Class of 1940

From the May/June 2013 Issue

George T. Urban celebrated 65 years of marriage to his wife, Lenore, on Christmas Eve. The pair married in 1947 in Rochester, N.Y., in a ceremony performed by Lenore’s grandfather. They have lived in Florida for almost 40 years, but still keep in touch with friends and relatives in the Northeast. They take pleasure in reading the BAM, and George has happy memories of his days at Brown. 

From the September/October 2008 Issue

Jean Bruce Cummings celebrated her 90th birthday in June. Her family gathered in Greenfield, Mass., at the former family home, which had been sold three years ago and is now Poetry Ridge Bed and Breakfast. Her children attended, including Stan Cummings Jr. '67; Cappy Cummings Nunlist '70 and her husband, Mark Nunlist '70, '80 MD; and seven grandchildren. Jean and her husband, Stan '40, performed the Charleston as they had performed it 40 years ago in the town follies.

From the March/April 2008 Issue

Leon E. Rogers is living in Longboat Key, Fla. He is the oldest member of the Sarasota Brown Club. His daughter, Patricia Jo Rogers '68, is the director of the public library in Osterville, Mass.

From the July / August 2007 Issue

Class secretary Bernard Bell reports that he appeared with students at a phonathon on Apr. 23 calling Brown graduates, including some of the class of ’42. He also visited Israel with Claire in Apr. and returned just in time for Commencement. His annual Commencement report will appear in the Sept./Oct. issue of the BAM.

Norman Case writes: “I retired from the practice of law at the end of 2003 at the age of 86. My wife, Dorothy, died July 4, 1989, in Virginia. My three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren are all living in the Burlington, Vt., area, which is close enough to visit but far enough away. Having served my town as clerk, treasurer, town attorney, and on numerous other community functions, I now have taken to cruising. Last Nov. my sister and I went to the eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf, visiting countries on the shore and winding up in Dubai after visiting Kish Island, Iran. To my classmates approaching 90, I can only say, ‘Keep moving, time is getting short.’”

Jean Bruce Cummings writes: “I can’t remember seeing a single class note from the class of ’40 in several years—only obituary notices—a sad commentary! I moved from our big home when Stan had to enter a nursing home. I didn’t make our last reunion, the only one I ever missed, because it was the only weekend our whole family could gather for a last reunion in the big house before I moved into a much more manageable condo. Since Stan died, I have returned to some of my volunteer work—more than I intended—and I still do some traveling. Let’s hear from the rest of you!”

From the September / October 2006 Issue

Robert Beir has published Roosevelt and the Holocaust: A Rooseveltian Examines the Policies and Remembers the Times. In June, he gave a talk at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in New York.

From the March / April 2005 Issue

Sure you can make it? Plans are under way for a memorable 65th reunion May 27–29. The reunion will feature nonstop happiness and not much walking. Watch your mail for registration information, which will arrive in April. If you have not yet received a reunion mailing, please contact reunion headquarters at (401) 863-1947 or reunions@brown.edu.

Rev. John H. Evans writes that Rev. Fred Jellison, Episcopal rector of St. James Church in Woonsocket, R.I., was honored on the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

From the January / February 2004 Issue

Margaret Fico Capasso writes: “I hope to make my 65th reunion in 2005.”

Edward W. Hale and his wife, Elsie Hurst Hale ’41, celebrated their sixty-first wedding anniversary on June 20. Ed turned 85 on Oct. 29. Edward joined Westinghouse Atomic Power in 1957 and has been retired for twenty years. He has published community newsletters in three states since then and now lives in Rio Rancho, N.Mex.

From the September / October 2004 Issue

John H. Evans, an Episcopal clergyman, observed the 60th anniversary of his ordination at Church of the Holy Cross on June 6 in Middletown, R.I. Curtis Warren gave a tribute.

From the July / August 2004 Issue

Harlow L. Paul Jr. writes that since retiring he has been active as a Red Cross volunteer at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Tex. He adds: “Ruth and I live in an assisted living facility operated by the Lutheran Church. We see Bob Rosen ’63 and his wife, Jane, occasionally. Bob was our ophthalmologist for many years. George Rose ’42 and his wife, Bette, attend All Saints Episcopal Church with us, and we see them there quite often.”

Elizabeth Hunt Schumann writes: “I’m enjoying retirement in Providence. Fellow residents include Brown alums Bob Kenyon ’36 and Libby Goodale Kenyon ’39, Dorothy Rawcliffe Brown ’37, Betty Rice Smart ’37, and Muriel Port Stevens.”

From the May / June 2004 Issue

Bob Homma writes that he enjoys attending Brown football games, often with his grandchildren. He writes: “My wife, Marian, and I live in a continual-care residence along with classmate Bob Handy.”

