1950s

50 Overseas Sacrifices and Campus Philanthropy
Since many members of the Class of 1950 served in World War II, the Korean War or both conflicts, many of their memorial notices feature amazing accounts of heroism and sacrifice. For this reason, I’ve been curious about class members who didn’t return from their overseas deployments. In search of answers, I found a wonderful tribute to some of them that was posted online by the Class of 1969 (at notredameclassof1969blog.blogspot.com) about ND casualties during the Korean War. From this, I learned that five Domers made the ultimate sacrifice for their country during that conflict and that one member of the Class of 1950 was among them: Elmore Charles “El” Smith. Second Lieutenant Smith, USMCR, was killed in action on Sept. 16, 1951, during combat operations in the Punchbowl (Haean Basin), near Songae-Dong in Gangwon-do Province (Central Korean Front). A native of Bronxville NY, he was recalled to active duty (he’d apparently served as an enlisted Marine near the end of WWII) in September 1950 and then completed his officer training at Quantico VA. After reaching his unit at Camp LeJeune NC, 2LT Smith volunteered for combat operations and, when his request was approved, served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. Lt. Smith was highly decorated with many individual and unit awards. After his death, he was initially buried in the military cemetery at Tanggok, Korea; his final interment was at Mount St. Mary Cemetery in Flushing NY. While reviewing these solemn statistics and biographical details, I began to wonder what kind of person Elmore Smith was. Fortunately, I found some quotations and news stories that bring his short life into clearer focus. For example, his parents wrote a letter to Notre Dame with news that their son had bequeathed $1,115 to the University (one news article said that this was “all his possessions”). In that note (published in Notre Dame Alumnus, December 1952) his father said that “Notre Dame had a great deal to do with the wonderful life that Elmore had. Both Mrs. Smith and I are very happy that he was thoughtful enough to show his appreciation to Notre Dame in this way.” Following their son’s wishes, the donated funds were among the first allocated by ND in the rebuilding of the Student Center. The Oct. 7, 1955, edition of Scholastic reported that, on Oct. 1 of that year, the “Amphitheater of the Student Center was dedicated in the honor of the late Second Lt. Elmor [sic] Smith.” Despite searching, I couldn’t find additional information on the location of the amphitheater, but it may actually have been inside the LaFortune Student Center, which was built within the structure of the old Science Hall during that same timeframe. Wherever it was, this one Marine’s sacrifice in battle, followed by a generous financial bequest to his beloved alma mater, must have been greatly appreciated by many students over the years. Of this brave lieutenant, I’m sure my USMC friends would loudly shout “Semper Fi, Marine — Hoorah!” Did any of you know Elmore or are you aware of locations on campus that note 2LT Smith’s service? I’d love to hear from you if you do. If you would like to share news about the Class or stories from your time at ND, please let me know. — Jim Coogan ’91; jcooganv@alumni.nd.edu

51 Our 75th Reunion
The Class of 1950 had one person attend their 75th Reunion on campus. Is anyone planning to represent the Class of 1951 on June 4 - 7? Visit reunion.nd.edu for more information. — Jim Jennings; jimj4703@gmail.com

