1940s

Earl Francis Barfoot '40

Earl Francis Barfoot '40, a Methodist minister and church official who became a community activist, grew up in Syracuse, NY, where he was born on October 16, 1916. A son of Jamie W., an accountant for an insurance company, and Laura Louise Sartwell Barfoot, he entered Hamilton in 1936, two years after his graduation from Syracuse North High School. He attended the College for two years and sang in the choir. Thereafter he transferred to Syracuse University, where, majoring in religious studies, he acquired his B.A. degree in 1942. Already committed to a religious calling, he went on to earn a B.D. from Colgate-Rochester Divinity School.

Ordained a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1948, Earl Barfoot served as a pastor of various Methodist churches in central New York over a period of some 20 years beginning in 1941, long before his ordination. Appointed executive director of the Watson Homestead, a Methodist conference and retreat center in Painted Post, NY, in 1960, he was named director of stewardship and cultivation for the Central New York Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1963. From 1969 until his retirement in 1982, he served on the staff of the national church's General Board of Laity and later on its Board of Discipleship in Evanston, IL, and Nashville, TN.

Following his retirement, Earl Barfoot continued to do freelance writing and serve as a workshop training leader, focusing on family ministries while also acting as a consultant on family life. Soon he and his wife, the former Leslie E. Quick, whom he had married on June 26, 1941, in Syracuse, moved from Nashville to Bethany Village, a retirement community in Horseheads, NY. There they devoted their time to a great variety of volunteer activities, so much so that Earl Barfoot once observed that "there is no end of groups into which we have injected ourselves." In 1990, his lifelong interest in radio prompted him to establish the "Senior Notebook" program on radio and later on television (station WENY in nearby Elmira). At age 84 he began his "TV career," covering topics of interest to seniors, and his program proved hugely popular.

Known as "a soft-spoken gentleman who always had a kind word for everyone," Earl Barfoot was greatly admired as a man who truly cared about others, and who had dedicated his life to their betterment. Through the years his many involvements had encompassed campaigns for civil rights and peace to combating hunger, and, in his later years, counseling his fellow seniors on getting the most out of their lives.

The Rev. Earl R. Barfoot, a faithfully supportive alumnus, died on August 9, 2009, at his home in Horseheads, at the age of 92. He is survived by his wife, with whom he had enjoyed "a beautiful partnership" for 68 years. Also surviving are two sons, Jamie W. and Paul R. Barfoot; three daughters, Janice Stradling, Beatrice Legere, and Jean Fuller; and 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
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Adam Benjamin Denison, Jr. '42

Adam Benjamin Denison, Jr. '42, a former professor of physiology and inventor of medical testing devices, was born on November 18, 1920, to Adam B., a physician, and Ruth McConnell Denison in Cleveland, OH. He grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights and came to Hamilton in 1938 from Shaker Heights High School. "Ben" Denison joined Tau Kappa Epsilon and played in the Band for four years, but became best known on the Hill for his technological dabbling, especially with the then primitive electronic devices in the physiology lab. Credited by The Hamiltonian with having "wired the TKE house from stem to stern," as well as various inventions such as "an automatic window-opener," he pursued premedical studies and was awarded his B.S. degree in 1942.

Ben Denison returned to Ohio and promptly enrolled under U.S. Army auspices during World War II in the School of Medicine at Western Reserve University. After acquiring his M.D. degree in 1945, he completed his internship at Wake Forest Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC, and served for two years in the Army Medical Corps. Following his discharge as a captain in 1948, he returned to Winston-Salem and joined the faculty of the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University. There his "dalliance" with electronics continued, and in his favorite haunt, the physiology department's lab, he spent the next 20 years or more developing electronic equipment for cardiovascular research.

Promoted to associate professor, Dr. Denison gradually retired in the early 1970s to become a vice president and medical consultant to Carolina Medical Electronics, Inc., near Winston-Salem. Over the years his extensive work on electronic instrumentation for physiology research had led to the development of such significant devices as an instrument for recording the rate of blood flow within vessels. In his later years he could look back with great satisfaction on his contributions to advancements in medical technology, and especially in seeing his "gadgets" become routine in clinical application.

