Head of the class - Smith Alumnae Quarterly

Transcription

Smith
unveils new
academic
centers
Alumnae Quarterly
spr i ng  
Alumnae
educators–like
Rachel Willis ’04–
reflect on what
motivates them
to inspire their
students every day
Physician
Laura Trice ’90
makes healthy
‘junk food’
Cubicle
Chic blogger
Meredith
Duncan ’08
offers tips on
looking good
at work
SHead of the class
Celebrating
teachers!
SPRING 2011
30
40
44
50
Departments
FREEDOM TO TEACH
By Ileana Jiménez ’97 For teachers to be effective,
they need the support of their school systems,
respect from their communities, and time to learn on
their own. What they don’t need are empty slogans.
2 Readers Write
3 Smith Mix
Physician Laura Trice ’90 creates a line of ‘wholesome
junk food’; Terrasa Ulm ’99 turns gaming into a college
major; Meredith Duncan ’08 blogs about fashion for
young professionals; Mika El-Baz ’85 promotes the best
in the music business; Pilar Arosemena Aleman ’79
leads the creation of Panama’s Biodiversity Museum.
SINGING LESSONS
By Leslie Talmadge Early childhood educator Dorry
Schalk Brown ’65 employs music and song to inspire
children with speech and language disorders.
9 From the Banks of Paradise
The centers for global studies, the environment,
and community engagement open in Wright Hall; a
greeting card collection fills a student’s walls; sex as a
hot classroom topic; young teachers share lessons in
urban education; first lady honors a first-year.
TEACHERS OF TODAY
Interviews by Christina Barber-Just Alumnae
educators—Kathleen Phillipps Fulton ’67, Caltha
Crowe ’68, Carrie Coleman Strasburger ’80, Rachel
Willis ’04, and Marjorie Pashkow Kaplan ’62—talk
about their visions for raising the bar.
18 President’s Perspective: Professors hone their
teaching skills.
57 Alumnae Update
TEACHERS OF TOMORROW
Photographs by Webb Chappell They’re still students
for a few more months, but a group of senior aspiring
teachers show the kind of enthusiasm that is coming
soon to a classroom near you.
95 Obituaries
100 Alumnae Exchange
102 Beyond the Grécourt Gates
104 Smith Seen: Winter white
A MISSION TO TEACH
By Jenny Hall AC ’04 Teach for America alumnae
emerge from tough classroom experiences as
passionate advocates for equality in education.
34
TEACHING WITH A MOM’S TOUCH
By Jane Falla Alumnae who homeschool their
children say the experience makes their children
active participants in their education.
6
ASIA KEPKA
26
Features
ADAM KRAUSE
22
Volume 97 Number 3
Smith travelers, including
w former president Mary
Maples Dunn, watched
ALUMNAE.SMITH.EDU
Egypt’s Tahrir Square uprisings from their hotel
balcony in January. Read their accounts on
the AASC Website, where you’ll also find links
to alumnae blogs, campus news, and AASC
program listings.
ON THE COVER Rachel Willis ’04, photographed in
her Atlanta classroom, by Christopher Martin.
Managing Editor
elise gibson
Associate Director, Print and
Electronic Media
cheryl dellecese
Assistant Editor
jane falla
Design Director
ronn campisi
Design Intern
sarah litz
Student Editorial Intern
zoë gioja ’
Editorial Advisers
susan goodall ’
linda kramer jenning ’
laura begley ’
judith glassman daniels ’
The Smith Alumnae Quarterly is published
by the Alumnae Association of Smith College. The Quarterly exists to report on matters relating to the college and to provide a
forum for alumnae comment. The contents
of the Quarterly are the responsibility of the
editors and the board of directors and do
not necessarily reflect the views of Smith
College.
AASC OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
President
lynn smith fox ’
Vice President
lisa ilka abrams ’
Treasurer
rehana farrell ’
Clerk
peg merzbacher ’
Liaison, Smith Alumnae Quarterly
susan goodall ’
Chair, NAAC
fiona ward clapp ’
Chair, RCC
leslie mark ’
Openingnotes
i think most everyone can
remember a favorite teacher,
someone who brought a subject to life or perhaps encouraged a self-confidence you
never knew you had. There
was one teacher in particular
who did that for me: Mrs. Duerden, my tenth-grade English
teacher. Truth be told, she was
tough. Behind her ear, without
fail, was a sharpened pencil
that she reached for anytime she wanted to
stress something important, or to simply
point menacingly in your face when she
wanted to make it clear that you’d done or
said something she didn’t like. She chewed
gum in class (even though there were rules
against it) and stalked the halls, her mantra
always at the ready: “Move on, people! Move
on!”
Close to thirty years later, I don’t remember much about her daily lessons, but
what has stuck with me are the feelings she
instilled in me—the excitement about reading a great book, the appreciation for good,
clear, accessible writing, and the confidence
to face a blank page and just write. She
made me love words, and because of her I
joined my high school’s newspaper and eventually decided
to study English and journalism in college.
Good teachers inspire students every day, and in this
special issue we talk to several
alumnae whose passion for
education touches the lives
of young people in different
ways, whether it’s by creating
peaceful classrooms that make
learning easier or doing policy work that
improves the overall quality of education.
Without a doubt, this is among my favorite issues of the Quarterly. In our country’s
current push for education reform, it’s
discouraging to see teachers receive the
brunt of criticism for whatever disparities
may exist in our school systems. I hope this
issue encourages a discussion about the important work our teachers do and perhaps
inspires you to remember your own Mrs.
Duerden.
Happy spring!
ADAM MCCAULEY
Editor
john macmillan
Chair, Nominating Committee
steffanie garrett ’
Chair, ASIC
sarah khurshid khan ’
Directors
judith johnson campagnari ’
peggie ward koon ’
lisa lauterbach laskin ’
ann mitchell ’
sharmeen obaid-chinoy ’
erin alexander paisan ’
leslie brooks solomon ’
lois thompson ’
ALUMNAE TRUSTEES
toni grotta wolfman ’
m. ann sanford ’
lisa ferrell ’
annie morita ’
ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION
carrie cadwell brown,
med ’
Smith Alumnae Quarterly is published
quarterly in September, December, March,
and June.
Sent to all alumnae of Smith College.
Offices: Alumnae House, Smith College,
Northampton, MA 01063. Copyright ©
2011 by the Alumnae Association of Smith
College, Inc.
2 Printed by The Lane Press, Burlington,
VT 05402, using 10% recycled paper.
Alumnae Association at your service
The Alumnae Association of Smith College
offers a lifetime of benefits designed to keep
alumnae connected to Smith and to one another. Here are some of the things we can do
for you.
tion offers regional and national educational
symposia on a variety of topics that draw on
the talents and expertise of Smith faculty and
alumnae. For information on various programs, e-mail alumnae@smith.edu.
SMITH ALUMNAE QUARTERLY
Y Keep informed of campus events and alumnae accomplishments through this award-winning
publication. Send letters, story ideas, or
comments to saq@smith.edu.
CLUB CONNECTIONS Smith clubs exist in
nearly 50 states, Europe, and Asia. For club
information, call (800) 526-2023, option 4. To
find a club in your area, visit alumnae.smith.
edu and click on “Clubs and Affinity Groups.”
SMITH TRAVEL The Smith Travel Program
offers alumnae first-rate trips to exotic destinations, world-class accommodations, and
expert hosts, including Smith faculty members. For information, call (800) 225-2029;
alumtrav@smith.edu.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES The Alumnae Association values your input. If you have
a particular area of expertise that would benefit your class or the Alumnae Association,
there are plenty of ways to volunteer your
time. For information, call (800) 526-2023,
option 4. Or visit alumnae.smith.edu and click
on “Volunteer Resources.”
REUNIONS Fun abounds for two weekends
every May when nearly 2,000 alumnae converge on campus to celebrate Reunion. Visit
old haunts, learn something new at Alumnae
College, or simply catch up with old friends.
For information about Reunion, call (800)
526-2023, option 4. Or visit alumnae.smith.
edu and click on “Reunions and Classes.”
ALUMNAE EDUCATION Just because you’ve
graduated doesn’t mean your Smith education won’t continue. The Alumnae Associa-
CAREER SERVICES Working with the Career
Development Office, the Alumnae Association helps keep your career on track. Benefits
include career counseling, networking, and
skill-building seminars. Contact the CDO at
cdo@smith.edu, or call (413) 585-2582.
AFFINITY AND SPECIAL INTEREST PROGRAM The Alumnae Association offers
multiple programs for alumnae to connect to
Smith and each other in ways that address
special interests and common bonds. The
Affinity and Special Interest Program helps
alumnae of shared interests to establish online and in-person communities. Currently,
the AASC hosts three affinity groups: Black
Alumnae of Smith College (BASC), Association of Latina Alumnae of Smith (ALAS), and
Smith Asian Alumnae Alliance (SAAC). For
more information, send an e-mail to alumedu@smith.edu.
ONLINE COMMUNITY The Alumnae Association offers a full-service Website—http://
alumnae.smith.edu—where you can, among
other things, look up friends in a searchable alumnae directory, find alumnae blogs
and Websites, and get the latest news about
Smith and alumnae. Also visit the complete
Smith Alumnae Quarterly online at www.
saqonline.smith.edu. To update your address
or submit a story idea directly to the magazine, send an e-mail to saq@smith.edu.
xFOR DETAILS on all of these
benefits and services, visit
http://alumnae.smith.edu, or
call (800) 526-2023.
Spring 2011 Smith Alumnae Quarterly 1
READERS WRITE
Cyclists in need of headgear
having attended Smith
College from 1946 through 1950,
I was pleased to read “TwoWheeling for Fun and Idealism”
[Winter 2010–2011]. In our
undergraduate days, we rode our
bikes everywhere—to classes,
athletics, the Northampton
library, to Howard Johnson’s,
Look Park, Holyoke, Amherst, on
Mountain Day and every day.
Those were the days of no helmets,
foot brakes, no dropped handlebars,
no toe clips, and much less traffic than
today. Times have changed! Still an
avid cyclist and triathlon person, I
was disappointed to notice that the
Smithies pictured on bicycles, or
with a bicycle, were NOT wearing
helmets: Nowadays, students, faculty,
competitors, non-competitors, and all
those who bike are concerned about
good health, as the article reports. All
of them should wear bike helmets.
Next time, please show us that Smith
cyclists do wear helmets, always,
while biking.
tink murdock bolster ’
Princeton, NJ
i was pleased to see the article
about the resurgence of bicycling on
the Smith Campus. When I attended
Smith as an Ada (1994–97), my bicycle—with a bike seat for my young
son—a stroller, and a sled were our
only transportation.
The photos of Smith students bicycling without helmets disappointed
me. Last May, I had a bicycle accident
while commuting on King Street,
less than a mile from my home. I
was unconscious for half an hour. I
couldn’t remember my name, address,
phone, or job. A car had not hit me;
I just went over the handlebars in
a split-second accident and landed
on my head. Luckily, I was wearing
a helmet. Not so luckily, my helmet
was loose that day, from having worn
a cap under it the day before. It took
a month to get my memory, face, and
energy back.
I am happy and proud to be bicycling again these days, but I never ride
without my helmet. Smithies, you’re
smart and beautiful. For your sake,
2 Smith Alumnae Quarterly Spring 2011
GETTING AROUND
TWO-WHEELING FOR FUN AND IDEALISM
Students, faculty embrace cycling for its good exercise, zero emissions
BIKES TO GO
The Bicycle
Kitchen, now 5
years old, has
a rental fleet of
fifty used bikes.
The group is
looking for donations of twenty
more. To donate,
write to bikes@
smith.edu.
bicycles of every style
and vintage regularly cram
the bike rack outside of Ford
Hall, and from one end of
campus to the other, bikes
are locked to fences, trees,
and stair rails outside of academic buildings and houses.
The student-run Bicycle
“I’m depending
on myself to
get around,
and that feels
empowering.”
Kitchen rented all fifty of its
bikes in the first two weeks
of school and had a waiting
list of twenty. A new Cycling
Club started up last spring.
Bicycling may not have
been this popular on campus
since the fitness-induced
surge of cycling in the 1970s.
“I’ve seen a significant rise in
biking at Smith,” said James
Lowenthal, an astronomy
professor and avid cyclist.
“Nationally, biking is way
up.”
It’s not hard to imagine
why bikes and students are
made for each other.
Bicycles are a perfect
mode of transportation for
those who are concerned
about the environment, their
health, or their pocketbook;
in short, your average college
student. “My interest in biking has grown tremendously
in the last several years,” said
Colby Singleton ’11J, a comanager of Bicycle Kitchen.
“I feel great after riding,
and not just physically. I’m
depending on myself to get
around, and that feels empowering.”
Competitive racer and
Cycling Club President Emily Curry ’12 concurs. “The
tranquility and empowering
nature of a bike ride is something that I would like to
share with anyone who can
ride on two wheels,” she said.
Further, she hopes to spark
12 Smith Alumnae Quarterly Winter 2010-11
09-17.Smith_Winter11_07.indd 12
campus interest in competitive cycling. “I feel very
strongly that women should
have a strong presence in cycling events and would love
to have Smith’s name on the
back of a jersey.”
Across the country, bicycling is enjoying the attention of a devoted cadre of
advocates, who are pushing
institutions to make cycling
an easier, more attractive option for students, commuters, and recreational riders.
At Smith, faculty members
are smoothing the path in a
number of ways.
A few years ago, Nicholas
Horton, associate professor of math and statistics,
created a group, Friends of
Northampton Trails and
Greenways, that is devoted
to improving and promoting
the local rail trails and bike
paths. One of its projects is
a detailed map of bike paths
in the area and how they link
to one another. The map incorporates GIS specialist Jon
Caris’ expertise in satellite
mapping technology, data
collection by Hannah Kegley
’12, and the cartographic
skills of Ella Hartenian ’11, a
bike enthusiast and STRIDE
scholar. The group has so
Bicycle Kitchen
co-manager Colby
Singleton ’11J.
Photographs by Jessica Scranton
11/23/10 3:35 PM
protect what you’ve got. Wear a helmet
every time you ride.
mary cowhey ac ’
Northampton, MA
Sylvia’s other rooms
as a matter of fact Sylvia Plath
’55 had two other rooms [“The Poet’s
Room,” Winter 2010–11], both of
them in Haven House, for her first
and sophomore years. I was fortunate
enough to be her roommate that
second year and a close friend until her
death. A commemorative plaque never
occurred to me. marcia brown stern ’
Concord, MA
‘A very special place’
wow. This issue [Fall 2010] blew
me away. I was especially moved by
the stories and accomplishments of
Durreen Shahnaz ’89, Farah Pandith
’90, and Annie De Groot ’78. But also,
I enjoyed reading about the women in
the section called “The lives we lead,” a
great format.
From time to time I disagree with the
way the college handles an issue. But
even in those times, I am tremendously
proud of my alma mater and the difference Smith makes. The entire college
aa
a
community that attracts these remarkable women, and then helps them to
gain whatever skills and knowledge they
need to go out into the world and make
a difference the way they do, year after
year after year—Smith is one very special place. I feel so grateful and proud to
be part of that community.
kerry dolan ’, edm ’
Nashua, NH Fund honors playwright
i write to tell you about an
extraordinary Ada Comstock alumna—
Leah Ryan AC ’93—and the fund
established in her honor and in her
memory. Leah came to Smith from
Holyoke Community College, majored
in theatre, and won the Denis Johnston
prize for excellence in playwriting no
less than three times. She continued
her education, earning an artist
diploma in playwriting at Juilliard and
her MFA from the University of Iowa
Writer’s Workshop, where she won
the Distinguished Teaching Award and
was twice chosen to take part in the
annual Iowa Playwrights Festival. Her
plays have been performed all over
the United States, including at Smith
College. I unapologetically refer to her
as our Chekhov.
Leah Ryan died of leukemia on June
12, 2008, in New York City. Her family
and friends have established Leah Ryan’s Fund for Emerging Women Writers, offering an annual prize to encourage and support the work of women
writers. “The purpose of the prize is to
perpetuate the integrity, compassion
and creativity that Leah herself possessed and inspired in others,” according to the Website, leahryansfeww.com.
Please spread the word about the prize
among writers and teachers you may
know, and take pride in counting Leah
Ryan among Smith’s Ada Comstock
alumnae.
lorna m. peterson
Executive director, emerita
Five Colleges, Incorporated
m We welcome letters to the editor.
Letters should be typed
and no more than 200 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. All letters
reflect the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of the Quarterly, the AASC,
or Smith College. Send letters to us via e-mail at saq@smith.edu, or by post to: Letters
to the Editor, Alumnae House, Northampton, MA 01063; 800-526-2023.
smith
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ALUMNAE ON OUR RADAR
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Photographs by Amanda Friedman
Laura Trice ’90’s food philosophy
One of physician Laura Trice ’90’s
“aha” moments came when she
was working as a set medic for the
television show 7th Heaven. She
noticed that cast and crew members
who headed for the doughnuts in
the morning often came to her with
headaches later in the day. That
reinforced what she had witnessed
as a medical school student. “I saw
so many illnesses that were hurting
people that were preventable,” she
says. She decided to focus on educating people about the connection
between health and nutrition—and
that healthy food can still taste great.
The result has been a successful business: In 2001, Trice started
Laura’s Wholesome Junk Food—
cookies that are vegan, gluten-free,
and contain no refined sugar—sold in
major supermarket chains, like Whole
Foods. And last year she published
the successful The Wholesome Junk
Food Cookbook (Running Press,
2010), which incorporates Trice’s
nutritional expertise and her passion
for cooking.
BOOKS
good vs. bad ingredients Much of the information out there is motivated by
commercial interests. Look at
sweeteners and carbs, for example. You have people eliminating fruit, which drives me
nuts! A few simple cardinal
rules: Skip the white flour,
white sugar, and table salt.
decoding ingredient
lists Avoid anything that
says partially hydrogenated or
hydrogenated; instead, look
for anything derived naturally, such as coconut oil, olive
oil, or avocado oil. Also look
for words that indicate sugar,
such as dextrose, or anything
that ends with “ose” and avoid
high fructose corn syrup.
snacking In my family, we
never had food issues. We are
what we call “grazers.” I’ll have
a handful of almonds, some
celery. When people complain that there’s nothing to
eat, what they typically mean
is that there’s nothing naughty
to eat. I have lots of things on
hand, like cherry tomatoes
and fruit. I keep things in my
house that are OK to binge on.
cravings There are two
versions of women—the
well-rested version and the
not-well-rested version. The
times when you’re not rested
are when you make your worst
food choices. Making sure you
have protein and fat, and not
just sweets and carbs, will en-
sure that you won’t crave more
sweets and carbs. There are
salty cravings, sweet and gooey, hot and cold. If I’m craving
a sweet, I may have a spoonful of honey or maple sugar.
I carry emergency chocolate
in my purse. I have ice cream
in my freezer sweetened with
agave, and as for my salty cravings, I have sauerkraut and
dill pickles. Trust in listening
to yourself and be aware. Our
emotional cravings are less severe when we’re taking good
care of ourselves with sleep,
exercise, hydration, and in our
personal lives.
global per spec tives
I was fortunate enough to
do my junior year abroad
in France. The French are
known for portion control,
and they don’t fall into any of
our trends in trying to replace
real fat with fake fat. They pay
attention to what’s natural,
delicious, flavorful, and beautifully presented. At dinner
with my French family, they
would say, “Here, have some
green beans, they’re good for
your skin.” Every food came
with a blessing or a suggestion
for moderation. I spent a lot
of time in Europe seeing that
attention to quality of ingredients, and real attention to
what people put in their bodies. During my time in Bali, we
didn’t always have access to refined foods, so we made des-
serts with palm sugar or fruit
as a sweetener. This confirmed
for me that you can make the
most amazing foods naturally,
and they taste delicious.
kid approved Someone emailed me and said that she
stopped buying junk food for
her three kids. She told them
they could pick one recipe
each from my cookbook, she
would buy the ingredients,
and on Sundays they would
make the desserts for the
week. At first, the kids’ faces
dropped. Her youngest, who
is not a big vegetable eater,
ended up picking the recipe
for lemon kale chips because
he liked potato chips, and
proceeded to eat the whole
batch. I really like the emphasis of getting some of the bad
stuff out of the pantry. If you
get rid of the junk food, kids
will get hungry, and they’ll eat
what’s there—and it will only
take one to two weeks for their
palates to adjust.
gracious dining I was
told by an old family friend
who was in her 80s that it was
important to never sit down to
dinner without a flower and a
lit candle. In Europe, for example, a meal can be two to
three hours. When there is
time to connect with people,
things are savored. We can
learn from traditions about
dining versus eating. —JF
y MORE lauraswholesomejunkfood.com
Recent releases by Smith alumnae and faculty
ASIAN STUDIES
A Place in Public: Women’s Rights in Meiji Japan
Marnie Anderson ’97
harvard university
asia center, 

Anderson, a history
professor at Smith, addresses how gender
became a defining category in the political and
social modernization of
Japan during the early
decades of the Meiji period (1868–1912).
FICTION
cepts a job as a nanny
with a white family,
despite her conflicting feelings about the
position. Race, family,
relationships, and being
true to oneself are all
explored.
Leaving L.A.
Kate Christie (Jenny
VanderWeyden ’93)
bella books, 
.
The story of a passionate connection between
two women looking for
a home—one a retired
movie star, the other her
daughter’s kindergarten
teacher.
Substitute Me
Lori Tharps ’94
atria, 

A well-educated African MEMOIRS
American woman acTen Thousand Joys and
Ten Thousand Sorrows:
A Couple’s Journey
Through Alzheimer’s
Olivia Ames
Hoblitzelle ’59
tarcher/penguin

.
Hoblitzelle and her
husband of nearly forty
years practice the Buddhist methods of acceptance and letting go
as he is diagnosed and
eventually succumbs to
Alzheimer’s disease.
American Madonna:
Crossing Borders with
the Virgin Mary
Deirdre Cornell ’89
orbis books, 

Cornell, a Maryknoll
missionary in Mexico
for three years, recounts
Mexican narratives
about Mary and
stories that illustrate
the Mexican people’s
devotion to the Blessed
Mother.
WOMEN’S STUDIES
Pens and Needles:
Women’s Textualities in
Early Modern England
Susan Frye ’74
university of pennsylvania press, 
$65
An examination of the
expressive arts of needlework, painting, and
writing, and the insights
they offer into women’s
lives and literary texts
of the time.
on
Game
Terrasa Ulm ’99
creates a big-time
gaming major at
a small liberal
arts college
Photograph by Jessica Scranton
Video games are big business.
So big, in fact, that by 2014
PricewaterhouseCoopers expects the
video-game industry, already valued
at more than $50 billion worldwide,
to close in on the $90 billion mark,
leapfrogging both the music and movie
industries. With increased demand for
video-game designers and developers
comes increased demand for schools
offering game degrees, and at Becker
College—a small liberal arts college in
Worcester, Massachusetts—Terrasa Ulm
’99 has stepped up in a big way.
The game-design curriculum she
created for Becker is currently ranked
fourth in the nation and first in New
England by the Princeton Review,
besting the likes of MIT, and has the
stated goal of becoming the preeminent
undergraduate program of its kind in
the country.
Ulm studied computer science at
Smith and received a master’s degree
in interactive programming and design
from the New School. In 2004, when
she started as an adjunct professor at
Becker, she learned that the college
wanted to add a game major but didn’t
have anyone to do it. Would Ulm be
interested? She got to work writing up
the proposed curriculum and taught the
very first course, “Introduction to Game
Design.” The interest from students was
immediate, she says; they were “desperate to find an accredited, four-year,
‘normal’ college experience that allowed
them not to simply concentrate on
gaming but to actually major in it.” The
new major was approved, and Ulm was
hired as a full-time professor. Today,
game design and game development are
the fastest-growing academic programs
at Becker.
As far as Ulm is concerned, there’s
little doubt as to why video games are
poised to become the most profitable—
and popular—arm of the entertainment
industry. “I think most people like to
sit back and relax sometimes, allowing
the story to be told, but the other half
of the time, we want to tell our story,
and games allow us to do just that,” she
says. “The ability to have interaction
and expressive capabilities has made
gaming very compelling for almost everyone.” —Christina Barber-Just
y MORE: becker.edu
Dressed
for
success
meredith duncan ’ was busy building a new wardrobe for
her first job as a paralegal at a Manhattan law firm when she met
Lindsay Mueller, who, as another paralegal at the firm, was doing the very same thing. The two found themselves talking about
fashion all the time. They realized there wasn’t much colorful,
fun, creative content online about how to dress for work, so they
did what any self-respecting modern Manhattanite would do:
they started a blog. Cubicle Chic was launched in April 2010
with the mission of inspiring creativity in young professionals’
everyday corporate style. Here is Duncan’s checklist for assembling a business wardrobe you’ll love. —Christina Barber-Just
y MORE: cubiclechicblog.com
R
Businesss w
wardrobe checklist
R Buy a good
suit that fits
your body—and
your industry—perfectly.
It won’t be the
most exciting
item in your
wardrobe, but
it will serve you
well.
R Once you
have your basics, mix and
match. You’ll be
surprised how
many combinations you can
come up with.
R The simplest
way to accessorize? Jewelry.
A statement
necklace or earrings can take
a button-down
from simple to
stunning.
R Embrace
scarves. They
add color and
dimension to an
outfit, plus they
keep you warm
in the winter.
R Incorporate
affordable
vintage items
into your
wardrobe. They
are unique and
add personality
to your
appearance.
R Solids are
nice, but prints
can be a great
way to add a
little kick to
your look. For
instance, try
adding a skinny
leopard-print
belt to your
black trousers.
R Within your
office’s boundaries, don’t be
afraid to express
yourself through
style. You will
most likely inspire others and
feel more confident yourself.
R Dressing for
work doesn’t
have to be a
drag. Draw
inspiration from
blogs, street
style, and coworkers to have
fun with your
9-to-5 look.
Meredith
Duncan ’08
blogs about
sailing through
your workday
in style
Photograph by Adam Krause
7 HOW SHE GOT THAT JOB
Mika El-Baz ’85 promotes the best in the music business
“If you don’t know
how to build
relationships, this
job is not for you.”
NAME
Mika El-Baz ’85
SMITH MAJOR
Art history
CURRENT JOB
Executive vice president, publicity, RCA
Music Group. A unit of Sony Music
Entertainment, RCA Music Group
comprises four record labels and boasts
a roster of recording artists that includes
Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Rod
Stewart, Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters,
Whitney Houston, Sarah McLachlan, and
Jamie Foxx.
WHAT SHE DOES
El-Baz is based at RCA Music Group’s
headquarters in New York City. She
supervises the publicity department,
overseeing a staff of seven publicists in
Photograph by Joshua Paul
New York and LA. Her main task is to
promote the label group’s artists through
press campaigns targeting television, digital,
and print outlets. This could mean landing
them on American Idol, Saturday Night Live,
PerezHilton.com, People.com, the cover of
Rolling Stone, or in the pages of The Wall
Street Journal. She also helps the artists
deal with the media—whether they need to
address a personal issue publicly, get media
training, or define their brand.
CAREER PATH
El-Baz spent her junior year in London
and returned after graduation thinking she
wanted to go into fashion. The fashion PR
firm where she started out happened to
share offices with a music PR firm. She took
one look at the gold and platinum albums
on the wall and knew she’d found her true
calling. “I loved music but never in my
wildest dreams thought it could be a career
for me,” she says. She worked for two artistmanagement companies, one of which
gave her the opportunity to promote Paul
McCartney’s 1989-1990 world tour, before
making the leap to a record label. She spent
six years at Island Records and another six
at Interscope-Geffen-A&M before joining
RCA Music Group in 2004.
WANT HER JOB?
Get an internship! It’s the best way to see
if you like the work, the atmosphere, and
the nonstop hours. You don’t necessarily
need to study public relations or get a
communications degree (El-Baz didn’t).
“You can have all the schooling in the
world,” she says, “but if you’re not good on
the phone with people, if you don’t know
how to build relationships, this job is not
for you.” —Christina Barber-Just
y MORE: rcamusicgroup.com
Pilar
Arosemena
Aleman ’79
spearheads
the creation
of the
BioMuseum
A treasure
in Panama
Celebrating the diversity
of our environment and
promoting ways to protect
it is the mission of Panama’s
Biodiversity Museum—or
BioMuseum. One of the
key players who has worked
to make it a reality is Pilar
Arosemena Aleman ’79.
“This has been the dream of
my life,” she says.
For the past decade
Aleman has been working
pro bono in a leadership role
for the private foundation
behind the major new
museum. A Panama mover
and shaker, Aleman headed
what was once the largest
corporate bank in Central
America, chaired the
Panamanian Stock Exchange,
taught finance as a university
professor, and, most recently,
served as a diplomatic
spouse (her husband just
wrapped up a stint as
Ambassador of Panama to
the United States).
Panama, on the isthmus
linking North and South
America, has a tropical
climate and is home to a
vast array of plant, animal,
and bird species—some
completely unique to
Panama—making the
country the ideal place to
demonstrate biodiversity.
The BioMuseum is the
first building in Latin
America designed by über-
Pilar Arosemena Aleman ’79 on
the construction site of the
BioMuseum in Panama City.
architect Frank Gehry. There
have already been some
high-profile visitors to the
$90 million construction site
(Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie,
Al Gore), and it is projected
to attract half a million visitors annually when it opens
next year.
Aleman says it’s located in
an “absolutely spectacular”
spot in Panama City at the
Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, where the colorful
roofs of the museum’s pavilions will be visible to passing
cruise ships. She expects
that international visitors to
the BioMuseum will boost
Panama’s already booming
economy, but she hopes that
the museum will have the
biggest influence on Panamanians themselves.
“Everyone in Panama
wants to be a businessman or
a banker,” she says. Aleman
feels the BioMuseum has
the potential to realign
priorities by increasing
environmental consciousness and rekindling a love
of the sciences. The museum will be a success, she
says, when “every citizen of
Panama is a custodian of
their surroundings and the
treasures in their environment.”—Christina BarberJust
y MORE: biomuseopanama.org
Photograph by Tito Herrera
paradise
➻
from the banks of
INNOVATIONS
Centers of attention
College
g unveils its new
academic clusters in Wright Hall
When the college created the Smith Design
for Learning, its ten-year
strategic plan in 2008, it
announced plans for academic centers that would
pull together resources
from across the college.
“The college has powerful
educational assets in such
areas as global education and environmental
studies, but they perform
in relative isolation,” according to the Design for
Learning. “By aligning
disparate resources in the
context of a center or institute, Smith can create a
whole that is much larger
than the sum of its parts.”
Three years later, and
well ahead of schedule,
the college unveiled in
January its three new
centers in Wright Hall: the
Global Studies Center, the
Center for the Environment, Ecological Design,
and Sustainability, and
the Center for Community
Collaboration. “We put
them right in the middle
of campus to show how
central they are,” said
college Provost Marilyn
Schuster. They join the
Center for Work and Life,
which opened last year in
Clark Hall.
Thanks to an economy
favorable to building projects, the college pushed
up its plans to transform
Wright Hall, Schuster
said. Wright Hall was vacated last May and faculty
moved their offices to the
Quad for the summer.
Besides creating physical spaces for the three
academic centers, the
entire 1960s-era building got a makeover:
Weinstein Auditorium
got a new AV system;
the computer-based
Center for Foreign Language and Cultures, no
longer needed because of
changing technology, was
closed; heating and airconditioning were
updated; two seminar
rooms were added; flooring was replaced; the
foyer got a coffee bar and
a seating area; and faculty
offices were upgraded and
repainted. Faculty moved
back to Wright in August,
while the centers were
being completed. “To
get all that work done in
three months was nothing short of miraculous,”
Schuster said. “It’s really transformed Wright
Hall into a building to be
proud of.” —EG
y MORE: smith.edu/acad_centers.php
Photographs by Jessica Stern
Suleiman Mourad in the
Global Studies Center.
GLOBAL STUDIES CENTER GSC
elizabeth mugar eveillard
’ director of the global
studies center: Suleiman
Mourad, professor of religion
administrative
coordinator: Lisa Morde
mission: “The Global Studies
Center is Smith’s connection
to the world and the world’s
connection to Smith,” Mourad
says. “It builds on the distinction of the Smith academic
tradition of studying the world
(both on campus and via study
abroad), as well as the strength
of our faculty, most of whom
have international expertise and
collectively cover almost every
imaginable global concern, be
it language and literature, cultural, social, political, religious,
historical, economic, philosophical, etc.”
under one roof: The center
brings together the Offices of
International Study (including
Rebecca Hovey, dean for inter-
national study), International
Students and Scholars (Hrayr
Tamzarian, associate dean), and
the American studies diploma
program. what it offers: Informal
events targeted to students
(Global Salons, the Power of
Smith in the World, and weekly
noontime discussions about
world events). “Such events are
meant to provide less formal
opportunities for students to
meet and converse with global
leaders,” Mourad says. “The
student-led events will take the
form of short presentations on
study-away experiences, which
can be very helpful for students
who just had them to share with
the Smith community, and for
students who are preparing for
study-away experiences. They
will also feature collaborations
between international and noninternational students in the
hope that such encounters will
provide follow-up opportunities for international students to
smoothly integrate at Smith.”
more
Wright Hall (continued)
CENTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGICAL
DESIGN, AND SUSTAINABILITY CEEDS
faculty director: Andrew
Guswa, associate professor of
engineering
mission: “To graduate women
who excel at integrating knowledge across disciplines in support of environmental decisions
and action,” Guswa says. “And,
when we refer to the environment, we are using a broad
definition: from Chapin Lawn
to downtown Holyoke to the
forests of Costa Rica.”
outcomes: The goals, Guswa
says, are to empower students
to take on environmental projects inside and outside of the
curriculum and to bring their
liberal-arts learning to bear
in pursuit of these projects,
to make connections between
seemingly disparate knowledge
within the unifying context of
the environment, and to create
a space where students, faculty, staff, alumnae, employers,
and community members can
interact and share knowledge
and experiences related to the
environment.
under one roof: Deirdre
Manning, environmental sustainability director; Joanne Benkley, program coordinator for
CEEDS and the Environmental
Science and Policy Program;
Reid Bertone-Johnson, lecturer
in the landscape studies program and manager of the Ada
and Archibald MacLeish Field
Station; Paul Wetzel, environmental monitoring coordinator;
and Guswa.
using the center: “It will be
the first stop for a student interested in the environment,” Guswa said. “We will have resources
and answers related to curricular and co-curricular programs
on- and off-campus, and we will
help match students and their
interests with opportunities.
The center will provide informal gathering space for groups,
such as the Green Team, Bike
Kitchen, and Community Garden. It can also be used for informal presentations, Webinars,
and working meetings.”
collaborative projects:
“Central to our mission is
knowledge integration—that is,
bringing together and synthesizing expertise from a range of
disciplines,” Guswa says. “For
example, this year, faculty from
comparative literature, biology,
economics, the study of women
and gender, and other disciplines have come together to
incorporate issues and learning
from the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill into their courses.”
Lucy Mule, left, and Gail
Scordilis Norskey ’81 in
the Center for Community
Collaboration.
CENTER FOR COMMUNITY COLLABORATION CCC
co-directors: Lucy Mule, associate professor of education
and child study; Gail Scordilis
Norskey ’81, director of educational outreach
mission: “The center is the
organizational hub that facilitates the collaborations of
faculty, students, and community members on projects that
provide opportunities for both
significant real-life learning and
engaged scholarship, while addressing community goals. The
CCC aims to enhance Smith’s
community engagement by providing more and better-coordinated support for faculty and
students, and better access to
the college for the community,”
according to the co-directors.
Andrew Guswa
in the Center for
the Environment,
Ecological Design,
and Sustainability.
under one roof: “The CCC
is a place for building relationships, where students, faculty,
and community members will
come to meet, talk about
common interests and goals,
and make plans for working
together,” the directors write.
“The main body of the center is
a bright and welcoming room
with three big sunny windows
and a large meeting table. Surrounding this room are seven
offices that house the center
staff.” CCC staff includes the
co-directors; Tiertza-Leah
Schwartz, director of voluntary
services for the Community
Service Office; Allison Reid,
assistant director for outreach
and community partnership
coordinator; Thomas Gralinski,
science outreach coordinator
and K-12 curriculum specialist;
Carla Cooke AC ’01, administrative coordinator; and Sherry
Wingfield, administrative assistant for the CSO.”
a place to engage: “In the
past, students, faculty, and
community members had to
travel to a number of different
offices and academic departments across campus searching
for ways to get involved in community-engaged work at Smith,”
say the directors. “It’s our hope
to simplify that process for
everyone, making it clear as to
where you can go to find out
about this work and get support
for doing it.”
View of MY ROOM WALL OF MEMORIES
For Maya Lewin-Berlin ’13, every picture tells a story
Maya Lewin-Berlin ’13 turned
to her collection of greeting
cards, many from her childhood,
to fill her walls with mini-artwork. What really sets the tone,
though, is the vibrant grapefruit
painting she created for her
room in Cushing.
Photographs by Bob O’Connor
When Maya Lewin-Berlin ’13, a physics
major from eastern Massachusetts, moved
into her first single room in September,
she realized that she had a lot of real estate to cover. “I didn’t realize how big my
room would be, and I didn’t want to keep
buying things,” she said. She found her
design solution in a box full of cards and
postcards from friends and family that
she’d been saving since she was little.
Now those treasured keepsakes bring
her room in Cushing to life with childhood
memories and important milestones in
her life as they wend their way in a single
unbroken line from wall to wall around the
room. “I found photos from friends in fifth
grade, and cards from my bat mitzvah,”
she said. “It was really fun going through
them.”
To unify her space, she chose images
that would harmonize with other prominent pieces in the room, namely the large,
vibrant painting of a close-up grapefruit
that she painted last summer. The deep
violets and pinks of the painting inspired
her color scheme, including her sheer blue
and red curtains.
As for the cards, many of those on the
wall were given to her for graduation and
her senior-year art show. In one corner
hangs a card from her aunt, made of an old
photo of Maya’s great-grandmother. Most
of the cards, though, are from her mother.
“She has the prettiest cards,” Lewin-Berlin
said, “and she knows me best.” —ZG ’13
OF COURSES
EVERYTHING THEY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SEX
Class meets students’ need for frank info about sexual health
nearly every seat in
Stoddard Hall is taken on
a Wednesday evening as
instructor Emily Nagoski
begins her PowerPoint presentation. Her new class on
women’s sexuality was such
an immediate hit when it
was introduced last fall that
its enrollment more than
tripled in its first week.
Nagoski describes the twocredit, interdepartmental
course as “a sampling platter of sexuality.” Over the
course of two hours every
Wednesday night, 187 students discussed relationship
dynamics, sexual orientation,
and even orgasms. Despite
the large class size, students
didn’t shy away from frank
questions. On this night,
for example, students bom-
“Students talk
about sex
a lot on this
campus,” Emily
Nagoski says.
NO TABOOS
Emily Nagoski,
director of wellness education,
created a twocredit course on
women’s sexuality that became
an instant hit
when it debuted
in the fall.
barded her with questions
about the precise differences
between transsexual and
transgender. They shared
their knowledge of inter-sex
babies, and asked critical
questions about Nagoski’s
use of statistical data. “This
would only happen when
teaching Smithies,” she said
in amazement.
Nagoski, whose primary
role on campus is director
of wellness education, had
been giving talks about sex at
house teas when she realized
that students were starving
for information about sexual
health. That’s when she hit
on the idea of creating a
course. When classes began
in September, sixty students
were enrolled; the number
spiked to 198 after the first
week. The numbers may
have been a surprise, but the
Nagoski intends
to offer a women’s
sexuality class
each spring.
intensity of student interest
was not. “College students
are always interested in sex,”
she said. “Students talk about
sex a lot on this campus.”
The course covers everything from sexual anatomy
and reproduction to how
to have an orgasm, while
the reading list ranges from
books like Paul Joannides’
Guide to Getting it On! to the
Boston Women’s Health Collective classic, Our Bodies,
Ourselves. For evaluation,
students take two exams and
write four response papers.
Students say they enjoy
Nagoski’s down-to-earth approach to the subject matter.
“I like how she’s just so real,”
said Katherine Trudeau ’14.
“There’s no sugarcoating it,
she just tells you how it is.”
Seneca Gray ’13 concurs.
“It would be like any other
health class, but she really loves the subject and it
shows,” Gray said.
Nagoski will teach the
class again in spring 2012
and continue teaching it every spring. To facilitate classroom discussion, she intends
to cap the class at 100. “I’ve
taught this to 300 people
before at state schools,” Nagoski explained, “but those
students weren’t asking me
what the evolutionary origin
of the hymen was.”
Her goal is for students to
feel that they have ownership over their own bodies,
to become smarter consumers of popular sexuality in
the mainstream media, and
to feel empowered to have
conversations with medical
professionals. “The most
important outcomes can’t be
measured in the classroom,”
Nagoski said, “but will happen in their lives for the next
ten years.”—ZG ’13
Photographs by Asia Kepka
WEATHER
What’s a snow day?
CLASSES
More one- and two-credit
interdisciplinary courses are
making their way into the
course catalog, a change
that is welcomed by both
students and faculty, says
Dean of the College Maureen Mahoney.
The courses, some of
which grew out of onecredit interterm courses,
allow students to focus on a
defined topic while making
up any credit shortages they
might incur. The shorter
courses are easier to fit into
their schedules. Faculty
members find the format
appropriate to the material
they are teaching, Mahoney
said.
Since the courses are
interdisciplinary, they often include lectures from
multiple faculty members.
“Thinking Through Race,”
for example, introduces
students to the history and
social impact of race in the
United States and is jointly
taught by professors in
English and economics. The
two-credit course “Mapping
the Renaissance” explores
themes from several disciplinary perspectives and
was taught last fall by professors in art and comparative literature.
The new academic concentrations, which began
with archives and museum
studies, also offer onecredit “gateway” courses,
such as “What I Found in
the Archives” and “The
History and Critical Issues
of Museums.” The gateway
courses are required for the
concentration but are open
to students from any discipline.
you know it’s a rough winter when snow forces Smith to cancel
classes, which it did for a day and a half in early February, while
a blizzard wreaked havoc from Oklahoma to Maine. The weather
may have been bad, but readers of the Smith College - Alumnae
Facebook page let us know that we’re all winter wimps. When asked
for their snow-day memories, they recall sledding and sliding and
cold walks to class. But actual snow days? Not so much.
Here are snowcovered memories
from a few alumnae:
“there was a storm
in the late ’90s that
dumped 26 inches
of snow. The college
did not close! Classes
were cancelled
ONLY if your professor could not get
there!”
“somehow I don’t
recall the classes ever
being closed during
1976 to 1980! I think
we even dug out
the campus during
interterm one year.
You realized how far
away the Quad was
from the main campus during winter;
we would sometimes
cross Paradise Pond
if it was frozen. The
Cushingettes also
took the dinner trays
to go sledding by
Paradise Pond—I’d
do it again in a minute if I was there!”
ASIA KEPKA
Gateway
“we had afternoon
classes cancelled for
Hurricane Gloria
(1985?). But snow
days? No way! Not
even in the Ice Storm
of ’87, where the only
way to get down the
hills was to slide on
your butt!”
“i don’t recall having any snow days
(1968–1972), even
after the enormous
snowstorm in February ’69 that dumped
about two feet of
snow on campus.
I was at a friend’s
apartment just off
Green Street when
it started, and I remember having to
call my housemother
to tell her I couldn’t
make it back to the
house because the
snow was too deep.”
“don’t remember
‘snow days’ from
1939 to 1943 and
earlier. However, as
a grandparent I look
forward to them
now!”
“either that is
some storm back
there, or we were just
tougher in the old
days (1989–1993).”
Lecture Circuit
• From the panel,
“Our Last, Best Hope:
Making It Cool to
be Smart,” on college
access and success for
underserved students,
December 2, Neilson
Browsing Room.
“We have to refuse to blame
the children for our inability to identify who has the
potential; we have to believe
there is treasure where other
people think there’s not. We
have to transmit hope where
kids have been taught there
isn’t any hope.” judith berry griffin,
founder of Pathways to College, an after-school program
to help high-potential students of color attain a college
education.
“This is a really exciting time
for young people interested
in educational reform—
there’s the opportunity for
you to do something bold and
innovative that could affect
practice as well as policy.” charlise lyles ’, cofounder of Catalyst magazine,
which analyzes urban school
improvement issues.
Campus Notebook
SMITH APP
The online directory of faculty,
staff, and students
has become the college’s first mobile
application available for free on the
Apple App Store.
SCDirectory allows
smart-phone users
to search the directory by name or department. As with
the regular online
directory, only users on the college
network can view
photographs.
Biomathematical sciences, poetry, South Asian
studies, and Buddhist studies are
the latest topic areas to become formal concentrations, joining similar
concentrations in museum studies
and archives. These “intellectual
clusters” combine related, multidisciplinary courses with hands-on or
independent learning
y MORE:
experiences and a capsmith.edu/
stone experience. The
poetry; smith.
biomath concentraedu/biomath
tion integrates math,
statistics, computer science, and
engineering with biology, biochemistry, and neuroscience. The poetry
concentration combines academic
and practical work and gives students the opportunity to explore
professional practice through presses, journals, and other sites.
U CONCENTRATED STUDY.
U MEDAL WINNERS. Smith College
medalists honored at Rally Day on
February 23 were Alice Kahn Ladas
’43, MSS ’46, expert on women’s
sexuality and author of The G Spot
and Other Discoveries about Human Sexuality; Susan McWhinneyMorse ’55, a leader in creating new
housing options for seniors; Sarah
Franklin ’82, whose work explores
the ethical dimensions of reproductive technologies; Shirley Sagawa
’83, who led the development of
AmeriCorps; and Laurel Touby ’85,
a journalist and entrepreneur, who
pioneered social networking with
Mediabistro, a career site.
From OUR PAGES 1920
SAQ
@
100
Essayist cites failure to support public schools
An essay by Frank
Spaulding, then the
new chairman of
the graduate department of education
at Yale, comes to a
provocative conclusion as he asks, “Do
college women believe in education?”
Spaulding accuses college women of
“aristocratic educational selfishness”
that ignores the vast
and growing need
for universal education, illustrated by a
25 percent illiteracy
rate among military
draftees. He continues, “[College women] are rather more
prone than the noncollege woman of
intelligence to seek
advantages for their
own children that
are not accessible to
all children; failing
to secure these advantages in the public school in which
their children
belong, they are
very likely, if they
feel financially
able, to provide
private instruction
for their own children. Thereafter,
their belief in the
public schools is
almost sure to lapse
to an academic
state.” Beyond
not sending their
children to public
schools, he suggests
that college-educated women are not
choosing to teach
in public schools,
either. “With rarest
exception, the college woman accepts
service in the public
elementary schools
only as a last resort,”
he writes.
In the February
1921 issue, Marguerite Wells 1885 rises
to Spaulding’s challenge, noting “some
college women do
believe in universal
education,” pointing
to those who formed
the Joint Congressional Committee of
Women’s Organization to promote legislation for universal
education, as well
as to college-educated leaders of the
League of Women
Voters, which in
itself promotes an
educated electorate.
She concludes with
a “wish that there
may be more
discussion in the
Quarterly. . . .”
Ninety years later,
the Quarterly continues the education
conversation.
FACULTYof Note
songs of love: Late composer’s work given new life
the new publication of a 1965 art
song by distinguished composer and
longtime Smith music professor John
Duke (1899–1984) was celebrated with
a recital last fall. The piece, “Four Chinese Love Lyrics” (Recital Publications,
2010), had been found in the Smith
College Archives and was edited by
Marlene Wong, head of Werner Josten
Library, and composer and pianist Clifton Noble, Jr.
Soprano Karen Smith-Emerson,
who was coached by Duke and is the
Elsie Irwin Sweeney Professor of Music,
performed the songs with Noble at the
keyboard.
John Duke taught at Smith from
1923 to 1967 and is renowned for his
art songs in English. His papers are
housed at the Smith College Archives,
which serves as his manuscript trustee.
The “Four Chinese Love Lyrics” were
transcribed from the manuscript transparency in the John Duke Papers. Also
consulted were Duke’s dated sketches,
his working copy with penciled annotations, and a recording he made with
Carole Bogard, soprano.
Karen SmithEmerson, Clifton
Noble, Jr., and
Marlene Wong.
OTELIA CROMWELL DAY
LESSONS IN URBAN EDUCATION
Alumnae educators share tips for new teachers
in a panel made to order
for aspiring teachers, Katie
Colombero ’08 cautioned
students that their first year
of teaching would test their
resolve. “You have got to
build a support system, because you can’t do it alone,”
she said, recalling her own
first teaching assignment. “I
would have a pretty regular
Tuesday cry.”
Last fall’s Otelia Cromwell
Day panel, titled “Pathways
to Urban Education,” gave
an inside look into the challenges that face students,
parents, and teachers in urban schools.
“Despite all my amazing
education classes at Smith,
nothing prepares you for
your first year of teaching,”
said Maureen Yusuf-Morales
’04. Amy Christie ’01 encouraged first-time teachers
to observe veteran teachers
during free periods to learn
the tricks of the trade.
Christie, now a college
counselor at the Bronx Lab
School in New York, is particularly passionate about
access to higher education.
“When I got into Smith, I
realized what a life-changing
place it is,” Christie said. “I
realized the life experiences
I had as a result of going to a
place like Smith, and realized
that people in New York City
didn’t always get those same
opportunities.” While working at the Bronx Lab School,
after completing Teach for
America, she discovered that
providing access to college is
her life’s work. She proudly
noted that one of the first
students she taught at Bronx
Lab is now a first-year student at Smith.
Yusuf-Morales also focuses on improving college
access. After her first year of
teaching, she was hired by
“Four Chinese Love Lyrics” are the
first “new” Duke songs published
since 2001, Wong said. They were
initially performed by Lynn Clarke
Meyers, soprano, with the composer
at the keyboard, in 1965 in Sage Hall,
and were offered to Walter Foster of
Recital Publications in 1984. Only
when Foster recently donated his
correspondence with Duke to the
John Duke Papers in the Smith College Archives did staff members
there realize that Recital Publications
had been interested in issuing this
work.
“John Duke really was a singer’s
composer. He wrote exquisitely for
the voice, both female and male,” said
Noble, in remarks before the November recital. “These ‘Chinese Love Lyrics’ are but four gems in the crown
jewels of his craft, well worthy of
being brought to light and published
after a quarter century’s well-guarded
seasoning in the Smith archives.”
TRADE SECRETS
Alumnae educators, from left, Katie Colombero ’08,
Amy Christie ’01, and Maureen Yusuf-Morales ’04
share advice for aspiring teachers during an Otelia
Cromwell Day panel on urban education.
Breakthrough New York to
create preparatory programs
for middle-school students.
Working with a diverse student body, she often has to
respectfully encourage a different set of ambitions than
they might get at home. “We
need to value the cultures
that students come from
while still teaching collegegoing culture,” she explained.
Colombero, a Springfield,
Massachusetts, teacher,
countered the stereotype
that parents in urban schools
don’t get involved in their
children’s schools. The secret
to parental involvement, she
said, is a strong outreach
system. “The school needs
to reach out to parents,” Colombero said, “then parents
will reach back.”—ZG ’13
In its 2010 year-in-review
Santiago, Chile, in Januissue, Aerospace America
ary after being invited by
cites the ongoing work of
the United States Embassy
there to teach a course
Paul Voss, assistant proin American literature to
fessor of engineering, to
university and high school
develop balloons for use in
teachers in the city. The
atmospheric research. The
survey course is to encourcontrolled meteorological
age the teaching of Ameriballoons, developed in colcan literature in
laboration with
the Norwegian
Chile.
Meteorological
Institute, “carry
In Wild Unrest:
Charlotte Perkins
sophisticated
Gilman and the
sensors, have
Making of ‘The Yellong-duration
Paul Voss
flight capability,
low Wall-Paper’
(Oxford University
and can repeatedly change altitude on
Press), Helen Lefkowitz
command via satellite,” the
Horowitz, professor
article says. The technique,
emerita of American studthe article goes on, “has ap- ies, offers a vivid portrait
plications in air-pollution
of Gilman in the 1880s,
and atmospheric process
drawing new connections
studies and for tracking
between the author’s life
hazardous plumes in nearand work, and illuminating
real time.”
the predicament of women
then and now. Gilman’s
famous short story,
y “The
Richard Millington, profesYellow Wall-Paper” capsor of English language and
tured a woman’s harrowing
literature, spent a week in
descent into madness and
drew on the author’s intimate knowledge of mental
illness. One reviewer called
Horowitz’s book, “An erudite, accessible, and timely
tale of an extraordinary
woman, whose words and
deeds, in Horowitz’s deft
hands, lay bare the contours of passion, power,
suffering, and medicine in
a critical chapter of American life.”
In his 2010 book Circling
the Bases: Essays on the
Challenges and Prospects of
the Sports Industry (Temple
University Press), sports
economist Andrew Zimbalist, Robert A. Woods
Professor of Economics,
continues his analyses of
the business of sports. He
considers topics such as
ongoing gender inequity in
college sports, the effects
of the economic downturn,
and the rapid escalation of
coaches’ salaries.
HONORS
A MOMENT WITH THE FIRST LADY
Student’s commitment to arts education brings White House invitation
When Kirby Vasquez ’14 was
8 years old, a budget crisis
killed the music program at her
Rhode Island school. Fortunately, she found an afterschool
music program, where she
could take free cello lessons;
at age 15 she began teaching
cello to other students in the
program. Last fall, she accompanied the founder of Community Music Works to the White
House, where they accepted a
National Arts and Humanities
Youth Program Award from
first lady Michelle Obama.
Community Music Works,
founded by MacArthur fellow
Sebastian Ruth, maintains its
commitment to provide music
education in urban neighborhoods of Providence, Rhode
Island. The SAQ talked to
Vasquez about CMW, the importance of the arts, and what
it was like meeting the first
lady. —ZG ’13
Back in Rhode
Island during
interterm, Kirby
Vasquez ’14 plays
with some young
friends.
on community music
works’ impact: This
program has changed
my life. The people in
this program have become a family for me
and have always been
there for me when I
most needed them. It’s
the greatest feeling to
know that I can go away
and still come back and
play with them on a Saturday morning.
on going to the
white house: Meeting
Michelle Obama was
such a proud moment
for me. While she was
giving her welcome
speech she mentioned
Community Music
Works. I remember
looking at Sebastian
with tears in my eyes
because I couldn’t be
more proud of this program. When I was up
on stage receiving the
award, I said to her, “It’s
“There were many days
when no one understood me
better than my cello.”
an honor to meet you.”
She said, “I’m proud
of you. Keep up all the
great work.” I left there
feeling so accomplished
with everything and
wanting to keep striving
for more.
on arts in
education: Thankfully
I attended such an
amazing program after
school that in some
ways I received so much
more than my other
friends did. There were
many days when no one
understood me better
than my cello, and I am
very fortunate to have
this gift that no one
will ever be able to take
away from me.
on music: Although I
don’t want to become a
professional musician,
it’s so important to
me to continue the
cello because it’s such
a beautiful way to
express myself. I think
there is nothing better
then just taking out
an instrument and
jamming with people.
I picked up the guitar
this summer and my
housemates and I love
to sit and write music
together. Music will
always be another
positive outlet for me.
Robert Dorit, associate professor of
biological sciences, will lecture on the
wildlife of Botswana in November.
PROFESSORS’ EXPERTISE ENRICH YOUR JOURNEY
Whether you are seeing
a Caravaggio masterpiece in Sicily through
the eyes of Smith art professor Craig
Felton; listening to Smith President
Carol Christ share her passion for the
literary works of Jane Austen and
Thomas Hardy in southwestern England; or attending a hands-on cooking
SMITH
TRAVEL
Space is still available
on these 2011 trips
Sicily in the Spring
March 22–April 1
Mediterranean Music
Cruise: A Voyage from
Venice to Seville
May 3–16
Hidden Treasures
of Southern France:
Wine, Art, and Abbeys along
the Great Pilgrimage Roads
May 5–14
Jane Austen and
Thomas Hardy’s
England: A President’s Tour
June 8–16
demonstration in Italy with Alfonso
Procaccini, professor of Italian language and literature, you will find that
our Uniquely Smith trips offer a stimulating and deeply rewarding travel
experience.
For a full brochure online please go
to http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel or
call Smith Travel at 800–225–2029.
Amalfi: The Divine Coast
August 31–September 8
Alaska’s Inside Passage
July 1–8
Legendary Turkey and the
Turquoise Coast (repeat trip
due to popular demand)
September 10–24
Voyage to the Lands of Gods
and Heroes: A Family Learning
Adventure in the Classical World
July 26–August 6
Mediterranean
Masterpieces: Rome to
Nice Aboard Sea Cloud II
September 12–20
Switzerland for Families
August 8–16
Ecuadorian Amazon
and Highlands
September 24–October 3
Discovering Eastern Europe
August 16–September 1
CONTACT SMITH TRAVEL FOR DETAILS
PHONE: 800-225-2029
E-MAIL: alumtrav@smith.edu
Botswana: Desert Sunset,
Delta Dawn
November 7–17
NOT YOUR AVERAGE
ADVENTURES!
Legendary Cultures:
An Epic Journey by
Private Jet
September 17–October 7
Habitat for Humanity
Mongolia
September 2011 (exact dates
to be determined)
WEB: http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
By Carol Christ
Honing the art
of teaching
in my first year at smith, I invited every member of
the faculty to dinner, in groups of twenty, to hear about
their aspirations for the college and for themselves. Every
one of the conversations turned to teaching. I feel certain
that a similar set of dinners at a research university would
not have yielded the same result. In my years at Smith, I
have been deeply impressed by the way in which serious
focus on effective pedagogy permeates college culture.
Faculty care deeply about teaching and learning, and
devote much time, as individuals and as a community, to
improving their craft.
Indeed, teaching is both a craft and a discipline. Often
people assume that excellent teaching is a matter of personality, character, or charisma. Although these are not
irrelevant, as in any profession centering on human interaction, emphasis upon them leads to a mystique that obscures the systematic knowledge that has been developed
about pedagogy.
Three years ago, motivated by the desire to provide faculty a richer and more
systematic set of opportunities to learn
about the scholarship of teaching and
learning and to incorporate that knowledge into their teaching, a group of
faculty leaders proposed establishing a
teaching and learning center at Smith
(or TLC, as it was initially called). A generous bequest from Jay
Sherrerd (who, with
his wife, Kathleen
Compton Sherrerd
’54, had earlier made
a gift to fund Smith’s
distinguished teaching prizes) enabled
us to establish the center, now called
the Sherrerd Center for Teaching and
Learning. Through a program of “teaching arts lunches,” workshops, and seminars, the Sherrerd Center encourages a
continuing conversation among faculty
about how people learn and about our
learning goals for our students. It offers
support ranging from nuts-and-bolts
assistance in teaching techniques to
opportunities for learning about innovations in technology, about diversity in the classroom, and about the
scholarship of teaching and learning.
In the knowledge economy of the
twenty-first century, such understanding is essential for our teachers,
at every level. Smith is fortunate to
have among its faculty a number of
professors who have made the science of teaching and learning a focus
of their research. It is the central enterprise of the Department of Education and Child Study, which has close
connections not only to the Campus
School but also to K–12 programs in
Northampton and Springfield. But
the scholarship of teaching at Smith
extends far beyond the education department. This past fall, for the first
time in its history, the Royal Statistics
Society selected a paper on improving
statistics education for presentation at
its annual meeting; one of its authors,
The scholarshipp off teachingg
at Smith extends ffar beyond
y
the education department.
Nicholas Horton, is a Smith professor
(and a winner of the Sherrerd Teaching
Prize). The Picker Engineering Program
has attracted national attention for its
innovations in pedagogy. In 2007 Professor Glenn Ellis, also a Sherrerd prize
winner, was named U.S. Professor of the
Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching and the Coun-
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Produced by SCMA
cil for the Advancement and Support of
Education for his leadership in engineering education. Informed by the learning
sciences, Ellis and his colleagues are developing and refining a curriculum that
emphasizes deep and broad thinking,
project-based learning, and the role of
engineering in addressing human needs.
They are committed to a “knowledgebuilding” approach, in which students
not only acquire information but actively
extend and transform what they know.
This innovative vision of engineering
pedagogy has many similarities to residential liberal arts education. At a time
when the liberal arts are increasingly under attack for not providing vocational
training, we should bear in mind the
powerful way in which they develop students’ capacities for professional success
and leadership.
I would like to think Smith’s focus on
teaching—which is not necessarily new
but sustained and continually renewed—
has inspired the many remarkable educators among our alumnae, whether or not
they ever took a course with an explicit
focus on pedagogy. Smith graduates from
a range of majors have an outstanding acceptance rate to the highly competitive
Teach for America program, which places teachers in under-resourced urban
and rural schools. [See Page 44.] Among
our alumnae honored recently with the
Smith Medal are internationally recognized early childhood specialist Lella
Gandini AC ’78; textbook innovator Joy
Hakim ’51; visionary public school leader
Roberta Schenker Kurlantzick ’65; adult
education advocate Irene Cebula Baird
’45; and legendary mathematics professor and mentor T. Christine Stevens ’70.
In the 2011 State of the Union address,
President Obama reminded us that, after
parents, “the biggest impact on a child’s
success comes from the man or woman
at the front of the classroom.” Whether
at the elementary, secondary or postsecondary level, effective, transformative
teachers are a scarce and vital resource.
I am proud of the many ways in which
Smith and its alumnae are stepping forward to meet this urgent need. r
MAY 13 – SEPTEMBER 11, 2011
This exhibition is supported by the
Louise Walker Blaney, class of 1939,
Fund for Exhibitions.
new! www.smith.edu/artmuseum
celebrating
Smith
Alumnae Quarterly
They inspire,
motivate, and
guide students to
be good citizens
of the world.
y on march –,
the Alumnae Association is hosting
a conference, “Smith
Women in Education: Charting a
Changing Education
Landscape,” featuring
a number of alumnae
teachers, education
policy experts, and
scholars. In the
coming weeks, check
out the Alumnae
Association’s Website, http://alumnae.
smith.edu, for videos
from the conference.
Join the “Smith
Women in Education” groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.
On Twitter, follow
the hashtag
#smitheducators
during and after the
conference.
teachers
the drive for education reform is more urgent than
ever. Programs like Race to the Top and No Child Left
Behind have become part of the lexicon of the movement
to transform schools and elevate student performance.
Unfortunately, in all the talk of improving the quality of
education, teachers often get a bad rap. They’re the easy
scapegoats when national student test scores don’t improve
and they’re among the first to be blamed when local school
districts are given failing grades for not meeting state or
federal standards.
Are there teachers in classrooms across the country
who could benefit from better training, stronger support,
and more time to prepare their lessons? Yes. But what
seems to be forgotten amid the shouting and calls for
change among politicians and policymakers is the fact that
teachers are the ones who spend thousands of hours in the
classroom working with real students. They continually
inspire, motivate, and guide young people to be good,
productive citizens of the world. It’s that work that should
be celebrated.
On the following pages we bring you inside the
classrooms of alumnae who’ve dedicated their professional
lives to teaching or supporting teachers. We give voice to
those alumnae who are doing remarkable things in the
classroom and turn to the teachers of tomorrow—the
current Smith students who’ve chosen teaching as their
life’s work—to get a glimpse at what the profession’s future
may look like. At the heart of their stories is a deep desire
to not only make a difference in the lives of young people
but also create an environment that gives teachers the
freedom to be innovative, leading to classrooms that are
more equitable, schools that are more successful, and
students that are more engaged with the world around
them.
Turn the page. Class is about to begin.
41
“There is nothing more stimulating,
challenging, or rewarding than
being a teacher. Nothing could be
better than knowing that your work
will have a direct impact on the
future of the country.” SHAKWANA ETIENNE ’11
R“What makes a good teacher is being willing to pour
yourself into the nurturing and development of
another person.” CLAIRE DERRICK KENNEDY ’94
22
“i went into
teaching
because I wanted
young people to
learn that they
have the power to
make the world a
better place.”
“She helps you feel
positive about the
future for your
children.”
51
26
do
dorr
or
rr
r
ry
y sc
scha
h llk
ha
k bro
bro
rown
n ’

ileana jiménez ’
32
“It’s important
p
for
children to learn in
a low-stress, highg
rigor atmosphere.”
CALTHA CROWE ’68
“Technology is a vehicle for
really rethinking and changing
the way we do education.”
30
KATHLEEN PHILLIPPS
FULTON ’67
by ileana jiménez ’
For teachers to be
effective, they need
the space and time
for thinking and
learning on their
own, the support of
their school systems,
and the respect of
their communities.
Unfortunately,
says an awardwinning educator,
many teachers find
themselves adrift
and beleaguered by
the false promises
of reform.
ffreedom
i went into teaching because I wanted young
people to learn that they have the po
ower to make
the world a better place. I wanted to teach them that
reading, writing, and activism can haave far-reaching
effects on the way we live. As author,
r, educator, and
activist bell hooks writes in the bookk that inspired
me early on in my career, Teaching too Transgress,
education is about praxis and freedo
om. For, as hooks
writes, we are all “striving not just fo
or k no wle d ge i n
books, but knowledge about how to live in the world.”
Unfortunately, today’s teachers aree so beleaguered
with the empty language—and expecctations—of circus
slogans like “Race to the Top” and “N
No Child Left
Behind” that it’s a miracle if we have any time to teach
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ork..
or
to teach
our students how to live
in the world. Support is
minimal, opportunities for
intellectual growth and professional development are
limited, and the pressure to
raise test scores is stifling.
Yet, in the face of all these
challenges and political chicanery by so-called education leaders who, in many
cases, have never taught
one day of school, teachers
manage to do their jobs. In
fact, increasingly we do more
than teach; we find ourselves
fighting the racism, classism,
sexism, and homophobia
that often burdens—and
sometimes kills—our students. We’re not just teaching content, we’re also providing care.
