1950s
Hal Frank Doig, Jr. ’50
Hal Frank Doig, Jr. ’50, an attorney-at-law who specialized in litigation, was born on May 24, 1927, in Pittsburgh. His parents were Hal F., an optician, and Naomi Doig. He was a nephew of Frank M. Larned ‘21. Young Hal prepared for college at the Peddie School in New Jersey and briefly served with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific at the end of World War II. He entered Hamilton from Carnegie, Pa., in 1946, joined Delta Upsilon and served on the staff of The Spectator. He was graduated in 1950.
After employment as a journalist with a newspaper syndicate in Chicago, Hal Doig opted for a career in the law and acquired his LL.B. degree from Duquesne University Law School in 1959. Initially employed as a staff attorney in the labor law department of Atlantic Refinery Co. in Philadelphia, he became an assistant U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia, ultimately heading the local criminal division.
Hal Doig subsequently moved into civil litigation as a trial lawyer in association with Philadelphia firms before joining the firm of Fronefield & deFuria in Media, Pa. He represented plaintiffs and defendants in commercial litigation, malpractice, product liability and motor vehicle cases, but especially victims of asbestos disease and electrical accidents. In one of his most notable cases, he represented the Alfred Deshong Art Gallery in Chester, Pa., in its suit against Sotheby’s, the New York City auction house, to recover artworks and monies after the auction house had acquired hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of paintings stolen from the small museum.
In 1990, Hal Doig entered into partnership with his son, Robert M. Doig ‘81, another former federal prosecutor, to establish a practice, Doig & Doig, dedicated to representing trade unions as well as other workers who were injured in industrial and construction accidents. Hal Doig became known as a tenacious advocate of their interests.
As an enthusiastic sailor, Hal Doig owned and raced sailboats. With his family and friends, his racing excursions took him from Nova Scotia and New England to Bermuda and the Caribbean, as well as the Chesapeake Bay in between. He took several Power Squadron courses to strengthen his skills in navigating ocean waters. On land, he enjoyed hiking in parks with his Airedale terriers. In addition, he occasionally took to the stage, acting in Swarthmore Players Club productions.
Hal F. Doig, Jr. was residing in Chester when he died on Nov. 30, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Rita Ann “Randy” Doig. Also surviving are his son Robert and two grandchildren.
David Thomas Porter ’50
David Thomas Porter ’50 Litt.D. (Hon.) ’92, professor emeritus of English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and an internationally recognized authority on the poet Emily Dickinson, was born on Sept. 15, 1928, in Buffalo, N.Y. The younger son of Roy Avery Porter, Class of 1913, the owner of a wholesale farm produce business, and the former Bertha A. Thomas, he grew up on the family farm in Elba, a tiny rural community east of Buffalo. Dave Porter came to College Hill in 1946, following his graduation from Elba Central School, and joined his father’s fraternity, Psi Upsilon. He displayed his nascent talent for writing as a member of the staff of the newly established Spectator and occasionally batted in a “fence-busting double” as a member of the varsity baseball team. Summed up by The Hamiltonian as “a little guy who operates in a big way,” he captured the William Duncan Saunders Prize in English Writing in 1950, the year he was graduated.
After some varied employment, Dave Porter sailed to Turkey in 1953, where he began his teaching career as an instructor in English and literature at Robert College in Istanbul. Back in the States in 1955 and inducted into the U.S. Army for a two-year hitch, he subsequently returned to Robert College to chair its lycee’s English department from 1957 to 1959. Having decided by then to pursue a career in college teaching, he began graduate study at the University of Rochester, culminating in a dissertation on the works of Emily Dickinson and a Ph.D in English in 1963.
The previous year David Porter began his long tenure at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, as an instructor. He was promoted through the ranks to full professor in 1972. By that time he had acquired scholarly recognition for The Art of Emily Dickinson’s Early Poetry, published in 1966, which for the first time drew attention to the reclusive poet’s initial creativity, previously in large part overlooked. Later, in Dickinson: The Modern Idiom (1981), laden with fresh insight, he offered an indispensable guide to the poet’s work. A third notable contribution, Emerson and Literary Change (1978), cast new light on Ralph Waldo Emerson, the essayist as poet. All three books were published by Harvard University Press.
During his teaching and scholarly career, David Porter lectured widely in the United States and many countries abroad. He was a Fulbright-Hayes lecturer in Italy and a visiting professor at the University of Keele as well as Kent in England. He especially treasured the Guggenheim Fellowship and residency that he received at both the Rockefeller Foundation Center in Bellagio, Italy, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. However, of all his many awards, the one that gave him particular pleasure was the honorary doctorate in 1992 from his alma mater, in recognition of his contributions to our knowledge of the origins of modern American poetry through his pathbreaking scholarship on Dickinson and Emerson.