Alan B. Denison, Jr., a rather reclusive man who lived just across the street from Wake Forest Medical Center where he had long worked, did not travel and did not own or even drive an automobile. He was a lifelong bachelor and his interests were largely confined to his work. A faithful Hamilton alumnus, he was still residing in WinstonSalem when he died on September 23, 2009. Predeceased by a sister, he leaves no immediate survivors.
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John Woodruff Rankin '43

John Woodruff Rankin '43, a business consultant and investor, was born on September 25, 1920, in Evanston, IL. The only son of Woodruff J., a stock broker, and Martha Fieser Rankin, he grew up in the Chicago suburbs, attended North Shore County Day School in Winnetka, and prepared for college at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia, where he was an outstanding member of the rifle team. John Rankin, known as "Jake," entered Hamilton in 1939 and joined Alpha Delta Phi. Dreaming of becoming a pilot, he took flying lessons as part of the Civilian Air Corps training program while he was on the Hill. He left the College after two years in 1941 to join the U.S. Navy Air Corps. He served throughout World War II.

Trained as a fighter pilot and commissioned as an officer, Jake Rankin was assigned to the South Pacific early in the war and flew out of Guadalcanal and later numerous missions from aircraft carriers in the Pacific fleet. He carried out some 75 missions altogether and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and five air medals as well as the Purple Heart. In 1944, while on leave, he was married to Marianna Kopper in Winnetka.

Discharged as a lieutenant in 1945, Jake Rankin soon enrolled in Harvard University's Graduate School of Business Administration, where he earned his M.B.A. degree in 1947. The following year he moved to Washington State, where he had been stationed during the war. He was employed as a cost accountant and industrial engineer until 1951, when he went to work for the United States Plywood Corp. in Seattle as a personnel manager. He later began his own business designing and manufacturing furniture. It became Magna Design, Inc., and was located in the Seattle suburb of Lynwood. In 1972, he sold Magna Design and subsequently turned to freelance consulting and investing.

With his second wife, Marianne ("Marni") Harrison Zech, whom he had wed in 1976, Jake Rankin enjoyed traveling the West Coast, and together they wrote the Getaway Guides, a highly successful series of travel books. Jake was particularly fond of the outdoors, and he engaged in a variety of outdoor activities from running, bicycling, and skiing to hiking and mountain climbing. In his 60s he also rekindled his love of flying and earned his license to pilot small planes as well as helicopters. In addition, he and Marni golfed and played tennis as regular winter residents of Palm Springs and Palm Desert, CA. Jake, a man of infinite curiosity who yearned to learn something new all the time, even took up rollerblading in his later years, since regular walking was "too slow."

John W. Rankin died on August 27, 2009, in Woodinville, WA. In addition to his wife Marni, he is survived by three sons and a daughter from his first marriage, John W., Jr., Steve K., and Peter H. Rankin, and Susan Bennerstrom; three stepdaughters and a stepson; and numerous grandchildren and a sister.
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Alfred Eleazer Loveland, Jr. '44

Alfred Eleazer Loveland, Jr. '44, who retired as executive director of a West Coast sales and management training company, was born on February 18, 1922, in Brooklyn, NY. The youngest son of Alfred E., a school teacher, and Mabel Backus Loveland, he came to Hamilton in 1940 from Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. He joined Psi Upsilon and went out for football, a sport he loved and continued to play for two more years under coaches Forest Evashevski and Campbell Dixon. He also took up fencing under the tutelage of Coach Jean Gélas. In early 1943, after five semesters on the Hill, he withdrew to go on active duty following enlistment in the U.S. Army.

Assigned to the Corps of Engineers, "Al" Loveland served in the Pacific theatre during World War II. First stationed in New Guinea, he was a shipping foreman at the Army's main engineering depot in Manila, the Philippines, when the war ended. Discharged as a technical sergeant in 1946, he returned to College Hill that fall to resume his studies. A former winner of the McKinney Declamation Prize, he also served as a student instructor in public speaking. In addition, he chaired the International Relations Club and represented Psi U on the Intramural Council. Credited with courses taken in the Army's specialized training program at Michigan State University while in uniform, he was graduated from Hamilton in 1947.

Following his graduation, Al Loveland moved to California, where he became a sales representative for Superior Optical Co. in Los Angeles. There he met Helen V. Weyman, "the love of his life," and the two were wed in that city on February 11, 1950. The following year, he entered the insurance field, initially as a sales agent for Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Co. Before long, he became a field director and supervisor of agency training for the company. In 1955, he moved from Los Angeles to Portland, OR, to become the manager of Pacific Mutual's agency there. Four years later, he joined Security Life & Accident Co. in Seattle, WA, and thereafter served as director of sales training in the Seattle home office of the Safeco Insurance Group.

