SAVE THE DATE: 65th REUNION—JUNE 10–13, 2027!
Linda Himot brings us up to date with her most recent missive: “I attended the University of Pittsburgh Medical School and after internship at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, I did my residency in psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Western Psychiatric Institute. Following this I remained on the faculty there for a few years, then spent six years in Ankara, Turkey, where I taught in the medical school and had a small practice serving military personnel and their families. I returned to private practice in Pittsburgh and was adjunct professor at Pitt med school. After retiring I moved first to Charlottesville, VA, then Tallahassee, FL, where I currently live.
“I began my writing career in 2005. I have published in poetry journals and have two poetry books which are available on Amazon: Family Fables and Sliding South. I have also written four storybooks for children about dogs (also available on Amazon): RC & Moon Pie in ‘Friends Forever,’ RC & Moon Pie in the Mouse’s Tale, RC & Moon Pie & Great Aunt Dora, and RC & Moon Pie Meet the Cat.
“I am currently contemplating publishing another poetry book. I also spend my time gardening (a year-round event here in the South), playing the piano, and raising another (my fifth) golden retriever puppy. One of the advantages to living a long life is having the chance to do many different things. But I must confess that I expect this puppy, now six months old, will most likely be my last, so I spend lot of time enjoying his discovery of the world around him.
“This is a recent poem (one of many I have written since retiring from medical practice) from January 2026, which about describes my current state of mind and body:
Ineluctable
In my youth I drove hell-bent for leather.
Leadfoot was my middle name.
Always on the lookout for cop cars and speed traps,
I believed myself invincible.
Then something happened
I don’t know what or when.
It changed my style of driving,
made me a wimp, a wuss and worse.
Now behind the wheel, hands ten and two,
I drive below the speed limit
and only in the right-hand lane,
never passing, impatient or honking on the horn.
I’m no longer first when a light turns green,
hang back a moment, to be sure
no hotshot trying to beat the red light
hits me sideways, explodes my air bags.
Okay, I confess the truth is ineluctable;
my hair is white my face all wrinkles
and my eyeglasses bifocal.
But I’ve, so far, survived both my hips intact
still driving, even if it’s in the slow lane.
From Jacqueline Browne Bugnion: “After earning my BA in economics from Cornell in 1962, I received an MBA with distinction at Harvard Business School in 1964. I then worked a year in New York for McKinsey before marrying my Swiss husband, Jean-Robert, whom I had meet at HBS. I have lived in Switzerland ever since. Both of our children earned PhDs in the U.S., our son Edouard from Stanford in computer science and our daughter Véronique from MIT in physics of the environment. I am very proud that our granddaughter Annabelle Ulak will start her university career at Cornell this fall, 2026, in the Arts and Science college. Our two grandsons, Victor and Adrien, are near completion of their university studies at the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“To keep busy in our retirement, my husband and I created a philanthropy to support education in developing nations. Our focus is in Burkina Faso, allowing a private agricultural school to expand its program and infrastructure. As the school is in the Sahel region, we encouraged the creation of a local NGO to initiate a pilot project for reforestation in a neighboring village within the framework of a program called the 10% Project that aims over the long-term to reforest 10% of Burkina Faso’s share of the Great Green Wall, the trans-African project to stop the southern progression of the Sahara.
“By 2027, more than 15,000 seedlings of indigenous berry and nut-bearing trees will have been transplanted over three years on one square kilometer of the village’s designated forest area. This is the result of training programs provided by the agricultural school and infrastructure investments in the village, including a well with a reservoir and a water distribution system, a fenced-in tree nursery, and a vegetable garden, as well as a fenced in pasture area. The new forest will enhance food supply and provide additional revenue to the villagers, but will also enrich the soil, improve the local climate, and sequester carbon dioxide. As 80% of Burkinabé live from agriculture, our hope is that the successful pilot project will encourage others to expand the concept to neighboring villages.
“My greatest satisfaction is following the terrific professional careers of our two children and observing the enthusiasm and success of our grandchildren as they pursue their studies.”
In March, Gary Caplan (Cheshire, CT) returned to France for the first time in a quarter-century, this time with his wife, Susan Schapira Caplan ’79. “We spent three days in Paris and a week in a village near Pao, in the Pyrenees, where Susan attended an Urban Sketchers workshop, and I was a hanger-on, enjoying the scenery and food. Contrary to their reputation and despite the Iran War, we found all the French people we encountered warm and welcoming, save one person.”
Michael (Mickey) Miller (Allentown, PA) writes that in April he attended “a fantastic CAU New York City Theatre weekend. The camaraderie with 35 other participants, including my three daughters, and Professor Sara Warner was priceless. As is traditional, we saw three shows and had spirited discussions before and after each show. We stayed at the Cornell Club and very much enjoyed their hospitality. The cherry on the top was having the class sing happy birthday to me in honor of my 85th birthday and presenting me with a birthday gift of a Cornell bottle of wine.”
My husband, Bruce Rich ’60, and I were in London in April to celebrate the wedding of our daughter, Stacey ’93, to her long-time British beau. Everything was perfect. From the dinner the night before to the morning ceremony to the breakfast afterwards, it was pure delight. Even the London weather cooperated—warm and sunny. It was a small gathering held at the lovely Chelsea Old Town Hall in a room filled with love and joy for this pair who were finally making it official. The bride’s proud parents were beaming from ear to ear.
After a long and distinguished career teaching political science at Cornell and later at Queens College, CUNY, Professor Andrew Hacker, a Class of 1962 favorite, passed away at age 96 on April 21, 2022. “To the Class of 1962,” a paean to our Class written by Professor Hacker, appeared in our 50th Reunion Yearbook (pg. 12).
SAVE THE DATE: 65th REUNION—JUNE 10–13, 2027!
Take a moment, please, to send along news and updates of what’s happening with you and your family. And check out Classmate News on our class website for timelier information. Send your entries to: ❖ Judy Prenske Rich (email Judy) | Alumni Directory.