Dr. Porter, who retired after 33 years of teaching at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1995, is fondly remembered by his former students as providing them with inspiration and quiet encouragement. In Amherst, where he organized the first Emily Dickinson International Symposium in 1980, which led to the establishment of the Emily Dickinson International Society, he was also involved for many years with the Dickinson Homestead, now Museum. His further efforts to promote the poet’s legacy included the 1986 Centennial Celebration of Dickinson, held at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, at which he delivered the keynote address. In 2008, at the annual gathering of the Emily Dickinson International Society in Amherst, he was honored with the presentation of Lay this Wreath: A Festschrift for David Porter, containing tributes from his former students and colleagues.
David T. Porter died on Nov. 16, 2013, of cardiac arrest. Surviving him is his wife of 56 years, the former Rosalie Pedalino, whom he had married on Aug. 5, 1957. He is also survived by three sons, Thomas A.’80, David L. and Stephen F. Porter, as well as five grandchildren and a sister.
William Kaufmann ’51
William Kaufmann ’51, L.H.D. (Hon.) ’93, long a leader in the publishing field, was born on Dec. 18, 1925, in Oneonta, N.Y., and reared on a small farm in a nearby hamlet. His parents were William J. and Florence Cornell Kaufmann, a school teacher. Young Bill Kaufmann entered the U.S. Navy soon after his graduation in 1943 from Stamford Central School, where he had been salutatorian of his class. He served as an electronics technician’s mate aboard destroyers in the Pacific theater during World War II and was discharged in 1946, after the war’s end. With the benefit of the G.I. Bill, he enrolled at Hamilton the following year. Accompanying him was his wife, the former Virginia M. “Ginne” Hanlon, whom he had wed on Dec. 31, 1945, in Andes, N.Y., while he was still in the Navy.
The couple took up residence in North Village on College Hill, and Bill joined Sigma Phi. When not regaling younger classmates with his tales of the South Pacific, he took an active role in student government, serving on the Honor Court and as president of the Student Council, and was tapped for Pentagon. He also excelled scholastically, achieving election to Phi Beta Kappa. The recipient of the Captain Gerald Fitzgerald Dale Scholarship, he was graduated in 1951 with department honors in art and English literature.
That year Bill Kaufmann began his employment in publishing with a small educational book firm, the Ronald Press Co. in New York City. As a textbook representative, he traveled for the company throughout the Northeast. In 1955, he was recruited by W.H. Freeman & Co. in San Francisco as a field editor. The company was headed by William Freeman ’26, a pioneer in West Coast publishing who became Bill Kaufmann’s mentor. The Kaufmanns relocated to California and settled in Los Altos in 1962. At Freeman, Bill rose from editor to vice president, and was president of the company when he decided to strike out on his own in 1972.
He and Ginne established William Kaufmann, Inc., in their home in Los Altos. With Bill as president, Ginne as vice president, and later their daughter, Gale, as general manager, it was very much a family enterprise. Bill began to publish science and technology books primarily, but with occasional forays into the eclectic and the humorous. Sing a Song of Software and The First Artificial Intelligence Coloring Book were just two examples of his whimsy. Actually, Bill’s company pioneered in publishing books on artificial intelligence, “the science of making computers ‘think.’” As a small and independent publisher with a wide range of unique and innovative books reflecting a high degree of editorial creativity and quality, Bill contributed substantially to publishing’s success on the West Coast.
As a leader in the publishing industry, Bill Kaufmann served on the board of the Association of American Publishers and gained the accolades of his peers, who conferred on him the Curtis G. Benjamin Award for creative publishing. He later received the Benjamin Franklin Award for lifetime achievement from the American Booksellers Association. Widely admired for his “open-minded good sense, managerial patience, collegial fairness and integrity,” he also served for many years as editor-in-chief of Annual Reviews, Inc., publishers of influential scholarly volumes on advances in research across a wide array of sciences. Under his leadership, the company was modernized and guided into new fields. In his spare time he taught courses in publishing at the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University.
Bill Kaufmann, who helped launch several other publishing ventures, including Crisp Publications and Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, was an avid book collector as well as an accomplished fly fisherman and aspiring low-par golfer. In Bill’s ideal heaven, “the fish are always biting, and every golf ball obeys the strokes of a dauntless imagination.” In addition, Bill had a passion for baseball, ice cream, bananas and a good joke. He was also an ardently devoted alumnus and a generous supporter of Hamilton, which recognized his significant contributions to the field of publishing with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 1993.
