1950s
Theodore William Lewis ’50
Theodore William Lewis ’50, an Episcopal priest and counseling psychologist, was born on Aug. 22, 1926, in Oneida, N.Y. The son of Clifton S., a mechanic, and Gertrude Cackett Lewis, an accountant, he was graduated in 1944 from Oneida High School as valedictorian of his class. Discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1946 after brief service during the waning months of World War II, he enrolled at Hamilton from Oneida Castle. With thoughts of preparation for the Episcopal priesthood already in mind, Ted Lewis concentrated in Latin and Greek, and soon gained a reputation as an excellent student. He was awarded virtually every one of the many prizes in classical languages that Hamilton had to offer, including the Winchell Greek Prize, the Hawley Latin Prize, the Curran Greek and Latin Prize, and the Truax Prize Scholarship in Greek. His serious commitment to a religious calling was always leavened by “his quick, dry, humorous laugh, coupled with a ready smile,” in the words of The Hamiltonian.
Ted Lewis was graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with high honor in 1950, including department honors in Greek and Latin. He thereafter entered the General Theological Seminary, where he earned his ST.B. degree in 1953. Ordained into the Episcopal ministry that year, he was first assigned as curate of St. Peter’s Church in Auburn, N.Y. On Feb. 20, 1954, in Auburn, having “abandoned monastic ambitions and fallen in love with my wife,” he was married to Elizabeth E. Evans. In 1955, the couple moved to Ft. Worth, Texas, when Ted Lewis received a call to Christ the King Church as vicar.
Ted Lewis’s next move, in 1957, was to New England, where he became Episcopal chaplain at the University of Maine in Orono. He remained in that post for 15 years. He also began retraining himself as a psychologist by acquiring an M.Ed. degree in counseling from the University of Maine in 1972 and an Ed.D. in counseling psychology from Boston University in 1976. In the meantime, he had moved to Massachusetts to serve as an assistant priest at the Church of Our Redeemer in Lexington from 1972 to 1974 and rector of St. Paul’s Church in Hopkinton thereafter.
Licensed as a psychologist in 1979, the Rev. Dr. Theodore Lewis established his private practice in psychotherapy in Framingham, Mass., which he combined with a part-time parish ministry. In 1987, he relocated to Lunenburg, Mass., and served as an associate priest at Christ Church in Fitchburg until 2005, when he retired at the age of 83. For more than 30 years he had also been the summer supply priest at All Saints by the Sea on Bailey Island, Maine, where he enjoyed viewing the constellations in the summer sky and contemplating the ocean surf from the shore. During his many years of combining spiritual direction with psychotherapy, he also “mellowed” in his tolerance and, as he reported in his 50th reunion class yearbook, had become “actually supportive of changes occurring in the Episcopal Church with regard to women and gays.”
“Father Ted,” known as a compassionate priest and therapist, was also devoted to music and sang with Boston’s Chorus Pro Musica for many years. In addition, he was an enthusiastic flower gardener and furniture maker, and a creative cook.
The Rev. Dr. Theodore W. Lewis, ever appreciative of the liberal arts education he received at Hamilton, died on April 19, 2014, at a life-care center in Nashoba Valley, Mass., after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Jo Ann Carrington, whom he had wed in 1988, a year after the death of his first wife. Also surviving are a son and daughter from his first marriage, Michael A. and Katherine E. Lewis, as well as two grandsons and two sisters.
John Thomas Mapletoft ’50
John Thomas Mapletoft ’50, who carried out diverse computer-related assignments over the years for American Telephone & Telegraph Co., grew up in New Jersey, where he was born in Orange on June 13, 1927. His parents were Charles F. Mapletoft, a lawyer, and the former Janet B. Anderson. Jack Mapletoft was graduated in 1945 from Clifford J. Scott High School in East Orange and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Navy just before the end of World War II. Discharged as a seaman second class in early 1947, he enrolled at Hamilton from East Orange that spring. He joined Psi Upsilon and became its house steward. As Psi U’s “mess sergeant,” “Moose” Mapletoft was known for his determined ways. In addition to spending many hours in the College’s science labs, he played soccer and lacrosse, lettering in both.
Following his graduation in 1950, Jack Mapletoft joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. After two years with the FBI, during which he took law courses at Georgetown University at night, he returned to New Jersey and began his long career with AT&T. On Sept. 13, 1952, he was married to Shirley M. Rogers in East Orange. For 32 years thereafter until his retirement in 1984, he was employed either by AT&T or its subsidiary, New Jersey Telephone Co.
Jack Mapletoft became a district traffic manager and later an account supervisor, and eventually manager of stock and bond systems for AT&T. Following his retirement, he served as a consultant on data processing and investor relations for the pharmaceuticals firm Pfizer in New York City.
Long a resident of Chatham, N.J., Jack Mapletoft took an active part in civic affairs. He became president of the board of trustees of Chatham Public Library, on which he served for 28 years. He also served as stage manager and president of the Chatham Players and devoted his time and commitment to worthy environmental causes, such as “Save Barnegat Bay.” In 1967, he was named “Man of the Year” by Chatham’s Junior Chamber of Commerce. For many years he also took an active role in Hamilton alumni affairs. He was a past president of the Northern New Jersey Alumni Association and regional chairman of the Alumni Fund.
