Dear Classmates, a short column this time and therefore a reminder to send your news to Doug or me, your class correspondents.

Doug Fuss(dougout@attglobal.net) writes “Well, the first Winter winds swept through Philadelphia to torment our attending the Cornell/Penn game Nov. 9. Close match but Penn prevailed 21 - 20. Coincidentally I ran into classmate Michael Wahl entering the stadium. Haven’t seen him for years but he looked great and ready for the game.

We went to Penn ostensibly to attend the Ivy squash tournament and the recognition gala held for the women’s retired squash coach. The coach mentored our daughter Elizabeth from walk-on to varsity captain. A bit of nostalgia all around and a great weekend for a family get-together. Regards to all.”

Here is a message from classmate Elizabeth Kelley Blunden about Professor Thomas Sokol. “He was director of choral music to thousands of Cornell men and women, and global ambassador with them, during a 36 year career. How ironic Prof. Sokol passed away on April 28, a day after the 2019 mixed chorus concert (over 100 Cornell women and men), in a lengthy performance of “Brahms Requiem”, on Saturday April 27 at Bailey with orchestra, soloists, and a full audience. Prof. Sokol also directed the Sage Chapel Choir for years as I understand it and the men’s Glee Club for decades.

This week has been a time of reflection on the life of a director who expected highest quality and standards for and from women singers he led at Cornell, as recalled by those of us who worked with and sang under him from the earliest stage of the Chorus organization. I thought of that history last Saturday night seeing so many women perform with perfection, poise, and as equal partners with the Men’s Glee Club, in a long demanding Major Work, ironically a requiem. Professor Sokol was most responsible for reorganizing Cornell women singers in 1960, the first year of our contemporary chorus. We have come a long way from the 1921 Women’s Glee Club and I and my freshmen classmates joined in the fall of 1957, the year Professor Sokol arrived from Harvard with a vision to develop a well-trained mixed chorus. For such progress, accomplished within 5 years,

in 1962, we have reason to be thankful and proud.”

David Kessler (kess61@gmail.com) checked in from Jewett, NY.

Ed Furtick (edfurtick@gmail.com) writes he is “Still in retirement mode and taking advantage of being involved with jazz music as much as possible.” Says he’s blessed with a great granddaughter and remembers meeting Dean Baldwin and Ted Primack first day at school. He would love to visit old haunts on and off campus.

Doug and I are looking forward to the annual CALC meeting in, guess what? Las Vegas, NV. Cornell in Nevada! Wow! On Saturday our class reunion officers will meet and plan for our 60^th! Doug will be telling you about CALC and our class meeting for the next column.

Meanwhile send us your news as usual to dougout@attglobal.net and sastevens61@gmail.com