Class survey results
Class of ’58 Survey
85 men and 76 women sent in their surveys for a total of 161. The response rate was 67% for the class of 240 persons at the time the surveys were mailed (some classmates who are now deceased returned their surveys.) The majority (95%) have been married at some time in their life; two-thirds (64%) are married now. A majority (79%) attended graduate school; 76% have at least one graduate degree.
Careers
Almost two-thirds (62%) have had at least two careers which lasted at least two years. Twenty-percent are retired completely and 15% feel that retirement is not in the near future. Sixty-one percent are working part time or doing volunteer work.
Teaching has been a career for almost half (47%) with most focusing on one type of teaching; a few did teaching at more than one type of school (so percentages in graph will add to more than 47%). Other careers included: child-raising/homemaker (29%), self-employed (22%), community volunteer (21%), small business executive (17%), non-profit (13%), doctor/nurse/medical (12%), music/arts/museum (10%).
About one-fourth (24%) mentioned other careers: Advertising, architect (owner), associate dean of medical school, college athletic coach, development officer, disc jockey, engineering, flight attendant, free lance writer, private music studio teacher, hospital association executive, internal revenue service, journalism (including one as an editor), librarian (including a director), marketing research, management consulting, poet, research biochemist, school counselor, spiritual guidance, book seller, textbook editing, thinking and writing.
Travel
One-third have lived in at least five states since graduation from Carleton.
Most (94%) have lived or traveled outside the United States to other countries. Over half (52%) have visited at least 11 countries.
The countries mentioned most often in which the most memorable experiences occurred included: England, Japan, Italy, France, the United States, Turkey, and Germany. Other places mentioned were: Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Austria, Thailand, Denmark, Belgium, Scotland, Burma, Canada, Chile, China, Kenya, Columbia, Czech Republic, Egypt, New Zealand, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Jordon, Liberia, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Peru, Brazil, Honduras, Russia, Spain, Sweden, USSR, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Family
One-fourth live in a major city; 39% in a small city/town; and 38% in the suburbs or rural area.
Most (83%) live in a “stand alone” house. Other housing choices include attached house, mobile home, apartment or condo, retirement community or houseboat/other unique housing.
The majority (91%) had at least one child. Some (8%) have adopted children. Nine percent have stepchildren and 1% have foster children.
More than three-fourths (81%) have at least one grandchild and 6% have more than eight grandchildren.
Activities
One-fifth (22%) have held some type of elected or appointed political office. Some have held more than one type of office (so percentages in graph will add to more than 22%).
Most (88%) have done at least one type of volunteer work.
Classmates continue to keep busy. Their major activities include: reading, travel, dining out, classical events, museums and art exhibits, outdoor activities, and live theater.
Hobbies are varied. Gardening, knitting, model railroads, antique cars and trains, black powder firearms, boating, bridge, dancing, flying, ice skating, genealogy, golf, tennis, hunting, fishing, skiing, needlework, painting, photography, stamp and coin collecting, watercolor painting, writing, are others.
Technology is a part of most classmates’ lives. Computers, DVD players and e-mail are the most used.
Classmates were asked to select the three most significant problems for the world during the next ten years. Global warming was selected by 27% as the “most” significant. Terrorism/internal conflicts, spread of nuclear weapons, and religious or ethnic conflict were the other problems most frequently selected.