52 Our Beginning
Scholastic Vol. 90, No. 1, Sept. 24, 1948: “Swollen Enrollment Jams Notre Dame: Faculty Total soars; 47 Added This Term” — “Forty-seven new teachers from all parts of the United States and from Canada, South America and Europe have joined the Notre Dame faculty this year. Of the new faculty members 27 will teach in the College of Arts and Letters, eight in Science, five in Engineering, three in Law, and two in Commerce. Two others have been added to the Mediaeval Institute staff. The new appointments are: College of Arts And Letters: Dr. James F. Aiderson, of Dover DE, from the faculty of Loyola U in Chicago, Assistant Professor of Philosophy; James Binder, of Reading PA, from Johns Hopkins U of Higher Studies, Instructor of English; Gerard M. Brannon, of Manila, P. I., from Boston College, Instructor of Economics; Dr. Elie Denissoff, of Leningrad, U.S.S.R., Associate Professor of Philosophy; Francis X. Duggan, of Philadelphia, a 1948 graduate of the University and former editor of the Juggler, Instructor of English; Thomas A. Dunlea, of Somerville MA, from Loyola U of Chicago, Instructor of History; Dr. Selby Hannsen, of Kansas City MO, from the U of Virginia, Assistant Professor of English; Donald F. Henry of Washington DC. With lead in their feet and a cold fear of Dining Hall sheep in their hearts, forty-nine hundred aspiring, perspiring students flocked onto the campus last week for the opening of the 1948-49 academic year. They found they constituted the biggest, highest-paying enrollment in the University’s 106-year history. They found, too, a few changes in the city by the lakes. There was new gold being pasted on the Dome, a new setup in the disciplinary authority, a new registration procedure, the IBM machine, 47 new profs, new rectors, and in some halls, new paint for aging walls. But it was still the same old Notre Dame. The most impressive addition to campus life was the huge crop of freshmen, already trotting around buying Rockne’s chair, Gipp’s crib notes, and Sorin’s beard from accommodating upperclassmen. The frosh, numbering 1200, were hand-picked from thousands of applications which flooded the Registrar’s office last year. They came from every state in the Union, from the D. of C., Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and from six foreign countries. One hundred thirty were veterans. The total enrollment, still climbing as late arrivals came in this week, was 4933. Every hall was choked to over-capacity, and some of the freshmen were being temporarily housed in the Oliver. To instruct this outpouring of eager scholars a SCO-man faculty stood ready with shining smiles, outside reading, and departmental exams. Among the faculty members were 86 priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross, four priests of other orders, four teaching brothers, over 300 lay teachers, and 102 graduate assistants. Among other shifts in the University administration, the Rev. Father James Norton was appointed Assistant Director of Studies, replacing the Rev. Father John J. Lane. Veterans’ affairs will be handled by Mr. Edward J. Murray, Director of Students Accounts. And to keep the swelling mob of students in line, the Rev. Father Joseph Kehoe was back on the job, but his office had a new title. It was now the Office of Student Welfare. The Rev. Father Joseph Barry, former student activity adviser, was to assist Father Kehoe in policing the ranks.” It was still the same old Notre Dame. — George L. Heidkamp; 9308 Linden Reserve Dr., Prairie Village KS 66207; 913-206-4128; georgeaj@rcn.com

53 Spring Updates
There are a couple of passings I am sad to share. Edward Conti passed away in January of last year. Born in Detroit, he spent the majority of his life in Weston WV. He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, which led him to a distinguished career in magnetic media and computer storage, culminating with him founding Memory Media Products in the early ’70s. After retiring as CEO in 1994, he continued to contribute to the industry through QRS Software Services until his retirement in 2018. He is survived by his wife, Chloe, whom he married in 1960, three sons — Anthony, Edward and Christian — and his granddaughter Sophia. Frank Edwards passed away peacefully on Feb. 13. Frank was born in Rock Island IL, lettering in football and baseball at Rock Island High School. Following graduating from Our Lady’s University and serving in the US Army, Frank earned a law degree from the U of Illinois. Frank practiced law in the Quad Cities for 55 years. Frank met his wife, Rosalyn Connolly, in 1954, which led to 70-plus years together until her death in 2024. Frank and Rosalyn are survived in death by their six children, Teresa, Jim ’79, Tom, Sue, Mary and Liz, as well as their 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Please stay in touch. Looking forward to hearing from the class and their families. — John Olson ’15; 630-272-2110; jolson5@alumni.nd.edu