John T. Mapletoft was residing in Lakewood, N.J., when he died on July 5, 2014, while hospitalized in nearby Brick. He is survived by his wife of six years, the former Ellen Kuno. Also surviving are three daughters and a son from his first marriage, Carol Falzarano, Susan Milde, Judith Crider and Charles J. Mapletoft. Their mother, Shirley R. Mapletoft, survives as well. Jack Mapletoft also leaves seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a sister.
Reuben Enoch Van Buskirk Miller, Jr. ’50
Reuben Enoch Van Buskirk Miller, Jr. ’50, who practiced dentistry in Easton, Pa., his hometown, for 55 years, was born in that city on Jan. 26, 1929. The son of Reuben E.V. Miller, a dental surgeon, and the former Helen Kauffman, he came to College Hill from Easton High School in 1946. Reuben Miller, known as Bud, joined Delta Upsilon and focused his attention on his pre-professional studies, aspiring to follow his father into the field of dentistry. Following two years on the Hill, he withdrew from the College and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry.
After acquiring his D.D.S. degree in 1952, Bud Miller served for two years on active duty as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps. He then returned to Easton and joined his father in general practice. Following his father’s retirement 15 years later, he continued the dental practice until his own retirement in 2009 at the age of 80.
Long active and prominent in professional organizations, Dr. Miller was a past president of the Easton Dental Society and the Lehigh Valley Dental Society, and secretary of the Pennsylvania State Dental Council and Examining Board. Also a district director of the Dental Society of Pennsylvania, he was, in addition, director of the Easton Hospital Dental Clinic, which he and his father were instrumental in founding, and dentist for the Easton Area High School varsity football team. After retiring, he continued to serve as an examiner for the state’s dental and dental hygiene licensing board as well as the Northeast Regional Board of Dental Examiners, encompassing 17 states.
Within the community, Dr. Miller served as president of the Easton Rotary Club and was a Paul Harris Fellow. In 2005, the dental clinic of the Children’s Home of Easton was named in his honor. Also an active member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, he enjoyed gardening and fishing when his busy schedule permitted.
Reuben E.V. Miller, Jr. died at his home in Easton on June 25, 2014. His is survived by his wife, Nancy Roy Lange Miller, known as Chris, whom he had wed in 1976. Also surviving are two daughters and two sons, Kimberly Lacey, Julianne Breiner, and Andrew B. and Thomas V. Miller, from his first marriage, in 1952, to Judith Dunn. His survivors also include two stepsons, Kenneth and John Lange, as well as 12 grandchildren and a sister.
Frederick Bruce Olsen ’50
Frederick Bruce Olsen ’50, a retired professor of English, was born on Feb. 8, 1926, in Norwalk, Conn. The son of Frederick C., a manufacturer’s agent, and Elsie Kelley Olsen, he was graduated in 1944 from Port Chester (N.Y.) High School. He served in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II and participated in the invasion of Germany. He transferred to Hamilton in 1948 from Champlain College. With a penchant for writing humorous prose, he strolled around campus “with the impenetrable air of a true scholar,” in the words of The Hamiltonian. Awarded department honors in philosophy, he left the Hill with his A.B. degree in 1950.
The College has no information about Frederick Olsen’s subsequent activities. According to his obituary in The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville, Tenn., he received a Ph.D. from Indiana University and became a professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania and Wayne State University. He chaired the English department at Briarcliff College and retired from Alabama State University. While residing in Tennessee, he founded the Clarksville Astronomy Club and established the Olsen Observatory, a private observatory south of Erin.
Based on information gleaned from the Internet, Professor Olsen’s writings included his doctoral dissertation, Hawthorne’s Integration of Methods and Materials (1960), as well as two books, Faulkner’s Dramatic Psychology (1954) and The Private World of Emily Dickinson (1971).
Frederick Bruce Olsen was residing in Clarksville when he died on April 22, 2014. He is survived by his wife, Phy Olsen; two sons, John and Robert Olsen; a daughter, Nancy Olsen; and three grandchildren.
Keith Sears Wellin ’50, LL.D. (Hon.) ’99
Keith Sears Wellin ’50, LL.D. (Hon.) ’99, a retired Wall Street executive and a life trustee and major benefactor of the College, was born on Aug. 13, 1926, in Grand Rapids, Mich. The son of Elmer G., a real estate broker, and Ruth Chamberlin Wellin, he grew up in the Chicago area and was graduated in 1944 from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Ill. He attended The Citadel, the military academy in Charleston, S.C., for a year before entering the U.S. Army in 1945. Commissioned as an officer, he served during the final months of World War II and was stationed as a second lieutenant in Korea after the war’s end.
