class of 1969
Welcome the Brown Class of 1969 Website
April 9, 2024
Our 55th Class Reunion is getting very close, and we hope to see you there! While official on-line registration for both Class of 1969 and on-campus housing does not begin until Monday, April 22, we wanted to let you know what has been planned for the class. The class officers have been working on this and believe we have some good activities and venues for renewing friendships. Costs for all activities will be included in registration materials.
While there are still a few loose ends to finalize, the activities for the Class of ’69 are as follows:
Class Lounge- Smith-Buonanno Hall Room, 95 Cushing Street, Room G13
Open throughout the weekend
Friday, May 24
7:00–9:00 PM
Alumnae Hall Auditorium, 194 Meeting Street
Welcome Reception: Appetizers, beer, and wine
9:00 PM–1:00 AM
Campus Dance, Main Campus - There will be tables for the Class of 1969
Saturday. May 25
9:00–10:00 AM
Location to be determined
“Threats to Democracy and Rights” – A Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs Commencement Forum in partnership with the Class of 1969
12:00-2:00 PM
The Sharpe Refectory, 144 Thayer Street
Reunion Community Lunch- There will be reserved seating for the Class of 1969. There will be no formal program.
5:30-6:00 PM
The Brown Faculty Club, 1 Bannister Street
Class of 1969 Memorial Service
6:00-9:00 PM
Class of 1969 (Seated) Dinner
Sunday, May 26
9:30 AM
Commencement Procession forms
Complimentary Sunday Lunch following the procession at the home of Joe Petteruti, 50 Lloyd Avenue.
We are at the point in our lives where old friendships matter even more. We hope to see you at the Reunion.
For those of you who have not yet contributed to the Reunion Class Gift, Wednesday, April 17, is Brunonians Pay It Forward Day. All gifts that day will be doubled with the matching challenge funds which are available. Please note that there will be an easy opportunity to contribute to our class reunion gift at the same time as you register for the reunion. The giving link lacks a dropdown option for the Class of 1969 Scholarship in Honor of the Community Service of Richard Chambers and Ken McDaniel. However, you can easily locate the fund on the giving page by selecting ‘search for a fund’ and entering 1969. The fund will then appear. Select the fund and proceed with the online instructions. If you encounter any difficulties making your gift, please email our class representative in Advancement (aka the Development Office) at Holly_Damm@brown.edu. Please consider participating in this worthy endeavor, which is currently supporting four students at Brown.
May 3, 2023
Building Trusted Friendships
Next Class of ’69 Forum—Wednesday, May 24, 2023, 4:30 pm to 6 pm Eastern
(Arrive at 4:15 PM EDT to connect with classmates)
The next Class of 1969 Forum will be on the subject of Building Trusted Friendships and will be held on Wednesday, May 24th. The forum will be led by Classmate Robert Porter Lynch with special guest Emeritus Professor Barrett Hazeltine.
Robert is a Thought Leader in the fields of Trust, Collaboration, Strategic Alliances, and Leadership. He is the Founder of the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals and the International Collaborative Leadership Institute, as well as the author of several books on Alliances and Leadership. He has been an Entrepreneur and Advisor to leaders of numerous of Fortune 500 companies, and has conducted workshops for over 40,000 senior executives globally in the strategies of Strategic Alliances, Trust, Leadership, Teamwork, Innovation, and Supply Chain.
Robert and his colleagues spent years researching, exploring, and discovering what goes into the “design” of the “architecture of trusted friendships,” which involved understanding the nature of trust in human interaction, the brain’s neurochemistry, the language, the behaviors, and the impacts socially, economically, and politically. In this interactive session, Robert will focus on four core issues:
1. Why Trust Breakdowns occur & Key Principles to Build Trust.
2. How to Diagnose Situations to prevent the demise of trust.
3. What you must do to Create Trusted Friendships.
4. How to Rebuild Trust in the wake of its demise.
Robert will provide us with several “tools” we can use right away (typically within 24-48 hours) to begin building trust with someone whose relationship is very important to you. Research shows that people who have trusted friends live significantly longer and happier than those whose lives are empty.
We think you will find this interactive session inspiring, enlightening, and empowering.
This Zoom forum is by invitation only and is limited to ‘69ers and their significant others.
