Casimir Romeyn Groblewski

FAVORITE MEMORIES OF WILLIAMS

8:00 a.m. classes! Winter and snow in Williamstown; all my French professors, especially Messrs. Henkels, Savacool, and Pistorius; History of Art; Psychology 101 and Mr. Crider; Professor Victor Hill

WILLIAMS CLUBS / ACTIVITIES

Freshman lacrosse, Purple Key Society, French Club, WMS-WCFM French radio show, Berkshire Farm

CURRENT INTERESTS, PASSIONS, AND ORGANIZATIONS

Board member, Casa Myrna Vazquez; active member and various leadership positions, Follen Church, UU; member, Lexington Board of Assessors; supporter of various social-justice organizations; family; gardening, traveling, hiking

LIFE SINCE GRADUATION

Recently I drove out to Williams to attend a reunion planning meeting. As I made my way to the Purple Valley, I recalled the first time, about 54 years earlier, I had made the same trek (only that time I had taken a bus). Arriving on a gorgeous October day in 1967 for an interview with Mr. Copeland, I decided then and there that Williams was the place for me. I did not look much further. The foliage was at its peak. The people were warm and friendly. The food was better than what I was used to at my prep school. I believed I could and would be productive and happy at Williams.

When our class gathered in September 1968, I thought that I knew a lot and that I was ready not just for college life and academic challenges but for adulthood. Well, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I was not quite as worldly as I had titled myself. First, I had not completed reading Cosmos and History the summer before school started. It was too intellectually challenging, I thought. I didn’t know what classes I should take, and I barely knew my way around campus. I was surrounded by classmates who were from all over and had clearly experienced more of life than I. Certainly they were more talented and smarter. What was I doing there? Yes, it took me a while to grow into being a college student at Williams, not to mention belonging there.

By the time our class reached graduation day, I knew I had learned a few things. I was surely ready for anything and everything. Wrong again. I may have been prepared generally for the next chapter, but the details were still a bit vague, or still missing.

Fast forward 50 years. Many details, travails, successes, and, most of all, blessings have been added to my story, and still each day is filled with opportunities. What has become clear to me as the years have passed is that I still carry and remember and draw on much of my Williams experience. Good friends: yes, indeed. Curiosity about the world, both far away and immediate, along with observation with a minimum of harsh judgment: I hope so. Willingness to listen to others: I think so. The importance of giving back to others: unequivocally yes. Thinking outside the box and working in small ways to try to make the world a better place for all: still believing and trying. Enjoying the challenges as they present themselves: every day. Growing more comfortable with, and enjoying, my persona: all the time. Still being able to speak French well enough to make myself understood: bien sur!

I have three wonderful, accomplished, and decent children, four fantastic grandchildren (with a fifth on the way), and my wife, Terry, who is so talented and one of the kindest people I have ever encountered (as well as a great pediatrician!). For all my family, I am eternally grateful. I have enjoyed a career in the world of real estate finance, and am still working, mostly because I enjoy what I do and with whom I interact. I am involved in my community, my church, and with other organizations, and I have learned so much from them all.

My best wishes to each and every one of you, my Williams classmates. It has been my honor to know you and to share our very special college experience.