54 Weather and More
Greetings from hot Ormond Beach FL. For about three weeks or more temperatures have been 85 to 100 with no rain. One storm. We get a lot of thunder but that is all. Now for the personal side. I was walking with a physical therapist when a lady approached me. The young lady nudged me saying she is worth pursuing. I did! After many lunch dates I realized I was falling for Elizabeth Tomei. Not a young girl but a 91-year-old lady. She was a widow for about 15 years. Some months after telling Elizabeth I was falling in love with her I said forget the falling as I am totally in love with you. Her reply was simple but deep. She said, “I told God I wasn’t looking, but if He had someone for me, great.” I showed up. A death certificate problem prevented marriage. But Elizabeth solved the problem and we exchanged vows before God. She is a wonderful lady and I am a blessed man. I had two messages from classmates, but computer problems erased them. But please let me know of any news either personal or professional. It is hard writing a column with no news. The football season has started. Some say we will be 12 and 0. Here’s hoping for a National Championship. — John Mertens; 550 Wilmette Ave., Ormond Beach FL 32174; cell 845-216-7251; land 386-615-3685; jacknd54@gmail.com

55 Recruiting Bonanza
Notre Dame has received 27 signed letters of intent from high school seniors who have announced that they want to join the football team for the 2026 season. The nationwide rankings of these recruits is truly amazing. These rankings were assigned to these high school players by Rivals Industry Ranking. Notre Dame has gotten letters of intent from: the No. 1 and No. 7 safeties; the No. 3 and No. 7 DEs; the No. 2, No. 8, No. 12 and No. 15 cornerbacks; the No. 1 TE; the No. 5 RB; and the No. 15 WR. We will be headed for the college playoffs in the years ahead! Col. Thomas A. O’Hara (USAF Ret) died in March. As freshmen, Tom and I lived across from one another in Zahm Hall. He served in the Air Force for 23 years, during which he flew 113 missions in Vietnam. He earned an MBA from the U of Nebraska, and after Tom’s retirement from the Air Force, President Reagan appointed him US Marshal for the state of NE. He held that office for 12 years. He is survived by four children. Melissa S. Kearney graduated from Princeton and earned her Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is now a professor of economics at Notre Dame, and she has written an outstanding book titled The Two-Parent Privilege. Her book has been published by the U of Chicago Press and deals with how the number of children who have only one parent has risen because of the decline of the institution of marriage. Prof. Kearney describes how this has led to a host of economic woes. One of my classmates, who was an economics major, said I should read this book and it would make me smart in economics. I don’t know about that … sometimes I have trouble balancing my checkbook. My special friend, Frank Conklin, died in October 2025. After graduation, Frank served as a naval officer aboard the USS Bremerton. He then joined the family firm, Conklin-Cahill, on the NY Stock Exchange for 30 years. Frank is survived by his wife, Daniele, and 10 children, 52 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Michael Maloney died in Oct. 2025. He obtained his Notre Dame bachelor’s degree and his Notre Dame law degree in six years. After service in the US Army, he conducted his own law practice for 36 years until he formed the law firm Maloney and Maloney with his daughter Mary. He practiced law for 60 years. Pat, his wife of 47 years, and a son predeceased him. Michael is survived by three children. I received a note from Dave Scheele informing me that he was first server on a team that won two Erickson Pickleball Tournament games. He adds that no one knows his age and he won’t tell them because he is much older than they are. Gerry Hillsman died in September 2025. He was in the AFROTC, and he and his wife, Carole, lived on Okinawa where he served as an Air Force officer. He had a lifetime career as a certified public accountant. He was the longtime treasurer and, later, president of the ND Club of Chicago. Carole died in 1998. They had five children. Gerry was an active member of ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out), which was made up of fellow Notre Dame classmates. In 2000, he married Mary Lou who had five children. Gerry is survived by his five children. It is fair to say that Swede Metress may have been the best-known member of our class. He was totally likeable and full of laughs. I received a note from him, and the first thing he told me was that Bob Arrix had hung the name “Swede” on him, that his real name was James, that his grandmother called him Seamus, and that he has legally adopted that name. He earned a master’s degree from Columbia U and a Ph.D. from Indiana U. His wife, Eileen, has a Ph.D., and he met her at the U of Toledo where he has taught for many years. They spent 11 summers doing fieldwork in the six counties of Northern Ireland. They lived with Nationalist families and wrote on a variety of issues that plagued those families. Jerry Hughes sent me a note saying that he was OK. Remember to give him a call, if you are passing through Kansas City and want a steak. To paraphrase Jerry Mulvihill ’53: Let us be grateful for the joys our Class of 1955 connections have brought us, and pray for the classmates who have left us. Ad Altare Dei. — John Connaughton; 1516 Marquette Blvd., South Bend IN 46628; 574-289-1445; jcithaca37@yahoo.com