William Kaufmann succumbed to pneumonia on Aug. 3, 2013. Predeceased in 2005 by his devoted wife and partner of 60 years, he is survived by his daughter, Gail Riley, and two grandsons. Also predeceasing him was a son, Gary.
Richard Apgar Hogan ’52
Richard Apgar Hogan ’52, a marketing research specialist, grew up in Glen Ridge, N.J., where he was born on April 19, 1931. A son of Albert S. Hogan, a sales representative, and the former Elizabeth Apgar, he enrolled at Hamilton in 1948, following his graduation from Glen Ridge High School. While on the Hill, Dick Hogan became a member of Lambda Chi Alpha and was active in debate, gaining election to the forensic honor society Delta Sigma Rho. He served on the Interfraternity Council in his senior year. Described by The Hamiltonian as “a tight-fisted economist and fulminating orator on foreign and domestic affairs,” he excelled academically and earned a Phi Beta Kappa key and honors in four departments, economics, French, political science and public speaking, upon his graduation in 1952.
After leaving the Hill, Dick Hogan served for two years as an ensign with the U.S. Navy and was stationed in Washington, D.C. Subsequently employed as a marketing research analyst by West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co. in New York City, he was married to Shirley A. Sidman on June 23, 1956, in Glen Ridge. While commuting to work in Manhattan from Upper Montclair, N.J., he also pursued marketing studies at New York University and acquired his M.B.A. degree in 1959.
In 1965, the Hogans moved to Minnesota, when Dick became manager of marketing research for the Pillsbury Co. in Minneapolis. Residing in suburban Wayzata, he remained with Pillsbury for 11 years and was director of marketing research for its international division when he went into business for himself as co-founder of Waymouth Farms. Subsequently director of marketing research for Martin Williams Advertising Co., and later an account executive and divisional manager for the stock brokerage firm of Offerman & Co., also in Minneapolis, he retired in 1993.
A resident of Deephaven, Minn., for more than 30 years, Dick Hogan was active in civic and community affairs. He chaired the Deephaven Republican Committee and was a delegate to regional and state party conventions. He had also served on the Minnetonka School Board from 1974 to 1977 and chaired various committees of the Wayzata Community Church. His leisure activities included sailing, skiing and gardening. With Shirley, he also enjoyed travel, which ranged from family ski vacations in Montana and an Alaska cruise for his 50th wedding anniversary to visits to Europe and an Elderhostel trip to China.
An ardently devoted alumnus who kept in close touch with Hamilton classmates and assisted the College with fundraising and student recruitment, Richard A. Hogan died on Nov. 13, 2013, at a nursing home in St. Louis Park, Minn., following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. In addition to his wife of 57 years, he is survived by three daughters, Jennifer Hogan Ogden ’80 (wife of John “Jeff” Ogden ’80), Melissa Moore and Kathryn Jacobsen; a son, Richard S. Hogan ’85 (husband of Deborah Morgan Hogan ’87); eight grandchildren, including John A. ’13 and Nicholas G. Ogden ’15; and two brothers.
Charles Berdan Rice ’52
Charles Berdan Rice ’52, who practiced dentistry in Princeton, N.J., for 50 years, was born in Passaic, N.J., on Sept. 13, 1930. The son of Charles Walter Rice, a lawyer and bank trust officer, and the former Marjorie Berdan, a teacher, he grew up in Ridgewood, N.J., where he was graduated in 1948 from Ridgewood High School. He matriculated at Hamilton that fall and joined Theta Delta Chi. Known on the Hill as “Chic,” he lettered in swimming and track, and served on the Interfraternity Council in his senior year. Having majored in economics and psychology, he was graduated in 1952.
Chic Rice went on to the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, where he acquired his D.D.S. degree in 1956. Two years on active duty with the U.S. Army Dental Corps followed. On June 14, 1958, he was married to Mary B. Fooks in Williamsburg, Va. Released from the Army that year with the rank of captain, he returned to his home state and joined a group dental practice in Princeton. He found enjoyment and satisfaction in his general practice and, thinking that “a fairly demanding schedule will help keep the body from expanding and the brain from shrinking,” he did not retire until 2008.
Chic Rice, who at one time chaired the dental department of Princeton Medical Center, was active in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts when his children were young. He also served as clerk of the vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church in Princeton and chaired the board of Trinity-All Saints Nursery School. For leisure-time enjoyment, he engaged in photography and woodworking, and he continued to play doubles tennis into his 70s. Above all, he devoted his time, attention and affection to his family.