In 1973, after 12 years with Safeco, Al Loveland moved to San Francisco, CA, to become a home office manager for Industrial Indemnity, a Crum & Forster insurance company. He retired after 30 years in the insurance field as superintendent of agencies for the Hartford Insurance Group in San Francisco. Subsequently involved in sales and management seminars and workshops as executive director of Owens Training, also in San Francisco, he continued to enjoy the conducting of training seminars and doing retail selling part-time until his eventual full retirement.

Throughout his career, Al Loveland found time to engage in community activities. When his sons were young he was a Boy Scouts cub master and coached and officiated for Little League baseball as well as coaching youth basketball and officiating for Pop Warner football. He also served as a deacon and ruling elder of his Presbyterian church. A faithful alumnus, he was president for five years of Hamilton's Pacific Northwest Alumni Association and chaired the College's regional alumni fund-raising efforts. An ever genial man with a cheerful disposition, he found pleasure and relaxation in sports, painting, music, and fishing.

Albert E. Loveland, a resident of Walnut Creek, CA, died on August 15, 2009. He predeceased his wife of 59 years by just three weeks. Surviving are their four sons, Lee D., Craig M., Scott W., and Kevin A. Loveland, as well as five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
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Edward Joseph Flynn '45

Edward Joseph Flynn '45, an investment broker and financial advisor, was born on May 7, 1922, in Newfane, NY, not far from the shores of Lake Ontario. His parents were Hubert J. and Mae Becker Flynn. He grew up in Newfane and was graduated in 1940 from Lockport (NY) High School. Following preparation for college at Governor Dummer Academy in Massachusetts, Ed Flynn entered Hamilton in 1941. He joined Alpha Delta Phi and went out for football and basketball. However, at the end of his sophomore year in 1943, he withdrew from the College to go on active duty with the U.S. Navy. Assigned to the Navy's V-12 program at St. Lawrence University, he was subsequently commissioned as an ensign and was stationed in Florida, where he trained amphibious personnel carrier pilots.

Released from the Navy after World War II's end in 1945, Ed Flynn returned to College Hill, where he completed his course of study and received his A.B. degree in 1946. Thereafter he returned to western New York with his wife, the former Anne G. Browning, whom he had wed in Portsmouth, VA, on August 11, 1945. He went to work for his father in the Olcott Beach Corp. and the Village Tavern, a restaurant known for its fine food and live Dixieland jazz on summer weekends.

Ed Flynn left the restaurant business in 1963 and began a second and final career as an investment broker and financial advisor, first in Buffalo, NY, and later in Florida, beginning in 1973. There, while residing in Fort Lauderdale, he was associated with Loeb, Rhodes & Co. in Boca Raton before joining E. F. Hutton & Co. in 1975 and taking charge of its new office in that city. In the 1980s, he was an investment advisor with Raymond James & Associates, also in Boca Raton. He was president of his own consulting firm, Flynn Financial Management, in Fort Lauderdale, when he semiretired in 1989.

While in Florida, Ed Flynn was highly active in the Fort Lauderdale Council of the Navy League. For a decade until 1996, he was in charge of extending its hospitality to naval officers in port, arranging everything from choice seats at Miami Dolphins games to cocktail parties at his own home. An avid sailor, hunter, and photographer in his earlier years, he especially loved to play golf, and even persuaded himself that his game was better in his 70s than at any other time in his life.

Edward J. Flynn, a faithful alumnus and onetime president of the western New York Alumni Association, died at his home in Palm City, FL, on February 23, 2006, as recently brought to the College's attention. He is survived by his companion of 24 years, Anne E. Burwell; two sons from his first marriage, Tyler B. '68 and H. Barrett Flynn; and three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A third son, Geoffrey G. Flynn, predeceased him in 1984.
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Harry Thomas Oliver '45

Harry Thomas Oliver '45, a physician, was born on April 6, 1923, to Harrie M., an industrial arts teacher, and Mary Taylor Oliver, in Buffalo, NY. He grew up in the Buffalo suburb of Kenmore and enrolled at Hamilton in 1941, following his graduation from Kenmore High School. He left the College at the end of his freshman year and was soon in military service with the U.S. Army Air Corps. He remained in uniform as an air traffic controller through the end of World War II and was discharged in 1946.

After the war, Harry Oliver returned to his native city, where he resumed his college studies at the University of Buffalo. Awarded his B.A. degree majoring in biology in 1949, he went on to obtain his M.D. from the University of Buffalo School of Medicine in 1954. He established his general practice with offices in the Buffalo suburbs of Newfane and Lockport, which he maintained for many years, and became medical director of Mt. View Health Facility in Lockport.