Discharged from the Army in 1947, Keith Wellin enrolled at Hamilton from Winnetka, beginning with the summer session that year. His leadership qualities were immediately recognized by his fellow students, who elected him president of the freshman class. A member of Sigma Phi, he served on the Honor Court and the Student Council, and displayed journalistic talents as an editor of The Spectator. The Hamiltonian also credited him with such out-of-the-ordinary attributes as raconteur, cocktail connoisseur and “defender of the capitalist faith.”
Following his graduation in 1950, Keith Wellin’s interest in business and finance prompted him to go on to Harvard’s Graduate School of Business Administration. The way was paved by an enthusiastic letter of recommendation from Dean Winton Tolles. Two years later, with his M.B.A. degree in hand, he returned to Chicago and went to work for E.F. Hutton & Co. as a broker. It was an unusual career path for a Harvard M.B.A. to choose at that time, when the securities field was more somnolent than exciting.
In those tranquil days of the Eisenhower era, Keith Wellin demonstrated his exceptional knack for picking stocks, such as shares of a small but promising conglomerate called Berkshire Hathaway, run by a then little-known financial wizard by the name of Warren Buffett. Mr. Wellin advanced rapidly at E.F. Hutton. Transferred to its New York City office, he became the company’s president at age 39. He was vice chairman of the company in 1971 when he left it to join Reynolds Securities, Inc. as senior vice president. Named president in 1974, he was appointed executive vice president of the newly formed Dean Witter Reynolds Securities, Inc. in 1978. He took on increasing executive responsibilities with the firm, becoming its vice chairman in 1982.
Keith Wellin retired after more than 30 years in the securities industry in 1984 to devote greater attention to the management of his personal investments. However, he later served as chairman of the board of Moorco International, Inc., a large manufacturer of pumps, valves and meters based in Houston. He, with a group of fellow investors, had participated in its purchase.
While achieving success as a leader in the securities industry, Keith Wellin never lost touch with his alma mater. He served as a charter trustee of the College from 1969 to 1975 and again from 1986 until he was named a life trustee a decade later. During those many years he generously placed his considerable financial expertise at Hamilton’s disposal as a member and chairman from 1988 to 1992 of the Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee. In his role as chief monitor of the health and growth of the College’s endowment during those years, he contributed vitally to Hamilton’s financial well-being and continued prosperity.
Keith Wellin also often and generously drew upon his personal resources to provide funds that have enriched academic programs and financed major building projects at Hamilton. His contributions have had a transformative impact on the campus, beginning with Carol Woodhouse Wellin Hall, the jewel of the Schambach Center for the Performing Arts. It was named in memory of Mr. Wellin’s first wife, whom he had married in 1951 and who died in 1970. His was the lead gift, through the Brown Foundation in 1998, for the expansion and renovation of Hamilton’s science facilities. In what is now the Taylor Science Center, the Wellin Atrium may be found. In 2012, the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, named for his parents, was dedicated. His $10 million contribution, made jointly with his wife, Wendy, was the largest single gift in the College’s history. His lifelong affection for art had been inspired by his parents, and especially his father, who was an amateur painter.
Keith Wellin’s other gifts to Hamilton have helped fund student scholarships and internships as well as the endowed professorship named for former President Eugene Tobin. In addition, there are the Wellin Performance Courts in the Little Squash Center. But above all, his contributions have led to the transformation of Hamilton’s arts facilities. In 1999, the College recognized Keith Wellin’s career achievements and contributions to Hamilton with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
In 2005, Keith and his wife, Wendy Lane Wellin, moved to Charleston, S.C. There they became actively involved in local philanthropic efforts, especially in benefitting medical facilities. Plans are under way for the construction of the Wellin Neuroscience and Stroke Rehabilitation Center at Roper St. Francis Hospital, and construction of the Wendy and Keith Wellin Head and Neck Clinic will soon begin at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Keith S. Wellin died in Charleston, following a long illness, on Sept. 14, 2014. In addition to his wife, he is survived by children from his first marriage: two daughters, Cynthia Plum and Marjorie King; and a son, Peter J. Wellin. Other survivors include eight grandchildren, including Abigail C. ’11 and Claire W. King ’14, as well as a sister.
Galbraith Miller Crump ’51
Galbraith Miller Crump ’51, professor emeritus of English at Kenyon College and a distinguished literary scholar, was born on Nov. 2, 1929, in Elizabeth, N.J. His parents were Leslie Crump, a commercial artist, and the former Alice Mary Miller, a portrait artist. Galbraith Crump prepared for college at the Pingry School in New Jersey and arrived at Hamilton from Cranford, N.J., in 1947. He joined Delta Upsilon and readily involved himself in campus activities, joining the Charlatans and the staff of radio station WHC. However, for four years he devoted most of his extracurricular time and talent to The Spectator and became its editor in his senior year. That year, he also served on the Publications Board and the Student Council, and was tapped for Pentagon. He had already been elected to the journalism honor society Pi Delta Epsilon.
