1967 Fall ’23 Class Letter
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
– Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses
Dear Classmates,
After a summer of oppressive heat, cooler temperatures prevail. Sadly, I have no excuse to avoid weeding and trimming bushes! Now that fall is here, so is football. Those of you in Wisconsin would have had the opportunity to watch Ripon play Cornell College in the new Hopp Stadium on September 30, or attend the grand opening celebration on October 21 when the Red Hawks shut out Lake Forest College 12-0. I’m sure many of you have fond memories of walking to Ingalls Field on a Saturday afternoon to cheer our team to victory. Now students don’t have so far to walk!
Along with the new stadium there will be a renovation and expansion to the science center. The “F” is still there, but it is Franzen, not Farr! This expansion will enable Ripon to offer a new engineering program. But wait, there’s more! Next year the students majoring in exercise science will have the opportunity to pursue a Master’s Degree at Ripon College. All of these great enhancements have been made possible by generous donations. You, too, can have a named space on campus just by giving a huge contribution! But, seriously, any donation helps. It all adds up.
BILL NEILL ’67 pointed out that it’s been sixty years since we were naïve women and men embarking on a new adventure. How many of you remember the nickname assigned to you during orientation? Mine was Santa Claus! And who can forget the ubiquitous green beanies!
Speaking of green, this past summer, GREG ’68 and I visited Ireland for the first time. NANCY WADLEY KEOUGH ’67 and her husband, Jim, just returned from their umpteenth visit!. We spent the first three nights in Dromoland Castle. Fortunately, we had great weather – no rain! One of the highlights was visiting the home and dairy farm of a lovely local couple. They greeted us with an Irish coffee and delicious tarts served in their living room. We also learned how to make Irish soda bread and scones at the Ballyknocken House and School owned by Chef Catherine Fulvio. It was great fun!
Sorry to report that PHILIP METCALF ’67 of Bethel, Connecticut, died March 9, 2023. At Ripon, he majored in philosophy and participated in student theatre, music, government and Sigma Chi. He also received a degree in philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He started his career in publishing at Random House, later moving into telecommunications and voice recognition software. He was an avid golfer, tennis player, hiker and church choir member. He also enjoyed gardening, travel, cooking and fine dining, architecture and garden design, reading, listening to music, and reciting trivia. Survivors include two sons and one daughter.
I, and other classmates, would enjoy hearing about your adventures. Or anything else you would like to let us know! Have a happy, healthy fall!
Kathy