Notes from the Class of 1951

After several years of active duty in the U.S. Navy, including time spent as a quarter master on a Landing Craft Infantry in the Pacific, Jack Fowler (CivEngr’51) returned to CU to earn his degree. He retired from Public Service Co. of Colorado after 37 years and lives in Fort Collins with his wife of 62 years. He has two daughters and four grandchildren.

Longtime supporter of the Leeds School of Business Richard “Dick” Burridge Sr.* (Fin’51) made a $2.5 million gift to establish the Burridge Chair in Finance. In 1997 Dick helped establish the Burridge Center for Securities Analysis and Valuation at the school. He serves as the chair of the investment policy committee for the CU Foundation. He lives in Burr Ridge, Ill.

*Directors Club member 

Nancy Garn Bachus (Edu) is a founding member of the Low Writers, a bi-monthly writing group in Boulder. She shared with the group letters she wrote to her parents in Indiana during her four years at CU, giving a glimpse of her college years. Nancy returned to CU in 1952 with husband Ralph (DistSt’48; MS’61), who was studying on the GI Bill to become a teacher

After serving in the K-9 unit of the 38th Engineering Battalion Special, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Los Alamos, N.M., in the 1940s, Herb Bowman (Math, Phys) attended CU, then worked as the production control and planning manager of Dow Chemical’s new project at Rocky Flats. He was one of the first 10 people to work at the plant and was directly involved in the production of plutonium bomb cores. Herb told the Boulder Daily Camera he had harbored hope that Rocky Flats would “be gone and the need for nuclear weapons would no longer be necessary.”

Evelyn Golden Shafner (Edu; MA’69; MEdu’72) has published Champa Street, a novel set in Depression-era Denver. She began handwriting the story in a notebook at age 80 and completed it by her 83rd birthday. The book is available on Amazon. Evelyn, a Denver native, is now writing her second novel.

Charles Eschenburg (DistSt; MD’55) retired with wife Carole Degen (Nurs’54) to Hobe Sound, Fla. For 37 years Charles was a pediatrician in Delray Beach, where he also was active in the establishment of the Morikami Park and Gardens. Charles and Carole, who’ve been married for 62 years, have traveled extensively, including a four-month cruise around the world. They have two daughters, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Carl Cerveny (Mktg) and his wife, former Wheat Ridge, Colo. mayor Gretchen Gasser Cerveny (PhysTher'54), report that grandson Chandler Cerveny (Fin'17) graduated from CU in December. Chandler represents the fourth generation of the family to earn a CU degree. Chandler's parents, Chris Cerveny (Fin'84) and Lori Chandler Cerveny (Fin'84), proceeded him, as did great-grandparents Albert Cerveny (CivEngr'27) and Martha Christoffers Cerveny (Art'26).