In some ways, this has
always been the case, but
the issues today are far more
urgent. If educators are indeed in a race, it’s to save
our students’ lives. We’re
on the front lines when it
comes to stopping the bullying of young lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender
students. We’re usually the
first to know when students
have tried cutting, attempted
suicide, or abused drugs and
alcohol. We read the stories they write about sexual
abuse and rape. Whenever
I read about queer youth
suicides happening on college campuses or about intoxicated frat boys chanting
misogynistic rallying cries,
I think about all the work
that we have yet to do in our
schools. If we can teach our
young people to take care
of one another, then we can
change the culture in which
we live.
I have spent the past
fourteen years as a feminist
educator. Smith sparked my
mission to provide young
women with a life-changing
education, but achieving that
goal hasn’t always been easy.
During the early years of my
career, I struggled to find a
voice in privileged, largely
conservative schools that
didn’t think critically about
race, class, gender, or sexuality. The students who often
flocked to me were the girls
of color and queer girls—
and, at times, a combination
of both. They felt estranged.
To be honest, I, too, struggled as a closeted teacher of
color who learned quickly
that my politics didn’t always
mesh with the schools in
which I taught.
With the fatigue of living
a double life—that of teaching young women how to
find themselves while hiding
myself in the shadows—I
learned that I needed to
teach in a school that would
allow me to bring my whole
self to the classroom. What
brought me to this realization was professional development. All teachers need
spaces in which to find their
voice and vision. Mine have
been the annual National
Association of Independent
Schools’ People of Color
Conference, which helps
support independent school
educators of color, and the
Bard Institute for Writing
and Thinking, which helps
teachers develop inquirybased writing practices.
I’ve also found a home in
places such as the National
Women’s Studies Association as well as the Women,
Action, and the Media
(WAM!) conference, which
attracts like-minded progressive leaders and feminist
bloggers. Spending time with
the mentors, scholars, and
activists I’ve met through
these groups has allowed me
to come out as a queer feminist teacher of color and has
helped me develop as a visionary advocate for change
in schools.
I worry that we aren’t tak-
“If we can teach our young people to
take care of one another, then we can
change the culture in which we live.”
ing care of our teachers as
professionals, that we no
longer provide opportunities
for teachers to think, learn,
and grow. Our expertise as
educators has often become
secondary to arbitrary standards that have nothing to
do with bringing innovation
to our classrooms. If our
charge is to lead our students
to become young scholars,
then we, too, should be seen
as scholars. We need to catapult teachers to a position
where we are viewed as public intellectuals, contributing
to the larger discourse about
teaching and learning.
To this end, schools need
to provide teachers with
the financial capital, cultural currency, and political
cachet that will allow us to
become thought leaders
in our schools as well as in
our communities. We need
to create teacher-driven
research centers within our
schools where educators
can gather to exchange ideas
and share our practices with
colleagues as well as with
schools and colleges globally.
The work we do should also
be presented to parents and
other community stakeholders who need to see that
the important decisions we
make are informed by our
expertise.
Like college professors,
teachers need time to research, plan, and write. If we
create this culture of scholarship within our schools
themselves, instead of only
at schools of education, we
might just generate a revolution, one in which we declare
our authority as educators
and cultivate a presence as
leaders in our field.
I am currently on my
own intellectual journey in
Mexico on a Distinguished
Fulbright Award in Teaching. A fairly new addition to
the Fulbright award family,
the Distinguished Fulbright
provides experienced teachers with the funding to
conduct research and lead
professional-development
workshops at local schools
in a host country. As a guest
researcher at Programa
Universitario de Estudios de
Género (PUEG), which is
the gender-studies department at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
(UNAM), I have been interviewing high school girls on
issues of gender and sexuality. I am also taking courses
through PUEG as well as attending a plethora of lectures
and events related to gender
and education at the university and throughout Mexico
City.
I intend to bring what I
discover back to my school
in New York, the Little Red
School House & Elisabeth Ir-
win High School, which was
founded by Smith alumna
Elisabeth Irwin, class of
1903. When Irwin started
the Little Red School House
in 1921—and later, the high
school in 1941—she envisioned school not as a place
but as an experience. She
wanted children to interact
with one another and with
the city around them rather
than sit in rows. Today, this
coed school still remains a
leader in progressive education, upholding values such
as social justice and human
rights. Indeed, each year, the
students in my high school
course on feminism conduct
an activist project supporting Girls Educational and
Mentoring Services (GEMS),
which works to end the commercial sexual exploitation
of children in New York. I
feel honored to be carrying
on Irwin’s vision of inviting young people to create
change with one another and
with their communities.
Once I return from Mexico, my goal is to integrate
my research into my feminism course as well as into
my school’s conversation
about diversity and equity,
interdisciplinary studies,
and global education. I also
hope to write an article that
will contribute to the larger
conversation about gender
and education. In the course
of six months, I am fulfilling
the dream I have for all educators: that of finding a room
of one’s own for research and
reflection that will lead to
freedom in the classroom.
But I’m one of the lucky
ones. So few teachers get
these kinds of opportunities
to fill their intellectual wells,
which is truly unfortunate
because the benefits can be
so profound. I know that by
teaching with a feminist lens,
I have made a difference in
my students’ lives. A Latina
former student of mine is
now at Cornell, where she is
studying both the hospitality industry and women’s
studies because she wants to
change the face of business
as a feminist entrepreneur.
A white male former student
joined a reproductive-justice
organization as a volunteer,
and an Indian former student started her own organization, Resolve Network,
which empowers women
affected by conflict to create
networks of peace.
My classroom is both a
space for learning and a
space for action. What I have
created has inspired my students to develop their own
change-making visions. In
my life as an educator-activist, I have reimagined what
is possible in education no
matter the struggle because
I know that my students will
take the next step. Of course,
my students read and write,
but they also act. Not all of
my students will become activists, but they will become
actors in their communities.
All teachers should be
given the autonomy to create a vision alongside their
students that will change the
world. I say enough with the
criticism, enough with badmouthing the work teachers do, and enough with
racing. Teachers need the
time, funding, and space to
create classrooms—indeed,
schools—that transgress
rote and tired expectations
of both young people and
themselves. It’s time to let
teachers shape their practice
and their field. It’s time to let
teachers be free. r
Ileana Jiménez ’97 is the
founder and sole blogger at
Feminist Teacher, feministteacher.com. In 2009, she was
named one of the 40 Women
of Stonewall by the Stonewall
Foundation.
SINGING
LESSONS
Early childhood educator Dorry Schalk Brown ’65 uses
music and song to inspire children with speech and
language disorders to raise their voices.
by leslie talmadge | photographs by mark ostow
For more than
thirty-five years,
educator and early
childhood specialist
Dorry Schalk Brown
’65 has been
running The Group
Language Therapy
Program for children
with communication
and social disorders.
Using music—
something Brown
has loved since
childhood—as a
foundation, she
leads children, who
range in age from
2 to 5, through
exercises, songs,
and lessons that
emphasize fun but
also help bring out
their language and
social skills.
To date, hundreds
of children have
gone through the
program, and many
parents credit
Schalk with bringing
out the best in their
children. “It’s almost
like unconditional
love she has for
these kids,” says one
mother.
dorry schalk brown ’, a wide-eyed,
youthful grandmother, sits on the floor of
a large, airy classroom at Boston’s Emerson
College. She sings in her clear, alto voice: “Oh,
five kids came to group today.” Around her,
a group of toddlers squirm and clap their
hands in unison. Then, as the song nears
its finish, they shoot their arms into the air,
wave them, and belt out “hip, hip, hooray!”
You wouldn’t know it by watching them,
but the children—who range in age from 2
to 5—in Brown’s program have communication and social disorders. Many are on the
autism spectrum or have other neurological
Parents praise Dorry
Schalk Brown ’65
for helping their
children “find their
words.”
challenges that prevent them from easily engaging with their parents and peers. Encouraging
these children to sing and participate in group activities helps them develop their language, communication, and social skills. It’s also the cornerstone of a unique program that Brown, an early
childhood specialist, started thirty-five years ago.
The Group Language Therapy Program, which
was originally housed at Children’s Hospital Boston, aims to provide children with an intensive
language-learning experience in a classroom setting. Each class is designed to help young children
understand—and use—gestures, pictures, and
words. Brown’s program is distinguished by its
ratio of five children to six clinicians and by the
fact that it accepts children as young as 2. This is
crucial, because, as experts agree, children with
autism and other developmental disorders benefit
greatly from early intervention.
As more and more children are diagnosed with
autism the need for programs like Brown’s is
growing. About 1 percent of children in the Unit-
ed States are on the autism spectrum,
according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. The American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association
notes that nearly 1.5 million children
receive services for speech and language disorders, and the National Institution on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports that roughly
5 percent of children have noticeable
speech disorders.
Brown, a music major at Smith who
played violin in the College Orchestra,
performed with the Glee Club, and
later sang with the New York Oratorio
Society, spends more than a quarter of
each class singing with her students.
Children—and especially children
with autism—respond to the melody,
rhythm, and repetition of music, making it an effective way to engage them
and teach them specific language and
social skills, she says. While singing,
she often holds up pictures to help her
students better understand the meaning of the words. She also encourages
her students to interact with one another while they’re singing, showing a
picture of the song they’ve chosen to
their peers, for example, or imitating
one another’s actions, such as clapping.
So far, Brown’s approach has helped
hundreds of children. Parents praise
her for “helping children find their
words.” Melanie, whose 2-year-old son,
Jake, attends Brown’s class and says
Brown knows her son “as well as I do or
better” and has an “innate ability” to engage kids.
“She picks up on their quirks and strengths and
works with them,” says Melanie, who like other
mothers interviewed for this story requested
that her last name not be used. Meaghen, whose
daughter Gabriella also attends Brown’s program,
says Brown has an “unbelievable ability to gain
respect from 2-year-olds. It’s almost like unconditional love she has for these kids.”
Brown, it seems, was destined to help the underdog. As a child growing up in Northampton,
she had a picture in her bedroom that depicted a
race among frogs riding on swans, some of which
were about to cross the finish line. “I’d lie there
looking at the picture and hoping the little one
in the back was going to win,” she says. Later, at
Smith, she was a self-described peacenik who,
among other protests, marched against former
Alabama Governor George Wallace’s visit to the
campus in the 1960s.
After graduating from college, she was unsure
about what to do. An experienced camp coun-
selor and babysitter who grew up in a family
of teachers (her father, Marshall Schalk, was a
well-loved geology professor at Smith, and her
mother and grandfather taught art and piano,
respectively), she decided to work for the national
service program VISTA in 1965. For two years,
she taught piano and Suzuki violin to children in
Manhattan’s Lower East Side and then applied
to graduate school at Tufts University, where she
hoped to combine her two passions, music and
working with children.
After earning her degree in child development,
she was hired by Children’s Hospital Boston to
start a group program for children with communication problems. She also served on one of the
hospital’s diagnostics teams, evaluating children
with cognitive and social disorders.
Thirty-six years and hundreds of preschoolers
later, Brown is still singing Raffi, Pete Seeger, and
her own made-up songs with the enthusiasm of a
first-year teacher.
Back in the classroom, Brown calls on “George,”
a 2-year-old blond, to pick the first song. From a
board with pictures of various songs, he chooses
“Whoa, Back.” Brown takes out a circular rope
and instructs the preschoolers to grab ahold.
“Pretend you’re riding on a horse, and these are
your reins,” she says. “Hold on tight.” Then, turning to George, she tells him to pick a sound.
“Ba,” he says. Led by Brown, the children pretend they’re holding a horse while they sing to
the tune of The Lone Rangerr theme song. Their
voices blend into a chorus of “baa ba ba baa, ba ba
baa, baa, baa. Ba ba baa, ba ba baa, ba ba baa, baa,
baa.” Pulling back on the rope, the children yell,
“WHOA, BACK! WHOA, BACK!” and collapse
into giggles.
The purpose of songs like this, Brown says, is to
motivate children to produce simple sounds and
interact with one another. Whether encouraging
the children to sing, hold hands and dance, jump
on a trampoline, or pretend to go fishing, Brown
says her goal is to create a fun environment in
which children can play with one another and
develop their communication skills. Even snack
time is used as an opportunity to practice skills
such as requesting food and making eye contact.
While her students are her highest priority,
Brown also enjoys advising and coaching parents on how to best support their children. To
that end, she lets parents observe the class from
behind a one-way mirror—something that isn’t
possible in most preschool settings. “As the parent of a preschooler who was not developing in
the usual ways, I craved that kind of opportunity
to observe and learn without disrupting the dynamic with my actual presence,” says Maureen,
one mother whose child graduated from Brown’s
program ten years ago.
“Instead of focusing on the negative,
[Brown] helps me see the positive and
beautiful aspects of my daughter.”
For many parents, the experience also provides
a chance to bond with other parents whose children face similar challenges. “This program has
meant so much to all of us,” says Melanie, Jake’s
mother. “Most of the time when you’re out in the
real world, you recognize the differences between
your child and the so-called norm, and you feel
like you stand out like a sore thumb. But not here.
I never realized so many people are dealing with
the same thing.”
Through the years, Brown has received numerous honors for her leadership in the field,
including the Margaret L. Bauman ’60, MD,
Award for Excellence in Serving the Autism
Community, given by the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Evaluation & Rehabilitation
Services (LADDERS) program at Massachusetts
General Hospital. Dr. Bauman, an autism expert
who teaches at Harvard Medical School, says of
Brown’s program, “I truly don’t know of any other
model quite like this.”
Brown’s most devoted fans, though, are her
students. Notes, photographs, and hand-drawn
pictures plaster Brown’s office walls. A letter from
one of her former students, now 8, hangs on her
door: “Dorry, I take karate. I have two stripes on
my white belt. I know how to tie my shoes and I
am in first grade. I miss you. Heart. Wilder.” Cole,
a former student, “couldn’t get out of the car fast
enough” to go to Brown’s program, according to
his mother, Celeste. And 2-year-old Leah and her
mother, Michelle, “say good night to Dorry Brown
every night.” Long after they have left Brown’s
program, students and parents remain in touch
with her, inviting her to bar mitzvahs and high
school graduation parties.
With more than forty-five years in the classroom, Brown has no plans to retire. “I cannot get
my head around what I would do,” she says. And
that’s music to the ears of children and families
in her program. To parents of children who may
not outgrow their diagnoses, Brown offers lessons
of acceptance and hope. “Instead of focusing on
the negative, she helps me see the positive and
beautiful aspects of my daughter,” one mother,
Meaghen, says. “She helps you feel positive about
the future for your children.” r
Leslie Talmadge is a freelance writer in Cambridge. Her daughter attended Brown’s program
for two years.
TEACHERS
of Today
interviews by christina barber-just
Technology can have a powerful
impact on how teachers teach
and students learn, says Kathleen
Phillipps Fulton ’67.
30
The alumnae educators profiled here are following different career paths, but they share a common
characteristic: Each is determined in her own arena to find solutions to nagging problems in the nation’s
schools. For Carrie Coleman Strasburger ’80 it’s making math manageable for learning disabled youngsters.
For Rachel Willis ’04 it’s insisting on high expectations for her third-grade students. Others, like Kathleen
Phillipps Fulton ’67, whose job title is Director of Reinventing Schools for the 21st Century, are pushing for
broad, systemic change. In such capable hands, can true reform be far behind?
The innovator
Building teams of teachers
kathleen phillipps fulton ’
SMITH MAJOR English
ADVANCED DEGREE Master’s
in human development from the
University of Maryland
CURRENT JOB Director of
Reinventing Schools for the
21st Century at the National
Commission on Teaching and
America’s Future (NCTAF), a
nonprofit research advocacy
organization based in
Washington, DC. Fulton
describes NCTAF as a “small
organization working toward the
next big thing in education.”
THE PROBLEM According to
a video produced by NCTAF,
within the next decade the
United States will lose more
than half its veteran teachers to
retirement and more than half
its new teachers to attrition.
Replacing the retirees isn’t a
question of finding enough
good teachers but of retaining
them, Fulton says. New teachers
feel unsupported and unable to
make a difference. Left to sink or
swim, most sink—and constant
teacher turnover makes students
suffer.
Photograph by Chris Hartlove
THE SOLUTION In a word:
teamwork. Fulton and NCTAF
believe in the power of changing
the model of teaching from
working alone to working in
so-called learning teams of
teachers. “In every profession
teamwork is the path to high
performance,” the NCTAF
video says. So why do most US
teachers still work solo? Most
European and Asian teachers,
on the other hand, now work
in teams—and their students
are outperforming ours. Fulton
wants that to change, and
says NCTAF’s plan has “huge
implications” for the way
teachers are prepared, schools
are organized, and technology is
used to support various pieces of
education in the United States.
GAME CHANGER “Technology
is a vehicle for really rethinking
and changing the way we do
education,” Fulton says. It’s also
a means of advancing NCTAF’s
vision of collaborative teaching
because it makes connections
much more facile, she says;
teachers can connect anytime,
anywhere. Among other
innovations in educational
technology, Fulton and NCTAF
envision online support
networks linking novice teachers
to experienced educators;
Facebook-inspired professional
networks for teachers; wikis,
or interactive Websites, where
teachers could do everything
from compare calendars and
post projects to have discussions
and share resources; and
widespread teacher use of
handhelds and mobile devices.
STICKY WICKET Technology
can be used to do a better
job of teaching, to engage
students in different ways, and
to bring new content into the
classroom, Fulton says, but if
used improperly, it can impede
learning rather than support it.
“Technology is definitely going
to be a part of education,” she
says. “Our challenge is to find
the best ways to channel it.”
y MORE: nctaf.org
Teamwork is
the path to high
performance in the
classroom.
Caltha Crowe ’68, an author
of two books on behavorial
problems, says bullying can
occur when children feel they’re
not successful.
The peacemaker
Less stress,
more learning
caltha crowe ’
SMITH MAJOR Sociology
ADVANCED DEGREES
Master’s in early
childhood education from
Goddard College; master’s
in educational leadership
from the Bank Street
College of Education
CURRENT JOB
Responsive Classroom
certified consulting
teacher; author of
Solving Thorny Behavior
Problems: How Teachers
and Students Can
Work Togetherr (2009),
Sammy and His Behavior
Problems: Stories and
Strategies from a Teacher’s
Yearr (2010), and a
forthcoming book on
bullying prevention
PEACEFUL
CLASSROOMS The
Massachusetts-based
Northeast Foundation
for Children developed
Responsive Classroom,
which Crowe describes
as an approach that
helps schools create
“safe and joyful learning
environments” for
“It’s important
for children
to learn in an
atmosphere
where there is
low stress and
high rigor.”
children. It focuses on
teaching children to be
kind to one another,
she says, and teaching
the behavior necessary
to fostering peaceful
classrooms. Crowe, who
retired from teaching
in 2006 with thirty-nine
years of experience under
her belt, says Responsive
Classroom changed her
life as an educator: “It
helped me figure out how
to be the teacher I wanted
to be.”
PAIN OF BULLYING
After writing two books
on misbehavior, Crowe
is turning her attention
to bullying—a subject
that came up a lot in
her consulting even
before the story of
Phoebe Prince, a South
Hadley, Massachusetts,
high school student
who was allegedly
bullied to death, made
international headlines,
she says. Her new book
will be an elementary
school teachers’ guide
to preventing bullying.
“Bullying is of particular
concern to elementary
school teachers because
they often miss it,” Crowe
says. “It goes on under
our radar as educators—
on the playground, on
the school bus, even in
classrooms when the
teacher turns his or her
back.” Bullying at this age
involves a lot of hitting,
pinching, and poking,
Crowe says, but exclusion
(“I’m not going to be your
friend”; “We won’t play
with you”) is even more
painful—and prevalent.
academically if they feel
safe in school, surrounded
by other children and
adults who care about
them. “It’s important
for children to learn in
an atmosphere where
there’s low stress and high
rigor,” Crowe says—and
she’s not talking just
about bullying. Due to
the current emphasis
on high-stakes tests,
not all of which may
be developmentally
appropriate, kids are
under a lot of stress, and
stress creates misbehavior.
“Children misbehave
when they feel like they’re
not successful,” Crowe
says, “but it’s hard to feel
successful when you’re
being drilled on skills
you’re really not ready
for.”
STRESS TESTS Making
elementary school a more
pleasant place is reason
enough to try to nip
bullying in the bud, but
evidence also points to
the fact that children are
more successful
y MORE: responsiveclassroom.org
Crowe’s books have been
praised for providing
teachers with proven and
practical ways of handling
tough problems in the
classroom.
The advocate
c arrie coleman str asburger ’
SMITH MAJOR Education and child
study
ADVANCED DEGREE Master’s in
special education, with a specialization
in learning disabilities, from Teachers
College, Columbia University
CURRENT JOB Math consultant for
the Bridge Academy, a private New
Jersey school for students ages 8 to 18
with learning disabilities
MAKING MATH MANAGEABLE
As a former math department
head and teacher at the Bridge
Academy, Strasburger noticed that
while there were “good strategies
for teaching reading and writing
to kids with learning disabilities,”
there were no such strategies for
teaching math. So she created her
own curriculum, calling it Bridging
the Gap Mathematics. It advocates
taking a multisensory, hands-on
approach to the teaching of math,
and it got such remarkable results
at the Bridge Academy—students
learning two or three years’ worth of
material in a single year, for example—
“As a society,
we are
allowing our
kids to not be
math literate.
Why is that?”
Carrie Coleman Strasburger ’80
says she never took a math class
at Smith but as a teacher became
intrigued by the idea of making
math more accessible to students
with learning disabilities.
that the school decided to publish
it. Strasburger is now writing the
curriculum full-time in the form of
a series of three books, the first of
which, Symbolize Units, is already
available from the school’s Website.
Strasburger hopes the complete
series will find a wide audience with
educators of learning-disabled and
mainstream math students alike.
MATHAMORPHOSIS Strasburger
says her career trajectory will
probably surprise those who knew
her in college: “I don’t even think I
Photograph by Asia Kepka
took a math course at Smith.” She
did, however, take a class on learning
disabilities. Among other things, it
taught her that a language-based
learning disability like dyslexia
“affects one’s ability to do math a
lot more than you would think,”
since it involves a multitude of
memory issues, attention issues, and
processing issues. As a teacher, she got
hooked on the challenge of making
math accessible to learning-disabled
students, who were clearly losing
ground, and their “aha! moments”
made her efforts worthwhile. The
experience has changed Strasburger’s
relationship to math. These days,
she says, “I like math. I’m not math
phobic, but I’m not a math geek
either.”
THE BIG QUESTION “As a society,
we are allowing our kids to not be
math literate,” Strasburger says. “It’s
acceptable to say ‘I don’t do math’ at
a cocktail party, but no one would
dream of saying ‘I don’t read or write.’
Why is that?”
y MORE: banj.org
The role model
Inspiring students
rachel willis ’
SMITH MAJOR
Government, with a
minor in theater
ADVANCED DEGREES
Certificate from
Agnes Scott College’s
Postbaccalaureate Early
Childhood Preparation
Program; master’s from
Columbia University’s
Teachers College
Education Leadership
Program
CURRENT JOB Third-
grade teacher at
Morningside Elementary
School in Atlanta.
Willis decided to go
into education after
a two-year stint with
Teach for America—
the organization that
pairs college grads with
underserved schools—
convinced her that “this
is what I was supposed to
be doing.”
TOP OF THE CLASS
Just one year after
the Atlanta Public
Schools named Willis
its Elementary School
Teacher of the Year,
citing her “commitment
to education” and
“amazing leadership
qualities,” she topped
that honor by winning
a prestigious Milken
Educator Award on
November 1, 2010. The
award, which carries
a $25,000 no-stringsattached cash prize
and has been called the
“Oscars of teaching,” was
established by Milken
Family Foundation
chairman and cofounder Lowell Milken
to “celebrate, elevate, and
activate exemplary K-12
educators.” It claims to be
the country’s preeminent
teacher-recognition
program, having handed
out more than $62
million to some 2,500
educators nationwide
since its inception in
1987.
POSITIVE CHANGE
MAKER The Milken
foundation says it
selected Willis because
she has “overseen firstrate improvements in
student achievement
and education reform” at
Morningside Elementary
School. “A product
herself of Atlanta’s public
school system, her return
to implement positive
change in education
has come full circle as
she inspires the next
generation of students to
be proactive about the
issues and passions they
hold dear.”
“ Teaching is one of the
most important careers
you can have.”
meaningful to her
students by designing
lessons that address their
interests and learning
styles. On any given day,
she says, you can walk
into her classroom and
see students working
together in small
groups, acting as peer
teachers, and playing
games that support
Georgia’s performance
standards. She writes
songs to help students
learn the social-studies
curriculum and uses
technology to transport
them to different places
and times in history.
She also knows learning
can’t stop when the bell
rings, so she keeps open
lines of communication
with parents to tell
them how they can best
encourage their children’s
critical thinking and
comprehension at home.
“Though I am only a
third-grade teacher,”
Willis says, “I know that
the work my students
do today is one building
block they need to
prepare them for life as
successful adults.”
Award-winning
teacher Rachel
Willis ’04, shown
in her classroom
in Atlanta, has
been praised for
her commitment
to education.
TEACHING
PHILOSOPHY Willis
strives to make every
day engaging and
Photograph by Christopher T. Martin
The reformer
marjorie pashkow kaplan ’
Education’s odds-on favorite
SMITH MAJOR Music
ADVANCED DEGREES
Master’s in education and
doctorate in educational
administration, both from
Arizona State University
CURRENT JOB Director
of the Beat the Odds
Institute. Established in
2007 by the nonprofit
Center for the Future of
Arizona, the institute
provides services and
training to principals in
eighty-three schools with
the goal of raising student
achievement.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
In 2006 the Center for
the Future of Arizona
published the study Why
Some Schools With Latino
Children Beat the Odds
… and Others Don’t. It
was prompted by a single
question: “What does it
take to get great results
in schools with mostly
low-income, mostly
Latino students?” Of the
300-plus Arizona schools
with these demographics,
researchers found twelve
whose students’ reading
and math scores were
“beating the odds.”
A close look at these
schools revealed certain
commonalities—so-called
keys to success, such as
ongoing assessment and
collaborative solutions—
that the Beat the Odds
Institute is now working
to put into practice at
every school in Arizona.
Photograph by Mark Peterman
PROVEN LEADER A
REFORM DONE RIGHT
“strong and steady”
principal is another
hallmark of a Beat the
Odds school, so it’s
not surprising that the
institute itself would
choose a proven leader
to be its first director.
A twenty-four-year
superintendent of
schools who was once
named one of the top
100 educators in the
United States, Kaplan
also has held the title of
Arizona Superintendent
of the Year. Among other
responsibilities at Beat
the Odds, she oversees
the institute’s most
important educational
service: mentoring and
training sessions for
principals. “Leadership
is connected to student
achievement,” she says.
“The idea is to train
principals so they can
provide appropriate
leadership to their
schools.” So far, the
technique seems to be
working; data show
“statistically significant
improvement” in math
scores and “positive
advancement” in reading
scores for students in
participating schools,
Kaplan says.
The number of Beat
the Odds schools has
already more than tripled,
and the institute aims
to keep expanding, but
Kaplan favors a cautious
approach—“nothing
extreme”—in this and
all things related to
education reform. Raising
test scores may be her
goal, she says, “but the
idea isn’t to do it in a
sterile, uninteresting
environment.” Students
need to feel motivated
and stimulated by
exciting, thoughtful
lessons, she says—not so
bogged down by meeting
requirements and taking
tests that they neglect to
develop higher-thinking
skills. Simply put, Kaplan
says, “testing 100 percent
of the time is not right.”
y MORE:
beattheoddsinstitute.org
Marjorie Pashkow
Kaplan ’62
advocates training
principals to be
strong leaders,
which leads to
higher student
achievement.
Students need to feel
motivated by exciting,
thoughtful lessons.
Teachers of
STUDENTS
NEED
teachers who will
challenge and
support them,
and I want to
do that.
Samantha
Gonnelli ’11
R
Major: American studies
House: Friedman apartments; junior
year at Oxford
Hometown: Berkeley Heights, New
Jersey
Experience so far: Teaching
literature as a student teacher,
Northampton High School; tutoring
“for me, teaching is the
most effective way to bridge my
love of literature and my enthusiasm to contribute to the lives
of young people. As a teacher, I
will be in a position where I can
help teenagers refine and improve their reading and writing
skills. Students need teachers
who will challenge and support
them, and I want to do that and
do whatever I can to help close
the achievement gap and inspire high school students to go
on to college.
“For me, teaching is one of
the most rewarding lines of
work because it is challenging
and typically involves a good
deal of autonomy. Working
with kids and witnessing their
progress over time is also fun
and exciting.”
“I want to do whatevver
I can to help close thhe
achievement gap.”
TOMORROW
Grace
Goodrich ’11
R
Major: Education and child study
House: Chapin
Hometown: Glastonbury,
Connecticut
Experience so far: Student
teaching sixth grade at the
Campus School; teaching high
school with Urban Education
Initiative
“i would like to create a
classroom environment that
welcomes open discussion
and values communication—
an environment in which my
students will grow to respect
the world, their peers, and
themselves. I make a conscious effort to listen to each
child’s strength—what is special about them and how can
their individuality better our
community?
“My experiences as a twotime alumna of Smith’s Urban
Education Initiative in both
New York City and Chicago
opened my eyes to the reality
of our country’s achievement
gap and taught me to be assertive and realistic in the
classroom.
“So, what’s my master plan?
At this point, to have my own
classroom next year and to
embark on what I anticipate
being a lifelong commitment
to working with youth in a
teaching capacity and striving
for educational equality.”
Photographs by Webb Chappell
They’re still students themselves, but the seniors on these pages have already acquired solid classroom experience, as student teachers, as teaching assistants in Smith’s Urban Education Initiative, as camp counselors
and tutors. Their experiences are feeding a passion for education that seems to run in their veins. “I dream my
teaching every night,” says Ania White ’11. Another student teacher, bubbling over from a lesson in which she
created a circulation system using hula hoops and tape, could hardly contain her enthusiasm. “My teacher said
it was a rock-star lesson!” said Rachel Wells ’11. “I’m totally psyched about education.”
I MAKE A
CONSCIOUS EFFORT
to listen to each
child’s strength—
what is
special about
them.
R
Shakwana
Etienne ’11
Major: French and education and
child study
House: Chase
Hometown: West Orange, New
Jersey; originally, Haiti
Experience so far: Tutoring at
the Campus School; teaching in
Boston as part of Smith’s Urban
Education Initiative; currently
student teaching French at
Easthampton High School
NOTHING
could be better than
knowing that your
work will have a
direct impact on
the future of the
country.
“there is nothing more
stimulating, challenging, or
rewarding than being a teacher. Nothing could be better
than knowing that your work
will have a direct impact on
the future of the country.
“My parents and some of
my teachers from high school
have been great influences in
my choice to become a teacher.
Both of my parents were professors when we lived in Haiti,
and I’ve had some amazing
teachers who made my high
school experience really enjoyable and had a positive impact
on my personal growth.
“I hope to have the same
effect on my own students.
Nothing would be more satisfying than to have former students come back and tell me
that I’ve helped them learn
something, whether it’s a
school lesson or a life lesson.”
I WANT
TO SEE that
spark in a child’s
eye when he or
she finally
understands how
division works.
Rachel
Wells ’11
R
House: Lawrence; junior year in
Denmark
Hometown: suburban
Philadelphia
Experience so far: Teaching
first grade in New York City with
Smith’s Urban Education Initiative;
teaching fourth grade as a student
teacher at the Campus School
“i have always been drawn
to teaching. Even as a young
child, I would play school
with my sister for hours on
end. I chose teaching as a
profession because I want to
see that spark in a child’s eye
when he or she finally understands how division works.
It’s those little moments of
excitement and wonder that
drive me forward every day.
“I love to learn new things,
and I believe that I bring a
‘learning-is-fun’ attitude to
my students as well. I believe
that learning can take place
anywhere, whether it be in
line waiting for recess or sitting in math class.
“With budget cutbacks and
No Child Left Behind standards demanding more accountability from teachers, I
worry that the art of teaching
is being lost. It is one of my
most profound fears.”
Phoebe
Camilletti ’11
R
Major: English language and
literature
House: Tyler
Hometown: Foothill Ranch,
California
Experience so far: Smith’s
Urban Education Initiative; intern,
Shakespeare in Springfield;
teaching fencing to Campus
School students
“i had my teaching epiphany
in eighth grade, when I had
an absolutely phenomenal
English teacher. I had always
loved reading and writing,
but the enthusiasm and sense
of humor—not to mention an
entirely fresh perspective—he
brought to the class were perfect. In his class, I was shown
that a good teacher can engender really vast confidence
in oneself. His passion and
goodwill were absolutely infectious, and it is with similar
zeal that I intend to teach.
“I want to teach both English and theater in a high
school setting. Both subjects
have such gigantic potential
to make students competent,
literate individuals.
“I will show my students,
by way of their own success,
that they have the ability to
succeed in life in whatever
way they choose to define
their success, should they
take advantage of that ability.”
“I worry that the
art of teaching
is being lost.”
I WAS
SHOWN that
a good teacher
can engender
really vast
confidence
in oneself.
I LOVE
TO SEE the
curiosity and
discovery
that children
experience as
they grow.
R
Ania White ’11
House: Chase; junior year in
Denmark
Hometown: Norwich, Vermont
Experience so far: Sixth-grade
math teacher as part of Smith’s
Urban Education Initiative; camp
counselor
“throughout my whole
life, many teachers and educators inspired me to continue what they taught me—the
value of education and work
with children. I love to see the
curiosity and discovery that
children experience as they
grow, and I thrive on helping
them in their quests for learning and knowledge.
“I believe that students
benefit from a supportive
social learning environment.
I hope to become a teacher
who inspires and cares for
her students, and helps them
grow into their greatest
potential as learners and
members of society.”
AFTER COMPLETING her two-year
stint with Teach for
America, Sarah R.S.
Martin ’06 went on
to become a TFA
director in New York
and Indianapolis.
by jenny hall ac ’
teach for
america
alumnae emerge
from tough
classroom
experiences
as passionate
advocates for
equality in
education.
a mission
jennifer carter ’ remembers with
startling clarity the first day of her stint with
Teach for America. At 22, with a fresh new
anthropology degree in hand, she had arrived
on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the
Badlands of South Dakota a few weeks before
the start of classes. The fluorescent-green
paint she had picked out brightened her
classroom’s concrete walls, but she quickly
realized that cosmetic changes would do little
to address the challenges her eighth-grade
students brought with them.
One boy threatened to smash her head with
a dumbbell if she didn’t get out of the way.
“Would I buy it or would I call his bluff? I
stared him down and refused to move, telling
him calmly to go back to his seat,” she recalls.
“He eventually followed my instructions and
the rest of the class followed suit.” Another
student rarely came to school, and when
he did he’d scream at Carter. “I figured he
wanted me to believe he was a thug kid, but I
wasn’t buying it. It was a test. Somehow,
to teach
KATYA LEVITAN-REINER ’02 says TFA is one piece of
a much-needed solution to the many problems facing
public schools in at-risk communities nationwide.
I passed,” she says. Both boys
committed suicide in the two
years after Carter left, she says.
Not every Teach for America corps member has such
a dramatic story, but many
do. Since TFA began in 1990,
with a goal of enlisting a small
army of idealistic young college graduates to eliminate
educational inequality, Smith
alumnae have eagerly accepted the challenge. Starting with five members of the
class of 1990, the number of
Smith grads joining TFA has
grown steadily, according to
Kaitlin Gastrock, director
of communications at TFA’s
Boston office. All told, some
130 Smith women have put
in their two years as novice
teachers in some of the nation’s most underperforming
schools. Of those, about half
have remained in the field of
education, working in schools,
districts, education nonprofits,
and higher education, while
others have gone on to pursue
careers as varied as finance,
law, and management. Despite the stress that can come
with leading a classroom of
students in some of the toughest schools in the nation, the
alumnae interviewed for this
story, including those who are
critical of the program, have
become passionate advocates
for education equality.
“TFA has a theory of change
and a mission that is compelling to Smith students,” says
Sam Intrator, professor of
education and child study at
Smith. “Educational disparity
is, in a sense, the new civilrights issue of our day, and
Smithies understand both systematically and on the ground
how important it is to contribute to the solution, to be a part
of restructuring underserved
institutions.”
Smith students typically
learn about Teach for America
from campus recruiters. For
some, the pitch is effective
enough to prompt a change in
career plans. Rachel Willis ’04,
for example, was a government
major who had every intention
of moving to Washington, DC,
to work on Capitol Hill. An information session on TFA, led
by a Smith alumna, changed
all that. “At the end of the presentation they showed a video,
and when the lights went up,
I realized I was crying. Right
then and there, I felt like I had
found what I was supposed to
be doing with my life.” Willis
signed up for a two-year TFA
stint in her native Atlanta, and
has been there ever since. In
2009, she won a Teacher of the
Year award for her work as a
third-grade teacher at Morningside Elementary School
in Atlanta, and in 2010, she
won the prestigious Milken
Educator Award, the nation’s
preeminent teacher recognition program. [See the story,
Page 36.]
Christi Smith ’99, a sociology major at Smith, taught at
two schools in North Carolina
as a TFA corps member and
later volunteered as a recruiter,
including at Smith. TFA recruiters look for qualities like
leadership and a high GPA, she
says, but they’re also gauging
less tangible traits like creativity, resourcefulness, and independence. “TFA needs people
who can walk into schools
with a unique combination
of confidence and humility,”
Smith says. “Your demeanor
should inspire respect in
other teachers, parents, and
students, but you also need to
come into the community with
a deep sense of humility and a
willingness to learn.”
Like Jennifer Carter, Smith
discovered the aching need
that TFA teachers can fill.
“One of my biggest concerns
going into TFA was that I
would take away
a position from
a better qualified
candidate. But
what I found was
that I was there to
fill an empty classroom,” Smith says.
“In one case, the
students had—for
as long as anyone
could remember—
a substitute teacher
come in once a
week. The other
four days they
spent watching
movies while the
teacher in the next
room peeked in on
them periodically.”
Smith, currently
in China on a fellowship and working on her dissertation for a PhD in
sociology at Indiana University, says
her TFA experience definitely
influenced her career choice.
“Before TFA, I was thinking
more about law school than
graduate school. Teaching
gave me a better understanding of the systemic problems
that need to be addressed,” she
says. “I really felt that teaching
in the schools wouldn’t really
bring about long-term change.
By the end of my time with
TFA, I was thinking about all
the gaps in research that need
attention.”
Karli Swift ’04, in her final year of law school at the
“Teach for
America needs
people who
can walk into
schools with a
unique combination of confidence and
humility. Your
demeanor
should inspire
respect and reflect a willingness to learn.”
JENNIFER CARTER ’04, outside the teachers’ quarters, on her first day as a Teach for America teacher at
the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in
2004. She is now a graduate student in education.
University of Georgia, says
her TFA experience as a high
school social studies teacher
at a predominantly African
American inner-city school in
Baltimore from 2005 to 2007,
has profoundly influenced her
life. “The beauty of TFA is that
it takes talented people who
aren’t necessarily planning to
become teachers and channels
their talent and enthusiasm
into a passion for public education,” she says. “I definitely
expect to stay involved in
education long term, whether
that’s by using my law degree
to affect policy, or by tutoring
or mentoring.”
For all of its successes,
though, TFA draws criticism
for some of its practices. Smith
education professor Sam Intrator, for instance, questions its
hiring of noneducation majors,
who are given minimal training before they’re thrown into
a difficult classroom situation,
often with very little supervision. He also wonders if it
focuses too heavily on shortterm solutions. “My quandary
is that organizations like TFA
are pipelines that move talented, idealistic people into
underserved schools, and that’s
great, but shouldn’t our real resources be focused not on how
many people we can get into
the classroom, but on how we
keep them there?” he asks. “All
the research says that the single greatest factor of success in
underachieving schools is the
quality of the teaching. Teaching is an art, a science, a craft
that must be honed, and getting good at anything demands
practice, time on task.” Plus, he
notes, the two-year commitment means that talented TFA
recruits leave teaching before
they develop the expertise
needed in schools that serve
poor children.
Katya Levitan-Reiner ’02
recalls her first TFA position
in a hastily assembled school
for students who had been expelled by other schools in Oakland, California. “We literally
had to climb a chain-link fence
to get in before school started,
and dust off the chairs,” she
says. “Many students hadn’t attended school in a year, so we
didn’t even know which class
to place them in.”
She taught pre-algebra to
a group of middle-school
students who ranged in age
from 11 to 17. Although she
had taken some education
courses at Smith and rates the
training she received at TFA’s
summer institute as very good,
she was, she says, completely
overwhelmed and unprepared
for the specific challenges of
her classroom. TFA offered
her another placement, but she
ended up leaving the organization to teach at another public
school in Oakland, an established school founded and
staffed by veteran teachers.
Today, as senior coordinator
in the Office of Data and Assessment for the New Haven,
Connecticut, public schools,
Levitan-Reiner is a little more
forgiving of her TFA experience. “Of course I wasn’t adequately prepared, but how
could I have been?” she says.
“I think it’s important to remember that TFA didn’t create
the problems with the public
school system in this country,
and TFA doesn’t claim to be
the solution. What it says is,
there’s a problem, and we need
solutions. TFA is one piece of a
much-needed solution.”
One TFA alumna also questions the organization’s “relentless pursuit of results,” to use
the TFA Website’s language.
Teachers are expected to raise
their students’ achievement
scores by one and a half or two
grade levels over the course
of a school year. As in all public schools, this is measured
through testing, which raises
the controversial subject of
“teaching to the test,” a concept that generates passionate
debate and divides the educational community.
“When you measure kids’
progress using a five-step lesson plan with a test at the end
of it, you lose out on so much,”
says Megan Ambrus ’07, who
taught fifth graders whose
families were predominantly
recent immigrants from Puerto Rico and the Dominican
Republic in New Haven, Connecticut. “What about art, music, culture?” Ambrus is currently working for a nonprofit
and applying to grad programs
in the sociology of education.
She’s writing a novel based on
her TFA experiences.
Other TFA alums take a
more pragmatic approach.
“If I want my students to be
college-bound, then there has
to be both a qualitative and a
quantitative way to measure
their progress,” says Sarah R.
S. Martin ’06, a former corps
member in Hawaii and now a
TFA director in New York City
and Indianapolis. “I believe it
can’t be an either/or situation.
Test scores are important and
must be considered as one
indicator to measure progress,
but it is also about building
students’ confidence and love
for learning.”
Despite the challenges and
shortcomings of the program,
former corps members say
TFA gave them a greater appreciation for the hard work
of teachers and an unwavering
commitment to improving
schools. Elizabeth Marcell
’99 acknowledges that not everyone who goes through the
program will become a teacher.
“The goal,” she says, “is to build
a group of alums in all walks of
life who are going to fight educational inequality, whether
that’s by influencing policy decisions, being a more informed
voter or city council member,
mentoring in an after-school
program, or crafting legislation
to address education reform.”
Marcell herself applied to
TFA in her senior year, fully intending to pursue an advanced
degree in Italian literature
when her two-year stint was
up. But her plans changed after
she was assigned a specialeducation class of thirteen
students, whose disabilities
ranged from Down syndrome
to autism to blindness, in a
small border town in Texas.
The student body was largely
Spanish-speaking, with 98
percent qualifying for free or
reduced lunch. Marcell cobbled together her high school
Spanish and college Italian to
become fluent enough to converse with parents at teacherparent conferences. After her
TFA experience, Marcell did
spend a year in the Italian program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, but returned
to TFA, this time on the program staff of the organization
in New Orleans. “I just knew
that whatever I could do professionally as an Italian professor—regardless of how much
I loved the field—would never
have the kind of direct impact
on people’s lives that I would
have in the public education
reform movement,” she says.
Today, after earning a
doctorate in education from
Harvard, she heads the specialeducation department at two
newly designated charter
schools in New Orleans as part
of ReNEW Schools, an ambitious charter organization that
is part of the Louisiana Recovery School District that works
to turn around failing and underperforming schools.
For Nahid Sorooshyari ’05,
teaching for two years in a
fifth-grade classroom in the
Bronx for TFA was a way to
give back to the community
before going on to law school.
The experience gave direction to her legal education at
Washington University–St.
Louis, where she’s a third-year
student. “Teach for America
opened my eyes to the failures
of our education system and
the ways we can work to make
it better,” she says. “Before
TFA, I never thought about
working in education or even
working with kids. Now, I plan
on using my law degree to either work in educational policy
or somehow work to represent
low-income children facing
legal difficulties.”
Twenty years into its idealistic mission, Teach for America
remains an attractive option
for new graduates. Thirteen
members of the Smith class
of 2010 are midway through
their first TFA teaching assignments. Judging from the
experiences of their predecessors, they will learn, as Jennifer
Carter did in South Dakota,
hard lessons about
the lasting effects
of poverty and
discrimination.
“I know that my
students became
better writers because I was their
teacher. But I also
know that I did
not change their
circumstances,”
says Carter, who
recently began
graduate studies in
education at Lesley
University. “I had
students who were
beaten up by gangs,
who joined gangs,
whose parents
overdosed, who
had to raise their
siblings, who slept in cars, who
became teen moms, who didn’t
have a place to sleep.”
But they may also learn
about the value of pitching
in and holding tight to high
expectations. “My students
would tell me, ‘You can’t
expect us to do that, Ms.
Carter. We’re Indians.’
Now, they write to me on
Facebook and say, ‘I remember
everything you taught us.’ A
few of my students have gone
on to college. That makes me
really proud.” r
“Teach for
America
opened my
eyes to the
failures of our
education
system and the
ways we can
work together
to make it
better.”
Jenny Hall AC ’04, a former
teacher, is a freelance writer in
western Massachusetts. She has
written numerous articles for
the Smith Alumnae Quarterly.
y
more families are choosing homeschooling as an
alternative to traditional education. Their reasons may
vary, but alumnae who have set up class at home say the
experience strengthens family bonds and makes their
children active participants in their own learning.
by jane falla
Teaching
with a
Mom’s
Touch
Illustration by Christopher Silas-Neal
Linny Blumer AC ’89 and her family are avid world travelers. They’ve
lived in Switzerland; currently have
a home in Brazil, where they moved
to nine years ago; and have traveled
extensively throughout the United
States, Europe, and South America.
When her two oldest children were
in elementary school in Switzerland,
Blumer took them out of school for
a six-month trek, and after returning home and having her children
go back to school for a short while,
she finally made the decision to
teach them at home. Life itself, she
had come to realize, was perhaps
the best teacher for her kids, and
the world at large was the best classroom.
That’s not to say Blumer didn’t
struggle with her decision. “Both my
husband and I felt insecure because
most of our friends and family told
us we were crazy and irresponsible,
and the kids were going to be misfits,” she says.
ANNE STEVENS
FROST ’98 combines structured
learning activities
with real-world
experiences. Above,
her daughters, Kai
and Abigail, feed a
bearcat at a zoo in
the Philippines and
study geography.
Once she overcame her doubts, though, Blumer, who was briefly homeschooled as a child, took
on her role as teacher with relish, and her children thrived. She loved being able to tailor her
children’s studies to their interests and passions,
taking advantage of others’ expertise, such as
visiting biologists who invited the kids to do fieldwork, and going to museums and hiking in the
mountains. By homeschooling, she says, “I taught
my kids how to teach themselves.”
For Blumer, and a growing number of families,
combining the roles of mom and teacher makes
perfect sense. Indeed, at a time when US public
schools are struggling with budget cuts and, in
many cases, poor performance, and teachers continue to get a bad rap, the ranks of homeschooling parents are growing. The National Center
for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that the
number of homeschooled students in the United
States rose from 1.7 percent of the student popu-
lation in 1999 to 2.9 percent in 2007. The NCES
cites three main reasons for homeschooling: concern about a school’s environment, the desire to
provide religious or moral instruction, or dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available
in their areas. “One of the primary reasons we
decided to homeschool is we felt that we were responsible for our children’s education—academically, spiritually, and morally,” says Claire Derrick
Kennedy ’94 of Alabama.
Other alumnae who have chosen to teach at
home cite a great deal of satisfaction in their
choice and say the experience has deepened their
family bonds and taught them a few lessons of
their own.
Anne Stevens Frost ’98, who now lives in the
Philippines, began thinking about homeschooling five years ago while living in Arizona, before
her oldest daughter, Kai, was ready to be enrolled
in kindergarten. She believed that Kai’s advanced
skills (she was reading by the time she
was 4) and “quirky personality” might
be stifled in a traditional classroom.
“By the time she was old enough to
start kindergarten, Kai was getting
ready to start her second-grade curriculum,” Frost says. “She knew too
many things to be in a kindergarten
By homeschooling, “I taught my
kids how to teach themselves.”
personalize and individualize education for each
child,” she says.
In becoming teacher to her five children, who
now range in age from 12 to 25, Herbert discovered that “homeschooling opens up a whole
realm of learning possibilities. You can also look
at the bigger picture—not just at how someone
acquires knowledge, but also at the character and
qualities that you hope to see coming together to
foster a good, productive adult life.”
The experience has stretched and challenged
Herbert in unexpected ways. Getting to learn
about new topics—and relearn old ones in new
ways—alongside her children has made her a
more engaged teacher. “Sharing that enthusiasm
with my kids has helped them to be more enthusiastic,” she says. What’s more, she’s discovered
how natural learning really is for children. “It
doesn’t have to be so controlled, restricted, and
regulated,” she says.
Though teaching children at home can offer
potential benefits to individual children, critics
wonder if those benefits come at the expense of
the greater social good. Rosetta Marantz Cohen,
classroom and stay interested, and she wasn’t
socially mature enough for a second-grade classroom.”
An experienced fourth-grade teacher, Frost
approached homeschooling tentatively at first,
hoping to see how Kai progressed. That was four
years ago, and now she’s teaching her 6-year-old
daughter, Abigail, as well.
Describing her teaching style as “eclectic,” Frost
says she combines structured methods of learning, like textbooks, with experimentation, observation, and discussion, and the girls are thriving
academically. They do level-specific work in the
morning, rotating math, grammar, reading, geography, religion, art appreciation, logic, and handwriting. After lunch, they work together on science, social studies, gym, and writing. The result,
Frost says, is that her daughters have developed a
closer relationship. “They will still play with other
kids, but they are each other’s best friend,” she
says.
Part of what inspired Beth Donatelli Herbert
’82 of North Carolina to consider homeschooling
nearly two decades ago was her own upbringing—she came from a family of teachers who
instilled in her a great interest in education—and
a deep desire to help shape what her children
learned. “I was drawn to the idea of being able to
‘I was prepared to
come to Smith’
When Kiersten Acker ’14 was
ready to enter kindergarten,
she was reading books like The
Chronicles of Narnia while the
local school was focusing on
Dr. Seuss. At that point, her
mom chose to homeschool.
Acker is among thirty homeschooled students who have
enrolled at Smith in the past
five years. Within that time,
sixty-three homeschooled students were admitted out of a
pool of 138 applicants.
Sabrina Marsh, associate
director of admission, says
Smith looks for the same intellectual curiosity and academic
success in homeschooled students as it does in traditional
applicants. Although the college doesn’t require standardized tests from domestic applicants, homeschooled students
can report test scores to indicate ability. In addition, Smith
assesses day-to-day learning
and involvement with a peer
group, such as community
service, organized sports, or
theater. They look for evidence
that the student can regularly
complete course assignments
and participate in at least four
classes per semester, says
Marsh.
For Kiersten, Smith has
proven to be a great match.
“Smith encourages self-direction and self-reliance, which
is ideal for the homeschooled
student,” she says. “I was really prepared to come to Smith,
and I’m doing really well in all
of my classes.” Acker says. She
has the distinction of attending Smith at the same time as
her mother, Robin Acker AC.
“Parents who are good teachers
understand that they are their
child’s most influential teacher.”
LINNY BLUMER AC
’89 and her husband
built a community learning center
on their land in Brazil.
Below, local children
learn how to use a
microscope.
professor of education and child study at Smith,
admits to having conflicted feelings about homeschooling. “In general, I see the rise in homeschooling as another example of the dismantling
of the founding principles of American public
education,” she says. “Neighborhood or district
schooling was developed as a cornerstone of the
democratic system. Public schools were the place
where children were supposed to get socialized
for citizenship, where they learned tolerance
and respect for diversity. Private schools, homeschooling, and charter schools all undermine that
goal.”
At the same time, Cohen is aware that some
parents may wish to create a better learning environment for their children. “I understand a parent’s desire to escape a terrible public school, and
homeschooling can be one inexpensive option for
doing that,” she says.
Concerns about homeschooling also stem from
the fact that regulations and requirements vary
from state to state, as do curricula and standards
that homeschooling teachers must meet. Although homeschooling became technically legal
in all fifty states as of 1993, some states require
yearly testing of homeschooled children, while
others require regular parent training, interviews
with children, or review of curriculum.
Homeschooling parents recognize these concerns and rely on a number of resources to provide guidance and help them improve their own
skills. When Robin Acker AC began homeschooling her daughter Kiersten,
who is now a first-year at
Smith (see sidebar), she
read The Well-Trained
Mind
d by Susan Wise
Bauer and Jessie Wise and
turned to the University
of Wisconsin for ideas and
resources. “It does take a
village,” Acker says.
Anne Frost says that
she discovered a thriving online community to
help her. “Luckily, there
are a lot of Websites that
provide activities, online
games, worksheets, unit
plans, and other tools for
homeschooling parents
and teachers alike,” she
says.
Beth Herbert went one step further.
In 1996, she started a homeschool co-op
with two friends that she incorporated
in 2006 as the nonprofit Lighthouse Christian
Homeschool Association. Today, the co-op serves
more than 250 member families in the Wake
Forest, Youngsville, North Raleigh area of North
Carolina and fosters all kinds of interaction
between kids and with other adults through
athletic activities, spelling bees, field trips,
and more. Parents also have the opportunity
to share different ideas about teaching along
with resources and other materials. Besides
that, developing friendships with other parents
helps ward off feelings of isolation, Herbert
says. “When you have a group, you can start
doing things and providing opportunities, and
it makes it easier for other parents to step into
homeschooling. I encourage people who don’t
have this to start. It starts with a few parents who
have a vision.”
A key lesson these homeschooling moms—and
according to the latest statistics, the majority
of homeschooling teachers are mothers—have
learned is what it takes to be a great teacher. They
say that flexibility, curiosity, patience, humor,
and love are key. “What makes a good teacher is
being willing to pour yourself into the nurturing
and development of another person,” says Claire
Derrick Kennedy ’94, who teaches her four oldest
children using a tutorial method, and by supplementing lessons with online courses and outside
activities such as piano lessons, ballet classes, and
Boy Scouts.
For Acker, it’s all about being an effective
role model. “Parents who are good teachers
understand that—whether they home educate or
send their child to private or public school—they
are their child’s first and most influential teacher,”
she says. “That responsibility does not change
until their child reaches adulthood.”
What makes the role of mom as teacher so
gratifying, alumnae homeschoolers say, is watching their children develop their own passions
and become motivated enough to want to pursue
their own interests. Herbert, in particular, remembers when her daughter called home during
her sophomore year in college. She was frustrated
with one of her classes because many of the students in it weren’t self-directed. “She said, ‘Thank
you for teaching me how to learn and not wait for
someone to tell me how to do it,’” Herbert says.
“Of course, that was honey for a mom’s heart.” r
Jane Falla is assistant editor at the Smith
Alumnae Quarterly.
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Leaving their
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avoids heavy
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supports the
arts
Leading
dance into
the future
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a nc
nce
e ha
hass al
alwa
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bee
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passion for Sharonjean Moser Leeds ’67.
“When I was at Smith, there was no dance
major, so my major was theater with a
dance emphasis,” says Sharonjean, who
has taught dance at the University of San
Francisco for 39 years.
She and her husband Richard are
staunch supporters of
“By leaving our Smith’s dance department.
retirement Over the years, they have
some of Sharonjean’s
accounts to used
inheritance and some of
Smith, the their own savings to name
money goes a dance studio and to
straight to the create an endowed fund for
college, Smith’s dance program. “It’s
how much the
untaxed.” incredible
dance program has done
Richard and
with what seems like a very
Sharonjean Moser
modest amount of money,”
Leeds ’67
Richard says.
Not everyone can create
an endowed fund during their lifetime,
but the Leedses have done something
e se that almost anyone can do to make
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fici
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their
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retirem
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“Byy leaving our retirement accounts
to Smitth,” Richard explains, “the money
goes straight to the college, untaxed.” An
IRA, 40
01(k), or 403(b) can be the most
heavilyy taxed asset in an estate. When
family inherits a retirement account, it
can be taxed twice: first by estate tax, then
as ordinary income. In some cases, taxes
may co
onsume as much as eighty percent
of retirrement savings designated to heirs.
By desiignating these assets to Smith,
every dollar goes to work for women’s
education.
“It’ss simple, because it doesn’t require
a will or a lawyer,” Richard says. “You
can jusst name Smith College on a simple
beneficciary form. Nowadays you can often
do it on
nline.”
The real payoff, Sharonjean says, is
“suppo
orting the arts and enhancing the
dance p
program at Smith.”
The Grécourt Society: Your Legacy to
Future Generations of Smith Women
Office of Planned Gifts & Bequests • www.smith.edu/giving/planned.php • (800) 241-2056, option 5
alumnae
update
1937
Sec., Nancy Merrick Gilbert,
3374 Meadow Ridge, Redding, CT
06896, gilbertnm@sbcglobal.net
1938
Sadly, we learned that BERTINE NILES
died on Dec. 11, ’10. Prior to
her death, Bertie shared that her son,
Jack, and his family had moved in with
her, and daughter Tina and son Tim
visited frequently. We will greatly
miss her contribution as class cosecretary, and especially her friendship. We send our condolences and
sympathy to her family and friends.
Please see her obituary in this issue.
HARRIET EARLE O’DONNELL reports
that she had a bad year, but is getting better. She welcomed her seventh
great-grandchild in 2010.
CLARA TAPLIN RANKIN continues to
have many volunteer commitments
with the Hopewell Benefit; Apollo’s
Fire, a baroque music ensemble; and
her local museum of art.
MARY SHEARER PITKIN enjoyed a minireunion with classmates who spent
their junior year abroad in France. It
was held in Old Saybrook, CT, where
SARAH (SAS) WALLIS STEVENS lives.
Mary has a new address in Orchard
Park, NY, and LOIS DALY WRIGHT lives
nearby and visits frequently.
SAS WALLIS STEVENS continues her
snowbird schedule, spending summers in Old Saybrook, CT, and winters in Jensen Beach, FL. Five of her
children live in the Northeast, so she
is able to see them frequently. Sas enjoyed reuniting with JYA friends PEGGY FRANK CRAWFORD, MARJORY MITCHELL
TONKS, and MARY SHEARER PITKIN.
MARGERY MITCHELL TONKS also reports
enjoying the meeting at Sas’ home.
Last June, Margery and her daughter
had a wonderful cruise on the Danube. They spent three days in Prague
before the cruise, and three days in
Budapest afterward.
WILLIS
MARGARET MARKHAM VAN NOSTRAND
has five daughters and one son who
keep in close touch with her. Peggy
says, “I feel old, and maybe it’s because I am!”
MARTHA KREMERS WHITMORE’s daughter, Marty, shares the sad news that
Martha is ill and now has home hospice care. Thankfully, Marty says the
care is from geriatric specialists who
are excellent.
LOIS DALY WRIGHT shares, “Life is
good. I’m still driving (hallelujah)
and doing all the things I love: theater, concerts, friends. I’m living in
an apartment in a lovely spot that’s
just five minutes from my daughter.
I love it!”
Sec., Natalie High Loomis, 110
Preston Terrace, Marshfield, MA
02050, anahl@verizon.net
1939
DELIA INGLEHART BRIGGS reports that
she is recovering from leg surgery and
is enjoying life in a retirement home,
where she participates in all of the
various activities offered. Duplicate
bridge is one of her favorite pastimes,
and she plays regularly with an attractive young man as her partner. She
leads a busy, happy life, and shares it
with LORETTA KRUSZYNA INGALLS, who
is also a resident.
MAGDALENE MACTARNAGHAN HETTLER
spends a lot of time traveling. Last
fall, she went to Sedona, AZ, and the
Grand Canyon; in the spring she went
to Florida, where she managed to play
a few games of golf. Magdalene recently returned from a trip with her
family, seeing the sights from Seattle
to San Francisco.
LORETTA KRUSZYNA INGALLS takes
yoga classes and enjoys the numerous activities that take place at her
retirement home. One of her close
friends is a 102-year-old resident
from Holland. Loretta was a German major and is finding pleasure
in speaking German with her friend.
Her friend is very alert, and they have
discovered many mutual interests,
including their philosophy of life,
politics, the Red Sox, and special TV
programs. Loretta’s son, Ed, his wife,
Meg, and their daughter, Abigail, live
and work in the Boston area, which
was Loretta’s reason for moving to the
Village at Duxbury (MA) retirement
community in 1994. She is pleased
that there are a good number of other
Smithies there. Sadly, her husband
passed away in 2007.
ELIZABETH ERWIN JOHNSON likes her
life in a retirement home in Florida,
where she does a lot of reading and
playing bridge. She enjoys spending
time with her two daughters and
granddaughters.
JOAN GOODRICH LANG is recovering
from three strokes. She reports that
z
YOUR CLASSMATES WANT TO
HEAR ABOUT YOU. To share your
news, write to your class secretary; she
must send her column to the Quarterly
by February 15, May 15, August 15,
and November 15. Members of classes
without secretaries should send their
news directly to the Quarterly, 33 Elm
St., Northampton, MA 01063, or to
classnotes@smith.edu.
she is doing fine except that she is no
longer able to read.
JANET TUNISON LEWIS is still living independently in her home of 60 years,
but she finds that she is slowing down.
She says handicrafts have become
more difficult, but she enjoys reading.
GRACE GOLUB COX is still cherishing
the bachelor’s degree she got from
Smith; she also went on to receive her
master’s and doctorate. She lives in a
retirement home in California and is
able to keep up her exercise.
MARION TAYLOR DRAPER is still driving
and doing volunteer work in the thrift
shop run by the Woman’s Board of
Norwalk (CT) Hospital. She is also
clerk of two Westport, CT, foundations that award scholarships to
eligible students. She can’t imagine a
better way to enjoy her years after 90.
AMY AUSTIN LUKENS still takes trips
with the help of her daughter, Betsy,
who lives near her. Amy flew to California for the ceremonial scattering of
her sister-in-law’s ashes in the harbor
of Santa Cruz, and Betsy helped her
up and down the ramps and in and
out of planes.
FRANCES BRACKETT QUACKENBUSH
moved into an assisted-living complex after falling and breaking her
wrist. It was very traumatic for her
to leave her old farmhouse, where she
had lived for 54 years. The day the cast
was removed from her wrist, she fell
and broke it again, as well as multiple
ribs, and also got a bad concussion.
After three months in the hospital,
she says she still can’t keep her balance, even using a cane. She takes a
mild exercise class, but what she does
most is read. Her youngest daughter
lives nearby.
MARTHA ALLEN STIMSON is learning
to ride a motorized scooter and went
to two exhibits at the Cincinnati Art
Museum.
FRANCES BROWN TOWNES is retiring
from several responsibilities, like
working with damaged youths in
Berkeley, CA, and “professing” at
UC Berkeley. Her biggest challenge
is handling pain from sciatica while
participating in a support group in
her church by reading. She has moved
from her beach home to an apartment
in Oakland, CA.
ELIZABETH (CHIPS) SNYDER WALLACE
is in good health and can keep on
driving, sewing, reading, and raking
leaves. Still in her home of 56 years,
she is busy dictating her family history
into a new laptop.
HARRIET SMITH WILLIAMS attends musical events and church suppers, and
goes to museums in Old Sturbridge
Village in Massachusetts and the
Mystic Seaport in Connecticut with
her son, who has moved in with her.
He pushes her in a transport chair on
their trips.
Written by Mary Cary Rea, class
president
Quarterlyy Office, Northampton,
MA 01063
1940
NAN BOSSON DUELL sent a postcard
with a view of the odd Camel Rock in
New Mexico. She was on a trip “enjoying perfect New Mexico weather, going to the annual wool festival.” With
Nan was her daughter, Mary, “an expert and real participant in all things
to do with fiber. I’m slowly learning.”
That reminds me that my husband,
Robert, and I learned about sheep
over the course of 10 years, as the ones
brought here to eat up young catbrier
preferred flowers and vegetables and
were expert at knocking down fences
propped up over rocky ledges. But
this column should be your news, not
stuff I remember. So do write! If handling a pen bothers you, just dictate a
note to a family member or a friend,
and pop it in the mail.
Along with her interesting note, LEE
MIXER OLSON sent an article she wrote
as part of her series in a local newspaper. Lee writes, “I thought you might
like to see my latest article—probably
my last one because I’d need something special to inspire me. Are the
words or thoughts like yours where
you live?” The article is titled, “My,
Things Have Changed,” and recaps
things we have always enjoyed doing,
but aging changes the possibility of
doing them. For example, Lee says,
“At this time, bridge presents a special
problem—who can we get to play?”
Lee concludes, “After all, it’s all up to
you! You can have a pretty positive attitude, treasure the friends who bring
so much joy into your life, and take
advantage of the opportunities to go
places and do things you’re still able
to do. So grab that crossword puzzle
or that hobby you’ve had for so long,
and be an acceptable human being
alumnae update
worthy of the love and affection you
so richly deserve.” Lee would love to
hear from you about your reactions to
changes in your lives. You can obtain
her address by calling the Alumnae
Association or by searching the online
Alumnae Directory at http://alumnae.
smith.edu/.
In the Fall ’10 issue of the Quarterly
is an interview with me as a representative of the class of 1940, with a
page heading that quotes me as saying, “I worry about a generation that
has been brought up on the Internet.