56 In Memoriam
I am so brokenhearted / Don’t let me get started / Coach Freeman did his best / 10 wins there to attest / The committee voted ND out / How did that come about / Leaves me with so much doubt / No sense crying in my beer / We’ll make it happen next year! It is with great sadness that I pass along these notices about our lost classmates. Franklin Cappellino lived in East Rochester NY and passed away in September 2025. He was a very successful real estate broker, a volunteer Scoutmaster, a man of strong faith and a dedicated volunteer with the homeless and neighborhood associations. His obituary can be found at Harloff Funeral Home. Martin Kyle died in November 2025 after an outstanding career. He held a BS and MS in chemical engineering and an MBA from the U of Chicago. His work for Argonne Labs led to commendations from the Atomic Energy Commission. Dr. John Marolin passed away Jan. 8 in Gibsonia PA. He was a prominent osteopath with a practice in the Bay Area of CA. C.F. Budenbender died Nov. 1, 2025, in Ravenna OH. He was Navy ROTC and served on the Esmeralda. He was a finance guy and his first job out of school was with Touche Ross, which later became Deloitte and Touche, and eventually Deloitte. Bud retired as the deputy director of management and budget for the City of New York. Richard “Dick” Clarke passed away Dec. 24, 2025, on the occasion of his 92nd birthday. He was a very successful lawyer and a partner in a Chicago law firm. He and Judy raised four children and he was very active in civic and community affairs in Park Ridge IL. His obituary was posted in the Chicago Tribune. Gerald “Jerry” M. Brann ’56, ’62JD died in October 2025. He served in the Army, attained the rank of sergeant and received his law degree from Notre Dame in 1962. He later led the law firm of Brann, Williams, Caldwell & Sheetz. He is survived by three children (all grads of ND) and four grandchildren and was inducted into the Canton PA Football Hall of Fame. His obituary is through Pepper Funeral Home in Canton. In other news, Bob McKenty received a scam email from Ed Cosgrove, so please watch out for those. On a brighter note, I had a nice talk with our good friend Dr. James Jolin, who, like a lot of us, is not very mobile these days. Leo O’Donnell also sent a picture of freshman-year classmates John Fannon, Gene Brennan and Lou Torrance. And finally, we received wonderful Christmas greetings from Jim Brennan. On a personal note, I have not received any strong feelings to attend our 70th Reunion June 4 - 7, so I have no plans to leave my chair, but you can join MaryAnn and Richard Yeager at Reunion 2026 by registering at reunion.nd.edu. Deacon Jim Revord and his wife, Pat, have found comfort in a retirement village, as did Leo O’Donnell. Please take extra care of yourselves, Class of ’56, as we celebrate our 70th reunion year of our beloved University. — Joe Kalbas; 317-679-1550; hjkalbas@yahoo.com

56JD Send Updates
I miss hearing from you! Please email me updates by April 18. — Lauren Sharkey ’08, ’11JD; shark.byam@gmail.com

