Bart Calkins led an adventurous life starting in Butte Montana on June 24, 1947. Most of his school days were in the Midwest. His years at Wauwatosa East High School in Wisconsin were filled with running cross country and track. He also played the trombone in the marching band. In 1964 Bart and the Red Raider Marching Band performed at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens New York. He graduated in 1965.
Bart thoroughly enjoyed his years at Beloit College. He earned a BA in 1969 as a Economics and Business major under the guidance of Professors Les McAllister and Jerry Gustafson. At Beloit Bart continued his pursuits in cross country under Coach Alf Harrer. His family loved going to Bucs football games because the cross country meets ended inside Strong Stadium with the runners coming around the track surrounding the field.
A 1967 TKE fraternity rush booklet recorded: “The outstanding runner on the Beloit Cross Country team this year was a Kappa Teke, middleclassman Bart Calkins. Bart, the bright light of a team weakened by injuries, set the school record for the Beloit College cross country course while winning all but one dual meet during the season. After finishing fourth in the conference meet, Bart went on as Beloit’s representative to the NCAA small college finals.”
The 1968 yearbook had this cross-country team write up: “Captain Calkins led the harriers to a 2-5 record. His ninth in the Invitational sparked the team to third place in a field of eight. Despite his tenth in the conference, a medal-winning place, the Bucs finished low due to injuries. Inspiring performances by novices McMillin and Wolczak characterized the squad’s dedicated spirits.”
Bart had many friends at the TKE house and put his accounting skills to work as chapter treasurer in 1968. Bart also used his field terms wisely. One year he was on the ski patrol at Alta Ski Area in Utah and Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico. Another year he helped with other Beloit students at a school camp for disadvantaged students in San Bernardino California.
After Beloit College Bart headed to UCLA graduate school. In October 1969 he bought a Triumph in Wisconsin and drove it back to California for his last year of school. The old Roadster had no floorboards on the passenger side. He made it back to LA but one day the parking brake failed, and the car ended up in a neighbor’s pool at the bottom of the hill! In June 1971 Bart graduated with an MBA in Finance from UCLA. In the early 1970s Bart served in the Wisconsin and Indiana National Guards as a 2nd Lieutenant. Later, in 1976, he also became a Certified Public Accountant.
After getting his MBA Bart worked for Deloitte Touche and then Magnavox Corporation in Fort Wayne Indiana. Phillips Corporation acquired Magnavox and Bart was transferred to New York City. Later he worked as VP/Controller of ADT Corporation where his office was on the 94th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. ADT eventually moved its headquarters to Morristown New Jersey. After a couple years there with ADT Bart became co-founder and CFO of Unison Industries and moved to Jacksonville FL.
While in NYC Bart often went to New Paltz New York to spend weekends rock climbing with fellow New Yorkers. He would also ski in Vermont and the northeast in the winter. He even tried ski racing for a short while. In Jacksonville he joined the Daytona Beach Ski Club which was a small yet enthusiastic group. After living in Florida for several years Bart realized the Florida lifestyle was not for him. He missed his skiing and climbing adventures.
In 1994 at age 47 he retired and moved to Denver to be close to the mountains. He organized ski trips in the western Rockies in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. And was active in the Colorado Mountain Club. He loved teaching the Boy Scouts and other young people about climbing.
Bart died October 8, 2007 in a rock-climbing accident while canyoneering in the Green River area of Emery County Utah near Castle Dale. He was 60. Bart’s ashes were dispersed on the mountain slopes of Vail Colorado on June 15, 2008. Bart’s classmate and fraternity brother, Nic Paley, wrote: “Please convey my regards to his family – and mention that one of his friends remembers Bart as like the wind – strong and searching and mighty fine.”
Jan (Calkins) Peterson, Peter Calkins, Mitch Calkins
Dan Gooder Richard, Class of 1969
I remember Bart as one of my TKE house buddies who always seemed to be around when I (and he, I suppose) needed some respite from work. He was an essential player in our relaxed, wisecracking social circle. We said that we'd stay in touch, but unfortunately - as is too often the case - life's demands and distractions intruded. I last saw "Bartimer" at our 25th Beloit College reunion in 1994. I was so glad that we caught up with each other, if only briefly. And I was deeply saddened to read of his death several years ago. For a brief but significant time of life, he was a friend of mine.
