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CLASS NOTES
George Koplinka Here is a typical response to the 50th reunion literature that is being mailed to members of the Class of 1951. Leonard Stoehr writes, "Looking forward to seeing everyone at Arden House. I am coming to join with the NROTC contingent and bringing along my wife, Joan. Fred Kinsey and I will be traveling together." This message, along with numerous others that have arrived from graduates of '51, indicates the reunion will be a packed house with standing room only. By now you should have received your reunion registration form outlining the options for participation during the weekend of September 7-9, 2001. If you have not received information, please call Grissel Seijo, our alumni coordinator, at (212) 870-3294 to get the latest word. Reply as promptly as possible to make sure you are included in all of the events. Mark Kaplan is the chairman of our Class Gift Committee. With the approval of the Reunion Committee he is concentrating on raising $225,000. That's a pretty big reach! Mark needs some help in contacting every member of the class for some kind of a gift regardless of the amount. It's the number of donors that counts. As of this writing we have about $82,000 in the bank. Here is the kicker: the College's fiscal year ends on June 30, 2001. So, if we want to reach the goal and have it count for the reunion year, we have to deposit the money by June 30. What can we all do to insure we reach the goal? First, send in your own gift to the College Fund right away, noting it is for the class of '51. Second, phone Mark at (212) 735-3800 and offer to make a few friendly calls to classmates in your area to encourage their giving to the College Fund. George Zimbel, currently living in Montreal, will be exhibiting his photography in Low Library this fall. Reunion visitors to the campus will have an opportunity to see his award-winning work. Willard Block wrote and enclosed a September 8 obituary from The Philadelphia Inquirer about Lester Baker. Les was a distinguished physician in the field of diabetes prevention and treatment. Friends might wish to send messages to his wife, Liesel Baker, at 4625 Larchwood, Philadelphia, PA 19143. It's nice to see so many new faces at Reunion Committee meetings. Joe Buda and Nis Petersen are working with Bob Snyder on reunion programming. Under consideration as guest speakers are many of our own classmates including Dave Zinman, who recently authored The Day Huey Long Was Shot. Information is thin, but I received word about the honoring of the Columbia 1950-51 championship basketball team. Among the honorees that appeared on campus for an Ivy League game last February were Tom Powers, Frank Lewis and Bob Silver. A good group of '51 hoops fans were in the stands to lead the cheering. Among them were John Cervieri, Bob Osnos and class president Bob Snyder. Finally, a word to the wise is sufficient! Make your reunion reservation early. Space is limited. Don't miss out. Call me at (914) 592-9923 for help in planning. And if you are coming to the reunion, bring a friend!
Robert Kandel I recently got an e-mail from Roy Lutter (president of our class many years ago). After 22 years as an insurance broker in NYC, in 1975 Roy and Ann moved to Vermont. He continued in the insurance field (in New Hampshire) and in 1995 he slowed down to a three-day week. In 1997, he retired completely. He and Ann have enjoyed a couple of trips to Scotland, and more recently have been exploring our own northeast. Both of their daughters are living nearby, one in New Hampshire and the other about a mile away in Vermont. After 35 years with Shell Oil, Ernie Sciutto has just retired. He still lives in NYC as do two of his children; a third lives in D.C. and the fourth child is in LA. Ernie happily reports that both his parents are alive and well at 95 and 91. (More power to them!) He and the family spent most of the '70s in Houston and moved back to NYC in 1980. At his retirement, he was a corporate account executive. Ernie regularly sees classmates Frank Salerno, Tony Fischer and Henry Parsont (New Yorkers) and Ernie Baltz (who lives in Toronto). Ernie is an active member of the Planning Committee for our 50th reunion (which he, of course, plans to attend). And, speaking of our 50th reunion (wasn't that a great segue?), in response to our survey, it was determined that the reunion will be held on campus. Accommodations will be in the East Campus "hotel" with private baths, air-conditioning, etc. The official weekend will be Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2, 2002. It isn't that far away, so please mark your calendars now and plan to attend! You will receive more details in the mail. This is the big one...be there!
