If you're wondering what fellow '68 Falcons have been up to the last few decades, this is the place to find out!

We'll be updating this page with fresh faces every few weeks, so please visit often. We've also included links to the full Class of '68 photo gallery for your viewing pleasure.

Bob Olive

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Contact with BGSU
My nephew, Rob Young went to BG in the late '80's and it gave me an opportunity to get back several times a year. He eventually joined my fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and I went through initiation with him which was a great experience. Unfortunately I haven't been back to BG since then ... it's been too long!

Classmates I have maintained contact with
Wilma (Pokorny) Smith and I worked together at WEWS-TV in Cleveland in the early '80's. I created and executive produced Live on Five, which Wilma co-anchored. It became the most watched hour newscast in its time spot and remained that for 20+ years, long after both Wilma and I had left WEWS. She and I were inducted into the Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for the Cleveland market in 1999.

Groups active in during undergraduate years
Sigma Phi Epsilon, vice president, senior year; Student Orientation Board, chairman, senior year and member, sophomore and junior years; WBGU Radio, announcer, freshman and sophomore years; Debate Team, freshman and sophomore years; Pi Kappa Delta; Intramural Hockey, junior and senior years

Best memories of BGSU
Learning--lots of exposure to different lifestyles and beliefs, to terrific people, interesting and challenging classes; my first exposure to staged drama, to classical music; travel with the debate team to other campuses and to the national tournament in Spokane, Washington; skating at the (then) new arena; the annual Sig Ep Mud Tug.

Interesting things
After graduation I went into the U.S. Navy and literally went around the world, mostly aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Saratoga with an F-4 Phantom fighter squadron. I got deployed to Vietnam but didn't fly so never got shot at. Got married while in the Navy to Clevelander Mary Ann Young, not a BG graduate. We had a daughter while in the Navy and stationed in Virginia. She's now a veterinarian, living in Bay Village, Ohio and just had a son, our first grandson, this January.

I went to graduate school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland after the Navy, then into the television business...mostly public television--many years at WVIZ (PBS) in Cleveland as program director, five years at WEWS (ABC) in Cleveland as news manager. We left Cleveland in 1999 and I went to PBS at the network level in the Washington, D.C. area. Among other things I was in charge of the national coverage of the 2000 presidential campaign and election (the year of the hanging chad!). Left PBS in 2001 and moved to Atlanta, Georgia where I'm assistant general manager of Georgia Public Broadcasting, a nine television and 17 radio station network serving the State of Georgia.

Last year, thanks to a Christmas gift from my wife I drove 30 high speed laps in a 600 horsepower race car at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Top speed just under 150 mph. More fun than I think I've ever had in my life!

Where I have lived
Memphis, Tennessee; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Parma, Ohio; Strongsville, Ohio; Alexandria, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia.

Travel
Barcelona and Valencia, Spain; Naples and Trieste, Italy; Athens, Santorini, and Nafplion, Greece; Monaco; Cannes and Nice, France; Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Austria; Regensberg and Nuremberg, Germany; Prague, Czech Republic; Shannon and Dublin, Ireland; Hong Kong, China; Singapore, Malaysia; Subic Bay and Manila, Philipines; Yokosuka, Japan; and 47 of the 50 U.S. States!

Areas of concentration
Broadcast programming, genealogy, and I love classical music, auto racing, and ice hockey.

Reunion expectations
I very much look forward to catching up with classmates, most of whom I haven't seen since graduation.

Regrets, missed opportunities
None! Well, maybe a bit of regret today, that my wife and I are in Atlanta, Georgia and our daughter, son in law, and new grandson are in Bay Village, Ohio, but we can work that out eventually!

Judith (Schroeder) Allton Sommers

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Contact with BGSU
Actually, I have had a lot of contact; years ago I was on the Alumni Board which brought me to campus several times a year; then I was on the Advisory Board at BG Firelands which meant attending some campus functions; as a President’s Club member we have attended several campus functions. Also, over the years I have served on almost all of the committees hosted by the Alumni Association.

Groups active in during undergraduate years
Angel Flight, drill team, Prout dorm representative, Education Association and Student Activities Organization

Classmates I have maintained contact with
My college roommate, Cathy Deibel Zolciak, Pat Buckland Maschari, and several other class members from the Class of 1969 (the class I was supposed to graduate with, but graduated early)

Interesting things
I was President of the Ohio School Counselors’ Association which allowed me to travel across the country to meetings; along with a colleague I was a speaker at national and state conferences; got my doctorate at BG in 1995; after I retired as a high school counselor I taught at Heidelberg College in their Masters counseling program; have had many worthwhile volunteering experiences.

Where I have lived
Bowling Green right after marriage to John Allton; North Carolina while he went to Duke Law School and I got my Masters’ in school counseling at Chapel Hill; Lancaster, Ohio while he was in the Air Force, and then Norwalk, Ohio for the past 32 years.