Devoted to his family, Harry Oliver dedicated his leisure time to golf and tennis as well as reading. He was also a devotee of the martial arts, in which he earned two black belts. A resident of Chautauqua, NY, he also had a seasonal home in St. Petersburg, FL.

Harry T. Oliver died on September 5, 2009, in Lockport. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, and four sons, Marc, Boyd, Thomas, and Erik Oliver, as well as grandchildren.

Byron Calvin Tillotson, Jr. '45

Byron Calvin Tillotson, Jr. '45, a retired educator, organist, and choir director, grew up in Fort Edward, NY, near the Vermont border, where he was born on August 6, 1924. A son of Byron C., a physician, and Victoria Post Tillotson, he entered Hamilton in 1941 from Fort Edward High School. "Cal" Tillotson joined Tau Kappa Epsilon and participated in the musical life of the College as a member of the Choir, organist, and piano accompanist. He left the Hill in 1943 to go on active duty with the U.S. Navy. As an aerologist's mate, he served in the Pacific theatre during World War II. V-J Day found him on shore patrol duty in Times Square in New York City.

Discharged from the Navy in 1946, Cal Tillotson returned to College Hill that summer. He resumed his musical activities as well as his studies, concentrating in French and English literature as well as music. Hailed by The Hamiltonian as "the best musician in Hamcoll at keyboard and console," he was awarded his A.B. degree with honors in music in 1947. After a year at the Sorbonne (University of Paris), he enrolled at Middlebury College, where he earned his M.A. in French in 1950, followed by a year of graduate study at Columbia University Teachers College.

In 1956, after two years of teaching French and English at Kents Hill School in Maine, and a year as a language assistant at a lycée in Bordeaux, France, Cal Tillotson became an instructor in French at the University of Tennessee. In 1959, he joined the faculty of Rhode Island College in Providence as an assistant professor of French. He would remain at Rhode Island until his retirement as associate professor emeritus of French and education in 1991. During that time he also served for four years as chairman of its department of modern languages.

Cal Tillotson, a former president of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French, devoted his leisure time to music as an organist and choir director for various area churches, including St. Mark's Episcopal in Warwick, Greenville Baptist, and Hope Congregational in East Providence. He was also an officer of the Historical Society of Smithfield and a trustee of the East Smithfield Public Library.

Byron Calvin Tillotson, who had long resided in an 18th century farmhouse five miles out of Providence, moved to that city some years ago. Plagued by ill health in his later years, he was still residing in Providence when he died on September 12, 2009. He is survived by his wife, Elmire Witt Tillotson, whom he had wed in Fort Edward on September 2, 1965. Also surviving are two daughters, Victoria P. Tillotson and Emma G. St. Germain, and a grandson, three sisters, and three brothers.

John Robison Hoopes, Jr. '46

John Robison Hoopes, Jr. '46, a retired sales manager, was born on September 17, 1924, to John R. and Elizabeth Dallett Hoopes, in Philadelphia, PA. Having grown up in the Washington, DC, area, where his father was a staff member of the National Geographic Society, "Jack" Hoopes was graduated in 1942 from Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, MD. He came to Hamilton from Bethesda that year and joined Alpha Delta Phi, but left the College after three semesters to enter the U.S. Naval Air Corps. He received flight training and served as a pilot through the end of World War II.

After the war, Jack Hoopes enrolled at Haverford College, his father's alma mater, where he earned his B.A. degree majoring in English in 1948. Soon thereafter he went to work in sales for James Lees & Sons, the Philadelphia-based carpet manufacturers. Married to Elizabeth Ann Stadie on May 26, 1951, in Radnor, PA, he became a territorial sales manager for Lees Carpets. Subsequently appointed Northeastern sales manager, he retired in 1991 after 42 years with the company, by then a division of Burlington Industries.

Long a resident of Cohasset, MA, Jack Hoopes was known to family and friends as a passionate sailor, skillful skier, and an avid tennis player. He especially enjoyed climbing the White Mountains of New Hampshire and sunset sailing on Lake Winnipesaukee, and never passed up an opportunity to attend a Red Sox game.

John R. Hoopes, Jr., a faithful supporter of the College and most recently a resident of Golden, CO, died in nearby Arvada on June 7, 2009, He is survived by a daughter, Lola Beatlebrox; two sons, John R. III and William S. Hoopes; and six grandchildren.