Dan Richard
John Bart Calkins
Bart Calkins led an adventurous life starting in Butte Montana on June 24, 1947. Most of his school days were in the Midwest. His years at Wauwatosa
East High School in Wisconsin were filled with running cross country and track. He also played the trombone in the marching band. In 1964 Bart and the Red Raider Marching Band performed at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens New York. He graduated in 1965.
Bart thoroughly enjoyed his years at Beloit College. He earned a BA in 1969 as a Economics and Business major under the guidance of Professors Les McAllister and Jerry Gustafson. At Beloit Bart continued his pursuits in cross country under Coach Alf Harrer. His family loved going to Bucs football games because the cross country meets ended inside Strong Stadium with the runners coming around the track surrounding the field.
A 1967 TKE fraternity rush booklet recorded: “The outstanding runner on the Beloit Cross Country team this year was a Kappa Teke, middleclassman Bart Calkins. Bart, the bright light of a team weakened by injuries, set the school record for the Beloit College cross country course while winning all but one dual meet during the season. After finishing fourth in the conference meet, Bart went on as Beloit’s representative to the NCAA small college finals.”
The 1968 yearbook had this cross-country team write up: “Captain Calkins led the harriers to a 2-5 record. His ninth in the Invitational sparked the team to third place in a field of eight. Despite his tenth in the conference, a medal-winning place, the Bucs finished low due to injuries. Inspiring performances by novices McMillin and Wolczak characterized the squad’s dedicated spirits.”
Bart had many friends at the TKE house and put his accounting skills to work as chapter treasurer in 1968. Bart also used his field terms wisely. One year he was on the ski patrol at Alta Ski Area in Utah and Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico. Another year he helped with other Beloit students at a school camp for disadvantaged students in San Bernardino California.
After Beloit College Bart headed to UCLA graduate school. In October 1969 he bought a Triumph in Wisconsin and drove it back to California for his last year of school. The old Roadster had no floorboards on the passenger side. He made it back to LA but one day the parking brake failed, and the car ended up in a neighbor’s pool at the bottom of the hill! In June 1971 Bart graduated with an MBA in Finance from UCLA. In the early 1970s Bart served in the Wisconsin and Indiana National Guards as a 2nd Lieutenant. Later, in 1976, he also became a Certified Public Accountant.
After getting his MBA Bart worked for Deloitte Touche and then Magnavox Corporation in Fort Wayne Indiana. Phillips Corporation acquired Magnavox and Bart was transferred to New York City. Later he worked as VP/Controller of ADT Corporation where his office was on the 94th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. ADT eventually moved its headquarters to Morristown New Jersey. After a couple years there with ADT Bart became co-founder and CFO of Unison Industries and moved to Jacksonville FL.
In 1994 at age 47 he retired and moved to Denver to be close to the mountains. He organized ski trips in the western Rockies in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. And was active in the Colorado Mountain Club. He loved teaching the Boy Scouts and other young people about climbing.
Bart died October 8, 2007 in a rock-climbing accident while canyoneering in the Green River area of Emery County Utah near Castle Dale. He was 60. Bart’s ashes were dispersed on the mountain slopes of Vail Colorado on June 15, 2008. Bart’s classmate and fraternity brother, Nic Paley, wrote: “Please convey my regards to his family – and mention that one of his friends remembers Bart as like the wind – strong and searching and mighty fine.”
Jan (Calkins) Peterson, Peter Calkins, Mitch Calkins
Dan Gooder Richard, Class of 1969
Timothy Sturm (Sturm)
I remember Bart as one of my TKE house buddies who always seemed to be around when I (and he, I suppose) needed some respite from work. He was an essential player in our relaxed, wisecracking social circle. We said that we'd stay in touch, but unfortunately - as is too often the case - life's demands and distractions intruded. I last saw "Bartimer" at our 25th Beloit College reunion in 1994. I was so glad that we caught up with each other, if only briefly. And I was deeply saddened to read of his death several years ago. For a brief but significant time of life, he was a friend of mine.
Tim Sturm, Class of 1969