1937
Our 69th reunion was Friday, Dec. 1 at Trader Vic’s. It was great to have Bill Blackenburg, Elaine Clark, Joan Smith, and the Lukes from the Class of 1936 join us for their 70th. Members of our class were the Armstrongs, Guirals, Sinclairs, Don Baldra, Dorothy Cleone, Donna Connell, Bob Corson, Velvia Long, Kay Stoye, Alison Crist, and several guests. Unfortunately, Irene Hodkins had been injured in a fall and was unable to be with us. Our loyal Matt Aguiar ’05 was indispensable in tackling any job that arose. It was very difficult to hear because we were in the main restaurant. The problem was dispelled temporarily by the lively Octet and the Band, which played with its usual zest in spite of cramped quarters.

Erin Proudfoot ’97 escorted the Birgeneaus to our reunion, where the Chancellor gave a brief optimistic report on the University. He and Mrs. Birgeneau accepted a knitted bear from Donna for their newest grandchild. CAA Executive Director Tuck Coop with wife Nancy and Matt were also given one each. Donna’s bears are appealing to all ages!

The artistry of the reunion—invitations and table decorations—was the brainchild of Mary Armstrong. It is undecided about our 70th—but we are thinking of joining the Class of 1938 in Alumni House for lunch the day before the Big Game, which would be Friday, November 30, 2007. Let us know your ideas.

1938
Once again at Alumni House, we met for lunch on Dec. 1, the day before the Big Game, for our 68th Reunion.

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and his wife Mary Catherine opened the program with a welcome, followed by the introduction by ’38 president Borden Price of the members of the ’38 Executive Committee: Donna Borden, Virginia Leach, Georgia Griffeth, Simone Edwards, Lee Benson, Gil Hudson, and Don Hardison.

Introduced by Don Hardison, our ’38-endowed Professor Leo Goodman in mathematics and sociology stressed how instrumental our class award was in his being at Cal.

Joani Carpenter of the Alumni Association introduced the holder of the first ’38 Achievement Scholarship, Deanna Bustamante. Our other Scholarship winners presented were Gregory Wilson by Lee Benson, Evelyn Chiu by Virginia Leach, and Student-Athlete Scott Smith by Georgia Griffith.

And intermittently through the program came the Band, the Axe, the Men’s Octet, and Oski.

Borden revealed that Sam Chapman, a ’38er later famed in professional football and baseball, would be memorialized with a life-size statue in his native town of Tiburon. Anyone interested in contributing to this may send a check to the California Alumni Association, earmarked for the Sam Chapman Project.

In addition to those already mentioned, classmates at the Reunion included Bill Aubrey, Nancy Nazro Budd, George Cornell, Karl Kasten, Jean Elliott Koch, Sylvia Marvin Newman, Walter Nyland, George Schultz, and Eugene Sharee.

Greetings were sent by the Hayden Shueys, Walter Howards, Miriam Grimm, and Lowell Addleson, who all hope to make it to the 69th.

1939
The Class of ’39 had a very successful lunch on Nov. 30 at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, celebrating “in advance” on our anticipated win over Stanford at the Big Game. We were not disappointed! Those attending included Elizabeth Ayers, Bob Boone, Jean Bonner, Lucille and Art Brown, Frank Brucia, Laverne Bugna, Barbara Farley, Barbara and John Furlayson, Virigina Friedman, Mel Harvey, Ken Haukaus, Phyllis Hill Jaysed ’41, Ranie Joses, Kay Laswell, Mrs. Hartley Laughead, Virginia Parks, Shirley Price, Benson Roe, Pat and Kirk Smith, Mary Liz Stevens, Betty Wilson ’38, and Kathleen Stergios.

This has become an annual affair—all 39ers are welcome. See you next year!

The three daughters of Kirk Smith through donations from family members and friends raised $35,000 to purchase a shell for Cal Crew. The Kirk Smith Shell was dedicated on October 28, 2006 at the T. Gary Rogers Boat House, Oakland, with a celebration of family and friends. Kirk Smith was so honored as a Stroke on the ’39 Crew that won the Poughkeepsie Race in 1939.