Please:
1. Register by 5:00 PM E.D.T. Monday, May 22nd, to receive an invitation on Tuesday, May 23rd, to attend on May 24 the, 2023 by sending an e-mail to Class Secretary Linda Antonucci at antonucci@att.net.
Join us. Share. Listen. Enjoy!
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March 31, 2023
As we look forward to our 55th Reunion next year, your Class Officers are already at work on the planning.
As we announced earlier, one of our initiatives has been the establishment of a new Brown Fund Scholarship, the Class of 1969 Brown Fund Scholarship Honoring the Community Service of J. Richard Chambers and Kenneth McDaniel. The arrangements for that scholarship have now been finalized. These two classmates, who died since our 50th reunion, each gave unstinting service, both to Brown and to their wider communities. The scholarship will be in place for four years, beginning this fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2023. Every dollar designated for this fund will also count towards our total class gift to the Brown Annual Fund. This “double counting” is critical to our ability to both fund the scholarship as well as to reach our target class BAF funds. We are very thankful that Brown has structured it this way. Gifts towards completion of a 50th reunion 5-year pledge in this fiscal year can also recognized for the scholarship if specified that way by you. To have your Annual Fund gift also be recognized for the Scholarship, all you need to do is to make a note on your check that the gift should also be recognized for the Class of 1969 Scholarship Honoring Richard Chambers and Ken McDaniel or attach a note with your check which provides this information. If you are making your gift online, in stock or directly from a financial institution, please send an email to Polly Talbott (polly_talbott@brown.edu) with your gift information so the Development Office can track your gift and add the Scholarship recognition. A number of classmates have already made contributions, so a student or student will benefit from this scholarship beginning next Fall. If you wish to read more about Richard and Ken, you can do here. To see how many classmates have contributed and the total raised so far towards this scholarship, you can see it here.
If you would like to be involved in contacting classmates—a few or as many as you’d like—to participate in this scholarship or be involved with our 55th Reunion Class Gift, please contact Wes Smith (poweropu@sbcglobal.net) or Karen Jakes (karen.s.jakes@gmail.com).
Check back here for updates on the reunion and other class news.
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March 16, 2023
“And now for something entirely different” … (paraphrased from Monty Python 1971)
Never Too Old For A New Adventure
Next Class of ’69 Forum—Wednesday, April 19 2023, 4:30 pm to 6 pm Eastern
(Arrive at 4:15 PM EDT to connect with classmates)
In the 7th decade of your life, have you decided to try a new path—perhaps spending time doing something that you always wanted to do, but didn’t have the time to do it; or developing a hobby that you always wished you tried but were too busy taking care of family? But now have you thought about learning a new language or moving to a new country and experiencing an entirely new culture? Has it been worth the effort? Has your new adventure been worth the effort? What have you gained? What pitfalls have you faced?
We will open our next forum with one of our classmates, Ido Jamar, sharing her experiences moving to Ghana, and will then give others an opportunity to share how they decided to try something different at this phase of their lives.
This Zoom forum is by invitation only and is limited to ‘69ers and their significant others.
Please:
1. Register by 5:00 PM E.D.T. Monday, April 17th, to receive an invitation on Tuesday, April 18th, to attend on April 19 th, 2023 by sending an e-mail to Class Secretary Linda Antonucci at antonucci@att.net.
Join us. Share. Listen. Enjoy!
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July 8, 2022
We have lost a number of classmates since our 50th reunion, all deeply missed. Many of you are aware that two of those classmates were Ken McDaniel and Richard Chambers. During their lifetimes both provided significant service to Brown and to our class. Ken McDaniel, one of the leaders of the Black Walkout and a trustee of the University, died shortly after our reunion. Richard Chambers, who led the giving campaign for our class for many years, died this past spring. Aside from their quiet and unselfish service to Brown, each was also deeply involved in service to their communities.
We are excited to announce that a new scholarship has been established to honor our classmates Richard Chambers and Ken McDaniel. Named the Class of 1969 Brown Fund Scholarship Honoring the Community Service of J.Richard Chambers & Kenneth McDaniel, the money raised each year will be awarded to a student or students at Brown. Each recipient will receive biographies of these two exemplary individuals with a request to use their talents to serve the broader community as Richard and Ken did. The University will select the honorees.