Lew Robins William Dick: After teaching Latin for 38 years at the Brunswick School, William retired and is now teaching at Norwalk (Conn.) Community College. He volunteers to teach various courses to senior citizens. Last fall, he taught Homer's Odyssey and this spring he's teaching "The Enjoyment of Poetry." William married Esme in 1955. They met in England and have two sons and three grandchildren. John Valuska: John reports that after graduating, he worked in his dad's insurance agency. Later, he became the president of the Domingo National Bank in Mingo Junction, Ohio. Eventually, John's bank was bought by the National City Bank and he became a vice president. John and Shirley have been married 47 years. They have four children and two grandchildren. Henry Villaume: It's always fascinating to talk to Henry or Sue. With Henry off on a business trip to Taiwan, Sue provided the following tidbits about Henry. He's still running a consulting business that tries to solve thermal problems across the country from San Francisco to Boston. After having a six-way bypass a few years ago and a subsequent 'valve job,' Henry continues to ignore everybody's advice and keeps actively working. They have three children and one grandchild. Keep up the good work, Henry. We need you for the 50th reunion in 2003. Herman Winick: A fascinating story! Herman has devoted his life to physics, and is currently embarked on an extraordinary adventure that involves scientists from at least 10 Arab countries and Israel working on a joint project. After graduating from the College, he went on to receive a doctorate from Columbia. He then spent a few years at the University of Rochester and 14 years on an accelerator project at Harvard and MIT. Herman explained that the project involved creating a machine that heats up sub-atomic particles. Simply stated, by the time he left Harvard in 1973, the team had developed accelerators for producing X-rays that enable scientists to determine the nature of complex materials such as protein molecules. Herman left Harvard for Stanford in 1973. After retiring several years ago, Herman became involved in the most "exciting project of his life," one that is intended to promote peace and science in the Middle East. At a meeting in Turin in autumn 1997, Herman and other colleagues knew that Germany was planning to shut down and scrap 'Bessy I,' a synchrotron radiation machine that was to be replaced by a newer model. During the past 10 years, synchrotrons have become key resources for many biological researchers. At the meeting in Turin, Herman suggested that Bessy I could be upgraded as the core facility for a new laboratory in the Middle East. Detailed information about the project is available at www.sesame.org.jo. Simply stated, the German government agreed to donate Bessy I to UNESCO, which sponsored the project. Ten Arab states and Israel voted to install Bessy I in Jordan, and Herman reports that a groundbreaking ceremony is planned for August. Herman and a host of international colleagues have a vision that this new international center for synchrotron radiation research will bring nations together and promote peace in the area. On a personal note, Herman married Renee, who graduated from Pratt Institute, in 1955. They have three children and 13 grandchildren. Herman told me his favorite quote about the latter: "Grandchildren are the reward you get for not having killed your children." Lewis Robins: Over the years, classmate after classmate and friend after friend continually reported on all the fun they were having with their grandchildren. Alas, my patient wife, Saralee, and I waited and waited. At long last, on March 2, our son Harry and daughter-in-law Jackie (both Columbia graduates) produced a wonderful, delightful, cute, cuddly granddaughter. Her name is Jessica Kim Robins and we're looking forward to seeing her graduate from the College in 2022.
Howard Falberg It's hard to believe that by the time this is printed in CCT the sun will be shining and some of our class may be complaining a little bit about the heat and humidity. Right now in the month of March we have just about dug ourselves out of the effects of snow, ice and rain. Adverse weather has not stopped many of our Bicentennial Supermen from getting around. Brian Tansey, his wife, Amy, and daughter, Eira, drove from Cincinnati to Washington, D.C. to visit with Ed Cowan and Ann Marie. A good visit was had by all. Alan Fendrick is enjoying his stint as president of the Columbia Alumni Club of Sarasota, Fla. They have about 70 members with seven members of their executive committee who are "workers." Actually that ratio is not too bad. Alan reports that they have been getting several admissions per year to the College and SEAS, including two on early decision last year. While our ex-President (of the USA, that is) has been battered by the pardons he granted before leaving office, we can all agree that we applaud his posing for pictures with George Fadok and his family at Andrews AFB when Mr. Clinton was returning to D.C. from New York. It seems that George's son, David, has been Group Commander of the squadrons that fly dignitaries in and out of Andrews. Steve Bailes reports that he attended his high school reunion at that "renowned Brooklyn Institute of Learning," James Madison High School. Among his classmates was Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. For those of our class who may appear before the Supreme Court, Steve informs us that she was known to classmates as Kiki. Who knows, that information might come in handy. Steve also ran into Dick Salzman, who was his classmate in high school as well as a fraternity brother at Columbia. Peter Ehrenhaft was kind enough to send me a copy of the letter for the year 2000 which he and his wife, Charlotte, have sent to family and friends giving the highlights of the previous year. It certainly sounds like it was a banner year for the Ehrenhafts, which included travel, good health for loved ones, chairing two major committees for the American Bar Association and a growing family of children and grandchildren. For those of us who are devoted grandparents, we should give thanks to Peter's daughter-in-law, who produces TV films for kids including Clifford, The Big Red Dog. Speaking of dogs, I am happy to report that I was elected president of The AKC Canine Health Foundation. We fund research that seeks to find solutions to medical problems, especially genetic-related, in dogs, and have contributed in a major way to the mapping of the human genome as well. We are getting closer to our 50th. Let's plan on our all being together then. Please let us hear from and about you.