57 Campus Capers
I am pleased and proud to lead off this column by announcing that the late Alan Dant and his lovely wife, Marilyn (sister of another classmate, the late John Hammett), were awarded the 2025 Dorothy Day Award by the Westside Catholic Center for their years of volunteer work with the center, which caters to the poor on Cleveland’s near westside. The award is given for exhibiting “commitment to, and love of, Christ demonstrated through community with concern and love for those living in poverty.” What they did, much of the time, is sort donated clothes, and if that doesn’t sound like much, I can report from my own experience of meeting Dorothy Day, who didn’t warm easily to journalists even though she was one, that the way to win her ear was to first spend a couple of hours — yes — sorting donated clothes. Buzz Wurzer, alias “Henry the K,” “Buzzly” and terminally, it seems, “the Buzzinator,” has self-published a lively memoir of his life and good times, which includes a story of when, junior year, he and a couple of very-late-night poker-playing buddies in then-new Pangborn Hall decided to push back against two more studious neighbors who complained of the after-hours noise by cherry bombing the complainers’ medicine cabinet from the medicine cabinet in the adjoining dorm room. That caper cost Buzz and his buddies a two-week suspension from school and a dicey chance to return and earn their degree. That was harsher than the penalty that I and some other classmates were given for a more serious caper sophomore year — stealing a rented bus during a spring outing at the Lake Michigan shore. For that, we were merely campused for the rest of the semester, which for me meant dropping down from my second-floor single in Howard Hall after hours to visit my girlfriend in town and then staying out the rest of the night in a diner. Some of my penalized friends who also left campus surreptitiously chose to spend the night sleeping in an ND golf course sand trap. OK guys, how many stories like these did you tell your children and grandchildren? Lemuel Joyner, one of only a half-dozen African Americans in our graduating class and, according the Alumni Association, the University’s oldest black graduate, died Jan. 17 in South Bend where the TN native spent his adult life. He was 97. Lem came to ND in 1951 where he studied art under Rev. Anthony Lauck, CSC, ’42 and Ivan Mestrovic while also working full-time to support his family, which eventually included six boys. After graduation Lem took a position with St. Christopher’s Workshop as a designer of church furnishings, working with stained glass, marble, enamel and metal. After earning his MA in fine arts at ND, he served as an assistant professor, master teacher and assistant to the president at Saint Mary’s College. He is survived by Barbara, his wife of 51 years, and five of his children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Jack Folks’ son John ’83 sent me a wonderful writeup on Jack, whom I remember as the Long Islander who dryly played Bud Abbott to Mike Collins’ Lou Costello. Jack died last June. I didn’t know he had become a major builder and developer, at one point owning more hotel rooms on Long Island than anyone else — including anyone named Trump. I visited Jack and his beautiful wife, Gusty, at their estate on Shelter Island a dozen or so years ago. He was still the master ironist but never spoke of his wealth or success or his charitable work. For that I have to thank his son, who is the third-generation T. John Folks to graduate from ND. Let us remember in our prayers these other classmates who died last year: Frank Fischer MD, Robert Bautista, Matt Weis Jr., C.K. Claunch Jr., John Nolan, Mark Watson Jr., Fred W. Kreusch, Bill Maddux, Gerald Thees and Richard W. Lenert. — Kenneth Woodward; kennethlwoodward@gmail.com; 1155 N. Dearborn St., #1202, Chicago IL 60610

58 Fondly Remembered
Theodore Collins of Seattle passed away Aug. 3, 2025. After graduation, Ted studied at U of Bonn, Germany, on a Fulbright Scholarship before attending and graduating from Harvard Law School in 1962. Ted married his wife, Patricia, in 1968. Ted spent a successful career as an attorney at the firm Perkins Coie before becoming vice president and general counsel of the Boeing Company. He is survived by his wife, five children and 10 grandchildren. Frederick W. Kreusch of Wilmington DE passed away Aug. 5, 2025. Fred served in the US Army from 1958-60. Thereafter, Fred then began a career of over 40 years in management with General Motors in NYC. Fred also served on various financial and securities boards in NY, before retiring to the coast of SC. Fred is survived by his wife of 67 years, Charleen, and five children and nine grandchildren. John F. McMahon of Pinehurst NC passed away Aug. 10, 2025. John married his wife, Mary Louise, in 1958, and the couple had three children. John served in the US Army beginning in 1961. After his military service, John began his professional career with the Associated Press before embarking on a successful 35-year career with Alcoa in public relations. John also served the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh as head of communications. In 1994, John married his second wife, Pat, and welcomed her three children into his life. John is survived by his six children and many grandchildren. William E. Dotterwiech of Chicago, formerly of Fort Wayne IN, passed on Sept. 14, 2025. After graduation, Bill served in the US Navy for four years, including as an engineering instructor at the Naval Academy. Thereafter, Bill embarked on a career in industry, which led to the presidency of three different companies, and service as president and member of several industry associations. After retirement, Bill concentrated on service to poor and minority communities and right-to-life activities including many service activities through Notre Dame. Bill married his wife, Peggy, in 1959. He was predeceased by his wife and one son, and is survived by three children, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. George D. Navadel of Vista CA passed away Dec. 9, 2025. After graduation, George was commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corps where he served for 30 years, retiring as a colonel out of Camp Pendleton CA. He then began a second career with Pacifica Services followed by 19 years as a substitute teacher with the local high school. George is survived by the love of his life, Lori, with whom he shared more than 61 wonderful years. They have five children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. — Arthur L. Roule Jr.; 114 Sagamore Parkway, La Porte IN 46350; alroule@yahoo.com. Assisted by son Mark J. Roule ’98; mroule@gmail.com

