Class Notes

In 1948 David Bolen (Mktg’50, MS’50) competed in the Olympics in London and was the first CU student to compete in the games. He received fourth place in the 400-meters. “It made me feel good to be the first CU student as an Olympian,” he told the Daily Camera in July. David resides in Scottsdale, Ariz. Read about him on pages 26-27 in this issue.

CU couple Oluf Nielsen (ArchEngr’50) and Barbara Rauch Nielsen (ArchEngr’50) appeared in The Denver Post in September showcasing their home in Denver’s Harvey Park. Oluf and Barbara have lived in the home for 56 years where they raised five kids.

Recalling his days on campus, Dixon, N.M., resident Doug Nelson (Geog’50) mailed a copy of a photo of the CU football team boarding one of their first flights to an away game. The team posed in front of the United Airlines plane on Oct. 2, 1947, before they flew to New York to play Army at West Point. Doug estimates that about half of the team were returning GIs. While the team’s wins that year were not as high as desired, Doug notes that the team’s camaraderie was strong, especially under players like Stan Hendrickson (Econ’47) and Bob Spicer (Jour’50).

Reaching a milestone, Littleton, Colo., residents Morley Robinson (CivEngr’50) and wife Dolores celebrated 65 years of marriage. Morley was an aerospace engineer for 38 years, working on several space projects, including the shuttle. His most vivid CU memory was in 1947 when his professor, Roland Rautenstraus, was nearly struck by lightning while teaching his class about transit scopes. Morley’s grandfather hauled freight by a mule-pulled wagon to CU in the 1890s. His CU pride has continued as his three children and three grandchildren attended the university.

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).

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.

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.

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.”

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 

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.

Albuquerque resident Roscoe Champion (MechEngr) spent his engineering career in advanced R&D, interrupted by a stint as a Navy air intelligence officer. Then, he had a career with his own business. In the past two years, he’s published four books of poetry: Flakes of Time; And Then. . . (which covers 33 poems from the first year following his wife’s death in December 2018); Wandering and Wondering; and Celebrations! He collaborated with an artist for a children’s book of poetry titled Chrys Caterpillar’s Dream. Next up is his book My Lifelong Adventure with the Grand Canyon. Roscoe swam four freestyle events in the Senior Olympics over the course of 12 years and, in four age groups, set 15 New Mexico state records. He won two gold and three silver medals in the Senior Olympic Nationals in Tucson, Arizona, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He writes, “Dear Old CU gave me a broad vision and a great start.”

For the past 25 years, Maynard Skinner (PE; MEdu’54; PhDEdu’63) ran the Department of State exchange program for the University of California, Davis, helping foreign nationals visit for a three-week period. Maynard paired the guests with hosts of similar interests. Maynard, now 91, was vice chancellor of student affairs for UC Davis before retiring in 1992. A successful local politician, Maynard was on the Davis City Council for 16 years and elected mayor twice. He wrote, “When I was mayor, I brought Boulder’s open-space coordinator to visit, [whose programs] we copied], and Boulder in turn copied our no smoking in public places ordinance.”

John R. Thompson (A&S; PhD’60), emeritus professor at Oberlin College, writes that he has been retired for 28 years. Oberlin’s first clinical psychologist, he taught abnormal psychology and systems of therapy. There he also founded the student counseling and psychological services center. Later, John and his wife, Wynona Tank Thompson (A&S’51), led a group that advocated for the Episcopal Church to ordain women priests, and another group that pushed the U.S. Presbyterian Church to ordain and marry same sex-couples. John recently published the book Me, Now and Then: a Memoir. He and Wynona have fond memories of CU, where they married as undergraduates. “That campus is so beautiful and the education we got there was wonderful,” he wrote.

Illinois native Ralph Abelt (Acct) is a retired banking executive who worked as CEO of Bank One in Cleveland in the 1980s and ’90s. Earlier in life, he served in the U.S. Marines and was an active leader in the Boy Scouts of America in Northeast Ohio. He and wife Patricia are the proud parents of three children: Susan, Christopher and Leslie.

Robert McKenzie (A&S) was recognized by the Session of St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, Calif., on the 50th anniversary of his installation as pastor and designated Pastor Emeritus. He served the congregation from 1966 to 1983, a period of intense turmoil in Berkeley, and steered the congregation to embrace a ministry of social justice that has been its hallmark ever since.

Since founding a community service program in 2005 in Tucson, Ariz., “The Desert Readers,” Roger Allen (A&S’52) has enriched the lives of people living in assisted living residences and senior health care centers. The program entertains seniors with jokes, short stories, poetry, a sing-a-long and trivia. All of the participants are senior citizens. While at CU, Roger was the president of the Ballad Club and remembers when Burl Ives came to a club meeting after performing at Macky Auditorium. Roger still sings folk songs and ballads and takes guitar lessons. “It is never too late to enrich our lives,” he writes.

During the decades, the Anderson family has grown to become its own small herd of Buffaloes. Jack Kent Anderson (PolSci’52, Law’54) is a retired attorney. His grandson, Kyle Anderson Slavin (Comm’13) is working on another degree while playing his final year as a tight end for the Buffs’ football team. Other Forever Buffs includes his mother,Amy Anderson Slavin (Bus’82), and three aunts, Jennifer Anderson (PE’85), Susan Anderson Heap (Jour’85) andKrista Anderson Gordon (Jour’79).

Esther Paper Gelman* (Engl’52) was elected to the Montgomery County Council from 1974-86. She served as president of the council from 1983-84 and simultaneously was president of the Maryland Association of Counties. Her husband Norm Gelman*(Jour’51, MA’53) is chair of the Maryland Human Relations Commission. The couple lives in Potomac, Md.

*Lifetime member

For the last six years, Roger C. Allen (A&S’52) developed and organized the Tucson, Ariz.,-based group The Desert Readers. The volunteer performers tell humorous jokes, inspirational short stories and memorable poetry to seniors in nursing homes, assisted-living and independent-living residences. The group has performed more than 365 times since July 2005. Roger lives in Tucson.