When Michael Officer '84 filled out his application for admission to Pomona, he listed in an addendum his many relatives that graduated from the College. Not counting his great-great-grandfather Henry Kirk White Bent, one of the College's Congregationalist founders, Officer counted 13 relatives who had passed through Pomona's gates. Today, after marrying an alumna and uncovering another branch in the Jennings family, Officer can count 34 alumni in his Pomona family tree. An additional six family members graduated from the other Claremont Colleges.

Officer talks about the legacy of his family at Pomona in fond terms. "It all made me feel very much at home and I was proud to be carrying on the tradition," he says. His mother, Helen Taylor Officer '47, has often shared her memories of being courted in Harwood Hall, where her husband James Officer greeted her with bouquets of roses on their first date. For Michael, the chance to meet his own wife, Kendall Carlisle '84, at Pomona is the greatest aspect of the family tree since two trees were merged with their marriage.

Today, the two run Carlisle Winery. Together with Jay Maddox '84, their assistant winemaker and viticulturist, they have named one of their wines "Three Birds," after their being a trio of Sagehens. Their special blend of grenache, mourvèdre and syrah will be featured at the wine tasting during this year's Alumni Weekend, April 30.