Galbraith Crump was graduated in 1951 with department honors in art. He briefly worked as a reporter for his hometown newspaper, the Cranford Citizen and Chronicle, before being drafted into the U.S. Army. Following two years in the Army’s enlisted ranks, writing scripts for training in psychological warfare during the Korean War era, he began his graduate studies in English literature at Reading University in England. Accompanying him was his wife, the former Joan Amanda Lee, whom he had wed in Gloversville, N.Y., in February 1952. He acquired his M.A. degree in English from Reading in 1955, and after a year as a teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin, he and his family returned to England, where he pursued further studies at Oxford University and was awarded the D.Phil. degree in 1959.
The previous year, Galbraith Crump had joined the faculty of Yale University as an instructor in English, specializing in Renaissance literature. Promoted to assistant professor, he left Yale in 1965 to begin his long tenure at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, initially as an associate professor. Soon promoted to full professor, he chaired Kenyon’s English department from 1973 to 1978 and also edited the prestigious Kenyon Review from 1982 to 1987.
The first to hold the John Crowe Ransom Chair of English Literature at Kenyon, Professor Crump was the author or editor of seven books and numerous articles for scholarly journals as well as poems. His notable works included The Mystical Design of Paradise Lost (1975), which gained recognition as an outstanding critical study of Milton, and among the significant works he edited were The Poems and Translations of Thomas Stanley (1962) and Twentieth Century Interpretations of Samson Agonistes (1968). In addition, he edited the volume on Augustan satirical verse in the series Poems on Affairs of State. However, his most personal, and poignant, work was A Slant of Light (2009), a memoir of his 55-year marriage to Joan, her struggle with cancer and his coming to terms with her death.
Professor Crump traveled extensively with his wife during his teaching career. At various times he served as a visiting lecturer in Britain, Canada, France and Greece, as well as in the United States. In addition to traveling, he enjoyed painting and book collecting as well as camping with his family. He retired in 1990 after 25 years of teaching at Kenyon College. That year, Kenyon awarded him an honorary doctorate of humane letters.
Galbraith Miller Crump retired from Gambier to Charlottesville, Va., where he died on July 12, 2014. He is survived by four sons, Andrew G. ’77, Patrick L., Timothy L. and Nicholas R. Crump ’90, and numerous grandchildren and a sister. A fifth son, Ian, died as the result of an automobile accident in 2003.
Edward Batchellar Long III ’51
Edward Batchellar Long III ’51, a retired environmental consultant, grew up in White Plains, N.Y., where he was born on Dec. 5, 1927. The son of Edward B., Jr., an attorney-at-law, and Ethel Rensen Long, he was graduated in 1945 from White Plains High School. In 1947, following service in the enlisted ranks of the U.S. Army, Ned Long came to College Hill and joined Tau Kappa Epsilon. Described by The Hamiltonian as a “sympathetic listener and counselor extraordinaire” who had earned the nickname “Uncle Ned,” he became the “iron-fisted ruler” of the Tekes as house president in his senior year. Also described as “bartender par excellence, lover of music, hunter of fish and fowl,” he was awarded his diploma in 1952.
Ned Long was married to Barbara Ann McMartin, daughter of D. Malcolm McMartin ’27, on June 29, 1952, in Johnstown, N.Y., three weeks after his graduation. He went to work for the Carbon Products Division of Union Carbide Corp. as a sales engineer. Promoted in 1964 to project manager of new product development, he left Union Carbide to acquire from Kent State University an M.S. degree in biological sciences in 1971 and a Ph.D. in that field in 1975. For six years beginning in 1975, he did research on environmental quality as a specialist in aquatic ecology for the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency in Cleveland. In 1981, he established his own environmental consulting firm in Akron, Ohio, which he operated until his retirement in 2005.
Dr. Long, who enjoyed camping and canoeing in Canada and also travel abroad, had a passion for music as well as for the environment, especially the biology of wetlands, and was a faithful subscriber to the annual concerts of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. He also liked to exercise his culinary skills in the kitchen.
Edward B. Long III was still residing in Akron when he died on May 2, 2014, following a long and determined battle with Parkinson’s disease. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Joan Carlson Long. Also surviving are a son and two daughters, James M. Long, Nancy E. Long and Margaret L. Lawrence, from his first marriage, which had ended in divorce in 1967. In addition, he leaves four grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Robert Bruce Freiberg ’51
Robert Bruce Freiberg ’51, who concluded a remarkably varied career as supervisory analyst for the brokerage firm of Drexel, Burnham, Lambert, grew up in New York City, where he was born on Aug. 1, 1928. His parents were Martin Freiberg, a clothing manufacturer, and the former Matty Cohen. Bob Freiberg arrived on College Hill in 1947, following his graduation from Columbia Grammar School in Manhattan as salutatorian of his class. He went out for soccer and intramural sports, joined the staff of the Continental and turned thespian with the Charlatans in his senior year. A member of Squires and credited by The Hamiltonian with an “exuberant sense of humor which has alternately amazed and amused his many friends and teachers,” he was graduated in 1951.