Robert Irving Miller '46

Robert Irving Miller '46, a Presbyterian minister and retired nursing home director, was born on October 29, 1921, in Buffalo, NY. His parents were Edward J. Miller, Jr., a sales representative, and the former Agnes Elizabeth Elliott. "Bob" Miller grew up in the Buffalo area and was graduated in 1939 from Kenmore High School. He enrolled at Hamilton in the fall of 1942, but left after a semester to go on active duty with the U.S. Army. He served with the 10th Mountain Division in Italy and earned the Bronze Star along with two battle stars. Released from the Army as a staff sergeant following World War II's end in 1945, he returned to the Hill in the spring of 1946. A member of ELS, he again withdrew after a semester and transferred to the University of Buffalo, where he acquired his B.A. degree, majoring in sociology, in 1948.

Bob Miller went on to Union Theological Seminary and obtained a B.D. in 1951. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church that year, he did education and youth work for eight years as associate pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Englewood, NJ (1951-55) and minister to youth at Winnetka Congregational Church in Winnetka, IL (1955-59). Thereafter he returned to Union Theological Seminary in New York City as assistant to the president and director of alumni affairs. He continued in that post, engaged in alumni and developmental work, until 1975.

While residing in Englewood, NJ, the Rev. Robert I. Miller served a two-year term (1967-69) as mayor of that city for the munificent salary of $100 a year. He was elected as a Democrat by a majority of 93 votes. When he ran for reelection on his record, as he later wryly commented, he lost. After leaving Union, he moved to Cleveland, OH, where he became associate pastor for mission and education at the Fairmont Presbyterian Church (1975-77) and director of congregational enablement for the Greater Cleveland Interchurch Council (1978-79). Appointed executive director of the Eliza Bryant Center, a nursing home in Cleveland, in 1979, he retired from that position in 1986. That year, he joined the Cleveland affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, on whose international board he would serve, along with the former president, Jimmy Carter, for 11 years.

In 1992, Bob Miller relocated to a retirement community in Duarte, CA, near Pasadena, where he continued his lifelong activities on behalf of causes promoting social and economic justice, even participating as a picketer in a union workers' strike at the University of Southern California. Among his many organizational involvements were memberships on the board of the Community Nonviolence Rescue Center and Clergy and Laity United for Social Justice (CLUE). A faithful Hamilton alumnus despite his brief sojourn on the Hill, he gave the sermon at the Service of Remembrance on Reunion Weekend in 1996.

The Rev. Robert I. Miller was still residing in Duarte when he died on March 27, 2009, as verified by Social Security records. Presumed survivors include his wife, the former Barbara Ann Thompson, whom he had married in 1945, and three children, Deborah, Eric, and Cynthia. His older son, Christopher, predeceased him in 1974.

Arthur William Kidd '48

Arthur William Kidd '48, a retired marketing manager, was born on October 11, 1923, the son of Arthur J., an export manager, and Marion Farrell Kidd, in Paterson, NJ. He grew up in the Garden State and was graduated in 1941 from Ridgewood High School. The following year, during World War II, he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps. He received pilot training, was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and served as a navigator on B-24s.

In the spring of 1946, following his discharge at the end of the war, Art Kidd came to College Hill, joined Alpha Delta Phi, and went out for soccer and tennis. He also served on the Student Council. With the benefit of summer sessions, he was able to complete his studies in 1948 and receive his diploma in 1949. By that time he had already begun his long career in sales with Oneida Ltd., the silverware manufacturers.

Married to Jeannette E. Cunningham on December 12, 1951, in Munnsville, NY, Art Kidd became a field sales representative for Oneida in the Midwest, including Kansas and Minnesota. He and his growing family later settled down within driving distance of Oneida's central New York headquarters, where he was promoted to assistant sales manager in 1960 and sales manager of its Holloware Division in 1964. Named the division's marketing manager in 1968, he was given responsibility for developing its marketing strategy. In 1982, he was appointed assistant to the general manager of the Oneida Silversmiths Division. He retired after 35 years with the company in 1984.

While residing in Oneida, Art Kidd concerned himself with public issues and became active in community affairs. He served as a director of the Chamber of Commerce and was involved in Republican Party politics. He also founded the Oneida Tax Payers Awareness Group and "had a proclivity for enlightening others on local and national issues through letters-to-the-editor and guest editorials." In 1985, the Kidds moved from Oneida to Harrisonburg, in the Appalachian area of Virginia, where he continued his interest in community affairs while finding occasional relaxation in golf and tennis.

Arthur W. Kidd died in Harrisonburg on July 21, 2009. In addition to his wife of 57 years, a former mayor of Oneida, he is survived by six daughters, Jennifer Follett, Jacqueline Oceanak, Kathleen Rivers, Kristine Long, Susan Kane, and Margaret Edwards; a son, Michael E. Kidd; and 19 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.