1968 Fall ’23 Class Letter
Dear Classmates:
Happy Fall (Well, maybe when it cools down a bit)! I can’t believe summer has come and gone, all but the heat and for some, the heavy rains. I hope your summer was full of good times and memory making.
For those of us who attended our 55th Reunion in June, we had a great time and were able to see and hear our new President share a bit of her story and her vision for Ripon College. I hope you have been able to go to “The Spot” jukebox playlist sent earlier. It’s a blast from our past for sure.
CLASS NEWS
BOB MARTIN ’68 and Janet Meyerhoefer Martin were kind enough to meet me and my wife, Linda, while we were in Philadelphia as part of our Pennsylvania summer trip. We had a delightful lunch and then walked around a bit of downtown including the vast Reading Terminal Market, home to many food vendors and merchants including many Amish from Lancaster County.
DAVID ZERFOSS ’68 and Jenny Bennett Zerfoss were on the mainland, far from their home in Hawaii, taking in many sights in New England. They were able to arrange a meet-up with DOUG WHITELEY ’68 and DIANE THORSEN WHITELEY ’68.
From DIANE – “The WHITELEY’s and the ZERFOSS’s spent three days together in August, visiting Providence, Rhode Island, and neighboring towns. We never stopped talking and laughing”. As I write this, the WHITELEY’s are visiting Equador and the Galapagos Islands.
OBITUARIES
JANE FABER RUBIN ’68 of Maple Grove, Minnesota, died February 19, 2023. At Ripon she majored in biology and was an Alpha Delta Pi. She moved to New York City and did breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and then taught science at Grace Church School. After marrying, she returned to Minnesota. She taught at the Osseo Area Schools Adult Basic Education center for more than 15 years. She was an active member of her church and enjoyed music, playing piano, gardening and watching Minnesota sports. Survivors include her husband, Barry and two sons.
PATRICIA SLOAN CLOGSTON ’68 of Asheville, North Carolina, died March 12, 2023. At Ripon, she majored in history and was a member of Phi Betta Kappa and Alpha Delta Pi. She worked in the information technology department as a systems Analyst at Cargill. She was a pioneering woman in a traditional man’s field. She and her husband spent four years in Brazil where she was a consultant to automotive companies. Back in the United States, she developed a product that generated code for a small firm and then worked for IDS/American Express. She volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Asheville. After retiring she was an artist in pottery and glass. Survivors include her husband, Charlie Clogston.
COLLEGE NEWS
Thanks to all who supported Ripon this past year through the Ripon Fund, the special spring Rally Days or through other gifts. The continuing alumni support is now visible with the new, now almost completed, on-campus Hopp Stadium along with the large renovation and addition to Farr Hall, opening in 2024 as the Franzen Science Center.
The competitive pressures of higher education leave no time to rest in fundraising. Schools are competing for students and faculty and to attract them means a constant need to improve facilities, curriculum, scholarships and salaries. To this end, Ripon made the formal launch of the Forever Ripon Campaign at the inauguration of President Folse in April. It is already well on the way towards the $75 million goal.
The campaign aims to expand access through student affordability and innovative programs, enhance facilities, and strengthen the institution through additions to the Ripon Fund. This campaign will lead into the celebration of Ripon’s 175th anniversary in 2026 and will ensure a degree from Ripon is relevant for years to come.
STAY CONNECTED
Please visit our Facebook group page, Ripon College Class of 1968. Information about our class can be found here. Join the group to add information and make comments.
As always, if you have news to share, please send it to me or the Alumni Office at Ripon, at [email protected].
Peter ’68