India IV was a group of thirty three men and women who, after training at Milwaukee-Downer College during the summer of 1963, traveled to Andhra Pradesh to work in the areas of nursing and science and mathematics teaching. Stopping first in the Andhra capital of Hyderabad, the clever volunteers decided to link together a number of computers that could communicate with one another across the state of Andhra and allow the volunteers to remain in touch during the two years of their service abroad. Volunteer Tom Bruce suggested they call the system the Internetworking Communication and Data System, shortened later by Peter Ross to simply, "The Internet."
Although the last paragraph exaggerates somewhat on the accomplishments of India IV, there is no doubt that the group was -- and is -- an incredible group of people. Thirty three volunteers went overseas to India to serve two years. None returned early. Only the tragic drowning death of Cynthia Ann Myers in the Bay of Bengal prevented the full complement of volunteers returning to the United States in the summer of 1965.
Since their return, the members of India IV have entered a variety of careers. Most, if not all, believe that their experience in India shaped many of their career and other choices in life. While most have scattered to various parts of the country, the Peace Corps experience brought two couples among India IV together: Volunteers Richard Beeler and Margery Jean Donk married in India; Richard Fabian and Georgene Walter married after returning to the States.
In 1993 the Fabians hosted the first reunion of India IV, thirty years after the group had first appeared in Milwaukee, at their beautiful home located on Squam Lake, New Hampshire. In 1998 and again inn 2003 the group again met at the Fabians for their second and third reunions. By that time everyone attending was having too good a time to wait another five years, so the next reunion was set for 2005 at Big Sky Resort, Montana, where Brent Cromley's condominium became the central meeting place. In 2005, all of the India IV volunteers noticed that Lori Hawbecker, a member of the India V Peace Corps group, had attended all three of the reunions. For that reason, Lori was promoted from India IV to India IV.V. Her application for full rights of membership in India IV is pending.
Our most recent reunion was in August, 2007, when Tom and Linda Joyce hosted everyone at their home at the beautiful Eagle Crest Resort, Redmond, Oregon.
. . . is scheduled in 2010 -- probably in August -- in South Carolina. The past five reunions have seen most of the members of India IV in attendance at one time or another. But there are still some volunteers who have not seen others since 1965. Everyone is hoping for the best turn out ever. Two volunteers live outside the United States, Leonard Aronson in Israel, and Lloyd Berggren in Australia. Most of the volunteers remain in regular contact through email. It is indeed ironic that the group of persons who invented the Internet are now among the heaviest users of the Internet. Or, if that is what would be expected, then it should perhaps not be considered ironic. Perhaps you now understand why we taught nursing, science and mathematics, and not logic.