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Cover to Cover
I read the Cornell Reports cover to cover for there are always so many items that bring back memories or help me recall events long forgotten. In the summer issue, for example, I was happy to learn that I was in school with Nancy Price’46 who wrote the very popular Sleeping With
the Enemy. I was sorry to hear about the death of Howard Orms ’43 whom I had run with on the track team and who later was the drama
coach of Kathleen Turner. The day I read this I had seen her interviewed on the “Regis and Kelly” TV show.
I knew my good friend, the Rev. Richard Moore ’39, had longtime connections to Cornell but not until I read about “Dynasties” did I recognize the relationships of the Swords, Fosters, and Moores—all friends and colleagues have had in my ministry. Victor Paul Furnish’s ’52 letter telling about his relationship with Evelyn Riley Nicholson brought back my senior year at Cornell when
Mrs. Nicholson opened her home to me and one or two other male students. The dorms had been taken over by the Navy. I still have some of the books she gave me from her Bishop husband’s library.
I could mention more but perhaps this is sufficient to let you see the variety of ways your publication touches just one life.
The Rev.Don Struchen ’45
Chautauqua, N.Y.
Yes, we're older
Thank you for the article, “Who was Cornell?”, in the summer issue. This article included information that we don’t recall hearing before.
We probably share with many other alumni the necessity of explaining to people, “No, we didn’t attend the university in New York—WE WENT TO CORNELL COLLEGE IN MOUNT VERNON, IOWA—AND IT’S OLDER THAN THE UNIVERSITY." Now you have given us detail with which we can explain our origin and our name more fully.
Ken Henrich ’42 and Eloise Brown Henrich ’41
Oklahoma City
Gable dynasty
Thank you for the reference/picture of the Lupton-Gable connection with Cornell. I speak for our family in saying we appreciate the
recognition.
Near the end of my first semester at Cornell, Judge Littell called me to his office and said, “Gabby, your uncle, Howard, was an excellent student, as was your father, Jim. Now my question for you, Gabby, is this: What in the hell happened to you?”
I replied, “Well, Judge, there seems to be a black sheep in every family, and among the Gables and Luptons, I guess it’s me.” He laughed heartily and gave me a grade of C. That pretty well summarizes my academic record at Cornell.
Winton Gable ’51
Las Vegas, N.M.
Reitzel dynasty
I was intrigued by your story on multi-generational Cornellians (what a wonderful idea!) and wanted to let you know of two such Cornell families whose paths linked when my husband, Roger Reitzel ’ 76,and I married in 1977. Roger’s family’s Cornell roots begin with a very colorful and accomplished graduate, Raymond Reitzel ’12 (he received the Alumni Achievement Award in 1973). Ray tells some wonderful stories that vividly bring turn-of-the-century Cornell to life. They’re contained in his memoir, All in a Lifetime, which he wrote for his grandchildren (our copy is, in fact, signed “Dear Roger, Congratulations on your going to Cornell College,” which tells me his Mount Vernon experience still meant a great deal some 60 years later). His sister, Bessie,also attended Cornell but did not graduate. Next in line to graduate was Raymond’s niece, Lois Reitzel ’39. And finally came Roger, Raymond’s great-nephew.
The Reitzels pursued a wide variety of professions: Ray was a physician and University of California-Berkley professor, Lois (now
deceased) a teacher, and Roger a stand-up comic, commercial actor, and television writer.
My family’s Cornell connection began with my father, Gerald Koenig ’49. He was part of the generation for whom college must have been a surreal experience, returning from the gritty life-and-death responsibilities and unbridled off-duty recreations of war to rarefied academic life. In Cornell’s case, it meant no alcohol (although dodging the dean’s eagle eye for an occasional beer in Solon did take place),
daily chapel, and spending the first few months living in the hall of zero-deck Merner due to overcrowding in the war’s wake.
I, Gerald’s daughter, came next, graduating in ’ 78. I was followed by my sister, Julie Koenig-Hill ’ 81, who witnessed the historic conversion to One-Course-At-A- Time.
My family’s tradition continues with a current Cornell connection: Gerald’s great-niece, Kristen Koob ’03, is every bit as smitten as
the rest of us.
As for our professions, my father started a cold-storage food warehouse business in Fort Dodge, my sister was in hotel management, and I was a newspaper editor until I decided to take some time off to be with our children three years ago.
Lisa Koenig Reitzel ’78
Pasadena, Calif.
Baker dynasty
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A Cornell dynasty with nearly 30 members began with Grace Terrill Baker '08 and Earle A. Baker '08, a 30-year member of the board of trustees. |
The Baker family dynasty includes nearly 30 members. Among them are my parents, Earle A. Baker ’08 and Grace Terrill Baker ’08. My father was a member of the Cornell Board of Trustees from 1928 until his death in 1958 and was vice president of the college from 1948 to
1957. All of their children attended Cornell: Ruth Baker Thompson ’32, a Phi Beta Kappa member (daughter Mary Beth Thompson Wells ’58); Richard T.Baker ’34, a Methodist minister who graduated Phi Beta
Kappa (wife Marjorie Coleman Baker ’35, also Phi Beta Kappa, and son Coleman Earle Baker ’68 ); Beth Baker Mast ’ 37 (daughter artist Sara Mast ’78 was honored as a Visiting Alumni Leader in 1997); and Marjorie Baker Fish ’42, also Phi Beta Kappa (husband David Fish ’47,brother-in-law Donald Fish ’ 44, and son Don Fish ’72).
Earle’s sister was Ella Baker ’08 Phi Beta Kappa), who married Lewis Bradford ’08; his brothers were Clyde E. Baker ’08 and William
Nicholas Baker ’13. Earle, Clyle, William, and their brother-in- law, Lewis, were all Methodist ministers. One other brother who didn’t attend Cornell sent his daughter, Martha Baker Phelps ’59.
Clyde Baker had five children who went to Cornell: Maynard Baker ’29, Kenneth Baker ’32, Drew Baker ’33, Robert Baker ’38, and Faith Baker McKay Parsons ’39. William’s son is Francis Baker ’35.
In the Coleman family is Jessie Wilcox Coleman ’08 (son Lester Lyman Coleman II ’35, who married Lois Nyweide Coleman ’37).
My father, mother, and aunt, Ella, all received Phi Beta Kappa status when the chapter was established at Cornell in 1924. My father and brother both received honorary doctorates from Cornell.
Beth Baker Mast ’37
Davenport, Iowa
Hedges dynasty
My sister tells me there is a plaque by the front door of the Field House with our father’s name on it and that Hedges Conference Room in
The Commons is named for our father, Charles Hedges ’12. He became a Cornell trustee in 1929, a member of the Executive Committee in
1934, and served as secretary of the board from 1939 until his death in 1973.
Charles’ father, Darius Hedges,was sent to the Cornell Academy by his stepfather (his father was killed in the Civil War) and graduated about 1880. His other children were Bess B. Hedges Maulsby’ 13 (husband Arch Maulsby ’12 ) and Ivan Hedges ’20 (wife Alice Thomas Hedges ’24 ). Charles’ wife was Helen Hopkins Hedges’ 13.
Making up the third generation are my sister, Margaret Hedges Gough ’38 (husband Vincent Gough ’37 ), myself (husband Donald M.Current ’45), and our cousin, Jeanne Maulsby Currie ’37. My husband’s brothers are Harlan Current ’37 (wife Margaret Ruth Risser Current ’37) and Norman Current ’40 (wife LeNore Simpson Current ’39).
The fourth generation includes my children, Judith Current ’73 and Anne Current ’75.
June Hedges Current ’46
Burlington, Iowa
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