A Community Builder at Heart Edwin Lee ’74, San Francisco’S Fi Rst Chinese-American Mayor
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BowdoinFALL 2013 VOL. 85 NO. 1 M a g a z i n e A Community Builder at Heart Edwin Lee ’74, San Francisco’s fi rst Chinese-American mayor Bowdoin’s New Digital and Computational Studies initiative A Mighty Presence How Bowdoin lives its Civil War History Accidental entrepreneurs Siblings Arlyn ’03 and eric Davich ’06 BowdoinM a g a z i n e From the Editor Volume 85, Number 1 Fall 2013 MAGAZINE STAFF Executive Editor Alison M. Bennie Making Bowdoin Bowdoin Editor When I told an alumnus friend that I’d become editor of Bowdoin Magazine he Matthew J. O’Donnell said, “Don’t break it!” That made me laugh, but it also hit home. I’m tremendously Design excited as well as a bit nervous as I take over for Alison Bennie, who’s moved Charles Pollock into the role of executive editor. Under Alison’s guidance the past twenty years, Jim Lucas Bowdoin has evolved from a fine college alumni magazine into a fine magazine. PL Design - Portland, Maine We regularly hear from readers how much they enjoy Bowdoin, and I don’t want that to change—except that I want to hear it more often. While the old adage “If Contributors it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” holds some credence, I prefer to think “When you stop James Caton getting better, you soon stop being good.” Douglas Cook John R. Cross ’76 With that in mind, as Alison mentioned in her column last issue, we’ve been Rebecca Goldfine thinking about how we can give you a better reading experience. We’ve Cecelia Greenleaf refreshed the look and reorganized the content to give you more of what Scott W. Hood you said you want—a compact, easy-to-read volume, to be published with Abby McBride Alix Roy ’07 greater frequency (thank you, those of you who completed our readership Holly Sherburne survey). You told us that you wanted to hear about important College matters, so we’re introducing “Answers,” a regular Q&A with President Mills. The most Photographs by noticeable difference in the redesign is a move from printed obituaries to a new Fred Field, Dennis Griggs, Bob Handelman, online obituary section (bowdoinobits.com). Updated regularly, this improved Michele Stapleton, Brian Wedge ’97, and obituary format will better honor our Bowdoin community members and will Bowdoin College Archives. allow additional features that we can’t offer in print—specifically the ability for Cover photo by Brian Wedge ’97. classmates, families, and friends to post photos and remembrances. We think this added benefit will be very welcome and has been a long time coming. BOWDOIN MAGAZINE (ISSN, 0895-2604) is pub- lished three times a year by Bowdoin College, A year or so ago, we ran a Twitter campaign in which we asked what 4104 College Station, Brunswick, Maine 04011. #MakesBowdoinBowdoin. We received many responses, from “History” to Printed by J.S. McCarthy, Augusta, Maine. Third- “Opportunity” to “Community.” My goal is to represent the breadth and scope of class postage paid at Augusta, Maine. Sent our College community within these pages—to make you feel as connected as I free of charge to all Bowdoin alumni, parents am here on campus and to feel in contact as much as I do with students, faculty, of current and recent undergraduates, faculty staff, parents, and alumni every day. and staff, seniors, and selected members of the Association of Bowdoin Friends. In the end, it comes down to “You.” You make Bowdoin Bowdoin—both the College and your magazine. This is a work in progress. Please drop me a line and Opinions expressed in this magazine are those let me know what you think. of the authors. Please send address changes, ideas, or letters to the editor to the address above or by email to [email protected]. Send class news to [email protected] or to the Matt O’Donnell above address. Advertising inquiries? Email [email protected] [email protected]. 