Bob Freiberg returned to New York City, where he initially worked in his father’s field, clothing manufacturing, drove a taxi cab for a time, and, with a diploma from the New York Institute of Photography, was a freelance photographer in the late 1950s. He attended Columbia University School of Law from 1960 to 1962, and clerked for the distinguished jurist Henry J. Friendly of the U.S. Court of Appeals. He subsequently became a stockbroker with Harris, Upham & Co. In the late 1970s he was editorial director of Standard Research Consultants, a financial consulting firm, while doing freelance editing of books, journals and technical reports on the side. During the 1980s and until his retirement in 1990, he was with the research department of Drexel, Burnham, Lambert.
Bob Freiberg retired to live year-round at Kismet on Fire Island, off the coast of Long Island. There he enjoyed the beach and became known to locals for his distinctive license plate, “Mr.Write.” He played volleyball (“the only senior in the games”) on the beach just yards from his house, which deer often came to visit. Also, after “smacking my computers around to keep them in line,” he liked to play bridge on the Internet.
Robert Freiberg, a loyal alumnus, died on June 1, 2014, after a four-year struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Twice married previously and divorced, he is survived by his wife, Arlene Hirst, who had been with him since 1984. Also surviving are two cousins and “his beloved cat, Chloe.”
Arnold Marvin Katz, Salutatorian ’52
Arnold Marvin Katz, Salutatorian ’52, professor emeritus, who taught economics at the University of Pittsburgh for more than 30 years, was born on July 12, 1930, in Binghamton, N.Y. A son of Eastern European immigrants Samuel Katz, an automobile parts dealer, and the former Beatrice Rosengarten, Arnie Katz grew up in Binghamton, where he was graduated in 1948 from Binghamton Central High School as salutatorian of his class. He enrolled at Hamilton that fall and soon “evoked admiration and awe of all for his exceptionally keen mind and retentive memory,” in the words of The Hamiltonian. He utilized those gifts to impressive effect in debate and gained election to the forensic honor society Delta Sigma Rho. A recipient of the Fayerweather Prize Scholarship, he was also known for his “quiet sense of humor.” While on the Hill, he abandoned thoughts of a law career in favor of teaching economics and observed, years later, that Hamilton had “saved me from becoming a lawyer.”
Arnie Katz, a member of the Squires Club and also the College Band, was graduated Phi Beta Kappa and as class salutatorian, with honors in English literature and history, in 1952. He pursued graduate studies in economics at Yale University, where he acquired his M.A. degree in 1953 and his Ph.D. in 1961. From 1955 to 1958, he took a detour from academe to serve as a supply officer in the U.S. Navy and achieved the rank of lieutenant (j.g.).
After leaving the Navy, Arnie Katz went to work as a statistician for the U.S. Bureau of the Census in Washington, D.C. (1958-59) and subsequently for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (1959-60). In 1962, after two years as an economist with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, he embarked on his teaching career as an assistant professor of economics at Columbia University. He began his long tenure at the University of Pittsburgh in 1967. Specializing in labor economics, he did market analyses and studies of comparative industrial relations. He also had a particular interest in economics education and improving teaching methods as well as integrating new technologies into the field. He continued to do research in that area after his retirement in 1998. During his years at Pittsburgh, Dr. Katz received awards for his teaching and was also appointed a visiting professor at universities abroad, ranging from Australia to Yugoslavia, as well as at Hamilton in 1987-88.
Arnold M. Katz, a devotedly faithful alumnus, died in his home in Greensburg, Pa., on Feb. 18, 2014. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, the former Rosalyn B. Cohn, whom he had wed in Binghamton on Nov. 13, 1955. Also surviving is a daughter, Leslie Katz, a granddaughter, Halina, and his brother, Harvey P. Katz ’57.
William Means Smith Rhett ’52
William Means Smith Rhett ’52, a veteran international marketing executive, was born on Jan. 25, 1930, in Miami Beach, Fla. A son of Haskell Smith Rhett, a business executive, and the former Eunice Emery, he was a direct descendent of Col. William Rhett, merchant, plantation owner and colonial militia leader who repulsed the French and Spanish invasion of Charleston, S.C., in 1706. The Col. William Rhett House is today one of the oldest historic homes in that city. The Rhetts would remain prominent in South Carolina public life for generations thereafter. On his mother’s side, William M.S. Rhett was descended from the Coffin family of New England, who were among the first settlers on Nantucket Island and prominent whalers and merchants.
Bill Rhett grew up in the Midwest and was graduated in 1948 from Elston Senior High School in Michigan City, Ind. He enrolled at Hamilton that fall and joined Sigma Phi. Actively involved with student publications such as the Royal Gaboon, Continental and The Hamiltonian, he served on the Publications Board and was elected to the journalism honor society Pi Delta Epsilon. He also managed the Glee Club and ski team, did sportscasting for football and hockey games, and was one of the founders of that convivial social band, Nous Onze. Described by The Hamiltonian as “a genius with a cocktail shaker” and possessing great bonhomie, he left the Hill with his diploma in 1952.