Do they get to experience what it’s
like to hold a brand-new book, to
smell the ink?” HONOR HINGSTON-COX
’04 writes, “I just read your interview
in the Quarterly and wanted to assuage your anxieties about the Internet generation. I teach elementary
school, usually the primary grades,
and always emphasize the smell of
a new book, or perhaps even more
bewitching: the crack of a fresh spine
as a hardcover is opened for the first
time. It’s an uphill battle against smart
boards and video games, but many of
us are out there fighting on, including
me.” Thank you, Honor!
NANCY THOMSON WALLER has written
a charming book, My Nanking Home
1918–1937: A Very Personal Memoir,
published in 2010. Intimate as it is,
with details of Nancy’s life with her
delightful and amazing family, we
learn of their traumas as they are all
terrorized in their home as they try to
escape the horrors of besieged Nanking, China. Nancy lived through it
all and went on to her Ginling and
Smith years, and eventually to our
70th Reunion. She sent two thoughtful reviews of her book and writes,
“I am receiving great responses to
it. Such a surprise! It’s selling so well
we’ll go for a second printing.”
Smith is still a highlight in our lives.
Your 1940 news, views, and thoughts
interest us all, so please keep in touch!
Sec., Lee Kingman Natti, 105 High
Street, Gloucester, MA 01930,
978-283-5860
1941
lives in
her own home on Cape Cod, MA, and
her youngest daughter spent last year
with her. She enjoys playing bridge.
We are sorry to hear that TRUDY
BROWN LYNCH of Hilton Head, SC, is
losing her sight. She says she has aides
to “butter her toothbrush.” Family visited her for Thanksgiving.
PATRICIA HAMPSON WHEELER is getting
more independent in her old age and
is “too smart to degenerate.”
HARRIETTE GOULD MYERSON does
yoga, swims, and rides a bicycle. She
recently had lunch with MARGARET
BREED MARSH.
BARBARA REID PAYNE lives in a retirement community where she volunteers in the library. She still enjoys
the Baltimore Symphony.
PRI RICHARDS PHENIX had a humMARJORIE JOHNSON JORDAN
dinger 90th-birthday party. She
sings in the choir and volunteers at
her church.
ANNE FREEMAN GIRAUD is on the library committee, and both she and
her husband are “still vertical.”
RUTH SMITH HENDRICKS is taking
bridge lessons and improving. She
enjoys exercising in the pool.
PATRICIA DONOVAN PLYM has recovered from a setback two years ago.
She enjoys books on tape and is “a
happy old broad.”
MARGERY SISSON RUNYAN says life is
good. She is the class Fund agent.
SUE BULFINCH RITGER also lives in her
own home on Cape Cod, MA.
CATHERINE GERDES MAHER is well and
still on her feet. She recently heard
two Smith graduates from the 1970s
talk about their work in mediation.
SALLY HITCHCOCK PULLMAN gave a talk
at her church about her experience as
a nurse in World War II. She is still
mowing her lawn and trimming her
raspberry bushes.
JEAN YEREANCE ZAPPLE’s husband died
nearly three years ago. She summers
on Cape Cod, MA, with two daughters who live nearby, and winters in
Naples, FL.
Sec., Sidney Smith Walker, 105 Rivermead Road, Peterborough, NH
03458, 603-924-4241,
sidneysmithwalker@gmail.com
1942
We will all be saddened to learn of
the death of MARION INGERSOLL HOWELL, our senior-year class president.
See her obituary in this issue for an
account of her rich and busy life.
FREDERICA WOODALL ANDERSON, our
New York State skier, has made a
super recovery since a snowboarder
sliced into her and broke her ankle last
winter. She kept fit over the summer
with tennis, gym, and a pacemaker replacement. She says, “I should now be
good for another 20 years! I am looking forward to our Reunion in 2012,
and I’m trying to decide whether to
carry skis or a tennis racquet in the
Alumnae Parade.”
RACHEL LOWE AUBREY has slowed
down physically but keeps busy in
her retirement community in Hanover, NH. She reports on medical
and mental-health issues of interest
to her fellow residents, and facilitates
a discussion group on transition and
loss. “I do a lot of writing, and NPR
classical music is always on. My family is on the go: My son is in China
helping to build a new museum, my
daughter is in Cuba to study their
health care, and one granddaughter
is in Europe and another is at McGill
University in Canada. My best wishes
to everyone.”
JANE KOCHMANN BROOKS traveled last
June to Budapest to visit the George
Soros-founded Central European
University, to which Jane donated
the professional library of her late
husband, Samuel Beer, a professor at
Harvard. CEU’s president is the son
of the late RUTH MURPHY SHATTUCK,
John Shattuck, who Jane has known
since he was 3 years old. Jane’s letter
describing the many details of the trip
is too long to fit into this column, but
she clearly had a wonderful and eventful time.
JANET ADAMS BLOOD fell and fractured
her pelvis, which caused her to move
from her former Marblehead, MA,
home to an assisted-living facility in
Swampscott, the next town over. She
writes, “I am still near friends, family,
and all the things that matter to me.
My best to all.”
POLLY BENEDICT BOBROFF writes,
“SUSANNA WILDER HEINZ and I are still
enjoying life at Whitney Center in
Hamden, CT, after seven years. We
exercise in the swimming pool, attend
performances at Long Wharf Theater
in New Haven, and enjoy the company
of other residents, including several
Smithies from other classes.”
BARBARA RAUSCH DEELY writes, “Last
fall I went to Northampton on one of
the excursions from my retirement
home in Lenox, MA. I broke off from
the group and hiked to Smith’s art
museum. I made it to my 90th birthday last October. All five of my kids
threw a party and visited from Boston,
Colorado, Iowa, Malaysia, and Italy.
Talk about the Mother of the Gracchi! The graying children made my
heart thump. The count is now five
children, 15 grandchildren, five greatgrandchildren, and four stepchildren.”
CATHERINE WRIGHT GRANDIA carries
on by herself in the Albuquerque,
NM, house she and her late husband
lived in for more than 50 years. She
lost one of her sons last summer but
has two adult grandchildren nearby.
She says, “I’m still active in some
4-H affairs, mostly with three greatgrandchildren, and that’s enough to
keep me busy.”
PEGGY UNGER HENRYS is “still here and
enjoying every bit of it. My Lake Wallenpaupack summer home in Pennsylvania gives me a break from the
New Jersey heat and humidity. Hiking
and swimming keep me active. Winter
finds me playing bridge every week.
My two aerobic classes keep me fit.
A great-grandson was added to my
family—a wonderful gift.”
JINNY RAYNOLDS HUMPHREY writes,
“I was given a huge 90th-birthday
party in August on Madeline Island,
WI, where I go every summer. Fortyfive relatives came for a scrumptious
dinner and an evening of extensive
songs, skits, and entertainment. I am
still in my Minneapolis condo, going
on 14 years. I love it; the people are
stimulating and fun. I teach twice a
week at a neighborhood school and
play tennis every week. I belong to
two book clubs, a poetry group, a
church discussion group, and have
season tickets to the Minnesota Orchestra and the theater. I love my life,
except for losing friends and relatives.
Of course, I often think of Smith and
those four happy years, but now I
don’t have anyone left to reminisce
with. That is the only sad part about
living so long.”
ELIZABETH STOUGHTON KELLY writes,
“No more choir (voice is shot), no
more being a docent at the museum
(stairs too steep), no more driving
(better safe than sorry), no more
Meals On Wheels (no wheels). But
lots of time to read, hook rugs, and do
a sit-down job at the local food pantry.
Also, I have a new great-granddaughter, and more unknown fun things on
the horizon.”
MARGIE HELM LIGHT writes from Lansdowne, PA, “I had a book published!
When Teaching Was Fun includes
amusing anecdotes that I recalled
from my 20-some years of teaching
at Rye [NY] Country Day School and
in public elementary schools. Copies are available online from Infinity
Publishing or at Amazon. Fred and
I are hanging in there at 96 and 90.
We still drive, and live in the house
Fred bought in the 1950s. I am ready
for a retirement place, but he won’t
hear of it.”
LUCILLE (RONNIE) CHARRON RECORD
has a granddaughter in the class of
’11 and looks forward to attending
both her graduation and our Reunion.
She loves the retirement community
in Peterborough, NH, where she and
her late husband moved 15 years
ago. She writes, “Last summer, one
of my daughters went to Russia for
a couple of months, and soon after
her return, my other daughter and I
went to Sweden for two weeks to visit
our AFS student of 1963 and to see
her lovely daughter married. It was
a wonderful trip. There are a few
Smithies here, but PRISCILLA (SALLY)
KINGSBURY MAYNARD and I are the only
class of ’42ers. It’s nice to have an old
friend here! Greetings to all my ’42
acquaintances.”
Sec., Neal Gilkyson Thorpe, 109
Grace Street, Mont Clare, PA
19453, nealthorpe@aol.com
1943
Our class president, ISBELL (BAM)
says she felt like she
was running a hotel last summer, with
guests constantly coming and going.
ELIZABETH BROWN BAILEY had a wonderful three-week vacation in Maine
last summer with her entire family
(four generations). They enjoyed gorgeous weather, with 80-degree days
and great swimming, and blankets at
night. She says it is unlikely that she
can get up to Smith, but she wishes
she could.
PAT BURWELL GILBERT is grateful to
be in good health and to be keeping
in touch with two Smith classmates.
ANNE HALL HIGGINS is still living in
her own home in North Haven, CT.
She continues to drive to New Haven
to work with a small city group that’s
pushing to change prisons and drug
AGER BEHRER,
policy. They sponsored a forum last
fall with two African Americans who
were wrongly convicted prisoners, released after 16 years. “For me, a time
for tears,” says Anne. She still misses
Arthur after 63 years of marriage and
three years without him, but she is
busy with a small backyard vegetable
garden, a Yale Divinity School alumni
book group at her house, and her four
kids and their kids. One daughter lives
nearby (“a wonder and a blessing!”)
and Anne has mostly telephone contact with her other children (she hates
computers, but is trying to learn).
“Upright and breathing—what more
can we ask?” says NANCY (PEPPER) HERRON CHERRY. She is still going to her
Canadian outpost and visiting SWAN
MCLEAN GRANT and others in Connecticut. She considers herself an
“unreconstructed Yankee.” She cannot believe her congressman is the
“You Lie” guy, Joe Wilson. She refers
to her living arrangements as the
“geriatric Gulag,” which is not quite
fair as she likes the place, the people
(other “inmates”), and her apartment.
Luckily for her, her youngest son lives
nearby. He is good fun and company.
KATHLEEN MCNULTY HOGERTON celebrated her 90th birthday with her
great-grandchildren. She plays bridge
often. Her sister, EILEEN MCNULTY
DANA ’39, went to Arizona in February. Daughter Kate went to Vietnam
for a cousin’s wedding. There was a
Smith alumnae party in Quogue, NY,
much appreciated by citizens in the
doldrums due to real-estate distress.
MADELINE MCWHINNEY DALE has not
been doing much traveling this year,
but she has been watching her grandson play ice hockey and manages to
get in her daily walks. She still attends
weekly concerts and remains active on
several local committees.
JUNE MOORHOUSE TURNER spent a
lovely October week visiting SUZANNE
RHOADS MILLAR in Kennett Square, PA.
MARY LOU KANE FORSTER BARRY spent
several days with them, since she lives
nearby in Bryn Mawr. They all went
to school together as well as college.
June thinks the Fall ’10 issue of the
Quarterly was fascinating: “Our college has certainly gone global!”
BETTY PRINCE ALLEN BARNOUW is involved in several community activities (lots to do in a small town), piano
playing, vegetable gardening, and a
greenhouse. She still raises geraniums, which she brought to our 60th
Reunion. Did anyone have luck with
them? She has four stepchildren, near
and far. She is having fun playing duplicate bridge.
Sec., Ellie Del Mar Revill, 460 Old
Main Street, Rocky Hill, CT 06067,
erevill@sbcglobal.net
1944
Hello to the class of ’44 from ANN
KEYSER RAWLEY, your newest class secretary. First of all, my thanks go to
JANE SNYDER HUBBELL for reprinting my
rather lengthy biography in the Fall
’10 issue. That piece enabled you to
learn all you may care to know about
me. This column is the place to hear
about you, so with my appreciation
to those of you who responded to my
appeals, here goes!
It was great to hear from Park housemates. JANE CAHILL-BLUMENFELD moved
from Albuquerque, NM, to Madison,
WI, after her husband’s death to be
near her daughter, who promised
her a house with a view. Mission accomplished: an unobstructed view
of Lake Monona! Despite her osteoporosis, Jane has remained active in
the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Odyssey Project, whose purpose is
to provide education to economically deprived adults. During Jane’s
years in Albuquerque, she devoted
her energies to improving educational
opportunities for special needs children. Jane is a recipient of a lifetime
achievement award from the University of New Mexico.
FRANCES (BETTY) GEBHARD DE WITT
writes from her home in a continuing-care facility in Oberlin, OH. She
and Bill have been married for 66
years, are the proud parents of four
sons, and the proud grandparents of
12 grandchildren and 12 greats. She
says Oberlin offers a variety of cultural attractions. The De Witts have
an unusual “home away from home”:
a recently purchased 30-foot powerboat that they take out on Lake Erie.
Lifetime boaters, they often stay overnight out on the water.
Another housemate with whom I
have been in touch over the years is
our faithful treasurer, MARY JANE ENGLISH SCHMITZ. She and her retired surgeon husband look out over Chicago
and Lake Michigan from their building’s 36th floor, a spectacular location
by day and night. Millennium Park is
right there, as is the Art Institute of
Chicago, so innovative architecture
and many attractions, art, and music
performances are right across the
street. Summer vacations are often
enjoyed at resorts on the New Jersey
Shore.
I appreciated hearing from LOUISE
BLAKESLEE RICH, who lives in Longboat
Key, FL. She still plays tennis, heads
up the altar flowers committee of her
church, and volunteers at the local
library. Louise and PEGGY RICE RIDER
often travel together, most recently
to Chautauqua, NY, for a talk on the
Middle East.
Like me, ANNE NEVINS LOFTIS has
been a “faculty wife” for many years,
married to a Stanford University professor. Interestingly, my University
of Nebraska professor husband studied for his doctorate from Columbia
under Anne’s father, Allan Nevins.
Over the years, Anne worked on small
newspapers and as a freelance journalist while raising three daughters.
She has also written or co-authored
four books, notably The Great Be-
trayal: The Evacuation of the Japanese-Americans During World War
II. Like so many of our classmates,
the Loftises moved to a senior center;
theirs is in Palo Alto, CA.
JEAN DRAKE ALVORD and her husband,
Gray, continue to live in Kittery Point,
ME, which Jean describes as a great
place for visits from vacationing family and friends. Jean is in her 48th year
with the Portland (ME) Symphony
Orchestra. She says performing with
all those younger musicians is truly
“wonderful for keeping all those little
synapses in the brain awake.” Your
class is proud of you, Jean!
RUTH (TERRIE) SWEENY writes from
Albuquerque, NM, where she lives in
a wonderful retirement home. Along
with the nice climate, Terrie loves
being in the same city as a son and
grandchildren, with another son in
Colorado, as well as two other Smithies in her residence. Terrie is among
the class of ’44’s current world travelers; she went to Japan last May and
Costa Rica in June. Stateside, her third
son is cause for regular jaunts to his
home in Connecticut. By the time you
read this, Terrie will have been to the
Martha Wilson House mini-reunion
at LOUISE (WEEZIE) WILD CLARK’s home.
I hope to have their news in the next
Quarterly.
While on the subject of mini-reunions, PAM PERKINS TISZA
A coordinated
the arrangements for a New York-area
luncheon in 2010. Unfortunately, she
was unable to attend, as were BETSY
JAMES (still needing a walker) and
RUTH CHALMERS (now living in Cambridge, MA). Present at the gathering
at MARYLIN BENDER ALTSCHUL’s home in
New York City were DELIA HEMING CANTOR, ROSAMOND ROBERTS DEAN, BARBARA ROTHSCHILD FOGEL, BARBARA KLING
GREENWALD, ANNA (LELA) WESTERGAARD
HEINZERLING, DORIS SCHEIBER MERSON,
BARBARA KRIEGER ORENTZEL, CATHY DUGAN RILEY, ELEANOR PIERPONT SUYDAM,
and MILDRED WEAVER WEISSBART.
Before closing, I send greetings from
my predecessor, JANE SNYDER HUBBELL,
who says she “survived” a fantastic
family reunion. She and her husband
had 181 Hubbell family members for
a three-day weekend. They are obviously real pros at organizing games,
sporting contests, and activities for
large groups of all ages. In a triathlon, Jane was the biker, a daughter was
the swimmer, and a daughter-in-law
was the runner, and her 9-year-old
little girl biked with Jane. This oneand-only female contingent won in
its class. Just reporting on all of this
leaves me breathless!
From Saranac, NY, ALICE RIDENOUR
WAREHAM writes about her involvement in an assortment of volunteer
activities. Along with her work for the
local 100-year-old Village Improvement Society, for which she wrote a
seven-part article published in the
local newspaper, Alice is also active
in a voluntary health association that
provides free nursing services, including dental nurses in the elementary
schools; lends sickroom equipment;
and recently branched out into a new
program, awarding scholarships for
nontraditional students who have
indicated an interest in preparing
for careers in medicine, as well as
scholarships for high school seniors
who then get to spend a year working
in a variety of hospital departments.
Do please keep your news coming. I
go right to class notes when the magazine arrives, and I feel sure most of
you do the same! My best to all.
Sec., Ann Keyser Rawley, 3901
South 27th Street #20, Lincoln,
NE 68502, 402-440-6923,
arawley@windstream.net
1945
MADELEINE (MANDY) CLARK JOHNSON
writes, “Bill and I had a lively summer visiting our summer home on
Fire Island, NY, and sailing to Europe on the Queen Mary 2 to take an
Elderhostel trip to study the D-Day
invasion of France during World War
II. Bill found himself the only veteran
in our group (including the lecturers,
who were very gracious when he made
contributions or corrections).”
MARIAN SINGER KESSLER writes, “After
65 years of marriage, my husband died
in January of 2010. Richard frequently
referred to himself as an honorary
Smithie, as he escorted me so many
times to the Spring Dance, the Charity
Ball, and other frolics, and we were
married at the end of junior year just
before he went overseas. I’ve spent the
year adjusting to singlehood (and not
liking it), but am fortunate to live in
a wonderful retirement community
in the heart of vibrant Sarasota, FL,
surrounded by stimulating, exhilarating companions and activities, so
never a dull moment. Although I reluctantly gave up tennis a couple of
years ago, I still enjoy swinging a golf
club and have rediscovered bridge,
which I had forsaken after the binge
days and nights of sophomore year.
One advantage of this glorious location is the many alumnae who have
either moved or winter here, making
for a constant infusion of old and new
friends nearby. In fact, by chance, my
book group originated from a cluster
of like-minded ardent readers who
turned out to be almost all Smith
graduates. Mary Ellen Chase would
be proud! On the downside, the nation seems to be in such crisis that I
fear for our democracy and our young
ones. Very dispiriting.”
SYLVIA CORRIGAN DENNISON was sorry
to miss the 65th Reunion, but loved
seeing pictures of the 22 classmates
who did return. She moved to a retirement home in Oct. ’09 and loves
it. She still spends some of her summertime in Chatham, MA—last year
with her daughter. She enjoys the
symphony, plays, great company, and
bridge in Chicago and Evanston, IL.
alumnae update
KATHARINE (KATCHEN) SMITH COLEY is
still an environmental activist trying
to save open space in Connecticut.
“I’m wondering if some think it’s time
I should get out of the way,” she writes,
“because last summer our county’s
environmental foundation gave me
their highest award! But I feel there
are still too many crises.” Katchen has
given our class archives (housed in
the Neilson Library) all the letters she
saved to and from the Dickinpoofs
during 1941 to 1945, as well as her
own letters during that time to her
family. Together they paint a good
picture of what we experienced during
those war years, and should be useful to a writer wishing to document
that time in Smith’s history. She hopes
others will add their own memorabilia
to the collection. Katchen also sent
news of a number of our classmates:
ALICE (BOO) BOOZER WEAVER spends
half the year at her home in Naples,
FL, and half at her home on beautiful
Lake Leland in Michigan. Last summer she happily witnessed her granddaughter’s wedding there.
ALICE (CITA) WHITECOTTON BARRY still
lives with her retired navy captain,
Jim, in La Jolla, CA, with occasional
visits to their other house on Pebble
Beach in Monterey, CA.
SALLY BAKER ROSS and husband
Ham are back in their St. Paul, MN,
apartment after enjoying yet another
summer at their home on Madeline
Island, WI.
FLORENCE FAAS MASTIN still lives by
herself in an apartment and drives
herself. Regular visits to a physical
therapist enable her to attend church,
visit with daughters and grandchildren, and carry on lively correspondences with her Smith friends.
BETSY CONVERSE LEWIS lives with husband Kendall in a retirement community outside of Portland, ME, where
she is kept busy in her capacity as an
Episcopal deacon serving fellow community members.
OLIVIA SWAIM LE FEAVER writes that
she had a wonderful grandparentgrandchild trip last summer with her
12-year-old granddaughter, Ainsley.
She says it was “a family learning adventure.” She lives in a lovely retirement home in San Rafael, CA, along
with M. EDITH MCBRIDE KANE. They see
each other daily, and they have also
been visited fairly often by PRISCILLA
CARRUTHERS MOORMAN from Pasadena,
CA. Priscilla and Edie, along with Edie’s husband, Bob, were on a Panama
Canal cruise together last spring.
ANNE (BOOVER) HALE JOHNSON writes
that she has been “absorbed in two
potent forces—God and sex!—for
many years.” Over the past 21 years
she has served on the boards of numerous organizations connected
with those two subjects, including
the Union Theological Seminary
in New York City, the Presbyterian
Church USA, the Ghost Ranch in New
Mexico, Interfaith Voices, Planned
Parenthood, Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, and the
Republican Majority for Choice. And,
last but not least, Emily’s List, which
she has been involved with for the past
eight years.
MARJORIE FOULKROD RILEY sent me
a compendium of her life in various
decades with assessments and comments. Perhaps other classmates
would like to follow her suggestion to
share a short history about their own
lives. From 1945 to 1955, life for her
was an adventure, with stimulating
work and marriage. The decade from
1955 to 1965 was nonstop, with babies
and a growing travel business. From
1965 to 1975, she was “almost too
busy to enjoy life because of an empty
nest and travel.” She describes 1975
to 1985 as a period of travel and loss,
becoming a widow with two children.
During 1985 to 1995 she discovered
new horizons and skills, including
taking up ceramics. She enjoyed two
lovely homes in England from 1995 to
2005: a garden flat in London and a
cottage by the sea. Finally, from 2005
to the present her goal is “to enjoy the
best of each day” and “offer backup
appreciation of her grandchildren’s
interests.”
Sec., Betsey Blake Blake,
200 Waters Drive, Apt. A-310,
Southern Pines, NC 28387,
betsblake@nc.rr.com
1946
JANE HOLTBY HILL sent Reunion news
that should have appeared in the
previous issue. We will be housed in
Lamont, which has an elevator; transportation will be at our doorstep; and
if you need a wheelchair it can be ordered. Our theme is “Age Improves
With Wine.” The cost will be $135, no
matter how many days you decide to
stay, and there is no registration fee
for us. The college is making all arrangements for our food, etc.
From France comes news from ANTOINETTE (TONI) GUTMANN SCHWARTZ.
She still finds life interesting and
feels that she can still make small
things move. Her husband, the first
recipient of the Grawemeyer Award
in Education from the University of
Louisville in Kentucky, is 91. Toni is
now retired but volunteers in France
for La Cimade, which works with immigrants who have no papers to help
them know their rights. Toni has four
children, seven grandchildren, and
five great-grandchildren, all of them
boys! She wishes us “good luck for our
next Reunion and many good things
to all ’46ers.”
SYLVIA BREED GATES writes that the
Alumnae Association’s projection for
65th Reunion attendees is 35! Sylvia
has made every Reunion, including
our first, in 1947, when KATHLEEN
BRAND HILFINGER sang “Cleopatra,”
complete with towel. Sylvia enjoys
golf, church choir, and a flourishing
Oregon Smith club.
KATE BELCHER WEBSTER, with her two
daughters and MALVINA HITCHCOCK WILLIAMS’ daughter, spent three weeks
last September on a trip to Bhutan
and West Bengal in India. She says,
“I have never climbed so many high
stone steps in my life or stumbled up
so many steep hills. It was a strenuous
trip for an old lady, but interesting
to learn about a new culture and to
observe a whole new way of life.” Kate
looks forward to seeing a great bunch
of us at Reunion.
“Here’s a voice from the past,” says
MARY LOWE PRICE, who is still living in
her home of 40 years, now with her
Siberian husky. Her husband died 11
years ago, and she belongs to a group
of women who call themselves the
merry widows. One daughter and
husband live nearby with two biological children and two adopted Vietnamese children. A literature course
and great books keep her brain working, and tennis and dog walking keep
her body mobile.
JACQUELINE BRIMMER BOICE reports
that “all is fine: My son is back here
in Cheyenne [WY].” She had just
returned from visiting her daughter
MARY BOICE READ ’75, followed by a trip
to Hawaii with her other daughter,
Lynn. Her granddaughter is expected
to graduate from Amherst College
in May; a grandson graduated from
there three years ago and works in
Washington for Senator John Barrasso.
JOAN SHARBOUGH GRAY moved to
a retirement community called the
Sequoias, which is 10 minutes from
her home of 50 years, and is on 40
acres, with lovely gardens adjacent to
an open-space preserve. Other Smithies there are JUDITHE DOUGLAS SPEIDEL
’45 and DOROTHY (KIP) LINKE POND ’44.
“Another ‘Wilderite’ has a granddaughter at Smith,” writes MARY
(DIMP) CARSWELL JOHNSON. KATIE JOHNSON ’14 is from Waterbury, VT, and is
a member of the varsity soccer team.
Dimp has 10 grandchildren. Eight
of them are boys, so she is delighted
that Katie is at Smith. Sadly, Dimp’s
husband died last January, but she
feels lucky to have a daughter-in-law
next door, two daughters who come
frequently to see her, and a son who
comes to pick her up and take her
to Vermont. Dimp closes with, “I
am lucky to have had 60 years with
a wonderful husband, and to have a
very supportive family.”
MARIE-LOUISE (M.L.) DE CORIOLIS GUSTIN writes that after not being able to
play golf for a year due to various ailments, she got out of a golf cart, fell,
and broke her hip. She spent the summer in rehab and then was back in her
apartment undergoing therapy. She
attends Boston Symphony concerts
on Fridays and enjoys The Met: Live
in HD at a local movie theater. She
also goes to the Huntington Theatre
Company in Boston.
AUDREY WAITE ASHLEY says, “I have
had a fantastic year for an old lady. I
went to Vietnam and Cambodia with
three Kendal [continuing-care community] friends in Jan. ’10. In June,
I drove with my daughter, CHANDLER
ASHLEY CLARKE ’79, to southern Illinois, where her daughter was graduating from prep school.” She saw six
plays in three days at the Shaw Festival
at Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario in
July, and her family gathered to celebrate her 85th birthday at a camp
in the Adirondacks. After decades of
volunteer activities in Cooperstown,
NY, she vowed not to continue when
she moved to Kendal in Ithaca, NY,
but somehow she has found herself
on four committees. Audrey has 22
grandchildren. “God willin’ and the
crick don’t rise, I hope to be at Reunion in 2011,” she says.
Congratulations to CANDACE MCKEE
ASHMUN, who has had a 4,000-acre nature preserve in New Jersey named for
her. Last October, family and friends
gathered for the dedication of the
Candace McKee Ashmun Preserve
at Forked River Mountain. The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation has a blog
with a long tribute to Candy. On the
blog, Environment Program Director Michelle Knapik writes, “Candy
has spent 50 years criss-crossing
this state to promote, write, guide,
influence, research, advocate for and
inspire sound environmental policy
and land protection. . . . Candy has
inspired several generations to answer
this call for service. The Preserve will
continue to be a source of inspiration
for years to come.”
MARY TIEDEMAN HOAGLAND’s daughter, ANN HOAGLAND SIMONDS ’85, has
been made president of the Pillsbury
division of General Mills. Mary also
writes of the movie Secretariat, starring Diane Lane as HELEN (PENNY)
CHENERY ’43. Mary and Penny have
been friends since 1950. Mary may
try to get to Reunion.
Sec., Jeanne Caswell Clampitt, 25
Thornton Way #207, Brunswick,
ME 04011,
jeanne.clampitt@gmail.com
1947
A postcard from JOYCE NUTTING
in South Carolina says it
all! “Fettle fine, posture bent, hair
sketchy, gait lippity, wrinkles abundant, curiosity rampant, routine nil,
humor rules! June joy: four-generational house party at the beach.”
Although her husband died in Aug.
’09, ROSEMARY (CHIPS) MILEHAM JORGENS sent a cheerful note about her
life. Her grandson produced a second great-grandchild last May, the
same month that the child’s mother
got her master’s. A granddaughter is
working on her PhD at UC Berkeley.
Rosemary says that she is amazed at
all those brains, and is just trying to
keep useful, volunteering, staying
slightly alert, reading, and trying to
do crossword puzzles. She would hate
GRAVES
to have those youngsters prove her
a dummy!
CAROL HUNTER KELLEY moved to Laguna Beach, CA, in 2009, and last
year happily attended a meeting of
the Orange County Smith club at a
dock party at Dana Point.
JOAN SANDERSON BERNICK writes,
“After my husband died I moved to
smaller quarters in our same retirement community outside Richmond,
VA, where we have been for 17 years.
Our three daughters all live on the
West Coast. I go to their houses or
they come here with some regularity.
Last summer we convened for a week
on Nantucket, MA, and some of us
remained on Cape Cod for another
three days. That and other events have
brought me to the Cape for the past
three summers, and I have been able
to have lunch with JACKIE HOPE O’LEARY
each time. I am ‘exercising’ my brain
with courses in two Lifelong Learning
Institutes, editing our in-house residents’ publication, as well as singing
in a fabulous church choir. Next year,
I’ll progress to exercising my body!”
PHYLLIS HAMILTON continues her
spiritually upbeat life in San Francisco. She shares a poem: It’s clear/ the
reason I’m still here/ is to participate/
in the end of “the end of times”/ and
the Great Shift into/ the New Heaven
and the New Faith/ of Revelations 21.
After a long silence, JOANNE HIMMELL DANN writes that she continues
to live in the Washington, DC, area
and that she has two daughters who
are published writers and a son who
is a TV producer. She recently took
an eight-day hiking trip on the Amalfi
Coast in Italy, a repeat of one she had
taken 15 years ago. She said that she
couldn’t possibly keep up, so she spent
part of the time just reading in cafes,
taking pictures, and truly enjoying the
gorgeous weather and scenery.
SUE ELLITHORP HELLEBUSH is well, and
reports that she still sees ANN CARPER
LINDBERG and her husband in Sanibel,
FL, every winter.
JOANNE (BRANDY) BRANDVEIN LANGERKELLAS keeps in touch with many
Smith classmates from her home in
New York. Last June, her family had
a big gathering at the home of her sister, SHIRLEY BRANDVEIN SCHWARTZ ’42,
in New London, CT. Every August,
Brandy spends 10 days on Cape Cod,
MA, with her daughter, Sally, and
granddaughter, Davie.
CAROLYN BUHAI HAAS is still enjoying
life at her senior residence in Santa Fe,
NM. She is active and busy there with
a food committee, art and exercise
classes, music programs, and a writing group. She has no family nearby,
but was planning a trip to California
to visit two of her daughters there.
Occasionally, she sees SHIRLEY REESER
MCNALLY and HELEN COHEN GABRIEL ’48.
I hope you all noted that our own
VIOLA (VI) SPINELLI was featured on a
planned-giving page in the Fall ’10 issue of the Quarterly. Vi has endowed
1941, including the rivalries and drama—both personal and political—of
Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin, plus
the saga of businessman Averell Harriman, broadcaster Edward Murrow,
and US Ambassador John Gilbert Winant, three Americans who played a
big part in saving the free world. Pick
it up at your local public library.
Keep those letters coming. We all
enjoy hearing about your latest doings, large and small. Good health
and cheers!
Sec., Nancy Crawford Pierce, 259
Dogford Road, Etna, NH 03750,
piercechalet@aol.com
Enjoying a multigenerational mini-reunion on Lake Winnipesaukee
in New Hampshire are Barbara Tomb Lundberg ’47, Sue Casher
’75, Beverly Baynes Tomb ’75, Mary Donatelli Tonry ’77, and
Lavina Chase Tomb ’46.
Smith’s Spinelli Center for Quantitative Learning. It will offer tutoring in
math to students in all majors in order
to provide them with math skills for
life. This is a wonderful gift for the
young women who have not been
exposed to math for many years, but
realize that they may need those skills
after graduation.
Last September, I was thrilled to
spend the week of my 85th birthday
with my oldest daughter, KATE MULHERN JOHNSON ’72, and her husband,
living in a small apartment in Paris.
One of the bright spots of our visit was
a brief and happy afternoon call on
PAT MARCUS TROCME at her apartment
across the Seine from Notre Dame
Cathedral. Pat is the most joyful person I have seen in many a year; an old
family friend of hers has become a
new beau. She and the world-famous
photojournalist and editor John Morris are the talk of all Paris. Last spring
Pat wrote, “Today John is 93, and I am
84, and we are entering into one of
the happiest phases of our long lives.
Everyone around us is enchanted!”
May their joy continue!
Sec., Barbara Harrison Mulhern,
PO Box 746, Cooperstown, NY
13326, bhmulhern@aol.com
1948
The first important bit of information: Please take a few minutes and
e-mail MARIE (MICKEY) BRECKWOLDT
BENT at mbbent@iopener.net. It will
be appreciated. E-mails are perfect
for corresponding with the hard of
hearing, which is Mickey’s problem.
Thanks to those who have made
contact with me these last months.
How about others getting on this
bandwagon and sharing with their
old college pals what’s going on in
their lives? We may be old, but life
still goes on. Did you happen to read
the Jan./Feb. ’10 issue of AARP: The
Magazine with Clint Eastwood on
the cover? Dig it out, or beg, borrow,
or steal it! He’s 80 years old and still
savoring life. That’s a challenge for
us all. I’m giving it a whirl, even with
five of my children already senior
citizens—today we officially become
seniors at 50.
Some of our classmates don’t sit
still for a minute. News from NANCY
BARTON MOTT, who enjoys traveling:
In 2009, she sailed down the Adriatic
Sea along the Dalmatian Coast. She
flew from Athens to Brussels, where
she joined an art and architecture
trip with Smith Travel to Belgium
and Holland, which she describes as
“mindblowing.” Last June, she visited England to look at libraries and
landscapes, also with a Smith Travel
group. In October, she visited Tuscany, going to tastings at vineyards
and sampling at least 12 to 15 wines
a day. “This last was fun,” she says.
Over the years she has made three
trips to Antarctica, and “loves those
penguins.” When home, Nancy takes
care of her orchids, is still involved in
the American Daffodil Society, and
goes to opera, ballet, and theater. She
reports that POLLY GOODRICH JOHNSON
has moved to Southampton, NY.
JANE MEAD VON SALIS visited PHYLLIS ROONEY HOEHN and husband Tom
last summer at their beautiful apartment in Feldmeilen, Switzerland,
near Zurich. Jane says she also had
a too-short visit to her beloved Engadine Valley in Switzerland. Jane
and MOLLY POTTER SCHEU both enjoy
living at the Kendal continuing-care
community in Hanover, NH, which
is nice for me. I live quite near, up in
the hills of Etna. I had a glorious visit
with SALLY THOMAS DEATLY in August
on Squam Lake, where she visits with
her family each year. I still spend time
with Shirley Blanchard, from Smith’s
athletic department, who took our
Smith posture pictures in 1944. She
is housebound, but very much “with
it” and lots of fun. She had a 90thbirthday party last summer, which I
attended, for her husband, Ted Krug.
My book of the moment is Citizens of
London: The Americans Who Stood
with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest
Hour, by Lynne Olson. Read it to learn
about the power struggles starting in
1949
JOAN JACOBER ALBERT recalls that she
was called Joanie or Pony as a child
and teenager, Jo by many of her Smith
friends who spent junior year in Paris,
and Dux by her husband, Larry. Now,
she says she answers to almost anything. Joan also reports how devastated she is by the loss of PAGE CHAPMAN WEBB, who was thinking, with her
husband, Watt, of moving to Kendal
on Hudson, the beautiful continuingcare community overlooking the
Hudson River and abutting a lovely
wooded park, where Joan and Larry
reside. Joan was so hoping they would
be neighbors.
ALICE (JINX) LUDLOW LAMBERT writes
that she was sick of her previous
nicknames, Al, Ally, or Lud, when
she entered Smith. So, she simply
introduced herself as Jinx, and the
name stuck until she moved back to
Branford, CT, where she’d summered
since birth. Although everyone there
calls her Alice, we still know her as
Jinx. She also notes that she remains
good friends with MARGERY QUITZAU
FOX, NANCY NORE SADICK, ANN (NANCY)
KEATING CHAMBERS, and ANN (ANDY)
PODOLOFF LEHMAN.
After years of reading Archaeology
magazine, DOROTHEA JUNE BROWN finally decided to try their offer of travel
to antiquity. Her two-week trip on
the MV Aegean Odyssey took her to
Athens and the glorious new museum
on the way up to the Acropolis and
the Parthenon, as well as to Mycenae
and all the temples, cathedrals, and
towns around Sicily, before landing
back in Rome. She was particularly
enthusiastic about the archaeologist
guides and the small group of travelers, compared to cruises on “floatingcity” ships. Although she recognizes
that travel may be becoming more
difficult at our age, Dorothea recommends this trip to all.
Following her honorary doctor of
laws degree from Harvard in June
’10, RENEE FOX received an honorary
doctor of social sciences degree from
King’s College London the following
November.
JOAN MURDOCH BERNHARD and RHODA
DORSEY
Y made a brief but delightful trip
to England last October to attend a
special benefactors’ luncheon at
alumnae update
Newnham College in Cambridge, an
institution for which Rhoda has been
a very active and successful fundraiser
in the States. While in London, Rhoda
met with an English pen pal she’s had
since junior high school, and Joan had
lunch with a favorite cousin who lives
in Chorleywood.
After remarking that only old
friends call her Hennie anymore,
HENRIETTA DUNN JOHNSON reports that
she and her husband, Haynes, moved
last July to the Edgewood retirement
community in North Andover, MA, to
be near two of their four sons. Their
large, sunny apartment overlooks
a woodsy area where she can walk
their dogs. A vital part of Henrietta’s
“good, interesting, and challenging”
life now is participating in a church
prayer team and leading classes in the
School of Healing Prayer.
JOAN RAWITSER STORMONT is thrilled
and proud that her 52-year-old son,
Jim Jr., a successful businessman,
husband, and father of three from Atlanta, qualified for the annual US Senior Open golf tournament this past
summer by winning the best score of
the 90 pros and amateurs competing
in Georgia. Joan and her husband
traveled to Seattle to watch him play,
follow his daily blog about the experience, and share the excitement of his
practice sessions with golf pros Tom
Watson and Jay Haas. Afterward, Joan
and her husband took their younger
son and his wife on a trip to Alaska.
Joan turned that remarkable journey and the digital photographs she
took into the 13th travelogue she has
prepared for local libraries and clubs
since her retirement.
When SALLY MCCRILLIS ELDREDGE and
her husband attend football weekends
at his alma mater, Dartmouth, they
are often joined by MARY ALICE KEAN
RAYNOLDS and her husband, a fellow
alumnus, who travel all the way from
Wyoming.
During the winter of 2009, ANN (NANCY) KEATING CHAMBERS had a chance to
visit her dear friend MARGERY QUITZAU
FOX in Florida, where Margery has a
winter home. They keep in touch by
phone the rest of the year.
PENNY SPURR MARSHALL claims that
life at 82 is largely uneventful, but she
has attained an unexpectedly ripe old
age for her ancestry, since neither her
mother nor father or grandfather
reached this marker. Penny attributes
her longevity to giving up smoking
an eon ago and never really learning
to inhale. She says her health is basically good, despite niggly things like
GERD, arthritis, recent anemia, and a
fondness for butter, hollandaise sauce,
cheese, and ice cream, which make
her a bit more apple-shaped than desirable. Penny is thankful that she retains most of her “marbles” and is still
improving her bridge game, although
the locations of her address book and
car keys are near-daily mysteries.
Even though her children joke that
she has a “loosey-goosey approach
to housekeeping,” Penny enjoys being
with her five kids, their three spouses,
and her seven grandchildren, but she
still misses her wonderful Howdy.
Happily ensconced in Maine, she
busies herself with reading lots of
mysteries, writing the newsletter for
her garden club, being an assistant
secretary of her summer chapel, and
serving as secretary for her class at
the Dobbs School. Last May, she and
BARBIE CONGDON VAN DUSEN were the
oldest grads who returned to Dobbs
for their 65th reunion. She spends
several weeks every March with her
daughter JULIA MARSHALL MARSHALL
’81, and family in Tarpon Springs, FL.
She also shares a summer cottage in
Muskoka, Ontario, with her sister.
Penny says that being a part of the
Smith class of ’49 has been an enduring source of joy and pride.
JUDITH COHEN MAG touchingly recounts that the only nickname she
ever had was given to her by her boyfriend when she was a senior in Capen
Annex, and “it is the same one the
dear man calls me to this day, more
than 60 years later: Black Fox.”
Sec., Adlyn (Paddy) Shannon Cook,
12654 English Orchard Court,
Silver Spring, MD 20906,
cookpet@verizon.net
Sec., Lois Leggett Hatch, 567 Kirby
Hollow Road, Dorset, VT 05251,
lochusa@sover.net
1950
Hello, everyone, and thanks so
much to all who have sent me their
news via snail mail, e-mail, and phone.
To quote my small grandson, “I would
like to have more, more, more!” There
have been some suggestions of interesting books and films, which are always appreciated. Do those who use a
Kindle like it or not? Make a cup of tea
some afternoon and take advantage of
a chat with all of your classmates via
the Quarterly!
The class sends sincerest condolences to the family of QUINN ELLIS
DELANEY, who died in the early fall.
Her obituary appears in this issue.
Our sympathy goes to SHIRLEY
LEFKOVICH HANDLER, who writes that
her husband, Ed, died in Nov. ’09 at
the age of 89. She regrets that her
eldest grandson’s graduation from
George Washington University kept
her from our Reunion. She is trying
to maintain her work as director of a
graduate program for health teachers
at Cambridge (MA) College, and is
also taking a course in memoir writing. Last summer, she visited with
ALEXANDRA WEINSTEIN GARCIA-BRYCE,
who came up from Lima, Peru, for a
mini-reunion in Cambridge.
What fun to hear from VIRGINIA
FORTE ALFANO, who says, “I have mixed
feelings about getting myself fancied
up (for a family wedding). Didn’t realize how! Will I trip in the long skirt
or tip over in the one-inch heels?
Otherwise, I have no complaints. I
live happily in my small condo that
overlooks a river and conservation
land. My 24-member extended family lives within an hour’s drive from
me. I get caught up in issues involving government. My health is good.
I enjoy bridge, reading, a nice group
of friends, and Aquasize at the local Y (not sexy, but great for the old
folks). I routinely remind myself not
to slow down. I keep in general touch
with FRANNIE BEEKLEY HAVILAND, SHEILA
SWEENEY EVANS, JEAN HUDSON PETERS,
PEGGY MCCRACKEN STRAW, ANN FULLER
FIELD COXE, and CHARLOTTE WOODBURY
SPENCER.” And thanks so much to Virginia for keeping in touch with the
rest of us!
MARION MARQUARDT LAMPE , who
transferred to Juilliard after two years
at Smith, writes that she is a pianist
and performs in chamber groups in
the St. Louis area. How nice of you to
get in touch, Marion!
LOUISE BLOCH STERN answered my
question, “How are you doing?” in a
thoughtful letter: “Like everyone else
who is reading this, I am hanging in.
There are too many losses, too many
sick friends, and news not to my liking on economic, political, and social
fronts. And yet, there is so much that
is still so fulfilling. Wonderful, accomplished, and affectionate grandchildren (aren’t everyone’s?). Concerned
children who are loving, caring
friends. Very special friends who still
have lots of energy and are willing to
drive at night. Lots of music, theater,
and ballet, as well as travel, so there
is always something to look forward
to. Of course, it’s all accompanied by
too much eating, so the battle of the
bulge is eternal. I recognize that I am
very blessed to have all of this in my
life. I look at contemporaries who are
not so lucky, plagued with ill health
and other problems, and they keep
plugging along. I hope that I shall have
that kind of courage when my body
starts giving way.”
“Continuation” is the title that CONSTANCE ROHR REITER gives to her contribution. “I’m still teaching, but adults
only. (I find an unbridgeable generation gap between the junior high and
high school students that I used to
teach and me!) I’m concerned for
the generation of young adults now
in their 20s and 30s, brought up in
this fast-paced technology age. With
information immediately available,
otherwise bright and well-informed
men and women do not seem to
have the ability to think creatively,
imaginatively, and/or critically. I remember one of our Smith presidents
telling us that ‘the main purpose of a
liberal arts education at Smith is not
to learn a trade, but to learn how to
think.’ I wonder and worry if technology might be the culprit. Still, I’m
happy to be teaching, and hope my
three classes don’t find out my age and
wonder about me when I can’t think of
a word or name during class.” Connie
brings up a lot of food for thought.
Any answers?
A quick note from B.J. SMITH SMITH,
who has been traveling around with
NANCY WARD SMITH. Last August, they
ended up in Maine, where they saw
KALO WILCOX PARMELEE. B.J. says, “We
managed three lobster dinners in 10
days (two spent on airplanes)—not
bad, loved every minute.”
Many classmates have received a
letter from Bill Low, who says that
HARRIET PORTER LOW ’14, his daughter
and the granddaughter of his mother,
the late FRANCES LARRABEE LOW, is now
happily living in Chapin house and
enjoying her first year at Smith. Welcome from all who remember Franna
with love.
Glad tidings from Seattle, where
DOROTHY LOBRANO GUTH and husband
Ray welcomed their first grandchild in
August. He is the son of their daughter, Jeannie, and son-in-law, Eric,
and is a beamish boy, according to
all reports.
Classmates hopefully read the note
in the Winter ’10–’11 issue of the
Quarterly regarding a memorial to
the late FRANCES LARRABEE LOW to be
established in the new reading room
in the Neilson Library. If you have any
questions, or did not get a letter with
details about this project, please contact me (address at the end of the column), NANCY WARD SMITH, ANNE BEEDE
JENCKS, MARTHA FARRAR, or DOROTHY
LOBRANO GUTH. If you are sending a
check, please note Franna’s name on
the memo line.
Sec., Betty Thomas Sweitzer, 34
Hillside Drive, Wayland, MA
01778, harrysweitzer@comcast.net
1951
If you carefully perused the Summer
’10 issue of the Quarterly, you would
have seen two classmates honored
as 2010 Alumnae Volunteer Award
winners: VARNEY PORTER TRUSCOTT and
ATHENA GIFTOS KIMBALL. The awards to
both are well deserved. Congratulations from the rest of the class of ’51.
Following the publication of many
magazine articles, ALIDA CAREY is now
working on a book about five French
women who worked in the Resistance
during World War II. Alida was in
touch with all of them before they
died and was very impressed. She
continues to find life in New York
interesting.
MARJORIE BIGGS ZOLLNER has 42 piano
students ranging in age from 4 to 81.
(There is still hope for lots of us.) She
is also president of the Grand Junction
(CO) Music Teachers Association. A
knee replacement last year has enabled her to have wonderful mobility.
Regularly swimming half a mile,
walking three miles, and playing tennis three times a week all helped RUTH
(BOOTS) MATHEWS LEITER-CHURCHILL
get into condition for a family vacation in Villars, Switzerland. She did
not want to be left behind while the
other 14 family members hiked and
picnicked in the mountains. The local cows kept them company, ringing
their family brass bells. When in the
United States, Boots and her husband
split their time between Woodstock,
VT, and Shawnee Mission, KS, where
she sees many Smith friends.
ABIGAIL DITTMANN WISE traveled to
Stockholm in Sweden, and to Paris,
where her French flowed girlishly
once again, bringing back many junior year memories. Abby continues
to volunteer at Union Theological
Seminary in New York City as well as
being involved with international and
church groups in New Canaan, CT.
She is talking about the charms and
adventures at Smith to her 6-year-old
granddaughter, a possible member of
the class of ’26.
After 46 years, I finally got EDITH
CLARKE WOLFF’s address in Bethesda,
MD, correct. They have remodeled
their home so that they might live
on one floor in the future. She is still
volunteering at the NIH, working in
the garden, sailing, swimming, and
traveling. Last spring, a trip took
them to Yosemite National Park with
a daughter and two granddaughters,
who were very good hikers. Edith
and SINCLAIR WINTON see each other
for concerts.
I received two communiqués in
response to my “catch-up” request.
NANCY RICHMOND WINSTEN wrote of the
death of her husband in March ’10.
They had moved from their home to
a rented apartment while Joe was still
reasonably well. She finds that reinventing herself as a single person is
not easy. She takes courses at Harvard
Institute for Learning in Retirement
and visits Boston often for concerts,
museums, and some theater. Nancy
has three grandchildren under 7 years
old living in Vermont, and a daughter
in Nevada City, CA. When she was
working, she translated computer
user manuals into English. Now her
computer writing, editing, and program planning are as a volunteer for
the senior group at her temple.
Another report of a husband’s death
came from GRACE EAMES HINRICHS. Stephen died in Rockport, ME, in Sept.
’10. He was a teacher of history, headmaster, and executive director of the
New York State Association of Independent Schools. He and Grace were
married in 1985, prompting her to be
part of a panel at our 35th Reunion
discussing changes in our lives.
If you need help with buildings and
grounds, MARY NOREM BINDNER may be
able to assist. She is on her townhouse
board of directors with that area of
expertise in her portfolio. Otherwise,
she continues to live in Colorado and
says that her life remains the same.
In my class list after JOYCE BERGER
COWIN’s name it says “museum.” Besides being involved with the Metropolitan and American Folk Art mu-
On a Smith Travel trip to Alaska are, back row, left to right,
Colleen Getz ’79, Sue Mussey Huffman ’61, Jan Barbour Carhart
’75, and Louise Rapp Wall ’51. At the Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge
they met Dee Ann Budney ’87 (front row, left) and Mareth Griffith
’06 (front row, right).
seums, she is a trustee of Teachers
College, Columbia, through which
she started a high school in Harlem,
as well as an art-therapy program for
disturbed adults. Recently, she traveled to Syria, Jordan, and Paris. Three
children and six grandchildren round
out her life.
Regretfully, I record the deaths of
two classmates: MARTHA RUSK SUTPHEN and SUSAN HIGGINSON MCVEIGH.
In case you missed them, their obituaries were in the Fall ’10 issue of the
magazine. Another loss is ALDEN ROBIN
BRIGHAM MAYER, whose obituary appeared in the Winter ’10–’11 issue.
Our sympathies go to the family
members of all three women.
A debut novelist at 79? NANCY
KASLOW HAMMERSLOUGH, after years
of working in the publishing field and
having started her own company, has
published her first novel, Almost Lost,
Nearly Found: A Novel of Sisters and
Secrets. Her first company handled
archaeological teaching materials. Her new company, Brown Barn
Books, looks for fiction for young
adults. She and husband John are
still in their converted barn in Connecticut, and their children are in
California and Illinois.
If you were kind enough to send me
a note but your news is not in this
column, bear with me. I had an unheard-of occurrence: too much news
for this issue! You will show up next
time. In the meantime, keep in touch.
Thank you!
Sec., Paula Secor Paterson, 1815
Millbrook Road, Salt Lake City, UT
84106, pspaterson@comcast.net
1952
News from WAYNE TALBOT HARBAUGH
and MARLEIGH MORLAND BARATZ: They
entertained 20 for lunch at Marleigh’s
house in Keswick, VA. The Charlottesville Smith club will be asked to
contribute “ideas for signs with clever
sayings to carry in the Alumnae Parade for the class of ’52’s 60th Reunion
in 2012.” The club will also hear from
Marleigh’s visiting cousin, a graduate
in music, who will give his audience
a taste of some of the songs and stories of his Broadway store. Marleigh
returned from a Baratz family reunion
in Rhode Island, where she said she
enjoyed seeing the beach with eyes
that were stable for the first time in
a year.
MARGARET PERKINS SKALLERUP now
lives in Washington, DC. “I sold my
house on the banks of the Potomac
River. I built the house in 1999, and I
miss it a bit, as it had a stunning view,
but am very happy in Georgetown,
where I can walk to everything. I have
six wonderful grandchildren; the oldest is 18 and at Tulane University. Two
of my children live in Washington,
and my daughter is in Santa Fe, NM.
Last summer, I took 16 members of
my family to Tunisia, where we lived
for 10 years when I was married to a
Tunisian. The trip was a great success.
I have been a widow for quite a while,
but fortunately I am in good shape.”
AMY MORRISSEY KLEPPNER writes,
“Last summer I finished doing something I had dreamed of doing since
college: I paddled the entire length of
the Connecticut River, from the Canadian border to the Long Island Sound.
We did it in sections over the past two
summers, with my sons, Bram and
Caleb, providing paddling company
on the river, and other family members joining us at various points. My
husband, Adam, nobly served as the
support team, dropping us off and
picking us up. We had a large celebration when we finally reached the
Sound after 373 miles and 26 days on
the river.”
ANNE (NAN) CARPENTER DILLON writes
that she, too, “has reached the vasty
age of 80, and am lucky to be feeling fine. To celebrate this, my sons
treated me to a cruise to Alaska. Last
year, I went to Iceland, and then to
the Galapagos (a Smith Travel-Yale
family trip). These were all absolutely
wonderful and very different.”
Answering the call for news, from
Monaco HARRIETT BURNETT GROOTE
writes, “The year 2010 has been a
breeze compared to 2009, when my
husband, Wilfred, survived a major
infection following an emergency
appendectomy and I came through
relatively unscathed from doublebypass surgery! We enjoy our retirement apartment in Monaco, where
everything is easily reached. I still play
golf once or twice a week. In June, I
attended a Smith-in-Europe week in
Istanbul—a great treat, beautifully
planned by two Smith alumnae and
attended by President Carol Christ. I
had a brief visit with BARBARA CROSBY
DE LOES in Geneva. She and her husband have retired and turned their
gallery over to their daughter, Diane.”
HARRIET SIMONS WILLIAMS writes, “In
anticipation of turning 80, I went off
to London, rented a flat, and learned
to use the wonderful Oyster cards to
navigate the bus system. I traveled the
hilltowns of Italy and returned to my
beloved mountains of northern Georgia for the rest of the summer, and am
now in Charleston [SC] for the winter.
Much ringing of tower church bells
and going to lectures—mostly navelgazing ones about South Carolina. It’s
an interesting place to live, especially
if one is a Democrat.”
JANET DENITHORNE LINN writes,
“Andy and I had a wonderful cruise
to Greenland, Iceland, and Norway—all new lands to us, and we
were fascinated. We enjoy life in our
retirement community, going to museums, teaching, and taking courses.
Two granddaughters are launched
into careers (teaching and law) with
the contagious enthusiasm we all had
in our 20s. Long may it last!”
PAT WYKER SILBERT volunteers teaching reading to first graders, which
she has done for 20 years. She says,
“I also do some landscaping design
and installation, although less of it
than I used to do, partly because of the
economy.” She traveled with her family throughout most of Europe and the
western part of the United States, and
felt it was all educational and fun. “I
am lucky that we have been able to do
these things together.”
Our class newsletter shared news
from GINNA DE CONINGH FLEMING, and
she adds a bit more. “A splendid visit
in Paris with OLIVE GIBSON LORSIGNOL
and LOIS GOLDBERG GRJEBINE, including
seeing the show of a friend of Olive’s
in Reid Hall [Columbia University
Global Center]. Very nostalgic.”
MARY MCKINLEY-HAAS says she enjoyed a visit from her son who lives
in California. “Do wish he and Chris
(in Texas) lived closer. Too long between visits!”
JOY SLONIM GLASSMAN writes, “I am
in a book club with five other Smith
alumnae from a variety of classes.
Reviewing Kafka, taking a course on
Moby Dick,
k and editing a biography
of H. Joseph Gerber written by his
son, David. It’s a wonderful story
alumnae update
of a young boy’s immigration to the
United States from Hitler’s Anschluss
into Austria, and his self-education
of English, scholarship to Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute, founding of
Gerber Scientific Instrument Co.,
and his invention, among others, of
the machine still in use today that
cuts patterns for the ready-to-wear
apparel industry. I still volunteer at
the Hartford (CT) Symphony library,
archiving the conductor’s publicity. I
work out on a gravity machine; I am
lean and fit, feeling fine, and 80!”
We were saddened to hear the news
of the death of MARY CURTIS DAVEY on
Oct. 2, ’10. Please look to the Summer
’11 issue for a full obituary. The class
extends its sympathy to Mary’s family
and friends.
Sec., Marleigh Morland Baratz,
3396 Dunscroft Court, Keswick, VA
22947, mmbaratz@gmail.com
Sec., Robin Rauth Purcell, 106
Tantumorantum Road,
Lyme, CT 06371,
robinpurcell0403@yahoo.com
1953
Hi, class of ’53! Here’s the most recent news from your classmates.
JOAN FORD was the honored guest at a
luncheon planned by six of her former
third-grade students from six states.
One of the attendees was LAURIE POOLE
CHESTER ’81. Connecting through a
class picture on Facebook, the girls
of Ms. Ford’s 1967–68 class agreed
that their former teacher had a great
impact on their lives. They decided
to contact Joan and set up a reunion
at a restaurant in Danvers, MA. The
lunch conversation was lively, with
reminiscences of Joan’s teaching philosophy (consistency and discipline),
shared mementos of her travels, and
Broadway show tunes. Joan said she
never played favorites, as no one knew
what a child’s life was like away from
school and how it might have influenced his or her behavior. She had
often wondered if her teachings had
“struck fire” in her students’ imaginations, influenced them to be good
citizens, and inspired them to “give
back to others.” Apparently so, since
most of the women work in education,
true recipients of Joan’s inspiration.
They had a wonderful time as they
looked at scrapbooks, pictures, and
report cards, and plan to make this
an annual event, expecting an even
larger turnout next time.
ANN SAFFORD MANDEL is involved in
organizing an Aging in Place initiative
in her community in Darien, CT. Aging in Place is a national movement
with a mission of “helping seniors live
independently, comfortably, and with
dignity in their own homes as long as
possible.” They are getting started in
Darien, but nationally many of these
organizations have been active for
a dozen years or more. Transportation, handyman services, information
about other available services, and
PAFFORD and her sister, Mary.
Thanks for the updates. Keep the
news coming, even when we don’t
remind you!
Sec., Vee Henry Achey, 4705 Town
Ridge Drive, Greensboro, NC
27455, bearsmith@triad.rr.com
Sec., Betty McCrary Newman,
2107 Balfour Court, San Diego, CA
92109, betmcnew@aol.com
1954
YOLANDA (YO) ASTARITA PATTERSON
Left to right, Ida Richards Chamberlin, Gail Cameron Wescott,
Joan Schenck Leavitt, and Anne Millett Powell, all from the class
of ’54, enjoy a rare get-together to reminisce about their year of
sharing an apartment in Cambridge, MA, right after graduation.
social activities are the prime needs.
When BLOSSOM WILLINGER MILLER
received your secretaries’ e-mail,
she had just returned that day from
a Smith Travel trip to Israel. “We were
only 10 in number, nine women and
one husband. I was by far the oldest
in the group, but had no difficulty
keeping up! We were accompanied
by a young, vibrant professor of Judaic
studies from the college. He gave us
an overview of Israel from the Jewish,
Muslim, and Christian perspectives.
We covered a lot of territory and did
everything from climb the archaeological ruins to swim in the Dead Sea.”
While on vacation last summer,
GEORGIANA HOMER DASKAIS and Dick
visited POLLY MYERS WHITE and Peter
at their summer place on Lake Champlain in New York. They had a great
time and “even swam in the lake!” On
the same trip, they visited Georgiana’s
sister, MARION HOMER PAINTER ’50, and
her husband, Bill, on Cape Cod, MA.
They ended their trip in Townshend,
VT, “with about 37 dear relatives.”
Georgie notes that she loves where
she and Dick live in Ventura, CA, but
is sorry that since she lives so far from
friends from Smith and New York, she
has lost touch with many.
JUDITH LAGER RAYMO was invited to
participate in a three-day conference
at Bryn Mawr last September, celebrating that college’s 125th anniversary of educating women. She spoke
on a panel on the topic “Leveling the
Academic Playing Field: Strategies
for Change That Work.” Judy says, “I
was particularly impressed with the
presidents of women’s colleges in the
United States, including President
Carol Christ, and the women from
the developing worlds who are leading women’s universities. They each
made a persuasive case for educating
women in a global context (the conference theme).” Judy is still teaching
at Teachers College, Columbia, most
recently doing a workshop on gender
and professional development.
DIANE GILMORE ROSS reports on a
marvelous mini-reunion with former Albrighters on Orrs Island, ME,
during “a September week of glorious weather.” Since they had so much
in common, they had lots to share.
Diane was exuberant because she
“had emerged from eight months of
recuperation from open-heart surgery and its awful aftermaths.” Fellow
participants sharing in MARGY ALLYN
SAMMONS’ hospitality in her charming
bed-and-breakfast Victorian house
were JOAN LONGBOTTOM CLEMONS, LAETITIA DEKANTER, VIRGINIA DAVIDSON MCNAUGHTON, ANN KELLY NEWTON, KITTY
OCKENDEN, HOLLY BLANTON SCHROEDER,
and JOANNE NELSON MOYLER. Diane
comments, “We’ll never forget this!”
CAROLYN CUSHMAN STRATTON’s big
news is that her third book about art
in Thailand, What’s What in a Wat,
is out. It is a handbook that deals with
the Thai Buddhist temples called
wats, and she says it will be a useful
tool for anyone touring Thailand. In
November, Carolyn and her husband,
Bob, returned to Chiang Mai, where
they have gone for many winters, although Carolyn notes that probably
was their last time.
RUTH ALLEN HOPFENBECK reports the
death of PAT DORN JAFFRAY. “Pat was a
real and dedicated force in her community, and I am sure she is greatly
missed.” Ruth and George’s major trip
in 2010 was a cruise with daughter
Ann and her husband and son. Leaving from Rome, the ship went as far
east as Istanbul and back to Naples.
“The basketball court on the ship was
the driving force for the ship selection. All ages had plenty to do, and the
port stops were fun and interesting.”
During HOLLY STAIR GREER’s annual
trip to Boulder, CO, Ruth, Holly, and
ANABEL CAREY MCHUGH were able to
have a catch-up lunch together.
HARRIET SQUIRE LEONARD keeps busy
in Chelsea in New York City, with her
usual “artwork, gallery and museum
visits, and all the riches that New York
City offers.” Some time ago, she had a
good dinner and visit with JANE COWEN
writes that her husband, Guy, died last
September “at 94 and seven months,
not long after we celebrated our 49th
anniversary.” Yo had hip-replacement
surgery three weeks later, was conscientiously doing rehab and hoping to
play tennis again. She had presided as
longtime president at the Simone de
Beauvoir Society’s 18th international
conference in Cagliari, Sardinia, last
June, and then taught for the 21st time
in the group’s summer program in
Paris. She’s grateful for ongoing support during the roller-coaster months
that followed.
MICHELLE (MIKE) MYERS FLORENCE recalls the flawless Tanzania safari for
children and grandchildren she and
husband David organized in 2008, and
tells us about their three sons: David,
at 46, had a marvelous reunion with
his biological mother in 2009; Robert
created an award-winning Hurricane
Katrina play for the New York International Fringe Festival (with New
York Times coverage); and Mason
heads an organization in Bangkok
to promote tourism in the Mekong
Delta. She and husband David, who
recently retired, play duplicate bridge,
seeing MARY BAHR TURINO often.
DEBORAH STODDARD HARPER says, “My
focus is dogs. I have seven: five Pembroke Welsh corgis and two Swedish
Vallhunds. The Vallhund is a very old
breed only recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2007 after some
effort. The world of purebred dogs
has its own structure, a host of events/
activities, clubs, and even its own
lingo. I’ve bred, trained, and shown
these dogs since 1960.” Deborah has
authored books and written articles
in dog magazines, including an editorship of New England’s Mayflower
Corgi Club publication, which she says
has consistently won top honors in the
national dog-writers’ competition. Although she is no longer a singer, Deborah says, “Classical music constantly
surrounds me and enriches my life.”
CAROL TRAYLOR HENDERSON writes
that she and Bob bit the bullet in
fall ’09 and sold their Boston apartment, moving to another “in a lovely
continuing-care community in Westwood, MA, about 25 minutes outside
of Boston and only 10 minutes from
three of our four sons. . . . Most of
the year, however, we are either in
Vero Beach, FL (January to May), or
in New London, NH (mid-June to
mid-September). Our four sons and
their families spend lots of time with
us.” This includes the Hendersons’ 10
grandchildren, ranging in age from
10 to 18, including two sets of twins.
JAN SALTER ROSENBERG writes, “Let
me tell you how I located my roommate and best friend during our college days, SHIRLEY GERSUMKY ROBINSON.” Shirley’s husband had died in
2008, and Jan lost contact despite best
efforts to locate her or her daughter.
Resourceful Jan Googled the Hartland (VT) Four Corners church and
its minister, who sent the telephone
number for Shirley. Jan explains,
“Shirley was spending the winter
with her daughter, who had moved
to New Hampshire. A long story! I am
completely sold on Google.”
JULIE GEMPEL LINDSTROM shared the
news of NANCY TEED SHEARS’ retirement last June as a senior vice president of the First National Bank of
Hutchinson, KS, after 33 years there.
