Oberlin Alumni Magazine

Devoted Oberlinian and longtime former trustee William R. Perlik died June 2, 2006, in Arlington, Virginia, at the age of 81.

Bill and his wife, Annabel Shanklin Perlik ’49, have been true and steady advocates of Oberlin, regularly hosting performances by Conservatory students at their church in Oakton, Virginia, and pushing for the increased presence of international students on campus. Bill held a long and distinguished career as a lawyer and mediator in Virginia and created a course on Practical Law at Oberlin, which he taught for two decades. He joined the Board of Trustees in 1978 and served as chair for seven years. “Bill could always be counted upon to help people find ways to work together, to push the College forward in constructive ways, to mediate conflicts, and to put the needs and best interests of Oberlin before any individual concern,” said President Nancy Dye at a June 10 memorial service in Virginia. Bill leaves his wife, two children, a brother, and a grandson. A full obituary will run in the fall issue of OAM.

Men’s Basketball Coach Resigns
Frank “Happy” Dobbs resigned his position as head coach of men’s basketball and assistant athletic director, effective June 30. Assistant Head Coach Isaiah Cavaco will serve as interim coach during the upcoming school year.

Health Economics Conference
Confused by the changing face of health insurance and pharmaceutical advertising? Want to know more about medical career choices or the the role of physicians? Nearly two dozen distinguished health economists from the academic and medical fields will discuss such topics in a weekend conference organized by Frank Sloan ’64, professor of health policy and management and professor of economics at Duke University. Join us for “Incentives & Choice in Health Care: The Contributions & Limitations of Economics,” September 8-10, 2006. For details, visit
www.oberlin.edu/economic/events.htm.

African Ancestry Reunion
Join the Oberlin Alumni Association of African Ancestry (OA4) for “And We Rise: Celebrating Over 170 Years of Black Presence at Oberlin College.” Reunion events include an alumni concert and party; legal, medical, and financial planning symposiums; and an alumni/student Soul Session, October 6-8, 2006. For more details, contact Jackie Bradley Hughes ’76 at jhughes@orrick.com.

Oberlin Orchestra to Perform at Carnegie Hall
The Oberlin Orchestra, under the baton of guest conductor Robert Spano ’83, will perform at Carnegie Hall on Friday, January 26, 2007. Plans for accompanying New York alumni events are now underway.

Oberlin Gay History Project
The Oberlin College LGBT Community History Project is an interactive online archive created to record, preserve, and make available OberlinCollege’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered history. Visit the newly launched site at www.oberlinlgbt.org.

Oberlin Joins International Walk-Out: More than 200 students put down their books to join community leaders, residents, and immigrant workers from nearby towns for a three-hour rally that marked “A Day Without Immigrants” on May 1. Organized by the newly formed Oberlin Coalition for Immigrant Rights (OCIR), the walk-out marked the end of a three-part series that included the panel “Immigration Then and Now” and a discussion with members of the Mexico Solidarity Network.