The following year, Bill Rhett went on active duty with the U.S. Navy. Commissioned as an ensign, he was assigned to air intelligence and stationed with the 7th Fleet in the Far East. Discharged as a lieutenant (j.g.) after three years, he remained in the Navy Reserve as an air intelligence officer for another 20 years, and attained the rank of commander.
After leaving active naval service, Bill Rhett acquired an M.B.A. degree in marketing in 1957 from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Business and went to work for McCann Erickson, the advertising agency in New York City, as an account executive. He left the agency in 1960 to form his own marketing company, Colon S.A., in Madrid, Spain. Soon, however, he joined Motorola Overseas Corp., headquartered in Chicago, as manager of its advertising, promotion and public relations (1962-66). Thereafter he was an account manager for Marsteller International in New York City (1966-68) and account supervisor and Latin American area director for another advertising agency, Wells, Rich, Greene International (1968-70), with his base in Lima, Peru.
In 1974, after serving as vice president of Marketing Control, Inc., in New York City, Bill Rhett settled permanently in the San Francisco Bay area where he became international marketing and sales manager for National Semiconductor Corp. A year later, he established his own firm of international marketing consultants, Intermarkets Ltd. As its managing director, he oversaw its far-flung operations, with associates in numerous countries abroad as well as in the U.S. He retired in 2000 after managing the company for 25 years.
For many years Bill Rhett had been highly active in Hamilton alumni affairs, serving as president of the Alumni Association of Chicago and later of the Northern California Alumni Association. In those posts he had been exceptionally energetic and creative. Following his retirement, he joined the board of Help the World See, a small nonprofit foundation that sets up clinics in underdeveloped countries to provide primary eye care to the poor. His volunteer efforts on its behalf included extensive travel abroad. While at home he enjoyed gardening.
William M.S. Rhett died at his home in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Sept. 5, 2013, following a heart attack. He is survived by a son and daughter, Ian C.S. Rhett and Allison W. Rhett-Travis, the children of his first marriage in 1964 to Ethelyn Eddy, which had ended in divorce. Also surviving are a granddaughter and his brother, Haskell Rhett ’58. He was predeceased in 1988 by his second wife, Mary Frances Amill Rhett, whom he had wed in 1980.
James Samuel Robinson ’52
James Samuel Robinson ’52, for 55 years an attorney-at-law in West Palm Beach, Fla., was born on Jan. 4, 1930, in Buffalo, N.Y. His parents were George A. Robinson, also an attorney, and the former Marjorie Bixler. Jim Robinson grew up in the Buffalo area and was graduated in 1948 from Kenmore High School. He came to College Hill from Kenmore that fall and joined Theta Delta Chi. Soon active in its house affairs, he also played varsity football and basketball, lettering in those sports. Elected to D.T., he received his A.B. degree in 1952.
Jim Robinson was married to his college sweetheart, Beverly Martin, in Kenmore on Aug. 9, 1952. Soon thereafter he went on active duty with the U.S. Navy at the time of the Korean conflict. Commissioned as an officer, he was stationed with a patrol squadron in Jacksonville, Fla. Discharged as a lieutenant (j.g.) after four years in 1956, he decided to remain in the Sunshine State and enroll in the University of Florida’s College of Law. He acquired his LL.B. degree in 1959 and established his practice in West Palm Beach.
As a result of his own struggles, Jim Robinson, “a grateful friend of Bill W for over 32 years,” developed a compassion and concern for the struggles of others. He was a member of the board of Fern House and a consultant to Gratitude House, both drug and alcohol rehabilitation residences. He lectured extensively on drug and alcohol abuse as well as mental illness and served for more than five years as mental health commissioner for Palm Beach County. In 1991, he was honored by the Comprehensive Alcoholism Rehabilitation Programs (CARP) of Palm Beach for his many efforts on behalf of prevention, education and treatment for those addicted. Always ready to reach out his hand to someone in need, he was greatly admired not only for his compassion but also for his charm and “delicious sense of humor.”
James S. Robinson, a faithful alumnus, was residing in North Palm Beach when he died on Sept. 7, 2014. He is survived by four daughters from his first marriage, Kathleen Gray, Andrea Pilgrim, Darcy Farnan and Wendy Fernsell. Also surviving are a son from a second marriage, Stephan Robinson, and eight grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Samuel Houston Talley ’53
Samuel Houston Talley ’53, an economist, official of the Federal Reserve Bank and a consultant to the World Bank was born on Feb. 3, 1931, in Syracuse, N.Y. A son of Claude H., an investment banker, and Grace Hays Talley, he entered Hamilton from Nottingham High School in Syracuse in 1949. Samuel Talley, known as Bud, joined Delta Kappa Epsilon and spent two years on the Hill. He left to enroll at Syracuse University, where he obtained his B.A. degree in 1953.
After almost three years in the U.S. Army, Bud Talley returned to his hometown and acquired his M.B.A. from Syracuse in 1958. After two years as an assistant investment officer with Marine Midland Trust Co. of Central New York, he went back to graduate school and earned an M.A. in economics from the University of Michigan in 1962 and a Ph.D. from Syracuse, also in economics, in 1966. Appointed as an assistant professor of economics at the University of Maine that year, he remained on its faculty until 1970, when he went to Washington and became an economist with the Federal Reserve Board.
