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CLASS NOTES
Henry S. Coleman I got a great letter from Paul A. Barenberg: "There were several of us who came from the 1942 class of DeWitt Clinton High School, including Dick Heffner, Fred Kavaler, Eugene Bruck, et al. I wanted to get in touch with Dick, but can't find his e-mail address. Do you have it, or does he read this? If Gene is around, what happened to his oboe and his cynicism? Do you have his address? Unfortunately, Fred is gone. "My family: Russ is in Nashville and a great guitarist among other things. David is a gastroentyerologist in Connecticut. Lynn is with Boston College Legal Services and heading for Bhutan for a trip. And Mark is on the Columbia Law faculty. I'm married to Nancy since 1949, one of the best and most beautiful women in the world. I'm retired and annoying people." All your correspondent can say is that he wishes more classmates would annoy him. Fred's e-mail is A3624c@aol.com. I hope that some Clinton classmates will contact him. I heard once again from Howard Clifford, who has wandered to Rotten River, S.D. He is in the Riverside Cabana Business and is waiting for the EPA to clean up the mess. Howard posed a challenge. He wants to know where the following are: Don Summa, Alex Sahagian-Edwards, Herb Gold and Niel Wald. Contact Howard through your class correspondent. Be back in a couple of months.
George W. Cooper It may not be inevitable, but this issue's '47 Class Notes appear to be a classic case of feast followed by famine. A glance at the January issue shows we achieved a column of about 50 lines, roughly half of that received from the Class of '43 and a good bit less than half of '48's contribution, but respectable nevertheless. Perhaps your correspondent cannot expect another such cornucopia of news from classmates, but an empty letter tray is not a pleasant prospect. So be it, but I plead, don't let it happen again! Need it be mentioned (no, but I'll do so anyway) that our 55th reunion is not far up the road. Give this column some tidbits for the next issue, still prior to our reunion festivities, and save yourselves the task of trying to remember what you wished to report when confronted by your classmates.
Theodore Melnechuk You will notice that the classmates mentioned in these notes are again in alphabetical order based on their surnames; doing so lets me start with those of you who were kind enough to volunteer something nice about the November notes I wrote in verse. (No other correspondents said bad things about the verse; they just ignored it.) David N. Brainin was "inspired by my rhyming news." After more than 40 years as a practicing attorney, he is now limiting his work almost entirely to arbitration and mediation. David feels that he has much to be thankful for: His wife, Sema, is a professor of education at Hunter College, and five children have given him seven grandchildren. David invites classmates in the metro area to join Bob Clayton, Joe Russell ('49) and others at one of their monthly lunches. David can be reached at (212) 391-5200, ext. 14, or at dbrainin@lockerlaw.com. Charles D. Cole began a letter to me with "more rhyme anytime" and said that because of the verse, he would save the November 2001 issue of CCT. Charlie attended Homecoming, where he had a wonderful conversation with President George Rupp, whose enthusiasm for students and business-like attention to business will be missed by Columbia and the College, in particular. Charlie ("Dewey" to his old gang at Columbia) was a teammate and friend of the late Bill Vessie, whom he says was always a plucky and determined fellow, but so quiet that few knew of his heroics in the battle for Okinawa. Having also fought on Iwo Jima, Charlie asked for more particulars about the book on World War II veterans that was edited by Durham Caldwell, Remembering World War Two: Ludlow Veterans of the Armed Forces Tell Their Stories in Their Own Words. Anyone who wants a copy need only send a check for $21.95, made out to Ludlow Historical Commission (the publisher), to Durham Caldwell, 15 Ashland Ave., Springfield, MA 01119. If, before doing so, you want still more particulars, Durham can be reached at http://durhamcaldwell.home.att.net. Charlie is at 130 Autumn Ridge Ln, Ithaca, NY 14850. Fred W. DeVries ('49, '50E) is not a member of our class, and ordinarily I would have relayed the nice e-mails he sent me to my friend Joe Russell, who writes for the Class of '49, but Joe might not have had the space to reproduce Fred's acrostic poem, which I now presume to share with you (Californianese for "impose on you"):
Fred wrote that this "unpolished effort that took minimal time" was his first-ever attempt at an acrostic. What he normally does, having retired from DuPont, is to work as a consultant to the gold-mining industry. He gets to some interesting places, usually in the western USA but also in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and once to Romania. Fred, whose surname is the most common one in The Netherlands, lives in Chadds Ford, Pa., which he says has two claims to fame — it's where Washington almost lost the Revolution at the Battle of Brandywine (reenacted each year, with the Americans losing every time), and its most prominent citizen was painter Andrew Wyeth. He and his wife, Mary, live at 25 Hillendale Rd., Chadds Ford, PA 19317-9345. By the time you read this, the first of three scheduled jazz piano concerts featuring Dick Hyman (January 30), and possibly the second, with George Shearing (March 12), should have been held, but if you want details about the third, "Jazz Improvs on the Classics" (April 27), call the 92nd Street Y at (212) 425-5500. Robert Rowe kindly prefaced his Christmas newsletter by