“I asked him what he was writing about at the moment,” said Materne ’65. Only half-serious, he then suggested that Wolfe write a book about a bond salesman. Something seemed to click for Wolfe ’47, and the two began discussing a fast-paced world where financial transactions were numbered in the millions every day. Over time and subsequent introductions to other investment heavy-hitters, Wolfe ’47 began his work on his first novel, a story centered on a young banker in the ‘80s. Published in 1987, “Bonfire of the Vanities” drew on themes of class, greed, and race at a time when decadence and conspicuous consumption were very much in vogue. The main character? Sherman McCoy, who was revealed years later to have been an amalgamation of Materne ’65 and other people Wolfe ’47 had been introduced to. 

 

The two remained friends over the years, and the author once graciously spoke at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, where Materne’s son was attending school. “Our worlds couldn’t have been more different,” said Materne ’65. “He was in the social mix of New York about as thick as you could get, which was not my world. But this book is a part of my life. A small part, but a very wonderful part. Conversely, I became a small part of his life. We both loved St. Christopher’s. We had that in common.”