48 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | CLASS NOTES bike to Siasconset for my second trip of the week and was in sight of my destination when something went wrong, and I passed out. Fortunately, my son, Christian’s, sister-in-law, Tonya Harbour, was riding with me. She called 911, and I found myself in a Nantucket ambulance on my way to the hospital. Nantucket’s hospital has only 16 beds, so I spent six hours in the ER. No broken bones, but a suspicion that I had a cardiac event. The fact that I have been bike riding since getting to Nantucket in June (a couple of times each week, about eight miles each time) is an accomplishment for anyone age 92. Incidentally, it was so sad that only four of our class made it to our 70th reunion. See a wimp’s comment on Lehigh’s website.” Hey guys, this is the only news I received in the last four months (August to December). It is very difficult to write a column and provide the latest news if no one sends anything to me. I have two choices: a lot of white space or more boring stuff from me. This is a boring report from your class correspondent about life in a hurricane. Ian headed right for our house, but his aim was terrible. I think he hit everyone else and didn’t have enough water left to make our pool overflow. Took a small tree from our front yard—and that was it. Unfortunately, Nicole had better eyesight and took out two more small trees. We were most fortunate. Only boring thing left to report is that I rode my bike over 700 miles since the last Alumni Bulletin and only hit one mailbox. ’53 Herb Roemmele, (732) 796-3013; herbertroemmele@gmail.com I am writing this column in late November 2022 for the 2023 spring edition of the Bulletin you are now reading. First, some old news. Last August, incoming first-year students in the Class of 2026 were welcomed by the traditional First-Year Student Rally. After holding this in Grace Hall for many years, it moved outdoors around the flagpole to accommodate the almost 1,500 first-year men and women. You may remember that in 1949 we numbered about 575. Lehigh is growing in both quality and quantity. Each alumni class is represented. A member of that class carries his class flag into the ceremony. Our own Tony Latour carried the 1953 flag and represented our class. We had the honor of being in the No. 1 position, the oldest class represented, as the flags paraded. Tony was so recognized by Lehigh’s president, Joseph J. Helble ’82. The incoming class is then formally adopted by the 50-year class—in this case, the Class of 1976. Our president, Joe Workman, tells me he had the honor in 1999 of representing our class in adopting the Class of 2003. It is a wonderful Lehigh tradition. The big news now, of course, is our 70th reunion. The dates are June 8-11. I know it is impossible for many, and difficult for others, to travel to Bethlehem. But Joe and his team have been planning a very special event. We have a solid group of 15 or so classmates who, health-providing, have said they will return. Our aim is to increase this number. We expect to break all records for a 70th reunion. Since this will be the last Bulletin before June, I have asked Joe to use the rest of the column to give you some details about the weekend. While we have lost several of the local team helping Joe, notably Tip Mowrer, Bob Littner and Bill Latshaw, Joe still has the good fortune of working with Roger Inglese and Tony Latour. On Friday, June 9, there will be several bus tours of campus and Historic Bethlehem, plus a Meet the Deans hour. That evening is the festive buffet dinner, with wine, beer and good music. Saturday starts with a hearty breakfast. Two highlights of the day are the historic Parade of Classes and the State of the University update by President Helble. We will lead the parade. You can walk or ride a golf cart, so don’t worry about it. Pete Strategos has planned, and will lead, our brief performance at the judge’s stand. Our private class reception and dinner that evening will be in the Tower Room of Iacocca Hall on the Mountaintop Campus. It is a perfect site with great views of the entire Lehigh Valley. You should have received the official registration materials from Lehigh. If not, they will arrive very soon. Advanced registration through Lehigh is required. You can be flexible. Come for the entire weekend, or come for just Saturday’s events, or even just come for our class dinner Saturday night. We will break all 70th reunion records for attendance. I hope you can be with us. If any questions, please contact Joe at jmw4emw@aol.com or call 610865-0986. Go, Lehigh! ’54 Editor’s note: To share your news or if you would be interested in becoming your class’s correspondent, reaching out to classmates and writing a column three times a year, please contact the Alumni Office at 610-758-3069 or classnotes@ lehigh.edu. ’55 Burt Sutker, (732) 718-061; 21204 Shannondell Drive, Audubon, PA 19403 I start this issue’s column with a request that you volunteer to write a column and send it to me. The column is only as good as YOU make it. Administration did send me a list of chemists and chemical engineers who were part of the Class of 1955, so I sent them a specific request. Off and on over the past years, I have communicated with John F. Mahoney, one of our chemical engineering classmates. John is our highlighted classmate of the Bulletin. He stayed on (except for a military interruption) to get his Ph.D. at Lehigh in 1960. He went on to West Virginia and concluded his academic career at the University of Florida. Those of you who were in the chemistry department may remember John and the newsletter of the department of chemistry titled “MUDD in Your Eye”—specifically, Number 30, February 2006. In this article, titled “Voices of the Past: Chemistry Softball Teams (1956-1960),” John notes 10 to 15 ball players who were also chemistry students receiving the B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. As John notes in the article, “he left chemical engineering decades ago.” His specialty became data and data analysis. John always enjoyed golf, so he authored several articles related to the use of data and data analysis in golf, including “Theoretical analysis of aggressive golf putts,” “Geometric aspects of strategic putting” and “Launch velocities in successful golf putting.” John did not share whether these studies helped his putting game. Amazing how unit operations concepts can be used far afield. Class of 1955 attendance at the 2022 reunion was sparse. A note from Don Kirkpatrick follows. Let’s not only make page one, as he suggests, but point toward our 70th reunion. It is only three years off and certainly an admirable objective. “Hi, Burt. I’ve been watching the Class of ’55 slowly move toward the first page of the Dispatch section of the Lehigh Bulletin. As I watch my Lehigh buddies in Naples, Fla., pass away, I realize there is no stopping ’55 from making the first page. Peggy and I are still hoping to make a class reunion in the next few years. We’re living in Tampa now and enjoying the great weather, good restaurants, the Bucs and
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