Leon Rogers writes: “During my wonderful time at Brown, I was sports editor of the Brown Daily Herald and a contributor to Sir Brown, as well as a member of the Owl & Rain Society, the freshman track and baseball teams, and the small group of students who started the Brown Radio Network. I broadcast baseball games from Aldrich Field to dormitory rooms. My daughter, Patti Rogers ’68, lives in Corning, N.Y., and is head of the Rakow Research Library at the Corning Museum of Glass. This summer Patti visited us at Longboat Key with her two beautiful adopted daughters Ming, 11, and Baie, 6.”

From the March / April 2004 Issue

Helen Starrett Peterson, of Newport, R.I., writes that the Rev. David E. Evans ’39 and his younger brother the Rev. John H. Evans observed the sixtieth anniversary of their ordinations as Episcopal clergymen in October during a service at the Church of the Holy Cross in Middletown, R.I.

From the July / August 2002 Issue

Margaret Butterfield writes: "I'm traveling to Syracuse to see daughter Judi Wilson and grandchildren Kate, Christopher, and Tim."

Dorothy Daw Powers writes: "I moved in May 2001 to the Fountains of Lake Point Woods, an independent living facility here in Sarasota, Fla. I would love to hear from friends living in the area."

From the May / June 2002 Issue

The Rev. John H. Evans wrote in January that he recently sang some of the same folk songs on a Rhode Island television station that he sang regularly on the Brown radio station. He still owns the same guitar pictured in the yearbook.

From the November / December 2000 Issue

Class secretary June Purcell Beddoe reports: “The women’s class of ’40 enjoyed a delicious, convivial luncheon at the Faculty Club during Reunion Weekend in May. Attending were Shirley Roberts Barbour, Jean Bruce Cummings, Anne Mikolajewski Curtis, Barbara Porter DeLuca, Polly Tirrell English, Isabelle Stone Hofstein, Margaret Butterfield Hyde, Esther Bourne Manning, Althea Hall McAlleer, Anne Keenan McCaffrey, Elizabeth Ibell Medbury, Alice Kutz Oster, Ruth Campbell Pratt, Betty Hunt Schuman, Hope Smith Sterrett, and me. We were joined by the daughters of Isabelle and Margaret.

“There is a healthy balance in our treasury. It was agreed that after paying expenses, we will add $1,000 to the Brown Annual Fund. Our appreciation is due to Betty Schuman for her diligence over many years. Thanks also to Jean Cummings, who represented our class at the candle-lighting ceremony during the memorial service.

“My son, a civil engineer at Dimeo Construction, was the project engineer during the recent renovation of the Pembroke dorms.
“Shirley Roberts Barbour is still working for world peace. She writes a column on legislative action for a local newsletter and is an organic gardener.

“Jean Bruce Cummings’s son, Stanley Jr. ’67, is executive director of the Orange County Marine Institute. Her daughter, Cappy Cummings Nunlist ’70, and her son-in-law, Mark ’70, ’80 M.D., attended their 30th reunion in May. Cappy is a lawyer. Jean is still a downhill skier.

“Anne Mikolajewski Curtis has just returned from a trip to Alaska with members of her Duplicate Bridge Club. She now lives at 75 Minnesota Ave., #310, Warwick, R.I. 02888.

“Polly Tirrell English is an enthusiastic gardener. She is proud of her peas, which were blossoming as of May 10. Early?

“Isabelle Stone Hofstein is one of three generations of Brown graduates. Her daughter is Natalie Hofstein Mendelsohn Matus ’73. Her granddaughter is Kira Mendelsohn Matus ’04. Isabelle received an M.S.W. from Columbia and has worked in family and children’s social-service agencies. She has also taught social work and sociology at two colleges.

“Esther Bourne Manning is an accomplished organist. She is associated with a church in Attleboro, Mass.

“Miriam O’Brien Meehan lives at Hallworth House, 66 Benefit St., Providence 02906. Her health is not good.

“Alice Kutz Oster’s granddaughter Laura Mullen ’96 earned a degree in computer art at Brown. She also took courses at RISD.

“Helen Starrett Peterson was not able to join us for the reunion. She and her husband were on a cruise from Florida to Warren, R.I.

“Ruth Campbell Pratt, who recently retired from a part-time job with a physician, writes that she is now anticipating the joy of leisure. She lives on Cape Cod.

“Betty Hunt Schuman lives at Laurel-mead, 355 Blackstone Blvd., #318, Providence 02906, where she remains active, especially with the library committee.”

From the May / June 2000 Issue

George R. Keller writes: "I live in San Diego, which is about as far as one can get from Providence and still be in the contiguous United States. I live on a sand spit called Mission Beach, which separates Mission Bay, an aquatic playground, from the rollers of the Pacific Ocean. Each summer day I and two other retired men (the Geezers Three) spend our afternoons sunbathing, body surfing, and bikini watching on the beach. As the sun is quite strong, one needs protection for the head. Under considerable pressure from the other geezers, I purchased Brown baseball caps for each of us. We wore these caps all summer. After sitting in the same spot each day for many years, we’ve become friendly with the lifeguards and the San Diego city police. In fact, our relationship with the police is so good that the policemen, wishing to honor our visible commitment to Brown, one day cried in unison, ‘Yeah, rah-rah, Cleveland!’ (For non-sports fans, Cleveland’s football team is the Browns.) Such is fame."