Charles B. Rice, long a resident of Princeton and a faithfully supportive Hamiltonian who kept in close touch throughout the years with friends he had made on the Hill, died on Dec. 17, 2013. He is survived by his wife, the former Marian H. Robertson, whom he had wed on April 14, 1979, in Hopewell, N.J. Also surviving are their son, Clayton R. Rice; two sons and a daughter, Robert B. and Carl D. Rice, and Mary “Molly” Rice Goyette ’89, from his first marriage, which had ended in divorce in 1976; and eight grandchildren. Among his cousins is Richard B. Rice ’64. The family has suggested that donations in Dr. Rice’s memory be made to the College.
Francis Bingham Hastings, Jr. ’53
Francis Bingham Hastings, Jr. ’53, a retired investment banker and descendant of numerous family members with Hamilton connections, was born on April 30, 1932, in Montclair, N.J. The only son of Francis B. Hastings ’24 and the former Rose C. Burgess, he was a great-grandson of George Hastings, Class of 1826. Other Hamilton forebears included many members of the Hastings and Bristol families. Frank Hastings grew up in Orange, Va., his mother’s hometown where his father had a contracting business, and prepared for college at Woodberry Forest School in that state. He came to College Hill in 1949 and joined his father’s fraternity, Sigma Phi. Known as “Bing,” he sang in the Glee Club, became circulation manager and later local advertising manager for student publications, and business manager for the Charlatans. Elected to the journalism and dramatic honor societies Pi Delta Epsilon and Alpha Phi Omega, he also excelled academically. He was graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with honors in English literature and history in 1953.
That year, Frank Hastings went on active duty with the U.S. Navy. Commissioned as an ensign, he served aboard the cruiser U.S.S. Pittsburgh and was a division officer on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lexington when he was discharged as a lieutenant (j.g.) in 1957. Thereafter he went to New York City and found employment with First Boston Corp. as a trainee, marking his introduction to investment banking. He became an institutional bond salesman, an occupation he pursued for years thereafter.
Married to Joan L. Turner on Nov. 28, 1959, in Philadelphia, Frank Hastings was transferred by First Boston in 1961 from New York to its office in Cleveland. He and Joan resided in suburban Shaker Heights, where they reared their three children. Named an assistant vice president in 1966 and a vice president of First Boston in 1969, Frank Hastings subsequently joined the National City Bank of Cleveland as a vice president and trust officer. In 1980, he moved to the brokerage house Shearson Loeb Rhodes (later Shearson Lehman Brothers) in Cleveland and continued to trade in bonds until his retirement as a financial consultant for the firm in 1998.
Frank Hastings, a vestryman and treasurer of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights, found relaxation and pleasure in tennis and gardening. He particularly enjoyed researching and compiling his family’s genealogy, and a major project he undertook was organizing, transcribing and annotating the 19th-century Hastings family correspondence. The records he collected and assembled will remain a rich legacy for his family for generations to come.
Francis B. Hastings, Jr., a devoted alumnus and onetime president of the Northeast Ohio Alumni Association, resided in Shaker Heights for 45 years before his move to Jackson, Mich. He died at a hospice in Jackson on Oct. 20, 2013. In addition to his wife of 54 years, he is survived by two sons, Thomas B. and William B. Hastings; a daughter, Nancy T. Hastings; and six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Donald Everett Robertson ’53
Donald Everett Robertson ’53, a longtime regional sales manager for the health-care company Johnson & Johnson, was born on March 12, 1931, in Summit, N.J. The son of George F. Robertson, a banker, and the former Lillian M. Holland, he grew up in Millburn Township, N.J., where he was graduated in 1949 from Millburn High School. While there, he was a letter-winner in four sports and a member of Millburn’s championship football and basketball teams, both of which he captained. He was named the school’s Athlete of the Year in 1949. Fifty years later, in 1999, he was inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame.
Don Robertson, influenced by ardent Hamilton booster Clancy D. Connell, Class of 1912, and his son, Donald S. Connell ’40, enrolled at the College after high school and joined Delta Kappa Epsilon. He played football and basketball as well as golf while on the Hill and was elected to D.T. A “jock” who was transformed into a well-disciplined student at Hamilton, he majored in psychology and economics, and was graduated in 1953. Years later he recalled Dean Winton Tolles and Professor of English Thomas Johnston with particular respect and admiration, and stated that, during his business career, he always tried to emulate the fine example they had set for him.
