Douglas VanGeem Herr

FAVORITE MEMORIES OF WILLIAMS

Hodge Markgraf. You had to know him to understand what an outstanding individual he was. Having a beer with Charlie Compton and Hal Warren at the newly opened Purple Pub.

WILLIAMS CLUBS / ACTIVITIES

Freshman Baseball, Varsity Soccer, Outing Club, Junior Advisor

CURRENT INTERESTS, PASSIONS, AND ORGANIZATIONS

All things outdoors: golf, biking, fishing, boating, maintaining 10 acres of property
A passion for woodworking

LIFE SINCE GRADUATION

Fifty years since graduation! So many years, so many people, so much accomplished, so much traveling, yet so few visits back to the Purple Valley for many of you. Ever wonder what living in Williamstown as an alumnus for 40 of the past 50 years as has been like? Why did I return? I really did not think that small town life was for me when recruited by our classmate Skip Durning. I was not sure if I was just looking for one last trip to the Purple Pub or whether there was a real opportunity here. Ultimately, this small New England college town provided opportunities for me and my physician wife, Bonnie, both professionally and to raise a wonderful three-son family.

Did I wake up every day feeling like I was going back to college? Absolutely not. For much of the time here I could’ve been living in any non-Williams College town. That is not to say I was uninvolved. Between mentoring pre-med students during their Winter Study term, regular attendance at sporting and musical events, as well as golfing with members of the Williams family, I continued to feel a strong connection. This was all taken to another level when my oldest son was admitted in 1998. For four years we enjoyed meeting and entertaining his friends from his entry (Sage A), baseball team, Junior Advisor year, and ultimately when he married his co-JA.

Was practicing medicine in such a small town area professionally rewarding? You bet. Practicing as the only cardiologist in northern Berkshire County for most of these years was certainly a challenge, but aren’t all worthwhile endeavors? I got used to—and enjoyed—seeing my patients regularly around town, but it took a while longer before I was able to put a name to a face as quickly as I could put a diagnosis to that same face. An unexpected highlight of practicing in one’s own college town was that I had the honor and privilege of caring for many of our former college professors. It was interesting to me that nearly every one of them had researched my Williams transcript before making their initial visit. Many of them had dug up things about my time at Williams that I had long forgotten or undervalued over the years. Charlie Fuqua, however, was not so impressed by the fact that I took his Introduction to Classics in the spring of my senior year!

How does it feel to be a townie? Actually, great. The town-and-gown relationship here, from my point of view, is strong. The college makes so much available to the Williamstown community. Unfortunately, a busy lifestyle seemed to keep getting in the way of taking advantage of much of what is available. And as one might expect, some of the nicest things closest to home often get overlooked. One offering, however, that is available in Williamstown is the Taconic Golf Course. For this, I can say, I seemed to find plenty of time.

To summarize: Life in Williamstown has been great. Did it make a difference that I was actually an alum? Probably.