The scholarship is termed a BAF (Brown Annual Fund) Scholarship and will be in place for four years. Every dollar designated for this fund will also count towards our total class gift to the Brown Annual Fund. This “double counting” is critical to our ability to both fund the scholarship as well as to reach our target class BAF funds. We are very thankful that Brown has structured it this way.
There are details that need to be worked out on how to designate your gift to this fund, but we felt it important to announce this scholarship as soon as possible, and we hope many of you will want to contribute to it. If you plan to make your fiscal 2023 (July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023) before you receive the gift designation information and would like to contribute to this fund, please enclose a letter with your gift which expresses that desire.
We also anticipate that you will receive a follow up letter relatively soon with more information about this scholarship and about our fundraising efforts for our 55th reunion. However, while we still have some organizing to do, we are happy to announce that both widows, Nancy Chambers and Susan McDaniel, were sent letters last week from President Paxson informing them of the scholarships and of the efforts by their Class of ’69 classmates to recognize Ken and Richard.
Many of us have lost good friends with the passing of Richard and Ken, and the University has lost two great contributors, but we can continue to promote their commitment to service through this scholarship opportunity.
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May 26, 2022
Class of ’69 Back to Campus June Forum
“Planetary Geosciences at Brown University:
From the Moon to Mars and Beyond!”
Presentation by James W. Head (Ph.D. Brown 1969)
Louis and Elizabeth Scherck Distinguished Professor
Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences
Thursday, June 23, 2022 4:30 – 6:00 PM EDT
(Arrive at 4:15 PM EDT to connect with classmates)
We are extremely pleased that Professor Jim Head has agreed to address our class and lead a discussion next month. Jim has an incredible background in scientific research, teaching, mentoring, leadership and involvement in so many aspects of this country’s and the world’s space initiatives and programs. He was also right there with us at our graduation when he received his Ph.D. from Brown.
Given the nature of Jim’s presentation, we also want to extend an invitation to members of your family (spouses, children, grandchildren) to join us. If you wish to add e-mail addresses for family members to receive the link, please provide those e-mail addresses when you reply. Jim has said he welcomes all family members.
Beginning with Professor Tim Mutch in the mid-1960s, Brown University has played a disproportionately large role in the exploration of the solar system in scientific research, mission design, mission operations, international participation, undergraduate and graduate education, and training several generations of leaders in the field of planetary geosciences. (Most recently, Dr. Ellen Stofan headed the Biden-Harris NASA Transition Team and is the Undersecretary for Research at the Smithsonian Institution, and Dr, Stephanie Tompkins was recently named the Director of DARPA, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.) Professor Head will outline key elements in the evolution of the field of Planetary Geosciences, showing Brown’s role in the past, present, and most importantly the future, including Brown’s critical role in the research that led to selection of the Brown-proposed Jezero Crater landing/exploration site for the Perserverance rover and the return of samples from Mars to Earth later this decade.
This Zoom forum is by invitation only. Please check your e-mail for instructions on how to register.
We look forward to seeing you on June 23rd.
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January 20, 2022
Our first 2022 Class of 1969 Forum featuring Cory Dean ‘69 will be held via Zoom on Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 4:30 PM EST.
Cory Dean is a visiting lecturer in the program on Science, Technology, and Society at Brown University. She is best known as a science journalist at The New York Times, where she still writes and was science editor between 1997 and 2003. She began her newspaper career at The Providence Journal.
Her first book, Against the Tide, was published in 1999 by Columbia University Press. In a review published in Science magazine, Tom Drake wrote, “‘Against the Tide’ flashes like a metaphorical lighthouse to warn scientists, policymakers and the public about the state of the shoreline.” Former CBS anchor Walter Cronkite described the book as an “incredibly well researched” handbook for “anyone interested in the preservation of the nation’s beaches,” providing a reminder that America’s vulnerable coastal regions “are a national heritage and a precious resource that we owe our future generations.” [Excerpt from Western Connecticut University’s website.]
Her guide for researchers on communicating with the public, Am I Making Myself Clear?, was published in 2009 by Harvard University Press. Her third book, Making Sense of Science (Harvard University Press) came out in 2017, when the LA Times named it one of the best books of the year. She is working on a new book on coastal land use in an era of rising seas. Dean taught at Harvard for year, where she was twice honored for “distinction in teaching,” and has taught at Columbia, Vassar, and the University of
Rhode Island. AAAS recognized Dean “for compelling and engaging science and health reporting and journalism education spanning a career in the nation’s newspaper industry.”
