THE JUST SCRIBE

After forty-seven years as a labor lawyer with Pierce Atwood, new class agent Mason Pratt ’61 is writing his next chapter as a mystery novelist and poet.

AFTER BOWDOIN, I spent two years with the 82nd Airborne as an intelligence officer. A fellow Army lieutenant was taking the LSATs and he asked me to come along. On a whim, I told him if I got into Harvard, I’d go to law school. When I learned I was the last person accepted in my HLS class, I realized I had to work harder. It was a life lesson.

I BEGAN WRITING ABOUT OUR FAMILY for my children and grandchildren. When I retired from the law, I joined a writers’ group in Georgia’s Golden Isles. I attended seminars on writing, learned the craft, and began to call myself a writer. I published my first novel, The Truth About Hannah White, a Maine North Woods murder mystery based on my cases. Maine Authors’ Publishing is about to publish my new Maine North Woods spy thriller, On the Knife Edge, about a CIA assassin involved in Ukraine’s fight to oust the Russians.

I AM INSPIRED BY GREAT WRITING AND MUSIC, the wonders of nature, talking with friends and family, and my new wife, Mary Lyons-Pratt—we found each other in our senior years (I was eighty-three, she seventy-four) after losing our first loves. We read to each other, sing and dance, and love to laugh.

For more from this interview, visit bowdoin.edu/magazine.

1959

Charlie Graham: “In view of the lack of input from my fellow ’59 classmates in recent copies of the alumni magazine, I just wanted to let the rest of the Bowdoin community know that we aren’t all dead or in the throes of Dr. Alzheimer. I have recently heard from the likes of John Bird, Reid Appleby, Jerry Fletcher, Al Merritt, Rod Collette, and Deane Turner. Also, Shirley Stenberg, wife of the late Terry (Doug) Stenberg ’56, remains very active in our Camden church. As for me, I continue ‘circling the drain’ in a fairly active fashion, largely with the famous Men’s Cooking Club, which I helped start nine years ago. (I’m still a threat in the kitchen.) Are there any other extant ’59ers out there? If so, make yourselves known.” backgrounds. Two other members of the Class of 1969 are prior recipients of the Distinguished Educator Award: Merrill C. Cousens received the award in 1996, and Robert “Sandy” Ervin in 2009.

1965

Bill Matthews: “Marcia and I just returned from four wonderful days in Paris and three days in Aix-en-Provence. We took two grandchildren, Camden and Jack— both seniors in high school—and we joined Cooper, a third grandson, who is taking a term abroad in Aix. Best trip ever for Marcia and me.”

Charlie Musco: “My career in the equestrian world continues to hum along with different competitions around the US. I continue to look forward to each one! Personal travel is still a big priority with trips to Italy, the UK, Greece, and Denmark (for the World Equestrian Championships) in 2022. My first in 2023 is rapidly approaching… the island of Mykonos in the Greek Cyclades this month. On a personal note, my brother—after closing his law practice in Brookline, Massachusetts—moved to my city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina! He was completely exasperated by New England winters and is marveling at the difference in weather now that he’s moved. My nephew will attend NC State University as a freshman in August. Wishing everyone good health!”

1970

From a bowdoin.edu/news story, February 27, 2023. Ben Bernstein has been chosen by the Bowdoin Alumni Council to receive the 2023 Distinguished Educator Award for his extraordinary contributions over five decades as an educator and for more than forty years as a psychologist. He has helped hundreds of students develop into skilled, engaged, productive, and fulfilled learners and has worked with people at all levels of the American educational system and from all socioeconomic

1969

Paul Batista was featured in the Spring 2023 issue of the Manhattan magazine Carnegie Hill News in a profile outlining his careers as a television personality, novelist, and trial attorney. The piece notes that “he is one of the most widely known trial lawyers in the country, whose first book, Civil RICO Practice Manual, is now in its third edition with more than 100,000 copies sold. His latest novel, Accusation, is about a movie star who is accused of misconduct with women.” As a legal commentator, he also recently appeared on CBS News to discuss the former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh’s murder conviction in March.

