Ken Bell

Bruce:

Thanks for taking on the role of class secretary. I hope all is well with you.

I just wanted to give you an update of a recent gathering.

At the end of September, there was a mini-KA flickerball camp in Jacksonville. Bill McDade and Dave (Fly) Williams hosted Phil (Tex) Collins, Vance Christopher, Glen Ballard, Dave Thomas and Ken Bell for a weekend of football and fellowship. Glen was a real loser. On Saturday, we watched FSU dismantle Colorado. Ken is an FSU law grad and Glen's daughter attends Colo. Glen hoped for redemption on Sunday when we went to the Jaguar/Texan game. The OT loss was hard of the Texans. Bill has been with IBM for 30 years now. He heads their new employee training program in the U.S. Fly is still helping to run the family business which has extended relationships into China and South America. Vance and Glenn are practicing law in Houston. Dave is in-house counsel for a large nursing home company. After almost 18 years as a judge, Ken has left the Florida Supreme Court and returned to private practice in Pensacola.

If you need more details and much more humor, contact Bill and Dave.

Again, thanks!

Charlie Law 2nd Post

Dear Bruce,

Hi, there. I like your class notes blog. I think that's a good way to handle this sort of info. Just don't require us to post photos, O.K.? Or at least not current ones.

Here's something you may or may not want to post if you have a slow news month.

Through circumstances beyond my control I've found myself doing a political blog. A friend who works for a Capitol Hill newspaper set me up. Obviously I'm not really a pundit, but the paper was looking for somebody who has an overseas perspective (warped though it may be). I think they're trying to expand their web readership. Unfortunately, it doesn't pay anything.

Here's the link:

http://pundits.thehill.com/author/charlie-law/

Thanks for keeping up with people, Bruce.

-Charlie Law

Clay Houchens

Our condolences to Clay Houchens on the loss of both her mother and father during the past year.  Here is a link to a story about her father, Professor Douglas Houchens who taught art during our years at Davidson.  Douglas Houchens.

Henry Lomax

I haven’t written in years, but enjoy reading about our classmates spread around the world so thought I’d contribute. My wife Donna and I have stayed in Charlotte, and I’m still slogging it out in the real estate business. Kevin (KD) Doherty and I have ridden it out about 14 years now down the hall from each other – it’s been quite a ride. Even with a challenging business climate, I’m staying busy with several volunteer activities.

Our son Charlie is back in school again at CPCC, after working for several years on figuring out what direction to take. Our daughter Deanna (photo attached) just started her senior year at Davidson. As captain on the cheerleading squad, she had a front row seat for the tournament run – amazing. She’s a bio major (pre-med), so obviously got her brains, work ethic and athleticism from her mother. Last year she was a hall counselor on 1st Richardson (my freshman hall), living in Bill Lloyd’s ('76) room. Bill and his wife Carol just moved to Charlotte from Pittsburgh, so we’re looking forward to seeing more of them.

Keep up the good work.

Henry C. Lomax, Jr.

Meg Campbell Haynes

So, Sarah is a junior at Davidson now. She had a wonderful summer in Australia and is now checking out the scene in Italy, doing her fall semester abroad. Will, is a senior at Davidson and just completed the required ROTC leadership training this summer in Washington and then did an internship at Southern Command. He worked with Jorge Silveira (another Davidson grad. Jim's class I think) and loved it.

Jim and I have now been in CA a month. But still same old me -- no botox, no bleached hair, no "enhancements". Of course, we're in East Bay area. So I'm more likely to come back to Davidson in Birkenstocks. We're renting a house in Piedmont, CA. It has great views of the bay. Even has a hot tub and small pool so you and Debra should definitely come out! Boxes are still everywhere despite visits by two of my siblings to help. I'm working very parttime but hope to be on a more regular schedule this month. Still doing child support policy and training, but with a different consulting company -- one owned by a long time friend of mine.

Biggest thing in work area was my participation in Nov. as member of US delegation to final diplomatic session at Hague, negotiating an international treaty on child support enforcement. US signed treaty, indicating our intent to pursue ratification. Now treaty is before Senate. I've also been involved in drafting implementing state legislation. International child support enforcement will continue to be my major focus with new employer.

Jim seems to like Chevron. He seems much more relaxed. Getting home every night for supper at 7. Taylor and I don't quite know how to handle it!

Hope things are well at your household. Come see us soon.

Meg

Jack Wilson

Oh you made me laugh with the two month delayed response comment. It is strange that I received the original message since that is not an e-mail address I ever had.

I went there to Davidson for just my freshman year. Even though I did not graduate with the class of 1978, I still get treated with mailings and communications as though I did. I suspect once a Davidson person, always a Davidson person.

I was a bit more motivated by girls and football so many years ago and I transferred back to Penn State University who had recruited me out of high school to play a little better quality of football and to be with a girl I met in the spring of 1975 and who was attending Penn State. I played at Penn State for the next two years and then left the team my senior year. I never married that girl either, but I did get a great Business degree and have spent most of my career with The Coca-Cola Company.

I am an early retiree at this point and I am enjoying the rest after 30 years of grinding it out.

Yes I did know the Namath family, Joe's brother Frank was an insurance agent in the town and I went to high school with Joe's nephew Mike Namath. We even played a game of basketball with Joe in his nephew's driveway so many years ago.

The two who I have stayed the closest with is Joel Golmont who went to Davidson with me back in 1974 to play football. Joel is also originally from Beaver Falls and we were on the same high school team at Blackhawk HS. Also Jim Murphy of course because he has now been the AD there at Davidson for quite a while.

Lastly, my son played football there at Davidson and played the exact same position as I did when I started at left guard as a freshman in the fall of 1974. He just did it 32 years later in the fall of 2006 in what was then supposed to be his senior year.

All the best Bruce, and now at least you have my correct contact information.

Jack

Kris Childress Update

Dear Family and Friends:

Yes, the "buzz" is true.

My fiancee, Lynette Leong, and I will marry here in Singapore on November 15, 2008.

The wedding will include both a traditional Christian service at our church that morning AND a wonderful Chinese dinner party in the evening at the Amara Sanctuary Resort (http://www.amarasanctuary.com/weddings/information.html ) on the Singapore island enclave of Sentosa.

All of my family and friends outside of Singapore are, of course, VERY WELCOME to come to our wedding. IF you can make the lengthy trip to attend please let me know as soon as possible so that I can send you a formal invitation with more details and suggest hotel accomodations here. Whether you can come or not, we appreciate your prayers for our wedding and future together.

We also hope to have a post-wedding party in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA) between Xmas and New Year's 2008.

Please feel free to bring/send "Ang Pao" in any case ;-)

Thanks to everyone for their encouragement and support throughout the process of Lynette's and my courtship and my relocation here to Singapore.

Warmest regards,

Kris Childress