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CLASS NOTES
Stanley H. Gotliffe CCT is now on a six-times-a-year publishing schedule and my in box for Class Notes is glaringly empty. There has been one communication, an inquiry from Jim Goodsell of Twisp, Wash., regarding the outcome of Jack Beaudouin's 60th anniversary class questionnaire, which he had dutifully filled out and mailed in. The answer, already passed on to Jim but repeated here for any of you with similar curiosity, is as follows. Those questionnaires returned were tabulated by a volunteer group of classmates and their wives, then summarized in narrative form by Jack (in his inimitable style). The final report was then printed by the Alumni Office and distributed to attendees at the 60th reunion. A copy for Jim was provided by the Alumni Office. How many other copies might be similarly available is unknown. Having wrung the utmost from the material available, and lacking a repertoire of intriguing anecdotes and/or snappy one-liners, it is necessary to close this column once more with the request to P-L-E-A-S-E W-R-I-T-E!
Herbert Mark Information about our upcoming reunion has been sent to you in our newsletter. Additional details, including a few changes, will reach you in a series of mailings. It's great to report that many of you have already committed yourselves to joining the party. Right now, however, we need help. Study the list of Lost Lions in your class directory. If you have information about anyone listed there, send it to me. There are people on that list just waiting for our call. Joe Funke, who is now retired, headed a family business in Ashley, Pa. Joe recently spent a day with Vic Zaro, catching up and remembering past escapades. I'm sure we have all read Joe's newsletter article that connected Pupin Hall in 1938 with the nuclear blast that ended the war in 1945. Two old wordsmiths, retired journalist Len Ingalls and inveterate letter writer Mel Hershkowitz, have been exchanging letters and memories of big band jazz in New York as we remember it (both jazz and the city). We'll have some of this music as background at reunion. Art Graham is president of the Guidance Center, a Westchester County, N.Y. agency that provides diagnostic and treatment services for a range of family problems. Art is active on a number of Columbia committees and, in his spare time, recruits engineering graduates for our reunion. Here is a most unusual item for Class Notes. Many of us remember Professor of English Joseph Wood Krutch as one of the giants on the Columbia faculty. After his retirement and a new career as a naturalist, Krutch was a founder of the renowned Arizona Desert Museum. A memorial garden on the campus of the University of Arizona, dedicated to Krutch, is now endangered, according to John Long, who winters in Tucson. A letter-writing campaign to preserve the garden is under way. Gerry Green, co-executor of Krutch's literary estate, was recruited to join the campaign to preserve the garden at its original location. I recently had lunch at the Columbia Club with Dave Harrison, Nick De Vito and Bill Carey. Each of us made the long trek downtown for this and thoroughly enjoyed hours of wide-ranging talk. And finally, a sad note: Our condolences to Alice Warschauer and family on the passing of our classmate, Maxwell "Mac" Warschauer.
Dr. Donald Henne McLean
Walter Wager Henry Hecht: The sage and caring bard of Demarest, N.J., reports that our late classmate, tsar Robert Bleiberg of Barron's weekly, was subject of bio-article in new issue of Townsend Harris High alumni periodical. Scribe H. Rolf Hecht himself is a creative sparkplug in his local prose and poetry writers group. Leonard Koppett: Indefatigable and wise beyond his years, the noted sports writer and historian and his educator wife were preparing for actress-psychologist daughter Kathy's fine February wedding. Dad Koppy is artfully advancing — chapter by chapter — with his saga of life in the press box. Soon to be offered to publishers, buzz is it should be a home run. Could be a touchdown, too. Dr. Ira W. Gabrielson: Noted public health professor and unashamed author of an annual family newsletter that might win a Nobel Prize for candor, goodwill and punctuation, is boasting of a dazzling, nearly year-old California granddaughter, Kate Joyce, and another amazing genetic heiress, 11-year-old Isabella, "the most beautiful granddaughter east of the Sierras." He's working on a dynasty. Gordon Cotler: Reported by reliable sources to be deftly doting up a storm and a half since arrival of lovely new granddaughter. 2002 also will see several of his short stories illuminate the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Walter Wager: Awaiting April publication by Tor/Forge of his new thriller, Kelly's People, and expecting additional news for CCT Class Notes. The devious and dilatory will be reported to the IRS and the American Geriatric Association.
Clarence W. Sickles Julian B. Hyman M.D., of Teaneck, N.J., is starting his 10th year of retirement from medical practice and is an officer of the 200-member Print Club of New York. The club commissions an artist to do a print with a copy given to each member. Julian was in Oakland, Calif., visiting his son, Harvey, and enjoying his seventh grandchild, 10-month-old Elliot. The proud grandparents informed me that their oldest son, Steven, is the provost of Harvard after having served five years as the director of The National Institute of Mental Health. Howard M. Schmertz is the director of the Millrose Games, a tradition-steeped track and field meet that was held in Madison Square Garden on February 1. It's the last of its kind at the Garden — in my track days in high school and college, there was one there almost every Saturday night, with meets such as the New York Athletic Club, the Knights of Columbus, the Amateur Athletic Union and the IC4A college championships as well as the Millrose Games. Those were the glory days of track when Glenn Cunningham, an outstanding miler with an indoor record of 4:04.4 set in 1938, warmed up with an overcoat over his sweatsuit and Cornelius Warmerdam was the first pole vaulter to clear 15 feet indoors — and that was with a bamboo pole. Harold, keep the Millrose Games going as a delightful reminder of what used to be. It's time to celebrate Columbia's 68th anniversary of the New Year's Day 7-0 football victory over Stanford in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., under Coach Lou Little before 3,500 fans. Must have been a much smaller Rose Bowl at that time. The touchdown came as a result of a trick play (I keep wondering why most college coaches today rely on power and speed and seldom use their third weapon of attack, which is deception or the trick play) between 153-pound quarterback Cliff Montgomery '34 and Al Barabas '36, who scored the touchdown. No, dear classmates, that is not living in the past, but is healthy and joyful reminiscing. As a gerontologist with my master's in the subject from Teachers College, I urge you to reminisce often about the pleasant times in life. It is good for your mental health and ego. Professor Jacques Barzun '27, historian and author, appeared on C-SPAN on January 5 from Trinity University in San Antonio. The subject was child education. I heard only part of the program, but Barzun seemed to be pleading for getting back to the basics of education without undue emphasis on what could be shortcut educational technology. How many of you had Barzun as a professor? No honorees this time, but there is an assignment for Harold Samelson, Joseph Lesser, V. Peter Mastrorocco, Albert Rothman, Lester Rosenthal (arbitrarily chosen) and any other '45er to send news, if possible, of any kind for the next issue. (Hope I haven't lost any friends with this action, but news is needed to have a '45 column and can only come from the members of our class.) And do realize that we want to hear from you about the things you are doing day-to-day. It need not be spectacular; the mundane things will do.
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