Julie had a congratulatory lunch with
Nancy en route to Colorado. Julie had
attended a Smith College Club of Chicago panel discussion in April: “Smith
Worldwide: Voices in the Global Conversation,” moderated by President
Carol Christ, and featuring a Smith
drama professor, the art museum director, an orchestra conductor, and
the director of the Richmond (VA)
Ballet—all graduates of Smith.
JANE NICHOLS FOGG writes to call
attention to RUTH WOLFF BLOOM ’53’s
book of nine full-length plays, Notable Women, and a Few Equally
Notable Men. “The playwright and
I have been friends since Sessions
House days. My portrait of Ruth, done
earlier on, is on the cover.” Broadway
Play Publishing brought out the book
last year to enthusiastic reviews.
Good news from Cleveland: JANE
GRAHAM CHAMP’s son, William, and his
wife, Cynthia, welcomed baby Elise on
June 12, ’10. Congratulations to all.
MINERVA (MICHIE) HELLER NEIDITZ produced two poetry books last year.
“Fluid Poetics was inspired by the
mercury sculptor Ronald Mallory.”
Michie wrote poems suggested by
the images he sent her. The Mama
Llama and Other Animal Tales includes sketches by Ethan Emery. From
San Miguel de Allende, her half-year
home, Michie writes, “I am relatively
healthy, in spite of diabetes and a
quadruple bypass five years ago; I am
grateful for these years, and always
to Smith.”
“Quilting, both Hawaiian and traditional, has become my passion,” writes
NANCY COOK DONIGAN from Waimea,
HI. “I belong to three quilt groups on
the Big Island and have made many
friends through quilting.” The Donigans travel; son Peter, a neuroscience
professor at Harvard, takes Nancy out
for lobster when she visits “so he can
watch me enjoy it. Polynesian lobsters
don’t come close!” Daughter Sue, a
pediatric nurse practitioner, lives in
Dumfries, VA. Sue’s daughter is a
sophomore at Virginia Tech. Nancy
and Bob had one other jaunt last October to Evanston, IL, for the 60th
reunion of the Evanston Township
High School, where they had been
classmates.
A lot of us marked celebrations of
“the great class of 1950.” JANE GRAHAM
CHAMP attended her high school reunion at the Hathaway Brown School
in Ohio (still her home). GOLDIE GENDLER SILVERMAN went to the October
gathering of Central High School in
Omaha, NE, and NANCY DICKSON NEWCOMB attended the Graham-Eckes
High School reunion in Palm Beach,
FL. JOAN STRONG BUELL organized a
subset of her group from The Putney
(VT) School, and OLGA (SUNNY) STURTEVANT TOULMIN attended her 60th
reunion at the Holton-Arms School,
now in Bethesda, MD. SALLY RAMSEY
CHAPLINE headed back to Oklahoma
City for her 60th at Classen High
School: “It’s always a hoot!”
Sec., Anne Hoerner Ribble, 6200
Willers Way, Houston, TX 77057,
aribble@comcast.net
1955
The class of ’55 is still riding high!
ANN-ELISA WETHERALD BLACK enjoys
Vero Beach, FL, for three seasons and
Michigan in the summer.
CAY ANDERSON BARRES, in Mystic, CT,
travels to quilt shows in New England
and is active with the Smith College
Club of Southeastern Connecticut.
MARILYN SILVER BRAITERMAN moved
from Baltimore to Manhattan and
continues in her work as an antiquarian bookseller.
LINDA FRANKEL CAHILL, after 20 years
at the American Museum of Natural
History, consults twice weekly. “The
most exciting years were dedicated to
the building of the new planetarium
and the halls having to do with astrophysics. We are now a museum,
research center, education innovator,
graduate school, and center for biodiversity. After my 12 years of working for Mayor Koch, I did not think
I would ever have such an exciting
professional association. I have two
wonderful children; my daughter is
raising three future ski champions in
Vermont, and my son, who has devoted his life to emergency medicine,
is raising his three sons. I love living
in New York, but will be wintering
on Longboat Key, FL. After four joint
replacements, the cold is not for me!”
KAY BECKER FINNEY had a marvelous
time in Georgetown, ME, in August,
seeing most of her children and
grandchildren and lots of friends. Fall
brought more of the same, mixed with
election activity and gorgeous walks
through the suddenly full-colored
woods.
PAT REDIKER GOLDSTEIN is recovering
from elaborate back surgery. (Healing
wishes from us all, Pat!)
Splitting time between Florida’s
west coast and Rhode Island, LEE
CAIRNS HAVENS reports on singing in
a local chorus and at the Berkshire
Music Festival, as well as enjoying
children, grandchildren, friends, golf,
exercise, bridge, and books.
NANCY CORDINER JUDGE enjoys Vermont summers and visits from her
four children and their spouses; each
family has three offspring, with six in
college. (“Zounds!” she exclaims.) In
good health, she and Dick daily count
their blessings.
Also enjoying Vermont, as well as
Franklin, MA, is BETTY DAVIS KUSHNER, who is busy with her business of
designing semiprecious necklaces and
belts and selling gift items made in
the United States. She takes kundalini
yoga, spiritual dance, tai chi, and piano. She has three children, six grandchildren, and two dogs.
PATSY PETERSON MCCURDY is still
working with her co-author, Robert Peck, on a 200-year history of
the Academy of Natural Sciences
in Philadelphia for the institution’s
anniversary in 2012. “We have a terrific photographer, Rosamond Purcell, who illustrated several books for
Stephen Jay Gould and has taken fascinating pictures of numerous specimens from the academy’s collections.”
Patsy sends best wishes to all.
SANDY WEILLE MACCOBY describes
the “terrific lot of fun” she has with
five grandchildren. She says old age’s
health challenges are like musical
chairs in that you never know what’s
coming next. “We are big Obama fans
and believe he has saved the country.
The history books will end up treating
him better than the American public
today. Frankly, I can’t think of any
president in the last 50 years who has
done as much in a mere 18 months.”
BROOKE PAGE PACY hauled boats out
of the water in preparation for a quiet
coastal Maine winter. Since “Smith
taught me perseverance,” she says, she
continues to write and “send it out.”
ANN DONEY ROEN was sorry to miss
Reunion. She and George are settled
on California’s central coast, halfway
between their two daughters. Their
son and his family live in Illinois.
They spent six weeks riverboating and
driving in Europe this past summer:
Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland,
then to Provence, France, and back
to Switzerland.
ADRIAN AUSTIN SHELBY’s greatest joy is
her first granddaughter’s selection of
Smith out of more than seven excellent acceptances. “EMILY ANDERSON ’14
is now residing at Chapin House, is a
member of the orchestra, is working
with a STRIDE program, and is the
fire chair of her house! She writes me
to say that she is happy and having
fun, but working hard, and knows that
she made the right decision.”
LINDA EKSTROM STANLEY is “staying in
Cambridge [MA]. . . . Just returned
from five weeks in Europe, including three weeks in Sweden, where my
partner, Keith Brion, was conduct-
ing and recording the Royal Swedish
Navy Band for Naxos. Sweden included visits with my Swedish relatives
on both sides, picking mushrooms,
catching crayfish, and taking saunas
with a wood fire and a cold dip in a
mill stream.”
JUDYTH EVANS THOMAS has moved
to Maine and has a granddaughter at
Smith, FRANCES LAZARE ’14, in Franklin
King. She comes from Houston, and
Judyth helped her settle in last fall,
enjoying the campus and experiencing the 59-year spread between their
first years.
From California, CLAIRE MUNSON
TOASPERN reports meeting her husband of four years in community theater. She was the assistant producer
for Pinocchio, the Musicall and played
the part of the cat, who sings and does
soft-shoe with the fox. She sends
greetings to all of our classmates.
Sec., Alice Wayland Cruikshank,
400 Seabury Drive, Apt. 5176,
Bloomfield, CT 06002,
alicecruikshank55@gmail.com
1956
JOAN KRAMER HOLT and her husband
took a cross-country road trip, stopping along the way to visit former
roommates AMY REMONDELLI GARDNER and KAREN HAAGENSEN SAVAGE. In
the fall, Joan and her husband also
enjoyed a trip to Costa Rica and to
see the Panama Canal.
AMY REMONDELLI GARDNER writes
that she and Charlie are still in their
“too-large house” and still thinking
they can manage it. Amy’s daughter
ELIZABETH GARDNER ’77’s son is a junior at Vassar, and her daughter SARAH
GARDNER ’82’s daughter is a first-year
at Wesleyan University. Her younger
granddaughter is in high school.
Amy and Charlie headed to France
and England in September because,
as Amy says, even in retirement one
needs “R and R.”
SANDRA VAN FOSSEN shares the news
of LOIS HASKELL STRATTON’s recent success on the runway. Lois responded
to an invitation to participate in a
green-designers event at the Little
Church Theater in Holderness, NH,
last summer. She designed an amazing outfit made out of birch bark,
acorns, pinecones, and cattail stems.
While the music played, she marched
down the aisle like a fashion model,
laughing all the way.
Last fall, MARTHA LITVANY WILLIAMS
hosted a dinner at her home in Virginia while BARBIE SCHULZ LARSON and her
husband were visiting from faraway
Pasadena, CA. As you may recall, Barbie was the editor and Martha was
one of many contributors to our great
50th Reunion book. BEV PAWSON and
BARBARA HOFFMIER KYLE also attended,
so, needless to say, there was lots of
Smith chatter going on!
Last summer, NANCY BOOTH KELLY
took a great trip to London, the south
of France, and Geneva. She saw JEAN
alumnae update
MCGOURTY BARRELET and her husband,
Charles, in Switzerland, where they
revisited old hangouts and took day
trips to the lovely mountainous countryside. Earlier in the summer she visited GAIL TOMEC KERR and her husband,
David, in Bay Head, NJ. Last October,
Nancy received the Montclair (NJ)
Kimberley Academy Distinguished
Alumni Award for 2010. She plans to
be with us for Reunion!
JEANNE BENNER CARALEY and daughter ANNE CARALEY ’86 spent much
of the summer traveling in Europe:
Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Russia, Sweden, and Finland. They had
a wonderful time seeing the sights
together, especially the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Anne continues to teach at SUNY and
at the Summit School in Nyack, NY.
Jeanne is looking forward to hearing
from Lawrence House friends about
attending Reunion.
MABEL (HAPPY) GORTON DI FRANZA’s
two daughters gave Happy and Steve
a 50th-anniversary weekend in Washington, DC, where they had spent
part of their honeymoon. In May,
they continued the celebration with
a walking tour of Provence, France,
that included four days of Le Mistral,
the savage wind that is funneled down
the Rhone Valley. They ended the trip
with a restful weekend in Nice. When
they returned home, the Flint Memorial Library in North Reading, MA,
organized a retrospective of Happy
and Steve’s hooked rugs and wall
hangings.
The “Class News” page on our Website has a wonderful picture of BETSY
BRAGG with her mother, FRANCES KIEFER
BRAGG ’29, who is now 102, still doing
yoga, and out walking every day. Betsy
visits her frequently, as well as RUTH
CHALMERS ’44, who also lives at the
Cambridge (MA) Homes independent and assisted-living community.
Betsy continues to stay busy with her
grandchildren and following her passion for eliminating obesity, chronic
disease, and malnutrition through
education.
Last April, ANN GOWEN COMBS and
her brother, two of her sons, and a
niece all traveled into the mountains
of Luzon in the Philippines to the village where Ann was born. The occasion was a celebration of the 100th
anniversary of her father’s church, St.
Benedict’s. Ann said it was an amazing event, with parades, dances, festivals, and a raft of bishops and priests
in attendance.
Last September, ALICE LEVITT SAIDEL
celebrated her 75th birthday in New
York City with her daughter, Beth, and
grandson, Oliver. Beth is the assistant to the president of Barnard. The
highlight of the day was brunch at the
Algonquin Hotel, where JANET FRIEDMAN MARKS magically appeared! They
loved reminiscing over their halcyon
days at Hopkins B. Later, her husband,
Burt, whisked Alice away up the Hud-
son to a romantic bed-and-breakfast
to cap off the celebration.
MAUDE DAVIS attended the funeral of
her best friend, SHEILA TREMAINE TALCOTT, at the Brick Church in New York
City. ELLEN MAYER DIAMOND and other
’56ers were there. Maudie said it was a
memorable service, with Sheila’s close
friend Judy Collins singing “Danny
Boy” and “Amazing Grace” a capella,
as Sheila had requested.
VALERIE ROSS KNOWLES and her husband, David, enjoyed a universitysponsored tour of Spain that took
them to the heart of Basque country.
Soon after they returned, Valerie’s
short biography of Sir William Van
Horne was published by Dundurn
Press in Toronto. Valerie is getting
another book to press, a collection of
leading Ottawa personalities from the
past. She has received numerous book
awards for nonfiction, and she says
writing assignments and volunteer
work keep her busy!
DEBBY GRAVES NOLIN writes that her
life has had a major change since
Hugh was diagnosed with vascular
dementia and has almost no memory
or cognition. He is still at home, and
Debby has help a few days a week. She
says she still manages to play tennis
once a week and keep up with her Embroiderers’ Guild chapter and church.
Unfortunately, she will be unable to
attend Reunion.
Sec., Jean Bradley Mooney, 250
Hammond Pond Parkway, Unit 405
South, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467,
mooney@bc.edu
1957
A message arrived from MARGARETTA
KUHLTHAU MITCHELL: “Joy abounds! The
Mitchell family is delighted to announce that Julia [Margaretta’s third
daughter] had a baby boy! Frederick
was born on Sept. 11, ’10. The happy
parents, Julia and Chris, are doing
well.” This is the first grandchild in
the family. Joy indeed, Gretta!
ELIDA (DEBBY) DEBEVOISE WILSON
wrote to share remembrances of ELIZABETH RADLEY ANDERSON, who died on
July 30, ’10. “Liz was at Smith for two
years, and we became lifelong friends.
She was a warm and lively companion who had legions of fans—from
Greenwich Country Day School, the
Ethel Walker School, Smith, and from
all over the world. I remember her
best at her family’s wonderful house
on Martha’s Vineyard [MA], sitting
on the porch overlooking the harbor,
enjoying the salt breeze. When we
traveled together in Europe during
the summer of 1955, the first thing
she would do after entering our room
was unpack photos of her family. She
never missed a friend’s birthday or
anniversary. When, because of her illness, her calls to me ceased, I keenly
felt their absence. The last time I saw
her was the day after her daughter’s
Edgartown wedding, ensconced in a
living-room armchair, surrounded by
family and friends.”
BETTY GREEN SIMS continues to collect honors and, of course, has much
work to be done! Recently, she was
elected to the coordinating board of
the Missouri Department of Higher
Education. Betty will be keeping her
eye on all of Missouri’s public universities, colleges, and junior colleges.
ROSEMARY POLLACK MILD and Larry
send a second notice of their new
book, Cry Ohana: Adventure and
Suspense in Hawaii, with a note that
MYRNA KAWAMOTO SEN is acknowledged in the book for her helpful expertise concerning Hawaii. Rosemary
and Myrna are buddies during those
months when the Milds winter in Hawaii with their daughter, son-in-law,
and two granddaughters.
KATHRYN PALLISTER SPIER sends information about a short vacation that
sounds like the perfect answer to the
busy lives some of us might be leading. Last September, she and her husband, Peter, took a Maine coast and
harbor cruise during some beautiful
fall days. She says American Cruise
Lines has small, convenient ships, and
the trip was totally relaxing!
BETTY VINSON HELANDER shares news
of Tyler House class of ’57’s yearly
mini-reunion, this last time hosted
by HARRIETT HULS in Los Gatos, CA.
Many members of the group were able
to attend, and DIANA SCHARFSPITZ DE
FILIPPI followed up with a detailed
memoir, her journal, so that, as she
commented, “the pleasure lives on.”
Next year the group hopes to be all 11
strong in Okemos, MI, with GRETCHEN MEYER FOSTER. Class of ’57 Tyler
housemates include Betty, Harriett,
Diana, Gretchen, EDA MICHEL PALLIER,
BETTY HAMADY SAMS, LIZ HUMMEL KINNEY, MARGARET SALATA RECODER, GILLIAN LEWIS TYLER, BARBARA TEWS BUDD,
and SHAUNEEN SULLIVAN KROLL. I hope
everyone in class has enjoyed the start
of 2011, and I look forward to hearing from you for our next deadline
of May 15th.
Sec., Polly Park Coxe, 4 North
Kingshighway, St. Louis, MO
63108, coxep@ameripost.com
1958
LOUISE SHERRIFF ALDEN reports that
she and husband Tom took a wonderfully educational “voyage to antiquity” last year. In two weeks they
visited many of the Greek islands,
plus Troy and Istanbul. “It was truly a
graduate course in the ancient world,”
she says, “with daily lectures aboard a
small ship.” They are both well. Louise
continues to enjoy working two days
a week and getting back East to visit
family in Kingston, NY, and Bethesda,
MD.
If you are traveling in New York’s
Hudson River Valley, GRACE EVANS
BOWNE welcomes visitors. She is
busy trying to revive her real estate
business and settling her late husband’s estate. She enjoys visiting her
son and family, who live close-by in
Connecticut.
It was a major effort for ELLIE BRIGGS
to find homes for her belongings and
many books after she sold the home
they built 35 years ago to the daughter of dear friends who helped build
the house. Now Ellie and her cat are
happily settled in a small condo on
the beautiful Richmond Marina,
where she can take daily walks in
the adjacent wildlife areas along San
Francisco Bay. She continues to facilitate a group of HIV-positive men
and women who have been meeting
for more than 15 years, and she is still
a board member and librarian with
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Last fall,
while on family business in Concord,
MA, Ellie had a wonderful visit with
CAROL MCCONVILLE DWYER. “Carol is
such a gem. Life is good! Love to all.”
PRISCILLA CUNNINGHAM has become
involved with the granddaughter of
former Smith professors Clarence and
Ruth Kennedy. Two curators are researching books about both of them;
anyone who studied with them and
has memories to share should contact
Priscilla. The catalog of the Stewart
Collection at the Montreal Museum
of Fine Arts is out, with the wallpaper design by Peter Todd Mitchell.
Priscilla also reported the sad news
that Smith Professor Emeritus Elliot
Offner died on Oct. 15, ’10. See his
obituary in this issue.
“Everything seems to be running
smoothly at the moment,” says SUSAN SPOEHRER ELLIOTT. Her daughter, Elizabeth, is now running the
company. Susan has a new hip and
is totally mobile after six weeks. She
is busy writing a book about 50 years
in technology; she went to work at
IBM after graduation. They spend the
winter in Florida, and invite visitors
to Hobe Sound.
It has been a year of adjustment
for GINGIE STEIN GREENE, but she says
she is doing well. Over the summer
she spent time with her sister and
brother-in-law at Squam Lake in
New Hampshire, and then took the
entire family to a camp in the Adirondacks on Seventh Lake. She is taking
a course in Spanish and volunteering
for Furniture Sharehouse, a wonderful organization that collects gently
used furniture and redistributes it
to clients of member social-service
agencies. She still plays lots of tennis in the summer and switches to a
paddle when it gets cold—a great way
to see friends and exercise every day.
ELIZABETH (BEE) SHRIVER KANT reports that she heard FARAH PANDITH
’90 speak at a breakfast gathering at
the Hilton Istanbul during the Smith
in Europe reunion. “We’ll keep our
eyes on her!” She attended the event
with her sister VIRGINIA SHRIVER ’55.
Prompted by the rancor that seems
endemic in our society, EDNA BROWN
HIBBITTS was involved in planning
an open forum on “Civility, Community, and Compassion,” endorsed
by the Midland (TX) Association of
Churches. The keynote speaker was
Carol Donovan, executive director of
Peacemakers in Dallas. Their goal is to
encourage other thoughtful conversations in the future. Otherwise, Edna is
busy trying to keep up with digitalized
grandchildren!
CAROL STEVENS KNER has embarked
on a new career! After taking early
retirement from her job as editor
of Printt magazine in 1997, she began to pursue her interest in writing
poetry. She is pleased to announce
that her chapbook Exposure is being
published by Toadlily Press, one of
four chapbooks collected in a single
volume titled Sightline. Her husband,
Andrew, still teaches courses at Parsons and at the Fashion Institute of
Technology. Daughter Annie is a social worker with the committee on
special education at the New York
City Department of Education. Their
son teaches engineering and physics
at the University of Georgia; he and
his wife have an adorable 4-year-old
daughter, the apple of everyone’s eye.
ANN FLASTER LOEB and her husband,
Jim, spend winters in Palm Desert,
CA, where she is a docent at the Palm
Springs Art Museum. “It is great fun,
and at our age it is wonderful to just
keep learning.” Jim is able to keep
practicing law via computer and email. Sister MARCIA FLASTER VOLPERT
and Dick have a home close-by. They
are well. “I can hardly believe we are
celebrating our 75th birthdays.”
“Hair now white, kids in their 50s.
Eeek!” says JEANNE HARPER MCALPIN.
She is a widow for the second time.
When someone asked her, “What do
you do to them?” her answer was,
“Just love them. My luck hasn’t been
wonderful.” Her life is happily busy
with three grandkids, two in college,
one going next year. Nothing dramatic to report, “which may be the
good news.”
ANNE RITTERSHOFER-NEUMANN continues as a volunteer and lay reader
at St. Margaret Hall. She sends best
wishes and love to all.
DOROTHY SILVERHERZ ROSENBERG received an award from the Connecticut
Dance Alliance for her work in dance
as a performer, teacher, and administrator. She volunteers at Foodshare
and the Northeast Children’s Literature Collection. Dorothy’s niece,
Elizabeth Brundage, published her
third novel, A Stranger Like You.
In October, NANCY WILCOX SMITH visited JO ANN GOLDENBERG STOLLEY at her
home in Columbia, MD. They caught
up on family and classmate news.
Sec., Nancy McCaskie Lavelle,
12526 Cedar Road, #6,
Cleveland Heights, OH 44106,
lavnn@sbcglobal.net
1959
In late October, class officers gath-
At Mystic Seaport in Connecticut viewing the model pool
dedicated to the late Katherine Eckfeldt Cowles ’59 are her
classmates Katherine Parker O’Beirne, Sheila Bodine, Mimi
Kenower Dyer, Joanna Graf Frank, Mary Chrisman Anderson, and
Alice Watson Houston.
ered for two days of meetings and
tours at the college. A letter by KATHERINE GABEL, class co-president, will
detail the experience. JOAN BUHSE
BOSE , ALICE WATSON HOUSTON , MIMI
KENOWER DYER , GRETTA VAN EVERA
FORRESTER, MYRA GOLD WRUBEL, LOUISE
GRAHAM, MARJORIE LAMBERTI, and BETSY
SIEMON MURPHY stayed with me at the
newly established class of ’59 “Inn
at Amherst.” Katherine visited with
family nearby, and unfortunately, JANE
QUAYLE OUTCALT was unable to come.
MIRIAM BERKE PERSOFF reports the
loss of her husband, Jon, a restaurant owner who was widely known in
their Los Angeles community. Miriam
treasures memories of their 28-year
marriage.
Demonstrating that living long
is the best revenge, last September
MARY CLAY BERRY rowed at FISA (international rowing federation) in St.
Catharines, Ontario. The average age
of all rowers was 75; in Mary’s boat,
the eight rowers were from Japan,
Canada, Australia, and the United
States, and they took home the gold!
Despite choppy water and gusty
winds, they had a great time and a
wonderful bonding experience.
Early last summer, a fitting tribute
to the late KATHERINE (KINKY) ECKFELDT
COWLES was the dedication at the Mystic Seaport museum of a model pool
where visitors can maneuver electric
tugboats. Kinky was a driving force in
the development operation at the museum for more than 20 years. In August, six classmates met at the site for
a commemorative picnic: KATHERINE
PARKER O’BEIRNE, SHEILA BODINE, MIMI
KENOWER DYER, JOANNA GRAF FRANK,
MARY CHRISMAN ANDERSON, and ALICE
WATSON HOUSTON.
BAMBOO KOPLIK SOLZMAN returned
to campus for the class of ’60’s 50th
and enjoyed seeing several old friends
from Washburn House, reporting,
“We all looked pretty darn good for
a 51-year time lapse.”
Working hard before the November
elections, CAROLYN FOSTER MCNAUGHT
urged others to support Governor De-
val Patrick in Massachusetts. She sent
a compelling public document citing
Patrick’s and running mate Murray’s
accomplishments, and wrote of her
personal admiration of Patrick’s ideals
and actions and progress to date. “Is
he perfect?” Lyn asked, and answered
her own question: “No, no one is!”
LOUISE GRAHAM and two friends
founded the Wolfeboro (NH) Democratic Committee in 1976, gradually growing the group in a solidly
Republican county. She ran for state
representative in 2006 but lost. Last
November, running again, Louise lost,
but garnered 400 more votes than before. Overall, Democrats fared badly
in New Hampshire—challengers
and incumbents alike. Undeterred,
she says, “We Democrats plan to be
much more alert than usual for the
next two years, and will find a way to
keep facts in front of the local communities.” (Interesting, too, would be
to learn of efforts of Republicans on
behalf of their candidates and issues;
do send comments on your own political experiences.)
In 2009, MIMI KENOWER DYER and Dan
took their 37-foot sloop, Rabbitt (veteran of their six-year circumnavigation in the 1970s), on a two-month
trip from Rhode Island up the Hudson
River, through the Erie and Oswego
canals to Lake Ontario, the Thousand Islands, and the St. Lawrence
River to Lake Champlain, back to the
Hudson and home. Once again, Mimi
participated in a local fundraiser for
Habitat for Humanity, featuring the
annual “sloppy joe/make your own
sundae” menu. She recommends we
read Dearest Friend, LYNNE WITHEY
’70’s biography of Abigail Adams, and
Left to Tell, by Immaculée Ilibagiza,
a survivor of the horrific Rwandan
genocide.
MARJORIE LAMBERTI has made a most
interesting contribution to the Smith
archives. Her mother had kept all of
Marjorie’s letters to her parents, and
Marjorie’s recent donation of them
will be of great interest to those from
our era. She remarks, “Women at
Smith in the 1950s could hear multiple messages about aspirations and
the kind of future that they could
have.” If you have items of interest
about the college, consider a donation
yourself. Remember, we are welcome
to visit the archives, where treasures
abound.
JOAN LIFTON COHN and Dick enjoy
retired life close enough to Manhattan to take advantage of opera and
theater, and they feel fortunate that
their children live nearby. Their
granddaughter is ELIZABETH RICH ’13;
her mother is NANCY COHN RICH ’84.
AMANDA NYCE MCINTYRE found it an
absolute delight to host ANN WILLIS
BROCKELMAN’s daughter and her family this summer. Gray skies could not
dampen their enthusiasm for Pacific
pleasures that included a trip to the
Channel Islands, complete with leaping dolphins. “Our Smith friendship made this possible.” A profile
of Amanda in a Santa Barbara (CA)
Museum of Art publication details her
30-year connection to the museum,
stating, “She personifies the institutional ideal of a dedicated, involved
trustee and volunteer.” She has taken
many of the museum’s domestic and
international trips, and has been an
active docent for more than 15 years.
Amanda and her husband, Jim, are
art collectors and have made significant contributions to the institution’s
permanent collection. She counts the
museum as one of the most important
parts of her life.
It is with great sadness that I report
the death of BECKY RAISBECK SMYTHE
on Oct. 22, ’10. Though she was with
us only for our first and sophomore
years, a more loyal alumna would be
difficult to name. Devoted to her family and a consummate community volunteer, Becky also found time to support Smith in so many ways. Our deep
sympathies go to Jeff; their children,
Christopher, Alison, and Dana; three
beloved grandchildren; her brother,
Peter; and sister, LIZ RAISBECK ’63.
Please write with news, especially
those of you who prefer not to use
e-mail. Take a moment to drop me a
few lines via the good old USPS. And,
of course, e-mail always works.
Sec., Alice Hovenden Fink, 30
Orchard Street, Amherst, MA
01002, ahfink@amherst.edu
1960
I truly appreciate all of your responses with news and comments
about education for this spring column. There are some interesting and
worthy ideas here. Recurring themes
in our notes are travel, 50th wedding
anniversaries, grandkids, downsizing,
and simplifying.
WHITNEY PETERS KEEN writes to tell
us that she is involved with her local garden club, archaeology, and the
New York Society.
MARNA HAYDEN is working on maintaining a healthy balance in her life,
alumnae update
hence a recent trip to Patagonia, some
volunteer work, and a Spanish class.
Her thoughts on education? Adding
more hours to the school year, setting
higher standards for both teachers
and students, catering to students’
strengths instead of weaknesses, and
rewarding inspiring teachers.
JANE YOLEN has been enjoying the
company of the boy who kissed her
in the sixth grade.
JUDY OLMSTED O’MALLEY perseveres
with her real estate career in spite of
the soft market, but enjoys sharing
a Kindermusik class with grandkids.
PEGGY ERLANDSON BRIGHTMAN remembers choosing Smith for its music and dance, and studying history
with real timelines, not computers.
JOAN CANNON BORTON loved her poetry workshop in New Hampshire
taught by gifted teacher MARY DOMINICK CHIVERS, ending with gentle yoga.
NANCY GRANT SLOAN recently moved
from a beach home to a condo. She
gives credit to her French Canadian
Civilization teacher, who imbued her
subject (and life) with passion.
PAM GUNDERSEN MILLER bemoans the
tenor of the fall political campaigns in
Kentucky and the $5.8 million spent
on them.
“Life is one big learning curve,” says
BETSY BEIDLER CUSSLER, whose significant learning moment came while
sharing a friend’s journey when her
daughter came out as a lesbian.
LYNN BURROWS DONALDSON balances
her life between tutoring Chicago students, playing her viola, doing Pilates,
and enjoying grandkids.
Writing a poetry book has kept
CAROLINE HIBBARD BUCKLER busy,
while SARA DUNPHY GABRIEL is learning
French and also works at a librairie
francaise in San Francisco.
Congrats to DEBORAH MOORE GEITHNER and Peter for celebrating 50 years
of marriage on Cape Cod, MA, with
all children and grandkids!
CAROLINE SAWYER PETERSON and Len
recently downsized to a townhouse
in Westport, CT, while KEVYN UNGEMAH GARDELLA splits time between
Norwalk, CT, and Delray Beach, FL.
Seven kids and 12 grandkids keep
her running, and she still plays her
piano daily.
Are there any Raging Grannies in
our class? Yes: ANDREA WRIGHT! She
sings in a western Massachusetts
group about topics like the end of
war, corporate greed, environmental
destruction, and more.
JOAN CARPENTER GRASTY recently
traveled around the Mediterranean,
is active on a local YMCA board, and
enjoys golf.
Our warmest wishes of hope and
courage go to ANNE LYNCH WINGATE,
who has just spent a year battling
breast cancer.
ELLEN SATTERTHWAITE SEIBERT joined
forces with LINDA FISHER SMITH, VIRGINIA (ROBBIN) GRIFFITH LEVY, and ANN
CLEARY KEARNS at a recent Amherst
College reunion of their husbands.
History repeats itself as KAREN
BARNER ANDERSON’s daughter continues the family equestrian legacy. She
is ranked No. 3 in the United States
in dressage and is hoping for a spot
on the US Olympic team.
JANET SMITH MERRILL has moved from
Bismarck, ND, to Edina, MN.
JUDITH FORD LOUTIT’s home in Bermuda was damaged during Hurricane
Igor—oh dear!
PAMELA DAY PELLETREAU reports that
she and her husband, Bob, moved to
Woods Hole, MA.
Imagine this: four generations of
women in one family all in one room!
CAROL TOONE WOODRUFF became a
great-grandma, and loved witnessing
her daughter in the role of grandma.
KIT MCCALLY OBER reports that she,
ANNE HARRISON-CLARK, LUCILLE (HONEY)
RUNDIN EVANS, and their husbands live
in Ford’s Colony in Williamsburg, VA.
They work and play together and enjoy the awesome classes offered for
seniors at the College of William &
Mary.
ORIEL EATON took her 13-year-old
granddaughter on a kayaking trip in
Costa Rica.
Life in Mendocino, CA, suits FRANCES LEIPZIGER SCHWARTZ, who sings
in the community chorus, tutors in
reading, and still finds time to skip
off to Patagonia.
MINETTE SWITZER COOPER is doing
her part to influence education. She
received a Summa Cum Laude Award
from the Norfolk (VA) public schools
for sponsoring their Total Quality
Music program. Nice going, Minette!
LYN GILLESPIE BRAKEMAN moved to
Cambridge, MA, and is writing a
memoir. Her special educational moment at Smith was in a class called
“Social Disorganization.” Professor
Neil DeNood stepped to the podium
and announced, “You have no right
to be here.” He then said, “There are
no rights without duties.” Ask Lyn for
more details!
SUSIE RICKER ARNOLD and GINNY DIECKMAN LEZHNEV attended Jon Stewart’s
rally in Washington, DC, last October,
describing it as a true 21st-century
Woodstock experience.
Grandkids continue to enrich the
life off EMMY LOU LEHMAN SMITH and
Bob. She remains active in their exciting New York life, with courses,
nonprofit boards, family, and friends.
JUDY BEEBE GUMMERE and Spike celebrated their 50th anniversary by taking their family of 10 on an Alaskan
cruise. They saw whales and eagles—
but not Russia!
Raising registered Hereford and
Black Angus cattle in Colorado has
been MARY CROCKER STRANG’s lifetime
career along with her husband, Bart,
who, sadly, recently passed away.
Their four grown children are all living nearby and help with the ranch.
A recent Northrop House mini-reunion was a huge success, according
to KATHLEEN (KAY) DUNN LYMAN. The
best part was a lengthy breakfast
when they compared notes about life
in their 70s. Besides Kay, those enjoying the event were LIZ BLUMENTHAL,
LEE BALDWIN DALZELL, ANNETTE BUSH
DOOLITTLE, LYNNE WILLETT KNOX, MARGIE PACSU, SARAH DOLAN PRICE, HELENE
GOLDMAN SINGER, BOBBI DANE HARRIS,
and JOAN STOUFFER STOGIS.
Sec., Katrina (Tinker) Jenney
Saltonstall, 159 Front Street, PO
Box 1030, Marion, MA 02738,
tinkersalty@comcast.net
1961
Exciting to hear that so many of you
are coming to our 50th Reunion from
May 19–22!
SHELLY GOLDMAN HALF has lived in
Israel for 40 years, during half of
which her children have lived in the
United States, so she visits often. She
had a splendid 70th birthday with her
significant other, three children and
their spouses, and all nine grandchildren in a huge farmhouse in the south
of France.
BETH JACOBSEN SALZMAN was having
a chemo infusion at the Dana-Farber
oncology unit near Boston when she
recognized HELEN HARDCASTLE GATES
sitting to her right. Beth hadn’t seen
Helen in 50 years, but recognized her,
helped by information in these notes
last time. They have both had lungcancer surgery and chemo, and Beth
has had radiation. They shared stories
and made plans for our 50th Reunion.
KATE CARPENTER HENRY and husband
John had a “fabulous” 26-day trip to
Thailand, Cambodia, and China,
accompanied by GAIL BENGER REIFSNYDER ’62 and husband. They have
10 grands, with only two girls. Kate
has been elected chair of the board
of Planned Parenthood of Collier
County in Florida. She looks forward
to her two years as chair, but is “cognizant of the challenges we face from the
difficult economy to the continuing
escalating intimidations from those
who oppose us.”
JUDY HOFMANN RICHTER writes that
her life is as good as it can be without
Max, who died of Alzheimer’s complications in 2007. She has stepped up
her horse business. “My vocation has
always been my avocation.” She raised
money a few years ago for a first-class
riding ring at Smith.
MARGARET BETTS loves her life in rural Maine. She has started photography and had two photos accepted
for an art show. She is also taking
watercolor classes. It might be interesting, she notes, to speculate about
a burst of creativity later in life. “We
have the time, and perhaps the leisure
now, to explore what must have been
latent all these years. Often when I do
a painting, I wonder where it came
from—not from me, but from somewhere behind or beyond, and then
through me.”
ELIZABETH ROBERTSON MOSSBARGER
belongs to a group that makes needlepoint kneelers for an Episcopal
church. Last year, they completed a
four-year project: a rug for the high
altar. One grandchild, a first-year at
Columbia, is majoring in math and
physics and is on the crew team.
PEGGY SEAY ALLISON has taken on the
role of chair of the Perot Museum of
Nature & Science, which is in the
midst of a giant building project.
“After all those years married to an
architect, I am finally on the right side
of the desk,” Peggy says. She has been
involved with the building committee
since the beginning. The museum is
expected to open in early 2013.
MARTHA PLINER GRACE is enrolled in
a master’s program in animals and
public policy at the Cummings School
of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts. It is
a one-year intensive program and a
huge change (technology and the age
of the students) to go back to school
after so many years out, Martha says.
She couldn’t write more because she
had to study!
MARGARET (MOLLY) SEYBOLT HEDGES
and Brud celebrated 50 years together
with a wonderful week of skiing in
Park City, UT, with the whole family,
and again in August in the Adirondacks. “It’s not possible that we’re
now the seniors and that we’re still
thinking so young. Growing old is
inevitable—growing up is optional.”
LYNNE BATZER KLOPF and John sold
their home of 24 years and moved
close-by to a life-care community
with a beautiful view and lovely gardens. Daughter Peggy was married
in Dec. ’09, and she and her husband
have four children between them.
BERNADETTE CAREY SMITH had her
sister’s family from Minnesota visit
in New York. The group of 13 constituted a “small, but very attractive,
herd of zebras at several museums,
theaters, and restaurants.” They then
visited Chicago to see the other side
of the family.
PATRICIA LEE EOYANG and her husband
spend their time divided between Indiana and Hong Kong, with summers
in Europe enjoying retirement. Patricia’s husband still teaches one master’s class in Hong Kong and writes
and works with doctoral students
in Hong Kong and Indiana. Patricia handles the logistics and family
communications, plays tennis, and
works out.
RUTH PUTNAM HUSS says they travel to
“unusual, more difficult places while
we still can.” They’ve been to India and
the Silk Road; she had wanted to go
to Tibet since Lowell Thomas wrote
about it in the 1950s, as well as to see
the “Stans” (Kazakhstan, etc.). Ruth
also sits on boards and gets involved
in local needs and services.
DOROTHY (POO) ALLEN PENROSE celebrated “50 years with the same guy” in
addition to her 70th birthday. Travel,
community, and grandchildren keep
them busy.
TONI STACKPOLE RUSSIN continues to
live in Moscow half of the year. Attending 21st-century-music concerts
is her most recent passion. Her son,
Ben, 40, married and became a “trailing spouse” in Bangkok. He and her
other sons, including one who lives
in Armenia with his family, all visited
Maine for a long family reunion.
ALICE SCHAFFER SMITH was visited
by SUSAN SCHAFFER PATRICELLI in Palo
Alto, CA—a rare time alone together.
NANCY EATON SMART thoroughly enjoyed a group tour to Turkey.
JUDITH ROBERTS NEALE met Hawaii
Public Radio’s fundraising goal. NPR’s
StoryCorps recording in Hawaii is
keeping her busy: “Exciting work.”
Sec., Betsy Carter, 2475 Virginia
Avenue NW #922, Washington, DC
20037, vanbets@starpower.net 1962
NAN WEST HUSBANDS has not communicated because she says her life is unremarkable, and she wonders if there
are others in our class like her! She
says she has not published, exhibited,
performed, traveled widely, climbed
a corporate ladder, conquered illness, saved some part of the world,
or acquired grandchildren. Retired
after 26 years in school libraries, she
has lived in Lexington, MA, since
1970. She travels with Charlie crosscountry by car, with a small tent and
hiking boots; destinations include
their sons’ homes in Santa Fe, NM,
and Oakland, CA.
In addition to local New Jersey
environmental issues, ROSALIE LAING
BALLANTINE is involved in the African
People & Wildlife Fund, her daughter Laly’s nonprofit headquartered
in Tanzania. Last summer they held
their first environmental camps for
Maasai children ages 9 to 13.
NANCY PEARL MELSER’s second grandchild, Elias, was born last June and is
crazy about his older sister, Zelda. A
blissed-out grandma, she is devoting
much of her sabbatical year to bigtime babysitting in Brooklyn, NY, improving her tennis game, mastering
Photoshop, and planning a monthlong trip to India with John Brancato,
her partner for the past five years.
Two years ago LINDA WARD BEECH
remarried. She and her husband,
Tom Schueller, also celebrated her
daughter’s wedding in 2009, and in
2010 they were gifted with a beautiful grandson. Linda still works, but at
a less hectic pace. She earned a certificate in botanical illustration at the
New York Botanical Garden.
JUDY LINGLE RYAN is working as a
docent at the Neuberger Museum of
Art, particularly enjoying tours with
children. Their five grandchildren are
ages 7 to 13, old enough to be great
company, but not yet into adolescent
retreat. Bill is now semiretired, but
Judy hasn’t noticed that he’s going to
the Earth Observatory lab at Columbia any less.
tional organization that empowers
next-generation leaders to shape US
foreign policy. Aiming to better understand global security, they conduct
foreign-policy briefings at home and
field research overseas.
Sec., Susan Teommey Rydell, 4422
Gaywood Drive, Minnetonka, MN
55345, susan.rydell@metrostate.
edu 1963
From left to right, Priscilla Holmes Dickey ’62, Nancy Holmes
Goodale ’59, Martha Abbott Lawrenz ’62, and Marjorie Mollison
Holmes ’71 enjoy one another’s company at the wedding of
Priscilla’s daughter, Sarah, in Charleston, SC.
LENIE SMITH retired in August from a
career she never expected to have as a
tax auditor and CPA. She is trying to
sort through health-care options and
deferred-comp choices, and figuring
out online bill paying. She has taken
classes in Thai cooking and stainedglass making, and a few academic
classes offered by the University of
Minnesota, and plans to be a volunteer with the IRS Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance program.
CONNIE TITZEL RUSCONI and Natale
celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in Rome, renewing their
vows in the church where they were
first married. It was even better this
time, with children and grandchildren
all present. They continue to live in
Venice, although they travel within
Italy and to London quite a bit.
MARY (MIMI) DAY GARRISON and Bill
have moved to Ramallah, Palestine.
She sends a plea to classmates, or any
other alumnae, to contact her if they
are planning a trip to Jerusalem or
Palestine, or if they live there.
SUSAN KOMROFF COHEN has been
inducted into the American Society
of Landscape Architects Council of
Fellows, one of the highest honors
the society confers on a member. A
former Smith trustee, she practices
landscape architecture and teaches
at the New York Botanical Garden.
She and Bruce celebrated their 47th
anniversary last year.
NELDA CANTARELLA FERACE is enjoying retirement far more than she
had dreamed possible after almost
48 years at Harvard’s Villa I Tatti in
Florence, Italy. She is delighted to
have more time for Sandro and her
children, grandchildren, friends, their
two ancient beagles, books, travel,
and to be a tourist in Florence, where
she has lived for so long.
ALIDRA BROWN SOLDAY
Y moved to Portland, OR, two years ago from the Bay
Area of California, where she lived
for six years following a relocation
from Manhattan. In California, she
completed an award-winning documentary begun on the East Coast.
In Portland, she has reopened her
private psychotherapy practice, specializing in integrative body-oriented
psychotherapy. She lives in a charming cottage, has a women’s support
group, and participates in the local
Smith book club.
DIANE NAGEL PALMER still works in
civic education and teacher training.
Scott teaches at Boston University,
and both sometimes travel for work.
They also find time to travel for fun
and to see their seven children and 12
grandchildren (ranging in age from
a few months to 13) in Denver, Baltimore, New York City, Guatemala,
France, and Massachusetts.
Having completed 40 years of teaching and research at the University of
Rome, IRENE PETRITSI FIGÀ-TALAMANCA
retired as senior professor, which allows her to keep active in research
without teaching duties. She looks
forward to starting long-overdue
personal projects, and enjoying her
three grandchildren and Italy more.
MARY MAYES SPRADLEY is winding
down a two-year job as president of
the St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City
(MO) Auxiliary. She has also been
trained and volunteers as a pastoral
caregiver. Their oldest daughter lives
in Austin, TX, with her family, and
their youngest lives in the Kansas City
area. They have four grandsons and
one granddaughter.
After sending more than 100 physicians and medics to Haiti for the
earthquake disaster, ANITRA THORHAUG
began work in the Gulf of Mexico on
the oil spill. Her new book, The Future of the Western Hemisphere, is
now available.
JEANNE VAN SPAULDING and husband
Dave continue to enjoy travel (recently
a Baltic cruise and a trip in Scotland)
and visiting daughter Jennifer’s family in Pleasanton, CA, and daughter
Kristin and her family in Highlands
Ranch, CO. They spend a month every year at a summer home on Lake
Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.
PATRICIA SKINNER HUNTINGTON is
working 24/7 and loving it! She is
the founding president of Network
20/20, a New York-based educa-
It is my unhappy responsibility to
report that our class secretary, MAGGIE SOULE, passed away on Nov. 15,
’10. MARILYN MILLER CROCKER, SUSAN
KINGSBURY , SUSANNA ADAMS , SALLY
HYDE JURGELEIT, VIRGINIA PITKIN BRIDE,
and CHRISTINA CONVERSE JACKSON attended the funeral. Sue observed that
the minister knew Maggie well and
shared several personal anecdotes;
Ginny and Chris agreed and wrote
that Maggie had orchestrated a beautiful service, having told the minister
exactly what she wanted. Maggie’s
enthusiasm for Smith and for the
class of ’63 never wavered; she will
be missed. Please see her obituary in
this issue. Also, many thanks to everyone who sent in news for this column.
Because of space constraints, some
news was held over and will appear in
the next issue. Please continue to keep
the news flowing for ELEANOR RAUCH
CROSBY and ANN MITCHELL PFLAUM ,
who have graciously volunteered to
serve as class co-secretaries through
our upcoming 50th Reunion. Their
contact information is at the end of
the column.
After 34 years of living in Pittsburgh,
NORMA TODD DODGE moved to Massachusetts to be with her 97-year-old
mother-in-law, a super-positive person in good health. “We live in the
middle of old family property, most of
which is occupied by a Christmas-tree
farm and a disc-golf course; the latter
is owned by my son, who lives across
the street with two fantastic daughters. It’s like we have our own private
park. What a blessing! My other two
children, both math teachers, live in
Virginia.”
Hopkins housemates JANE STEIN VIATOR, ANN FREEMAN, and LORINDA KNIGHT
SILVERSTEIN joined SUSAN LAMPMAN
HILL for a mini-reunion at her San
Francisco home. Ann retired from
teaching college English and is using
her leisure to play the piano and spend
more time with her husband, Ole.
Lorinda closed her contemporary-art
gallery in Spokane, WA, and she and
husband Harry have retired to San
Francisco. Jane, living with husband
Bob in Walnut Creek, CA, continues
as senior contributing editor for the
Antiques Roadshow Insider.
r Susan
takes college literature and drawing
classes, travels to see art exhibits, attends cultural events with husband
Bob, and continues to add to her art
collection.
DALE GIBB writes, “My career at the
alumnae update
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had a new
twist since Haiti’s earthquake.” She
has worked on everything from humanitarian efforts to cholera control
to programs in primary health care
and infectious diseases. “My career
in USAID has never been boring, but
this period has been particularly challenging, and it introduced me to another group of actors and issues in international health and development.
Now that we are able to move ahead
more strongly in water and sanitation,
I can even be a bit optimistic that we
can make a difference for this poor,
beleaguered country.”
MARY BUFORD HITZ is working on a
novel whose characters draw upon
people she met on a riding trip in New
Zealand. “The book’s locale is central
Virginia, where they take a riding trip
into the Blue Ridge Mountains in August of 1969 and run into Hurricane
Camille, which dropped 29 inches of
rain in five hours! It is a bit of a potboiler, if I do say so myself.”
ABIGAIL JOHNSON MILLER and her
husband, Jim, are happily retired,
and Abigail continues to do volunteer teaching. “I find my students, all
retirees, are much more enthusiastic
than the college-age kids I dealt with
for so long.” She and Jim fly every few
months to see their two grandsons,
one in Colorado and one in Indianapolis.
SUSAN GILBERT TILESTON and her husband, Nathaniel, returned to Thailand for their sixth season of the My
Story photo project. They give digital
cameras and basic photo instruction
to small groups of refugees from
the Burmese military regime. The
Tilestons tour a yearly exhibition
in Canada, the United States, and
Europe. “The images these students
make are beautiful and funny and
moving,” says Susan. Find out more
online at msppa.org.
“I continue to enjoy my retrofitted
new career as a leadership coach,
working mainly with educators and
school boards,” writes ABIGAIL BAYLES
WIEBENSON. She also continues to help
Dupont Circle Village, an organization she helped found to encourage
people to remain independent and
happily ensconced in their neighborhoods rather than go into retirement
homes.
JUDITH AGOR AYDELOTT says she is a
proud mom and grandmom to five
healthy, happy grandchildren. Her
son-in-law, Pete, underwent a stem
cell transplant for leukemia. “As a
result of the transplant, Pete’s blood
was converted from A positive to B
positive; my daughter took the ‘be
positive’ as a message that you can
overcome life’s challenges by being
positive. She started making jewelry,
all including a B+ disc in gold and
silver. The business is flourishing, and
all proceeds go to the Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute.”
ELIZABETH HARTMANN RAND and husband Richard are enjoying retirement
in Paris. He is writing a book, and
she is volunteering for an English-language crisis line, playing hand bells,
taking photographs, traveling, skiing,
and occasionally walking the dog.
MARGO BRECK EULER has finally become a grandmother and is overwhelmed with joy! Zachary was born
to daughter Karen and son-in-law
Ghassan last April, and Margo and
her husband, Franz, happily babysit
often.
Last summer, TONI TROBE KESTENBAUM spent a week playing violin at
the Vermont Music and Arts Center, where, to her surprise and delight, she ran into SUSANNA ADAMS.
Toni and Herb traveled to Salzburg,
Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest. The
highlight of the trip was discovering
Cesky Krumlov, a charming medieval
town in the Czech Republic. They are
having a wonderful time with their
two grandchildren, ages 4 and 6, who
live nearby.
Six years ago, BARBARA LEY TOFFLER
and husband Chuck Powers moved
to Teaneck, NJ, where she grew up.
She ran for election and won a seat on
a seven-member council, and is two
years into a four-year term. “Quite an
education!” She notes that children,
stepchildren, and in-laws are all doing
well, as well as one fabulous grandson.
NANCY HICKS MARSHALL wrote a novel,
Rosie’s Gold, about a young woman
struggling to recover from trauma.
Nancy says it has unique characters,
conflict, healing, and questions in
back, making it ideal for book groups.
Find it on Nancy’s Website.
Written by Barbara Dodd Massey,
class president
Sec., Eleanor Rauch Crosby, 1612
Willow Drive, Long Lake, MN
55356, elliercrosby@gmail.com
Sec., Ann Mitchell Pflaum, 2725
Deer Hill Road, Long Lake, MN
55356, Pflau001@umn.edu
1964
Once again, I received many interesting and thoughtful news items
from you all. Unfortunately, that
means I had to shorten them, so
please accept my apologies. I encourage everyone to register and check
your contact information online at
http://alumnae.smith.edu. You’ll then
be able to share your e-mail addresses
and Web pages with your classmates.
Congratulations to DIANE WOLKSTEIN
for the Parents’ Choice Gold Award
she received for her CD of Haitian stories and songs. According to the press
release, “For more than 30 years, her
book, The Magic Orange Tree and
Other Haitian Folktales, has been
a classic for those wanting to learn
more about Haiti and its unique customs, stories, and songs.” Her new CD
features some of her favorite stories
and songs from the book.
SELMA BROWN MORROW reports that
after nearly 30 years with Bon Appétit
magazine, she is losing her job because the magazine is moving from
Los Angeles to New York. “I’m heartbroken; I wanted to work forever.”
With her son and Japanese daughter-in-law living in Tokyo, MARIAN
DOBBS is trying to learn Japanese, and
is reading about Japan and watching
Japanese films. “Now I am starting
to read Japanese. One needs to know
800 characters to read the newspaper,
and I know 40.”
WENDY OSSERMAN still manages to
choreograph and perform in New
York City. Her last appearance was
at La MaMa in Dancing Divas. Other performances included the annual John Lennon Tribute with Patti
Smith, Cyndi Lauper, and others, and
five performances of My Inner Sole at
Theatre Row.
JANIE FISHER THURBER writes that “recent celebrations of husband Bert’s
70th birthday, the arrival of our
first grandchild, Ainsley, and a 50th
high school reunion have prompted
much fun and reflection.” Living close
to Smith, she continues to take advantage of the college pool, routes
for walking and biking, and lectures
and talks on campus. For much of
the past year she wrote vocal music,
mainly children’s choral. Janie and her
husband joined a Smith Travel trip
to Turkey last May, and last winter
taught in the Dominican Republic at a
sugar plantation school where Haitian
immigrant children study.
MARY LAWRENCE TEST spent Thanksgiving with SUSAN MUNGER in New
London, CT.
CYNTHIA HATCH BRUECK announces
that last August, her daughter, LAURA BRUECK ’99, gave birth to her first
child, Hugo. He is Cynthia and Steve’s
third grandchild and first grandson.
Cynthia is still seeing the world,
thanks to numerous scientific meetings that her husband attends.
DEBBIE LADD SHEARER provides a
picture familiar to many of us as a
67-year-old wife, married for 47 years.
She travels to Seattle to visit one
granddaughter and her two mothers,
and babysits for her two other granddaughters closer to her home on the
Cape in Massachusetts. She continues to do transcription work at Braille
Inc. (“keeping my brain active while
contributing something useful”).
Her interests include books, spectator sports, and tennis. She expresses
frustration with the current political
and economic situation and worries
about the environmental degradation
of our world.
KATHARINE GABELL PANFIL is happily
involved with several small nonprofits
in Arlington, VA, working on education for recent immigrants. She has
six grandchildren ranging from 4 to
10 years old. Last summer, she and
Bob traveled along the Volga in Russia for a month, which she says was
possible because a bit of her Smith
Russian came back.
JUDITH HAZARD GOETZL writes that she
has retired and moved to San Francisco after 40 years as a librarian at
Harvard, Stanford, and Hillsborough.
In December, her husband, Ed, retired
from his position of full-time professor of medicine at the University of
California, San Francisco. He will
continue clinical research at UCSF
and NIA/NIH. Her daughter Laura
is at the Medical University of South
Carolina as a high-risk obstetrics surgeon. Daughter Katie is a shareholder
in a Washington, DC, law firm. Judy
has two grandchildren, Gabriela, 13,
and Lucas, 10.
VIRGINIA HAYMAN COHEN has lots of
happy news. Her younger son got
married to the woman he has been
with for 10 years, and her older son
and his wife are expecting a baby.
Ginny and her husband returned
from a trip to Venice, which brought
back great memories of a Smith arthistory course.
JESSIE-LEA EHRICH ABBOTT writes
that she and her husband are happily
retired and living in central Oregon.
She says, “Barely enough time to do
what we wish.”
CELIA WOLF DEVINE is now retired
from teaching philosophy. She lives
in Providence, RI, with her husband,
Phil (also a philosophy professor), and
two cats. They summer in Maine near
Bath. She is doing some writing and
lecturing in her retirement.
JAN EDELSTEIN RUBIN reports that
she has retired at last after 36 years
in the American Law Division of the
Congressional Research Service at
the Library of Congress. She plans to
reapproach the piano and find some
chamber music groups to join. The
book club of the Smith College Club
of Washington, DC also remains a
favorite activity for several reasons:
the range of perspectives, the opportunity to read some things she
otherwise wouldn’t, and as a source
of some wonderful new friendships.
At the time of writing, daughter Jennifer was embarking on a new job in
New York City.
MARIA ALEXANDRA (ALIX) GARCIA SUNDQUIST is pleased to report that her
small business, Swan Ways, is finally
taking flight, with a new tagline, “Celebrate Your Inner Empress.” It is an
Internet boutique and private-label
collection of silk scarves made in
France. The launch party at a French
art gallery in Georgetown in Washington, DC, attracted a lively crowd,
excellent press, and many good
friends, including MARY (MIMS) SHEA
PLACKE ’58. Husband Erik is making a
remarkable recovery after a bout with
cancer early last year.
ARLENE STOLPER SIMON writes that
her daughter, Melissa, was married
to Kevin Blake in November. Melissa
is a first-year ophthalmology resident
at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, and Kevin prac-
tices law in New York.
The Winter ’10-’11 issue of the
Quarterly included a class note from
SUSANNE MUELLER regarding her work
with the Waki Commission in Kenya.
The note mentioned that her report
was before the International Code
Council, but it should have read International Criminal Court in the Hague.
The Quarterly regrets the error.
Sec., Judy Bartleson Wilson, 1376
Blood Hill Road, West Windsor, VT
05089, smith64news@gmail.com 1965
ELIZABETH BURACK CHAPMAN’s most
recent book of poetry, Light Thickens,
was published in 2009 (find it online
under Elizabeth Biller Chapman).
JONA BURGESS HAMMER joined more
than 1,000 people in knitting a 12-kilometer-long scarf used at the ceremonial opening of a tunnel through
a mountain to join two isolated towns
in northern Iceland. Jona knitted 41
meters, and her daughter, JOHANNA
HAMMER, MSW ’99, knitted a meter
out of shredded plastic shopping bags.
On July 30, ’10, Skip and LUCY BYGRAVE STINSON became grandparents
when Samuel was born to their son
and daughter-in-law.
Last summer, JACQUIE CARLETON
finished the rough draft of a book
amid sending her daughter, Jenny,
off to medical school. On successive
weekends in October, Jacquie gave
presentations at conferences in San
Francisco and Vienna. “I feel totally
out of sync with so many of you who
are slowing down, retiring, etc.,” she
says.
MARTHA CROSS SEXTON spent a good
portion of last year flying across the
country to care for her father, then
arranging his funeral and settling his
estate. In November, she enjoyed a
trip to Ethiopia, where she served in
the Peace Corps in the late 1960s.
In July, Alex and JANE DAVIS ATKINSON moved to Lincolnwood, IL, to be
near their twin grandsons, who were
born last February. Since their son is
an only child, there was no reason to
stay in Philadelphia. “We’re slowly
getting acclimated, but it’s daunting
to find you have no idea where things
are when you’re 67.”
Fall was busy for CHRISSY GRIFFITH
HEYWORTH with teaching an ESL class
of adults in Stamford, CT, tutoring
middle schoolers, taking a Spanish
course to relearn the language, and
working for the local chapter of Room
to Read, an international nonprofit.
In November, SUSAN HALL LIANG went
to India with three girlfriends. Her
daughter, Lisa, has been acting with
East West Players in Los Angeles and
getting great reviews.
MARY HIBBARD BLANCHARD’s daughter,
Kathryn, has published her first book,
The Protestant Ethic or the Spirit of
Capitalism: Christians, Freedom,
and Free Markets. It is an interesting
look at the supposed tight connection
between capitalism and Calvinism.
SHEILA JOHNSON and Harry spend
most of their time on the harbor in
Stamford, CT. Sheila is still doing
occasional work in horticulture; last
spring, she judged a rose show in
Paris, where she saw SANDRA HOWSON
FRELAND. Sheila and Harry still keep an
apartment in New York City.
BECKY LAWRENCE retired in 2009 as
director of the New Hampshire State
Council on the Arts and moved to her
house on Cape Cod, MA. She celebrated her retirement with a photo
safari to Kenya and Tanzania with her
daughter, Dena, who lives in Istanbul.
She went to Paris and Provence on one
of MADELAINE DE HUSZAR BULLWINKEL’s
Chez Madelaine French cuisine and
art tours. Last summer, she enjoyed
a visit with LUCY FRANCIS MCGEE. Becky
volunteers as a board member for two
arts organizations, and tends to her
flower and herb gardens.
NANCY LEONARD and her husband
have no thoughts of retiring from
teaching. Her daughter, Claire, 24, is
in her second year at Columbia Law
School, with an interest in intellectual
property and new media.
MARY MARSH ZULACK is a clinical
professor at Columbia Law School,
summers in Colorado, plays amateur
chamber music, and does “an everslowing version of trail running.”
After more than 30 years in the Midwest, retirement, and just before Reunion, Harold and MIMI OFFENHAUSER
KUESTER moved to Washington, DC,
to be near their daughter, Sonia, and
her family, which includes Will, 3, and
Emma, 1. “I join the group of delighted and fortunate grandmothers who
are welcomed into their grandkids’
lives. I’m singing with the Bethesda
[MD] Chamber Singers as an alto/
mezzo and the Washington Chorus
as a soprano. Both are musically
challenging and energizing.” SHIRLEY
PRYOR was their first houseguest. In
September, Mimi visited MARTI LITCHMAN in San Francisco.
MARGARET PEARSON is dithering over
her retirement date of either May ’11
or May ’12.
After graduation, INGRID PERDEW
VALLEJO returned to Madrid, where
she had spent her junior year and
had a job offer. In 1968, she married
a Spaniard and went on to have five
boys. They lost one as a toddler. Three
are married, and she has four grandchildren. Everyone lives in Madrid, so
they see one another often. Her husband, a civil servant, retired five years
ago, but Ingrid continues to work as
a freelance simultaneous interpreter:
“the kind that sits in a booth with earphones on—a profession I took up
once the children were in school. It
is a most stimulating profession, and
I love it, even though it is not easy
and sometimes quite stressful.” She
sees TRACY EUBANK, WENDY LOGES, and
ROBERTA SIEGAL MATTHEWS. Ingrid enjoys the Madrid Smith club’s biannual
meetings. “With four, our class has
the most members!”
BOBBIE PETERSON MCDONALD retired
at the end of last October and returned to her home and family with
great relish.
SHIRLEY PRYOR retired from the US
government and moved to Safety Harbor, FL, to be near her daughter, sister,
and brother-in-law.
JEANNE RECKER CANTEEN ’s eldest
daughter, Elizabeth, was married last
October to William Wallace Weeks III
in Old Saybrook, CT.
In June, John and JANET SCOVILL CANNING were in Atlanta and bumped into
CHILTON (SIS) DAVIS VARNER at the symphony. They are enjoying the perks
of retirement, and last October they
enjoyed a fabulous interfaith journey
to Israel.
Sec., Marcia Schofield, PO Box
686, Solana Beach, CA 92075,
marcia@alumnae.smith.edu,
www.smith65.org
1966
There’s still time to register for our
45th Reunion in May. You can find
our monthly e-mail messages on our
class Website, reachable through the
Alumnae Association Website, where
you’ll also find a list of attendees and
other Reunion resources.
TILDA DANA MITSAKOS, CANDACE COOPER WALWORTH, and I (SARAH CROSS
MILLS) gathered seven other Parsons
’66ers in Portland, ME, last October for lobster rolls, an island ferry,
a beach walk, and much wonderful
conversation. ANN EGLIN ALLEN, MARGARET MOWEN BROWN, LEE COVENEY, LESLIE
JUDD GRAITCER, BARBARA ROUSE, MORGAN HENNING STEBBINS, and GREGORY
DODGE WOLLON were there from near
and far.
First-time news from LYDIA BRUNER
OPPMANN: “I’ve been a single mom
since I was 36. Hillary graduated
from Middlebury College, and has
worked for nonprofit environmental organizations in Tucson, AZ, and
now, Minneapolis. She is there with
my two grandsons and her husband.
Polly (Northwestern, and a master’s
from the University of Vermont)
moved to Seattle to become the director of admissions and financial aid
at the Bush School. With her went my
two granddaughters and her husband.
After Smith, I received a master’s in
library science from Case Western
Reserve University. After my divorce,
I joined McDonald Investments (now
UBS Financial Services), where I have
worked for 30 years. I have sung with a
community choral group for 20 years
and served as a trustee of the Hathaway Brown School for 39 years and
at University Hospitals for 30 years.
I have been with a wonderful man for
six years.”
LELIA COVENEY plays chamber music with a local trio; they performed
Beethoven in a library recital last October and a Mozart trio for a similar
venue in December. “Dan and I have
been shopping for a house in Salida,
CO, a quirky little town in the mountains where we’d like to retire. The
challenge is finding an affordable
house that can accommodate my
Steinway!”
GALE THOMPSON MCMULLIN had another hip replacement. “The first was
replaced in 2008 with no problem.
This one has been a nightmare. The
femur was fractured during surgery
due to undetected osteoporosis.”
KAROL GRUBBS SCHMIEGEL’s husband
retired after 41 years as a research
chemist for DuPont. “The good part
is having more time together; the less
good part is also having more time
together,” she quips. In August, they
met KATHY FINN EVASCU and husband
Gerry in Virginia. In October, she and
Walter spent a few weeks in Italy.
ELIZABETH (RUSTY) TRUE BROWDER
says, “I still love working full-time as
an elementary school librarian. David
and I are blessed with grandchildren
and a one-season retreat in Maine.
A bonus is visiting classmates who
live in Maine!”
MARCIA INGRAM LAMB updates us:
“My husband and I are learning to
live with the uncertainty of advanced
prostate cancer: a sobering and challenging journey with conflicting and
not optimistic expert opinions, but
we’ll work hard to beat it. My twoyear-old development consulting
company, Hansen Henley Yoder &
Lamb, exceeds our projections and
provides great satisfaction in helping
nonprofits. Last summer, we enjoyed
sharing the first months of our seventh grandchild’s life in Alaska.”
DEBBIE EATON KEENEY reports that
her daughter, Darcy, and son-in-law,
Jeff, had their long-awaited first child,
Wyatt.
SUSAN FIELD MULLENS writes, “We’ve
lived on the southern coast of Maine
for six years; we love kayaking and
walking the beach. I’m chair of the
York Diversity Forum. We spend a
month each year in Switzerland visiting our son and his family.”
“After 40 years as an artist-printmaker,” says NANCY REYNOLDS DAVISON, “I’m learning to play the piano
and doing some composing. I wrote
a ‘November novel’ in 2008: That
means writing a 50,000-word novel
in a month. I also write occasional
book reviews for the Internet Review
of Books.”