A trustee emerita of the Corporation of Brown University, Cory earned an A.B. from the University in 1969 and an M.S. in journalism from Boston University in 1981.
This Zoom forum is by invitation only and is limited to ‘69ers and their significant others.
Please:
1. Register by February 22nd to receive an invitation to attend on February 24, 2022 by sending an e-mail to Class Secretary Linda Antonucci at antonucci@att.net.
2. Include any questions you would like Cory to answer with your registration.
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September 29. 2021
Our next Class of 1969 Forum – “Class Author/Class Publisher” – with past Class President Joe Petteruti and classmate Thelma Austin will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Joe has recently written a book, “A Night She’d Remember”, the story of his maternal grandmother's experience aboard the RMS Titanic that hit an iceberg and sank in 1912. Joe carefully documented the story from oral tradition, interviews of her by The Providence Journal, and articles about her and the ship.
Joe's book was published by Thelma’s company, My Family Voices (www.myfamilyvoices.com). Months after the 50th Class Reunion in Providence, Thelma learned that Joe had been working on this memoir/story for years. She encouraged him to finish it and get it published. Joe's book is being archived in the legacy collection at the John Hay Library at Brown. The library encourages all alumni authors (autobiographies and biographies) to add their books to the collection.
Thelma is also the publisher of a book celebrating the life of classmate and Brown Trustee Ken McDaniel, who passed away just days after our 50th reunion.
Learn more about Joe’s book and Thelma’s publishing company by attending this forum.
The forum will be moderated by Class President Scott Somers and will include a discussion of other activities in which classmates are involved.
This Zoom forum is by invitation only and is limited to ‘69ers and their significant others.
Please;
1. Register by Monday, October 25, to receive an invitation to attend on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 by sending an e-mail to Class Secretary Linda Antonucci at antonucci@att.net
2. Include any questions you would like Joe and Thelma to answer with your registration.
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September 22, 2021
Last year (’20 – ’21 year) we tried some new things to help us connect. In February we held a forum, “Emerging Infectious Diseases-Lessons from COVID”, featuring classmate Sandi Nusinoff Lehrman, MD, an infectious disease expert. In April we held a “round table” discussion (organized by Class officers Ido Jamar and George Lister) and put participants into rooms for breakout sessions. The topic was Personal Freedom and the Common Good. In June we had a forum, “Back to Campus”, with (classmate) Professor and former Provost David Kertzer. Each of our forums was moderated by Class officer Jim Northrop and the speakers, organizers and participants did a terrific job. We thank all of those who participated.
One of the themes we heard continuously in classmate feedback from these events was that most of you want even more opportunity to connect with classmates you might not know so well and to reconnect with old friends. So, this year, we anticipate more opportunities to focus on ways to connect and reconnect with classmates. We also want to hear about what are you doing now and how your classmates might benefit from knowing about your activities. An example will be our first forum of the year. Past Class President Joe Petteruti has just published a book, “A Night She’d Remember.” This is the true story of Joe’s grandmother, a Titanic survivor, and includes many wonderful family pictures. It was published by Class officer Thelma Austin and her company, My Family Voices (www.myfamilyvoices.com). We will be announcing the date of the forum featuring Joe and Thelma shortly, but it should be sometime in late October or early November.
We also anticipate a second “round table” format with breakout rooms, but this round table will be focused more on connecting and reconnecting with classmates. More information will be forthcoming. Timing should be January or February. Additional forums for next spring/early summer are in the works.
We also, always welcome your ideas. Please send any thoughts to:
Scott Somers at ssomers@windalegroup.com and to
Linda Antonucci at antonucci@att.net
Regarding dues this year, we have been looking hard at expenses and activities, particularly for our 55th. We want to ensure that we have adequate funds for our reunion and that we leave the treasury in good shape after the reunion. As a result, we are suggesting the following dues structure:
1, Basic dues: $69 (no change)
2, For those who wish to give a bit more: $169
3, For those who want to be creative: whatever feels right to you (over $69).
