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CLASS NOTES
Columbia College Today “Each time I receive Columbia College Today, I look for news of the Class of ’33. Finding none, I wonder if I am getting to be a lone figure, lost in the quantum of time. “My name is John Randolph Phelps ’31. Due to the famous crash of ’29, my graduation was delayed until ’33. I am a member of the Iota Chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma. While I was at Columbia, I was active in the Glee Club, playing piano solos occasionally at some of the concerts. I was active in the Varsity Show between 1929–33 and composed several of the songs. If you look in the Columbia College Today Varsity Show edition (Fall 1994), you will find my picture on page 33. I am fifth from the left in the picture of the 1929 Pony Ballet! “In 1928, the Columbia Glee Club spring trip took it to Buffalo. At that point, I left the club to go to Rochester to pick up a 1928 Cadillac for my father, who was returning from St. Petersburg, Fla., by ship to New York, and needed a way to get home to Newark (New York). So, for about four months, I, a first-year at the College, had a brand-new Cadillac at my disposal! Frequently, some of my fraternity brothers and I would jump in the car and make it to the Metropolitan Opera House in time to pay 50 cents to some man at a side door to be admitted to the highest balcony to see and hear the opera. How delightful! Another special occasion was when I drove up the Hudson River with my fraternity brother, Ronald Peck ’31, to sit on the shore to watch the winning Columbia crew come down the river. “I have lived in a wonderful retirement community in Florida, Sun City Center, for 30 years as of this month. I directed the Women’s Chorus, affectionately called Johnny’s Angels because they made such heavenly music, for 20 years. I had been the organist for the SCC Methodist Church for 14 years until they retired me at the age of 90. I now enjoy playing the piano for a wonderful Country Fiddlers group. We perform for clubs all over town that receive us most enthusiastically. I also play chess faithfully every Wednesday afternoon at our local club, being ever optimistic that I might be able to improve my game. “I would love to hear from any of my classmates — Barnard and Columbia — or fraternity brothers who are still active. They can reach me at jrphelps1@juno.com.”
Murray T. Bloom Joe Coyle, who went from Columbia to the Long Island College of Medicine and became a surgeon, has eight children and 13 grandchildren, scattered all over, while he and his wife live alone in the big family home. His knees are badly arthritic, so he walks with a cane. Irving Gold must be the last of us who still commutes five days a week to run a business. He travels from Scarsdale to the Manhattan jewelry district to run a fine jewelry plant inherited from his father. He’s up early, catches a 6:30 a.m. train, and goes to bed early. Neither his two children nor his grandchild is interested in taking over the business. Tom Budington died in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., on February 11, 2002.
Dr. A. Leonard Luhby Ernest (Ernie) Geiger: We recently learned that Ernie had not gone to his office, as usual, on the 89th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11/01. The initial fireball resulting from the impact of the plane was on floors above and below his office. All who were in that area that morning were lost. Fortunately, Lady Luck must have been with Ernie that day. As a result, he is alive and well. He was greatly disturbed by the events of the day, and, until recently, found it difficult to talk about his reaction. In 1993, Ernie was in his office when the the World Trade Center was bombed. Seymour (Sy) Trevas, who lives in Manhasset, NY, reported the arrival of his first great-grandchild. He is registering Gabriel Drew Zalot for admission to the Class of 2023. Sy is retired chairman of the Travers Tool Co. of Flushing, NY He spends time taking courses and lectures at Hofstra University designed for seniors. He also loves to visit museums, attend theater, play bridge and travel. He recently retuned from a vacation on the Virgin Gorda island. John Crymble still is the quintessential College alumnus. He called to tell me about the results of recent athletic events and to comment on the outcome for Columbia. James (Jimmy) Zullo, a retired physician, still lives in Sarasota, Fla. He lost his wife, Helen, four years ago. He has overcome a four-year battle with bladder cancer and is doing well. Weldon Booth also retired to Sarasota and is Jimmy’s neighbor. They meet frequently for golf and other activities.
Columbia College Today Keeping up the tradition, Jerome Kurshan’s granddaughter, Ariella, will enter Columbia College this fall with the Class of 2006. Irving Schwartz M.D. is dean emeritus of the Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biological Sciences and president emeritus of the Life Science Foundation. His wife, Felice, was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame for founding in 1946 and leading the National Scholarship Service and Fund for Negro Students, which was concerned with major initiatives for integration and improvement of race relations, and for founding and serving for 31 years as president of Catalyst, an entity that works with corporate America to help women advance in business and the professions and to address the problems encountered by two-career families. Irving’s son, James, was cited as among the 24 best American science writers in 2001.
Seth Neugroschl
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