Remember

The following is a list of deaths reported to us since the previous issue. Full obituaries appear online at: obituaries.bowdoin.edu

John E. Dale ’42

January 21, 2023

Spencer S. Dodd Jr. ’42

January 2, 2023

Richard A. Morrell ’50

April 7, 2023

Joseph W. Gauld ’51

March 31, 2023

William M. Patterson ’51

March 25, 2023

Harold E. Beisaw ’52

February 17, 2023

Vaughan A. Walker Jr. ’52

March 20, 2023

Walter E. Bartlett ’53

February 26, 2023

Francis M. DiBiase ’53

February 14, 2023

Alden H. Sawyer Jr. ’53

February 11, 2023

Peter Blatchford ’54

February 9, 2023

Charles Ranlett ’54

March 24, 2023

John D. Gignac ’55

February 13, 2023

Gareth S. Gelinas ’56

February 22, 2023

Wayne M. Wright ’56

March 4, 2023

Richard K. Fickett ’57

February 10, 2023

Michael G. Miller ’58

February 3, 2023

Kenneth N. Judson ’59

February 28, 2023

Thomas M. Jones ’60

January 17, 2023

John D. Luke ’60

March 5, 2023

Ronald F. Cole ’61

January 4, 2023

John T. Sack ’62

February 3, 2023

Peter K. Deeks ’63

February 2, 2023

Charles F. Flagg II ’63

February 15, 2023

Henry A. Martin ’63

September 2022

Richard L. Pettengill ’64

February 15, 2023

Russell W. Olson ’65

March 16, 2023

Donal B. Murphy ’66

April 7, 2023

F. Bradford Swenson Jr. ’66

March 17, 2023

Edmund B. Beyer ’69

January 22, 2023

John E. McCullough ’69

January 11, 2023

Ronald J. Mikulak ’69

January 10, 2023

Richard H. Card ’70

March 27, 2023

David R. Murray ’71

January 20, 2023

Steven E. MacIntyre ’72

February 2, 2023

Michael A. Ryan ’72

April 4, 2023

Lawrence Blacher ’74

March 8, 2023

Jonathan R. Prescott ’75

September 27, 2022

Edmund M. Sorenson ’75

January 8, 2023

Matthew S. Vokey ’88

January 29, 2023

Scott J. Wolfson ’92

February 20, 2023

Edward B. Hall ’95

February 23, 2023

Bija Sass ’95

February 21, 2023

Graduate

James H. Faux G’68

January 8, 2023

Edward K. Roundy G’70

March 28, 2023

John M. Grace G’73

December 19, 2022

FACULTY/STAFF

Polly W. Kaufman

February 3, 2023

John McKee

December 16, 2023

Ruth B. Peck

March 29, 2023

James D. Redwine Jr.

March 22, 2023

Raymond Tetreault

March 8, 2023

Bowdoin obituaries appear on a dedicated online site, rather than printed in these pages. Updated regularly, the improved obituary format allows additional features that we can’t offer in print, specifically the ability for classmates, families, and friends to post photos and remembrances.

Peter Webster ’62 and his daughter, Amy Berg ’91, with artist Francois Pompon’s 1922 sculpture Ours blanc [The White Bear] at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Referring to the age of the piece, Peter comments that the two are “later version” polar bears.

Jeff D. Emerson: “Vicky and I are back from our three weeks in Italy in October [2022]. The usual tourist spots (the Vatican and Pompeii) were incredibly crowded, declaring, I guess, that the pandemic is over. Next up we travel to Montreal to celebrate the first birthday of our newest grandchild. Then the United Kingdom and, later this year, a river cruise from Lyon to Arles. So we have declared the pandemic over. When not traveling, I study Krav Maga, an Israeli martial art. Recently spent time with classmates Paul Batista, Jim Bowie, and George Isaacson, all of whom are still working; in Paul’s case a triple threat: lawyer, novelist, and TV commentator.”

Steve Schwartz: “In April, Steve Schwartz gave a master class in movie producing to students at Columbia University (film students at Columbia’s School of the Arts plus undergraduate film majors). Steve has an MFA from the writing division of Columbia’s School of the Arts.”

Bill Matthews ’65 and his wife, Marcia, traveled with two of their grandsons to France, where they met up with a third grandson studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence. The group posed for a photo together before ascending the Eiffel Tower. Bill said, “Best trip ever for Marcia and me.”