During his 14 years with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Dr. Talley became a senior research economist and later assistant director of the Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation. He left the board in 1984 to serve as an economist and financial analyst for the World Bank. As resident consultant for the Bank in Washington until his retirement in 1997, he either worked in or toured numerous countries in connection with their developing economies.
A longtime resident of McLean and later Fairfax, Va., Bud Talley enjoyed skiing, was greatly fond of classical music and warmly patronized the arts. He also pursued genealogical studies, avidly read works on economics, finance and public policy, and keenly followed current events. Devoted to Hamilton despite his relatively brief stay on the Hill, he was consistent in his generous support of the College.
Samuel H. Talley was still residing in Fairfax County, Va., when he died on Sept. 29, 2013. He is survived by his wife, the former Phyllis Romano, whom he had wed in Syracuse on Aug. 26, 1961. Also surviving is a daughter, Barbara Arnone, and three grandchildren. His brother, John H. Talley ’50, predeceased him in 2009.
Comer Swift Coppie ’55
Comer Swift Coppie ’55, a distinguished public official who served city, state and nation as a financial administrator, was born on Oct. 19, 1932, in Washington, D.C. A son of John Lee Coppie, a salesman, and the former Marion Peck, Comer Coppie grew up in Miami, Fla., where he attended Edison High School. After a year of preparation at Kiski School in Pennsylvania, he entered Hamilton in 1951 from Baltimore, his family having recently moved there. He joined Alpha Delta Phi, where he became known as Coz, and acquired a reputation as “Frau’s worst dishwasher in 25 years.” Sporting a toothy grin, he engaged in a wide variety of campus activities, to the detriment at times of his academic standing. Only the confidence placed in him by Dean Winton Tolles and the faculty saved him from dismissal from the College after three successive terms on probation.
In the meantime, Comer Coppie had become a pitcher on Coach Greg Batt’s baseball team and sports editor of The Spectator. He chaired the social organizations committee, co-chaired the parents’ weekend committee and served on the Student Council. Elected to D.T. and Was Los as well as Pentagon, he also became a member of that convivial band of brothers, Nous Onze. Having majored in history and political science, he departed the Hill with his diploma in 1955, leaving behind memories among his college friends of his “unflappable good nature and humility.”
After briefly teaching in a prep school and two years of service in the U.S. Navy, Comer Coppie enrolled in the Maxwell School of Public Affairs at Syracuse University. The way was paved by an enthusiastic letter of recommendation from Dean Tolles, who referred to Comer’s “real leadership potential” and expressed his own belief that Comer “will go far in the world.”
Comer Coppie, who earned his master’s degree in public administration in 1959, returned to Baltimore and began his government service as a budget analyst in the Maryland State Budget Bureau. In 1963, he joined the Maryland state college system as executive director of its board of trustees. During his tenure he oversaw the conversion of five four-year colleges from teacher-training to liberal arts institutions.
In 1968, Comer Coppie was appointed deputy budget director of the District of Columbia. Promoted to budget director the following year, he was named special assistant to Washington, D.C.’s first mayor after home rule was granted by Congress, Walter E. Washington, as well as director of the district’s Office of Management and Budget Systems. His outstanding contributions to Washington’s fiscal management drew wide attention, and in 1978 he was called to New York City at a time when its finances were in a crisis stage. Jointly appointed by the city’s mayor, Edward Koch, and the state’s governor, Hugh Carey, he served as executive director of the New York State Financial Control Board, established to rescue the city from the brink of bankruptcy. In charge of supervising the financial management of the city, he helped greatly to restore its solvency.
After eight years in that post, Comer Coppie was called back to Washington in 1986 to become senior assistant postmaster general in charge of finance and planning for the nation’s giant Postal Service. As its chief financial officer, overseeing its then $30 billion annual budget, he strove to reinvigorate it and make it more efficient and responsive. In 1992, after six years with the U.S. Postal Service, he undertook his last public service when named first deputy comptroller for the State of New York. After his retirement in 1999, he continued to share his financial acumen as a consultant and advisor to government entities in need of his expertise, such as the city of Springfield, Mass. In looking back on his remarkable career, he dubbed it “diverse and challenging” but added, “I have not held a position I did not enjoy.”
Comer Coppie, a loyally devoted Hamiltonian, found relaxation and pleasure in playing bridge, going to the opera at Glimmerglass in Cooperstown, N.Y., and attending the Williamstown (Mass.) Theater Festival. He maintained his lifelong interest in baseball and was a particular fan of the Washington Redskins.
Comer S. Coppie, who resided in Albany, N.Y., died in that city on April 11, 2014, following a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, the former Judith Ann Wright, whom he had married in Toronto, Canada, on April 29, 1961. Also surviving are a daughter, Cynthia A. Coppie; two sons, Sean S. and Scott M. Coppie; and two grandchildren and his brother, Robert P. Coppie ’56.
