1963 - 40th reunion

Neither the noisy union demonstrators on Friday nor the rainy weather on Saturday could dampen our enthusiasm as we gathered in New Haven on June 6th and 7th to celebrate our 40th anniversary as Yale M.D.s. The sumptuous clambake on Friday provided an ideal venue for aggiornamento, with ample food, drink and conversation. Our class dinner Saturday night at Zinc on Chapel Street provided a more intimate ambiance to continue our reminiscences and share our current lives. Apparent throughout the weekend were the youth and beauty of the wives and significant others in attendance. The salutary effects on their partners were quite obvious.

Of the 16 classmates in attendance, three have retired completely: Dave (Carol) Fulmer from internal medicine, Bob (Marnie) Mueller from pulmonary medicine and Chuck Wilson from radiology. The professors in our midst, actively involved in advancing our profession, included John (Michelle) Conte in infectious diseases, Bill (Jackie) Friedewald in biostatistics, Craig (Gail) Llewellyn in military medicine and Sheldon (Doren) Pinnell in dermatology. Also still actively in practice are Art Ackerman in anesthesia, Dudley (Hedva) Danoff in urology, Alex (Christine) Gaudio in retinal surgery, Bob Grummon in primary care, Ben (Janice) Harris in rheumatology, George Holsten in pathology, John (Judy) Mahoney and Jay Pomeranz in psychiatry. Hal (Barbara) Kaplan continues an active mix of gastroenterology and hospital administration.

After dinner we shared memory lane excursions and philosophical insights and enjoyed a drop-in visit from then-Dean David Kessler. We distributed and shared the written responses from many classmates who sent their regrets along with some insights. Barbara Rosenthal Almond continues an active practice in psychoanalysis; Dave Cross and Dave Holden have both retired from primary care. Professor Peter Gregory has gone emeritus, but still does some liver clinic time. Tom Tillack is still a full-time professor of pathology, but going part time in July. Lee Talner is already on the part-time track in academic radiology. Jerry Winer remains active full time as professor of psychiatry.

We remembered with fondness and sadness our deceased classmates: Miguel Alonzo, Millard Amdur, David Langtree, Peter Livingston, Tom Peters, Marvin Skolnick, Robert Shapiroand Gary Van Galder.

Finally, planning has already begun for our 45th reunion. Everyone in the class has been deputized to get on the phones and help ensure a massive turnout in 2008. We felt badly for all the classmates who missed out on sharing a great weekend. We missed them.

—Alex Gaudio and Hal Kaplan