1971

Abe Morrell: “I took John McKee’s photography class in the fall of 1969. This was his first time teaching in the art department, having taught French at Bowdoin before that. Earlier in his life, John also studied mathematics and music. He was a polymath! At the time, I did not know anything about photography, but, from the start, I knew that John brought a special way of teaching it. While not ignoring the technical side of things, his approach linked art with its relationships to many other disciplines like music, drawing, poetry, Zen Buddhism, and humor. He himself would have equated his teaching style to a Bach fugue where separate musical parts come together to make a new whole. Years later, as a teacher myself, I adopted

John’s way of teaching, as it felt like the only way to do it. At a time at Bowdoin in the late ’60s, when I felt lost, John brought a light into my life, which continues to this day. I am only one among very many of his students who are indebted to him for his dedication, generosity as a teacher, and his lifelong friendship. John was a talented photographer as well, practicing during summers and sabbaticals. As good an artist as he was, he remained, at heart, a dedicated and influential teacher all his life. He thrived among his students because he always wanted to learn from us too. He blurred the differences between life and art in such a way that it was often hard for us to tell when his classes began or ended. To my mind, John embodied the best part of what a liberal arts education should be. He possessed a precise and rigorous intellect while staying agile and open in his ways of considering the world, and that was such a deep lesson to all of us who knew him. I, for one, would not be the person I am without him.”

1974

Peter Griggs:

“I’m pleased to announce the second chamber orchestra piece in my Imaginary Landscape series is now available on Bandcamp at rhythmsinmyheadmusicbypetergriggs.bandcamp.com. Imaginary Landscape No. 2 is the second in a series of compositions inspired by the landscape paintings of Swiss-German artist Paul Klee. It is scored for two flutes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, English horn, bassoon, trumpet, two French horns, two trombones, tuba, two harps, violin, viola, cello, string bass, tympani, and bass drum. After an opening English horn solo and brass chorale, the piece explores a variety of shifting moods, instrumental textures, and tonal colors. It is presented in a digital realization, with an overall duration of just under six minutes. You can listen to tracks on Bandcamp without having to purchase anything, although downloads are much appreciated. Hoping all is fine with you. Cheers.”

1977

Andrea EasterPilcher: “My husband, Brian (thirty-seven years and counting!), and I moved to Ogden, Utah, in 2018 when I joined Weber State University (WSU) as the first female dean of the College of Science and my husband was hired as a faculty member in the department of zoology. Prior to WSU, we spent ten years at St. George’s University (SGU) in Grenada, West Indies, where, most recently, I served as the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. Brian, daughter Emily (twenty-nine years old and a licensed substance abuse counselor and RN), and I enjoyed tapas with Brace Young and his wife, Landis Becker Young, occasionally during those fabulous Grenada years. Prior to my appointment at SGU, I was a tenured professor of wildlife and conservation biology in the department of environmental sciences at the University of Montana–Western. I earned my MSc in wildlife biology from the University of Montana in Missoula and my PhD in the biological sciences (conservation biology) with statistics as a supporting field from Montana State University in Bozeman. As a wildlife and conservation biologist, I focus my research on the conservation and restoration of threatened species and ecosystems around the globe. This focus has led to working across state and international boundaries to facilitate collaborative solutions to wildlife conservation issues.

Research projects have ranged from snare-trapping and radio-tracking grizzly bears in northwestern Montana to acting as a biological and statistical consultant on a research project examining the effects of ecotourism and climate change on declining Adelie penguin populations in Antarctica to being the principal investigator on a biodiversity restoration project involving the reintroduction of beavers into the Volga-Kama National Nature Preserve in Russia. Other work has included multiple wildlife and marine research efforts across the Caribbean region—from wildlife trafficking (parrots and sea turtles) to coral reef restoration efforts to working with critically endangered island birds—and I have been in the field in the Russian Far East with Russian colleagues who were radio-tracking and setting up camera traps for Siberian tigers, Amur leopards, and Musk deer. I was honored to serve as a delegate representing the country of Grenada at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) for the Convention of the Parties (CoP) 16 in Bangkok, Thailand, and CoP 17 in Johannesburg, South Africa. While I have enjoyed writing about my research and presenting that research to a variety of professional and nonprofessional groups, my greatest pleasure has come from watching my students emerge as leaders in the wildlife and conser vation global arena. My husband and I have had many wonderful times over all these years with Jayne GradyReitan and her husband, Scott; Jim Winninghoff and his wife, Anne; and Jim Nicholson ’73 and his wife, Debbie. Best wishes to all of my Bowdoin classmates and friends. Weren’t we just graduating?”