ALISON TEAL has been busy with
the board of the Aspen (CO) Music
Festival, traveling, writing for the
Huffington Post, doing photography,
supporting what’s left of the Democratic Congress, and reminding her
husband, Sam, how fortunate he is
to be able to bring her coffee in bed!
They see a lot of their three kids, Teal,
Willa, and Nicholas.
GINNY GRIMES ALLEN regrets she’ll
miss Reunion while at a chaplains’
convention in Milwaukee. She’s work-
alumnae update
ing half-time as the chaplain at Milton
Hospital in Milton, MA. “It is such a
privilege to share patients’ journeys
through their health crises and grief
issues.”
After moving from Alaska, BECKY
SNOW has guest quarters available if
anyone wants to take advantage of
theater opportunities in Ashland,
OR, or plans to visit the beautiful
Rogue Valley.
LILLIANN NODA and her husband of
four years are enjoying their new retirement, cruising to Alaska and viewing cherry blossoms in Japan. They
care for her parents, ages 90 and 95,
who live with them.
DIANA GOULD WHITE writes, “Managing a large legal aid organization is an
exciting challenge. The need keeps
expanding, while funding stays the
same or declines.” In November, she
enjoyed a five-week vacation while
her husband taught in Rome, followed
by a trip to Jerusalem and Petra.
Another first-time submitter, PATRICIA WEST-BARKER has been in Santa Fe,
NM, for 13 years. She spent 10 years
with the local newspaper, the Santa
Fe New Mexican. Two years ago, she
took a buyout and used the proceeds
to start her own online magazine of
food and culture called the Zenchilada. Pat has been married to retired
graphic designer Richard Cady for
more than 25 years. Her son David
is an independent filmmaker in New
York; son Ted is an academic in London; and daughter Jesse, mother of
her two granddaughters, is a marketing manager in Portland, OR.
PATRICIA MACKAY and JANET RHOADS
PINKOWITZ got together with AUDRY
(HONEY) GARTENBERG WEINTROB in New
York to fill Honey in on all the fun she
missed at the Baldwin mini-reunion.
They hope for another mini-reunion
this fall.
Apologies for so many omitted details. Watch your e-mail for the full
version. If you’re missing our class
e-mails, please make sure we have
your address.
Sec., Sarah Cross Mills, 45 Eastern
Promenade, Apt. 3K, Portland, ME
04101, scmills45@gmail.com
Sec., Deborah Eaton Keeney, 71
Blueberry Hill Lane, Sudbury,
MA 01776,
debeatonkeeney@alumnae.smith.
edu
1967
ROBIN ISAKSON MARTIN and DEBORAH
LIPTON hosted a New York City mini-
reunion at Robin’s home on the Upper
West Side of Manhattan that was attended by more than 20 classmates.
See the photo of the event with the
caption naming attendees. Also there,
though not pictured, were ENA LEITNER
HAINES, BINIA MARCHELEWICZ LASKY, SUSAN GINGRICH, LYNN ROSS ROSENFELD,
and SANDRA LANDAU RIPPE . Those
present described an amazing array
of activities undertaken in the arts,
Robin Isakson Martin and Deborah Lipton co-hosted a class of
’67 mini-reunion at Robin’s home in New York City. Pictured from
left to right, standing, are Margie Schmidt Brown, Robin, Barbara
Torney, Dee Hopkin Lundberg, Deborah, Nina Wilson Lihn, and
Linda Laughlin. Seated on the couch are Anne Fontaine Lutin, Lyn
Greene Rork, Bobbi Winograd Ross, Toby Weisblatt Jacoby, Nancy
Goldring, Hannah Achtenberg Kinn, Nancy Henry, Ann Kaplan,
and June Friedman Entman. In the front row are Julia Moore
Converse, Lynda Lees Adams, Susan Amendola Niemi, and Toni
Lesse.
education, business and finance, volunteerism, law, and other fields, most
having been sparked in some way by
a Smith education.
JUNE FRIEDMAN ENTMAN reports that
she “retired from gainful employment” in 2009, after 40-plus years
of teaching and lawyering. “I love
not constantly thinking that there’s
something else I ought to be doing.”
An enjoyable retirement activity has
been tracking down survivors and
descendants all over the world from
her Viennese family, which was scattered in 1938, and connecting them
with one another. She would love to
entertain any classmates who wander
into Memphis, TN.
Significant life changes for BARBARA
(BOBBI) WINOGRAD ROSS since our 40th
Reunion have included “dealing with
breast cancer (early stage); the death
of my father (last living parent); the
closing of my employment/personnel
business after 28 years (terrible job
market!); and the birth of my daughter’s first child (long awaited!).” Bobbi
now enjoys her eight grandchildren
while trying to figure out the next
chapter of her life. She and husband
Ed make an annual trip to the Berkshires in Massachusetts with Bobbi’s
former roommate VIRGINIA (GINGER)
NEWCOMBE SHAPIRO.
KAREN TISSENBAUM TALUS celebrated
her 25th wedding anniversary with
husband Lassi in Portland, OR, where
they returned two years ago after 10
years in Brooklyn, NY. They are happy
to be back in the Northwest, where
she teaches history at the Catlin Gabel School and reconnects with old
friends, “many of whom are Smith
graduates!”
DAPHNE GEMMILL ’s recent birding
adventures, for which she used carbon offsets, have taken her to Ghana,
Kenya, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea,
Cuba, Burma, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Guernsey, England, China, western India, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, and
the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia.
HOLLEY GALLAND HAYMAKER is employed part-time in children’s mental health in schools, and she enjoys
her summers off and time to visit her
daughter, who has twin 2-year-old
sons, in Northampton.
Looking for a change in her life, in
2007 PAULA GARDINER ROBERTS left her
job at the Center for Law and Social
Policy and went with her husband to
teach conversational English in Hungary, living in a small town 70 miles
south of Budapest. Back in Washington, DC, they now volunteer in
a program that teaches English to
immigrants, while keeping in touch
with former students and friends via
the Internet.
NANCY STEEGER JENNINGS writes that
she is still serving as pastor of the
Community Presbyterian Church in
Merrick, NY, going to sacred-dance
festivals and workshops as often as
possible. She recently took part in a
flash-mob dance on the piers in New
London, CT.
Things “seem to have come full circle” for KATHRYN MCARTHUR in the past
few years: After 32 years as a human
resources adviser for NOAA, first in
Gloucester, MA, and then in Norfolk,
VA, she retired to Northampton to
take care of her mother, moving back
to the family home half a mile from
the Smith campus, auditing courses
in art history, music, and other areas.
“I think today’s students are learning
more about the history of the college
than when we were there,” she says.
No longer a full-time caregiver, she’s
trying to decide what the second
phase of retirement will look like.
She’d love to hear from any Hampshire House students who are in the
Pioneer Valley.
SUZANNE SHAW CRANDALL divides her
time between Dallas and Hill City,
SD, where she and her husband have
a ranch near Mount Rushmore. Suzanne is engaged in volunteer work
(children’s home, homeless shelter,
VA hospital) and a remodeling project with her son, while her husband
continues to work in the small business he owns.
Sec., Josephine Boise Budell, 2370
Leafmore Drive, Decatur, GA
30033, jboise67@earthlink.net
Sec., Delaney Hopkin Lundberg,
120 Uncas Point Road, Guilford,
CT 06437, delane67@earthlink.net
1968
A request for comments on retirement resulted in several responses
from classmates.
HALYNA BARANNIK writes that she is a
senior librarian at a medium-security
male prison in the Hudson Valley of
New York. She is pondering retirement, but realizes that she is fortunate to currently have a good job with
benefits. She said the best part of her
job is hoping to make a change in the
hearts and lives of inmates.
NANCY WATKINS DENIG shares her
thoughts about scaling down and
downsizing her landscape architecture practice due to the economy
and in anticipation of her retirement
soon. She sent me a recent poem and
information on a memoir in verse that
she has written in four sections: “Being Daughter,” “Being Wife,” “Being
Mother,” and “Being Grandmother.”
The title of the memoir is Distaff Diaries. This memoir, relevant to all of us
at this transitional period of life, and
another collection titled Suites, are
both available on Amazon.com. The
publisher is Aurelius Press.
“I am retired and enjoying it to the
hilt,” writes LINDA MARVIN. She is remarried, and she and her husband,
Park Benjamin, sail in the summer
and ski as much as possible in the
winter. They live on Long Island, and
she is enjoying the New York Smith
club ladies. (See the note on a New
York City walk in this column.) They
have 11 grandchildren between them.
After 23 years at TWA, first as an
international flight attendant and
then as an international flight service
manager, CAROLE POPE FORESTER took
early retirement because of the deteriorating state of the company and
also to care for her parents. She then
returned to school to earn business/
accounting degrees. Now, she says,
“Retirement is not in the cards.”
Retired for seven years, ANNE OSBORN SUMMERS writes that she is finally
getting used to the loss of structure
involved in juggling family and work.
She and her husband now live in a
small town in Rhode Island, with all
of their children at least a day’s drive
away. There has been a wide variety
of travel, volunteering, and “inspiration” in a local women’s gym that has
helped her get in the best shape of her
life. She concluded with a familiar line
that has been heard by many retirees:
“Don’t know how I had time to work
before!”
In other news, last September,
Smith ’68ers got together in New York
City for a wonderful guided walking
tour led by Joyce Gold, partner of LESLIE MCKENZIE. Joyce is a professional
guide and historian who shared the
history of the “Immigrant, Radical,
and Notorious Women of Washington Square.” Those who took the tour
were LINDA MARVIN BENJAMIN and her
husband, CAREN BYRD BORLAND, NANCY
HERTZ ELLIS, MARIAN HENNEMAN, PAULA
THOMSON, LESLIE MCKENZIE, and SUZANNE CLARE. In addition to class of
’68 friends, other Smith alumnae who
also participated were MARY BURTON
and MARCY FRIEDMAN, both class of ’72;
KAREN PRATT and PAMELA RAAB, class
of ’76; JUDITH SCHWARTZ ’66, TRISH
TIDWELL ’73, and BETSY HENNEMAN
WOODARD ’64.
ELIZABETH HOFFMAN was the recipient of the 2010 Carolyn Shaw Bell
Award from the American Economic
Association. The award is bestowed
upon an individual who has furthered
the status of women in the economics profession, through example,
achievements, increasing our understanding of how women can advance
in the profession, and the mentoring
of others.
“From botany major to gramma!”
writes KATE MILLER CARL. She has twin
grandchildren (a boy and a girl),
whom she watches several times a
week. They walk in the orchard, dig in
the gardens, and share nature books.
KATHRYN KASCH wrote enthusiastically upon her return from her first
Smith Travel trip to Japan. The whole
trip was a pleasure and Smith Professor Tom Rohlich was wonderful, she
says. She added that the Capen ’68
group met last summer in Boston and
in 2011 they will be in Madrid.
KATHARINE FORBES LINDOW describes
an incredible experience she had during six weeks in Nepal. She is an educational therapist and went to Katmandu to help a private school start
a learning center. When she arrived,
the teachers labeled the struggling
students as “lazy and naughty.” Katharine taught the teachers new methods to help those students, and she
was excited by the results. She lives
in Berkeley, CA, with her husband, a
professor of Scandinavian languages
at UC Berkeley. Their daughter Megan is a writer and lives in Cape Town,
South Africa. Daughter Devin lives in
New York City and works in theater
lighting.
In the Spring ’10 issue of the Quarterly, there was an item about TOKO
MUKOYAMA MATSUKI and her husband,
who toured the United States and
At the home of Laura Donahue Allen on Martha’s Vineyard, MA,
Laura Scales housemates from the class of ’69 sport their yellow
scarves from their 40th Reunion. Attending, in addition to Laura,
are Mary Seibert Goldschmid, Barbara Wallace Grossman, Donna
Dempster Gundy, Christy Campbell Kolva, and Lisa Lebedoff
Peilen.
enjoyed mini-reunions with Tyler
housemates. ANDREA NEVINS FERNANDEZ writes that a few of our classmates
will be visiting Tokyo in Sept. ’11, and
Toko and her husband will join them
on a 13-day tour of Japan.
PATTY FRIEDMANN has written a new
book, Too Jewish, published last October. See Patty’s interview on YouTube describing how this was a book
that she felt destined to write.
Sec., Linda Leavitt Grayman, 321
Ritchie Avenue, Cincinnati, OH
45215, lgrayman@fuse.net
1969
KRISTI ANDERSEN writes, “In 2010, I
was named Chapple Family Professor of Citizenship and Democracy at
the Maxwell School of Syracuse University (where I have been teaching
since 1984). I am also still an elected
member of the Cazenovia (NY) town
board. In other words, I’m keeping
busy!” Kristi adds, “I had a book published in 2010: New Immigrant Communities: Finding a Place in Local
Politics (Lynne Reinner Publishers).”
“Working life was so intense that
I couldn’t pursue all the wonderful
volunteer activities that I now do,”
says MICHELE GILLIGAN. Michele, now
retired as an associate professor at
the University of Baltimore School
of Law, has returned to Great Barrington, MA, where she grew up and
still has siblings close-by. “After my
breast-cancer treatment a year ago, I
am settling into retirement via various
activities: training to be a SHINE volunteer (Serving the Health Information Needs of the Elderly); getting my
sister JANE GILLIGAN ’77 to be an enrollment volunteer; and serving on the
committee to revise the master plan
of Great Barrington. One part of life
that has not changed is that every year
I take a trip with my sister HANNAH
GILLIGAN ’81. Last summer was Banff
and the Canadian Rockies; before
that was Peru and Ireland. The most
important news, though, is that my
son, Peter, and his wife, Alisa, made
me a grandmother to Nathan, born
on Aug. 11, ’10, in Chapel Hill, NC.
Am I enjoying grandmotherhood! I
just wish they were closer. I bet the
feeling resonates.”
JAN JACKOWSKI D’ADDAMIO writes,
“I am still working for XKL, which
makes fiber-optic switches for the Internet. It’s a small company, and it’s
exciting to be developing business,
especially outside the United States.
John was laid off from Microsoft in
July ’09 and has not been able to find
a job since then. It’s really hard when
you’re close to retirement age and
are making a good salary. Even being willing to take a salary cut hasn’t
helped. It seems like there is a lot of
age discrimination out there. On the
plus side, John has been able to devote
more time to our horses. We recently
participated in a dressage clinic with
the chief rider of the Spanish Riding
School in Vienna.”
MICHAEL KEHOE HUBNER is in her tenth
year as director of social work at the
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in
Boston. Her husband, David, retired
in 2008 from the directorship of the
Unitarian Universalist Association,
where he headed the department of
ministry and professional leadership.
Son David, now 25, has taught English in Khartoum, Sudan, and is currently enrolled in a master’s program
in public administration at Cornell.
Although she reflects that “all things
are mutable,” Michael adds, “One of
my most lasting and precious gifts
from my Smith days is my friendship
with LINDA MACHINIST PINES and her
family—a friendship that has continued across the generations.” In
another nod to continuity, Michael
wryly observes, “I still love the New
Yorker,
r the New York Times, and the
New York Review of Books. Funny for
someone who left New York at age 9!”
LYNNE LESYK HEIDEL writes, “I am
sending greetings from Turin, Italy,
where—along with ELIZABETH MARGOLIS ’68, TERRY SHEEHY MAROTTA ’70,
and CATHY LONGINOTTI ’70—I am vis-
iting VICTORIA JAMES MUNSEY ’70. My
favorite relatively new friend is SUSAN
FALK GREEN ’60. She lives in Ketchum,
ID, where my husband and I have had
a second home. I am still practicing
land-use law in San Diego and have recently been appointed to the San Diego
County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California. (That will only be meaningful to Californians who know what
water wars are all about!) My husband
and I now have four grandchildren,
ages 6 months to 4 years.”
Since our most recent reunion, JEAN
MERRILL has changed jobs. She is now
vice president, head of immunology at
Merck Serono, where she is in charge
of the firm’s multiple sclerosis drug
development program. Jean is currently recruiting scientists to grow
the Boston-based team, who will work
with other Merck scientists based in
Geneva. Jean and her husband, Doug,
live in Cambridge, MA. She says, “No
plans to retire anytime soon! Having
been born and raised in the Boston
area, this new work commitment truly
feels like coming home. I have even
been able to reunite with my ‘little sister’ at Smith, MAYDA MARION ’70, who
also lives in Boston.”
MARGARET TOMASKO has lived in
Northampton since graduating. She
went on to get a master’s from the
University of Massachusetts in 1972
with a concentration in public health,
and an MSW from Smith in 1983. She
has worked as a social worker and
family therapist at several agencies
since the early 1970s, and went into
private practice in 2003. She sings
with the Northampton Choral Society and spends a lot of time with
her two grandchildren, Tighe, 10, and
Maeve, 6. Margaret ran in the annual
Fall Fit 5K Road Race in Northampton
with her daughters Mandy and KATE
GERRY ’99.
JANET WILLIAMS HARRISON fills us in
with an update on her family: “Son
Trent and his wife, Annmarie, presented us with a beautiful granddaughter, Mary (Molly), in late
April. Trent is pursuing a doctorate
in American history at Columbia, and
Annmarie is pursuing a doctorate in
psychology at Stony Brook University. Middle son Will is the mining
correspondent for the Financial
Times, and is based in London. In
July, youngest son Christian married
Jillian in Halifax, adding the second
Canadian daughter-in-law to our
Texas-based family; he is an international consultant in New York City. I
am happy raising money for the new
Parkland Health and Hospital System
campus, and Edwin is happily retired
from his medical practice. I’m delighted that the Smith club has recently
revived in Dallas-Fort Worth.”
Sec., Barbara Lauren,
blauren123@aol.com
Sec., Roz Zakheim,
rszesq@aol.com
alumnae update
1970
Our query about plans for retirement drew lively reports from classmates on both sides of that big decision, as well as the usual (and always
interesting) career and social notes.
To wit:
EVANGELIA (LILLIAN) AGAPALIDOU PANAGOPOULOU writes that she is in
no hurry to retire, as she continues
to be very happy teaching high school
English and doing college counseling
in Athens, Greece. ELIZABETH KARASINSKA HAINES, newly retired, visited
Lillian there last fall.
BARBARA BLACKBURN and her husband, Brian, are pleased to announce
the marriage of their son, Jeffrey, to
Latoya last October in Greensboro,
NC.
JUDY DEBUYS MAKRAUER, in her 17th
year at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, says she loves teaching and
being part of a school community
more than ever and has no thought
of retiring in the near future. Highlights of her summer were seeing
KATHY MULLER and KATHY RODGERS on
Cape Cod, MA, and visiting roommate PAM MYERS MORGAN on Lake
Temagami in Ontario. No one is any
different from years ago, according to
Judy, only better.
JAN FRIEDMAN CONSTANTINE also offers
not a hint of retirement, or even slowing down, as she writes of the “postReunion euphoria” that led to recent
dinners with classmates, housemates
from Gillett, and other Smithies, including STACY CAPLOW
W ’69, HARRIET FIER
’71, and our own ALICE MCINERNEY. Jan’s
job as general counsel to the Authors
Guild continues to be interesting and
is increasingly relevant in the digital
world; she is immersed in the e-book
debate and speaks regularly on topics
related to the future of publishing.
Last fall found her teaching a seminar on contract negotiations at New
York University and doing her cabaret show at Don’t Tell Mama in New
York City.
SUSAN ELKINS is planning a busy retirement, starting with a six-month
sabbatical in New York City, where
she can withdraw from myriad personal and professional commitments
back in Kansas, enjoy the contrast
between small-town and big-city
life, and “just stop for a while” as she
sorts through plans for the next phase.
These plans include concerts, dance
lessons, remaining involved in university life and having time for lectures
and seminars, continuing teaching at
the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute,
reviving her freelance editing business, looking for new volunteer opportunities, and spending more time
with extended family.
JANE CUTLER GREENSPAN was appointed to an interim term on the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania in 2008; she
served there for 18 months and retired in 2010 from the Pennsylvania
judiciary, where she had been a judge
Alumnae gather for a Hampshire House mini-reunion at the
Northampton home of Alison Feiss Kriviskey ’67. First row, left
to right, Cindy Englehardt Rauch ’77, Kathleen La Riviere ’77,
Johanne Asselin Presser ’72, Kathy Murray Doherty ’69, and Kate
Martin ’77; second row: Louise Stevens Benham ’77 and Lynn
Tornow Goodhue ’70; third row: Christine Powers ’70, Maureen
Tobin ’77, Angela Derouin ’77, and Pamela Scavotto Barber ’77;
back row: Alison, Kathryn McArthur ’67, Dottie Organ Strong
’70, Mary Blanchet Reutener ’70, Elsa Vitols ’70, Eileen Sullivan
’73, Fred Goodhue (who went to Smith on a junior year exchange
program); Gerry Rowan Bonneau ’69, Elaine Sarsynski ’77, Joan
Keefe ’62, and Carolyn Nims McLellan ’68.
since 1987. She has since joined Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service (JAMS) as an arbitrator and mediator. She has taken up bridge again,
is keeping in shape, and is spending
more time with her grandchildren.
MIMI KENNEDY DILG assures us that
rather than retiring, she “will be an
actress till I kick.” She is still auditioning and continues to win parts
for TV and movies. She is trying to
sell her completed novel, which she
thinks of as Gone With the Wind
in upstate New York, circa 1967 to
1988, with a Smith graduate intent
on social justice as the protagonist.
Mimi is reading John Updike’s Rabbit
series, with its “bleak picture of the
American male, American society,
and American fathering”; revisiting
The Estrogen Effect, by Deborah Cadbury, “which raises troubling questions about scientific research that
is being challenged and suppressed”;
and working on restoring integrity to
American elections to overcome the
damage done by digital-only voting
machines. She attributes her ability “to entertain such dark thoughts
and summon the strength to try and
make things better” to the blessings
of her own life: her long marriage to
Larry; her daughter, Molly; and her
son, Cisco.
MADI LORD is still with the Boston
Federal Reserve, currently working
on the transformation of treasury
payment systems to save the taxpayers money. In a change of pace, she
spends her weekends welding, making
art from metal trash. She invites us
to check out Kate Russian’s YouTube
video “Jiffy Art,” which follows Madi
as she moves from daybreak dumppicking to creating a five-foot welded
flower by sunset. With her family
scattered, her travel focus for now
is westward to children, grandchildren, and her mother, supplemented
by “blessed Skype.”
MARY PRATT GRANT retired in 2009
from her position as head of the Ellis School in Pittsburgh, enabling her
and her husband, Richard, to return to
Philadelphia, where they had lived for
many years. Mary found retirement
odd at first, missing the rhythms of
the school year, her colleagues, and
especially the students. But she has
loved getting enough sleep, reading for pleasure, seeing more of her
grandchildren, and exploring her
love of history. She and Richard are
pleased to have time for travel, and
they recently made their first trip to
Italy. They are rediscovering Philadelphia, reconnecting with old friends,
and making new friends. She says the
values she absorbed at Smith have
served her well as she has sorted out
her new life: Make a difference; step
up when someone needs something
done; and don’t be afraid to try something new.
PAT SHIPMAN and husband Alan are
settling into retirement in their new
community in North Carolina, where
they are discovering lots of artists,
musicians, and organic food farmers.
Pat is on the board of the Rocky River
Heritage Foundation, which works to
preserve a beautiful local river. This is
a nice complement to her other work
in the Caymans spearheading an effort to protect endangered iguanas
and serving on the board of the Little
Cayman National Trust.
CINDEE STEER , the chief research
strategist and head of the beta research group at Rogerscasey, was
named the 2010 Distinguished Woman Investment Professional of the Year
by Women Investment Professionals,
a 200-member, Chicago-based organization.
BETH STEIBER HANDZO and her husband, George, still live in Greenwich,
CT, as they have for more than 25
years. She continues to work in corporate finance with IBM as a manager
of patent pricing worldwide. George
is a vice president of business development for Health Care Chaplaincy.
Their son, Benjamin, was married last
September to Princeton ’04 classmate
Kimberly.
Please let us hear from you so we
can pass your news along to your avid
classmates!
Sec., Kathy Muller, 20 Hunts Lane,
Harwich, MA 02645,
kathleenxxx@aol.com
Sec., Katie Naughton, 26 Autumn Lane, Amherst, MA 01002,
ksnaughton@alumnae.smith.edu
1971
GINNY ASHCRAFT EVERITT , DEBBIE
BLUM, JUDY MAYER O’BRIEN, and KAREN
ROHN OSAR had a Halloween weekend
in New York City enjoying the best
of the city and having a great time
catching up. Karen retired from various financial roles and now serves as
an independent director of four public companies. She and her husband,
who recently retired, look forward to
traveling together and spending more
time with lifelong friends. At press
time, Judy was retiring from her general counsel position at Obopay and
planned to do a lot of skiing as well as
go to Egypt with three girlfriends. She
says, “My kids are launched: My son,
27, is in medical school at Columbia,
and my daughter, 25, is a marketing
specialist. Brad is working part-time,
and the two of us are planning lots of
trips and spending more time enjoying life together. I’m looking forward
to the next chapter.”
MARIAM ASHRAFI DOUGLAS , NANCY
BINKIN, LAURIE EFFRON, BONNIE SERKIN,
and FRANCINE WEISS MELLORS-ROTHENSTEIN also got together in New York
City. Laurie says, “Both professionally and personally, we have all had
eventful lives, and it was a pleasure to
have the chance to catch up. Our lives
are immeasurably richer for knowing
each other; it makes me think of the
New Yorkerr cartoon from years ago
that showed a conventional suburban mom telling her sulking, hippie
daughter, ‘But dear, you will meet hippies at Smith who will be your friends
for life.’ Hoping to see everyone at the
40th.”
While playing viola with the Pittsburgh Symphony, PENNY ANDERSON
BRILL has received local, national,
and international recognition over
the past 10 years for championing
the use of music for pain and stress
management. After being diagnosed
with breast cancer in 1999, she experimented with using music and found
that it reduced anxiety while waiting
for test results and before surgeries
and treatments, reduced the need for
sedatives and pain medications, sped
recovery time, and made her feel more
in control of what was happening. She
has served as chair of the Pittsburgh
Symphony Orchestra committee
and as treasurer of the International
Conference of Symphony and Opera
Musicians. She is a founding member
of the jazz string group Blues on First.
JANESS HAIGHT COFFINA became a
licensed massage therapist in Connecticut and New York, and hopes to
see her practice grow. She works one
day each week with an acupuncturist, which provides good experience.
A recent highlight was spending a
week in New Orleans with Habitat
for Humanity. Besides blood blisters
from novice hammering skills, she
received the satisfaction of helping
a young single mother build a home
in which to start a new life for herself
and her daughter.
NANCY KNOWLTON writes, “I have
just published my first book, and the
process is almost like having a baby!
The title is Citizens of the Sea, written
in honor of the decade-long Census
of Marine Life. No jargon and lots of
cool stories about how ocean creatures make a living.”
COLIN DAYAN’s book The Law Is a
White Dog: How Legal Rituals Make
and Unmake Persons is due out in
April from Princeton University
Press.
From PRISCILLA (PRIL) DORMAN HALL:
“I returned from a two-week trip to
Beirut, staying with my cousin Peter
Dorman (Amherst ’70 and friend to
Baldwin House!), who is the president of the American University of
Beirut. It was a wonderful trip; the
Lebanese people are so welcoming
and resilient—their recovery from
years of civil war has been remarkable. I visited many of the places of
my father’s childhood, and where
my mother went to school and my
husband, John’s, parents met. I have
several other cousins there as well,
and I went with my brother, Tim, who
is a guest lecturer at the AUB business
school twice a year. I was able to meet
with directors of nursing, talk with
lots of nurses, and I met with the IT
director at AUB who is involved with
their clinical information systems,
which is my specialty. It was a personally and professionally fascinating
trip all around!”
ALEXIS KRASILOVSKY’s film Shooting
Women screened at the International
Cinematographers’ Film Festival in
the Republic of Macedonia, the Birds
Eye View Film Festival in London, the
Jeevika: Asia Livelihood Documentary Film Competition and Festival
in New Delhi, and the Elles Tournent
film festival in Brussels. She is still
teaching screenwriting as a professor
at California State University, Northridge, and working on her second
global documentary feature, Pastri-
Susan McCone and Margaret Webb, both class of ’71, celebrate the
wedding of Margaret’s son.
ology. Her son, Thomas, is a senior
at the University of California, San
Diego, studying psychology and film.
MARGARET WEBB ’s son was married last October, and SUSAN MCCONE
flew to California to officiate. Susan
graduated from Yale Divinity School
in 1999, is a priest at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, CT, and
serves as director of development for
the national Episcopal Church.
BETSEY WHITBECK writes, “Retirement has brought so many rewarding activities, and nearly all are more
fun than work! Volunteering in the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts is
heavenly! I serve as the co-chair of
the Friends of the Institute’s program
committee, for which we plan nine
programs each year. I’m also president of the Minnesota Smith club,
where we have monthly events as
well as annual meetings and an annual fundraiser called Smith Day. The
net revenues from Smith Day over the
past 78 years have been donated to an
endowed scholarship fund managed
by the college. I’m also vice-chair of
a state government policy think tank
focused on stimulating economic
growth while growing social and environmental justice. My husband of 20
years, Jim, and I have a pair of small
Shetland sheepdogs, who make every
day exciting for us. Jim’s parents and
mine are all still living, which gives
us plenty to do, but is so rewarding.”
Sec., Elizabeth Soyster, PO Box 153,
Gibson Island, MD 21056,
smith71news@yahoo.com
1972
Please visit our class Website, www.
smithcollege72.org, to see full reports
and wonderful updates and photos
from classmates.
Sadly, we learned that MARY JO CORRAL SULTENFUSS died on May 15, ’10.
Please see the Summer ’11 Quarterly
for an obituary.
LOUKA KATSELI sends news of her
appointment as the minister for labor and social security in Greece.
She says, “It is a very challenging job
given the financial crisis, the fiscal
consolidation program that we have
adopted, and the rise in unemploy-
ment due to the recession. Major
priorities are promoting active employment policies and a social safety
net for the most vulnerable.”
NANCY SCHWARTZ, PAM FUHRER GOODHUE, CAROL PEARSON, ANNE GORDON, ELLEN MALOFF CASE, and CARMEN VALENZUELA NAKASSIS, as well as Kathy Marx
Riechel ’72 from Tufts, all of whom
spent their junior year abroad in Geneva, celebrated turning 60 and 39
years of friendship at a mini-reunion
in Nice, France.
JOANIE SPEERS reports from London,
where she has lived for 38 years, that
she runs a cancer-care charity, Yes to
Life, in the United Kingdom, and a
building preservation trust, ABC, in
Wales. She also serves on the boards
of a music charity and a charity in
Russia for children with special needs.
NANCY AMMON JIANAKOPLOS flew to
Hanoi last May to teach intermediate
macroeconomics in English for four
weeks, paid for by the government of
Vietnam, at the Foreign Trade University. “The Vietnamese students I
met were very bright and diligent. I
couldn’t help but remember that in
May 1970 (40 years ago), I was taking intermediate macroeconomics at
Smith and there were protests against
the Vietnam War. How things can
change in 40 years! Hope to see lots
of us at our 40th in 2012!”
ANN LEMON is consulting on green
finance and sustainable living and
invites us to learn more about dining
out green on her blog, Green Market
Producers.
SUSAN GARBER reports, “I am looking
for a permanent or temporary job in
the information technology area using Oracle. I have been in the field for
25 years, mostly at Lotus Development Corp. I’ve been doing temporary
consulting and contracting work, but
the recession has hit hard. Everything
else is good.”
JULIE ARNOLD reports she is still
training and showing standard poodles. “The dogs and I went to tracking
camp last fall and we hope to hone our
tracking skills!”
LINDA RUMANOFF SIMONSON lives in
North Haven, CT, and still works
for Benhaven, an agency providing
services to children and adults with
autism. Her most recent work has involved serving as a clinical program
consultant. “I have renewed a childhood passion for horses and am determined to learn to ride. My 25-year-old
instructor, who has been riding since
she was a little girl, tells me to be patient, but at 60, I no longer feel I have
the luxury of time. A shout-out to all
my Ziskind compadres: How come
no one I knew back then ever sends in
updates?” Good question—we’d love
to hear from you!
SARAH GORDON teaches women’s history and American history classes at
Quinnipiac University in Hamden,
CT. Her mother, PATRICIA JENCKS GORDON ’41, passed away at age 91 last
July, and quite a few Smith graduates
attended the memorial service.
ROCHELLE COHEN FELDMAN writes she
is still going strong in her private practice for special needs pediatrics and
as a neonatologist. Husband Aaron
Breitbart heads the research department at the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
They are making a five-year plan for
retirement, hopefully in Israel.
TIFFANY BAKER sent a photo from her
May ’10 wedding. “The ceremony
took place on the grounds of Fort Belvoir, VA, overlooking the water. The
day was sunny and beautiful, if you
discount the 50-mph wind gusts!” In
attendance were JOAN HOWARTH, BETH
ANN FRIEDMAN, JANET ALLOCCA MARIE
’73, and FRAN GROVES DODD, three of
whom were bridesmaids at Tiffany’s
first wedding. “When my first marriage ended after 25 years and four
extraordinary children, I was on my
own for six years; it just goes to show
you that even at 60, you are never too
old to find love and start over!”
KAY KILLIAN BALUN writes of a minireunion where she, MARILYN GEPP
CLARK, NANCY ABRAHAM HALL, EVELYN
MAURMEYER, BESSY KONG, and DEBBIE
MARKEWICH LAZARUS enjoyed staying at a house in Nantucket, which
they rented from SANDY MORGAN ’65.
“We spent a glorious five days in July
celebrating our big birthdays. While
we are still wondering where all the
years went (how did we get to be 60?),
we have all accomplished a lot and
are quite happy to be where we are.”
Marilyn, a consultant on European
Union affairs, divides her time mainly
between Luxembourg and London.
Nancy is on the Spanish department
faculty at Wellesley. Evelyn is an environmental consultant in Lewes,
DE. Kay is the executive assistant to
the CEO, CSO, CFO, and CMO of
Biodel, a pharmaceutical research
and development company. Bessy is
the senior policy adviser to the White
House Office of Urban Affairs on the
Domestic Policy Council. Debbie is
a psychologist in private practice in
Manhattan. In addition, Kay and Evelyn are chairing our 40th Reunion
from May 24–27, 2012. “We are all
looking forward to the Reunion and
alumnae update
hope to see everybody there.”
Written by Melissa Hield, class
president
Sec., Mary Lindley Burton,
maryburton@earthlink.net
1973
ERICA SWENSON DAVIS and her husband, Jim, now have a grandson and
a granddaughter. Their son Brian and
daughter-in-law Elizabeth, welcomed
Daniel on May 16, ’10. Son Reed and
daughter-in-law Lindsey welcomed
Finley on August 27, ’10. With everyone living in Winston-Salem,
NC, they can watch the babies grow
and mature. “We love being grandparents!”
LOIS (KARNA) BULL BOUTON is still
basking in the afterglow of her youngest son, John’s, wedding last October
to Caitlyn. Many dear friends attended, including Lois’ Smith roommate
JENNIFER WILLIAMS.
LAURA OLENA MIXTER reports that her
husband, Jim, retired from ExxonMobil a year ago, giving them more time
to enjoy their two grandsons, Finley,
born in Nov. ’09, and Owen, born in
Dec. ’09.
DEBORAH FERRO BURKE says, “My life
is settling down,” after three years
of complex elder care that included
her father, mother, and aunt. She is
relieved that her organization development clients are still in business
and are glad to have her back with
them. “Work feels like fun,” she says,
and adds that life in the Berkshires
of Massachusetts remains lovely and
quiet. She maintains contact with the
college, regularly sees DIANE OKRENT
and GRETA SOLOMON, and met a new
friend, VIRGINIA MEANS GIDDENS ’66.
Her current daily challenge is helping
their 4-year-old Lab ride in the pickup
truck without having a psychological
meltdown; small but steady progress
is under way.
ANNE ELLISON MICKEY shares that on
Sept. 1, ’10, her law firm, Sher & Blackwell, merged with Cozen O’Connor.
While she misses the small-firm environment, she is very excited about
this move. She invites anyone visiting
Washington, DC, to stop by. She and
Frank still live in Bethesda, MD, and
also love spending time on the eastern
shore of Maryland.
Last July, LAUREN DILLARD finished
more than three years of work on a
big software project at Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center. She also decided to
move to Sausalito, CA, where she and
her boyfriend, Paul, live on her sailboat. “It’s cool to have San Francisco
Bay as my backyard!” She is elevating
her career to the executive-consulting
level and traveling more. She is also
caring remotely for her mother, which
she feels is a heartbreaking, but important, role. She and Paul traveled to
Smith last September, and she thinks
the campus looks great. “Our next Reunion should be really fun!”
BARBARA BRENNER brings us up to
date by sharing that after 15 years at
the helm of Breast Cancer Action, she
has handed over the reins to a new
leader. She is stepping back to write
a book about the movement and blog
about her thoughts about how more
progress in cancer can be made. She
is still living happily in San Francisco
with her partner of 35 years, Suzanne
Lampert.
DIANE BLUMBERG SHILLING performed
her one-woman show, Getting to
Mommy, at the MamaDrama Festival at Stage Left Studio in New York
on Oct. 13, ’10. The show was based
upon her published memoir of the
same name. Her children’s play, The
North Wind and the Sun, a hip-hop
version of the classic Aesop fable,
appeared in last November’s issue of
Plays Magazine.
LISA BERLIN SAZER lives in Newton,
MA, with her husband and two sons.
The oldest is a junior at Tufts, and
the youngest is a high school senior
applying to colleges. Lisa has been
a painter and printmaker for many
years, and before that she was in
advertising and direct marketing
sales. Now that she is looking at an
empty nest, she has embarked on a
new career: She is now a real estate
agent with William Raveis in Newton
Center, MA.
ANNE DERRY WHIDDEN shares that her
oldest daughter, Rebecca, who attended the University of Chicago and the
Harvard Graduate School of Design,
is an architectural designer, and was
married last summer to a boat builder,
Chris Rogers. Her second daughter,
Lucy, graduated from Dartmouth,
taught in Harlem for two years, and
then spent last year teaching in Kigali,
Rwanda. She is now in Tanzania with
a fourth-grade class at the International School of Tanganyika. So, while
Anne and Roger are now back in New
York City, they enjoy watching their
children find adventures near and far.
MARY SNEED HINKEL and her husband
continue to work in Atlanta. He is an
attorney with ING, and she is a writer
with a nonprofit fundraising consulting firm. Their son, John Henry, is a
junior at Harvard. She is active with
the Atlanta Smith club, and would
love to see any classmates living in
Atlanta at their events.
E. HOPE FREEMAN HUDNER sends greetings to all. To bring us up-to-date, her
daughter, Bay, is currently “having a
blast” working in Paris for an international ship brokerage firm and sharing
a room with a Harvard friend who is
studying at Le Cordon Bleu.
WENDY KASSEL and four other members of the Gillett House “Fifthies” got
together in October in New York for
a mini-reunion that was in the works
since our last Reunion. Joined by SHEILA BURKE CLARK, FRANNIE LORD NILES,
CAROL NOEL KING, and JANET STONE LE,
the housemates spent a long weekend
celebrating the bond formed during
their first year on the fifth floor and
have extended that bond to the next
generation to include JENNIFER CLARK
’09. They are hoping to make this a
regular event and that MADELINE PARRISH will be able to make the next one.
Thanks to everyone who is responding to the call for news.
Sec., Chandra Holsey Cookson,
9051 Giltinan Court, Springfield,
VA 22153, chcookson@gmail.com
1974
Ladies, our column is short. We
need more of you to send us your
news or comments. Please keep in
touch. It’s a proficient way to keep
your Smith experience alive, for
yourself and your classmates. More
importantly, by sharing our experiences, we can continue to learn about
ourselves and our world.
BETTY MORNINGSTAR e-mails, “My
work life continues to be full and
varied. I am still in the practice of
psychotherapy in Newton, MA, and
I teach in a postgraduate certificate
program at the Smith School for Social Work in the area of contemplative
clinical practice. I have also done a gig
as a chaplain in a senior long-termcare facility and in a children’s medical day-care program in Boston. I’ve
started a three-year term as president
of the Massachusetts chapter of the
National Association of Social Workers. My son, Will, 21, is a senior at
Hampshire College and has taken
most of his courses at the other four
colleges. He is currently a teaching
assistant in a Smith art-history class.
So, we are both teaching at Smith, in
a manner of speaking.”
CAROLE DOUBLIER REISS made me very
happy when she wrote, “I finally registered with the Smith online community. After cruising around this userfriendly site and finding the contact
information of fellow students, I could
have kicked myself for not doing this
sooner. It is a wonderful way to rediscover classmates and link up with
them after many years. Thank you for
the e-mail reminding me to do this
and to update my own information.
All Smith alumnae should register
and take advantage of the many features the online community offers.”
AMANDA WALLIS BLUE sadly informs
us, “My husband, Rich, died last year
from heart disease. Ours was always
an unlikely (and unexpected) relationship, but somehow it really worked.
We moved back to San Francisco
from London in 2008. Katie is now
at Bowdoin College, class of ’12. I am
still working for US Trust. Katie and
I miss Rich very much.”
Your class co-secretary JOAN OSBORN EPSTEIN reports, “Returned to
Northampton in August to complete the research for a conference
presentation on Agnes de Mille and
the origins of Rodeo, the ballet for
which Aaron Copland composed the
score. Some crucial material was in
the performing arts library at Lincoln
Center, but the rest was in the Sophia
Smith Collection. I saw my daughter Ariel in Schuylerville, NY, on the
same trip, as well as my daughter EVE
EPSTEIN ’07, who moved to Washington, DC, following graduation from
the UC Davis School of Law. Eve is
now a member of the Maryland Bar
Association and is a trial attorney for
the Labor Department. She’s winning
cases against the mining company involved in last year’s disaster in West
Virginia. Daughter Eliza is a senior
at Eckerd College, where I teach, and
she’s already working in the field of
expressive arts therapy, which she’d
like to pursue as a career.”
Some news from Florida: PAT SAMUELS BLANCHARD, director of the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center,
was recently honored as one of the
Women of Influence by the Jacksonville Business Journal. The award
recognizes women in the city of
Jacksonville for their positive impact
on the region, mentoring and leadership efforts in business and industry,
and contributions to the community.
Pat joined the JWBC in 2006 and
was named its director in 2009. She
oversees and manages the business
center’s training and mentorship programs. Says Pat, “This award was a
total shock and truly an honor!”
PEG BLAUNER METZGER reports, “My
older son got married on May 30, ’10.
He and his wife are living in Washington, DC, near Eastern Market. Lou
and I look for every opportunity to
visit them. My younger son graduated
from high school five days later and is
now a first-year at Bates. I had a scare
over the summer with appendicitis,
but have now recovered from the
surgery. I’m working independently
doing health-care law, policy, and advocacy. I’d like to get more involved
in patient safety issues.”
SHARON DREW TORNOW sends this
update: “I am still doing some tutoring, but this past year was slow. Last
March, my husband, Chip, and I visited our grandson (Michael, nearly
4). He is like the Energizer rabbit
on uppers, and we were quite worn
out at the end of our stay! But he is
cute and so much fun! In the summer, Chip and I spent almost a week
on the shore of Gloucester, MA. We
discovered the place a couple of years
ago. It is nothing fancy, but it is right
on the beach, and we can individually
go to the beach for however long we
like without driving back and forth
to a motel.”
Sec., Jennifer Arbolino,
jparbolino@aol.com
Sec., Joan Osborn Epstein,
joane614@verizon.net
1975
ELIZABETH (ABBY) LEWIS BATES missed
her first Reunion because she and her
husband, Jon, attended their daughter
Elizabeth’s graduation (magna cum
laude) from Middlebury College. Eliz-
abeth majored in French and is now
teaching in Greenwich, CT. In Nov.
’09, their son Robert married Mariola,
and they are living in Madrid. Their
other son, William, helped found 350.
org, a group focused on raising awareness of and creating solutions for the
climate crisis. He lives in Barcelona.
Abby writes, “We have fallen in love
with Spain, for obvious reasons.” She
continues to practice real estate and
trusts and estates law, and Jon is still
teaching math.
ROBIN CLARK, her husband, and their
teenagers traveled to Costa Rica last
summer. Robin says, “The teens loved
zip lines; we loved watching them.”
They all enjoyed the Cloud Forest in
Monteverde, as well as the wildlife
in Manuel Antonio Park and Damas
Estuary. “The monkeys and hummingbirds were especially delightful
up close.” Robin adds, “There is now
another women’s college in the family! Daughter Madeleine is attending
Hollins University.”
LAURA KLANN HEID reports that she
stayed vertical throughout her first
rollerblading lesson, thereby avoiding
a full-body cast. She aspires to train
for the Olympics: “Look for me, I’ll be
the one wearing the hot-pink helmet
and crash pants!”
PAMM KERR had a festive birthday
bash in Philadelphia last year. In attendance were BARBARA SMITH DECKER, Barbara’s daughters Catherine
and Claire, JENNY BERKLEY ’76, and
Pamm’s daughter, JaQuinley, who was
performing in a world-premiere play
in Philadelphia.
JODY LISBERGER, director of women’s
studies at the University of Rhode Island, has been traveling extensively to
give exciting presentations and fiction
readings from her story collection,
Remember Love. During November,
she was writer in residence at Lyon
College in Arkansas, and she traveled to Denver to give a presentation
called “Writing Down the Body: Honing Fiction Craft, Making the Invisible Visible, the Silent Spoken” at the
National Women’s Studies Conference. This spring, she is teaching a
creative nonfiction honors course at
URI, “Women Writing Their Lives,”
featuring Jill Ker Conway and BETH
TAYLOR, among others. She invites
those of us in the Rhode Island area
to attend her readings.
LYN WEHMANN MAGNESS is happy to be
going full speed doing career coaching and talent profiling after time
spent planning Reunion and helping
her mother recuperate from a broken
leg in May. Her daughter, Sarah, is
completing the classes required for
entry into the master’s program in occupational therapy at Lenoir-Rhyne
University in North Carolina. Son
Andrew started his first job at a video production company in New York
City, and son Peter is a sophomore at
the University of Southern California,
majoring in psychology.
ADELE DURHAM ROBINETTE writes,
“Reunion was really lovely; last year
there was a level of mellowness and
kindness that seemed to permeate the
air more than in years past. Strange
and wonderful how the conversations
change over the years.” Her daughter is a junior at Boston University,
studying stage management. Adele is
class notes editor at Cornell Alumni
Magazine, but she is also busy with
qigong classes, a weekly Gurdjieff discussion group (“picture eight people
in a circle talking about nonjudgmental awareness”), contra dancing,
and violin study (“now I’m calling it
a ‘fiddle,’ though”). She had wonderful visits with JAN BARBOUR CARHART,
KAREN LIDSTONE DINGLEY, and, for the
first time in decades, KIM HESSE ’77.
STEPHANIE PEARSON ROBINSON and her
husband, Kevin, celebrated their 26th
wedding anniversary last May! Their
son, Christopher, 21, recently made the
dean’s list and is scheduled to graduate from the Art Institute of Atlanta in
May with a major in audio engineering. Stephanie is serving as a child and
adolescent mental health program director for the Georgia Department of
Behavioral Health & Developmental
Disabilities, and is “having a blast with
my e-commerce business on ZamZuu,
which teaches others how to get paid
while shopping.”
DEBBIE POZIN STANITSKI has scheduled
some very exciting ecotours. She and
her husband, Carl, journeyed to the
Galapagos Islands last November, and
headed to Antarctica in February.
SUZY TURCOTTE WATSON not only
traveled around the world in 2009,
but also met her husband, Hugh (from
Glasgow, Scotland), on that wonderful cruise! Suzy retired after selling
the bookstore she had owned for 20
years. The couple lives in Nisswa,
MN, and Suzy reports she has “never been happier.” Congratulations to
them both!
ELLEN WATTS addressed “quite an
audience” at the MIT club of Boston
about zero-net-energy buildings. Her
firm’s recent design commissions include the new Wind Technology Testing Center in Charlestown, MA, the
new LEED Gold native plant center
for the New England Wild Flower Society, a new health center for Planned
Parenthood of Massachusetts, and the
new zero-net-energy LEED Platinum
building for Keene State College. Her
son, Ethan, 20, and her daughter, Ada,
18, are studying at Kenyon College
and Tufts University, respectively.
Ellen went to the Carter Notch Hut
in the White Mountains last summer
and loved it. (Should we vote for a
destination for a class of ’75 alumnae
Mountain Day in New England?)
LLOYD LEWIS EAGAN, who works for
the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources, writes, “We survived more
flooding in Wisconsin. The dikes
around Portage, built in the 1800s,
held—barely. We’re hoping over time
to work on a more sustainable floodplain management program.”
Finally, it is with sadness that we
report the death of CAMILLE (FANCY)
CHAPUS-ROY, who died in October. The
class extends its condolences to her
friends and family members.
Thanks to all of you who sent news
for this column. We hope to hear from
all of you during the months ahead!
Send your news anytime to the e-mail
address that follows.
Secs., Carolyn Wehmann Magness,
Melissa Kline Clements, and Laura
Klann Heid, 75news@gmail.com
1976
Greetings from Philadelphia! Here
is the news that I received.
I was saddened to learn that ANNE
SCHRODER died on Dec. 23, ’10, in
North Carolina after a brief illness.
Anne was a curator and academic
program coordinator at the Nasher
Museum of Art at Duke University.
The class extends its sympathy to
Anne’s family and friends. An obituary will appear in the next issue of
the Quarterly.
CONNIE CONTANT KNAPP retired from
US Customs and Border Protection
after 34 years of service, first as an
inspector, and eventually as a supervisory import specialist in Champlain,
NY. It’s hard to believe that anyone
is retiring, since it seems like weeks
ago that we were parading around
Northampton as undergraduates!
MILA FLORO’s students in Arkansas
received a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams award, which gives them funds
to invent a walking cane that will enable emergency personnel to quickly
find lost, missing, and injured users. A
prototype design will be presented at
MIT this June. Mila received the Eureka Springs Rotary Club 2010 Annual
Vocation Award, given for her ability
to expect and receive excellence from
her students. Congratulations, Mila!
ELLE HAVERLAND SAVERINI traveled
from Italy with her rescued kitten to
winter in California. She can be found
hiking Bay Area trails and riding her
daughter’s Dutch Warmblood, and
she is tutoring part-time to pay for
carrots. Her youngest daughter is a
social activist who narrowly avoided
being arrested in the Oscar Grant
murder trial protests in Oakland,
CA, and her eldest daughter works
for Chase.
MIRIAM HYMAN is a certified life coach
and is specializing in transitions and
changes. Right now, the demand is
for career and job transitions, but she
is also interested in coaching people
going through other life transitions.
MICHELLE DOUCETTE CUNNINGHAM ’88,
Miriam, and the presidents of the
local Mount Holyoke and Wellesley
clubs created a very successful threecollege job-search event in which employed alumnae spoke to unemployed
alumnae about how to find a job in
various fields.
JENNIFER LENOX is a development officer for the United Church of Christ,
and is doing her best to promote great
opportunities for progressive faithbased entities. Her kids are Michael,
Princeton ’11; Andrew, at Skidmore
College; and Jessica, a senior in high
school.
ELISSA LICHTENSTEIN regrets that she
will miss Reunion; she is working
with the London School of Economics and Political Science to organize
a law conference on participating in
the green economy. It will take place
in London a few days after Reunion.
ANNE LOCKWOOD teaches at the Dalton School in New York City, where
she is chairing the global initiatives
committee, coaching a new faculty
member, hosting a student teacher,
planning for a major move to a new
art studio next year, and participating
on the search committee for a new
divisional director. Son Max graduated from Kenyon College in May
and is working as a copy editor for
several Websites. Son Tim is a firstyear at Skidmore College, where he
was cast as the lead in the Skidmore
TV serial show.
STEPHANIE MUDICK is an executive
vice president at JPMorgan Chase,
and has identical-twin daughters
who are 11. Soon she will find out how
wonderful teenage girls are!
CHARLOTTE MULLEN SULLIVAN moved
into a house in London, and she and
Ben commute monthly to New York.
Daughter Madeleine graduated from
Hamilton University; twins Charles
and Christopher are juniors at
Georgetown University and the College of Charleston (SC), respectively;
and daughter Catherine is a junior at
Tabor Academy, a Massachusetts
boarding school.
WINIFRED NEIDECKER CONSTABLE lives
near me in Bryn Mawr, PA. She finished her degree in sculpture and
painting at the Pennsylvania Academy
of the Fine Arts, and also returned
to medicine part-time, working in a
free clinic and part-time in a group
practice. In the summers, she travels to Uganda, where she works in
refugee camps, has started a foundation, helped to build a high school,
and, with her husband, is financing
a young orphan boy through college.
Son Luke is a senior at Duke University, Caroline is a junior at Columbia,
and Gigi is a first-year at Harvard.
LILLIAN PLINER’s father has been living
with her since the death of her mother
last year at age 96. The challenges of
elder care have been offset by the joys
of her daughters, Kate, Princeton ’14,
and Caroline, a high school junior.
Lillian is an assistant professor of
medicine and the acting director of
the division of hematology/oncology
at the University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey.
ESTHER ROTHBLUM is a professor of
women’s studies at San Diego State
University. Her book The Fat Stud-
alumnae update
ies Readerr (NYU Press, 2009) was
reviewed in the New Yorker,
r the New
York Times, Ms. magazine, the Women’s Review of Books, and many other
media in Brazil, Canada, Germany,
and the United Kingdom.
ROBIN SILVER DELOUVRIER’s consulting business continues to grow; she is
working on an exciting start-up in the
area of luxury lifestyle design for men.
She continues to consult for a South
African NGO called Design Africa,
which accompanies and promotes
African design companies in their efforts to break into the international
contemporary home furnishings and
accessories markets.
KATHY STUART met her husband in
1988 on a blind date arranged by WENDY REILLY HARRIS and has been happily
living and working in Washington,
DC, since 1989. Daughter Caroline
is a high school senior. Kathy enjoyed
seeing GAIL DUFFNEY CIRILLO, who came
to Washington for college visits and
parents’ weekends.
As for me, I am not an empty nester
any longer, since Alison, University of
North Carolina ’10, has moved home
pending finding a job. I recently enjoyed seeing my Jordan House pals
SUSAN TALSKY PASTER and JANE MURPHY
SARGENT for a little mini-reunion in
Scarsdale, NY. I look forward to our
May Reunion, and I hope to see many
of you there!
Sec., Sally Scott Moser, 301 Caversham Road, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010,
ssm301@aol.com
1977
In September, class officers GWEN
MATTLEMAN, LAURIE MACINTOSH, ISABELLA ZAGARE, and yours truly met at
Laurie’s lovely home in Milton, MA,
to begin Reunion planning. The
following day, KATE MARTIN, TERRY
KEEPNEWS LUSKIN, and ELLEN CORNELL
CULP joined us for lunch. We are hoping for a great turnout and welcome
your suggestions and any help you
can offer. Please contact Laurie, our
Reunion chair. Last fall, I also had
lunch with PENELOPE CORCORAN; she
relocated to the East Coast, and it was
wonderful catching up with her after
eight years!
“It was a night to remember and
proof positive that ‘we’ll always have
Paris,’” writes JAN VACHULE SHEEHAN
of the gathering in Washington, DC,
that brought together 15 classmates
from all over the United States and
as far away as Korea and Australia to
celebrate and remember their Smith
junior year in Paris. Joining Jan last
November were BARRETT ASHTON ANDERS, PAULETTE CASTILLO, JULIE DOLAN
SMITH, KATHY FALKENBERG SEE, MARY
HAINES, BETSY HITCHCOCK, LUCY LOOK
KAT, LINDA KOURY DUCRUET, NANCY NEWMAN, ALEXANDRA PIERSON STOECKLEIN,
SUSAN SIVARD, CORINNE SMITH, CORALEE
VAN EGMOND, and ANN WILSON FORSYTHSMITH, as well as six “honorary Smithies” from other colleges. Jan writes,
Class of ’72 friends reunite in Nice, France, to reminisce about
their junior year abroad and celebrate their 60th birthdays and
40 years of friendship. Pictured, from left to right, are Nancy
Schwartz, Pam Fuhrer Goodhue, Kathy Riechel (Tufts ’72), Carol
Pearson, Anne Gordon, Ellen Maloff Case, and Carmen Valenzuela
Nakassis.
“The soirée began with squeals of joy
to see each other again. I put together
a video and photo montage chronicling our adventures in France, and
presented a written greeting from
our directeur, James Sacré, whom
we found on Facebook and discovered is retired in Montpellier, France.
Linda composed a hilarious poem. ALICE COBB PARTE called from France to
join the fun, and LISA RUFFIN HARRISON
joined the group for brunch the next
day. What an unforgettable gathering
it was.” Linda writes, “I can smell the
air of Aix, see the light of Provence,
and feel the crunch of gravel in the
Reid Hall courtyard; most importantly, I remember how every moment
during that year was once in a lifetime
. . . after so many years, we could get
together for one evening, and the
magic was there all over again!”
FLORENCE QUINN moved to Westport,
CT, with her husband, Eric, and son,
Maxwell. Flo writes, “We love being
in New England and near the Long Island Sound; I grew up in Connecticut,
so it’s a bit of ‘back to my roots’ for
me. HARRIET MADOFF and her husband,
Skip, and MARCIA GRAHAM MONAGAN ’78
and her husband, Charlie, have been
over for dinner.”
JANIS HENDRICKSON MINK is enjoying
an even mix of work, play, and family.
“I am sculling on the Mystic River,
competing in fall head races, and
coaching sculling at a local YMCA.”
She is a professor of art history at
Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic. Daughter Louisa
is a junior at Columbia; Janis’ mother,
who turns 90 this year, lives with her.
PAULA HEROLD and KATE LEAR ’79 are
co-producers of Catch Me If You
Can, opening on Broadway on April
10. MARDEE BROWN and SUSAN TRESPALACIOS GARDINER ’78 plan to be there
on opening night to cheer them on.
LISA RUFFIN HARRISON was delighted
to make the mini-reunion celebrating their junior year in Paris, and she
sends thanks to Jan, “who tirelessly
put together a hilarious and very nostalgic video montage for the gang—
which is frightening evidence that
the mid-’70s were a fashion nadir for
the average college female.” Lisa and
husband Jimmy live in Virginia, where
Lisa is a real estate broker and does
freelance work for Southern Accents
magazine. She has published two
books: Leonard Tharp: An American Style of Flower Arrangement
and Weddings Southern Style. Her
daughter Elizabeth works in New
York for Talking Points Memo, a political blog. Daughter Catherine is in
her second year at the University of
Virginia, and Fielding is a senior at
Episcopal High School of Virginia.
Last May, Lisa stayed with JULIE DOLAN
SMITH, who moved to Dallas. She also
had a great time seeing ANN WILSON
FORSYTH-SMITH.
BARRETT ASHTON ANDERS lives in
Seoul, South Korea, with her husband,
Scott, and Freckles, her 13-year-old
beagle. She retired from teaching
French and has taken up the Korean
language and traditional brushwork
painting. Barrett also has a license in
kyong-nahk,
k a relaxation practice for
mind and body health maintenance.
She was thrilled to attend the November mini-reunion in Washington, DC.
Her youngest daughter, Mary, is with
Teach for America in Hawaii.
SOPHIE MIRO POMPEA is vice president
of business development with Trusted
Insight, an online marketplace for the
alternative investment community.
She has been married to Frank for almost 25 years and says, “Our 9-yearold son, Ambrose, continues to amaze
us; he keeps us young!”
KATIE HUFF OBERLIN writes, “I have
had a busy year expanding my
healing-touch practice by offering
weekend retreats titled ‘Women’s
Weekend of Wellness’ in addition to
individual sessions and workshops. I
have enjoyed connecting more often
with Smith friends, including PEG JORDAN MERZBACHER, AVERY HUGHES, ANNE
DEATLY, KATHARINE CALDWELL PARSONS,
and MARY LOUISE SCULLY ’78.”
Last October, KATE MARTIN and her
husband, along with a guide, cook,
and four porters, hiked the Inca Trail
to Machu Picchu. It was a four-day
adventure that covered 27 miles of
hilly terrain and 7,000 feet of a vertical climb. Kate says, “The experience
was surreal!”
JESSICA ANDRUS LINDSTROM is head of
the parent-teacher organizations of
two elementary schools in Jackson,
WY, teaches in the district, and works
as an independent college counselor.
“I also recently had a couple of poems and articles accepted by local and
national magazines. Last fall, I took
a two-week trip to Germany, where
I visited longtime friends and was
delighted to immerse myself in the
language and culture again. I have
a fifth-grade daughter and an 11thgrade son.”
SARAH DINKLAGE’s oldest child, Ben, is
a junior at the University of Rochester; middle son Gabe is a first-year at
Connecticut College; and the youngest, Rachel, entered high school. Sarah gets together regularly with CATHY
ALLEN ABBOT ’78.
ANNE GRANGER WINCHESTER visited
friends in Ireland and England last
summer. She says, “I can’t begin to
recount the wonderful adventures we
had in Castletownshend, Ireland, as
well as in Woolacombe and Budleigh
Salterton, England.”
WREN WITHERS , a software tech
writer, visited KATHY FALKENBERG SEE
at her Colorado home, where Wren
was treated to a peek into the country
life. They visited the Black Canyon of
the Gunnison National Park.
Sec., Sandy MacGregor O’Brien,
70 Apple Blossom Lane, Lynn, MA
01904, smobrien5@gmail.com
1978
Lots of interesting connections (and
some unsettling events as well) going
on with our class this time. Facebook
(via CATHY ZEMAN SCHEINESON ’79)
brought out the connection between
our son, Adrian, in his senior year
and co-captain of Brown University’s
squash team, and Chip, first-year son
of MARGOT STEINBERG LEBOVITZ ’79. I
had met Chip while at Brown’s parents’ weekend last fall. So, that brings
me to the topic of social networking:
What do you think about it? Are we
more connected or less? Do you prefer
social networking on the Internet or
in person, or . . . ?
After 13 years, JUNE ALMENOFF decided to leave her role as vice president at GlaxoSmithKline to work in
a small, publicly traded pharmaceutical company. She is now president
and chief medical officer of Furiex
Pharmaceuticals. She loves the new
role and is very optimistic about
the company’s future. Her older
son, Andrew, graduated from Duke
University last spring and is now in
graduate school in economics there.
Her younger son, Robert, started his
first year at Harvard. Her husband,
Allen Kindman, is a clinical professor
of medicine at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill and practices
cardiology near Durham, NC. They
will celebrate their 31st wedding anniversary this year!
CELESTIA (BETH) LINDECKE KOHL sends
in this news: “Russ and I are well and
happy in Wilton, CT. We love traveling to Boston regularly to see Max
(Trinity ’10), who recently moved
there, is working in e-commerce,
and loving the post-college urban
life. It reminds me so much of moving to New York City in June of 1978
and all the fun we had. Also, we have
many happy memories watching Celia (Harvard ’13) row on the Charles
River; I have told the story many times
of how we rowed at the Head of the
Charles in our cotton Champion
shorts and yellow basketball pinnies
in wooden boats—not a speck of
spandex. It remains an exciting sport,
and I hope to get back in a boat in the
sprint. I am working with USRowing
to bring in corporate financial and
marketing support, and I am launching a new consultancy, Open Water
Group, which is working on women’s
health and sports initiatives. The best
part of going to Boston is reconnecting with LISLE MERRIMAN HALL and
MELANIE CALZETTI-SPAHR and reliving
our Northrop days. Too much fun.”
ALETA BORRUD shares, “I was very
excited by geology, oceanography,
and the new theories of plate tectonics when we were at Smith. But I got
distracted by sociology, and through
a long, convoluted path, I ended up
as a physician.”
JAN VAN DER VOORT PORTMAN sends
in this news: “Hoping to cross paths
with LISA BOE MASON ’77 sometime, as
she lives in Big Timber, MT. It’s a hike
from our place in the Blackfoot Valley,
near a tiny town called Ovando, but
perhaps we will cross paths out there.
Our place is small compared to some
of the neighboring ranches but big
enough to lease out for cows and some
hay and some hunting. The conservation and economic issues are big and
interesting in that part of the world.
We are working with the state and the
University of Montana on stream restoration, best forestry practices, weed
control, and wildlife reintroduction
(trying not to get caught up in the wolf
debate right now but did get to release
a trumpeter swan over the summer).
Our youngest, 16, went to Interlochen
Arts Academy High School last fall—
early empty nesting for us.”
Here are a few reminders for you:
Please send any address changes directly to the Alumnae Association or
make the changes yourself in the online Alumnae Directory. Also, please
contact ANNIE DE GROOT, class Fund
agent, about hosting a Fulfill the Potential event. You may contact Annie
via the 1978 Smith College Facebook
Page. There are several events that
need hosts for 2011 to meet our goal
of raising $100,000.
Your news is always welcome. Thank
you all for taking the time to share
your news with us.
Sec., Stephanie Urban, 2560 South
Garfield Street, Denver, CO 80210,
sburban@hotmail.com
1979
LEE CRAWFORD has been part of a
team working with the clergy and
lay leaders of the Episcopal Church
of Haiti. Three of four conferences
were held in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, where the Haitians
could rest and be in a safe and nonchaotic place. The team, sponsored
by CREDO of the Church Pension
Group, has tackled topics such as
post-traumatic stress, triggers, loss
and grief, working in a “new normal,”
team building, and how to observe the
anniversary of the event. Lee has been
in charge of all liturgy and workshops
on spirituality. She was chosen for
her pastoral experience and fluency
in Spanish and French. Lee and her
partner, Anne Brown, finished walking the 273-mile Long Trail that runs
south to north over the spine of the
Green Mountains in Vermont.