Don Robertson enlisted in the U.S. Army after his graduation, was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and served for two years. On Aug. 28, 1954, he was married to June L. Walker in Short Hills, N.J. Discharged from the Army in 1955, he was employed for a year as a trainee by Aetna Life Insurance Co. before joining Johnson & Johnson in 1956. During his 33-year career with the company, he worked in various sales marketing and sales management positions in three different divisions, including new, professional and personal products. He served as manager of the Eastern Sales Division for professional products, among other posts. The recipient of seven President Cup awards as a top sales manager, he retired in 1989.
Through the years, athletics remained a big part of Don Robertson’s life. He and his wife found much enjoyment in golf, tennis and paddle tennis, all of which provided competition and exercise, along with the opportunity to make new friends. Don also enjoyed doing volunteer work raising dogs for the Seeing Eye Puppy Program in Morristown.
Donald E. Robertson, a highly supportive alumnus, died on Nov. 8, 2013, at his home in Chatham, N.J., where he had long resided. He is survived by his wife of 59 years. Also surviving are two sons, James V. and Gregory Robertson; a daughter, Patricia Conlin; and five grandchildren.
Grosvenor McGraw Wadman ’53
Grosvenor McGraw Wadman ’53, a retired manufacturers’ representative, was born on Oct. 1, 1930, in Brownsville, Texas. A son of Eugene and Martha McGraw Wadman, he left Texas as a child when his family moved to central New York and later Massachusetts. Grove Wadman grew up in Newton, Mass., and was graduated in 1949 from Newton High School. He enrolled at Hamilton that fall and joined Lambda Chi Alpha. Known on the Hill as “Chuck,” he played intramural sports for Lambda Chi and served on the Intramural Council as well as the Interfraternity Council in his senior year. Having majored in history and political science, he was awarded his A.B. degree in 1953.
Grove Wadman thereafter served for three years in the U.S. Marine Corps and was discharged as a sergeant in 1956. He then entered the family business in Newton, Macdonald-Wadman Co., suppliers of electric heating and cooling units, which had been co-founded by his father. On June 25, 1960, he and Sally Bodge were married in Auburndale, Mass.
Grove Wadman, who spent his entire career in sales as a manufacturers’ representative with Macdonald-Wadman, retired at age 65. Greatly drawn to the outdoors in his leisure activities, he enjoyed hiking, camping, gardening and especially fishing. His love of the outdoors prompted his interest in conservation efforts, and he was the recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Friends of Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.
Grosvenor M. Wadman, long a resident of Sudbury, Mass., and a supportive alumnus, died on Dec. 31, 2013, at Concord (Mass.) Health Care Center, of complications related to Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his wife of 53 years. Also surviving are three daughters, Erika Wadman, Kristina Oswald and Sonja Wadman; a son, Bruce C. Wadman; and four grandchildren and a brother.
Edward Jacquelin Bennett, Jr. ’54
Edward Jacquelin Bennett, Jr. ’54, who left a successful career in banking to become an equally successful business manager, was born on Dec. 23, 1932, in Indianapolis. The son of Edward J. and Frances Helm Bennett, he prepared for college at Park School in Indianapolis and came east to Hamilton from Carmel, Ind., in 1950. Known as “Jack,” he became a member of Sigma Phi and played squash during his senior year.
Drafted into the U.S. Army soon after his graduation in 1954, Jack Bennett served in the enlisted ranks for two years. Thereafter he returned to Indianapolis, where he joined Merchants National Bank & Trust Co. as a management trainee. He remained with the regional bank in various management positions until 1983. That year, he left the bank as executive vice president and cashier to take over a small company, a family business that manufactured heavy-duty solenoid valves for industrial applications. Under his direction, Atkomatic Valve Co., Inc. continued to prosper until it was sold in 1998. He was its chairman of the board at the time.
Throughout his careers in banking and business, Jack Bennett was also engaged in community activities. He served as a director or officer in numerous organizations, including the United Way, the American Cancer Society of Indiana, the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation and the Metropolitan YMCA. After his retirement, he moved to Florida, where he resided in a golf community in Fort Myers and ardently took to its links. He also became president of his homeowner’s association and was active in the management of the local country club.
Edward J. Bennett, Jr., a loyal alumnus, was still residing in Fort Myers when he died on Feb. 7, 2014. Predeceased by his wife of 55 years, the former Susanne E. Horning, whom he had wed in Indianapolis on Nov. 15, 1958, he is survived by a son, Edward J. Bennett III; two daughters, Tamara L. Dommermuth and Amelia H. Van Soelen; and six grandchildren.
