Robert Cole ’62: From Vietnam to a Life of Medicine

Robert fondly remembers working on the Homecoming float with the rest of his pledge class in 1958 and the initiation from upper classmen that came with it, though he assures it was never hurtful and was in good fun.

“Herb Koenig ’63 and I roomed together for a couple of years and then I moved to a single room,” he says. “During my sophomore year I was elected president and when I was a senior I managed the kitchen operation.”

Robert became focused on going to medical school and was working very hard at his academics. He was also in Army ROTC and when he graduated, he received his B.A. as well as Second Lt. bars. He then went to medical school at the University of Cincinnati and graduated in 1966.

“I interned at Tripler Army Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, and did my general surgery residency at Madigan Army Hospital in Tacoma, Wash.,” he says. “Those portions of my Army career were spent caring for the wounded from Vietnam as well as caring for the military personnel in Hawaii and Washington State. I served two years in Alaska at Fort Wainwright and another year in Fort Monmouth, N.J. That ended my Army career. I was a Lt. Col. when I resigned in 1974 to start my surgery practice in Corning, N.Y.”

After staying in Corning for several years, during which he was on the board of education for 13 years (five of which as president), Robert moved to beautiful Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.

Robert has also been active in Christ Episcopal Church, on the board of directors of John G. Ullman, Inc. of Corning for 36 years and is a Paul Harris fellow in Rotary.

He is currently finishing up his surgery career in a small community hospital close to his home in Bath, N.Y., and will formally retire at the end of the year. His hobbies include gardening, sailing, fishing, traveling and family. He and his wife, Jo, have six children and nine grandchildren. Their oldest grandchild is a junior at USMA in West Point, and their youngest is just three.

“I am very pleased to have been able to participate in the rebuilding project at Delta Chi. The former house was not in good condition when I was there in the ’50s, and a new home was sorely needed.”