Dear Classmates,

This is the first of many letters to you as your newly elected and much honored class president. I hope to have a continuing dialogue with each of you and your families as we plan class activities and further the strong bonds we all established while at the Naval Academy and in subsequent years of service and continued association.

I would like to take this occasion to extend our collective sincere thanks to Steve Duncan for seven years of selfless dedication and tireless effort as our class president. Steve has represented us well and forcefully to the Naval Academy and other graduates through the Alumni Association. He has been instrumental in guiding our efforts through both the '63 Class Foundation and the class organization to increase class cohesion, to memorialize our deceased classmates, and to ensure that the special needs of classmates and families were met. His leadership has been dynamic, energetic, and inspirational. We are all in his debt.

One of my goals is to increase our opportunities for class social interaction. On 11 February, the sixth annual '63 Valentine's Dinner Dance will be held at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. This event comprises the West Point and Air Force Academy of '63 as well. This year Air Force is the host. This well attended mid-winter gathering is always an evening of real fun and dancing. Details of the Valentine's dance can be found on our class web site (www.usna63.org) under Hot News. I hope you can join us.

Similarly, periodic class luncheons are being sponsored on a very informal basis in the Washington area and in Annapolis where a number of classmates are to be found. Tailgating at home games and away games is getting better and we will erect a tent next year here in Annapolis. I know that similar events or others occur frequently in various parts of the country wherever "two or three shall (or can) meet"so old tales can be retold and later shared with the rest of the class. Local classmates and company representatives can make a real contribution to fostering class events between reunions and many are doing so. Along these lines, the Class of '61 has had real success with cruises scheduled between reunions. This is one idea I hope to explore

Speaking of reunions, our 45th occurs in 2008. The home game schedule has just been tentatively penciled-in with four home games played in Annapolis. The best weekend for us appears to be 30 September, a date that does not conflict with '58's 50th reunion, the comprehensive USNA Homecoming weekend, and the Annapolis power boat show, all of which occur on 18 October. While a reunion committee has not yet been formed, I will take initial steps to reserve as much as I can now for the weekend of 30 September. One idea is to replace the class dinner with a large extended cocktail and heavy hors d'oeuvres gathering that will allow us all to circulate amongst a larger group than a seated dinner allows and other events will permit. Please mark your calendars now for the weekend of 30 September 2008.

In December, Eli Dabich and I had a two-hour meeting with Professor Bowman of the Class of '63 Academic Excellence Center, which we endowed with a $1.2 million dollar gift at our 40th reunion. The Center conducted counseling and tutoring for over 1,000 midshipmen in the recently completed fall semester, three times the number assisted the previous year. Professor Bowman reports to the Academic Dean and the Superintendent frequently on the Center's activities and progress. The core of the Center's program to develop individual study habits and skills has also been extended on a trial basis to the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, Rhode Island, in an effort to instill these academic survival skills early. There is no doubt that the '63 Academic Excellence Center has the continuing attention of top leadership and will continue to make a signal contribution to the pursuit of academic excellence at the Academy. The class has made a major difference with its gift, one that is having effect and that impacts a very large number of present and future midshipmen.

A just received letter from George Watt, President and CEO of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, thanks the class of 1963 for its purchase of donated seats to the great Emerald Bowl that put Navy over the top in this most successful football season since we were Midshipmen. He says in part , "Thanks to you and your classmates, we were able to send over 1,600 midshipmen to the game as well as Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Reservists with their families, thus providing the critical support needed for the long-term future of the Navy football program. The Class of 1963, as members of the Extended Brigade, helped to spotlight the midshipmen and enhance national awareness for the Naval Academy."BZ, '63.

Finally, I have attended two meetings of our class foundation and am much impressed by the efforts of our classmates engaged in seeing to the needs of the descendants of our deceased classmates and other activities to memorialize those of us no longer present for muster. Dave Puckett is doing a superb job in leading the '63 Foundation efforts. I commend you to his recent letter on our web site. Remember that the '63 Foundation is all of us and your interest and participation are of paramount importance now as in the past.

The Class of 1963 officers are all looking for you input and ideas. We need them. Let us hear from you.

Spencer Johnson, President 410-626-7934
poohbear41@comcast.net

Jim Ring, Vice President 703-823-0561 jep.ring@1963.usna.com

Mike Shelley, Secretary 828-862-4245
nstar@citcom.net

Al Sherman, Treasurer 703-273-8634
shermana@erols.com

Please give us a call or send an e-mail.

Quality '63

Spencer

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        What a great season for Navy football! The final game in the 10-2 campaign was the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco, attended by several of our classmates and their ladies. Local resident Jim Oakes stepped forward and coordinated communications and planning for '63, with assistance from Bob Miller. Here is Jim's account of the opening event:

     On Wednesday, 29 December, I hosted a dinner for the Class of '63 in San Francisco for the Emerald Bowl at a private club called the Villa Taverna. Attendees included: Bob and Chris Miller, Gail and Craig Barton, Margarette and John Boley, Arlene and Forest Siburt, Sue and Ben Cole, Susan and Jim Penrod, Art Weidner, Lew Blackwell and his firstie, Angelo Karampalas, Bob Forster, Gail and Vern Von Sydow, Vicki and Roy Warren, Eileen and Mark Schwing, Chet White, Ginnie and John Dolby, Bob Easton '64 and his daughter Lara, John Newton and his guest Pat Leicher, and Arlene Inch with Jim Oakes. The rain failed to dampen our spirits and in between our gourmet meal we drank several toasts to the anticipated Navy victory the next day.

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        Ben Cole supplied these snapshots from that evening.

Ben Cole, Art Weidner, Vern Von Sydow

John Boley, Jim Oakes, Ben Cole

Erwin Storz, Bob Easton, Vern Von Sydow, Pete Optekar, Ben Cole