Albert Chase Cornelius ’54
Albert Chase Cornelius ’54, a retired agriculturalist and prominent citizen of Excelsior, Minn., was born on July 18, 1932, in Buffalo, N.Y. A son of Robert S. and Sadie Belle James Cornelius, he grew up in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park, where he was graduated in 1950 from Orchard Park Central School. That fall, he followed his brother, Robert S. Cornelius ‘52, to College Hill and joined his fraternity, Psi Upsilon. While on the Hill he played a season of lacrosse. At the end of his sophomore year, having set his sights on a future career in agriculture, he transferred to the College of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee.
After obtaining his undergraduate degree from Tennessee and a master’s in plant breeding from the University of Illinois, Albert Cornelius, known to everyone as “Chase,” went to work for Northrup King Seed Co. in marketing. He remained with the company for 35 years. After his retirement, he devoted “thousands of hours to protecting and redeveloping native tall-grass prairie areas in Minnesota,” as reported in his obituary in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
A member of the board of the Minnesota Native Plant Society and monitor for the Minnesota Nature Conservancy’s Schaefer Prairie, Chase Cornelius also conducted prairie tours and taught prairie plant classes at the University of Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum. In addition, at various times he served as mayor, council member and election judge of the Minneapolis suburb of Excelsior. Among his favorite pastimes were canoe trips with his family and sailing on Lake Minnetonka.
Albert Chase Cornelius was still residing in Excelsior when he died on Jan. 21, 2014. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Sue Cornelius. Also surviving are two daughters, Stacey and Linda; six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren; and his brother, Robert.
Walter John Carl, Jr. ’55
Walter John Carl, Jr. ’55, who, with his wife, owned and operated a bed and breakfast in his family’s hometown of Hammondsport, N.Y., was born in West Orange, N.J., on Jan. 11, 1933. A son of Walter J. and Evelyn Hubbs Carl, he moved with his parents to the family home in Hammondsport when he was 6 years old, and he grew up there. Walt Carl prepared for college at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. He arrived at Hamilton in 1951 and joined Delta Upsilon. The winner of a Fayerweather Scholarship as a freshman, he played soccer and sang in the Choir. Described as “studious, somewhat shy, always good-natured,” and remembered for his piano playing, he was also active in debate and a member of the Anglican Society. Awarded the Head Essay Prize, he majored in economics and mathematics, and was graduated in 1955. He left the Hill with Dean Winton Tolles’ recommendation to law school as “one of the most earnest and sincere young men I have ever met.”
After a year at the University of Michigan Law School, Walt Carl enlisted in the U.S. Navy. On active duty for four years and assigned to Naval Intelligence, he was stationed with the Department of the Navy in Washington, D.C. Released as a lieutenant (j.g.) in 1960, he became a district sales representative for International Correspondence Schools in Alexandria, Va.
Walt Carl remained in sales in the Washington area until 1979, when he and his wife, the former Linda F. Elias, who were married in 1972, moved to Hammondsport. There, in 1988, they converted the home of Walt’s parents into J.S. Hubbs Bed & Breakfast, named for his maternal grandfather. They operated a second bed and breakfast for a time, and in 2000 they purchased Park View Wines and Spirits, thereby harking back to a tradition begun by J.S. Hubbs, who co-owned Columbia Wine Co. prior to the Prohibition era.
Walt Carl, who was fond of classical music and history, also enjoyed fine food and wine as well as a good game of Scrabble. A staunch supporter of his community and a loyal Hamiltonian, he is remembered by family and friends for his “generosity, integrity, intellect and love.”
Walter J. Carl, Jr. was still residing in Hammondsport when he died on Jan. 14, 2014. In addition to his wife of 41 years, he is survived by a daughter, Julie Carl; a son, Walter J. Carl III; and three grandchildren and a brother.
Robert Taylor Williams ’56
Robert Taylor Williams ’56, who achieved great success as a business entrepreneur, grew up in Scranton, Pa., where he was born on July 6, 1934. His parents were Robert W. Williams, a secondary school administrator, and the former Ruth Taylor. A graduate of Central High School in Scranton, Bob Williams arrived on College Hill in 1952. A member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, he became known as an enthusiastic baseball fan, especially of the Yankees. He majored in chemistry and was graduated with the Class of 1957. By that time he had completed a year of study in chemistry at Pennsylvania State University.