Christopher William Covert ’58
Christopher William Covert ’58, the College’s director of admission from 1971 to 1980 and an educational consultant, was born on Sept. 15, 1935, in Cleveland. His parents were Seward A. and Jane Stockwell Covert. He was a nephew of Hudson Covert, Class of 1916, and a great-grandson of Thomas B. Hudson, Class of 1851. Chris Covert attended Shaker Heights High School in the Cleveland area and prepared for college at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. He enrolled at Hamilton in 1954 and joined Theta Delta Chi. On the Hill he played squash and lacrosse, contributed to The Spectator and became layout editor of The Hamiltonian. Having majored in government, he was graduated in 1958, leaving behind, in the words of The Hamiltonian, “a wealth of friends and a broken squash racquet.”
Soon after leaving College Hill, Chris Covert entered the U.S. Navy. He carried out shore duty as a staff officer on the West Coast and was discharged in 1961 as a lieutenant (j.g.). On March 14, 1959, while still an ensign, he and Anne Succop, sister of classmate and fraternity brother Thomas C. Succop, were married in Butler, Pa.
After leaving the Navy and a brief foray into restaurant management back in Cleveland, Chris Covert took the advice of a friend and applied for a job in admissions at Western Reserve (now Case Western Reserve) University. It marked the beginning of a long and highly satisfying career in the field of education. In 1966, after three-and-a-half years as an admissions counselor and later assistant director of admissions at Western Reserve, he returned to College Hill as assistant secretary of admission. In 1971, he was named to succeed Sidney B. Bennett ’28, Hamilton’s longtime secretary of admission, with the new title of director.
During his tenure, Chris Covert succeeded in organizing a nationwide network of alumni volunteers to assist the College in student recruitment. He toured the country to generate alumni support in the competitive battle for the most talented prospective students, and the result was a highly effective national admissions committee. He also played a key role in Hamilton’s transition to coeducation in 1978, recruiting the first coed Class of 1982.
Chris Covert, who had earned an M.A. in student personnel work from Western Reserve in 1968, left the College after 14 years in 1980. He went on to become assistant headmaster and admissions director at Providence Day School and later the Gordon School, both in Rhode Island. In 1989, he struck out on his own by establishing, in Providence, Covert Associates, an educational counseling firm dedicated to advising students and their parents on school and college admission. It gave him the opportunity to “help young people improve themselves and further their educations,” from which he derived great satisfaction.
In 2001, Chris Covert retired to Arizona. There he continued to keep in close touch with friends from his college days. A constantly and generously supportive alumnus, he also continued as a volunteer in assisting Hamilton with student recruitment. He devoted his spare time to teaching sixth graders, many Hispanic, to read while also tackling the study of Spanish himself. In addition, he chauffeured seniors to their medical appointments and volunteered to assist cancer patients at Mayo Hospital in Phoenix. He and his wife, the former Catherine Conover, together since 1980, returned often to the East to spend summers in Essex, N.Y., on the shores of Lake Champlain.
Christopher W. Covert, most recently residing in a retirement community in Scottsdale, Ariz., died on Dec. 7, 2013, following a brief illness. In addition to his wife of 33 years, he is survived by five children from his previous marriage, sons Christopher W., Jr., Michael C. and Thomas C. Covert, and daughters Elizabeth A. and Margaret J. Covert. Survivors also include 11 grandchildren. His many friends will long remember Chris Covert for “his smile, keen sense of the ridiculous, his mischievous way of being, the twinkle in his eye, generous spirit and kindness.”
Robert Scott Ramsay, Jr. ’59
Robert Scott Ramsay, Jr. ’59, a former banker and journalist, was born on Oct. 16, 1937, in Evanston, Ill. The eldest son of Robert S. Ramsay, president of the Deerfield State Bank, and the former Edith Oldfield, he grew up in the Chicago suburb of Deerfield and prepared for college at St. George’s School in Newport, R.I. Bob Ramsay came to College Hill in 1955 and joined the Emerson Literary Society. Always fond of creative writing and the expression of ideas, he contributed to The Spectator. He was particularly adept at debate and helped direct student debating activities. Having majored in English literature, he was graduated in 1959.
Bob Ramsay attended law school at the University of Michigan for a year before entering the U.S. Army. He served as a translator with the Army Security Agency in Berlin, Germany, before his discharge after three years in 1963. He stayed on for another year in Europe to teach English at an American school, Anatolia College, in Greece.
After his return to the Chicago area, Bob Ramsay spent eight years in banking. He became a bank examiner and served from 1968 to 1973 as a vice president of his family’s bank in Deerfield. He subsequently worked as a self-employed journalist, doing freelance reporting and photography. The College has no information on his later activities, except that he was known to have, in addition to photography, a great affection for classical music, especially opera.
Robert S. Ramsay, Jr., a resident of Chicago’s North Side for 35 years and a faithful alumnus who always had a deep interest in Hamilton, died on July 14, 2014. He is survived by his brothers, Roderick M. ’61 and Douglas Ramsay.
