathered this summer at the Maine home of LeAnne Grillo, all '79. This fall marks 43 years since we met on the first floor of Mather Hall. Gorgeous scenery, luscious food, laughter —for a few days— we almost felt 20 again. We were joined for dinner (and paddle boarding by the adventurous few on the mighty north Atlantic) by Leslie Ballin, and for dinner one evening by Dwight Atkinson. Kenyon friendships last! Editor’s note: Professor Inboden is chair of the English Department at Wittenberg University.
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From left to right: Leslie Ballin, Robin Inboden, LeAnne Grillo, Brenda Shaver, Sally Bates Goodroe, and Sondra Swartz Kasshana.
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Lu Johnston: Two days after I write this, Andy's law practice group celebrates his 40-year career at Morris, Nichols. He will retire at the end of the year. How did THAT happen?! It seems like it was just yesterday that we were driving the U-Haul with all our worldly goods from Chicago to Delaware. Our kids and spouses will join us that evening to hear the stories and toast their Dad. It is an easy evening for them, as they all now live within an hour of us. Neil ’08 and his wife both work at Temple University: Neil in the Fox Graduate School of Business and his wife in the College of Public Health. Trish is a medical social worker at St Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. Her husband is an adjunct professor of psychology at several colleges in the area. He's also a history buff - if you are near Bordentown, NJ, sign up for one of his historical walking tours! Andy and I continue to enjoy our time in Stone Harbor, NJ, when we aren't in Wilmington. We may travel a bit further in the future.
Andy has a bucket list of fish he'd like to catch. (I like the fact that he is a fly fisherman who likes to catch big fish in big water, which often means a beach is nearby!) . . . . . I have created a silly goal of seeing every sports hall of fame. I've checked off the baseball, football, and tennis halls so far. Basketball and volleyball are next month, and then perhaps the two in Florida - golf & swimming - in January (great timing, right?). Send me any suggestions! I've been a retired social worker for many years, but continue serving through my volunteer work: in the city with UrbanPromise DE; for Haiti with Beyond Borders (working to end child slavery and prevent violence against women and girls in Haiti); our church; and a couple of other non-profits. I love hearing how our classmates are doing... keep these notes coming!
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Sandy Lane Joseph: Enjoying the Florida sunshine, teaching at Florida Atlantic University Medical College and loving downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Crazy place at spring break, but my daughter, Jessica (Denison ’23) loved meeting her friends on the strip. Our son, Joshua is attending OSU. Summer finds me at our cabin in Hocking Hills, Ohio. Come visit in either place! Headed to men’s lacrosse NCAC tournament tomorrow Denison vs. Kenyon. Who do I root for? Not too keen on the name for Kenyon athletes. Some things should just stay the same and respect history.
George Layburn: Robert O’Connor, Jeff Day, Tom Bensen, Noel Cook ’78 and I gathered together in Montana for our first ski trip since the pandemic to spend a few days reminiscing and trying to make sense of the world. Always a pleasure to spend time with my Kenyon friends.
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Robert O'Connor: I am writing a novel. Prepare to be amazed, Kenyon Review! My oldest son, Jack, whom we called a rocket scientist, now is an actual rocket scientist, at SpaceX. Out of family loyalty, I will sell my deeply-cratered Tesla short positions (Class of ’79 Notes are for entertainment purposes only, and not to be considered investment advice). Our first grandchild is expected in March 2023, in Washington, DC. Going to go talk with that kid. I’ll also spend a few weeks in the Carpathian Mountains with my Romanian-born wife. I've always been lucky.
Andy Richards: From L to R (Andy Richards, Dave Troup, and Dave Smith in photo below) at the start of the world class Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod. So as not to make any of the 10,000 runners feel badly, we held on to the absolutely last place positions, and did a damn good job! Next year our team will move into the world class category with the addition of Daniel Reagan! The annual race is a fundraiser for the Boston House, a home away from home for families with children undergoing cancer treatment. Thanks to the many Kenyon alums who donated to support this year's race.
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David Switzer: After a fulfilling career in social work and health care, I am very happily retired here in South Florida. My wife is a retired teacher. We have spent our working lives in service to others, and will continue that in retirement. Our son is happily married in Nashville, TN. He works in the electric car field, and he and his wife have the most beautiful two-year-old ever (not that I am biased)! Our daughter is enjoying life in Miami, working as a preschool teacher. We love our church, and are involved in many volunteer activities through the church. Visitors are welcome-we just moved into a wonderful new home that has ample space for company!
Tracy Teweles: Well, the biggest news is that my husband Chris and I have downsized from our big old Evanston, IL Victorian to a 1963 townhouse in next door Wilmette. Meanwhile, we are living 2 blocks from my childhood home to keep my 95-year-old mom company in her final journey with cancer. Bittersweet to have so much time with her. Had a wonderful catch up with Dave Bucey and his wife Ann Bucey ’78 and have to say there is something to be said for the wonderful friendships and bonds we all created on The Magic Mountain. By the way, I am reading The Magic Mountain, which seems to have little to do with Kenyon life! ;-).