Inducted into the U.S. Army in 1957, Bob Williams served for two years and concluded his tour of duty doing basic research in the Medical Research Laboratory at Fort Knox, Ky. It convinced him that his scientific training would be better utilized in the administrative field rather than in research. Consequently, he took courses in management for a year at the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1960, Bob Williams began his business career as a sales representative for the Celanese Corp. in Newark, N.J. He became a product supervisor in the plastics division and later district manager for the Celanese Plastics Co. in Los Angeles. After traveling extensively for the corporation, he decided that California was the place for him to stay, and he left Celanese after 10 years rather than accept another transfer. He tried his hand at establishing his own business in the medical field, which he sold before going to work as vice president for marketing of MCI, Inc., headquartered in Waco, Texas.
But the lure of entrepreneurship continued to intrigue Bob, and it prompted him to do library research in his spare time on chemical reagents used in the analysis of blood. After much study and trial-and-error, he came up with an efficient and economical procedure for manufacturing reagents. He and a partner began Hichem, Inc., each investing $1,000 in the venture, which was soon built into a highly successful enterprise as Hichem Diagnostics. It was headquartered in California but ultimately had factories in the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia. Although Bob retired in his early 50s after Hichem was sold in 1987, his intensely competitive and workaholic nature would lead him in the 1990s to form with partners a third business venture for the manufacture and sales of medical solutions.
Long a resident of Palm Desert, Calif., Bob Williams devoted his retirement years to volunteering for 10 hours a week as a docent at the Living Desert Museum and another 10 hours at the Palm Springs Museum of Art. He had a natural affinity for the desert as well as art, and he did some painting himself, in the impressionistic style. The peaceful quiet of the desert appealed to him, although he also enjoyed the Sierra Nevada Mountains for getaways.
Through the years, despite his distance from Clinton, Bob Williams kept in close touch with the College. He applied his creativity of mind and entrepreneurial skills in offering a stream of suggestions for Hamilton’s benefit. He had very definite ideas on how a college should be managed, and pitched in to assist in promoting Hamilton’s welfare by generous personal contributions and encouraging participation in the Annual Fund.
Robert T. Williams died on Nov. 5, 2013, of heart failure, at his home in Palm Desert. He had been battling coronary problems for well over a decade. He is survived by a son, Scott T. Williams; a daughter, Kimberly P. Williams; and a granddaughter. His marriage, to Caroline Black, in 1963, had ended in divorce after 20 years.
Richard Eugene Eades ’57
Richard Eugene Eades ’57, who taught social studies in upstate New York high schools for 30 years, grew up in Rome, N.Y., where he was born on June 17, 1935. His parents were Stuart R., an industrial engineer, and Helen Merry Eades. Dick Eades came to College Hill from Rome Free Academy in 1953. While on the Hill he worked for three years in the old James Library and found time to play junior varsity golf, contribute to The Spectator and participate in the International Relations Club and the Wesleyan Club. In addition, he absorbed the example of his teachers, such as Professors David Ellis, Franklin Hunt and John Mattingly, and strove to emulate the quality of their teaching in his own future career. Described by The Hamiltonian as “an indefatigable seeker of knowledge” who provided “a provocative experience” for those who came to know him, he majored in history and left the Hill with his diploma in 1957.
After two years of military service, primarily at Fort Knox, Ky., in the enlisted ranks of the U.S. Army, Dick Eades enrolled at St. Lawrence University, where he acquired his M.Ed. degree in 1960. That year he began teaching social studies at Earlville Central School, not many miles from College Hill. After four years there, he joined the faculty of Dansville Central Schools, south of Rochester, where he would remain for 26 years until his retirement in 1990. He not only taught social studies, especially American history, at Dansville, but also chaired the social studies department.
On Dec. 27, 1963, Dick Eades was married to Crystal Chase in Rome. Following his retirement, the couple moved back to Earlville. Both there and in Dansville, Dick Eades had been active in the community as well as in his church. Historian of the Earlville United Methodist Church and a member of the Earlville Library Board, he was a past president of the Quincy Square Museum Association. In addition, he became highly involved in the Masonic Order and served it in various local and state offices, including historian of the Grand Commandery, Knights Templar, of New York State. He penned numerous histories of Masonic organizations, all published, including History of DeMolay Commandery (1983), History of Rome Commandery (1994) and History of the Shrine Circus in Utica (1996). In 1996, he was awarded the Bronze Medal for Distinguished Service by the General Grand Chapter, Royal Arch Masons International, and in 2009 he received the Knights Templar Cross of Honor for exceptional and meritorious service to the Order.
