Class Notes

Patrick B. Mathis, MBA ’78, JD ’78, LLM ’79, founding shareholder at Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd., was recently honored as the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Estate Planning Award, presented by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. The award recognizes the distinguished contributions and achievements of an Illinois attorney who embodies professionalism, innovation and commitment within estate planning.

W. Frederick Wooden, AB ’74, completed 42 years as a Unitarian Universalist Minister in 2022. From seminary training in Chicago, Wooden’s ministry took him from rural Massachusetts to Austin, Texas; Brooklyn, New York; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and finally Phoenix, Arizona. Since retiring, he has self-published three books and kept a blog on Patheos.com, which reflects his spiritual practice of pilgrimage. He loves being the parent of two adult children and the grandparent of one.

Mary Pier, MA ’73, finished writing a biography on William Torrey Harris and is searching for a publisher. The book follows Harris’ education beyond college as he became an educational leader. It relates the events of his life from 1854, when he left Yale in his junior year, until his death in 1909. A retired English teacher, Pier taught in middle and high schools in Ohio, Indiana, New York and Missouri. She also taught in community colleges in North Carolina and Missouri.

Lawrence J. Altman, BS ’73, received the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Ambassador Award for 2024 from Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri. Altman is an adjunct professor at Avila and says he was honored to receive the award. Altman’s wife, Gail, BS ’73, is also a graduate of WashU, and their oldest son works at Siteman Cancer Center.

Allen Saxon, AB ’71, penned The Climber of Pointe du Hoc (Christmas Lake Press, April 2024) to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the lives lost in Normandy. Despite the novel’s title, the actual assault of Pointe du Hoc is only a small part of the story. The book is an exploration of three characters whose lives highlight the role of the 2nd Ranger Battalion’s assault on a key objective in the Normandy invasion, the role of British nursing and racism in the U.S. military of that era.

Edward R. Ford, AB ’71, MArch ’72, was elevated to the College of Fellows by the American Institute of Architects, the highest honor bestowed by the organization. AIA Fellows are recognized for achieving a standard of excellence in the profession and making a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.

Susan Engel-Saag, BFA ’71, and Gary Nichols, BFA ’71, had a wonderful reunion in Switzerland in September. They enjoyed a successful truffle hunt — joined by Susan’s dogs, Coco and Cannelle — which was a “fun and memorable adventure.”

Dennis Bolazina, AB ’68, MArch ’70, wrote Desire (Independently published, May 2024). The book centers on character Sal Rossi, who is visiting New Orleans on business. To escape boredom, he takes a ride on the city’s famous streetcars, where he has a chance encounter with a woman of mystery and pursues her. When he learns about her family’s criminal history, he is faced with a hard choice. Does he love her enough to align himself with her family, or will he leave her? Bolazina is an architect and attorney living in St. Louis.

The Landmarks Association of St. Louis presented Robert W. Duffy, AB ’67, with the H. Meade Summers Jr. Award for his contributions, through journalism, to the cause of historic preservation in the St. Louis region. Duffy is a 40-plus-year veteran of reporting and editing in St. Louis, working for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the St. Louis Beacon (which he helped to found) and St. Louis Public Radio. He covered the visual arts, music, architecture and urban design, and he spent many hours in Bixby, Steinberg and Givens halls.

Gary Arlen, AB ’67, was elected to the board of directors of the National Capital Radio and Television Museum in Washington, D.C. The museum, which collects, preserves and interprets artifacts, programs and publications about the history of electronic media, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Arlen, who is also a docent at the museum, had a long career as a Washington editor and analyst who chronicled and advised on the development of cable TV, satellite and other media breakthroughs. Arlen was editor of Student Life at WashU.