Travel
Mediterranean cruise; Greece, Mexico, Riverboating on the Danube; Inn to Inn walking tour of England; another trip to England; Alaska; other states, and we own a small home in Tennessee so my husband can golf!

Areas of concentration
Education is my passion. So, I will assist with anything that fosters education … from working with high school kids to helping at the college level raise funds for a new building on the Firelands campus. My areas of expertise are planning and organization.

Reunion expectations
It is always great to meet up with long-lost friends…I have already heard from some via e-mail, but it is so nice to meet new friends, such as our Reunion Committee, as well!

Family
Married to Dr. Charles Sommers, a retired dentist. Chuck has two sons who are dentists and have taken over his practice, and a third son is a designer. I have a son and a daughter. All of us, but my son, live in Norwalk. We have seven beautiful grandchildren.

Regrets, missed opportunities
Went through college in three years and worked two jobs. Would have liked time for a little more fun!

Jeff Witjas

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I was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in New Rochelle, New York. I attended Bowling Green State University (1964-1968) majoring in Political Science and receiving a minor in Philosophy. While at BGSU, I was a member of ZBT fraternity...The first President of the Undergraduate Alumni Association....Member of the tennis team.....Key King(Senior year) and Vice-President of the Student Body (67-68)......I have received my Juris Doctorate degree from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California in 1979.....Prior to moving to Los Angeles, I was a teaching tennis Professional playing in tournaments and running an indoor tennis club in Englewood, New Jersey from 1971-1975....While attending my first year of Law School, I began in the William Morris Agency mailroom in May of 1977. I worked my way up the ranks to be a Vice President working in all aspects of show business (and co-heading the Sports department) representing top clients in these diverse areas as a talent agent.

In October of 2001, after 25 years at WMA, I started at the Agency of the Performing Arts (APA) in Beverly Hills, California as a Senior Vice President in the talent department enjoying much continued success. My wife is Rebecca and my daughter is Rachel Mae (8-1/2 years old).

Since my graduation from BGSU, I have stayed connected and have given back in a number of varied ways. I have started a scholarship fund under my daughters name for a deserving student....Have returned to school numerous times and to speak to the theater students about what to expect when they embark on a career in show business (and in one instance brought with me a top-ranking casting director to critique the students acting abilities)

I truly look forward to returning to BGSU for my 40th anniversary....It is an extraordinary experience as I can attest to as I just a few months ago attended my 40th anniversary of ZBT on the Bowling Green campus....I have always been proud to say I am a Bowling Green State University graduate and returning to the scene to reminiscence with my fellow classmates who I was friends with and those who I may never have met during my school years will be a much treasured time.....We only have one college graduating class in our life so I for one would love to see and hear how we all turned out.

Rick Helwig

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Contact with BGSU
Served on Alumni Board in the 70s. Returned for some football games. Returned for my two sons’ invitational swim meet at the “new” Rec Center. I am anxious for a tour of the new Union, etc.

Groups active in during undergraduate years
Student gov’t, SICSIC, ODK, Sigma Chi.

Classmates I have maintained contact with
Brian Dundon, Bruce Nyberg, Dale Saylor, Roger Crow. Saw Bruce Dukeman and Dick Walker at Navy OCS Summer of ‘68. Talked with both since then.

Interesting things
In association with my career in city management, I served on numerous inner city boards (e.g. Annie Casey Youth at Risk, Neighborhood Health Center) as well as various other boards (e.g. United Way, Chamber of Commerce, Philharmonic, Church).

Where I have lived
Newport, R.I., Athens, Ga., Kaneohe, Hawaii, Cambridge, Mass., Dayton, O., Elgin, Ill., Dublin, O., Birmingham, Novi, and now Milford, Mich.

Travel
Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Paris. Attended numerous large city City Manager meetings in major U.S. and Canadian cities.

Areas of concentration
Cities, cities, cities. Particularly focused on civic infrastructure (community problem solving), economic development and environmental protection.

Reunion expectations
Wonderful opportunity to reconnect with many talented people who were a major part of my life 40 years+ ago.

Family
Married 29 years with two sons, Trevor and Ryan. Divorced. Remarried three years later. Three step-children Anne, Jack, and Lauren. My wife Leslie and I have five granddaughters.

Best memories
SICSIC spirit activities, enjoying new Library, Stadium, Ice Arena, ditto someone else saying walking to class in the Winter, and many, many friendships, quality of Business School.

Regrets, missed opportunities
Would have liked to have accepted International Fellows Program at Columbia University after graduation rather than going to Navy OCS.

Interested in attending?   Please let us know by completing the form located here or calling (888) 839-2586. See you in the fall!