Mark Thomay: It was a great privilege to help organize a Kenyon Lords basketball reunion that took place at the home of Karen and Dr. Scott Rogers ’80 in Cincinnati on August 19. Three of the top four scorers in the history of the program (John Rinka ’70, Scott Rogers ’80 and Tim Appleton ’77) were there, as well as several other basketball alumni. It was very cool to meet the legend John Rinka, who still holds the all-time career scoring record for small schools. Other alumni present were Hugh Burnstad ’81, Dan Martin ’78, Ken Danzinger ’94, Kit Marty ’69, Drew Peterson ’80, Kent Wellington ’88, and Jim Smith ’72, and Kenyon's current HC Dan Priest joined us as well. My classmates and basketball teammates Andy Johnston, John Halpern and Jeff Kellogg were not able to be there and were greatly missed. It was a great.
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Here are those pictured in order left to right: Hugh Burnstad '81, Dan Martin '78, Ken Danzinger '95, Mark Thomay '79, Scott Rogers '80, Kit Marty '69, John Rinka '70, Tim Appleton '77, Drew Peterson '80, Kent Wellington '88, Jim Smith '72, Dan Priest (current HC).
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Julia Welsh: I'm still working in banking but have my eye on retirement in early 2024 (if not earlier). I haven't gotten out much this past year but I did visit with Lu and Andy Johnston for a long weekend (they were great). Kristin (Olsen) Kiser and I were able to share a beer and lots of conversation —non-stop!— while she was in town for her high school reunion. It's amazing how I can pick up with my Kenyon classmates like no time has passed. Once I retire, I plan on road trips to see more Kenyon friends. In the meantime, if anyone comes through Cleveland, I'm always up for a visit and conversation so please look me up.
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Kenyon is grateful to the following donors for their generous support of the College, including the Kenyon Fund, during the 2021-22 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.
1979
Annual Fund Total: $59,424
Class Participation: 33.90%
Presidents Society
Donors of $50,000 or more
George M. Layburn*
Philander Chase Society
Donors of $10,000 to $24,999
David S. Andrews*
Anonymous
M. Phoebe Brown P'18*
Diane Kana*
John C. Porter II
Michael A. Smith*
Bexley Society
Donors of $2,500 to $9,999
David R. Bucey P'11*
Mike Cummiskey, CLU, ChFC, RICP*
LeAnne Grillo*
Peter A. Hoagland P'06*
William C. Seaman
Kenyon Society
Donors of $1,000 to $2,499
Philip F. Abraham*
Anonymous
David A. Borosh*
Robert G. Brody*
Andrew P. Burnside*
David H. Redfield
David M. Troup*
Kenyon Society
Donors of $1 to $999
David B. Achar
Leslie O. Andren*
Linda A. Arnsbarger*
Leslie J. Ballin P'12
Sarah Bates Goodroe*
Thomas F. Bensen*
Deborah Berger Todisco
Mrs Elizabeth Boatwright Crowley*
Timothy M. Bridgham*
Michael A. Buckman
James R. Busch*
Robert L. Channick*
J. Murray Clark*
Andrew R. Conn MD*
Mary Anne Cunningham*
Jeffrey S. Day*
P. William Degener Jr.
Clifford A. Edge
David Erteschik*
Robert E. Fisher MD*
Elizabeth Mueller Gross P'18
Thomas S. Gross P'18
Hunter W. Groton*
Daniel A. Gulino*
Mary Ann Gulino*
Edmund A. Hartt*
Jonathan A. Helitzer*
Jody O. Holmes*
Robin L. Inboden*
Greg Jacoby P'14*
Terri Jiganti Stewart*
Leslie Jones Goodall
Steven R. Killpack
Kathleen V. Kirk
Wai-Kwong Kwok*
Chip Lamb
Elizabeth D. Mellinger*
Robert B. O'Connor*
Margaret Marie Oakes Shorr P'11
Kristin Olsen Kiser P'14*
David D. Peterson*
Larry C. Ravelson*
Phyllis J. Rifkin-Russell*
Barry Rosenberg P'10 '13*
Richard A. Rosengarten*
Steven O. Russell*
Kim Sarap Wissman P'92*
Michael M. Sawyer*
Robert B. Slattery III*
Ruth Strong Fitch*
David M. Switzer MSW
Susan F. Talbott
Tracy Teweles*
Christine E. Thomas*
Middleton Thompson*
Larry J. Tracey*
Sharon Lando Weisberg*
Julia R. Welsh*
Peter W. C. Wenner*
William S. Whitaker*
Margaret Whitman*
Alan S. Wylde P'06 '11*
Sally D. Wylde P'06 '11*
George Wharton Marriott Society
These alumni have included Kenyon in their estate plans or have made other planned gifts.
David A. Borosh '79
Mike Cummiskey '79
Hunter W. Groton '79
Peter A. Hoagland '79 and Susan L. Hoagland
Andrew M. and Mary Lucile Johnston '79, P'08
George M. Layburn '79
Ann Hess Myers '79 and Kurt J. Myers '78
Peggy Shorr '79, P'11
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Kenyon College
105 Chase Avenue, Gambier, OH 43022
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