1971–Fall ’18 Class Letter
1971
Jim Beisner
770-570-7725 / [email protected]
Greetings, Class of 1971!
Here’s to another great year!
It is hard to believe we were starting our freshman year fifty long years ago, just as the Class of
2022 is doing now. Where did the time go? I remember very well my first few weeks of getting
acclimated to classes and the campus as if it was just yesterday. Although there is a large time
gap between our start and theirs, the quality of education has not changed in all those years.
Through the support of our time, talents, and treasures, Ripon College has maintained a superb
educational experience. The update on current college activities along with honors of graduates
and faculty as noted below, continue to show the excellent contribution Ripon makes to the
nation and State of Wisconsin.
JOHN “BEAUX” LEONARD ’70 writes, “After graduation I spent a year in Denver, Colorado.
I returned to Boston in the spring of 1971. I rented an apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts
with JOHN “SHADOW” THOMPSON ’71, MICHAEL PETERSON ’72 (would be class of ’72 who left
school following his junior year), and M. Greely (Mike) Summers, who attended Ripon for only
the ’70-’71 year before transferring to Boston University. We took in Trustee JOHN
“RALPH” WOLFE ’69 when he returned from the Army, Germany, and we have remained close
friends since. 69 Magazine Street in Cambridge was a fun time for a couple of years; many
stories. It was interesting answering the phone with 3 Johns and 2 Mikes in the house.”
As we look back at our experiences at Ripon, we can all see the benefits we derived from that
special time. In some way, the Annual Fund assisted all of us. It under writes all aspects of
yearly operations, including but not limited to laboratory supplies, technological innovations,
library resources, faculty support, financial aid and scholarships, athletics, opportunities to study
abroad, the arts, and facilities. I urge your consideration to increase this year’s gift in recognition
of all we have accomplished as a result of Ripon College. If you gave below the Heritage
Society level ($150-$499), consider giving at that level. If you give at one of the society levels, think about
increasing your gift annually to eventually elevating to the next highest society.
Signed,
JIM BEISNER