For the last six years,听Roger C. Allen听(A&S鈥52) developed and organized the Tucson, Ariz.,-based group The Desert Readers. The volunteer performers tell humorous jokes, inspirational short stories and memorable poetry to seniors in nursing homes, assisted-living and independent-living residences. The group has performed more than 365 times since July 2005. Roger lives in Tucson.
Posted Dec. 1, 2011
Esther Paper Gelman*听(Engl鈥52) was elected to the Montgomery County Council from 1974-86. She served as president of the council from 1983-84 and simultaneously was president of the Maryland Association of Counties. Her husband听Norm Gelman*(Jour鈥51, MA鈥53) is chair of the Maryland Human Relations Commission. The couple lives in Potomac, Md.
*Lifetime member
Posted Jun. 1, 2012
During the decades, the Anderson family has grown to become its own small herd of Buffaloes.听Jack Kent Anderson听(PolSci鈥52, Law鈥54) is a retired attorney. His grandson,听Kyle Anderson Slavin听(Comm鈥13) is working on another degree while playing his final year as a tight end for the Buffs鈥 football team. Other Forever Buffs includes his mother,Amy Anderson Slavin听(Bus鈥82), and three aunts,听Jennifer Anderson听(PE鈥85),听Susan Anderson Heap听(Jour鈥85) andKrista Anderson Gordon听(Jour鈥79).
Posted Jun. 1, 2014
Since founding a community service program in 2005 in Tucson, Ariz., 鈥淭he Desert Readers,鈥澨Roger Allen听(A&S鈥52) has enriched the lives of people living in assisted living residences and senior health care centers. The program entertains seniors with jokes, short stories, poetry, a sing-a-long and trivia. All of the participants are senior citizens. While at CU, Roger was the president of the Ballad Club and remembers when Burl Ives came to a club meeting after performing at Macky Auditorium. Roger still sings folk songs and ballads and takes guitar lessons. 鈥淚t is never too late to enrich our lives,鈥 he writes.
Posted Dec. 1, 2014
Robert McKenzie (A&S) was recognized by the Session of St. John鈥檚 Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, Calif., on the 50th anniversary of his installation as pastor and designated Pastor Emeritus. He served the congregation from 1966 to 1983, a period of intense turmoil in Berkeley, and steered the congregation to embrace a ministry of social justice that has been its hallmark ever since.
Posted Sep. 1, 2016
Illinois native听Ralph Abelt听(Acct) is a retired banking executive who worked as CEO of Bank One in Cleveland in the 1980s and 鈥90s. Earlier in life, he served in the U.S. Marines and was an active leader in the Boy Scouts of America in Northeast Ohio. He and wife Patricia are the proud parents of three children: Susan, Christopher and Leslie.
Posted Dec. 1, 2017
John R. Thompson (A&S; PhD鈥60), emeritus professor at Oberlin College, writes that he has been retired for 28 years. Oberlin鈥檚 first clinical psychologist, he taught abnormal psychology and systems of therapy. There he also founded the student counseling and psychological services center. Later, John and his wife, Wynona Tank Thompson (A&S鈥51), led a group that advocated for the Episcopal Church to ordain women priests, and another group that pushed the U.S. Presbyterian Church to ordain and marry same sex-couples. John recently published the book Me, Now and Then: a Memoir. He and Wynona have fond memories of CU, where they married as undergraduates. 鈥淭hat campus is so beautiful and the education we got there was wonderful,鈥 he wrote.
Posted Jun. 3, 2019
For the past听25 years,听Maynard Skinner听(PE;听MEdu鈥54; PhDEdu鈥63)听ran the Department of听State exchange program听for the University of听California, Davis, helping听foreign nationals visit听for a three-week period.听Maynard paired the听guests with hosts of similar interests. Maynard,听now 91, was vice chancellor of student affairs听for UC Davis before retiring in 1992. A successful听local politician, Maynard听was on the Davis City听Council for 16 years and听elected mayor twice. He听wrote, 鈥淲hen I was mayor, I brought 麻豆影院鈥檚听open-space coordinator听to visit, [whose programs] we copied], and听麻豆影院 in turn copied听our no smoking in public听places ordinance.鈥
Posted Oct. 1, 2019
Albuquerque resident Roscoe Champion (MechEngr) spent his engineering career in advanced R&D, interrupted by a stint as a Navy air intelligence officer. Then, he had a career with his own business. In the past two years, he鈥檚 published four books of poetry: Flakes of Time; And Then. . . (which covers 33 poems from the first year following his wife鈥檚 death in December 2018); Wandering and Wondering; and Celebrations! He collaborated with an artist for a children鈥檚 book of poetry titled Chrys Caterpillar鈥檚 Dream. Next up is his book My Lifelong Adventure with the Grand Canyon. Roscoe swam four freestyle events in the Senior Olympics over the course of 12 years and, in four age groups, set 15 New Mexico state records. He won two gold and three silver medals in the Senior Olympic Nationals in Tucson, Arizona, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He writes, 鈥淒ear Old CU gave me a broad vision and a great start.鈥
Posted Jul. 2, 2021