Last August, after a phenomenal
35-year mini-reunion with Geneva
women friends from school, JENNY
STAUFFER visited with JENNY GROSVENOR ’80 in Stowe, VT. Jenny has
two children in college instate, and
a 10th grader “in morph” to young
adulthood. She has been in Georgia
for 20 years. After eight years solo, she
celebrated four years in a committed
relationship. Her work in state government’s aging services continues
to provide opportunities to do more
with less to support elders in quality
living, independence, and community
living. Jenny would love to hear from
Smith friends.
Last August, SUSAN JANSEN and
17-year-old daughter Hadley climbed
Mount Kilimanjaro. The climb was
inspired by Susan’s mother, ELIZABETH
HOLT JANSEN ’49, with whom Susan
had a similar experience in Asia many
years ago. They dedicated the climb
to Jansen Hospice and Palliative Care,
an organization founded by Susan’s
mother. Susan and Hadley also coordinated a fundraising program using
Facebook: Climb for Care.
KATE SIEGEL OLENA spent 27 days in
Kyoto, Japan, studying the ancient art
of Noh theater with three masters of
the art. She reports it changed her life!
Her ensign son married another ensign last June. His Annapolis sponsor,
SANDY GROSVENOR, spent her one free
weekend (from judging sailing races
and competing in triathlons) with the
Olenas in Alexandria, VA.
MICHELLE JARUSIEWICZ from Hopkins
B writes, “Just returned a few days
ago from my first trip to Smith for
family weekend as a parent. My oldest daughter, LAUREN COWING ’14, is
enjoying her first semester in Cushing. I don’t remember things like slip
and slide in the hallway or a Quad
food riot . . . but I had a wonderful
time enjoying the campus, the theater production Polaroid Stories, and
Northampton!”
A news bit in the Quarterlyy inspired
MARY GIFFORD LOCKER to reconnect
with Smith friends through Facebook. Mary has been married to Karl,
a Notre Dame grad, for 20 years; they
have four children. She homeschools
the youngest three, which keeps her
very busy and happy. After graduating, Mary went to Washington, DC,
and worked for a Texas senator for
two years. Back in Texas, she migrated
to the high-tech field. She married,
moved to Dallas for 10 years, and
worked for Mobil until baby No. 3
finally made her listen to her yearnings to stay home and concentrate
on the kids. Mary earned a master’s
in theology and occasionally gives
a talk around town. She is happily
back in the Austin area, sort of out
in the country yet not too far from
megashopping (for the teenage girls
in the family). She says, “Please visit
if you ever get close!”
CHERYL FROMULARO SPEAR left the
management world behind to follow
a dream and write. For the first time
in more than 30 years she spent the
summer at home (with her 16-yearold daughter), lazed by the pool, did
sporadic yard work, and drank good
wine without worrying about the rat
race. Cheryl says, “The book is almost
done. I found myself in a job that I did
spectacularly well, surrounded by awful people, and I was working my feet
off. I was bone tired all the time, my
kid never saw me, and my dogs were
neurotic. Hell, I was neurotic. I live in
a lovely place, and never had time to
enjoy it. I reconnected with friends,
went dancing, listened to good music,
and generally learned to relax again.
Life is good here in Gulf Breeze, FL.”
DONNA LEE renewed her commitment as an oblate of the Benedictine
Sisters of Erie, PA, and renewed her
acquaintance with a stepsister she
hadn’t seen in more than 30 years.
She works for the Autism Society of
Maine and is training to be a hospice
volunteer. She continues as a lector,
sacristan, and extraordinary minister
at her parish church in Ellsworth, ME.
“Four weddings and a funeral” has
been SUE HOAG BADEAU’s theme since
her last Quarterly update: Four children got married in a two-year span.
Each of the weddings was unique, personal, and reflective of each bride and
groom, she says. Sue’s mother died
of leukemia, and son Dylan died on
his 24th birthday on Sept. 9, ’10.
Between the weddings and funerals, Sue has been working on issues
in foster care, traveling throughout
the country training social workers,
lawyers, and judges on issues of youth
development, importance of lifelong
family connections, and the impact of
trauma on the development of infant
brains. Her youngest son turned 20.
Her flock now includes 30 grandchil-
dren and four great-grandchildren.
Her 9-year-old granddaughter performed in the Pennsylvania Ballet’s
production of The Nutcracker.
r Sue
travels and would like to have dinner
with a Smith sister.
As for me, your class secretary, my
daughter is a senior at SUNY Geneseo, and my youngest son is a firstyear at West Point.
Sec., Elaine Eatroff McConnell,
laineybeth2@juno.com
1980
ANNE FRANCES BLEECKER and her
daughter, Anne, spent Thanksgiving
week with MARY TROY BERNARD JOHNSTON and her daughter, Bri, in Park
City, UT.
JENNIFER BROWN MITTEREDER’s husband, Dave, recently launched his new
business, ShipShapeUSA, which sells
Christmas stocking-shaped mailing
boxes. Jennifer is helping out with
marketing and public relations.
Kudos to CARRIE COLEMAN STRASBURGER, about whom there is an article in this issue (page 34) featuring
the math curriculum she is writing.
Don’t miss it!
GINNY DOTY WOLF recently launched
her new business, a theatrical company called Herstory Theater. Her first
production, Panic in Connecticut:
Accused Witches Have Their Say, is
a one-woman show that Ginny wrote,
produced, and performs. She has a
weekly radio show on Connecticut
arts and entertainment, a budding
voice-over career, and gives tours at
the Mark Twain House & Museum
in Hartford. Daughter Annie is doing an internship at the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon, FL, and
son Alex is a junior at Western New
England College, majoring in communications.
ANNE EATON enjoys working for a
Rolls-Royce and Goodrich joint venture, which offers all the benefits of
a small company with the backing of
two respected corporations. Her sons
are scattered: William is in Park City,
UT; Chris is finishing a graduate assistant program at Northern Arizona
University in Flagstaff; and youngest
son David is at St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy in Wisconsin
and starting the college process. She
also has three stepsons.
SARALEE (TAFFY) FRENCH ETTER, husband Terry, and son Clayton live near
Columbus, OH, where she has started
working part-time as a communications coordinator at Central Ohio
Technical College; it fits in nicely with
her other part-time job of writing articles for local weekly papers about the
public school district. Taffy’s dream
is to have a career as a fiction author.
HEATHER GRADY shares, “The organization I’ve been with since 2005,
Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, founded by former Irish president Mary Robinson,
is coming to its planned end, and I
alumnae update
have taken on a new role at the Rockefeller Foundation as vice president of
foundation initiatives. It’s a position
of great scope and depth, and I’m already greatly enjoying it.” Heather’s
daughter Jemana is in her sophomore
year at Reed College in Portland, OR,
and younger daughter Amina is a
sophomore at Friends Seminary in
New York.
ELLEN GREENSPAN’s daughter is in the
throes of applying to colleges (first
choice is Pitzer, near Los Angeles).
Ellen adds, “Her high school has brilliantly done away with second-semester classes during senior year—that
semester we all know to be a big waste,
anyway. Kids have the choice of going
on the school’s program to Israel for
three months or doing a supervised
internship at home. My daughter is
very excited about going to Israel, and
I am excited to be visiting her in April
during her spring break.”
CYNTHIA (CAL) LESCALLEET LOKKEN
and husband Roald are adjusting to
having launched the second of three
children off to college. Daughter Erica
graduates from Tufts University this
year, son Neil is a first-year at Northwestern University, and high schooler
Elaine is still at home. Cal’s job as features editor and columnist continues
to shift from conducting interviews
of interesting people to being deskbound for information processing.
MELANIE HASTINGS LIGHT’s documentary photography nonprofit, Fotovision, recently invited SANDRA ROSEN
’87 to join its board. As a fundraiser
for the organization, Melanie released
the publication of a special-edition
boxed set of Beatles photographs
done by Stephen Goldblatt. At press
time, it was nearly sold out.
AMY MACDONALD’s son, Benjamin, is
a first-year at Bates College, his first
choice, and could not be happier. Amy
has commiserated with numerous
classmates about the college-selection process, a challenge for many of
us. She regularly sees CATHERINE EMMONS and JEAN CUMMINGS ’81 at her
book club.
ANNE NYGREN DOHERTY signed the
lease on a black-box theater in the
Union Square area of San Francisco.
Her company, Not Quite Opera Productions (she is artistic director), does
original musical theater and shows
that are not quite opera in an intimate theater setting, which she says
appeals to locals and tourists alike.
Her daughter, Elizabeth, 15, attends
the Drew School in San Francisco,
while son Trevor, 19, is a junior at
the Juilliard School.
ANORA SUTHERLAND happily reports
that she is co-authoring Social Media
for Business with Martin Brossman.
As a micropublisher, she is also working on two print-on-demand publications: Grey Fox Wilderness Stories
by wilderness mentor Andy Smith,
and Media Ready, Media Savvy by
media expert and writer Alison Hill.
Enjoying a mini-reunion in Philadelphia are class of ’82 Friedman
apartment complex roommates, back row, Lettie Moses Carr and
Francene Hill, and front row, Robina Gumbs and Annette CatoMiller.
Anora’s son Jason graduated from college this past December. She adds,
“My husband, Martin [McGaha], is
my partner in exploring the new edges
of technology with me. Facebook is
weaving the disparate parts of my life
together.”
AMY LORD WILKINSON made the move
to the nonprofit world two years ago
as a grant writer helping to raise
money for Domus, the largest social
service organization in Stamford,
CT. She notes, “Our 800-plus program participants are the youth that
others do not want to serve, as these
kids have severe academic, social,
and emotional challenges. Through
two charter schools, after-school
programs, a community center, and
two residential group homes for boys,
Domus brings hope and help to those
who need it the most and have the
least resources.” Amy’s son, David, is
working at Beacon Capital Partners
as an acquisitions analyst, and her
daughter is attending Boston University’s master of arts in the medical
sciences program in the hopes that it
will pave the way to medical school.
Thanks, everyone, for sending in
your news. Keep it coming!
Sec., Eda Martin Joyce, 3909 Blackthorn Street, Chevy Chase, MD
20815, eda.joyce@att.net
1981
We are quickly approaching our—
gulp!—30th Reunion, so we hope
you are making plans to return to
Northampton and encouraging your
pals to do the same. Many of you
wrote to us saying that you will be
there. Reunion chair DONNA FETTUCCIA
TEMPLETON writes, “Mark your calendars for May 19 to May 22 to renew,
revive, and reunite back at Smith,” and
she encourages you to look for classmates on Facebook: Smith College
Class of 81, or on Wordpress: Smith
Class of 81. Donna and her team will
be reaching out to you through many
different avenues as we get closer, so
please start making plans to come.
Class president IVY LINDSTROM
FREDERICKS writes that she recently
enjoyed a mini-reunion with NATALIE
RIZZO JOHNSON, DONNA ATTANASIO, and
MARJORY ZAIK in New York City, where
they celebrated Marjory’s selection
as a master teacher and turnaround
teacher of English in the New York
City school system. Marjory, who now
teaches at Automotive High School in
Brooklyn, was identified as an “exceptional educator” based on her 11-year
teaching record in New York.
Also working in secondary education, MARGOT RILEY reports that she
is in her 23rd year of working in this
field, having spent the last 18 years at
Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, ME.
Margot completed her CAS degree
through the University of Maine in
2010, while also working as a chief
financial officer at Lincoln for the last
five years, a position that she found to
be a “real roller-coaster ride.” Margot
adds, “All that work in design at Smith
paid off after all,” as she has designed
her own home and is now at the end
of a “two-year journey in home construction.”
Following a career in school administration, JOANNA PARKER EVANS
continues in her second year in the
admissions office at the Storm King
School in New York. Joanna’s family
is currently spread across four schools
in four states. Husband Michael is at
the Indiana University School of Journalism, and their twin sons are each
high school seniors, one at Deerfield
Academy in Massachusetts, and the
other at the White Mountain School
in New Hampshire. Last summer,
Joanna and her family enjoyed a vacation in Iceland filled “with adventures such as snorkeling in the valley
where the North American and European tectonic plates come together,
whitewater rafting, hiking, soaking
in hot springs, kayaking, and whale
watching.” Joanna hopes to make it
to Reunion despite a hectic calendar
of travel and graduations.
After 22 years of working at Bates
College, BETH SHEPPARD has a new
job as director of development at the
Cedars, a nonprofit community for
senior citizens in Portland, ME.
MARTHA WALLACE THOMAS reports
that her daughter, EMILY THOMAS ’14,
is enjoying her first year at Smith and
singing with the Smithereens. Martha was able to enjoy “the wonderful
traditions that continue to be carried
on at the college” when she joined her
daughter and the Smithereens at an
informal gig during Family Weekend
when they sang “Softly.”
SUSAN GOODMAN NOVICK and husband
David spent last spring semester in
Metz, France, where David taught
at a Georgia Institute of Technology
campus. While abroad, Susan participated in an “Among Women” trip of
Seven Sisters alumnae to Bangladesh
and India in January, after which she
visited KATE BULKLEY in London. The
Novicks also traveled for three weeks
to the French Alps, Brittany, and Normandy before returning home, where
Susan continues to run an archival
consulting business.
JULIE METZ writes that she is now living in Brooklyn, NY, with her family,
focusing more on writing since the
publication of her memoir, Perfection
(Hyperion, 2009). She continues to
work as a graphic designer and artist and “recently reconnected with
classmates from Hubbard House and
Hover House.”
JANICE JULIAN writes that she has
been enjoying her work with Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries
in Boston for six years and continues
to live on Revere Beach. She has been
battling end-stage kidney failure, and
says that with an eventual kidney
transplant forecast, she has become
more health conscious and has lost
47 pounds, walking three miles a day.
Finally, we note with sadness the
passing of AMY DOPPELT in Dec. ’10
after a valiant two-year battle with
cancer. Please look for Amy’s obituary
in the next issue.
As we approach our 30th Reunion
in May, please reach out to other
classmates, especially those you may
not have seen or talked to in a while,
and encourage them to make the trek
back. Old friends, new friends, or just
little-known acquaintances—let’s
make this journey together, sharing
our stories and our joys as well as
our tears. We have all come a long
way since 1981—let’s celebrate together who we have become in those
30 years and the importance of our
Smith connections. Looking forward
to it. Faithfully, your class secretaries.
Sec., Mary Louise Wagner, 5458
30th Street NW, Washington, DC
20015, marylouisewagner@aol.
com
Sec., Gigi Pooley Helliwell, 620 Lafayette Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222,
ghelliwell@verizon.net
1982
Greetings from your class co-secretary NANCY DAVIS O’HARA. “I crossed
the 50-year finish line in June, glad to
have made and seen the day. My hus-
band, John, and I drove 2,300 miles
from Las Vegas around the Grand
Circle through Utah, Colorado, New
Mexico, and Arizona, visiting the
Grand Canyon and just about every
national and state park, monument,
and point of interest along the way.
The Red Rock Country scenery is
magnificent and breathtaking (literally, coming from Rhode Island and
being at elevations of up to 9,000
feet above sea level, we did experience mild altitude sickness). I thought
long and hard about putting back on
my geology hat, staying out West, and
becoming a park ranger!”
LISA CAVALEA KLINEFELTER, husband
Ken, and sons Cameron, 10, and
Chad, 14 (and already 6 feet 1 inch
tall), got together and had a wonderful day with JANICE LAPOINTE at
Tanglewood in Massachusetts for
a picnic and the James Taylor and
Carole King concert on July 4. Lisa
writes, “After a 27-year stint, I was
outsourced from AT&T in Feb. ’09
and have since been with Accenture,
working on the AT&T account. I still
have an office in White Plains, NY,
but love working mostly from home
in Bethel, CT.”
SHAWNA LLOYD MULLEN and JANE
CURTIS NIEUWBOER ’83 met over the
summer in Chicago and again in
York Village, ME. Shawna says, “We
had a wonderful time eating lobster
and reminiscing, particularly laughing (for some reason) about shared
college phones kept on long tethers
in the hallway. My daughter, Isabelle,
is now 15 and loves photography and
tennis, taking after her father in all
things. I am finishing a master’s degree in communications management
at Simmons College, working for a
nonprofit and loving it.”
PAMELA PADDOCK writes, “My twin
children, Katherine and Samuel, are in
third grade at the Calhoun School in
New York City. I continue my position
as a senior vice president in corporate
solutions with Jones Lang LaSalle. My
client is Pfizer, where I am part of the
senior leadership team delivering real
estate services to a 13-million-squarefoot global portfolio. When not busily
pursuing weekday life in New York
City, we head to our home in Connecticut to relax a bit.”
ERICA FRANK is having an amazing
time with her nonprofit, Health Sciences Online, and writes, “We are
currently helping to start and sustain schools of dentistry, medicine,
nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy,
public health, and speech-language
pathology in the Caribbean, China,
Colombia, India, Kenya, Nepal,
South Africa, and Zambia. Our global
launch for a health sciences university
in 2012 will have at least six residency
programs; 30 medicine, public health,
nursing, and dentistry courses and rotations; and three master’s degrees—
all high quality, community-based,
and free. We have some Smithies
Class of ’84 friends, from left to right, Cari Kelly Grundman,
Susan Zilling Albright, and Anne Tobian Berman at Susan’s
wedding.
involved, but we’d love more.”
SUZI SCHIFFER PARRASCH, ELYSE LAZANSKY, and ELIZA BUSCH BARGE figured the best way to mark their 50th
birthdays would be to do it together
and to raise a glass of really good red.
Suzi writes, “In August, Elyse and I
flew from New York to San Francisco,
where Liza whisked us up to Napa for
three days of bliss. We stayed at the
guesthouse on the Dutch Henry Winery estate, talked nonstop, laughed
hysterically (especially at photos of
Gardiner House mixers), raised multiple glasses of wine, ate incredibly
well, took a magnificent bike tour of
seven small vineyards (on mercifully
flat ground, given all the tastings), and
generally luxuriated in the fact that we
had accomplished our goal and gotten
a mini-break from our families (much
as we love them).”
SARAH DUFFY
Y writes, “My twin brother and I threw ourselves a party at our
parents’ place on Lake Champlain in
Vermont. Family and old friends, including ALICIA VLACHOS WYMAN, gathered on a warm, sunny July 3 to enjoy swimming, boating, yard games,
fireworks, and karaoke! It was a blast,
but somewhat bittersweet because we
know our aging parents will have to
move from there in the near future.”
CHRIS DESHLER writes, “I celebrated
my 50th birthday last October in a big
way: on top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the
world’s tallest freestanding mountain
and the fourth highest of the world’s
seven summits. After climbing for
eight days, I reached the 19,340-foot
summit on my actual birthday feeling strong and healthy—proof that
I am more fit at 50 than I ever was
in college.”
Class co-president KATHARINE SWIBOLD writes, “SUZANNE KOURY BRAG’s
family put on a fabulous 50th bash
last August in Westport, CT, where
I had an absolute blast with CAROLYN
BUNN STEWART, MARY BETH SIPOS, CYNTHIA COPELAND, OLGA SCHLUGER PRINCE,
FRANCISZKA MONARSKI, and ELIZABETH
SHAW. I continue to enjoy working in
the development office at Barnard in
New York City. It is an adjustment to
be working full-time again outside the
home and commuting into the city,
but with my son, Adam, a junior at
Skidmore (an American studies major), and daughter Hannah, a senior
at Sleepy Hollow High School (in
the throes of college applications), it
was time to go back to work full-time.
Plans for our 30th Reunion are in full
swing for May ’12; I look forward to
another great time on campus with as
many classmates as possible!”
ELIZABETH (LIBBY) SWEARENGEN CERULLO writes, “I participated in the
current middle-aged female cliché by
getting a Triumph Speedmaster motorcycle for my 50th birthday. When
home, my husband and I ride the rolling hills of pastoral Pennsylvania near
Lancaster, and we recently rented
Harleys for a ride from Phoenix to
Sedona, AZ. Our next is a trip from
Naples to Key West, FL. And no, my
motorcycle is not red. Here’s to the
great adventure!”
Many thanks again for news, and
stay well.
Sec., Nancy Davis O’Hara, 17 Merrill Road, Cranston, RI 02920,
ndoesq@aol.com
Sec., Jody Brockelman Tolan, 1591
Oakdale Street, Pasadena, CA
91106, jodybt@aol.com
1983
JILL SPRUNG ALEXANDER ’83 writes
that she has “finally joined Jay in London for our three-year stay. We live
in central London, two blocks from
the South Kensington Tube station,
with room for guests. So, any Smithies
in London, please e-mail me. We are
keeping our house in the Washington, DC, suburbs. Casey is still loving
Colorado College and all the activities
that the Rockies have to offer. Allie
loved her fall semester in London as
a first-year.”
“The Smith College network continues to be wonderful,” notes DEBORAH SPEER WATSON, who has certainly
seen a lot of alumnae. She writes,
“As a Wells Fargo managing director
working with large corporate clients
in the Pacific Northwest, I find myself
traveling more since the Wachovia
merger. On a trip to New York City,
I enjoyed breakfast with FLORIE SEERY
just hours before she launched the
preview of the play The Pitmen Painters. JULIE GLICKSTEIN RUVKUN ’82 and
I had two lovely dinners together
in New York City last year, and she
brought the whole family out to visit
the Seattle area. Last June, SUSAN PODMAYER MCGLEW visited with her family
and did a comprehensive tour of our
beautiful region. All three of those
Smith women have successful daughters in college now. JULIE BOLZ and I
secured a lunch date when she was
dropping off her nieces and nephews
for Camp Orkila on the same day that
my daughters, Emily, 12, and Kendra,
10, were going. BETSY MINDEN ’78 and
I recently strategized over lunch on
how to recruit an engineering candidate we know for Smith. I heard
from LIBBY COLE MIHALKA ’82, who is
juggling a successful investment management business and a high-energy
son in kindergarten. LUISA MOTTEN has
made time for some fun travel. SARAH
HARTWELL PENNYWITT and I recently
worked together on several large client proposals. I enjoy seeing MARTHA
PHELPS ’87, president of the Seattle
Smith club, at the activities that our
seventh-grade daughters share.”
JANE CURTIS NIEUWBOER is happy that
friend SHAWNA LLOYD MULLEN ’82 unearthed her through the Smith network a couple of years ago. She writes
that they went to York Harbor, ME,
for some important girl time, awash
in lobster and steamers and a surfeit
of butter. Jane says, “At home, I am
living at the edge of all things empty
nester, having waved my daughter off
last summer to a database systems
management job in the Netherlands
(where we lived years ago), while trying to gently compel my son to finish
his college applications, quick. (He
is playing Tony in West Side Story,
so I am proud even as I am pushy.)
It is a strange and wondrous place to
be in life, with new beginnings, not
only for them but also for me, as I
ponder what I might like to do next.
My husband and I plan to stay and
enjoy Chicago for at least a few more
years, despite the inevitable forecast
of endless winter. Never let it be said
that I was made soft by so many years
living in the South!”
After completing a master’s in
public policy and management at
Carnegie Mellon University, SILVANA
SOLANO has been working for the last
12 years in Washington, DC, at the
Office of Management and Budget.
She writes, “It has been a fascinating
and sometimes disillusioning view of
the intersection of policy and politics
that is at the heart of the federal budget process. I’ve been spending some
time thinking about how to get more
‘life’ into the ever-elusive work-life
balance conundrum which plagues so
many of us today. As part of a muchneeded extended break from work
this past summer, I enjoyed a short,
alumnae update
impromptu trip to Northampton,
visiting with old friends and touring
the Smith campus while it was still
quiet before the arrival of students.
I particularly enjoyed viewing EMILY EVELETH YOUNG’s exhibit of her
fabulous paintings and drawings of
doughnuts at Smith’s Museum of
Art—‘Luscious’ indeed.”
JULIE BARNES is completing a postdoctoral program in psychoanalysis
at New York University this spring.
She received her clinical psychology doctorate in the ’90s, and has
had a private practice in Greenwich
Village in New York City ever since.
She writes that she and her husband
bought a “handyman’s special” house
for weekends in Long Island, and they
are up to their ears in renovations.
She is looking for a new teaching gig
due to the closure of her local hospital, St. Vincent Catholic Medical
Centers, where she taught and supervised young psychiatrists for 12
years. She writes, “It’s a terrible loss
for me personally, as it was not only
my local hospital, but also my intellectual home.”
We were glad to hear from NATHALIE
ROOS FORSTER for the first time since
graduation! Here are 25 years in
a nutshell: “I married my college
sweetheart, Kevin, and we have two
children. We live in Freeport, ME.
My daughter is Emily Forster ’12. She
loves Smith and is currently in Geneva
for her junior year abroad. My son,
Benjamin, is a senior in high school,
making his way through the college
application process. After Smith, I
earned my master’s degree in immunology from the University of Southern Maine, and have worked in the
biotech industry for the last 20 years.
I am the product development manager at Maine Biotechnology Services
in Portland. We are an antibody discovery company, and I have the privilege of heading up our research and
development group and collaborating
with distinguished researchers in the
development of antibody reagents. I
have one of the best jobs imaginable!
I have remained in contact with RUTH
MURPHY, MARIA SHELZI DEL RIO ’81, ANNE
HAFER ’85, and REBECCA WOODINGS ’83.
Anne and husband Mike, daughter
Abby, and son Larkin came to visit us
last summer as Larkin started his college search. Has time really passed by
this quickly? Would love to hear from
any of my Haven/Wesley friends!”
Thanks to everyone who contributed; please think about writing soon
if you haven’t recently. And thanks to
classmates for all of their warm wishes
to me (Shirley) about Rally Day.
Sec., Carole Murko,
carole@boulderwoodgroup.com
Sec., Shirley Sagawa,
baersagawa@comcast.com
1984
Happy spring! I have lots of news to
share, so let’s get right to it!
1985
At a family gathering in the Adirondacks are three generations of
Smith women. From left to right are Caroline von Herrmann ’14,
Katharine von Herrmann ’11, Anne von Herrmann ’91, Mary von
Herrmann ’85, and Mary Turner von Herrmann ’52.
First up is news from my good friend
She
writes that she is continuing to enjoy
her time off, spending the better part
of six weeks last fall in Europe visiting
friends and family, returning just in
time to watch the Giants win the 2010
World Series. She is looking forward
to a Presidents’ Day weekend minireunion with Smith friends from the
class of ’86: AMANDA FOOTE SCHMIDT,
HEIDI WEITZ SIEGEL, and DEBORAH WESS,
while also starting to scheme about a
trip to New Zealand. She says she is
not yet feeling the urge to find a job.
ROBIN LLOYD writes, “I am now the
news editor, online, for Scientific
American—a really fun job. And I
was elected to the board of the National Association of Science Writers. I spent a day gallivanting around
New York City last summer with SUSAN BECKER AZIZ. We had a marvelous
day and talked until we were hoarse.”
MARIA DUBECK MCGRATH shares
the following news: “I always have
thought that Smith prepares you for
anything and everything: I have been
a travel agent, a stay-at-home mom,
and am now a reading specialist in a
public middle school. (I did get my
master’s in education in Philadelphia.) My daughter is a sophomore at
Clemson University, and my boys are
15 and 13 and preparing for the college application process. My hope is
that everyone can follow their dream
and find their passion.”
At press time, LINDA ACHEY KIDWELL
was planning to travel to Pasadena,
CA, for New Year’s Day to watch her
daughter, Tracy, march in the Tournament of Roses Parade! Tracy plays the
baritone in the Wyoming High School
All State Marching Band. She says,
“True, it’s marginally news about me,
but I’ve been a huge fan of the parade
my whole life, so I’m pretty excited!”
JULIE GRANT returned to the United
States for a State Department assignment in Washington, DC, following
15 years of consecutive overseas assignments. The most recent tour was
in Melbourne, Australia, where she
served as deputy consul general. As
work permitted, she welcomed visitors, including her Smith suitemate
SHERRILL MAC DONALD LAVAGNINO.
DEBORAH GLIKIN ’85. Julie also ran into
other Smithies in Australia, including
US Consul General JUDITH RYAN FERGIN
’73, who is currently the US Ambassador to Timor-Leste.
CARI KELLY GRUNDMAN sends greetings from New Hope, PA. “Can’t believe we’ve been here for 11 years already. Tom and I have two daughters,
ages 16 and 11, and they keep us quite
busy. Emily, our oldest, had a basketball tournament in a Chicago suburb
last summer, and as luck would have
it, it was in BETH KENNEDY KNIGHT’s
hometown! Fortunately, Beth was
just getting back from vacation, so
we gathered at her parents’ house for
a great dinner our last night there. In
October, my younger daughter, Hadley, and I headed up to Connecticut
for SUSAN ZILLING ALBRIGHT’s wedding
to Shane Keegan. We stayed with ANNE
TOBIAN BERMAN, who also attended the
wedding with her daughters. It was a
beautiful fall afternoon wedding, and
a great party followed!”
ELIZABETH NICOLOSI BETTINA was recognized at a huge gala in Washington,
DC—the annual ball of the National
Italian American Foundation. She was
there with several Holocaust survivors who were saved in Italy. Elizabeth
received fantastic recognition from
the top official in the organization and
the Italian ambassador to the United
States for her book It Happened
in Italy: Untold Stories of How the
People of Italy Defied the Horrors of
the Holocaust. After the trailer from
the documentary was played, more
than 2,000 people gave her a standing ovation. Guests included Supreme
Court justices Samuel Alito and Antonin Scalia. Elizabeth also did two
book signings at the US Holocaust
Memorial Museum. She writes, “It
was quite a weekend!”
Please continue to share your news.
Along with your classmates, I look
forward to reading each quarter about
the myriad events—big and small—in
your life.
Sec., Debra Shaw Chromy, 2 Windsor Road, Somerville, MA 02144,
debra@chromy.org
Sec., Yvette Malcioln,
yvettem10029@gmail.com
Thanks for all of the great news!
Please keep it coming; it’s great to
hear from classmates.
LAURA TREAT HARVEY enjoyed our
25th Reunion last May. Her work as
a fundraiser keeps her busy, and she
says she has found several enjoyable
extracurricular activities to round out
her life in Durham, NC. She is on the
cultural advisory board of the City
of Durham, the Mallarmé Chamber
Players board, the committee for the
Smith College Club of the Triangle,
the Pauli Murray Project, and the
Beloved Community fair and food
drive at church. She has turned into
a small-town girl and loves to make
connections and get folks involved.
ME’L CHRISTENSEN writes that she is
still working as a professional firefighter in Washington State, but has
started taking some science courses
as she figures out her next career. Her
knees and back don’t have too many
more years left of dragging fire hoses
and lifting patients. Her two junior
high boys keep her hopping on her
days off.
KARLA KOPCZYNSKI TALANIAN had a
great time at Reunion catching up
with her old buddy DALE GERSBACH POKORSKI. She also enjoyed seeing ALICE
HUBBARD, another member of the Gillett fifth-floor first-years. Karla lives
in Harvard, MA, with husband Bob
and teenagers Adele and Ed. Eldest
daughter Karissa has already flown
the nest and is now at the School of
the Art Institute of Chicago. Karla’s
time is divided between being a professional fitness trainer and serving
on the board of trustees of the Advanced Math and Science Academy
Charter School in Marlborough, MA.
Class president SUZANNE MASRI
works at WETA, the public television station in Washington, DC, as
the senior director of station relations. WETA produces a wide variety
of films, series, and specials, among
them all of the Ken Burns documentaries. They recently aired Burns’
Baseball: The Tenth Inningg and look
forward to airing Prohibition this fall.
Their most exciting productions of
late have been the “In Performance
at the White House” specials, which
showcase artists from a plethora of
musical genres in concert for the
president and the first family. Sadly,
Suzanne never gets to attend the tapings; she just gets to market them to
350 public television stations. She
tries to make time for travel and
other fun diversions, and she hopes
to join a community choir. She often
catches up with JULIA KLARE BURR when
Julia is on monthly business trips to
Washington.
ASHLEY DAVIS BUSH celebrated her
20th year as a psychotherapist. Her
third self-help book, Shortcuts to
Inner Peace, is being published this
fall. She’s been living in southern New
Hampshire for the past 14 years. She’s
also happy to report that her newly
blended family of five children is feeling like a real “smoothie” now. She
is blissfully remarried and was lucky
enough to have a monthlong honeymoon in Bali. Ashley’s oldest daughter
is off to college in the fall.
JUDY JOHNSON CAMPAGNARI writes,
“Chris and I enjoyed our 15th wedding anniversary, and we celebrated
by taking our first trip (without
Emma) to Las Vegas. What a blast,
but trust me, there’s a reason why they
call it ‘Sin City’! Other than that, I’m
enjoying my new role working in business development. I’m also enjoying
serving as the Alumnae Association
classes committee chair. I had an opportunity to go to Smith twice last
fall for meetings. The campus looks
as great as ever.”
ALISON KENT lives in Richmond, VA,
with husband Mike, son Thomas, 10,
and daughter Eliza, 4. She recently
changed employers after working for
Hewlett-Packard for 20 years. She
now works at Altria as a procurement
manager. Alison is our class treasurer,
so please send your class dues to her
($85 for five years), made payable to
Smith College Class of 1985. You can
find her address online in the Alumnae Directory.
JACQUELINE GUIDARELLI-WU was
thrilled to see her first-year roommate and lifelong friend, LORI WATERHOUSE ERWIN. Lori visited Jacqueline
in Albany while visiting New York
colleges with her third son, Luke.
They had a great time catching up
and spending time with Jacqueline’s
girls, Allegra, 12, and Isabella, 10.
TONI TROOP had a blast at Reunion,
connecting with old friends and making new ones. She says the best part
of raising money for the Smith Fund
is the excuse to track down so many
classmates and reconnect. It was a
whirlwind summer: Two days after
Reunion, Toni and her partner, Ilene,
took Toni’s mom and Ilene’s parents
on an Alaskan cruise. Then they took
their niece to Montreal for her high
school graduation trip. Her niece was
off to Mount Holyoke in January, but
she plans to take classes at Smith and
hang out in Northampton. There’s
plenty of Seven Sisters spirit where
Toni works: One colleague went to
Mount Holyoke, and Toni also works
with CYNTHIA WILKERSON ’93.
KATINKA MEIJERINK BRYSON lives in
Scottsdale, AZ, with her husband and
three of her five children: Andrew, 16;
and Ian and Kate, 2-year-old twins.
Her older sons, Michael and Tim, are
in Chicago and Boston, respectively.
Mike graduated in 2010 from the
University of Michigan, and Tim is a
sophomore at Northeastern University. Katinka has worked for State Farm
Insurance for nearly 19 years and currently serves as vice president in the
Great Western Zone. “I’d love to catch
up with some old friends: MAUREEN RYAN-FRIEND, MARY WHALEN GANS, SHEILA
Joining Marion Smith Marcucelli ’88 (center, blue dress) with her
husband, Kai, at their baby shower are, from left to right, Rebecca
Southard ’87, Ann O’Connor Hall ’86, Michelle Rhee ’88, Jane
Smith ’91 holding son Howie, and Hilary Forbes ’89.
PYOTT, ANNE WALLACE JUGE, AGNES BADDOO, MELISSA CHAMBERLAIN LEET ’86,
and many more. Life has been so busy,
staying in touch has been difficult, but
I welcome the contact!”
Please remember we’re online at
www.smith85.com and on Facebook:
Smith College Class of 1985. Please
post news there, or contact me at the
e-mail address that follows. It’s been
great to hear from so many ’85ers;
please keep the news coming!
Sec., Ellen Heller Cohen, 308 West
William David Parkway,
Metairie, LA 70005,
ellen_cohen1963@yahoo.com
1986
ELIZABETH AMELKIN CAHN writes that
she is working part-time as an adjunct lecturer at Bronx (NY) Community College in the health, physical
education, and wellness department.
Elizabeth teaches about health and
wellness through dance and Pilates.
She has two daughters, Cara, 11, and
Anna, 9. She recently spent time at the
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health
with GABRIELLE SILVER ’87. At press
time, Elizabeth was looking forward
to a visit from DEDE BLAKE-JOHNSON
and her family.
Sec., Mia Tanella, 1457 Gwynmere
Run, Carmel, IN 46032,
miatanella@aol.com
1987
NANCY BERGBOM NELSON writes, “I
spent a fun ‘just for girls’ weekend in
late September with my youngest at
Girl Scout camp and met other moms
and daughters. After two days of chatting with one of my cabinmates about
the coincidence of her friend’s daughter being in the same first-year class
with my oldest at Elmira College, we
finally realized at Sunday breakfast
that we were both Smithies from the
class of ’87! Although SUZANNE HEBERT and I didn’t know each other 25
years ago, it was nice to meet a new
Smith friend through our daughters.
Maybe her Grace and my Annika will
cross paths again—before they get to
Smith!”
LORI PAIGE shares that she is still serving as an assistant professor of English
at American International College
in Springfield, MA. “This year I’m
chairing the library committee and
directing the liberal studies program
as well. On the side, I am writing sexy
Gothic novels under a pen name (and
even revising a few I started during
my Smith years), and now have two
in print (paper and e-book) with two
more under contract for 2011. Life is
busy, but rewarding.”
DEBORAH JACKSON PEIRCE writes, “I
continue to enjoy being a working
mom in Chicago. After 13 years with
Motorola, where I was given an opportunity to live and work in Beijing
for three years, I’ve switched to health
care and love the impact the company
can make on saving lives. My two
daughters, Morgan, 10, and Caitlin,
8, are energetic young ladies with
developing interests and passions
of their own, including reading and
writing Chinese. I took Morgan last
December to a Smith club of Chicago
fashion-show event, and she had a
great time. My husband, Grant, works
from home and consults on valuesbased leadership. He is very active
with a nonprofit, Health for Humanity, which takes him to Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia, twice a year.”
JEANNE MCWILLIAMS BLASBERG sends a
quick but exciting update: “My family
and I recently moved to Zurich from
Boston. We will be here a couple of
years. We’re enjoying the experience
so far and taking the opportunity to
travel.”
JILL BERKOWITZ-BERLINER says, “I
don’t have any amazing news, just
little achievements. I have unofficially dubbed myself ‘Queen of Foreign Body Removal’ after pulling out
yet another piece of glass (or wood,
or wire, or dog hair) from another
foot, much to the patient’s amazement each time. I thought ‘goddess’
and ‘mistress’ weren’t quite right. My
husband/partner in practice called me
in on my day off, knowing I would be
able to do it. Ah, the satisfaction of
these little victories! I also repaired/
partly reupholstered my leather sofa
myself (after some dog and cat damage), when the pros said it couldn’t be
done without taking the whole cover
off. Why do people ever doubt a Smith
woman’s resolve?”
MICHELE DISCO writes, “Last May, I
finished my master’s in human genetics and am now working as a pediatric
genetic counselor at the Children’s
Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx,
NY, where I also live. Adjusting from
freelance lighting design has been a
big switch! I recently saw KIM BRICE,
visiting from The Hague, and PASCALE GARROW, visiting from Paris, for
a great night out, but we were missing
HIRANTHI DE SILVA, who relocated back
to Sri Lanka.”
KAREN CARPENTER KLINGER is still
coaching crew. Her son turned 7, and
her husband, Bob, has been having
fun playing with composite prototyping and repairing rowing shells. “I
celebrated my 45th birthday (like the
rest of the group) by taking a biking
tour in Asia (from Saigon, Vietnam,
to Bangkok, Thailand) with BETHANY
BRIDGHAM ’85.
Sec., Kathleen Pulsifer, 1121
Dorchester Street, Orlando, FL
32803, drpulsifer@yahoo.com
Sec., Sharon Vaughn Williams,
5824 Tehama Avenue, Richmond,
CA 94804, svaughnd@yahoo.com
1988
First off, thank you to all who sent
responses. We have a full column
once again! Keep sending us your
news.
CHRISTINA MESIRES FOURNARIS submitted her first news since graduation. She lives in the Chestnut Hill
part of Philadelphia with her husband
(whom she met in law school) and her
children, Tommy, 9, and Helena, 5.
Christina is a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia, where
she has practiced law since graduating from Cornell in 1991. Christina’s
focus is on estate, tax, and multigenerational wealth planning for highnet-worth individuals and family
groups. She would love to hear from
her Wilson House classmates.
KIRSTEN HALL LONG recently took the
plunge to self-employed consulting
work after more than 12 years of conducting health economic research for
large health-care organizations. She
reports that she loves the increased
flexibility and improved work-life balance. Kirsten had the great pleasure
of seeing former Wilson roommates
TONINA TOMLINSON BURNHAM, KAROL
KAWAKY KAWIAKA, and CHRISTINA LEE
KIM at their annual spring girls’ weekend on the Cape. Kirsten says, “Good
food, wine, spa treatments, and time
to just catch up in person can’t be beat
for its restorative healing powers!”
SHARMILA (MONA) GHOSH SINHA has
been living in Hong Kong for nearly
three years and enjoys being in Asia
after more than 20 years in New
York. Mona is involved in an exciting start-up venture with DURREEN
SHAHNAZ ’89 to establish the first social stock exchange in Asia, Impact
alumnae update
Investment Exchange (featured in the
Fall ’10 issue of the Quarterly). Mona
has parlayed her work experience in
investment banking and marketing
into social capital markets, which
will make her economics professors
proud! She heads the Smith club in
Hong Kong and does tons of recruiting and alumnae engagements there,
as well as in other areas of Asia such
as India and Singapore. Mona was
back on campus last October and says
she was so impressed! On the home
front, Mona has an 11-year-old son
and twin 9-year-old girls (potentially
future Smithies). She keeps in touch
with many Smith friends via Facebook
and chats with NORIKO SATO WARD and
KATHY CHUNG COOKE on many occasions.
CLARE CRONIN continues working at
the US Holocaust Memorial Museum
in Washington, DC, where her last
exhibit, “State of Deception,” is still
up. She is currently working on a new
exhibit that will open in 2013. Clare
reports that she is dealing with the
various health issues that crop up after you turn 40, “some major, some
minor.” However, she is still having fun in the Society for Creative
Anachronism, which she says gives
her an outlet for all of her artistic
urges. Clare plans to attend our next
Reunion.
PRISCILLA MOSSMAN ROSS continues
to live in Florence, MA, having married a “townie” after graduation. She
has three children: Anna, 16; Sebastian, 15; and Theo, 11. Priscilla works
full-time as a geriatric care manager
for an elder law attorney, plays in
a rock ’n’ roll cover band, and also
founded and conducts the Florence
Community Band. She still goes to
Packard’s on occasion (where she met
her husband, Robert), and reports
that it has changed very little! Priscilla remains in touch with her firstyear roommate, SUSAN KAUFMAN, who
lives just outside of Minneapolis with
her husband and two beautiful boys,
Javier, 3, and Mac, 2. Her sister, JANE
MOSSMAN CLARK ’75, lives in nearby
Wilbraham, MA. Sadly, Priscilla and
Jane’s mother, DEBORAH ANDREWS
BURCH ’51, recently passed away after
battling Alzheimer’s disease.
SARAH SMITH shared a “small-world
moment” from San Francisco: It
took Sarah two years to realize that
her neighbor across the street, ABBY
LEVINSON MARKS, is also a Smith ’88er.
It turns out they sang in the Glee Club
together under Theodore Morrison
and even lived in Tyler House at different times!
SHYAMA VENKATESWAR also writes
for the first time with lots of news.
She has been living in New York for
the last 21 years, received her PhD in
political science from Columbia, and
married Tom Gold and has two beautiful children, Rohan, 9, and Naina,
5. Shyama works at a research and
policy organization in New York that
Gayatri Acharya ’90, Farah Pandith ’90, Deborah Singiser ’90,
and Anjana Shakya ’91 enjoy a dinner together in Kathmandu,
Nepal.
focuses on gender issues. Her life is
a crazy blur of a demanding career,
subway commutes, children and their
various activities, running a household, and work-related travel, plus annual vacations in India. However, she
says she can’t imagine living anywhere
else and in any other way! Shyama recently connected with a whole bunch
of friends via Facebook, but keeps in
regular touch with her dearest buddies from 150 Elm, JUDY CHUNG, AMY
ALLEN , and INCA GHOSH, all class of ’90;
and from Ziskind House, JAGTESHWAR
GREWAL, and SMITA SRINIVAS, both class
of ’91.
MARION SMITH MARCUCELLI and her
husband, Kai, are pleased to announce
the birth of their son, Ronin, last June.
At the baby shower in May, several
Boston-area alumnae were able to
attend, including REBECCA SOUTHARD
’87, ANN O’CONNOR HALL ’86, and MICHELLE RHEE.
HEIDI JOHNSON NOVAES writes that her
daughter, ANNA NOVAES DE OLIVEIRA
A ’11,
brought back memories of Heidi’s old
rooms at Smith when she described
her room in Morrow: “The radiator
sometimes sounds like there are little
people with hammers inside of it. And
then it hisses.” A Smith tradition!
SUZANNE MCCORMACK recently got
together in Boston with HO JIN CHUNG
SOHN, who was in town visiting her
sons. They had brunch with Suzanne’s
mother, ANNE MCCORMACK AC ’88.
Finally, your secretaries send you
best wishes until our next column.
Be well!
Secs., Samantha Goldstein,
Tracy Moretti Torrejon, and Lisa
Perry Morales AC,
88news@alumnae.smith.edu
1989
Dear class, thank you for all of your
news!
MEGAN WATERS, who works in Washington, DC, writes, “DONNA MILROD
was in town, and JULIANNA SMOOT
and I each ducked out from work
midafternoon (only briefly, we swear)
to catch up with her over drinks. We
laughed about the unholy heat during our orientation week at Smith and
tapped into memories of life before
BlackBerries and iPads. Donna and
I gamely (if foolishly!) entered into
a wager with Julianna about the outcome of the midterm elections.” We
don’t have to guess who paid for the
next round of drinks now!
I was thrilled to hear from BARBARA
CURRAN, who writes, “I am living in
Geraldine, a small town of about
1,200 people south of Christchurch,
New Zealand. I am teaching a 3/4
class (the equivalent of second and
third grades) in a nearby elementary school. This is the youngest age
group I’ve ever taught, and I love it!
I’m also a team leader (sort of a middle
management-type role) of my learning team. Although I’m a couple of
hours away from the epicenter, I certainly experienced the 7.1 earthquake
in Sept. ’10! I was woken with a jolt
(literally), and spent the next couple
of minutes clinging to the doorframe
as the ground below me did a Jell-O
impression. Because of the distance,
it had a really rolling quality here. My
friends in Christchurch had a much
worse experience. Fortunately, there
was no loss of life—compared to the
quarter of a million plus in Haiti with
a similar quake. This was a function
of both luck (our quake struck at 4:35
a.m.) and the difference between the
developing and developed world.
Other than that, as I reached 40, I discovered that all exercise isn’t bad (and
it beats the alternative). I take part
in an aqua-fitness class in Geraldine
and went to my first Zumba class. I’d
love to hear from any Smithies heading ‘Down Under’—I’m a good tour
guide!”
I heard from JENNIFER NELSEN COLAO, whom I had seen briefly with
her adorable children at Reunion in
2009. “This past year was a very difficult one for me. My mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in July and
passed away in October. I was fortunate enough to be with her every day
during the last months of her life, but
it didn’t make it any easier to lose her.
I wanted to mark her passing in the
Quarterlyy because she was the reason
I attended Smith, and she loved it as
much as I. In her ever-friendly way,
she struck up a conversation with the
alumna representing Smith at a college fair during the fall of my junior
year in high school. She liked what she
heard and suggested that I talk to the
alumna as well, which ended with me
being put on a list of students invited
to meet some current Smith students
at a tea to be held during Thanksgiving break. I was so impressed with
those women that Smith became my
first choice, sight unseen. The rest, as
they say, is history. Perhaps because
my mother never attended college
herself, or because she struggled
to raise two girls as a single parent,
Smith’s commitment to women’s
education resonated deeply with her.
When retired and living on a small
fixed income, she was always thrilled
to be called by a current Smith student
asking for a donation to the Parents
Fund, and she always gave. Lucky me.”
On behalf of our class, I extend our
deepest condolences to Jennifer and
will tell you all what I wrote to her:
“Smith was a gift for all of us, and
although most of us appreciate that,
sometimes it takes a life event like
this to truly understand the value of
that gift.” Please don’t forget Jennifer’s story, and remember that it is
through the generosity of people like
her mother that we received our gift.
Someone we haven’t heard from
in a while, BARBARA KATTAU DAYTON,
writes, “For the past several years, I
have told myself that upon reading
the Quarterly I would immediately
go and send in a letter about what
I’ve been up to, and now I am finally
doing it! I am, today, inspired by
an issue of the Quarterly featuring
FARAH PANDITH ’90, and by seeing all
the amazing things our fellow Smithies are up to: National government!
Vaccines! It’s all so thrilling, and I’m
pleased to vicariously enjoy their
accomplishments. I find myself in a
place that I never dreamed of while
at Smith: married for 17 years to a
fellow artist/musician, Peter, with two
children, Aly, 8, and Freddy, 12, living
in East Hampton, NY, and frankly, it
really suits me. I am still a (sometime)
painter; I’ve gone from playing guitar to playing drums (in a band called
SpittinKitten—three moms rockin’
out to alternative/punky tunes); and
I’ve taken up surfcasting and roller/ice
hockey (inspired by my kids and husband, all hockey players). I stopped
working when Aly was born and am
just going back to it (real estate) on
a very part-time basis. Life is good.”
Thank you all for continuing to write
in; please keep it up. As you can see,
it is a great forum to reconnect and
to support one another, and to honor
those who are important to us. Best
wishes to all.
Sec., Marta Gutierrez van Dam,
marta.vandam@alumnae.smith.
edu
1990
Only two submissions found me this
quarter. Hopefully there will be more
next time around. The class Website
and class of 1990 Facebook page are
great places to reconnect. I hope you
1992
will check them out if you haven’t
already.
CATHERINE PETERSON MECKLENBURG
e-mails, “After three kids and a 10year hiatus, [I’m] happy to be working again as the co-founder of Edible
Upcountryy magazine. The magazine’s
mission is to put a ‘face on our food’
by telling the stories of local farmers,
growers, and food artisans of upstate
South Carolina. It’s been a wonderfully creative and positive process,
and I’m having a lot of fun and eating
way more vegetables.” Her magazine
has extensive content available online.
After working as a video journalist
in Los Angeles and New York City for
15 years, KARIN THAYER shot and produced the feature-length City of Borders documentary, which premiered
at the 2009 Berlin International Film
Festival and went on to win awards
and screen on TV around the world.
Since 2006, Karin has been living in
the United Kingdom and working for
the BBC and loving it. She had a long
struggle with infertility, during which
she “felt at a loss for a modern, efficient international online resource
for support and reviews.” As a result,
she created a Facebook page and a
Website, Fertility Planit, for people
worldwide seeking to get pregnant
and make a family. The social network
is for finding support, submitting user
reviews about fertility products and
services, shopping, and advertising
services.
Sec., Bridget Reeder Westhoven,
3601 Riverchase Court, Richmond,
VA 23233, bridget@westhoven.net
1991
Thanks for staying in touch. Please
keep the updates coming. You can
send all your news to me at the email address at the end of the column.
CLAIRE ACASTER HEWITT writes, “After Smith, I went on to pursue a PhD
program in biology at the University
of Virginia. After a year in Virginia, I
decided to return to Boston and work
at the Massachusetts General Hospital doing biological research for the
Cutaneous Biology Research Center.
I was able to publish two biological
papers before marrying my college
boyfriend, Bill. After marrying in
1994, we moved from Newton, MA,
to Manchester, NH, where Bill was
employed as an attorney, and I became a stay-at-home mother. We now
have four children: Caitlin, 14, was
born in 1995; Thomas, 12, in 1998;
William, 10, in 2000; and Meaghan,
7, in 2003. We moved to Collegeville,
PA, in 2005, and we moved last July
to Singapore. It has been quite an adventure in Singapore. We have been
doing a lot of traveling and have been
able to see many beautiful spots, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and
Thailand. I am very much enjoying
Singapore, and continue to be a stayat-home mother. I am busy with the
kids’ sports activities, volunteering
Pictured in Puebla, Mexico, at the wedding of Carolina Ortega
Barrales are class of ’96 friends, from left to right, Kyra Sanin,
Katherine Johns, Natasha Pardo, Carolina, and Dana Lynch.
at school, the American Women’s
Association of Singapore, and playing a lot of tennis. We hope to do as
much traveling as humanly possible
in Asia while we are here. It’s a great
opportunity for the kids to see a part
of the world that not many can enjoy.”
NANCY EARNSHAW KALLUSCH writes,
“I started a new job in June and have
completed my first quarter with
Genentech, a biotech firm headquartered in San Francisco, and am
actively working on the integration
activities related to the acquisition by
Roche, a pharmaceutical company.
We visited family and friends over
the summer, including BRYN WAGNER
HANSON and CHRISTIE KING and their
children. Our son, Max, turned 1 last
November.”
REBECCA FINLAYSON writes, “I am still
an English professor at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, and a few years
ago became the director of our writing program. In Nov. ’08, Marshall
and I welcomed a third son, Julian;
he joined Graham, now 10, and Evan,
now 8. I’ve seen KERRI LAWNSBY-COMEY
a few times when she was in town for
art shows—she has a beautiful glassjewelry business.”
ABBY HOWE-HEYMAN writes , “I
stopped practicing as a midwife about
two years ago. It was a fun run, and I
had the pleasure of being the midwife
to quite a few amazing Smith—and
other Seven Sisters—alumnae, but I
burned out on the hours and stress. In
2009, I became a professor of nursing
at Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing and have had a blast teaching. At
the same time that I was making my
career move, my husband, Joe, was
relocated to Los Angeles for work.
We spent a year and a half with him
commuting across the country before
we decided to move the whole family to California. We made the move
last July and have been enjoying the
sun, the space, and being together. My
kids, Ned, 9, and Delia, 7, keep me
busy with their after-school activities,
but I’m also doing some adjunct work
for the nursing school, and consider-
ing my next career step. I’m still in
close touch with JENNIFER ORR, HEATHER MCHOLD, and PAVITRA RAJARAM, and
I cannot wait to see them at Reunion!”
HEATHER HATHWELL writes, “I am back
to serving on the board for the Los
Angeles Smith club and am pleased
to be serving with JANE ABRAMOWITZ
’88, whom I had not seen since 1988
while living in Chapin House. I am
still at the Ziffren law firm in the music department, and it never ceases to
be interesting. On a personal note, I
am absolutely thrilled to be reunited
with a long-lost true love (June of
1984, just as I was graduating high
school, and we parted ways over my
first winter break at Smith), who to
my surprise sought me out last year
after 25 years of lost contact and absolute heartbreak (on both sides, it
turns out). It goes so far beyond the
film The Notebook,
k and it is a real testament to hope, enduring love, and
never giving up on ideals, as much as
it speaks to the tragic consequences of
unfounded resignation. We are now
16 more months into renewed bliss
and peace.”
JO ANN LEE YOON writes, “My most
self-indulgent treat since having Mason, 8, and Xander, 6, is training for
a triathlon sprint at the end of Aug.
’10. I set a goal to be the fittest I’ve
ever been in my life at the age of 42,
and I’ve done it! My most recent accomplishment is reaching 39.7 mph
(going downhill) on my bike.”
Call for volunteers: We still need
help with Reunion planning. To volunteer, please e-mail class president
JACKIE SHIELDS WONG at jswong714@
yahoo.com. Save the date: Reunion
weekend is May 12–15. Watch for lots
more info.
Keep in touch with our class all the
time. Join our group on Facebook:
Smith College Class of 1991–20th
Reunion, or follow us on Twitter:
twitter.com/SC9120thReunion. And
check out the class Website at http://
alumnae.smith.edu/smithcms/1991.
Sec., Claudine Zap Friedberg,
zapclaudine@yahoo.com
Hello, class of ’92! Here’s the latest
news from your classmates.
ELIZABETH (BIZ) DANA
A has been named
president of the board of directors of
Morningside Shelter in Brattleboro,
VT. The shelter specializes in housing
placement, offering ongoing staff support and life-skills development for
both families and individuals.
KARA MORIN gave birth to a daughter,
Katherine, in June ’10.
JESSICA FALVO writes in with her first
update ever! She is a fine-jewelry specialist and stylist in New York City
and has a line of estate jewelry at Barneys New York called Chartreuse.
Jessica writes, “I am proud to say I
just sold my first lesbian engagement
ring.” She adds, “I have been riding
out the recession, literally, by tooling around town on my gold 1950s
Schwinn with my two pugs, gathering information for my blog. I have
successfully resisted the roadkill
allure of Facebook and am thus unsuccessful in keeping in touch with
other Smithies, so please e-mail me.
I did get to partake of quality time
and cocktails with the ever-witty and
super-cool JENN MAER ’93 on her way
through New York on an East Coast
speaking tour.”
LARA SCHWARTZ D’AGOSTINO and her
family have successfully relocated
to DeRidder, LA, where they moved
because Lara’s husband, an army doctor, was transferred from Walter Reed
Army Medical Center in Washington,
DC, to Fort Polk, LA. Lara reports
that they love it in their new home,
and she is currently working on a
documentary about army wives.
JENNIFER KENISON writes, “It was a
great party on May 1, ’10, in Virginia
Beach, VA, when I married Charles
Guido. We have regretfully (and temporarily) relocated to eastern North
Carolina because of Chuck’s job, but I
am thankful to have found a great new
school and would love to hear from
any Smith alumnae in the Onslow/
Carteret/Pitt county areas!”
JENNIFER MCLELLAN writes that “life
with two toddlers is crazy, so I am
just now writing to announce the arrival of future Smithie Phoebe in Jan.
’09. She completes our family with big
brother Nathan. I am now working in
the urgent-care setting to have more
time to spend with them.”
I had a great, if short, visit with CLARE
COLEMAN last November while she was
in town for a conference. Clare also
got to see KAARSTEN TURNER DALBY
while she was in the Denver area.
Finally, and sorrowfully, there is also
some very sad news to share: KELLER
POLLOCK passed away on Saturday,
Oct. 30, ’10. Her obituary appears in
this issue.
Please continue to share your news
by sending it to me at the e-mail address that follows. Also, join the class
on Facebook; just search “Smith College Class of 1992” to find us. Your
alumnae update
classmates would love to hear from
you!
Sec., Sara Metz, 9623 West 69th
Place, Arvada, CO 80004,
secretary@smith92.org
1993
CANDACE CREWS and her family moved
to Krakow, Poland, from Fairbanks,
AK, so her husband could conduct
research during an academic sabbatical and so that their two youngsters could see a bit of the world. She
homeschools the children and enjoys
watching her son learn to read and her
daughter explore European art because they take field trips in Krakow.
Since 2004, TESS BARTON has been
on the faculty of the University of
Texas Southwestern Medical Center
at Dallas in the Pediatric Infectious
Disease Division. She is the director of
the only pediatric HIV clinic in North
Texas. She got married two years ago,
and she and her husband live in Dallas
with their three naughty cats. KAREN
BARDSLEY was maid of honor at their
wedding, which was held at the zoo.
“The chimpanzees threw pebbles
down the front of Karen’s dress, so as
always, she was the life of the party!”
writes Tess. Tess also does HIV work
and medical missions in South Africa
and Haiti.
MICHELLE ELLIGOTT published an essay, “Modern Women: A Partial History,” for the Museum of Modern Art,
where she is an archivist. Michelle is
one of the curators of the Abstract
Expressionist New York exhibition at
the museum.
SOPHIE GODLEY is teaching full-time
at the Boston University School of
Public Health following a six-year
stint at the AIDS Action Committee
of Massachusetts. She writes that having graduate students from Smith is
wonderful. Her son, Leo, is now 7 and
in first grade, and they have moved to
rural Georgetown, MA.
N. REBECCA TURNER makes her debut
submission to the Quarterly: She lives
in Northern California’s wine country, where she breeds and shows silky
terriers and handles other breeds for
their owners. One of her silkies is
ranked third in the country. Rebecca
has also started her own law practice, specializing in animal law. She
recently had the pleasure of reconnecting with ANNA WATKINS PORTER ’92,
another Gardiner House resident, at
an East Bay Smith club potluck.
CARYN HOUCK HEDERMAN and Rae
welcomed their third son, Benjamin,
into the world last October. She owns
a health policy consultancy and serves
on several nonprofit executive boards.
ANEESA SEN-AKELA has earned a
second master’s degree, this one in
education. She lives in New York City
and runs into Smithies all the time.
She loves teaching, and is teaching
privately while looking for a fulltime teaching position. She is deeply
involved in the South Asian Lesbian
& Gay Association of New York City
(SALGA-NYC) and takes care of all
support-related activities, including a
peer counseling helpline for the South
Asian LGBTQ population (the first
of its kind in the United States) and
a monthly support group. She lives
with her partner. She says that while
life is uncertain, it is good, with the
skills she learned at Smith still serving as great resources. She would love
to hear from friends from Sessions.
STEPHANIE ACCONGIO DRAY’s debut
paranormal romance novel, Poisoned
Kisses, written under her pen name,
Stephanie Draven, was nominated for
the Reviewers’ Choice Award for best
first series. She initiated and sponsored the Cleopatra Literary Contest
for Young Women.
Sec., Sarah Spikes, 59 Axminster
Road, London N7 6BP,
United Kingdom,
sarahspikes@hotmail.com
1994
MICHELLE BYRNE had a busy year. She
finished her anesthesiology residency
in Birmingham, AL, and moved with
her family to Pikeville, KY, where
she accepted a position as a staff
anesthesiologist. Michelle and her
family also brought home two new
daughters from Accra, Ghana, making their family officially too large for
a minivan.
JULIE BOWERS lives outside of Atlanta
and is a pilot for Delta Air Lines. She
and her husband were married on
Aug. 5, ’10. They had a small courthouse ceremony in Georgia and
then celebrated with their families
in Pennsylvania. They both grew up
in western Pennsylvania, but met in
Georgia the old-fashioned way—online. Julie is still running marathons
and finished her 11th one in Hartford,
CT, last October.
SHELLEY STREET was married on July
18, ’10.
DIANA WETHERALL GERSTEL and her
family live in Short Hills, NJ. She is
still practicing with a large New Jersey
law firm, but has switched practice
areas from family law to product liability.
SUS EWING BOELKE has a half-time
contract at the University of Hamburg after nine years of freelancing.
She has two daughters, ages 7 and 4.
Sus volunteers as executive editor of
the bimonthly magazine of the American Women’s Club of Hamburg. She is
also working with MICHELLE PUCCI and
MARCIA FRANZEN-HINTZE ’69 on setting
up a club for both alumnae and locals
interested in supporting the Smith
JYA program in Hamburg. Anyone
who is curious about this project
should contact the group at scalumsinhamburg@googlemail.com.
ALLYSON BROWN is happy to report
the newest addition to her family:
Alex was born last year on Sept. 23.
Big sister Madelyn, 3, is adjusting to
her new status.
KIMBERLY MARSHALL ADAMS lives in
Allentown, PA, with her husband,
Eric, and two daughters, Lucy and Alice. Kimberly is a school social worker
at an environmentally based charter
school where her younger daughter
attends kindergarten.
RACHEL DAY VELARDE received two
master’s degrees in music from
Arizona State University in 1997.
She teaches voice lessons privately
through her company, Velarde Voice,
performs with the Arizona Opera, and
is part of the adjunct faculty for voice
at Grand Canyon University. She is
also the current president of the Valley of the Sun chapter of the National
Association of Teachers of Singing.
She has a fabulous husband who is an
elementary school assistant principal,
and two daughters, ages 6 and 9, who
are hopefully future Smithies.
ERIN MCMURRAY-KILLELEA has joined
Blank Rome’s matrimonial practice
group as an associate in their New
York office. She and her husband
have two children, Margaret, 3, and
Thomas, 1. They are still living in
Forest Hills in Queens, NY, and are
contemplating a move to the suburbs.
BRITTA THOMPSON PEJIC has spent the
last year recording and producing a
CD of songs she wrote and composed,
Backyards That Weren’t There Before, which is available on iTunes.
She also plays her original songs (and
French favorites, too!) locally in a trio
called Britta Pejic et Les Frenchmen.
Britta has a 4-year-old son, Milan,
and has managed to balance motherhood and home life with her latest
avocation.
SARA WEINBERG LAVER , husband
Adam, and big sister Alana, 3, welcomed Noah last year on Oct. 15.
They enjoy living, working, and playing in Center City in Philadelphia.
MONTSERRAT COUGHLIN KIM and her
family welcomed Nola on Sept. 27,
’10. Her big sister, Kerala, 4, is very
excited and proving to be a good
sister. In addition, they moved back
from Hong Kong in Jan. ’09, and last
December bought their first home
in Montclair, NJ. They love living in
Montclair and are really enjoying life
back in the United States.
ELIZA GARRISON is an assistant professor at Middlebury College, where
she teaches courses on medieval
and northern Renaissance art history. She and her husband spent the
past academic year in Berlin, where
Eliza completed a book manuscript.
Eliza reports the following: LISA JACOB
moved to Maine from Pennsylvania to
be with her partner, Wayne, and she’s
been working as an environmental
consultant at Sanborn, Head & Associates in Portland.
CATHERINE (KATE) SMITH married Michelle Grohe last summer; Kate is a
paintings conservator at the Museum
of Fine Arts Boston.
ANNE LEONARD lives in Brooklyn, NY,
where she is a tenured instruction and
reference librarian at the New York
City College of Technology.
AMY ROGERS lives in Chapel Hill, NC,
where she is a stay-at-home mother
to her two kids, Coralee, 7, and Waylon, 2. She has started her own jewelry
business, Coralee Designs, and sells
her work locally.
AVIVA MEYER GRASSO and BARBARA
BELLEFEUILLE GUTIERREZ met at the
Head of the Charles in Boston to
cheer on the Smith eight and reminisce about the glory days of running
down over the Coolidge Bridge to the
boathouse in the early-morning hours
of the early 1990s! Barb, KATIE MANTY, and JENNIFER MOGLIA met several
times during 2010 at their monthly
restaurant club. They patronize independent restaurants in eastern Massachusetts, and are always looking for
new suggestions and new members.
KRISTIN SEDGWICK CASTNER married
Brian last year on Oct. 24 at the MGM
Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. KATRINA
LINCOLN YIP and JENNIFER KRASSY PEILER
’92 attended the wedding. If anyone
needs a referral to a beautiful bedand-breakfast in Victoria, British
Columbia, please contact Kristin.
