Bradley Ogden Babson

FAVORITE MEMORIES OF WILLIAMS

H. Ganse Little and courses in Religion
Robert Gaudino and participation in Williams-in-India
1 Milo Beach and Asian Art

WILLIAMS CLUBS / ACTIVITIES

Berkshire Farm for Boys, North Adams emergency telephone counseling, Trail Crew

CURRENT INTERESTS, PASSIONS, AND ORGANIZATIONS

North Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam
Local conservation in Maine
Gentleman farmer – maple syrup and bees
National Committee for North Korea
Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust
Host family for Vietnamese students at Bowdoin College

LIFE SINCE GRADUATION

When I reflect upon what my Williams experience has meant in my life, my first image is of Paul Isaac telling me during our 40th reunion that he had just seen a picture of my grandfather at an exhibit of the Library Archives, giving a speech at his 50th reunion in 1962. A member of the Class of 1912, he was the youngest of five brothers and chose to come to Williams rather than attend an Ivy League college, as his older siblings had. His loyalty to Williams infused our family culture, and for better or worse we are a legacy family. My father was Class of 1946, following a harrowing World War II experience; my best friend and partner for these 50 years is fellow classmate Kitty Earle; and both of our children chose Williams (no pressure from us), Oliver in 1997 and Augusta in 2000. Gus often still wears her great-grandfather’s Class of ’12 T-shirt. Apart from the years of Williams songs at the dinner table, this legacy also reflects the dramatic changes in our society and the world around us. The images of continuity and change that are the memories of our family accumulating over these generations have become an anchor of peace and comfort for me at this stage in my life, as I contemplate how I can best support my grandchildren as they carry these stories into the challenges awaiting them and take charge of their own lives in their own time.

On the what-did-I-do-with-my-life front, my Williams experience shaped me in important ways. H. Ganse Little was an important figure for me, starting with his lecture on Cosmos and History during Freshman Week, and I admired him as a man of great passion, intellectual discipline, and spiritual depth. I did not major in Religion but took most the required courses, choosing instead an eclectic, self-made major that was nominally Psychology but embraced courses in Philosophy, Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, History, and Political Science, as well as several independent studies. My extracurricular activities included visiting the Berkshire Farm for Boys and working the night shift at the hotline for emergency counseling in North Adams.

After playing varsity soccer in high school, I dropped the hyper-competitive freshman soccer team quickly to sign up for Trail Crew and my love of being out in nature. The intensity of my deep dive into the diverse social sciences was motivated in part by the other significant figure in my time at Williams, Robert Gaudino, and participation in the first Williams-in-India program. This not only reinforced my interdisciplinary interests but also set me on the path of an international professional career of public service. After expecting to be drafted upon graduation (my number was 9), I was given an unexpected deferment when called for my medical exam, and decided to plunge directly into graduate school. I was fortunate to be accepted at the (then) Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs at Princeton.

After concentrating in international development studies, I was recruited into the Young Professionals program at the World Bank at the tender age of 24. My World Bank career ran from 1974 to 2000, on-staff and then, after early retirement, as a part-time consultant for four more years, for 30 years in total. It was rewarding professionally and personally as it progressed over these years through a variety of very different roles. The highlight was working on the opening up of Vietnam from 1988 to 1997, including opening the World Bank office in Hanoi. For the past 20 years, I have focused on North Korea and Myanmar, working with the UN and various NGOs, foundations, and universities, and am still involved. My Williams experience was instrumental in these choices.

After moving to Maine in 2003, I have been active in our local land trust, serving as president for eight years—the local part of my global life. Finally, the friends I made while at Williams and later through reunions have enriched my life with the quintessential Williams virtues of passion, humor, and thoughtfulness. What a wonderful contribution to the legacy stories.