Yale Divinity School

Notes from 2008

The City of Akron, OH Peace Council honored Harry Eberts ’51 B.D. on July 11, 2008. He was recognized for his more than 25 years of work with the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS), a comprehensive community development organization in Egypt Seand; and also for helping to organize Hands Along the Nile Development Services. This honor came with a commendation from Mayor Don Plusquellic for Eberts’s contribution in promoting world peace and in publicizing Akron as an International Peace City.

Van Harvey ’51 B.D. officially retired from Stanford University in 1996 but continued to teach some classes until 2006, at which time he "threw in the robe." Since then Van has been living with his wife of 58 years in Palo Alto, CA. They have two sons: one an artist, the other studying for the ministry after a career in computers. Van and his wife became very close to Gregor Goethals ’52 B.D before she succumbed to her cancer last February.

Kenneth Jones ’51 M.Div. will complete his twelfth volunteer trip to Russia since 1993, leading teams to work at the children’s Orthopedic Hospital in the city of Vladimir. The Faith United Methodist Church in Rockville, MD were he served as pastor from 1967-77 now has a sister congregation in St. Petersburg, which they try to visit every year. To keep busy, he is raising money for Habitat for Humanity in Montgomery County, where he lives. He celebrated his 89th birthday in August.

In 1995, at 70, Gordon Kaufman ’51 B.D. retired from Harvard Divinity School, but continued teaching part-time for another ten years. In 1998 his wife Dorothy died, leaving him quite lonely; but his theological work has continued. Two new books, further developing his distinctive themes, have appeared recently: In the beginning . . . Creativity (2004) and Jesus and Creativity (2006). He writes, “I commend these to all of you, and would be interested in your thoughts about them. Best wishes!”

Howard C. Kee ’51 Div. taught at Drew, University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr, and served as chair of Religious Studies at Boston University. He is now a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania and took part in the founding and development of the National liberty Museum in Philadelphia. He and Janet live in a retirement community in Haverford.

In 1992, John H. Knibb ’51 M.Div. retired from full-time ministry, after 41 years as a Christian Church pastor. He is currently serving as supply pastor for First Christian Church in Norfolk, VA. John and his wife, Evelyn, travel, both at home and abroad. On a recent trip (2003), he returned from London to New York on the British Airways Concorde. It was quite a ride! So is life. At 82, John still enjoys it!

Lowell Zuck ’51 S.T.M, a graduate student of Roland Bainton, taught church history at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO for forty years, and he continues to work in the Archives at Eden. His wife Maya retired as director of Washington University Nursery School. They continue to live in Webster Groves, MO. Their son, Peter, is a perfusionist at Ft. Myers, FL. In 1999 Zuck edited volume IV of The UCC Living Theological Heritage for Pilgrim Press. He read papers at both the 2007 and 2008 SCSC meetings, and gave the annual Eden Seminary Schmiechen lecture last year on the Prussian Union Church’s history. He continues as VP of the E & R Historical Society and as member of the UCC Historical Council.