Fred King reports that after a new Ronald McDonald House opened on Feb. 16 in Mobile, Ala., he was able to resume his volunteer work. Before moving to Mobile, Fred was volunteer coordinator at WUNC public radio in Chapel Hill, N.C., for eight years, and a volunteer at Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill for three years. He writes that the climate in Alabama is about the same as in Hong Kong, where he spent three years as managing director of Jockey Far East.

From the March / April 2000 Issue

Class president John McLaughry and the reunion committee report: “Plans for a memorable and enjoyable 60th reunion are complete. We will begin the celebration with a welcoming reception and the Brown Bear buffet. On Saturday, the Pembroke luncheon will be at Laurelmead, and the Brown luncheon at the Faculty Club. Saturday night will feature a class dinner and the Commencement concert. Thanks to the Brown Alumni Association, many of the events and facilities will be offered at a discount. Watch your mail for registration information.”

From the January / February 2000 Issue

Jill Rossi, senior assistant director of alumni relations, reports: "Plans are under way for a memorable and enjoyable 60th reunion on May 26-29. Events include the traditional Brown Bear buffet, the campus dance, the Pembroke luncheon, the class dinner, the pops concert, and, of course, the Commencement march. Thanks to the Brown Alumni Association, many events will be offered at discount prices, and campus housing will be complimentary. If you have not yet received a reunion mailing, please call reunion headquarters at (401) 863-1947.

From the July / August 1999 Issue

Barbara Allen Bliss, Madison, Wis., writes: "For the last seventeen years I have been teaching dyslexic adults and youth how to read and spell. I have also been teaching teachers what I've been doing. This makes my life exciting and beneficial to others. I hope Brown is keeping informed and preparing teachers to teach our increasing numbers of semiliterate students."

Samuel Gourse and his wife, Bernice Markoff Gourse '41, Osprey, Fla., were feted by their families on their wedding anniversary in October. The gathering included son Richard Gourse '71, daughter-in-law Wilma Ross Gourse '69, daughter Judith Gourse Hoffman '76, and son-in-law Andrew Hoffman '87 Ph.D. Also attending were Samuel's sister, Natalie Gourse Prokesch '44, and Bernice's sisters, Dorothy Markoff Nelson '35, and Gloria Markoff Winston '49.

Frederick K. Jellison, Lincoln, R.I., was elected secretary of the Rhode Island Council of Community Mental Health Centers. He is also on the council's executive committee.

From the May / June 1999 Issue

Margaret Fico Capasso, North Provi-dence, writes: "I now am blessed with two great-granddaughters, Brittany Capasso and Olivia Hayley Chappell. I have survived two hip replacement operations, still sing in my church choir, and am active in my town's Friends of the Library organization."

Robert I. Homma and Robert T. Handy, who had been out of touch since graduation (though they had attended several of the same reunions), recently found them-selves living across the hall from each other in a retirement community in West Caldwell, N.J. "With our wives, Marion Homma and Barbara Handy, we are enjoying talking about the years at Brown, our children, grandchildren, and various travels and experiences over six decades. Some 'coincidences' are very pleasant indeed," Robert writes.

From the January / February 1999 Issue

Margaret Butterfield Hyde, Southbury, Conn., writes: "A quiet, non-travel year. Daughter Judi Wilson and grandsons Chris and Tim spent a very short weekend with me in July. We went to the Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, N.Y., to see World War I planes flying. If any of you wish to escape the woes of the 1990s, you could surely escape to the first decades of this century by visiting and observing a farce of World War I."

From the September / October 1998 Issue

Sister Mary Christopher (formerly Frances O'Rourke) has been recuperating from surgery. Friends may send her cards at 31 Farnsworth Ave., Tiverton, R.I. 02878.

Margaret Butterfield Hyde, Southbury, Conn., visited her daughter, Judi Wilson, in Syracuse, N.Y., in May. While there, Margaret attended the graduation of her granddaughter, Katie Wilson, from SUNY-Oswego, and watched grandson Christopher play in a high-school lacrosse game. Margaret's younger grandson, Tim, is in seventh grade.

Betty Jencks Smoot has not been well, according to her friend, Margaret Hyde. Betty and her husband would appreciate receiving cards at Mayo Assisted Living, 1 Richard Ave., Northfield, Vt. 05663.

Curtis Warren (see Craig Warren '69).

From the March / April 1998 Issue

Edward H. Jones, North Kingstown, R.I., writes: "We had an interesting cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg in May. In July, we celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary with a big family reunion at our summer home on Chappaquiddick."