A Williams Life

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A Williams Life

Williams College Class of 1975

13 episodes

5 months ago

In this final episode of A Williams Life before the Class of 1975's 50th reunion, host Gordon Earle is interviewed by Jon Earle, his producer, nephew and fellow Williams alum ('09). Gordon reflects on his positive experience talking with fellow classmates, most of whom he didn't know, or knew only slightly during his undergraduate years. He discusses their lives and legacies, and how they were shaped by their time at Williams—and beyond. Gordon also reflects on his family legacy at the Colle...

Personal Journals

Society & Culture

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Personal Journals

Society & Culture

Episodes (13/13)

A Williams Life

Reflections on A Williams Life

4 months ago

36 minutes

A Williams Life

Jackie Laughlin — Midwife & Archivist

This episode of A Williams Life features a conversation with Jackie Laughlin, who was known during her undergraduate years at the College as Jackie Meadows. And that's one of the aspects of Jackie's life that makes her time at Williams so unique. Because she was not only a student, like most of her classmates, but also—during her senior year—a wife and mother. Although strongly encouraged by her father to attend either medical or law school following Williams, Jackie instead opted...

5 months ago

1 hour 6 minutes

A Williams Life

Jon Myers — Inventor & AI Entrepreneur

This episode of A Williams Life will take us on a journey from the banks of the Mississippi, to Williamstown, to the bond trading world of Wall Street, and finally to the dazzling universe of artificial intelligence. Our guide will be Jon Myers, a self-taught inventor and entrepreneur, who has spent many years founding and investing in technology companies designed to, in his words, “make the world a better place.” In recent years, Jon has devoted a great deal of time and energy focusing on w...

7 months ago

58 minutes

A Williams Life

Reggie Garrett — SnakeOil Peddler

This episode of A Williams Life features a conversation with Reggie Garrett, a Seattle-based singer/songwriter, who plays a wide range of music, including folk, blues, Celtic and more, with individual musicians as well as his band The SnakeOil Peddlers. One reviewer noted his “mellifluous voice reminiscent of Bill Withers or Terry Callier that draws you into the song rather than putting you off.” On A Williams Life, Reggie talks about his life on and off the stage, including growing up in Cin...

11 months ago

1 hour 13 minutes

A Williams Life

Polly Wood-Holland — Scenic Artist

Polly Wood-Holland is a scenic artist and designer for film, TV, and theater. She's worked on many iconic Broadway productions, including The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Spamalot, and Mary Poppins. On this episode, we discuss the projects, mentors, and serendipitous moments that have shaped her career, as well as her experiences with legendary figures such as Paul Newman and Mike Nichols. 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Experience at Williams 04:55 Mentorship and Early Career Challenges 09:58...

1 year ago

1 hour

A Williams Life

Will Parish & Perk Perkins — Adventure Friends

On this episode of "A Williams Life," we delve into the enduring friendship of classmates Will Parish and Perk Perkins, whose bond spans 50 years. Starting in the fall of 1975, they embarked on a 20-month journey, crossing five oceans and seas, and exploring 35 countries—an experience they chronicled in their book, "Around the World in a Jeep.” We also explore their lives today, with Will engaged in educational and environmental causes in California, and Perk running Orvis, a family-owned bus...

1 year ago

57 minutes

A Williams Life

Pamela Hawkes — Preservation Architect

Pamela Hawkes is a national leader in historic preservation. On this episode, she discusses her time at Williams, early inspirations, and takes us on a tour of three projects—the renovation of the Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls, NY, the restoration of Georgia O'Keeffe's home and studio in New Mexico, and the design of a girls' boarding school in Tanzania. She also talks about her experience as a woman in a male-dominated field, the value of a liberal arts education, and the virtues of...

1 year ago

1 hour 2 minutes

A Williams Life

Frank Richards — Tropical Disease Fighter

Dr. Frank "Rick" Richards is a world-leading expert on parasitic and tropical infections. He's traveled to some of the poorest and most remote locations of our planet to fight diseases that have harmed millions. During his long tenure at the Carter Center in Atlanta, where he has worked closely with former President Jimmy Carter, Rick played a leading role in the eradication of river blindness from Guatemala. In addition to his career, Rick talks about his experience as a Black student at Wil...

2 years ago

1 hour 4 minutes

A Williams Life

Denise Littlefield Sobel — Philanthropist

Denise Littlefield Sobel takes us on a highly personal journey through her varied and interesting life. It starts with her experience as a member of the first class of women to enroll at Williams for a full four-year term. Denise talks candidly about her mental health struggles as a student, including serious bouts of depression. Continuing in this personal vein, she discusses her conversion to Judaism against the strong wishes of her mother, and how she has come to practice acceptance as a p...

2 years ago

51 minutes

A Williams Life

Frank Doelger — TV Producer

Frank Doelger is a multiple Emmy Award-winning TV producer whose credits include HBO’s Game of Thrones, Rome, and John Adams. Frank begins by talking about Williams and the professors who had an early influence on his career path. He then discusses his time as a graduate student at Oxford, where a chance encounter led to his becoming a theater producer. Afterwards, the conversation turns to how Frank broke into the TV business, initially as a script reader for network television. During the r...

3 years ago

2 hours 18 minutes

A Williams Life

How Harry almost didn’t get the job

Williams was the only college where Harry wanted to coach basketball. Fortuitously, in 1983, an opening occurred. After a lengthy interview process, Williams offered the position to a different coach—who, fortunately for Harry, turned it down for the head coaching job at Dartmouth, where Harry would later serve as athletic director. This short segment explores Harry’s intense disappointment at initially being rejected for the Williams coaching position, and his exhilaration when he finally re...

3 years ago

6 minutes

A Williams Life

Harry Sheehy — Part II: Reflections After a Heart Attack

In September 2021, four months after recording A Williams Life, Harry suffered a life-threatening heart attack. During bypass surgery, he had a stroke that resulted in his becoming almost completely blind. While Harry has been recovering nicely from the heart attack, his vision has not returned, except in an extremely limited way. During this interview, recorded in November 2021, Harry reflects on his health and touches again on some of the major themes from the first interview, such as...

3 years ago

45 minutes

A Williams Life

Harry Sheehy — Part I: A Williams Sports Icon

Harry Sheehy is the former head men's basketball coach and athletic director at Williams College. In this interview, he talks about his time in Williamstown as a child and young adult, often accompanied by his father (Williams '51). He discusses his time as a star college basketball player at Williams as well as a professional athlete, and his phenomenal success as Williams basketball coach (1983-2000) and athletic director (2000-10). Toward the end of the interview, Harry talks about his dec...

3 years ago

1 hour 41 minutes