She is currently working for a small
nonprofit government-relationsbased advocacy group in Boston,
and received her master’s degree in
public administration from Suffolk
University last May.
Sec., Alexa Kontes, 32 Amsden
Street, Arlington, MA 02474,
smith1994notes@gmail.com
1995
Due to our space constraints (and
the fantastic turnout this month!), we
had to winnow submissions down a
bit. But your updates were so wonderful, we’ve posted many in full on
our class Website at www.Smith1995.
org (we will not post any personal
information on the Website without
approval), so please go check them
out. Thank you all for writing in this
time, and keep the updates coming.
We loved hearing from you.
GRACE LEE writes, “I’ve been living
in New York City for the last decade,
trying to be incognito and nesting in
my garden apartment with my partner
and dog while scheming to quit my
second career in fashion and move
out of the city. Anyone needs yarns,
let me know: I have the world’s largest stash and it just keeps growing.”
SUNG YUN lives in Hamden, CT, and
has been married to husband David
for 10 years. She works full-time at
the Yale Peabody Museum in development and is raising four kids: Danielle,
7; Brian, 5; and twins Kali and Erin, 3.
JENNIE ABBOTT ABBINGSOLE is thrilled
to announce the arrival of George on
Oct. 10, ’10. She says, “Janis was the
ideal labor partner, and the midwives
were worthy of all our trust. It was
everything we could have wished for,
and we are, of course, in love with
George.”
SADAF KHAN SHAMSHAD writes that
she’s a stay-at-home mom of three
living in New Jersey.
PAIGE LEVIN graduated last July
with an MFA in creative writing
from Stonecoast at the University of
Southern Maine, and she’s finishing
her first novel. In June, Paige met up
with SAMANTHA COKER in Manhattan
for a girls’ weekend.
On June 19, ’10, DERRY VOYSEY WADE
and husband David welcomed daughter Mia, who joins big brother Tyler.
After maternity leave, Derry began
a new job as a communications
manager for the Batten Institute at
the University of Virginia’s Darden
School of Business.
MEL HUDSON-NOWAK accepted a position at Bowling Green State University as associate vice president of
student affairs, auxiliary services. Mel
notes it’s strangely reminiscent of
Smith days, including the occasional
trip to the public library, although
this time with two kids in tow. She
recently celebrated her 15th wedding
anniversary.
KATIE GILLESPIE had a second boy,
Bendigo, in Oct. ’09. Her family
moved to Portland, OR, last September, and they love it. She started a new
job, which has been going well, and
a bonus is that it’s only a 10-minute
bike ride from her house!
LISA MALOOF happily pursues two
favorite activities: Mysore yoga and
writing during the wee hours of the
morning. Once the sun comes up,
she returns to being a mom of two
twirly-skirted daughters. She lives in
Oakland, CA.
After six years in New York as a
senior commodities analyst with
JPMorgan Chase and the hedge fund
Ospraie Management, SOOZHANA CHOI
moved to Singapore to take the position of director and head of Deutsche
Bank’s commodities research for the
Asia region. She says it’s great to be
back in Asia.
FRANCESCA TRONCHIN writes, “After
trying for several years to be an itinerant academic/archaeologist, I have
finally settled down in Memphis, TN,
as an assistant professor in the art department at Rhodes College. Too old
and creaky for rugby these days, I’ve
been running. Fortunately, the running club here usually rolls out a keg
of beer at our weekly runs! OK, so
it’s not very different from my rugby
experiences.”
After graduating, ANASTASIA (STASIA)
DROHAN studied medicine at Tulane
University. She specialized in dermatology and now lives in Panama
City with her husband, Raul, and her
daughters, Gloria, 4, and Mia, 2.
SHARON LOCKWOOD MILLS and her
husband, Jay, added daughter Isla to
their family last June. She joins big
sister Zoe, 3, “who is a little mayor and
who announces her sister to everyone
with ‘This is my friend Isla.’”
KIRSTEN WALLACE FISHER writes, “I
From left to right, Elaine Brown Stiles ’97, Vanessa Svihla ’97,
Amy Smith ’97, Ellen Strober ’62 (Amy’s cousin), Lali Garcia
DeRosier ’98, and Amanda Egner Hunsaker ’98 at Amy’s wedding.
continue to live in St. Petersburg, FL,
while working at the Women’s Tennis Association in sponsorship sales
and marketing. My husband, Ashley,
and I adopted a beagle puppy named
Matilda.”
SALLY SEEKER writes, “I finished the
Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon 2010.
I’m still in San Antonio, enjoying my
job as a nondescript government attorney, running a bunch, and working
on my project to ‘spay the world’ (my
dad’s words) and have started with 15
neighborhood cats.”
MAGGIE BERGIN has been busy transforming her lobbying firm into a
government affairs training company.
She says, “On the personal front, I live
with an awesome man in an awesome
city in an awesome house. To sum up?
Lots of awesome.”
JULIE SMITH and her partner, Jesse,
welcomed a baby girl, Eleanor, to their
family. Eleanor joins her four older
siblings. They still live in Easton, PA,
where Julie is an economics professor
at Lafayette College.
MARNI ROTHMAN graduated last
spring from the California Institute
of Integral Studies, where she completed her master’s in counseling
psychology. She has a private practice
in psychotherapy in Dublin, Ireland,
where she moved a year ago with her
husband, Brian. Marni occasionally
sees fellow Dubliner REBECCA WOOLF.
CINDY DRAKE-WHITEHEAD writes,
“This past summer I moved from Las
Vegas back to Alaska. My husband
and I are fixing up our rental house
and will be here for at least two more
years. I volunteer at a humane society
and with the local hospice.”
LESLIE HARRIS is enjoying her career
as a neonatologist at Baylor College
of Medicine, where she takes care of
critically ill babies, while also teaching
medical students, pediatric residents,
and neonatology fellows. In 2009, she
married her best friend of 12 years,
Edward.
Self-described “longtime Quarterly
lurker” ALISON STERN AWES got married three years ago to her husband,
Zurich. BETSY SCHWARTZ, WENDY ROTZIEN ROSS, and AMY CALL WELL stood up
with her on a gorgeous summer day
at an old flour mill in Minneapolis.
Alison is the director of elementary
training at the Montessori Training
Center of Minnesota.
COYOTE KARRICK wrote while listening to her favorite mix on Pandora
and dancing around the house like
no one was watching. Happy “in life
and love” (which is also the name of
her new business), she says she’s always learning what it is to be “happy
while thriving as a taking-the-easypath-more-of-the-time person while
staying on the adventure!”
Sincerely, your scribe, Sarah.
Sec., Sarah DuCray, 8902 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD
20815, sjducray@gmail.com
1996
Congratulations to our very own
class president, JENNA ROBERTS, who
was elected to the New Hampshire
House of Representatives last November. She successfully campaigned
under the catchy “Roberts for Rep”
slogan.
HANNA SAWKA hadn’t submitted an
update in a while and wanted to write
in that she is living in Albany, NY, with
her husband, Jun. They have two sons,
Hiroshi, 3, and Konrad, 1. She writes,
“I completed a three-year film project
that I produced and directed, a feature-length documentary about the
famous American photographer Dennis Stock. It’s called Beyond Iconic;
the ‘iconic’ in the title is a reference to
some very famous images Stock made,
such as that of James Dean walking
in the rain in Times Square. It so
happens that a poster reproduction
of that particular photo hung on my
wall in my room at Smith during my
first year—long before I would meet
Dennis or even fathom making any
film whatsoever!”
KEYA KOUL reports that she is a real
estate and bankruptcy attorney with
the law firm of Castle, Meinhold &
Stawiarski in its Albuquerque, NM,
office. She was elected to the board
of the New Mexico Women’s Bar Association, and is very involved with
the State Bar of New Mexico Young
Lawyers Division (YLD), as well as
with the American Bar Association
Young Lawyers Division. Keya is vice
chair of the board of the NM YLD,
and received an appointment to the
ABA YLD. She is still completely enchanted by New Mexico, and invites
Smithies to visit her when they pass
through Albuquerque. Keya loves to
travel and has been returning to India
every winter to visit her family. She
still keeps in contact with LEVINA KIM,
CAROL DESHANO DA SILVA, and VERONICA
GAPUD. Veronica is the only one still
living abroad.
SUSAN KART has had a very eventful
year. After a two-year process, last
September she finalized the adoption
of a 17-year-old child from Senegal,
Meissa, whom Susan has known since
he was 5. That, plus she gave birth last
July to her first child, Ezekiel, with her
husband, Brent. He also has two girls
from a previous marriage, Isabel, 10,
and Vivien, 7. On top of maintaining the full household, Susan is on
the tenure track at Sarah Lawrence
College as a professor of African art
history. She looks forward to bringing
the crew to the next Reunion.
Congratulations to RACHEL WALKER,
who had an unplanned home birth for
her second child, Evelyn, last January.
TAZIA BRUNETTI happened to be there
at the time and ended up as part of
the birth team.
Celebrating motherhood for the second time is GABRIELE HADL, who gave
birth to Vivienne last October. She is
back at teaching media studies once
again, and is using the peer-review
method from Smith to help her students improve their writing.
ANGELA WILLIAMS announces that
she was promoted to equity product
manager at Eaton Vance, where she
has been for more than two years.
On Mountain Day, she met up with
PHOEBE SLANETZ for a drink in Boston.
In the class notes from the Fall ’10
Quarterly, I failed to mention that
GERALDINE SCHNEIDER FISS’ husband is
PEER FISS ’97, who received an American studies diploma from Smith.
Sec., Nancy Vanasek, 1131 Park
Avenue, Hoboken, NJ 07030,
nvanasek@yahoo.com
1997
Hi, everyone, and thanks, as always,
for the exciting updates! I love getting
all your news and regret any editing
that I have to do. Don’t forget that you
can also post on our Facebook page.
LISA GILBAR writes that after nine
years in New York City (seven working on Broadway, and two getting a
master’s at New York University), she
started a private practice in Los Angeles as a cognitive behavioral therapist
specializing in anxiety and actors.
ABBY RUPP thought mothering was
old hat until her fourth child arrived.
Tess had an easy birth on Aug. 30,
’10. After four peaceful days, Abby
rushed Tess to the emergency room
to discover a birth defect in her small
intestine. She had emergency surgery
alumnae update
at the Children’s National Medical
Center in Washington, DC, and spent
25 days in the neonatal intensive-care
unit. Tess is now at home and doing
great.
Ignatius was born to CATHERINE
MILDENBERGER HODGE on Sept. 6, ’10—
Catherine’s third home birth. Iggy is a
big boy, and his two older sisters love
him dearly.
ALLISON ROHE writes that after quitting her job in the summer of 2009 at
an American university in Madrid,
and taking a year to “breathe,” she has
moved back to Madrid after accepting
an unexpected job offer. She is also an
alumnae admissions coordinator for
Smith, and is enjoying being active in
the Smith alumnae group in Spain.
SHERRY RAUSEO FIORE is starting a
new job; she is still at Dartmouth, but
in a new position as donor relations
officer and assistant to the director
at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
Sherry recently met up with GABE
HYDE SOUSA, JESSICA FOLEY, and ELYSHA GREEN DICKS.
ERIKA KLOSE went way outside of her
comfort zone and coached a middle
school boys’ tennis team. She writes,
“We won our conference! It was a
great experience and tons of fun. Who
would have ever thought I would be
Coach Klose?” Erika is also part of a
small group that is leading the way to
get geographic information systems
software into West Virginia schools
and classrooms.
LARAMIE CURRAN HOLLIMAN and her
family relocated to Portland, OR.
Laramie writes that quality of life
for her and her family has improved
dramatically since their move. They
have lots of family around, including
“grandparents, two brothers, and two
sisters for tons of free babysitting!”
CASSANDRA DE SOUZA reports that
SHABNAM HUQ graduated from Columbia with a master’s in international
security and politics and now lives
in Nairobi and that VUYISWA MAJOVA
had a baby boy at the end of last August. Cassandra decided to go back
to school (again) and is pursuing a
master’s in business at George Washington University.
KELLY MACGRADY married Brian Fleck
on Dec. 26, ’09, in Jacksonville Beach,
FL, and they now live in Ponte Vedra
Beach, FL. Kelly is still a practicing
attorney, and is blessed with a wonderful cat and horse.
JENNY HAWKINS HOGREFE and husband
Kyle welcomed their daughter, Lydia,
on Aug. 30, ’10. Jenny heartily recommends the experience of having a baby
at a birthing center with midwives.
ANNE ACTON CONNELLY was promoted
to director of the data sales group of
Valassis. Anne, her husband, and two
daughters live in Connecticut, and
Anne is thrilled to be close to family and to Smith. She was on campus
recently and showed her girls her thesis in the library. “At 8, my oldest has
declared she wants to attend.” As an
At the wedding of Jennie Riley ’99 and Ethan Plunkett are, from
left to right, Ben Pershouse ’01, Carolyn Rogers ’00, Alana Reid
’99, Ethan and Jennie, Lily Ross-Perkins ’98, Andrea Reece ’98,
Pamela Gigliotti Richardson ’99, Jen Christiansen ’95, Dahlia
Nayar ’99, Martha Nelson Patrick AC ’96, and Kate Crowe ’99.
alumnae interviewer, Anne says she
met two fabulous candidates that reminded her so much of the joys of education and the potential that Smith
offers young women of distinction.
KAREN KWAK submitted her first update ever! Karen has been living in San
Diego for the past few years, working
as a physician at UC San Diego. At
press time, she was planning a move
back to the Los Angeles area to work
as an urgentologist for a local medical
group. She says the most fun news is
of REBECCA (PINKY) POWER ’98’s wedding, which Karen attended in Kansas
last September.
KATHERINE LANCE NALEY lives in Encinitas, CA, with her husband and two
children, Hannah, 2, and Zachary, 6.
She is back to work as a per-diem pediatric nurse practitioner after a few
years’ hiatus at home with her kids.
KARIN HARDIMAN had a baby boy in
Dec. ’09, and finished a residency in
general surgery last June. She is currently doing a fellowship in colon and
rectal surgery.
MELISSA NAULIN and her husband,
Rich, welcomed twins last year on
Sept. 15. Melissa writes that Garrett
and Natalie were the largest twins
their doctor had ever delivered! The
twins join Evan, 5. Melissa returned
to her job in the curator’s office at the
White House in January.
BETHANY SAVAGE PAYE shares the very
sad news that her daughter, Eleanor,
passed away on Oct. 13, ’10, after
battling cancer. “She was 5 years old,
and such a feisty, bright little girl—a
future Smithie in the making! I was
so touched at the outpouring of well
wishes from my classmates, particularly all of my friends from Cushing
House, who sent a lovely bouquet
of flowers to Elle’s services. I wish I
could thank and hug each one of you
individually! And I was blessed to
have been able to visit—to laugh and
cry—with KATHRYN BALDWIN BURDETT,
JOANNA DAVID JOVANOVICH, BERIT OSKEY,
DANIELA MAESTRO, ABIGAIL COLWELL, and
ASHLEY PETERSON ’96 during this sad
time.” Our thoughts are with you and
your family, Bethany.
HEATHER STRICKLAND writes, “I’ve re-
located from Tucson, AZ, to Glendale,
AZ, for my husband to attend dental
school on an Air Force scholarship.
My first child, Scott, was born on Oct.
21, ’10. I am taking a break from the
practice of law (family law and adoptions) to be a stay-at-home mom.”
MEREDITH YAUCKOES ALBA announces
the birth of Nathan on Oct. 8 last year.
Until next time.
Sec., Maria Ayoob,
mayoob@alumnae.smith.edu
1998
Hello, class of ’98! Special thanks
to everyone for their 24-hour turnaround on my response request, and
I promise to do better next time! Lots
of new beginnings to report this issue.
SARA THEOPHALL is now officially
Sara Reilly as of her Sept. 5 nuptials
last year. In attendance at her Cambridge, MA, wedding was best friend
GENA SCHWAM. Sara has been showing her art in galleries around Boston,
Cambridge, and Somerville for about
a decade, and she encourages fellow
Smithies to look her up online at web.
me.com/studio315.
HEIDI WOESSNER REMICK joyously announces that she and wife Pelly welcomed a son, Henry, on Sept. 28, ’10.
Heidi is taking some time off from
work as a prosecutor in Windsor
County, VT, to concentrate on family.
After seven years at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, KY, ADRIEN-ALICE
HANSEL is now the literary director
of The Studio Theatre in Washington, DC. She enjoys being closer to
her East Coast Smith friends, and
being legally married to her wife of
18 months.
LEA DEFRANCISCI LIS completed her
fellowship in child psychiatry and is
practicing medicine in Southampton,
NY, while raising a new baby girl, Aurelia, with husband Alexander.
VICTORIA MURADI is counting her
blessings: She and her husband finished building their dream house in
the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, area,
and Victoria finds daily fulfillment in
her work as the admissions director at
Durham Academy. The couple hosted
a 16-year-old Sardinian exchange stu-
dent last year, and spent a glorious
month in Italy last summer, making
Victoria wish she’d studied abroad
while at Smith.
BRITTANY COLUMBIA married Matthew McDonald last August in front
of family and friends.
JULIE BIGELOW CRAIG, husband Chuck,
and big brothers Ryan and Alex welcomed Matthew to their family on
Oct. 26 last year. The whole family
is happy and well, despite the chaos
of having three little boys under one
roof!
New baby Sam joined JENNIFER GEREND and family last July 27. Jenny
continues to teach urban planning at
Evergreen State College, and is grateful for the excellent campus child-care
center. Life is good.
JAIME TAN and ATHENA LOW are both
living in Singapore and meet up
weekly for playdates with Athena’s
16-month-old triplets—two boys and
one girl—and Jaime’s 6-month-old
son, Alexander. Both also work in the
real estate sector.
EMILY SPENCER FEAGLE is working as
an attorney at a satellite communications company in Carlsbad, CA, and
raising Spencer, 5, and Avery, 3. She
is enjoying the Southern California
lifestyle.
MARY PARENT, husband Ben, and son
Riley greeted family member No. 4:
new baby boy Jonah, born on Nov. 4,
’10. Mary took time off from work as
an attorney and is enjoying spending
some time with Riley and Jonah.
Last August, daughter Tara joined
SARAH PADEN and her husband, Akshay
Venkatesh.
SAM THAYER WILDE’s third child, Emmett, made his auspicious arrival on
10-10-10! He joins big sister Adeline,
2, and big brother Ellias, 4. Sam finds
the full house a wonderful thing. Her
second novel is due out in early 2012,
and she still enjoys connecting with
readers about her first novel, This Little Mommy Stayed Home, published
in 2009. The book is also forthcoming
in Spain and Germany.
KATE BUSSARD and HANNAH NUDELL
visited SARAH SZWAJKOS at Sarah’s
home on the coast of Maine for a week
of catching up over Labor Day. Highlights included an overnight trip and
biking on the island of North Haven,
sailing in Penobscot Bay, a homemade
lobster bake, and a sunset ocean-view
hike followed by cocktails on the waterfront with MEGHAN BRADY.
AMY VAUGHAN VAN HECKE and husband Jeremiah are enjoying their
baby, Matilda, born May 18, ’10. Mattie’s 2-year-old sister, Aniela, loves
having a baby around! In January,
Amy returned to work as an assistant
professor of psychology at Marquette
University in Milwaukee.
Thanks for all the great details this
time around. Phnom Penh is far from
home, so I (Jenae) love staying connected with everyone through the
magazine. Thanks, and until next time.
Sec., Val Carmody, 4610 Amesbury
Drive #279, Dallas, TX 75206,
valsox76@gmail.com
Sec., Jenae Johnson, Unit 8166,
Box P APO, AP 96546,
jenaejohnson@hotmail.com
1999
As usual, we ’99ers are busy—getting married, having babies, moving.
We seem to all be living life to the
fullest. But then again, what else can
you expect from Smithies? And with
no further ado . . .
AMANDA HARP writes that she and
her husband, Neil Wadehra, enjoyed
a gorgeous and intimate wedding ceremony in North Myrtle Beach, SC, on
Oct. 9, ’10. DANIELLE YOUNG THOMPSON
’00 and husband Derek and children
Logan and Tara were also in attendance. YIN MEI LIM ’98 was invited, but
she and her husband, Randy, had their
hands full preparing for their firstborn, Oliver. Amanda adds that they
also had a traditional Hindu ceremony
last November in New Delhi, India.
MONIQUE KING-VIEHLAND writes to
announce that she and her husband,
Brian, welcomed their second child,
daughter Zora, last September. On
hand to greet her were big brother
Sekou, 2, and godmother ERNESSA
CARTER. Monique could already tell
that Zora, even at less than 1 month
old, will be Smithie material!
JESSIE KING’s son, Taig, was born in
Nov. ’09, and joined big sister Alexandra. Last June, Jessie graduated from
the Albert Einstein Medical School
with both a medical degree and a PhD
(as did her husband), and she started
her residency in internal medicine
at the University of Michigan. “I’m
learning to love college football, as
it seems I have no other choice. We
bought a house just outside of Ann
Arbor, and despite my long hours,
we’re loving small-town life after
leaving the Bronx. Actively looking
for Smithies in the area!”
JENNIE DRIMMER checks in: “Still living in the United Kingdom, and preparing for a house move—No. 7 in
nine years of marriage. Phew! I am
on maternity leave for the year and
will return to my position as sales
director at the Corporate Executive
Board. Most importantly, we welcomed baby Theo into the world last
May. He joined big brother Ethan and
will soon be calling me ‘Mummy’ as
well, no doubt.”
Last July, JILLIAN COHAN MARTIN attended the wedding of AMY DESILETS
and Russell Marshall in Brookfield,
MA. On hand were Amy’s friends
from Jordan House: SARAH EMOND,
KAREN DUNBAR FULLER , HEIDI VANWORMER JOHNSON, and AMY FIORENTINO HOGAN. Jillian traveled the farthest, coming from Houston, while
the rest of the crew drove in from
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode
Island, and New York. “I hadn’t seen
so many Jordan alumnae together
Nada Tomisova Clontz ’01, Despina Panagopoulou ’00, Denitza
Jilkova Andjelic ’01, Heather Milligan ’01, Kalina Dimova ’04,
and Julia Iwinska ’04 are pictured in Belgrade, Serbia, as they
celebrate Denitza’s wedding.
since the previous winter, when we
met in Boston for a girls’ lunch at the
Gardner Museum.”
On July 17, ’10, KRIN HAGLUND gave
birth to a little boy, Ole. Last fall, after a very intense few weeks of training, she went back to circus touring
in Mexico and Japan, along with Ole
and husband Chris. If any Smithies
want to see her in Europe in the 7 Fingers show La Vie, please check Krin’s
Website for dates and cities.
And finally, KELLY BROWN and John
Bell were married in a small family
ceremony on Mackinac Island, MI,
on Sept. 18, ’10. They live in Owls
Head, ME.
In addition, half of this dynamic duo
is (finally) moving back East. ELEANOR
CARTELLI left Chicago for Boston last
November to start a new job at Boston
University, leading communications
efforts for the central career services
office. Go Terriers!
Secs., Eleanor Cartelli and
Elizabeth Quinn,
smithnotes99@gmail.com
2000
Greetings, folks! I hope 2011 is off
to a terrific start in your corner of
the world.
KATE SONDERS SOLOMON and husband
Mike welcomed a beautiful baby boy,
Jonah, last April. They have been living in Brooklyn, NY, for more than
a year and happily report that they
have finally found a place to settle
for a while.
AMBER BICKFORD COX is now on the
faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, where she teaches and works on
international clinical vaccine trials.
She writes, “I’ve recently been working on dengue vaccine trials—especially timely as there are new reports
of dengue fever here in the United
States this year. Last March I had a
little girl, Astrid, who made it to Reunion in May and will hopefully be in
the class of 2032.”
HOLLY DISALVO married Danny Erickson in the summer of 2009 and writes
that she “was unable to make our mo-
mentous Reunion for a momentous
reason: the birth of my son!” Luke
was born last April. Holly continues
to teach history at the Natick (MA)
High School, but took a semester off
to spend more time with little Luke.
After spending last summer in
Southampton, NY, with MELANIE
MONROE ROSEN, Melanie’s two sons,
and “fabulous beach buddy” PAULE
KAZIEWICZ, VICTORIA STANSKI moved
to Sana’a, Yemen, to work with the
International Organization for Migration on an emergency relief program.
JANELLE BANKS BRADSHAW traveled to San Diego and Houston last
September. While in San Diego, she
enjoyed some great weather and delicious home-cooked meals with OLIVIA
AREIZAGA FERRELL and SHEILA KYTE. In
Houston, she caught up with JA’MILLA
LOMAS, who is renovating her first
home using her own design. Janelle
started a new job with the Cambridge
(MA) Public Schools as the director of
instructional equity, focusing on closing the achievement gap and working
with principals and teachers across
the district to ensure student success
for all. She writes that she is very excited about the role and the impact it
will have for children in Cambridge.
Last May, VALERIE BANTNER married Danian Peo in San Francisco.
Bridesmaids included RACHEL LEIFER
NORMAN ’02 and JANE MCCARTHY; also
in attendance were RUTHANNE BUCK ’01
and MARY WHITTLE. In 2008, Valerie
received her law degree from the University of California Hastings College
of the Law. She is currently a law clerk
to the Honorable Edward Jellen of the
United States Bankruptcy Court for
the Northern District of California.
Valerie’s husband is a financial planner for Ameriprise Financial. Rachel
writes that the couple is living in San
Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood with their imaginary French
bulldog, Robespierre.
DESPINA PANAGOPOULOU has been visiting many new places while attending weddings. Most recently, she was
in Belgrade, Serbia, along with four
other Smithies, for the Aug. ’10 wed-
ding of DENITZA JILKOVA ’01. Despina
is wondering where the next wedding
trip will take her.
A number of Smithies reunited in
Washington, DC, last October to
fete the joyous marriage of NAA-ADEI
KOTEY to Derek Inokuchi. HEATHER
WHITE HILLERS, HILARY MALER, KATRINA
GAMBLE ’99, LAURA TAYLOR-KALE, ERIN
TORRE, REBECCA WEBBER, and MANISHA
GANGOPADHYAY were all on hand for
the celebration.
ARIELLA LEVINE welcomed her first
child, daughter Talia, on “90210—
you’ll never forget her birthday.” Ariella lives in London, and is enjoying
maternity leave from her job at the
London Underground. She writes,
“It is always hard starting a family far
from one’s own, but it is made easier
with auntie GITANJALI PINTO FALEIRO living down the street.” Gitanjali works
as a lawyer specializing in financial
regulation. She recently hosted JESSICA UNRUH for a weekend visit and had
a fantastic time rediscovering London
and doing the tourist rounds with a
fellow Smithie.
EMMY LAWRASON wed Josh Kobobel
last September in Salida, CO. Yours
truly was on hand for the celebration,
along with ABIGAIL LEWIS ’01, MICHELLE
ABREU ’03, and mother of the bride
PAMELA KNOWLES LAWRASON ’69. En
route, I was delighted to meet up
with CATHARINE PIECK for a brief but
wonderful visit in Denver.
MACKENZIE BOHLEN lives in Jamaica
Plain, MA, with her cat, Fred, and
works at the Cambridge Hospital in
the emergency department.
NANCY VAN DER VEER and Michael
Holt were married in Bristol, RI, last
October. MACKENZIE BOHLEN, SARA
FRANK, MELANIE MONROE ROSEN, ANNE
SWINBURN, and I attended the celebration.
Lastly, my Smith roommate, SEE
ANN (HEIDI) HO, and husband Dmitri
welcomed their second son, Samuel,
last September.
Whether you are continuing your
education, searching for your calling,
starting a business, trying to hang
on to employment, caring for aging
parents, having and raising children,
getting married, getting single, struggling with life changes, or celebrating life changes, I hope life is, at its
heart, good wherever you are. And to
those of you who are with me in the
job hunt during these difficult economic times—keep your chin up! We
are amazing Smithies and we will get
through this transition.
Sec., Brittain Skinner, 115 Creekside Drive, Georgetown, KY 40324,
bwgrits@yahoo.com
2001
Hope all of you are getting ready for
our 10th Reunion in May! Thanks for
voting on the class Facebook page.
The theme you’ve chosen is “We’ve
said goodbye to our ‘Roaring 20s.’”
Get your garter belts, feather head-
alumnae update
bands, and thematically decked-out
baby strollers ready!
Perhaps you are all saving your updates for in-person chats as the inflow of updates has significantly tailed
off. Just three in the hopper for this
Quarterly.
ALEXANDRA DUDA DAVIS writes that
her daughter, Elise, was born on
June 26, ’10. Her firstborn, Elliott,
has turned 2. She works part-time in
the library world and keeps busy with
her garden. She hopes to make it to
Reunion this coming May.
SARA HENDERSON posted to the Facebook page that after two years in
Brooklyn, working in New York City,
she is finally back with her sweetie.
They’ve moved to Houston, and are
looking for friends, a doctor, a dentist,
a job, a car, etc. She, too, hopes to be
at Reunion.
Last March, SARA REEVE RUSSELL
had her second daughter, Reeve, who
joined big sister Grace, 2. Sara loves
being a mom, and started a new job
as a case manager for a behavioral intervention program supporting local
students with mental-health needs
to stay in their public-school setting.
To send and read updates in real
time, be sure to join the class on Facebook: Smith College Class of 2001.
You can still e-mail us at the address
that follows, as well. Hope to see you
at Reunion this May 12–15!
Secs., Jessica Heinzelman and
Dania Frank, secretary2001@
alumnae.smith.edu
2002
Secs., Moliehi (Mo) Pefole Weitnauer and Louisa Bradtmiller,
scwebsite2002@yahoo.com
2003
Hello, class of 2003! I am excited
to share lots of good news with you!
CARISSA SMITH BARRETT lives in Portland, OR, with her husband, Jonathan.
They have a beautiful home and two
wonderful Siberian huskies. They
welcomed their first child, Liam, on
July 20, ’10, and celebrated their sixth
wedding anniversary that same week.
Carissa is a reference librarian at the
Lake Oswego Public Library and loves
her job.
Last November, ALLI AULDRIDGE accepted a position as a policy associate
for Services & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Elders
(SAGE), and she is working on city
and state advocacy for LGBT elders
in New York. She also received her
master’s in urban policy from The
New School.
JENNY HARTUNG is attending graduate
school in England at the Bath School
of Art and Design to get her master’s
degree in design: brand development.
HEATHER BLACK has accepted a job
as a design director and moved to
Shanghai for the position. She says
that things are going well so far, and
should be a lot better once she learns
A group of West Coast Smithies enjoying time together in San
Francisco includes, from left to right, Stephanie (Teddy) Walls
’03, Sarah Julian ’03, LaToya Thompson ’02, Sarah Lee ’01, Ellen
Park ’00, and Stella Kang ’01.
some Mandarin! She would love to
connect with any Smithies in the area.
CYN WANG writes, “After four years
practicing public law, I decided that
lawyering was for the birds. My wife
and I left our beloved San Francisco
for Washington, DC, and I joined our
nation’s diplomatic corps as a Foreign
Service officer last September. We’re
here for eight months, learning Spanish for our first post: San Jose, Costa
Rica.”
SABEEN AHMAD writes that the “Capen House graduate satellite branch”
was in Washington, DC, in late October last year to help celebrate her
birthday. She reports that ELLEN SMITH
GILCHRIST ’04 bought a house in DC.
NEEMA KHATRI ’05 lives only a metro
stop away from Sabeen, and LEIGH SIMS
is close-by but busy as a teacher. AIMEE
CASTENELL ’01 is finishing up her role
as new media director for the successful One Nation March that happened
last October (they saw Jesse Jackson).
DANIELLE MOST ’06 is spending a semester away from law school working in Washington. Sabeen moved to
Washington in June to work as the
new media director for a consulting
firm as well as a co-editor of the South
Asian online magazine Divanee.
MAYA RAMOS CLAYTON and her husband, John, welcomed their first child,
Bella, Oct. 3, ’10, in Los Angeles.
Maya loves every minute of motherhood and is enjoying time off from her
role as program director for the Posse
Foundation, where she has worked
since graduation.
ANALUZ ROSENBLOOM married Aaron
Zamost in Lake Tahoe, CA, last July.
Her two maids of honor were REBECCA
HOFFMAN and JANA HAWES ANDERSON,
and in attendance were KATIE VAN
BEMMELEN GIORDANO, JENNY SHANLEY
FARRELL, LINDSAY BELLOWS, and DEVEAU
SLEEPER.
SARAH FLANAGAN left her job teaching
high school science in Westchester
County, NY, to start medical school
in Erie, PA, which was recommended
to her by RUTHANN LIPMAN ’98. Sarah
says she’s working almost as hard as
she did when she was writing her
thesis. She reports that JESSICA PECK
lives in New York City and started a
doctoral program in economics at the
City University of New York. Sarah
has seen HANAH EHRENREICH often in
Hanah’s hometown of Syracuse, NY,
where she is greening the state and
reducing unemployment with CNY
Works. Hanah and Sarah took a fabulous trip to London in Feb. ’10 for a
mutual friend’s wedding.
JULIE BLAZAR married David Mountcastle last August. MEG DUBAY ’05 was
Julie’s “best woman.” MEGAN MOUNTCASTLE and Julie are now sisters-inlaw, having married twin brothers. In
addition to Meg and Megan, Smithies
at the wedding included JOANNA BAYER ’06, VICTORIA CHURCHILL ’07, OLIVIA
MCPHERSON, SARAH WILSON, and SARAH
WINAWER-WETZEL ’05. They wanted a
small wedding, but the Smithies were
non-negotiable and made the day fun
and exciting!
LINDSEY WATSON was married on Aug.
7, ’10, at the Jersey Shore. She was
blessed to have three Smith friends
present: MAIA DAUNER, a doctoral candidate in art history at the University of Rochester; EMILY CARPENTER, a
doctoral candidate in rhetoric at the
University of California, Berkeley;
and LAUREN DUTTON, proud owner of
two dogs, a home, and a fantastic job
with Planned Parenthood.
On Oct. 2, ’10, ERICA BALL married
Rocaciano Vega in the mountains
near Lake Arrowhead, CA. LINSEY
MCMILLAN, SARA BALDWIN, and NADINE
SCHNEIDER were in attendance. The
couple honeymooned in Hawaii.
JULIA GLEN got married in Santa Fe,
NM, on June 5, ’10, and the couple
honeymooned in Japan. They reside in downtown Atlanta. She has
been working as a food scientist for
Wendy’s/Arby’s at the corporate
headquarters in Atlanta for nearly
two years.
MELISSA SANDNESS lives outside of
Albuquerque, NM, with her husband
and “two insane dogs.” Last May, she
started a new job as an assistant district attorney in the county where she
lives. She’s enjoying being a trial attorney and a prosecutor more than
she ever thought she would.
AISHA SAAKA celebrated her 30th
birthday in Silver Spring, MD. In
attendance were LYDIA THOMPSON,
ROSY FYNN, KNIA TANNER, CRYSTAL ADEGBOLA ’04, AISHA WILLIAMS ’04, AMANI
FARESS ’04, and AIDA MANU ’06. Aisha
shares that Lydia loves her job as a
state prosecutor with the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and
Licensing. She has been married to
Jason for the last three years; they
have two dogs, Harley and Isabelle,
and two cats, Ciara and Max. Rosy
moved back to Ghana a year ago and
works at Millicom, a multinational
telecom company and the operators
of Tigo in Ghana. She is the head of
marketing, still an avid sports fan,
and regularly plays basketball and
squash, two sports she developed
while at Smith. Crystal is blessed to
be living and working in Silver Spring,
MD, where she has become heavily
involved in advocating for youth and
immigrant communities.
Keep sending in your submissions!
Sec., Jo Quest-Neubert,
goodgossip03@gmail.com
2004
LAUREL DAMASHEK reports that after
several years of working as a textbook
editor, she is now a project manager
for a translation company that specializes in the medical device industry. She learned two foreign languages
at Smith and now gets to use those
skills to help save lives! Laurel lives
outside of Boston with her husband
and enjoys keeping in touch with her
Smithie friends in the area and around
the world.
KATE ANDERSON CARSON reports that
SUSANNAH DAVIS and LESLEY WEAVER
MEEK came through Boston last summer and got to meet Kate’s daughter,
Elsie.
PHAILEEN VANKHAM was married on
July 10, ’10, in Claremont, NH. SAVUTH SOEUNG ’03, MARY DETHAVONG ’02,
KRISTINA LORD ’03, and ERICA HINSON
attended, and ELISA DEL VALLE was the
maid of honor. The newlyweds reside
in Houston.
JACQUELINE MATTA gave birth to her
first child, Malachi, on July 8, ’10. He
received visits from MARTHA CASTRO
and CRYSTAL ADEGBOLA, and he loves
his Smithies already.
EMILY MARKUSSEN SORSHER took a
new job as development associate at
Pretend City Children’s Museum in
Irvine, CA. Within the same month,
she and her husband did a 40-mile
paddle through Oregon’s Rogue River,
and adopted an Old English sheepdog
puppy.
SUSAN STROM recently took a new
job as a senior consultant with a San
Francisco start-up called Knowledge
Architecture, where she leads product implementation and dabbles in
product development. She also loves
the opportunity to work with other
Smithies in her role as president of
the East Bay Smith club.
CAITLIN SCAFATI reports that she
started work at the New York University Child Study Center.
GENEVIEVE MUNSON completed a
short fellowship through Columbia’s
Teachers College Klingenstein Cen-
ter, where she focused on academic
leadership. Last May, she gave birth
to another baby, Oliver. She is still
teaching English at an independent
school in Lancaster, PA.
CAROLINE CARR enthusiastically reports that after five years of loving
her life in New York City, she made
the big leap over the Mississippi to
Seattle. She also left the nonprofit
foundation world and is the newest
member of Amazon.com’s Kindle
Publisher Management Services
team. She misses her New York City
Smithies and thanks them for making
her life in the city so much fun. She is
now enjoying connecting with West
Coast Smithies.
Sec., Mary Kelly,
marykristenkelly@gmail.com
2005
got married in 2008,
finished her doctorate in physics at
Vanderbilt University in 2010, and
is currently a research fellow in the
department of astronomy at the University of Michigan.
SAFIA AL-KHARSA graduated from
the University of Michigan’s School
of Public Health. Safia and 1,200 other
people participated in the Jump Rope
with a Muslim initiative at the Washington, DC, Rally to Restore Sanity.
“It was an unforgettable experience!”
says Safia.
JESSICA ARISTA received her master’s degree in art conservation. She
lives in Baltimore and works at the
Walters Art Museum as an objects
conservator.
After serving in the Peace Corps
in Zambia, LIBBY BENNETT is back at
school working on a master’s in intercultural service, leadership, and
management.
AMY BENSON married Osei May in
Colorado. ELIZA LAROCCA ’07 serenaded guests during the ceremony. NAOMI
ANSBERGS and JESS KULIG attended.
JENNIE BLODGETT celebrated her marriage to Justin Koser in Cambridge,
MA. SHY SHAW BROOKE , DEIRDRE
DOUGHERTY, and MARY KENNERLY all
attended.
DIANA BULL is in her final year of
school at Sturm College of Law. Last
summer, Diana worked as a clerk extern for Justice Patricio Serna of the
New Mexico Supreme Court. Diana
contributed to published opinions.
EMILIE DELONG married Steve Grossl
in a beachside ceremony in Long Boat
Key, FL.
CHANGXIN FANG graduated from the
Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and currently works
as the sustainability coordinator of
Albany, NY, and as an environmental
consultant.
JAMIE FEINBERG started a professional
theater company, Not Your Mom’s
Musical Theater, producing innovative small-cast musicals in southern
New Hampshire.
GENEVIEVE FONTAINE says her most
ALICIA AARNIO
Capenites Lesley Kroupa ’01, Sabeen Ahmad ’03, Aimee Castenell
’01, Danielle Most ’06, Leigh-Kirstin Sims ’03, Neema Khatri ’05,
Cyn Wang ’03, Karli Swift ’04, and Ellen Smith Gilchrist ’04 enjoy
a festive mini-reunion in Washington, DC, to celebrate Sabeen’s
birthday.
exciting accomplishment lately is
her participation with the LA Derby
Dolls. She was drafted to the Tough
Cookies under the skate name Jackie
Nimble and is “absolutely in love
with it.”
LISETTE GARCIA joined the Office of
the US Senate Majority Leader. For
the midterm election, she put her
legal training and Spanish-language
fluency to work, monitoring polls to
ensure free and fair access for all registered voters.
ANNA GRASECK and Wumesh were
married last October. Smithies in
attendance included JESSICA BACHAY,
BRIGID BARRETT, SARAH KOSTICK, DEBORAH ROGAL, and LINDSAY SMITH. The
couple lives in St. Louis, where Anna
reports that she is surviving (barely)
her ob-gyn internship.
JAY STARR HABIBYAR is in Mystic,
CT, and invites her fellow Smithies
to come visit!
KIMBERLEE HAMPSON graduated from
the University of Maryland with a
master’s degree in library science.
She lives in Honolulu.
SARAH HEFFRON and partner Craig
welcomed a son, Callan, who has
already enjoyed meeting DARCY FOX
and SALLY MILLER and looks forward to
meeting many more Smithies!
MEAGAN ETCHELLS was married at
Helen Hills Hills Chapel to Paul Lentz.
The two live in Cincinnati, where
Meagan is working on her doctorate
in clinical psychology.
LAUREN ARMSTRONG MACEWEN married her partner of 11 years, David.
In attendance were LYDIA JENNER ’01,
CASSIE HAYS ’99, ALICIA SIMONTI, ANNIE
PEDERSON, BARBARA MUSMACHER ’04,
TOBIAS PACKER, and RACHEL WURZMAN.
KATIE MCCARTHY’s highlights from Reunion: chatting with President Carol
Christ at Packard’s; going on a Gold
Key tour; taking a class about Smith’s
archives; catching up with EMILY (ISABEL) YOUNGBERG, CHANGXIN FANG, and
CHRISTINE MERRILL; and dancing with
SARBANI HAZRA and JEN CHAN.
KATHERINE MCGUIRE started a new
job at the University of Pennsylvania
Press and was pleasantly surprised
when the first person she met on
her first day in the office was fellow
Smithie and Glee Club alumna CAROLINE WINSCHEL!
In 2007, SARAH MEACHAM married
Luke Gurry with several Smithies
in attendance. She works as a senior
managing consultant in San Francisco.
JESS MENCER married Luis Carlos Peláez and subsequently accepted a PhD
offer from the Queensland University
of Technology in Australia, where the
newlyweds will study volcanoes together.
CLAIRE MICCIO earned her master’s in
public administration from the University of Washington and is now a
resource planning analyst with Tacoma Water. Claire reports that “the
mixture of office and field work is fun,
even when it’s raining.”
Since graduation, NOELLE OPSAHL
completed Smith’s master’s program
in education of the deaf and she has
worked at a number of schools, most
recently at the Boulder (CO) Journey
School. Her latest news is that she has
joined the Peace Corps to work with
the deaf population in Kenya.
SUSAN PAN, the new alumnae association coordinator for Queens, NY, is
looking for Smithies interested in volunteering to recruit high school women. Susan is also in her second year
at the Fordham University School of
Law and is looking for a summer law
firm position in New York City.
After finishing her bachelor’s degree in law, AVETTE RICHARDS spent her
summer doing an HIV/AIDS prevention program with indigenous populations in Guyana. She hopes that her
legal and health expertise will enable
her “to put the microscope and telescope on HIV/AIDS health issues.”
AMANDA RICKETSON married wife
Shannon at Look Park in Northampton. ANNE HOLLANDER ’04 and MONTA
LERTPACHIN ’04 were in the wedding
party. CAROLYN DELK ’03, CHRISTINA
FERRERI , DESIREE KOCHANOWICZ ’04,
and ELIZABETH LERNER were also in
attendance.
JESS KULIG married Brian Rosado.
Gardinerites NINETTE PAFFETT-LUGASSY, AMY BENSON MAY, DIANE DIGLORIA
’06, ATETH SIV ’07, DEB SANZONE ’07,
MOLLY GIAMMARCO ’06, SARAH TOMLINSON ’08, and NGOZIE OMEGBU ’06 attended, and even performed Gardiner
cheers at the reception!
SARAH SHEPARD received a bachelor’s
in nursing from the University of
Massachusetts Amherst and moved
to Seattle. Next up for her is midwifery school.
CORDELIA STRANDSKOV was ordained
into the ministry with the United
Church of Christ and began work as
the associate pastor at the First Congregational Church of Santa Cruz
(CA).
ELIZABETH TOLMACH teaches first
grade in the Chicago public schools
and loves it!
LARISSA WILLIAMS , the new class
president, finished her doctorate in
environmental toxicology and is now
a postdoctoral fellow at the Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Sec., Sarah Winawer-Wetzel,
sarah@alumnae.smith.edu
2006
Hello, class of ’06! Here are the most
recent updates.
MARGARITA (DAISY) BANDERA-DUPLANTIER married Amherst alumnus Chris-
tian McClellan on Aug. 21, ’10, in a
beautiful outdoor ceremony outside
of Washington, DC. Her bridesmaids
included Emerson housemates NEHA
BHARGAVA and JUSTINA ROBERTS.
MEGAN TOWNEND and husband Erik
welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Charlotte, into their family on April 22, ’10.
The whole family is happy and healthy
while Erik and Megan are enjoying the
wonderful adventure of parenthood.
After finishing her master’s degree
in archives management in London,
LAURA FREEMAN is back in Switzerland.
She got married last July; her sister,
EMILY FREEMAN ’09, was maid of honor,
and KRISTEN SOBECK, JACI EISENBERG,
and ASHLEY THORNTON were in attendance. Kristen, Jaci, and Ashley all
live in Geneva, working and pursuing
graduate degrees.
TERESA JACQUES is in her fifth year of
doctoral research in organic chemistry at Columbia. She took the fall semester off to focus on adjunct teaching at Yeshiva University and starting
a small handmade-jewelry business.
She wants Northrop housemates to
know she misses them terribly and
she has a spare bedroom for anyone
who wants to visit New York City for
a weekend.
LISA GOLDENHAR was married to Justin Holtzman on Aug. 8, ’10, in Ann
Arbor, MI. Northrop housemates
SHANA MONTROSE and LESLIE CHRISTENSEN ’09 were two of Lisa’s bridesmaids. SARA HALPERN ’08 was also in
attendance. Lisa is loving her life in
Ann Arbor, where she and her new
husband have lived for four years.
She graduated from the University
of Michigan in April of 2008 with
her master’s in public health. She
is a research associate at the Center
for Bioethics and Social Sciences in
Medicine, where she works on studies
that focus on risk communication and
decision sciences.
SHERRY WANG and LAURA EVANS trav-
alumnae update
eled to Baltimore to attend the wedding of INDIGO PFAFF-POWERS and Jose
Godinez on Sept. 1 last year. Indigo
and Jose now live and work in Edinburgh, Scotland.
LAURA CARROLL is in graduate school
for sustainable international development at Brandeis University.
EMILY DALY has thoroughly enjoyed being reunited with her Scales
platform buddy CAROLYN MARTIN in
Boston. This May they both expect
to receive their master’s degrees in
education.
REBECCA BERMAN has started working
toward her master’s in international
training and education at American
University in Washington, DC.
GABRIELLE (GABY) MATTHEWS graduated from Georgetown University
last May with a master’s in English
literature. Last October, she began
working on her doctorate in English
literature at University College in Oxford, England. She misses her Washington, DC, Smithies, but is happy to
have met several Seven Sisters grads
around Oxford.
AISLINN EMIRZIAN is living in the San
Francisco Bay Area and writing an
adult sex-education book. She shares
an apartment with SARA BARZ.
CHRISTINA PRESLEY basked in her 15
seconds of fame as her e-mail was
read aloud on the July 26 Late Late
Show with Craig Ferguson. When
not submitting e-mails to talk-show
hosts, Christina enjoys her work as a
youth director and substitute teacher,
as well as her new job as a cashier at
Chipotle Mexican Grill.
EMILY O’HERN ROBERTSON married
Charles in Austin, TX, on June 4,
’10. MARY (KAIT) O’NEAL and CRYSTAL
ZINIEWICZ attended.
KERSTIN MCGAUGHEY graduated last
May from Boston University with a
master’s in liberal arts in gastronomy.
Her sister, SARAH MCGAUGHEY ’97, visited Boston to help celebrate. Kerstin
is honored that her thesis received a
prize named after JULIA MCWILLIAMS
CHILD ’34, the co-founder of the BU
gastronomy department. Kerstin continues to work in the dean’s office of
Boston University Metropolitan College. She is also teaching a seminar
at the Cambridge School of Culinary
Arts on the history, culture, and properties of chocolate.
Having finally accomplished everything she hoped to do in Egypt, MAGGIE
GOBLE is finally returning stateside to
be joyfully reunited with her colorful
umbrella, winter sweaters, and summer thunderstorms. Despite facing
unemployment and ramen noodles
every night, she says the future is
looking bright, especially since her
snot will no longer be black with Cairo
pollution!
KAT BAUER graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill last June with a master’s in teaching secondary-school science. She
is currently teaching eighth-grade
’08 in the East Village of New
York City.
KATHERINE YOHAY is enjoying living
in Chicago and teaching some very
entertaining and challenging seventh
and eighth graders at a Montessori
school. She also serves on the board
of the Smith College Club of Chicago
and is loving getting to know Smithies through the board and at events.
Since graduating from Smith, NICOLE
YOUNG, MSW ’07, has been living and
working in South Central Kentucky
in community mental health. She
specializes in domestic violence and
substance abuse, and recently passed
the exam to become a licensed clinical
social worker.
If you would like your update to be
included in the Quarterly, please send
me an e-mail.
Sec., Elisabeth Sexton,
scclassof2007@googlemail.com
BIN OH
Gillian Flashner ’10, Maryanne O’Brien ’09, Katherine Posey ’10,
and Kelsie Hoke ’11 at Katherine’s wedding in Henderson, KY.
science in the Wake County Public
School System in Raleigh, NC.
Keep the updates coming!
Sec., Tegan Ahmed Kahner, 2641
Hibiscus Way, Apt. 314, Beavercreek, OH 45431,
tahmed@gmail.com
2007
KRYSTAL BANZON is finishing up her
second-to-last semester of graduate
school at the New York University
Tisch ITP program. She was named
a Point Scholar for 2010.
KIRBY CAPEN, recipient of a Davis
Projects for Peace award in 2007,
spent much of that year abroad in
Ghana and New Zealand. She then
got a job as an engineer doing building energy analyses in New York City
(saving the world one watt at a time).
She lives near REGINA CHIEN ’08, and
they have regular dinner parties together.
ALI DALE works at Harvard in the vice
president’s office of alumni affairs and
development. She received her certificate in makeup artistry from the
Elizabeth Grady School of Esthetics,
and completed her third marathon, the
Rock ’n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon,
in three hours and 31 minutes.
EMILY FARQUHARSON is in the craziest portion of her second year of
law school, balancing her classes,
her moot-court competition, and an
internship where she helps to fight
employment discrimination. She
couldn’t be busier or happier (well,
maybe happier if she got more sleep).
LAUREL GOLIO and her childhood
friend Diana Scholl (not a Smithie,
but still a super great lady!) founded
We Are the Youth, a photojournalism project chronicling the individual
stories of LGBT youth in the United
States. They recently traveled to the
Deep South, where they met some
amazing young people.
MAKENNA HELD moved to Denver in
February after completing her master’s degree in global affairs from New
York University. She is working on a
new clean-water distribution concept
that is scheduled to pilot this year in
Cambodia.
BRITTANIE JEMES is graduating this
year, but she has chosen 2007 as her
preferred class year because this is the
class she started with. Brittanie had a
daughter, Kaya, in May ’09.
HEATHER JONES moved to New York
to begin her master’s in educational
leadership: politics and advocacy at
New York University. She is also a
site manager for Jumpstart for Young
Children, a national early-literacy
organization that recruits and trains
college students and community volunteers to work with preschool children in low-income neighborhoods.
FRANCES JOANNA KINGSBURY moved
back to the United States and is now
teaching high school Spanish in suburban Massachusetts.
AMY MORRILL married Aaron Kushner in Garrison, NY, on Aug. 22, ’10.
They are living in their new home in
Carmel, NY, and got a puppy, Nelly.
Amy is now an alumnae admissions
coordinator for Putnam County in
New York.
JENNA LOVAAS completed her master’s at the Boston University School
of Public Health last December, and
began her Peace Corps service in
Honduras in February.
MARY-MORGAN CHILDS recently
brought her custom dance clothing
lines to the Los Angeles market. Her
company, Carpe Dancem Apparel,
celebrated its one-year anniversary!
KATE ROGERS is getting her master’s
in public health at the University of
Arizona, and she is the teen advocacy
group program assistant for Planned
Parenthood Arizona.
EMILY ORZECH is in Harbin, China,
studying language with CET Academic Programs through a Critical
Language Enhancement Award.
KELLY SWINDLEHURST finished her
master’s and is now working on her
doctorate in education at the University of Vermont. She lives in Burlington and would love to connect with
other Smithies living in Vermont.
LETA TREMBLAY
Y directed for the Manhattan Theatre Source’s Estrogenius
Festival, and her play was chosen as
an audience favorite to go on for an
extended run. She still lives with YEA
2008
MARIE MCLANE is currently working
at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole
Station in Antarctica, having spent
last April to August at the Summit
Station on the Greenland ice sheet.
Having majored in geology, Marie
says she’s always been interested in
glaciology, climate, and polar science.
She is very excited to have the opportunity to live and work in both polar
regions of the world.
SAMANTHA LYON is excited to have
moved back to my hometown of Los
Angeles, where she manages the technology collection at the library of my
old high school and teaches the garden program there. Samantha lives
in a cute little place in the middle of
the city with a private garden, so if
any alumnae friends have been meaning to visit Los Angeles, this is your
chance! She’s also been connecting
with other Smithies here in this beautiful city of mountains, beaches, valleys, and deserts!
KRISTA RIIHIMAKI is at the University
of San Diego getting her master’s in
education, specializing in Montessori.
She is scheduled to graduate this May.
Krista is also getting certified with the
Association Montessori Internationale to teach children 0-6 years of age.
CAITLIN CAULFIELD is teaching kindergarten in Northampton. She spent a
great weekend in New York City with
ABBY MINOR, SARAH WHITES-KODITSCHEK
’07, and ALYSSA RANKER ’09.
Sec., Jennifer Barone,
jenn.barone@gmail.com
2009
CAROLINE FONSECA
A is living and studying in Scotland, where she served as
manager for Bedlam Theatre’s student festival. She looks forward to
working at the Edinburgh Festival
Fringe this August.
MALIHA KHAN is a first-year student at
Harvard Business School, where she is
enjoying meeting new people and encountering innovative business ideas.
ANDREA NARVAEZ is getting paid while
living the dream and working at FILTER magazine for the company’s creative group as an online marketing
coordinator.
ANDREA ROSEN is working very hard
during her first year in the Tufts University master’s program in art history
and museum studies.
KIRIN MCELWAIN is in her first year of a
master’s program in music at Temple
University, where she is thrilled to be
finally pursuing the cello full-time.
She is also training for her first ultramarathon, working at a Pilates studio,
and studying whole foods cooking.
MARGARET BRESNAHAN is living and
breathing in Brooklyn, NY. She is
working at Curtis Fox Productions
assisting in the organization of books
and exhibits on Chim, interning at
WNYC’s Soundcheckk and at Nylon
magazine, and—like any English
major worth her salt—working as a
barista in Park Slope.
AMELIA VANDERLAAN is teaching and
making art as part of a Fulbright student grant in northern Turkey. She
hopes to learn how to make baklava
and lahmacun (known as Armenian
pizza)!
NIC VETTER lives in St. Paul, MN, with
KELLY MORITZ ’07 and their hyper-hypo
mutt, Bayou. Nic works in the glamorous industry of public radio as a
researcher and writer for Garrison
Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion and as a producer of The Writer’s
Almanac.
CAITLIN FLYNN lives in Manhattan and
works at Macmillan Publishers.
Last October, ALEXANDRA FERRARA
completed her first year at Deutsche
Bank. She is transferring from the asset management division to the corporate investment bank, where she is
joining the communications group as
an associate.
EVAN SHOPPER, MSW ’09, and his
family moved to Costa Rica for the
school year, where he is intensely
learning Spanish and finishing a
novel. When he returns to the Pioneer
Valley in Massachusetts, he hopes to
work bilingually with Latino populations.
VANESSA TITANG is the new assistant
to the registrar at Wheelock College
in Boston.
REN DECHERNEY loves living back
in the Last Frontier (Alaska), and is
considering graduate school in interior architecture. In the meantime,
she’s working, baking cupcakes, and
planning a spring trip to Spain with
CATHERINE HATCH ’09.
SARAH KULIG lives in Burlington, VT,
serving with AmeriCorps VISTA at
VSA Vermont as the development and
outreach coordinator. She is thrilled
to be working on a daily basis for the
arts and social justice, and still enjoys
painting in a studio in Burlington’s
arts district.
After completing internships at the
Smithsonian and Longwood Gardens,
LESLEY JOPLIN transplanted herself to
the Midwest to start as director of
horticulture at the Iowa Arboretum.
SAMANTHA FISHER has been painting, carving, learning German, and
visiting friends. Over the winter, she
worked in Washington, DC, with an
art conservator.
EMILY PRATT lives in Philadelphia,
working with Habitat for Humanity
as a member of AmeriCorps VISTA.
She is helping to get a ReStore resale
outlet for home and building goods
up and running.
CAROLYN CUNHA graduated last July
from the Johns Hopkins University
School of Nursing. She is a registered
nurse on a neurosurgery unit at the
University of Virginia Health Center
in Charlottesville.
JES VERSACE spent her summer
working up in the High Sierra doing wilderness programming for an
all-girls’ summer camp. She is now
back in San Francisco managing a café
while trying to plan her next wilderness adventure.
MARLOWE DIECKMANN started her second semester of a master’s program
in public health at UC Berkeley. She
is happy to be back home in the Bay
Area.
ARIELA HOUSE is teaching English and
perfecting her Catalan in a small town
near Girona, Spain.
MAYA WEI-HAAS is at Ohio State University pursuing her doctorate in environmental geochemistry. Over the
winter she headed to the McMurdo
Station in Antarctica to conduct
fieldwork for her research on the environmental degradation caused by
brominated flame retardants.
SARAH GASS is a content and community manager at Proust.com in New
York City, a start-up Website that
offers a place for families and close
friends to capture their life stories
and spark meaningful conversations
about who they are.
In April at the National Council on
Public History’s annual conference in
Florida, ERIN MOLLOY is presenting at
a panel on the museum theater script
she co-produced for the National Museum of American History.
JORDAN BARBEAU lives in Brooklyn,
NY, and works as the publicist for a
small press in Manhattan while she
puts together her law school applications. She says her list is based largely
on campuses with the most trees.
CAITY LOGAN began medical school in
the fall at Jefferson Medical College
in Philadelphia.
AMANDA KEAMMERER-ADERIBIGBE conquered her first race, the MCM10K,
in Washington, DC, last Halloween.
Also, she celebrated one year of marriage last November.
Sec., Yena Lee,
e.yena.lee@gmail.com
2010
FRANCES READING has legally changed
her name to Wiley Frances Reading.
She and BRIGID FITZGERALD READING
were married at Smith’s Helen Hills
Hills Chapel on June 26, ’10. They
have relocated to Washington, DC,
where Wiley is the national intern
for Cooking Matters, and Brigid is
a research intern at the Earth Policy
Institute.
ELIZA WARREN is a marketing and development associate for a nonprofit
concert series, Rush Hour Concerts
at St. James Cathedral, which holds
free classical music concerts in downtown Chicago every week from June
through August. She is pleased to be
working for another Smithie, DEBORAH
SOBOL ’72, founder and artistic director of Rush Hour Concerts.
REBECCA GUTIERREZ works at McAlister Intermediate School in Suffield,
CT, as the permanent building substitute. She is enjoying putting all her
Smith knowledge to the test with energetic third, fourth, and fifth graders.
DANIELLE MORRISSETTE worked as
a translator at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, Poland. She
translated the testimonies of Holocaust survivors as well as worked with
old birth registries of Jewish families
who were in the Russian Empire. She
is now a graduate student at Central
European University in Budapest,
Hungary. She is working toward her
master’s and applying to doctoral
programs in history and Russian literature.
HILLARY BORCHERDING is currently
living in Boston and working at
WalkBoston, a pedestrian advocacy
organization that works to change
urban infrastructure to encourage
more progressive and healthy forms
of transportation.
JENNIFER NEEDHAM is at the University
of Pittsburgh’s School of Information
Sciences obtaining her master’s degree in library and information science with a concentration in archives,
preservation, and records management. She expects to graduate this
summer.
XIAOJIA (HELEN) HUA moved to Washington, DC, to work as an analyst for
the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
LAUREN FOLK lives in Canton, OH.
She works at a nearby Borders café
as a barista (thanks in part to her
wonderful time at the Campus Center Café!), and is enjoying being surrounded by great co-workers and
thousands of books.
SHANNON SHIRD is working full-time
at a nonprofit called Court Appointed
Special Advocates as the AmeriCorps
member, volunteer, and outreach coordinator, working to build CASA’s
capacity and recruit more volunteers
to serve some of Baltimore’s 7,000
abused and neglected children in the
foster-care system. Her job includes
publicizing the organization through
all forms of media, and recruitment
activities such as going to fairs.
After graduation (and being on the
dean’s list), SHEHRBANO TASEER worked
with Pakistan’s ambassador to the
United States, Husain Haqqani, in
Washington, DC. She is now working as a journalist with Newsweek.
KATHERINE POSEY was married on
June 5, ’10, in Henderson, KY, and
several of her best friends from Smith
attended the wedding.
CAROLINE FRAMKE is excited to have
been hired as a social media coordinator at the Women’s Media Center,
co-founded by Jane Fonda, GLORIA
STEINEM ’56, and Robin Morgan in
New York City. If any alumnae have
feminist events or issues they would
like publicized online by a like-minded organization, please feel free to
contact Caroline.
AMANDA (MAGGIE) CHESNUT is working at the Center for Anti-Violence
Education, an organization that
works as a catalyst for change in the
lives of women, LGBT people, teens,
children, and other communities affected by violence. Maggie is happy to
be working with TRACY HOBSON ’96.On
July 23, ’10, TIARRA MAZNICK officially
married her husband, Valentino Solo,
in Hawaii (they eloped in 2006). In
September, she moved to Germany
to pursue a Fulbright fellowship to
teach English. She says she has picked
up Muay Thai again, and is also vegan
again. She’s having the most amazing
time with fellow Fulbrighters ALYSSA
GREENE and RAVEN BROOKS ’03.
Sec., Hillary Borcherding,
hillary.borcherding@gmail.com
ADA COMSTOCK
SCHOLARS
Thanks, Adas, for your news. Please
keep it coming!
KATHLEEN NUTTER ’90 was part of
a panel that honored Helen Gurley
Brown and her late husband’s gift to
the college. The gift is earmarked
for Adas past, present, and future.
Kathleen says that as an Ada who
worked for a catering company that
did Smith events in the president’s
house back in the 1980s, it was quite
a thrill to be an honored guest at this
event. “Not every day does the college get a $2 million bequest—for
Adas, no less.”
CYNTHIA CARROLL ’90 has been
working in Haiti since the Jan. ’10
earthquake, helping to shape the
Louisiana/Haiti Sustainable Village
Project. Cynthia’s daughter, Isabella,
was among students who traveled to
Haiti last July to volunteer. Son Will
is 13 years old, 6 feet 3 inches tall,
and an eighth-grade football player.
BARBARA COOK POSS ’92 is still editing dissertations and course papers
for international PhD candidates at
the University of Illinois. Two years
ago, she started tutoring a 14-year-old
Korean student whose parents wanted her to read British and American
literature, and they still meet every
Saturday morning.
HARRIET MADAR ’93 and her husband,
alumnae update
Dan, took early retirement in 2006.
Harriet left her job with the Department of Labor after having worked
there for 10 years. They then moved
to Virginia near Roanoke, where they
have more than five acres overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. She
is a member of the Bald Knob Artists guild, and writes that between
the mountains, and Smith Mountain
Lake nearby, there is always something wonderful to paint. Harriet has
been in several juried art shows and
has displayed her artwork in galleries. She recently bonded with CAROL
WALLING FLIEGER ’47, who is also a
member of the Bald Knob Artists,
when they met at a plein air session
at a mutual friend’s house. They both
have won awards and continue to pursue their art endeavors.
MELODY WILENSKY ’93, who turned
51 years old in 2010, recalls being a
young mother who attended Smith
and gave birth during interterm 1990.
“I had a heck of a time reading Blake
and Lord Byron’s poetry during the
afternoons when I’d rather have been
napping during those early months.”
She is deeply appreciative of the education she received at Smith.
LORI DOWNER HOMKOWICZ ’96 reports,
“Daniel and I are living on Kingston
Lake in New Hampshire with 12-yearold Sergei. Devin is now 22 and lives
in Newburyport, MA (he was in second grade when I graduated).” Lori
From left to right, Frances Stotz AC ’87, Teresa Hacunda AC ’87,
and Louise Walton AC ’88 delight in their longtime friendship at a
get-together at Teresa’s home in Providence, RI.
worked for 10 years at Charles River
Laboratories, and is now working at
the Manchester (NH) VAMC doing
research compliance, narcotics inspection, and quality improvement
work. She earned a second master’s
degree at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
BECKY MCCOY ’96, who served as class
co-president when she was a student,
has received both a master’s degree
in world religions and a doctorate in
psychology. “The one major thing that
I learned at Smith is that I love learning!” she writes.
ROBYN PEARSON MCHATTIE ’96 is re-
leasing a new novel under her pen
name, RD McHattie, with the working title Diane Quinnell at Oxford.