writing that he was "impressed by my Poesy debut" in November. (I had slipped some bits of verse into earlier notes, but never was the entire column in verse.) Bob and his wife, Alma ("AJ"), became grandparents in August when daughter Kimberly delivered Travis Allen. Also in August, they bought a 2002 Chrysler Concorde, with seats that heat up when the temperature drops into the 30s and rear-view mirrors that turn downward when you drive in reverse. Unfortunately, they have since driven it mostly to medical appointments, as AJ has asthma and Bob has had a series of eye operations to repair a damaged cornea. Earlier, they enjoyed a three-week cruise in the Caribbean on the Amsterdam during her inaugural year. They live at 6226 (a good street number for this palindromic year!) Elmgrove Rd., Spring, TX 77389-5214. Jean Turgeon sent me an e-mail to confirm that Arthur Bradley does indeed try out draft crossword puzzles on him and confessed that he has trouble with some of the jazz clues. Jean and Arthur were neighbors in Hartley Hall in 1947–48, and both took a physical chemistry course with Professor Hammett. Jean studied physics with Professor Von Nardrof, his adviser. Jean became a mathematician and in retirement still goes in to Concordia University three days a week as a volunteer in its math help center. He helps mainly with calculus, to which he was introduced by Professor Siceloff in fall 1946. Jean says that while students have changed, their questions haven't. He lives at 452 Mt. Stephen Ave., Westmount, Quebec H3Y 2X6. Dr. Peter A. Arturi reported the death on October 23, 2001, of classmate Dominick A. Valenti, whom he and classmate Joseph Salvatore met in 1944 on the basketball court of the old Columbia gym. The three became and remained close friends. With their wives, they enjoyed the 50th reunion of our class in 1998. Dominick was born in New York and was in the Merchant Marine during the World War II. While working as a credit manager with Goodrich Tire, he attended law school at night and became an attorney. Dominick leaves behind his wife of 53 years, Agnes; two sons, Stephen and Paul; and six grandchildren. Bill Vessie died on December 1. I wish now that on September 10 I had sent him a copy of the November 2001 Class Notes that I submitted to CCT that day, for the terrorism-delayed published version reached his home too late for him to read. At least his family knows, from the letters those notes led old friends to send, how much he was esteemed and liked by his classmates.
Joseph B. Russell How many of you saw the heartbreaking story of Charlie Bauer's medical history and present condition, with a recent photo, in The New York Times during the week of December 10? It appeared in the daily "Neediest Cases" human interest story, featuring him as one of the many New Yorkers whose needs are often overlooked by public agencies and for whom the Times has historically sought money from its readers at Christmas. It would be a wonderful start for the New Year if we were all to reach out to fund meaningful help to one of our own, badly battered by time and fate, today almost totally paralyzed by multiple sclerosis (the onset of which he self-diagnosed as a first-year Harvard medical student). You can help Charlie by contributing directly to The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, P. O. Box 5193, General Post Office, New York, NY 10087, and specifying in an accompanying note that the funds are to be used for his benefit. My contribution, and those of a number of others, have already been sent in; perhaps enough of us together can make a difference. Though still a judge, Fred Berman no longer presides over trials. He was required to give that up four years ago upon turning 70. He now conducts pre-trial hearings in criminal cases and supervises jury selection in civil cases while also serving as an arbitrator for the NASD and as a referee conducting hearings in attorney disciplinary proceedings. His wife maintains that he is busier than ever. The couple has three wonderful grandchildren; one in San Francisco, where their son is an entertainment lawyer engaged in intellectual property law; and two in Elmira, N.Y., where their other son is the general manager of the local NBC television station. Fred's wife is vice-president of a not-for-profit foundation, the Fund for the City of New York, which develops recommendations to city government on ways to improve the quality of life in New York City. Fred is in touch with Howie Beldock, and occasionally runs into other classmates at a Columbia football game or when they come down to court for jury duty. He adds his best wishes for a happy, healthy and safe new year. Marvin Lipman and his wife, Naomi, spent a fascinating week in Cuba as members of a People-to-People medical delegation. Four endocrinologists and three spouses spent time mostly in Havana, meeting with leading members of the endocrinology section of the Cuban healthcare system; visiting hospitals, labs, clinics, and rehabilitation centers; and exchanging views on a wide range of subjects. The visitors left with profound admiration for the intelligence, expertise, resourcefulness and courage of these professionals. Having benefited from Cuba's system of free universal education, they now contribute to the system of free universal health care. (Which means, of course, that they are employees of the government, making such poverty-level salaries that many physicians are forced to drive taxis or wait on tables to gain access to the U.S. dollar part of the two-tier economic system.) To call their hospital and laboratory resources Spartan is an understatement, but their achievements are all the more impressive in that context. All of Cuba suffers from the prolonged