207.725.3133 [email protected] 1 Bowdoin Mailbox contents Alumni Centenarians Leathernecks, Young and Old Ten-Hut! In our summer issue we featured a photograph Leafing through the magazine this I am a fourth generation Marine combat of George Pettengill ’33 at his 100th birthday afternoon, I came across the wonderful veteran who served eight years as an celebration on June 5, 2013. Sadly, George photograph of two young Marine infantry officer, six on active duty and passed away on October 8. When submitting officers, Lt. Boomer Repko ’10, and two in the reserves. As I was thumbing 22 the photo last summer, his daughter Gail Lt. Jack Dingess ’09. The caption asserts through the summer 2013 edition of Pettengill Ellsworth, wrote: “It is rather that Lt. Boomer was named “Company Bowdoin Magazine, I came across some unusual for a man to reach the age of one Commander of the 1st Marine egregious errors on page 32. The caption hundred. If such records are kept, we Regiment,” and contains a reference below the photograph of two Marine would be interested to know how many to a non-existent entity called the “1st officers has several errors. “Acting other Bowdoin alumni centenarians there Marine.” The reference is to Company Executive Office” should read simply have been.” C, First Battalion, 1st Marines—which as “Executive Officer.” First Lieutenant Twenty-one Bowdoin alumni have reached the caption notes my late father Everett Repko’s current billet is most certainly the century mark, five of who are still alive Pope ’41 commanded in September of not company commander of the 1st (two at 100, two at 101, and one at 102). 1944. He would be very proud of them Marine Regiment, as a regiment is The oldest lived to be 114, and one alumnus both. commanded by a colonel with twenty- lived to 108, one to 105, two to 104, two to In the same issue, John Cross ’76’s plus years of service, and that individual 103, and five to 102. eloquent column about my dad’s comrade is referred to as a regimental commander. 26 in arms and classmate Andy Haldane It is more likely that 1st Lt. Repko Mort at the Mic ’41 refers to his correspondence with took command of a company, which is Again, I wish to thank Bowdoin College Dean Nixon, preserved in the Library’s proper for either a senior 1st lieutenant features for its help before, during, and after my special collections. In one of these letters, or captain. I am sure something got lost rendition of ‘Casey at the Bat’ at Boston’s about a football game in Melbourne, in translation when these gentlemen Fenway Park in front of 30,000 fans written when he was about the same age submitted the photograph and my intent 14 Gateway to the Digital Humanities on State of Maine Day. [See Bowdoin as Lieutenants Repko and Dingess, Lt. is not criticize the staff—you all do a By ABBy MCBriDe Daily Sun, May 7, 2013.] The College Haldane couldn’t resist telling Dean tremendous job! It is my hope that a With the same kind of energy that has transformed financial markets and provided pre-game publicity, filmed Nixon that a Bowdoin grad had more correction will be printed in the fall political campaigns, computational tools are revolutionizing humanistic studies, the presentation, and recorded it for the than held his own in a scrimmage against edition. and Bowdoin’s new digital and computations studies initiative is ahead of the 16 Bowdoin Daily Sun. former players from Michigan and Yale. Thank you for your time and keep up curve. How I became interested in this epic He earned the nickname “Ack-Ack” the good work, is a bit boring. My high school baseball during the action on Cape Gloucester Neil Clinton ’00 16 everyman ed coach, Freddy Harlow, had memorized it when he shouldered an anti-aircraft By ANDy SerWer ‘81. PHotoGrAPHy By BriAN WeDGe ’97. and delivered a dramatic reading. During weapon and fired it at enemy troops, for San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee ’74 is known around the city by his iconic facial hair. a leave of absence from my coaching and which he was awarded the Silver Star. Fortune magazine’s managing editor Andy Serwer ’81 introduces us to the man teaching, I kept a copy beside my bed to As John Cross notes, his letters are full of behind the moustache and explains how this leader of one of America’s major combat periods of insomnia. Eventually, I praise for his men. My father could never cities remains a community organizer at heart. got it down. speak of him without tears. Written by Ernest Lawrence Thayer In addition to the HBO series, the 22 A Mighty Presence in 1888, ‘Casey at the Bat’ has a timeless 1944 battle in which Andy Haldane By KAtHyrN MileS message. The plot is quite simple: the star was killed is the subject of a book titled Few moments have defined American history as distinctly as the summer of 1863. of the team strikes out with the winning Among Heroes: A Marine Corps Rifle The Battle of Gettysburg’s sesquicentennial prompts new inquiry into Bowdoin’s Departments run at the plate. The subject of the poem: Company on Peleliu, available from the influence during the Civil War. failure. The unanswered question: ‘What Government Printing Office. does Casey do during his next time at bat?’ Sincerely, 3 Mailbox 52 Weddings The actual recital takes five minutes (Left to right) Lt. Jack Dingess ’09 and Lt.