Gerald Sherwin If you really want to spend some interesting quality time come to an area in Upper Manhattan now called SoHa (South of Harlem) by some pundits. A tour of the Columbia campus and the neighborhood would be in order. Walk through the gates on 116th Street, either on Broadway or Amsterdam, and head directly to Low Library. As you go through the glass doors, immediately on your left is the Visitors' Center. There you can sign up for tours and receive a lot of information about Columbia. The campus tours are given by bright, eager guides (mostly students) who will show you the usual and the unusual. Some highlights are the Ira Wallach Art Gallery in Schermerhorn, the Avery Fine Arts and Architecture Library, the special exhibit in the Rotunda of Low and more. Walk into Philosophy Hall, where afternoon tea is served. Visit Lerner Hall, which is constantly "bursting at the seams" with a bevy of activity. Amble through the newly renovated Butler Library, with its coffee bar and abundant computer terminals. In your journey, you'll also see what has been done with John Jay Lounge and Furnald Hall over the past couple of years. Even though you are on your own as you leave the campus, you will find so many new, friendly restaurants where you can sit and leisurely enjoy the food and the surroundings. No longer do we have the Gold Rail Restaurant & Bar-"Where the elite of Columbia meet"-and where has Aki's gone? A little further down on Broadway and 110th Street, the site of the new faculty residence and public school can be observed. On Amsterdam, St. John the Divine has become the tourist attraction of the Upper West Side. The outside of the church looks like a parking lot for busses. As for our classmates, we've heard from Marty Dubner up in Westchester, who is still in private practice and shows no signs of slowing down. Tom Brennan, Bob Pearlman and John Naley came across the river from New Jersey to make their annual appearance at a basketball game. Both Tom and John wanted to know if anyone had heard from their teammate Don Schappert. Although he didn't make the 45th reunion, Tom Brennan enthusiastically talked about the big 50th looming on the horizon and his plans for being there. Dick Kuhn has been seen from time to time at various events. Dick continues to live in New Jersey and practice law on Staten Island. Another Westchesterite, Alan Sloate, has contacted us to find out how he can become more involved with the class and alumni activities. Another hand is always welcome. Anthony Viscusi hosted a reception for a prospective New York City mayoral candidate, Peter Vallone, earlier this year. The race to succeed the current mayor will generate enough news for a lifetime. Dan Wakefield has been involved with a movie based on his best seller: New York in the '50s. Playing at a theatre in the East Village, the film shows various Greenwich Village alumni of the '50s (none from our class, however-not even Lee Townsend, Jerry Catuzzi or even Burnell Stripling) recalling memories of this golden era. Needless to say, Barry Pariser, still painting in Newburgh, and Ferdie Setaro, our consultant in Southern New Jersey, attended the fencing homecoming a few months ago. Where was Stan Zinberg (three hours away in Washington D.C.), Mort Civan (in Philadelphia) and Lee Rodgers (a five-hour plane ride from Los Angeles)? We wonder if the Debate Council has ever had a homecoming-Ed Siegel, Steve Rabin, George Christie, Bob Resnick and Don Kresge would know. It would be easy since everyone lives in Manhattan except for George, who teaches at Duke in Durham, N.C. Moving down the coastline to Florida, we've seen that many of our classmates are slowly migrating and staying permanently in the Sunshine State, or so says Don McDonough, who calls from time to time to give us an update on who and what. Don periodically comes across Dan Culhane, who has retired from IBM, plus other 55ers: Dick Carr, Stu Domber, Tony Blandi and long-time resident Professor Neil Opdyke. As everyone knows, California has been having its energy problems. Alan Pasternak gave his views in a column in The Los Angeles Times earlier this year. The article was entitled: "We're Paying the Price for Bad Energy Decisions of Years Past." It was a timely, well-written analysis of why California is facing certain environmental issues. Another Californian who attends reunions and does a lot for the College is Bill Cohen, living and practicing law in Los Altos. Still out west in Salt Lake City is Cal Jenkins, one of the top management people at the Fabriline Company. If anyone is in Salt Lake, look up our classmate. Lunch is on Cal. My fellow classmates: Stay in good health. Give someone you know a big hug. Exercise with great vigor. Walk only on the green. You guys are the best. Love to all!! Everywhere!!
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