effects of the U.S. embargo and the loss of Soviet support that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, so the visitors had been advised to bring contributions of medical supplies and other commodities that we consider basic. They were fortunate to be able to bring a large number of test samples that had been purchased but not used in recent Consumer Reports tests of blood-glucose monitoring kits, lancets, test strips and the like, as well as pregnancy test kits — all of which were gratefully accepted by appropriate Cuban institutions. All in all, it was a thoroughly satisfying, non-touristic way of visiting a foreign country. (Incidentally, of the seven delegates, three of the physicians were P&S graduates, and three of the women — including one of the P&S physicians — were Barnard alumnae.) As regards comments on the Cuban public health efforts, I recommend an article in the December '01 issue of The Washington Monthly lamenting the sad state of public health in the United States. At the end of May 2001, Chet Nedwidek retired from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. As the assistant director of the Geographic Information Systems Unit, Chet was responsible for creating and controlling the unit budget and was instrumental in developing and installing an innovative pay scale system that drastically reduced the turnover of mapping section personnel. He also monitored the creation of the digital maps depicting the state-maintained road system (78,000 miles) and the maintenance of records covering the creation, maintenance and performance of the road system. A good-sized crowd turned out to see him on his way. Said Chet: "I suspect that some folks came to the luncheon to make sure that I was really going!"Since retiring, he has been mainly turning wooden bowls, platters and so forth, creating about three garbage bags of wood shavings a week. Once in awhile, people pay good money for some of his pieces! Chet adds that his oldest son, Chet III, is much better known than he. The owner and operator of a successful auto repair shop, he frequently appears on an unrehearsed TV show, Don't Panic, Call the Mechanic! during which he diagnoses engine problems as they are called in. We lament the untimely death on Christmas morning of Paul Moroz, a graduate of Stuyvesant H.S. and a Pulitzer Scholar at the College. Paul, a man of infinite but gentle wit, and your reporter became close friends as undergraduates. When I vacated my Livingston Hall room in December '47 to get married, Paul was welcomed as my successor for the balance of the term. In recent years, he had served the public interest as a riverkeeper of the Housatonic River in the Connecticut town of South Kent, where he and his wife, Norma, lived for many years. Ave atque vale, dear friend, and sincerest condolences to Norma and to Paul's children. To close, another reminder — John Weaver is trying to create a directory of e-mail addresses of the members of our class. Some of you already have responded to him. Will those who haven't please do so at wudchpr@aol.com so that we can all be in better communication? Thanks for your cooperation.
Mario Palmieri Lester Chace, not yet ready to put aside his paint brushes, continues unabated in his career as a portrait artist. Les, who in his career has been commissioned to paint some of the most prominent of the rich and famous and their families, continues to be a magnet for news media attention in his home state of Illinois. Most recently, in a biographical study of Les and his work, the Peoria Journal pointed to the lifelike quality of his portraits. Several of Les's works are included in Columbia's art collection. Frank Gill is directing the United States-Mexico Law Institute, a not-for-profit organization devoted to improving the understanding of the U.S. and Mexican legal systems by attorneys, judges and scholars in the two countries. Frank would be happy to send to any interested alumnus a brochure for the institute's next annual meeting, which will be held in September in Santa Fe, N.M. He is also teaching, at the University of New Mexico School of Law, the law of the North American Free Trade Agreement and International Litigation and Arbitration. Eugene Gottfried is "quietly enjoying" his retirement with some traveling, hobbies and community activities in Orinda, Calif. Dick Hukari reports the arrival of his sixth grandchild. Speaking of which, no one so far has claimed to have equaled Ari Roussos's total of nine grandkiddies. Let's hear from you if you have more. The Columbia Alumni Federation conducts a program known as Columbia Alumni Volunteers, the purpose of which is to make available to first-year foreign graduate students at Columbia a friendly person on whom they can call for assistance with any aspect of their lives in New York, be it the language, the customs or job-hunting. Ralph Italie is participating in the program and is coordinating the CAV effort with the International Students and Scholars Office, which provides basic logistical support for foreign students. An upcoming issue of Columbia magazine will carry a feature article about CAV and Ralph's role in it. Be on the lookout for it; some of you may be interested in participating. Jim Ospenson and his wife, Emily, have relocated from "right coast to left coast." They left New Jersey and are now residents of Laguna Niguel, Calif. Should we, more than 50 years after college and the reading list of the Core Curriculum, be reading Harry Potter? Yes, according to Al Schmitt, who reports having read Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone. He recommends it as required reading for all grandparents. Thanks for the tip, Al.
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