This year, you can pay in two ways. If you wish to make a payment by credit card, you can access the university’s secure website:
https://brown.edu/go/Class-of-1969-Dues.
The University is not accepting dues payments by check at this time. If you wish to make a payment by check, please make your check payable to “Brown Class of 1969” and send it directly to our Class Treasurer:
David Parker
200 East 90th Street, Apt. 29A
New York, NY 10128
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February 4. 2021
Our first Class of 1969 Forum – “Emerging Infectious Diseases – Lessons from COVID” with Dr. Sandi Nusinoff Lehrman BS’69, MD’73, will be held via Zoom at 3PM EST on Thursday, February 18, 2021.
Sandi brings decades of knowledge and expertise on infectious diseases and viruses in particular from her leadership work and senior roles in the National institute of Health and Senior Executive roles in leading pharmaceutical companies. Sandi’s interest in viruses and the disease they cause started early in her career at the NIH where she worked in a lab developing flu vaccines. She was on the forefront of scientific exploration of the virus resulting in the HIV AIDS epidemic and migrated to the private sector to lead efforts to develop treatments for AIDS Until her retirement, three years ago, she remained in the forefront working both in the public and private sectors in understanding and remediating infectious diseases.
She brings a lifetime of hard won expertise as one of the infectious disease experts in the country and is uniquely positioned to help us understand emerging infectious diseases and the current pandemic, and she will answer our questions regarding how they develop, what the likely course and impact of variants may be, and the innovative science and new medical insights behind vaccines and other treatments.
This Zoom forum is by invitation only and is limited to ‘69ers and their significant others.
Please:
1. Register by Tuesday, February 16th, to receive an invitation to attend on February 18, 2021 by sending an e-mail to Class Secretary Linda Antonucci at antonucci@att.net.
2. Include any questions you would like Sandi to answer with your registration.
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January 30, 2021
Are you interested in joining other classmates for periodic online discussions about important societal issues?
As we all recognize, many factors have contributed to limiting our regular contact with friends, colleagues, acquaintances, or even family. The real or virtual distance has increased reliance on written or viewed ideas without the chance for dialogue or reflection.
As class officers energized by the success of our 50th reunion, we are proposing periodic online group discussions around mutually interesting topics which might refresh old relationships or foster new ones and rekindle some of the enjoyment we had as students as we shared ideas. We might begin by focusing on topics that were of particular importance to many of us as students and may have remained as threads throughout our lives: political activism, social justice, and educational policy. The formats could include moderated panel discussions or facilitated smaller group round-table discussions.
Please let us know if you are interested in being involved. In addition, feel free to suggest any other topics that you would like to discuss. Please send your response to Class Secretary Linda Antonucci at antonucci@att.net.
Based on your interest and suggestions, we will propose a format and a means to initiate our discussions.
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December 2020
Our desire is to enhance involvement and communication with each other. Members of the Executive Board have had a number of discussions this year. We are developing a program called “Alumni of Brown: Linking Everyone ’69” or A.B.L.E.’69.
We are exploring several initiatives that we hope will benefit every person in our Class. These ultimately may involve Zoom meetings and seminars. The activities and projects will relate to health and wellness; important issues in today’s society; Class connectivity; reunions; wrap-around events (all classes); and projects important to individuals. As we develop more information about these initiatives, we will continue to communicate with you. Your input is welcome and vital.
The University has moved toward digital delivery of information to save money, time, and the environment. The Class of 1969 can support this decision in the following ways.
FACEBOOK: Our Class of 1969 Facebook page, open only to the members of the Class, will be the main source for the latest information on Class events. Any updates to the page are automatically sent by Facebook to each classmate who belongs to the page. We are encouraging all classmates who are not yet participating in our Facebook group to access the page https://www.facebook.com/groups/112093729521 and send us a “Friend Request.”
CLASS WEBSITE: We will also be updating this website with all the latest information on Class events. Be sure to check back regularly.
UNIVERSITY ALUMNI WEBSITE: For the latest information about all University and Brown Club events, the new Brown Alumni and Friends website, https://alumni-friends.brown.edu, is your best source.
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Be sure to check out the links page for more information about your fellow classmates.
To make this site productive, we would like input from you, our members. If you have any personal info or pictures, please let our Class Secretary know.