Dick Eades, who continued to play golf (he achieved his first hole-in-one in 2006), found great sedentary pleasure in doing genealogical research. A member of the board of the Central New York Genealogical Society, he occasionally taught adult genealogy classes. His researches resulted in unpublished histories of the Burton, Chase, Eades and Merry families, among others.
Richard E. Eades, a supportive alumnus who most recently resided in New Hartford, N.Y., died on March 12, 2014, while hospitalized in Utica. Besides his wife of 50 years, he is survived by a son, Richard E. Eades, Jr.; a daughter, Valerie Hoopes; and four grandchildren.
Bruce Churchill Nichols ’58
Bruce Churchill Nichols ’58, an international banker who became a private financial consultant to multinational banks, was born on Aug. 20, 1935, in Glen Cove, N.Y. The son of Frank C. Nichols ’26, a physician and surgeon, and the former Ethelyn L. Anderson, he prepared for college at Friends Academy on Long Island. While on the Hill, he joined Alpha Delta Phi and played varsity football and lacrosse. He left the Hill after these years to study at the University of Madrid, where he earned a certificate in Hispanic studies. On Dec. 7, 1957, while in Spain, he and Gloria de Moya, a fellow student, were married at the British Embassy in Madrid. After his return to the States, he transferred to Columbia University and there acquired his B.S. degree, majoring in economics, in 1960.
That year, Bruce Nichols began his banking career as an executive trainee in the International Division of Manufacturers Trust Co. (which later merged with Hanover Bank), in New York City. He left Manufacturers-Hanover in 1968 but continued in banking until 1980, including a stint with the Bank of California in Los Angeles. By that time he had acquired an M.A. in international finance from New York University and became a specialist in Central and South American banking.
In 1980, Bruce Nichols established his own bank industry consulting firm. As president of Charter Consulting Services, he traveled frequently and extensively in Latin America. Among his clients were the Central American Banks for Economic Integration and the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as the World Bank.
When at home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where he owned a large horse farm in Galena, Bruce Nichols was busily and happily involved for many years in breeding for sale and racing thoroughbred horses. He found that “planning for the next Kentucky Derby winner” could be a fascinating business and occasionally quite rewarding. He continued to engage in horse breeding as well as business trips to Latin America until sidelined by a long battle with cancer.
Bruce C. Nichols was still residing in Galena when he died on Feb. 8, 2014. He is survived by his wife of 27 years and his partner in the horse business, Margaret Cowan. Also surviving are two sons, Frank C. II and George B. Nichols, from his first marriage, which had ended in divorce, as well as two stepdaughters, three grandchildren and a sister.
Michael Francis Slattery ’59
Michael Francis Slattery ’59, a key member of Hamilton’s only undefeated football team who became a lawyer and drafter of legislation for the New York State Legislature, grew up in Albany, N.Y., the state’s capital, where he was born on June 27, 1937. A son of John F. Slattery, an accountant, and the former Angeline McCabe, Mike Slattery prepared for college at Vincentian Institute in Albany and enrolled at Hamilton in 1955. He joined Delta Upsilon and played varsity baseball and football, lettering in both sports. A third baseman, he became co-captain of the baseball squad and was elected to D.T. However it was in football that his athletic prowess was most spectacularly demonstrated. As a fullback and linebacker on the now-fabled 1958 team, he led the attack in the last game of the season against traditional rival Union, which determined whether the Continentals would end it with a perfect record or not. To quote Bill Hoyt ’59, who was also on the team, “in heavy rain and terrible conditions at Steuben Field, Slattery was brilliant, running over defenders for three touchdowns in the 18-0 victory.” As a result, the Eastern College Athletic Conference named Mike fullback of the week on its All-East Team.
Mike Slattery, who had majored in political science, was graduated in 1959. He went on to obtain his LL.B. degree from Duquesne University Law School in 1963. He went to work as a lawyer for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and later joined the Legislative Bill Drafting Commission as an associate attorney. Having spent most of his career drafting bills for the legislature, he retired in 1992 “and never looked back.”
Throughout his life Mike Slattery remained an enthusiastic football fan. He did some coaching and was an avid spectator, watching local teams in action. He also attended reunions of the ’58 team on the Hill. To keep physically fit, he exercised daily, jogging and biking as well as playing golf and gardening.
Michael F. Slattery, a faithful and generously supportive Hamiltonian, died at his home in Schenectady, N.Y., on Jan. 5, 2014. In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife, the former Cheryl Hostig, whom he had married in 1975. Also surviving are his daughter, Laura Slattery ’97, and three sisters and three brothers.