59 Down Through the Years
Thank you to those who pray the Saturday Rosary. Because the magazine has a word limit for our class’s notes, my quarterly postings may not always be the length that I’d prefer. For example, in order to include messages like the following great email from Bill Flynn (Fernandina Beach FL): “Initially, I was happy to be among our living 1959 classmates. Then I remembered all the great friends in the deceased group, especially my roommates: Carl Edmundson (d. 8/15/2020), Adrian ‘Sonny’ Doyle (d. 4/12/1994) and Wayne Faist (d. 4/20/2013); my best man, Tom Ryan (d. 10/25/2009); and so many more. Time for prayers! I then thought that everyone should be happy to know that 100% of our class that graduated from Seton Hall Prep (then located on the SHU campus) in South Orange NJ had been assigned to Breen-Phillips Hall. Rudy Hornish (who now resides in the Motion Picture Home, Woodland Hills CA) was on the first floor, and I was on B-P’s third floor. Rudy’s family kindly invited me to join them on the initial drive to campus. Next, I had a Twilight Zone ‘episode’ as I remembered that John Frey (d. 5/30/2021) and I sat next to each other in AFROTC classes for all four years (alphabetically, Flynn, Frey, etc.), that we were commissioned as officers on the day before graduation, and then we were stationed about 70 miles apart — John at the former Blytheville AFB in AR, and I with the Air Force in Memphis. The episode continued when we ‘parked’ our infants in a nursery and drove to Tom Ryan’s (best man for my wedding) home in Oak Park IL, on our way to Evanston, to see Northwestern upset the Irish (we subsequently hired Ara Parseghian). Some years later, as we were leaving Michigan State for CA, we visited John and family in Cincinnati and drank some of the famous Hudepohl beer while watching ‘Charlie Hustle’ (Pete Rose) play in the old Crosley Field. The episode was so real that I decided it was all true, and so I now believe it to be so! I hope this finds you and yours in good spirits and health. Peace be with you. Bill.” That’s Bill Flynn’s exact note to me. Thanks so much, Bill Flynn. As soon as I saw Wayne Faist’s name, I could see his face. And, I also recognized John Frey’s name right away. Stuff like that is always a big thrill for me because I’m so attached to the University. In a recent telephone conversation with Msgr. Milam Joseph (Dallas), we expressed our hope that other classmates will consider joining us at ND during the Alumni Reunion Weekend, June 4 - 7. We will be able to create our own agenda for the weekend — mainly conversations, and memories of great times on the ND campus! Visit reunion.nd.edu to register. It appears that there are several deaths that may not be noted in the spring 2026 issue of the magazine: John “Butch” Reardon, St. Louis MO, April 26, 2025; Knute Cavanaugh MD, Longmont CO, Oct. 28, 2025; Anthony “Tony” Ribaudo, St. Louis MO, Nov. 10, 2025; JoAnn Masterson, Nov. 17, 2025, wife of our classmate Jim Masterson, Peoria IL; John Richard Marshall, Twin Falls ID, Nov. 28, 2025; Anthony “Tony” Macioce, Jan. 10; and Bob Wombacher DDS, Peoria IL, Jan. 11. I’m looking forward to hearing from more classmates, regarding your updates and also your great memories, for our next column. — Bob Brennan; 855 Clubhouse Drive, Ballwin MO 63011; 314-807-1011; bobbrennan76@gmail.com