It is the second in a series featuring
the lively Smithie heroine, this time
improving her credentials over the
summer at Oxford.
CANDACE TALLEY ’97 has developed
her business, Stone House Farm, in
Amherst, MA. She reports, “I am so
happy to have found the loves of my
life since graduating: my partner for
life; a business/work that I love; and
an invigorating hobby, sea kayaking,
that I share with Tom.”
IAMI BADU ’99 reports that all is well
You’re the BEST
Students cite contact with alumnae as an important reason for applying to and enrolling at Smith.
When you take the time to talk with a prospective
student, the message is clear: Smith is a community where she will be inspired by the legacy of
remarkable women.
On behalf of the Office of Admission, thank you
for your outstanding work and commitment. We
couldn’t do it without you!
PRODUCED BY THE OFFICE OF ADMISSION
in Jacksonville, FL. She has started
an educational tutoring service
for children and adults, Alexander
Academy, and is also working at the
local college with learning-disabled
adults. She has reconnected with
several Smithies.
STACEY BETTS ’01 is living outside of
Boston and writes that her stained
glass business is really starting to
take off. She is delighted to have
been accepted into the Paradise City
fairs of all fine and functional art.
She creates custom stained glass, and
her work is also in several museum
stores and craft galleries. Find her
business online.
KELLY SAMUELS ’07, who lives in the
Berkshires of Massachusetts, graduated from the Western New England
College School of Law last May,
passed the Massachusetts bar exam,
and was sworn in in November. Her
daughter, Kaytlyn, who was only 2
years old when she started at Smith,
is 8 this year and in the third grade.
REBECCA HURST ’02 lives in Lewes,
East Sussex, England, and works
in the education department of the
Glyndebourne Opera. In 2009, she
graduated from the University of Sussex with a master’s in creative writing
and personal development. She is also
teaching creative writing classes and
working on a novel and a collection of
poetry. Her daughter, Luka, is in her
first year at Mount Holyoke.
TERESA GONZALES ’07 was married
on Oct. 10, ’10, in Chicago to her
“wonderful husband, Wilson.” Two
Ada friends attended. Teresa is pursuing her doctorate in sociology at the
University of California.
EDIE ADAMS ’08 is certified to teach
English to speakers of other languages, and is currently employed as an
adjunct instructor at Manhattanville
College in Purchase, NY. She has
also started her own tutoring business, which is an extension of her 18
years as a volunteer English tutor at
Westchester Community College. “I
love my job as a teacher, and continue
to look forward to working with adult
newcomers to America,” she reports.
LAURA SCANDALIS ’06 accepted the
position of human resources administrator for the New Hampshire Public Defender program. “I started as
a legal secretary at Public Defender,
went to Smith, got a graduate degree
in risk and prevention from Harvard,
and have returned to the organization I love as an administrator,” she
writes.
STACY ROCKWOOD ’09 is excited and
sad to be finishing her Teach for
America commitment teaching algebra as a special education teacher for
ninth graders in the Rio Grande Valley
along the border of Mexico in Texas.
Her next adventure will include a
move to Austin, TX, and the search
for the perfect graduate school.
Sec., Stephanie Schoen AC ’91,
stephanieschoen1@gmail.com
obituaries
1930s
’30, Nov. 26, ’10, in
Santa Cruz, CA, a month shy of her 101st birthday. She is survived by two sons, Richard and Si;
nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
She highly valued her Smith education, and always
spoke very warmly of her time at Smith. My wife
and I accompanied her to her 75th Reunion in 2005,
which she enjoyed a great deal. She was one of
only four members of her class who attended that
Reunion.—Richard Wasserstrom, her son
GERTRUDE KOPP WASSERSTROM
HELEN CONNOLLY MCGUIRE ’31 died peacefully at home
in New London, CT, on Oct. 19, ’10, at the age of
101. Helen loved Smith. She was class song leader
and college song leader, and over the years she
continued her love of singing with her family and
friends. In addition to raising her four children,
Helen was active in community affairs and on many
boards, including the Lyman Allen Art Museum at
Connecticut College. Helen had a keen aesthetic
sense and loved flower arranging and Federal architecture. She married Francis McGuire in 1935; he
died in 1982. Helen was devoted to her children, her
12 grandchildren, and her 13 great-grandchildren.
Helen’s mother was ELLEN (NELLIE) CUSECK CONNOLLY
1904 and her sister was RUTH CONNOLLY BURKE ’29.
Her two daughters are SUSAN MCGUIRE MORGAN ’59,
MSW ’93, and the artist Elizabeth Enders, who has
two paintings in the permanent collection of the
Smith College Museum of Art.—Susan McGuire
Morgan ’59, MSW ’93, her daughter
AMARIE WHITTERS DENNIS ’34, Dec. 7, ’10, in Essex,
CT. Amarie spent her junior year in Spain, and after
teaching Spanish for a year, she returned to Spain to
work on a master’s degree. There she met George
Dennis, who was stationed in Madrid with the International Telephone and Telegraph Company.
They were married in January of 1937 in Antwerp.
They had a son, Ward, and Amarie and Ward returned to the United States for four years during
World War II. They rejoined George in Spain prior
to D-day, and over the next 18 years the family lived
in Rome, London, New York, Madrid, and Buenos
Aires. Upon George’s early retirement in 1960, they
made their home in Madrid, where they lived for the
next 28 years. Amarie published five biographies
and one book of poetry, did volunteer work for the
Spanish Red Cross, gave lectures, and was a member of the Fulbright committee. George and Amarie
returned to the United States in 1988. Following
George’s death in 1989 and Ward’s death in 1992,
Amarie moved to the Essex Meadows retirement
community. She is survived by three grandchildren
and five great-grandchildren.
To report the death of an alumna,
contact the records department at
alumnaerecords@smith.edu or Smith
College, Northampton, MA 01063.
z
OBITUARY POLICY Obituaries may be
submitted by family, friends, or classmates
to the SAQ office at classnotes@smith.edu;
Smith Alumnae Quarterly, Alumnae House,
Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, Attn:
Obituaries; fax: 413-585-2015. An alumna must
be confirmed as deceased by the college records
department in order for an obituary or death notice
to appear. Obituaries can be a maximum of 175
words. Newspaper obituaries cannot be reprinted.
RUTH BARNES BATHRICK ’36, Oct. 19, ’10, in Ponte Ve-
dra, FL. She was born in 1914 in New York City, the
daughter of the late William and Mildred Barnes.
She married Fritz Baldwin in 1935, and in 1949
they moved to West Hartford, CT, where they lived
until relocating to Ponte Vedra in 1970. After Fritz’s
death in 1988, Ruth married John Bathrick, who
also predeceased her. Ruth took great pleasure in
serving the community, including fundraising for
the Hartford Theological Seminary. She was on
other boards, and was also involved in the social
action committee of the Congregational church in
West Hartford. She headed the garden committee
for the Institute of Living. Her favorite volunteer
work was for her beloved Smith as an active fundraiser and class president. She is survived by her
son, two daughters, seven grandchildren, eight
great-grandchildren, a nephew, and several nieces.
PRISCILLA CHAMBERLIN NEILL ’37, Jan. 5, ’10, in Win-
chester, MA, after an extended illness. After graduating, Priscilla worked at the Personal Book Shop
in Boston and married Stanley Neill, who predeceased her. They lived in Winchester, where they
raised their children, Stanley and Nancy. Priscilla
was a member of the Smith College club, the Winton Club, and the Winchester Country Club. She
also was a longtime member of the Eastward Ho
Country Club in Chatham, MA, and of the Naples
(FL) Country Club. She leaves her two children,
her grandson and his wife, and her two greatgrandsons.
’38, Dec. 11, ’10. Bertie and I
both married shortly after graduating and started
our families within a year. A group from our class
got together for our 25th Reunion and drove to
Northampton for the festivities; that was the start
of a close friendship. We both had four children who
were about the same ages. My youngest daughter,
Tally, went to Dana Hall in Wellesley, MA, and Bertie’s sons went to the Rivers School in Weston, MA.
Once, one of Bertie’s sons went to a Dana Hall dance
and came to my house for a dinner party before the
dance. Bertie and I thought it was great, and hoped
our children might get together. Alas, when I spoke
to Bertie’s sons at her services, neither remembered that occasion, and Tally wasn’t sure! About
10 years ago our class president Ann (Brooksie)
Brooks Carter asked the two of us to be the class
secretaries. We agreed and had a great time reaching out to all of our classmates. We served happily
as co-secretaries until Bertie became ill. I will miss
her friendship.—Natalie High Loomis ’38
BERTINE NILES WILLIS
MARY-JOE LEE CRANDALL ’39, July 12, ’10, in Charles-
ton, SC, of Alzheimer’s. She was the widow of John
Crandall of Armonk, NY. Mary-Joe was born in
1918 in Pleasantville, NY, one of seven children.
After graduation, she was active in the League of
Women Voters in Westchester County, NY; she
started at the local level and continued over the
years through the national level. Mary-Joe and her
daughter attended the class of 1939’s 70th Reunion
in May ’09. It was a very happy time for MaryJoe, as she had fond memories of her four years at
Smith. She was a loyal and generous alumna who
was devoted to Smith and its bright future. MaryJoe is survived by a son, John, and his wife, Ruth;
a daughter, Pamela; a grandson, Lee, and his wife,
Meagan; and one great-grandchild, Charlotte.—
Pamela Crandall, her daughter
ANNE AUSTIN DAVIDSON ’39, Sept. 18, ’10, surrounded
by her children and grandchildren, in New Bern,
NC. She was the loving wife of the late Alan Davidson, and is survived by one brother, five children,
10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
EVELYN ABRASH LAWRENCE ’39, Oct. 3, ’09. My mother
was very proud of having graduated from Smith.
She continued her education, earning a master’s
degree from the Columbia University Graduate
School of Journalism. She spent most of her life
working for many political, religious, and social
causes. She was the founding president of the
northern New Jersey branch of the Brandeis University Women’s Organization. She leaves four sons,
six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.—
Andrew Lawrence, her son
’39, Sept. 1, ’10, in her sleep,
after declining health. Janice grew up in Elizabeth,
NJ, and most recently was a resident of Delray
Beach, FL, and Greenwich, CT. She became a national award-winning swimmer and diver in her
youth. For 50 years, she worked as an insurance
agent. She was predeceased by her husbands, Paul
Berkley, Henry Kopel, and Harold Stuart. Janice
leaves two brothers, three sons and their wives, a
stepson and his wife, 12 grandchildren, and eight
great-grandchildren.
JANICE LIFSON STUART
1940s
ROSEMARY KOPMEIER BRADFORD HEWLETT ’40, Oct. 29,
’10, at home in Atherton, CA, after a brief illness.
She married Robert Bradford in 1942, and they
moved to Atherton in 1957. Robert died in 1969,
and in 1978 Rosemary married William Hewlett,
with whom she enjoyed 22 years. Survivors include
her four sons, a daughter, eight grandchildren,
many nieces and nephews, and her dearly loved
caretakers.
BARBARA JAEGER FERRELL ’40, Oct. 6, ’10, in Scarbor-
ough, ME. Barbara lived a full and active life for
all of her 92 years. She died at peace with herself,
surrounded by members of her family. Along with
her husband, Herbert Ferrell, she was a pioneer in
the tourism industry in Maine, helping to operate
and co-own Down-East Village in Yarmouth. She
enjoyed her service to the community, her children,
grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved
to travel and always wanted to explore or visit one
more place on any excursion, whether in Europe or
on the back roads of New England. She was most
proud of her service in the American Red Cross,
especially as a staff assistant in Europe during
in memoriam
“In Memoriam” contains the names of alumnae who were confirmed deceased by
the records department at Smith College between October 12, 2010 and January
10, 2011, and does not necessarily reflect the date of death. To report the death of
an alumna, please contact the records department, Smith College, Northampton,
MA 01063. Submit full obituaries for publication directly to the Smith Alumnae
Quarterly.
1930
1 9 39
1 9 47
1959
Mildred Van Dillen de Veer
Marjorie Koblitz Garson
Elizabeth Olney Miller
Gertrude Kopp Wasserstrom
Evelyn Abrash Lawrence
Anne Austin Davidson
Nancy Gordon Richardson
Mary Gundersen Bugge
Ann Trevellyan Hacker
Priscilla Jones Castle
Susan Aronowitz Pollack
Becky Raisbeck Smythe
Delano Burton May
1940
1948
1961
1931
Lois Riedel Martin
Barbara Jaeger Ferrell
Rosemary Kopmeier Bradford
Hewlett
Mary Krufka Slater
Alice Reed Whittle
Ruth McCorkindale Ray
Alice Berman Roth
Margaret Campbell Pfaff
Marion Snee Hood
Nelle Sellers Lane
Beatrice Brown O’Donnell
Jane Gurko
1949
1963
Hellen Perrin Hurley
Margery McCanna Jennison
Alice Tarnowski
Jessie Van Baalen Warms
Juliana Ferguson Kimball
1966
Margaret Moss Siegel
C. Day Bonynge McBane
Phyllis Greenwald Marks
Doris Humphrey Mackley
Louise Ramseyer Bliss
Miriam Schwinn Kelley
Frances Davis Fisher
Grace Ridgeley Drew
Katherine Park Iverson
Helen Connolly McGuire
1932
Virginia Ramsey Hughes
Gertrude Raffel Schmeidler
1933
1941
Olive Dickey Weston
Frances Alling Lang
Nancy Burns McArdle
Caroline Berliner Isard
Martha Howell Gould
1942
Marion Landon Holmes
Mollie Goodwin Beam
Grace Jarcho Ross
Elizabeth Lewis Calmer
Josephine Burroughs
Margaret Scarlett Widdifield
Natalie Judd Knudson
Barbara Marden Wilson
Marion Ingersoll Howell
1934
1943
Eliza Taylor Shockley
Amarie Whitters Dennis
Barbara Stoddard Cunningham
Barbara Hopkins Jones
Katherine Baker Spring
Janet Harris Bird
Claire Steinhardt Cunningham
Eleanor Bisbee Neily
1935
Frances Rossi Moss
Calie Berman Loss
1936
Mary Lewis Slavitt
Carey Tatro Prouty
Elizabeth Petcen Messina
Ruth Barnes Bathrick
Virginia Wright McCarthy
Lucile Beeghly Patrick
Doris Smith Osgood
1937
Theodora Myers Bagg
Gwynne Wimberly Hughes
1938
Margaret McCabe King
Margaret Tyng Lawson
Bertine Niles Willis
1944
1950
Sally Cassell Thomas
M. Quinn Ellis Delaney
Virginia Bogert Schatz
1951
1962
Eleanor Wright Skoluda
Carolyne Perry Evers
Margaret Soule
Susan Arenschield
Edith Blumenthal McCharen
1 9 67
Susanna Barrows
1968
Kathleen Fitz Gerald Oppenheimer
Sally Garen Chapman
Katharine Stevens Prince
Evthokia Sarris Porter
Elizabeth Carlo Day
Deborah Andrews Burch
Katherine Blyth
1 9 73
1952
1 9 76
Georgia Brauer Graham
Julie Wolyn Lowell
Joy Kesslinger Krauss
Anne Schroder
1 9 81
1953
1 9 83
Ann Warren
1 9 75
Camille Chapus-Roy Ketzler
Amy Doppelt
Elizabeth Wright Goshorn
Barbara Cushman Mackintosh
Irene Williamson White
Katharine Downey Hart
Helen Stoepel McGraw
A. Hadley Lammert Curtis
Frances Upshur Craighead
Catherine Mauk Rooks
Lore Mamlok Barroso
1954
1991
1945
Johanna Greenwald Bowen
Irma Golden
Elsa Biern
Anne Duncan Eustis
Shirley Traver Allen
1955
1 9 92
Mary Lockwood Spelman
Joan Shuttleworth Russell
Keller Pollock
Betty Parks-Bowen
1946
1956
2 0 02
Patricia Fialkoff Singer
Sally Houriet Wilkins
Isolina Douglas
Marian Myers Hellstrom
Marilyn Stone Hufstader
Caroline Wadsworth Harris
Nancy Peck Stainbrook
Kate Rosenthal Ollendorff
World War II. She is survived by three children
and their spouses, five grandchildren, and three
great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her
husbands, Herbert Ferrell and Bob Riegler.—H.
Ross Ferrell, her son
’42, Nov. 21, ’10, in Bedford, MA. She is survived by her husband, two sons,
a daughter, and four grandchildren, as well as several nieces, nephews, and their families.
BARBARA MARDEN WILSON
Ann O’Donnell Ilten
1 9 87
Julia Manchester
1958
Priscilla Bruns Glander
Eleanor Taft King
MARION (MARIO) INGERSOLL HOWELL ’42, Nov. 27, ’10,
at the Wesley Enhanced Living at Stapeley continuing-care retirement community. After Smith,
Mario received her master’s from Teachers College, Columbia. She joined the department of child
care at Temple University’s School of Social Work,
where she trained adults working with emotionally
disturbed children and adolescents. She was acting
chair of the department from 1983 to 1984, and she
retired in 1986. She was married to the late Joseph
Howell, a minister, and was predeceased by a son
in 1979. She is survived by one other son.
NANCY PECK STAINBROOK ’46, Dec. 28, ’10, of pneumonia, in Charlotte, NC. Nancy was the class secretary
for many years in the 1970s and 1980s, and she was
very involved with the Smith College Club of New
York until she relocated to Charlotte in 1994. She always spoke so glowingly of her time at Smith. She
pursued a graduate degree in Switzerland, and then
settled in New York. She was predeceased by her
husband, Richard, and her sister and parents. She
is survived by her son, Christopher; her daughter,
Lucinda; son-in-law, Bob; and grandsons, Timothy
and Kevin. Her friends and family will miss her wit
and vivacious presence.—The Rev. Fr. Christopher
Stainbrook, her son
ALICE BERMAN ROTH ’48, June 28, ’10, after suffering
a debilitating stroke. She was 83 years old. Wife
and mother extraordinaire, voracious reader, clear
and logical thinker and true intellectual not afraid
to speak her mind, Alice cared deeply for others.
Through her love and generosity she touched many
lives. Alice wrote poetry in college. Later she turned
her talents to short stories and comedic plays. Her
short stories appeared in several quarterly reviews,
and several of her plays were produced in Indianapolis. After raising four children, Alice earned
her master’s in English literature from Indiana
University. Alice was a longtime member of the
Indianapolis Hiking Club, former president of
the prestigious Indianapolis Woman’s Club, and
member of the Dramatists Guild. Married to Bertram Roth for 62 wonderful years, Alice was the
best relationship role model ever. Several months
before her death, Alice and Bert relocated to Sarasota, FL, where she quickly made friends. She is
dearly missed by her family and friends.—Ann
—
Roth
Schuessler, her daughter
HELLEN (BIBSIE) PERRIN HURLEY ’49, April 6, ’10. A his-
tory major at Smith, Bibsie returned to her native
Colorado, becoming a legal secretary before marrying in 1951. By 1964, she had chaired the Denver
County United Fund and had been on the YWCA
board as well as serving as the Smith club president.
When her third child was 7, her husband, Leonard,
died. Thereafter she worked for the Prevention of
Blindness Society and the Colorado Safety Association. For our 50th Reunion Bibsie wrote, “Joined AA
in 1983 and have had a new and brighter life since.”
Bibsie’s son Bruce, a Presbyterian minister who,
with his wife, raised four daughters, conducted her
memorial service. Daughter Anne and son David
added three grandchildren each to Bibsie’s family.
Golf, bridge, bowling, and AA volunteering were
her pleasures, along with Opera Colorado and being
an ardent sports fan. She always appreciated her
Smith education and classmates, especially friends
from Morris House and alumnae living in Denver.
She leaves her three children and 10 grandchildren.—Leigh Berrien Smith ’49
ALICE MACGUIRE TARNOWSKI ’49, Oct. 3, ’10, in Washington, DC. Alice was a quietly dedicated aunt,
sister, cousin, godmother, friend, and visitor to the
homebound. She was born in New York City in
1928 to Constantine and Alice MacGuire, and she
married Count Antoni Tarnowski, whom she met
while she was in Munich working for the US Information Agency. The couple settled in Washington,
DC. Alice was the recipient of a meritorious honor
award for her service on the US SALT II Delegation support staff from 1977 to 1979. She spent
her subsequent years working in the development
office at Georgetown University. Following Toni’s
death in 1985, Alice remained involved with the
Polish expatriate community. She wrote an unpublished novel, published several poems in various
journals, and was a co-editor of an anthology of
Washington poets.
1950s
M. QUINN ELLIS DELANEY ’50, Oct. 6, ’10, in Winnetka,
IL. She volunteered for several organizations, in-
cluding the Junior League of Evanston (IL), Head
Start, and Chicago public schools, as well as serving
as vice president of the board of directors and as
president of the woman’s board of the Art Institute
of Chicago. I knew Quinn Delaney for 60 years, and
when I think of her I think of two traits: enthusiasm
and innocence. She never lost either despite years of
living with an inoperable brain tumor that limited
her agility but never her spirit. She was always the
positive, cheerful girl I met in 1946, and the prestige of being the president of the woman’s board
didn’t change her a whit. She leaves her husband,
four children, 11 grandchildren, and many loving
friends.—Sue Kalischer Golan ’50
DEBORAH ANDREWS BURCH ’51,
Nov. 1, ’10, of complications related to Alzheimer’s. A resident of
Mechanicsville, MD, and Salida, CO, Deborah
was born in 1929 to the late William and Ethel
Andrews. She graduated with a major in music,
and married her first husband, David Mossman, in
1951. They raised their family in Mechanicsville.
After their amicable divorce, in 1979 she married Samuel Burch, who predeceased her in 2001.
Debbie was an attentive, loving, and thoughtful
wife, mother, and grandmother, and a true friend.
She was a prolific knitter, lover of music, world
traveler, and a fiercely independent woman. She
recalled her Smith days fondly, and attended many
Reunions. She leaves her 10 children, JANE MOSSMAN CLARK ’75, Victoria, Mary Susan, Vanessa,
Andrew, Hannah, Ruth, PRISCILLA MOSSMAN ROSS
’88, Peter, and George, as well as 12 stepchildren,
27 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, a brother,
a sister, and nieces and nephews. She also leaves
many dear friends and countless others who spent
many a day at the family house, drawn in by Debbie’s warmth and hospitality.—Priscilla Mossman
Ross ’88, her daughter
’51, Oct. 23, ’10, in Manhasset, NY, where she resided for 50 years. She was
raised in Fort Wayne, IN, by Ernest Carlo and LUCILE
WOODRUFF CARLO ’17. She was the beloved wife of
Lawrence Day and loving mother of three children.
She also leaves her sister, in-laws, and many loving
nieces and nephews.
ELIZABETH CARLO DAY
’51, Oct. 2, ’10, in
Amherst, MA. Evie married John Porter, and after
living in Turkey, Cypress, and Virginia, they settled
in Amherst in 1987. She had many fond memories
of Smith, and is survived by a daughter, a son, and
two grandsons.
EVTHOKIA (EVIE) SARRIS PORTER
ELIZABETH FERGUSON,
MSS ’55, Oct. 2, ’10, at the
Equinox Terrace retirement community in Manchester, VT. She was born in New Haven, CT, and
was the daughter of Bertha and James Ferguson. In
addition to her Smith degree, she also received her
education at Vassar and Yale. She taught for many
years at Skidmore College, and in 1970 moved to
Castleton State College in Vermont to establish
a social work program there. She retired in 1976
and was named social worker of the year by the
Vermont chapter of the National Association of
Social Workers. In retirement, she pursued her love
of music and interest in travel and went on several
music tours of Europe. She traveled widely and
visited all seven continents. She was predeceased
by two brothers, and is survived by seven nieces
and nephews.
MARY LOCKWOOD SPELMAN ’55, Nov. 1, ’10, in Asheville, NC. She was born in 1934 in Brooklyn, NY,
and lived in Long Island, NY; Palo Alto, CA; and
Seattle. She worked for Scholastic magazine in
New York City, and then taught English at the Bush
School in Seattle. In 1959, she moved to Connecticut and married James Spelman, who predeceased
her in 2001. After living in West Redding, CT, for
20 years, they moved to the San Diego area in 1985,
followed by a move to North Carolina in 1994. A
lifelong writer of fiction, Mary published two novels, The Accessory and Child of Light, under the
name of Mary Lockwood, and a dozen books for
young readers under the name of Mary Towne.
For many years, Mary was a teacher, consultant,
and course developer for the Institute of Children’s
Literature in West Redding. She was a prodigious
reader, a fine cook, an avid sports fan and tennis
player, a dedicated gardener, an animal lover, and
a talented musician. She is survived by her three
children and a sister.
PATRICIA FIALKOFF SINGER ’56, June 10, ’10, in a hos-
pice facility in White Plains, NY, after a five-year
battle with lung cancer. A native New Yorker who
was married to Howard Singer for 53 years, she
had lived in White Plains for the past 40 years.
She started her career in advertising and worked
at Citibank for many years after her children were
grown. Survivors include a son, Peter; daughter,
Lori; sister, Karen; brother-in-law, Joseph; nephew,
Evan; niece, Tracey; grandniece, Sydney; and three
grandnephews, Zachary, Liam, and Finn, whom
she adored. She will be remembered for her spark,
humor, and wit, and the fabulous adventures we had
with our fellow traveler CAROLE JACOBS LIPTON ’56
on a 10-week trip to Europe following our graduation.—Joan
—
Temkin Slafsky ’56
’56, Oct. 21, ’10, in Shaker
Heights, OH. Sally married Edwin Wilkins in 1956
while he was stationed in the navy in Jacksonville,
FL, and the family also lived in Boston before settling in Shaker Heights in 1960. Sally was an administrator at the Allen Memorial Medical Library of
Case Western Reserve University until she retired
in 1999. She was an avid amateur photographer,
collector of historical photographs, and gardener.
Her survivors include her three children, two
grandchildren, sister, and sister-in-law.
SALLY HOURIET WILKINS
PRISCILLA (PEBBLES) BRUNS GLANDER ’58, Nov. 7, ’10,
after a yearlong battle with cancer. She earned her
doctorate in pharmacology from the University
of Hawaii at Manoa in 1981, and was a research
scientist for the University of Hawaii at Manoa
and Leahi Hospital. She moved to California to
continue her research at Marin General Hospital,
and returned to Honolulu in 1995 upon her retirement. She is survived by her sons, a daughter, and
four grandchildren.
’58, Nov. 29, ’10, of esophageal
cancer, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Eleanor graduated from Wellesley in 1979. She
was a program coordinator for five years at Boston by Foot, where the guides enjoyed her smart,
funny, dry wit, and her different take on things.
She worked on the Two Collection of quality art
for the Channel 2 auction, and later she worked at
the Fuller Craft Museum documenting the condition of art objects coming into and going out of the
museum. A longtime resident of Lincoln, MA, she
volunteered at the Lincoln Exchange, a nonprofit
consignment shop, and helped with the monthly
library book sale. She enjoyed gardening, was a passionate reader, and developed a love for adventure
travel, particularly to deserts in Africa and Asia.
Wellfleet, MA, was a summertime vacation spot
ELEANOR TAFT KING
obituaries
where she enjoyed friends and family. Her husband,
R. Bruce King, predeceased her in 1974. She leaves
her children, Richard, Andrew, and Charity, and
their spouses, and was the devoted grandmother
of seven grandchildren. She is also survived by her
brother. She will be missed by many.—Gail Ireland
Lanouette ’58 and Peggy McNeil Boyer ’58
1960s
JOSEPHINE TROXELL GORDON ’60, July 16, ’10. Losing
Josie was a shock and a great sadness, leaving a
huge hole in the hearts of her classmates, especially
Lamonters. We were housemates, roommates, and
soul mates. Josie was so alive, so filled with warmth,
verve, and zest. She was a wife, mother, traveler,
philanthropist, and a woman of the world. Josie
was inspired to go to Namibia with the US Department of Education to use the arts to work in
AIDS and HIV prevention and education. She was
driven to make the world a better place for all. Two
years ago, a mini-reunion for Lamonters in Boston
brought Josie from afar to reconnect and share
her enthusiasm for the Africa project. We were
moved by her dedication and focus. Since hearing
about her untimely death, friends have shared these
words: “She was so alive, so vibrant . . . A gallant
and uncomplaining woman . . . We are all proud of
such an inspiring and courageous classmate.” She
was truly full of life. Josie was an inspiration to us
all, and we were blessed to have known her.—Lynn
Burrows Donaldson ’60 and Katrina (Tinker) Jenney Saltonstall ’60
JANE GURKO ’61, Nov. 29, ’10, from complications
of recurrent cancer, at home in Willits, CA. Jane
made a vivid impression from her first day at Smith.
Exuberant, irreverent, funny, a real New York intellectual, a musician whose high-voltage voiceand-guitar rendition of “The St. James Infirmary
Blues” is still in the collective Clark House memory
bank, Jane earned both English (honors) and biology degrees at Smith. She then completed a PhD at
UC Berkeley and joined the English faculty of San
Francisco State University. In 1973, she and three
colleagues introduced an experimental curriculum
that ultimately became SFSU’s women’s studies
department, among the first anywhere. She later
served as associate dean of the SFSU College of Humanities until her retirement in 1997, prompted by
health issues. Jane regarded coming out as a lesbian
as the critical juncture of her life, and she retired
to woodsy property held by a women’s cooperative group in Willits. She filled her retirement with
singing, ceramics, gardening, community service,
and close friends who mourn her deeply.—Joyce
—
Skaggs Brewster ’61
’62, Oct. 9, ’10. She
earned her master’s in teaching at Wesleyan University, and in 1964 she married Tim Evers, a 1962
graduate of Amherst College. Cally taught science
in Kenya for two years before settling in Mystic,
CT, in 1969. In addition to caring for her family,
for more than 20 years Cally enjoyed teaching
students as a lab instructor in chemistry at the
University of Connecticut at Avery Point. Predeceased by a brother and two children, Cally is
survived by her husband; a son, Tod; a daughter,
Katy; and Katy’s husband and son.—Tim Evers,
her husband
CAROLYNE (CALLY) PERRY EVERS
’63, Nov. 15, ’10. We remember
fondly her witty ballad composed for Fathers’
Weekend, and the clever scripts she wrote for
Rally Day. Maggie earned two master’s degrees
in English, one from Boston University and the
MARGARET SOULE
other from Middlebury College. She taught English, worked as an editorial coordinator for an
educational publisher, and developed a career in
freelance writing and editing, including nine years
with the Waynflete School. Maggie gave her time
and spirit to many volunteer activities, including
the Maine Track Club as secretary, membership
chair, and archivist; director of the Hannaford
Turkey Trot 5K race; a rebuilding project in New
Orleans; and the Yarmouth Historical Society as
chair of the board from 2008 to 2010. She ran
three marathons in her 50s. Maggie also served
as our 1963 Fund co-agent, and twice as class secretary. She used her English major to the fullest
and combined it with her delightful wry sense of
humor, and she generously shared with all of us her
love of life and literature. This became even more
evident during her brave fight with the return of
cancer in 2010. Maggie leaves her sister, brother,
three nieces, a nephew, three great-nieces, and
many loving friends.—Kathy Sanderson Zwick ’63
a courageous battle with cancer. Ann graduated
magna cum laude with a major in math, but even
before entering college, she knew she wanted to
become a physician. After Smith, Ann graduated
from the University of Rochester Medical Center,
where she met her husband, Jim Clark. Ann excelled
in pediatrics, becoming chief of pediatrics at Cigna
HealthCare in Phoenix. She was an active member
of the Arizona chapter of the American Academy of
Pediatrics and was engaged in an obesity research
project with them at the time of her death. At Cigna
she developed several innovative programs to improve the care delivered to children. Ann was a
great mom, and besides leaving her husband, she
is survived by her two daughters, Lisa and Julie.
Ann was also a superb cook, as well as enjoying
three book clubs, including one from Smith. Ann
appreciated the arts and tried not to miss any good
show or musical event in the Phoenix area. She
loved her family, friends, and her work, and she will
be sorely missed.—Nicole Krein Lyons ’67
FRANCES (FAY) LEARY LEWIS ’64,
1970s
EDITH BLUMENTHAL MCCHAREN ’66, May 21, ’10. After
’73, Nov. 6, ’10, in Freehold, NJ, after
a 30-year battle with multiple sclerosis. She will
forever be remembered by her Albright housemates
as the psychology major who typed using only two
fingers her first and final draft of papers just before
the due date (if not actually on the due date) in
the middle of mayhem, and received accolades for
her well-written and insightful projects. She did
graduate work at Xavier University in Ohio, and
earned her master’s in education from Wake Forest
University in North Carolina in 1977. While pursuing graduate work at Wake Forest and working
in the field of educational psychology, she developed a neurological illness consistent with multiple
sclerosis. Despite the relentless progression of her
disease, Ann never lost her wonderful sense of humor and remained ever optimistic that she would
return one day to finish her doctorate. She was the
classic blond bombshell who had a fabulous brain.
She is dearly missed.—Sally Warren Fenton, her
daughter, and Katie Emmons ’73
Sept. 25, ’10, at her
home in Washington, DC, of complications from a
brain tumor. She received her master’s and doctorate from Northwestern University, and was considered an expert in African studies, working as a
program officer at the Meridian International Center in Washington, and teaching at Northwestern
and Temple universities. She leaves her husband,
three brothers, a sister, stepdaughter, three grandchildren, and a great-grandson.
earning her doctorate in mathematics at Louisiana
State University, Edith taught at Northern Illinois
University. Her initial interest in pure mathematics
led to an interest in computer operating systems,
and after leaving the university, she worked in Silicon Valley for a number of years. She later moved
to Florida to be near her parents, and for 10 years
served as an IT consultant for GTE (now Verizon).
A year after being downsized by Verizon, Edith
was diagnosed with the colon cancer that eventually killed her. She endured four operations in her
battle with the disease, but finally chose to enter
hospice care in the spring of 2010, dying less than
a month later. She is survived by her parents and
two sisters.—Ella May Thomson Wulff ’66
’67, Oct. 27, ’10, suddenly, at
home in Berkeley, CA. After Smith, Susanna received a master’s at Indiana University and a doctorate at Yale. She was appointed assistant professor at Mount Holyoke in 1977, and joined the
University of California, Berkeley, history faculty
as an associate professor in 1981. She became a full
professor in 1992 and retired in 2010. Of her many
awards, Susanna most cherished the UC Berkeley Graduate Division’s 2009 Sarlo Distinguished
Graduate Student Mentoring Award. Susanna and
I, and our families, remained close since our time
as housemates at Smith and as graduate students at
Yale. She mentored my daughter, Caitlin, as a high
school intern in Paris, establishing a wonderful
friendship and devotion in her to all things French.
In 2004, Susanna hosted memorable celebrations
in Paris for a Christmas holiday and our joint 60thbirthday. She was a fabulous chef, gracious hostess,
irrepressible spirit, and loyal friend. I will miss the
special visits and phone conversations we shared
and the exuberant e-mails signed “Bisous, banane.”
We send our love and condolences to her daughter,
ALEXANDRA BARROWS ’09.—Barbara Kinder ’67
SUSANNA BARROWS
ANN SPIEGEL
’69, March 29, ’10, in Phoenix, after
ANN WARREN
CAMILLE (FANCY) CHAPUS-ROY KETZLER ’75
died suddenly on Oct. 22, ’10, in Scarsdale, NY. She was 57.
The nickname Fancy, given to her by her father in
infancy, perfectly embodied her and her radiant
spirit. She was smart, beautiful, and charming—the
brightest light in every room—and nothing was
ever mundane or dull or boring to Fancy. She found
the extraordinary in everything and everyone, and
left every person she encountered feeling special.
Along with being a devoted wife and mother, Fancy
was a gifted manager and had a successful career
in software sales. She was also a fabulous cook.
Fancy floated into the lives of her Smith friends in
Cushing House almost 40 years ago and brought
us all nothing but joy ever since. Along with countless friends, she leaves her beloved husband, Mark
Ketzler; her daughter, Remy; her sons, Ian and Robbie; and her mother, sister, and brother.—Deborah
O’Malley ’76, Mary Degnan Schloat ’75, and Tricia
Frazier Hooper ’75
1990s
’92, Oct. 30, ’10, of lung cancer,
at the University of Toledo (OH) Medical Center
Hospital. Keller worked as a senior manager of human resources at Gene Express in Toledo. She was
predeceased by her mother, a grandfather, and a
grandmother, and is survived by her father, three
brothers, two stepbrothers, a stepsister, a grandmother, a grandfather, and several uncles, aunts,
and cousins.
KELLER POLLOCK
FACULTY
The following obituaries are condensed versions
of “Memorial Minutes” read at recent faculty
meetings.
WILLIAM MACDONALD, March 6, ’10, in Washington,
DC. Bill taught in the art department from 1965
until his retirement in 1981. When I first met him in
the fall of 1976, I was a 26-year-old junior member
of the department. I was in every way a person of
low stature, but Bill, by contrast, was a giant, a
scholar of towering stature. Despite that, I soon
found that Bill was kind and approachable, and in
those days when our department meetings sometimes lasted three hours, I greatly admired Bill’s
calm during roiling debates. Our mutual colleague
Professor Emerita Helen Searing brought to life
the man and the scholar in this tribute: “Bill MacDonald not only mesmerized students—at Smith,
at Yale, and at Wheaton College—but also held
general audiences spellbound with his sparkling
wit, lively reminiscences of exotic places he visited in the course of his professional research, and
memorable summaries of scholarship in the field.
Ancient Rome and late-antique Byzantium were
his special areas of expertise, but he was fascinated
by architecture from all historical periods. Born in
1921, Bill served in the US Army Air Force from
1942 to 1945. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Harvard. His publications on
Roman and Byzantine architecture remain valued
textbooks in colleges and universities. A notable
photographer, Bill bequeathed his archive of more
than 3,000 images to Princeton, which will share
them with an international group of scholars. Bill
was a splendid lecturer, a distinguished scholar, and
a delightful raconteur. His friends, among them
many former students and colleagues, will sorely
miss him.”—Susan Heideman, professor of art,
with comments from Helen Searing, Alice Pratt
Brown professor emerita of art
HELEN KRICH CHINOY,
May 24, ’10, in Northampton. While we of her huge theater family mourn
her loss, we celebrate a remarkable colleague. We
celebrate her landmark scholarly works that she
edited and co-wrote, all essential texts for both
theater students and professionals for nearly 50
years. She won praise and prizes for her work,
ranging from her election to the College of Fellows of the American Theatre to an Emmy award
for her contributions to a PBS documentary on
the Group Theatre. Helen guided and inspired
countless students, but it wasn’t just her students
who were inspired. All of us in the profession,
whether playwrights, designers, actors, directors,
or historians, were nudged and nurtured toward
playing our own part and making a meaningful
mark on the rising force of women in American
theater. We benefited from Helen’s sharp, critical
eye and marvelously opinionated sensibility as she
challenged and encouraged us in our work. She
evoked in us a sense of the traditions we came from
and the courage to move them forward. Helen
wrote, “I feel as if I was marked for life by the
idea of theater as culture, community, and commitment.” She left her mark on so many of us who
will forever be grateful.—Kiki Smith, professor
of theatre, with comments from Deborah Lubar,
former professor of theatre
ELLIOT OFFNER,
Oct. 15, ’10, of cancer. He was the
Andrew W. Mellon professor in the humanities
and printer to the college emeritus. Elliot received
a bachelor’s degree in painting and a master’s in
sculpture from Yale. He joined Smith as an instructor in 1960, and was appointed printer to the
college in 1975. His talents and passions spanned
more media than are commonly found in an entire
art faculty. Three of his bronze sculptures grace
Smith’s campus, including Bittern Mother and
Child and Great Blue Heron. Elliot had an unsurpassed facility for relief carving, as exemplified
by his plaques outside the Jacobson Center and
Weinstein Auditorium. He was devoted to the
numismatic arts, and his medals, including Smith’s
Presidential and Charis medals, benefited from
his lifelong devotion to the expressive possibilities
of the finely crafted letterform. He passed on his
love of calligraphy to his many students, and his
friends always treasured his correspondence for its
sheer virtuosic beauty. Elliot designed hundreds of
hand-set, superbly produced sheets of presidential letterhead, envelopes, invitations, and broadsides. A complete collection of his printmaking
students’ work resides in Smith’s Mortimer Rare
Book Room. In 2000, Elliot was elected president
of the National Sculpture Society. He was devoted
to the mission of Smith, and nothing made him
prouder than to describe himself as a servant of
the institution where he made his life for 50 years.
His gifts to Smith, its students, and its faculty are
broad and deep, and we mourn the loss of such
a remarkable colleague and friend.—John
—
Davis,
Alice Pratt Brown professor of art, associate provost, and dean for academic development
2011 Summer Programs*
From Specialist
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Tec
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Tuition includes program mater
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Smith Strategic Coaching Offer
For a limited time we are offering a $250 coupon
to alumnae who sign up for a four-hour coaching
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Special
25% off all
programs
for Smith
Alumnae
alumnae
exchange
FOR RENT
PEMAQUID POINT, ME
Bemusing. Beautiful. Red Cape-style house nestled on
Atlantic bay shore. Time and the tides pause around this
uniquely peaceful, fully furnished summer and winter
home. Forest behind; tide pools, islands, and the sea in
front. Birding, boat trips, galleries, excellent restaurants,
lighthouse nearby; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Separate
loft available in warmer weather. Weekly, June–Dec. No
smoking or pets. Rhoda Micocci ’70 for Harriet Micocci
’34. Contact Sheila, rentals@ldchase.com, 207-677-2100.
SOUTH BRISTOL, ME
Christmas Cove. Comfortable family home on private
cove. Wraparound deck, deepwater dock, large yard,
3 bedrooms, 2-plus baths, fireplace, large kitchen, all
amenities. Activities abound. Summer: $2,000 per week;
winter: $900 per week. Contact Margaret Gay Lavender
’73, mrglavender@gmail.com, 847-446-3485.
NORTHEAST KINGDOM, VT
Classic New England lakefront cottage in the heart of
Stegner’s Vermont, originally owned by my grandmother,
Mary Rhodes Stone ’25. Five bedrooms, fireplace, sandy
beach, small boats. A five-minute walk via lake path or
Main Street to a lovely small town with a strong local food
presence; golf and tennis nearby. Available for weekly
rentals June–Oct. Contact Sara Jackson Slater ’81 for info
and photos, saraslaterlicsw@gmail.com, 206-579-1729.
NORTHAMPTON, MA
Lovely 3-bedroom home on beautiful tree-lined street
near Smith and town. Available occasional weeks, long
TO PLACE AN AD in “Alumnae Exchange,” e-mail
your ad to ads@smith.edu or fax to 413-5852015. Deadline for the Summer ’11 issue is April 15.
Please include your full name and class year or your
affiliation to Smith in your ad. Ads are $2 per word,
75-word maximum. Please make check payable to
Smith College and mail to “Alumnae Exchange,”
Smith Alumnae Quarterly, Alumnae House, 33 Elm
St., Northampton, MA 01063. The Quarterlyy is not
responsible for the products and services advertised.
weekends, and summer. Charming, all amenities. Meryl
Cohn ’82, merylcohn777@gmail.com, 516-398-8486.
ORLEANS, MA
Secluded waterfront with ocean access on quiet cove off
Little Pleasant Bay. Tranquil garden setting. Main house
sleeps 6 with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths. Separate guest quarters
with kitchenette and bath sleeps 2. Central A/C, splendid
water views with stunning sunrises, abundant waterfowl,
and the occasional seal! Master suite with attached study
opens onto deck, as do living room and dining room.
Attached greenhouse. No smoking, pets, or children
under 12. Cecelia Buckley ’71. See photos and info at
https://sites.google.com/site/capeblueheron.
MARTHA’S VINEYARD, MA
Sales and rentals, from prestige waterfront to modest
cottages, short-term to seasonal. New listings welcome;
member of LINK network. Knowledgeable, conscientious
service with 22 years of experience. Please contact John
Best, husband of Margaret Curtin ’75, at John Best
Associates, johnbest@vineyard.net, 508-693-5566.
MARTHA’S VINEYARD, MA
Chilmark South Shore, private beach, tennis. Private
4 acres, 4 bedrooms, several decks, lovely ocean view.
Have ferry reservations. Attractive rates; 1- to 2-week
rentals. Contact Betty Steele Farrow ’57, 904-321-2366,
randbfarrow@earthlink.net.
SOUTH ORLEANS, MA
NANTUCKET, MA
Bright and cheery 2-bedroom, 1.5-bath duplex Cape
located on a private way half a mile from town beach at
Pleasant Bay, 4 miles to Nauset Beach, and 7 miles to First
Encounter Beach. Furnished with all amenities, including
Internet and laundry. No smoking or pets. Contact Pam
Gavin ’83, pkgavin@gmail.com, 774-316-4114.
Nostalgic for your grandmother’s house? Tired of
antiseptic rentals? Rent our family’s historic, 1765-built
Centre St. cottage. Sleeps 10, with 6 bedrooms and 3.5
baths. New appliances, large yard, wraparound porch.
Great for multigenerational families. Walk to Main St.
or Children’s Beach in 6 minutes. Well-behaved dog OK.
Rent for summer ’11 is $3,600 per week; discount for
longer stays. Sandy Morgan ’65, morgan@hartford.edu,
860-561-3124.
WELLFLEET, MA
Contemporary, architect-designed, 4-bedroom home.
Very private. Minutes to bay/ocean beaches, Audubon
sanctuary, National Seashore, galleries, theater, children’s
recreation. Weekly. Contact Peter Rose, professor
emeritus, prose@smith.edu.
PROVINCETOWN, MA
Beautiful, spacious 2-bedroom, water-view condo
available weekly during summer, varying periods offseason. West End, all amenities, parking. Contact Meryl
Cohn ’82, merylcohn777@gmail.com, 516-398-8486.
NANTUCKET, MA
“Berry Haven,” Cliff Road, professionally decorated
home. Short walk to Steps Beach, less than a mile to
downtown. Newly renovated kitchen open to dining area
with bay window; powder room; living room; cathedral
ceiling family room plus library, each with fireplace.
Deck overlooking private pond. Master bedroom with a
full bath opens to deck. Sleeps 7; 2.5 baths. No smoking;
$3,500–$5,000 per week. Please contact Betsy Powell ’60,
eppowell@comcast.net, 781-237-4876.
ADIRONDACK GETAWAY
Lake George, sleeps 11, waterfront, dock, boat slip,
canoe, large yard, hiking, mountains, spectacular sunsets
over lake from slate patio. Ann Willis Brockelman ’59,
annieb337@aol.com.
NEW YORK CITY
Elegant 2-bedroom apartment on Upper East Side of
Manhattan available for 1-week rental or swap. No
smoking or pets. Unlimited Internet access; office
equipment. Contact Jacquie Ottmann ’77, 212-570-6633,
info@greenmarketing.com.
SANIBEL ISLAND, FL
Donax Village, 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo with loft, sleeps
6. For photos see www.sanibelbungalow.com. Contact
Mary Lea Kirven ’83, 650-387-2095.
SANIBEL ISLAND, FL
Stunning 2 bedroom, 2-bath, beachfront condo has
every amenity. Breathtaking Gulf of Mexico views, large
screened lanai, elevator, laundry in unit, pool. Shelling,
bike paths, nature preserve. Much availability by week
or more. No smoking or pets. Contact Valerie Fitch ’79,
valerie.fitch@pillsburylaw.com, 212-858-1718.
SMITH INSPIRED YOU
TO LEARN.
NORTHAMPTON
SANTA FE, NM
Architect’s house on secluded 12.5 acres, sleeps 6.
Stunning views, 15 minutes to plaza. No pets or smoking.
Weekly. Bonnie Orr Miskolczy ’60, 978-369-2647.
JACKSON HOLE, WY
Attractive, spacious home in ideal location to savor
summer in the West. Whether you want to bike or hike in
the Grand Tetons, raft or fish on the Snake River, explore
the historic town of Jackson, or drive to Yellowstone for
an afternoon—all is possible here! Rental must be 30 days
or more; $6,000 per month, $1,500 each additional week.
No smoking, pets, or young children. For details contact
Jessica Andrus Lindstrom ’77, ctljal@earthlink.net.
INSPIRED YOU
TO LIVE LIFE.
Find inspiration at Rockridge.
Come home to Northampton.
25 & 37 Coles Meadow Road
Northampton, MA 01060
www.rockridgema.org
413-586-2902
Offering worry-free retirement living in scenic Northampton
PALM DESERT, CA
Ironwood Country Club 3-bedroom, 3-bath townhouse,
private hot tub, shared pool. Close to public golf and
tennis, world-class shopping, dining, art galleries. No
smoking or pets. Special rates for Smithies. Claudia Bassin
Abraham ’88, claudia@riflessi.com, 206-931-3075.
SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, MEXICO
Beautifully located, charming, colorful home in Mexico’s
17th-century colonial treasure/artist colony. Three
bedrooms, 3.5 baths; maid and property manager; shortor long-term stays; hi-speed Internet. See property at
www.newmexico-land-homes.com. Contact Lucy Young
Noyes ’61 at her office, La Puerta Real Estate Services in
New Mexico, lucy@lapuertallc.com, 505-867-3388.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Vacation rental of spacious 4-bedroom, 5-bath villa
with private pool and Jacuzzi in luxury resort of Casa de
Campo. Five-minute walk to beach, 4 golf courses, tennis,
spa, marina, horseback riding, quad outings, teen club,
WiFi. Golf cart and daily maid service included. More
info and rates at www.vrbo.com/148384. Anne HornungSoukup ’74, annehs@sunrise.ch.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND
Cotswolds stone cottage located in a quiet village on the
Cotswold Way, 2 miles from Broadway, near Stratfordupon-Avon, Stow-in-the-Wold, and Chipping Campden.
Stable in next village. Large inglenook fireplace; 3
bedrooms: 1 double, 1 twin, 1 single with trundle (sleeps
5-6); washer/dryer; freezer; microwave; outdoor furniture
and Weber grill. Flat-screen television with DVD player.
Connie Frydenlund ’71, www.pottersfarmcottage.com,
pottersfarmcottage@msn.com for availability and rates.
COUNTY DONEGAL, IRELAND
Irish ancestral home by the sea. Relax and explore Ireland
from a lovely, renovated, historic farmhouse on Ireland’s
northwest coast. Breathtaking views, numerous nearby
golf courses, beaches, hiking, castles, folklore sites, and
wonderful day excursions. Elizabeth Budd Bugliari ’64.
See http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p233639.
PARIS AND BORDEAUX AREA
New Left Bank setting for Paris apartment and vineyard
environment for farmhouse. Two-bedroom, courtyard
Paris apartment, 5-minute walk to Seine and #14 Metro;
see www.relaxinfranceonline.com/ile/75001.htm. Spacious
stone farmhouse northeast of Bordeaux with pool; see
www.charente-maritime-home.com. Katherine Hoffman
’69, kathy.hoffman@gmail.com, 603-924-9535.
FRENCH ATLANTIC
Sunny 2-bedroom condo in Arcachon, a great beach
resort, just 45 minutes from Bordeaux. Ann Sanford ’75,
877-848-0087, www.vrbo.com/25312, AnnieS75@aol.com.
ITALY AND FRANCE
Create your dream vacation! Picturesque villas and
apartments, all personally visited, in desired locations.
Enhance local flavor with concierge services. For info
please contact David Geen, nephew of Patsy JeromeKorten ’49, 800-593-6350, www.villasandvines.com,
david@villasandvines.com.
ALONISSOS, GREECE
Greek island house. Authentic charm, modern
conveniences, breathtaking views, quaint village without
cars. Two bedrooms, low prices. Please contact Julia
Taylor, daughter of the late Elizabeth Campbell ’40,
juliactaylor@comcast.net, 508-540-0331.
BED-AND-BREAKFAST
SANDWICH, MA
WEST HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND
Superbly restored historic estate of renowned 19thcentury artist Jemima Blackburn on the Scottish coast
overlooking the Hebridean Islands. Classic, breathtaking,
rugged mountain/seascape. Explore the highlands and
islands; walk the hills; canoe, kayak, water ski, or swim
the loch just a stone’s throw from the sweeping lawn.
Build sandcastles. Read a book. Sleeps 20; boathouse
sleeps 6. Chef, housekeeper. Wonderful for house parties,
weddings, reunions. See www.roshvenhouse.com. Contact
Angus MacDonald, stepbrother of Margaret Lamason ’84,
roshven@btconnect.com, +44 7768 702 577.
Elegant B&B conveniently located in the heart of historic
Sandwich village on Cape Cod. One hour from Boston or
Providence, an ideal spot for a mini-reunion or romantic
getaway. Katherine Sibley Sanderson AC ’85, www.
isaiahjones.com, info@isaiahjones.com, 800-526-1625.
BETHESDA, MD
Washington, DC, tour guide’s home, 15 minutes from
downtown. Good transportation, safe parking. Joan
Hinsch Searby ’58, 301-229-4835.
REAL ESTATE SALES
FINLAND
CALIFORNIA RANCH
Country house, ultra-modern design, floor-to-ceiling
windows overlooking lake, and wood-burning fireplaces.
Private, peaceful, rural location. Separate sauna and
rec room. Three bedrooms, sleeps 4-6. All modern
conveniences. Four miles from village shop; 20 miles from
Tampere. Flexible year-round rentals. For details please
contact Erika Koppel Arevuo ’81, +44 (0) 203 395 6045,
erika_arevuo@ssga.com.
Historic ranch near Paso Robles, CA; 165 acres on north
side of Tierra Redonda Mountain. Includes level pastures;
seasonal creek; mature trees; two semi-developed
homesites; new 5,000-gallon, spring-fed water tank.
Protected under Williamson Act contract for permanent
pasture with irrigation. The Gregg Ranch provides habitat
for deer, boar, turkey, fox, occasional eagles. We hope
to interest a serious agriculturalist or family wanting to
build a house and conserve the land’s beauty for future
generations. Nancy Gregg Hatch, ’61, nhatch@cox.net.
PROGRAMS
WISH YOU COULD GO BACK TO SUMMER CAMP?
Treat yourself to Smith’s Adult Sport and Fitness Camp,
June 12–18, ’11. A selection of 25 sports includes
tennis, golf, hiking, yoga, waterskiing, biking, fencing,
badminton, and croquet. All skill and fitness levels
welcome for ages 21 and older. Coed; Smith staff. Contact
Craig Collins, co-director of exercise and sport studies,
413-585-4128, www.asfc.smith.edu, crcollin@smith.edu.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
HANDCRAFTED SEAGLASS JEWELRY
In sterling silver and 14-carat gold. Perfect for resort wear;
glorious colors! Diane Page ’68, www.dianepage.com.
MODERN MEMOIRS, INC./WHITE POPPY PRESS
Writing, editing, publishing services. Kitty Axelson-Berry
’71, 413-253-2353, www.modernmemoirs.com.
SMITH CAMPUS PHOTOGRAPHS AND NOTE CARDS
Art and gifts at www.SmithCollegePhotos.com; 10% proceeds to Smith scholarships. Ann Robbart AC ’94.
SMITH COLLEGE WEDGWOOD PLATES (1932)
Rare blue-on-cream, 9 3/8-inches, mint condition. Offered
by John Tappan Stoddard’s great-granddaughter; $75 per
plate, or $525 for 8 plates; elle.weaver@gmail.com.
RENTING?
SELLING? BUYING?
Let the Smith Alumnae Quarterlyy help.
Advertise in the Alumnae Exchange
and your ad will be seen by
more than 45,000 alumnae.
TO PLACE AN AD:
ads@smith.edu
VERY ACTIVELY PURCHASING
&Antique and
Vintage Jewelry
&Platinum, Gold,
Silver, Diamonds
and Watches
&Jewelry of every
description or
condition
&Sterling Silver
Jewelry, Flatware
& Holloware
The Family Jewels
56 Green St., Northampton, MA • 413-584-0613
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BEYOND THE GRÉCOURT GATES
News from the Alumnae Association
Each year, the Alumnae Association’s
Nominating Committee presents a slate of
nominees for alumnae trustee, for officers and
directors of the AASC, and for members of
the Nominating Committee. The committee’s goal is to provide
the best possible leadership for the Alumnae Association.
Special attention is given to the selection of candidates so that
the slate represents the diversity of Smith alumnae. To
nominate yourself or another alumna for consideration in the
future, please call the association at 800-526-2023, option 2,
or visit http://alumnae.smith.edu and look under the “Things
to Do” option at the bottom of the homepage. Election of
officers takes place at the annual meeting of the Alumnae
Association, which is scheduled for May 19, 2011. The
Nominating Committee offers the following slate of officers:
AASC offers
slate of new
alumnae
officers
PAULA FERRIS EINAUDI ’65
Columbia, MD
Alumnae trustee, 2011–2015
SMITH VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE: Alumnae
Admissions Coordinator
(AAC), Smith clubs of Atlanta
and Baltimore; NAAC, Region
5 (Mid-Atlantic); board member, Smith
clubs of Atlanta and Baltimore; Nominating
Committee member; Reunion chair, class
Fund agent, 45th Reunion special gifts chair,
all for the class of 1965.
PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC EXPERIENCE:
Twenty-two years as a development officer,
including as associate dean at Johns Hopkins
University, and vice president at Marymount
University; currently director of gift planning
at Garrison Forest School; college instructor,
Georgia Tech, the University of Colorado,
and (in 1984–1985) Smith’s Junior Year in
Florence program; volunteer, Habitat for
Humanity.
LAURA THOMAS RIVERO ’84
Miami, FL
Vice president, 2011–2014
SMITH VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE: Chair, AASC
Nominating Committee;
Alumnae Association Regional
Coordinator (AARC) for
Florida; class Fund agent (25th reunion);
former president, Smith College Club of
Miami.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Assistant US
Attorney, specializing in criminal and civil
appellate law.
ERIKA SMITH BREWER ’86
New York, NY
Treasurer, 2011–2014
SMITH VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE: Class Fund agent;
secretary and Fund team
coordinator; board of trustees,
Smith College Club of New
York City; chair, Membership Committee;
Theater Benefit Committee.
General manager, The Wallace Dillman
and Brewer Family Farms; vice president,
JPMorgan Chase and predecessor banks;
treasurer and chair of finance and
development committees, Calhoun School
Board; treasurer, brown bag program,
Christ and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church;
board of trustees, The Brownstone
School; board president, Yerkes Cemetery
Association; chair of planning and budget,
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church Vestry;
volunteer, Gay Men’s Health Crisis Child Life
Program.
Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL,
and C.S. Mott Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI;
currently, professor of pediatrics, University
of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor,
MI, and professor emeritus of pediatrics,
Northwestern University Feinberg School
of Medicine; mentor to many students
and fellows in their graduate education
programs; member of multiple hospital,
medical school, and university committees,
as well as numerous organizations, including
the American Academy of Pediatrics, the
American Heart Association, American
College of Cardiology, and World Heart
Federation; author of multiple scientific
publications and papers; listed in multiple
“best doctor” publications.
VOLUNTEER AND CIVIC EXPERIENCE:
Sustaining fellow and governing member,
Art Institute of Chicago; board of directors,
Shaw Chicago; governing member, Chicago
Symphony Orchestra; board of directors,
Chicago Chamber Musicians.
RACHEL NYBACK ’92
Hermosa Beach, CA
Director, 2011–2014
SMITH VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE: Member, Smith
College Club of Los Angeles;
admission volunteer in Los
Angeles and Kuwait; class Fund
volunteer; 10th Reunion volunteer.
Rector, St. Cross Episcopal Church in
Hermosa Beach, CA; teacher for nine years
in public suburban Los Angeles schools and
at Universal American School in Kuwait;
volunteer with programs for feeding the
homeless and AIDS patients; mentor to new
clergy; Hermosa Beach police chaplain; lead
overseas youth pilgrimages.
DALE LAFLEUR ’93
Tucson, AZ
CATHERINE WEBB ’70, MD
Chicago, IL
SMITH VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE: President,
treasurer, member, Smith
College Club of Tucson;
member, Smith College Club
SMITH VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE: President, Smith
College Club of Ann Arbor,
Michigan; board of directors,
Smith College Club of Chicago;
class Fund agent (25th Reunion); special gifts
committee (30th Reunion).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Board
certified pediatric cardiologist with thirty
years’ experience caring for patients at
of Seattle.
Assistant director, International Affairs, The
University of Arizona; over eleven years’
professional experience in international
education focusing on the development
of international students, international
institutional partnerships, and student-
Alumnae front and center on
new AASC Website
exchange programs; recipient of master’s in
student development administration from
Seattle University; member of numerous
organizations, including the Association of
International Educators and the European
Association of International Educators; proud
mother of two children.
LEAH WALKER ’99
Hyattsville, MD
Nominating Committee, 2011–2014
SMITH VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE: Book Award
coordinator and Rose Drop
volunteer for Smith College
Club of Washington, DC; class
secretary; member, Smith College Club of
Washington, DC.
To nominate yourself or
another alumna for a volunteer position, visit http://
alumnae.smith.edu and
click on “Things to Do.”
Corporate real estate adviser, Columbia
Group Realty; head of investor relations
department of leading venture debt firm
Lighthouse Capital Partners; numerous
marketing and operations positions at UJA
Federation of New York and The Children’s
Museum, Boston, as well as smaller
consulting and educational firms; mother to
three small sons.
Legal editor at the Supreme Court of
the United States; secretary, Executive
Committee of American Friends of the
London School of Economics; chair,
New Members and Africa Committees,
Association of Reporters of Judicial
Decisions.
DEBORAH ROSENTHAL ’93
Melrose, MA
SMITH VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE: Fund team
coordinator; class president;
assistant Fund agent; young
alumnae coordinator, Smith
Club of New York City.
PATTY FISTERE SCHMIDT ’91
St. Paul, MN
SMITH VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE: President,
treasurer, and oral history
project writer, Smith College
Club of Minnesota; Alumnae
Association Regional Coordinator.
Senior business process consultant in
marketing at Target; more than fifteen years
of offline and online, multichannel, and
direct-marketing experience; state challenge
master and state advisory board member,
Minnesota Destination Imagination; Big
Sister.
Reunion
every day of
the year!
Go to www.facebook.com/
smithcollegealum, where you’ll
find links to the latest news about
alumnae of all ages and locales,
announcements about upcoming
events, and Smith College news. You
can post your own news, comment
on your friends’ accomplishments,
and reconnect with classmates.
PRODUCED BY THE ALUMNAE
ASSOCIATION OF SMITH COLLEGE
“Like” the Alumna
e
Association of Sm
ith
College on Facebo
ok
and join the
ongoing Reunion.
iation
e Assoc
a
n
m
lu
The A
ge on
h Colle
of Smit
ok
Facebo
M/
OK.CO
.FACEBOEALUM
WWW
G
E
COLL
SMITH
the alumnae association of Smith
College has redesigned its Website,
putting alumnae front and center and
making it easier for users to find information, connect with alumnae via
the online directory, and register for
events.
The new site, which went live late
last fall, combines content from the
association’s and the Smith Alumnae
Quarterly’s previous sites, which existed separately, making for a more
robust and richer experience for those
who visit the site. The new homepage
features easy access to the online alumnae directory, along with a calendar of
upcoming events and news from the
campus. Much of the site, though, is
reserved for content by or about alumnae. “One thing that came out of all
the research and surveys we did with
alumnae in the past three years was
that they wanted to see themselves better reflected on the Website,” said Carrie Cadwell Brown, EdM ’82, executive
director of the Alumnae Association.
“Our old site had lots of great information on it, but this new site really
needed to be about alumnae.”
To that end, the site includes an
“Alumnae Spotlight” section of profiles
of Smith women, some taken from
the Quarterly and others exclusive to
the Website. Content is updated and
changed regularly. For alumnae interested in reading the Quarterly online,
full issues are available in a flipbook
format under the “Media” section of
the site. There is also a new section
that provides direct links to alumnae
Websites and blogs. “So many alumnae
are doing really amazing, fun things
online, and we wanted to make it
easier for other alumnae to find them,”
said Brown.
Video interviews with alumnae and
audio and video transcripts of AASC
events are also a big part of the new
site. “We’re committed to providing
alumnae with multiple ways to both
connect with other alumnae and experience the great programs that we host
every year,” Brown said. “This new site
does all of that for us.”
y MORE http://alumnae.smith.edu
SMITH SEEN
an ever-thickening shroud of snow covered the campus all winter. A string of storms in January and February
canceled classes as spring semester struggled to get started.
“At Smith,
I found my strength.
I learned how to be
my best self, to think
and ask questions
and understand
that there was
no challenge too
great. I wanted my
daughter to have
these same tools as
she goes forward to
make her own mark.
A Smith education
is a special gift!”
—LISA INDOVINO ’83
Smith Gives. I Give.
Lisa Indovino ’83, strategy consultant,
community volunteer, and mom, with her
daughter Emma Ottens ’12, Scales House
resident and American studies major.
Make your gift to the Smith Fund
Give securely online at
Give by phone or mail at
Visit Smith
www.smith.edu/thefund
800-241-2056, option 1
The Smith Fund
33 Elm St.
www.smith.edu
http://alumnae.smith.edu
Smith Alumnae Quarterly
Alumnae House
Smith College
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 230
Burlington, VT 05401
Change service requested.
A SITE
TO BEHOLD
T
he Alumnae Association of Smith College proudly
welcomes you to its fresh and exciting new Website,
a place to find out about alumnae events, see what
other Smith women are doing, connect with friends, and
check in on news of the campus.
The site links you directly to Smith clubs and affinity
groups, travel opportunities, Reunion information, Quarterly
articles and archives, and a calendar of alumnae events.
You’ll also find links to alumnae blogs and Websites, audio
and video interviews with Smith women in the news, and
so much more.
We’d love to hear what you think of your new Website.
Send us a note at alumnae@smith.edu.
Stay connected. Stay informed.
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
WEB:
CONTACT THE AASC
PHONE:
800-526-2023
E-MAIL:
alumnae@smith.edu

Head of the class - Smith Alumnae Quarterly

Transcription

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