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CLASS NOTES
George Koplinka The Class of ’51 is pleased to announce the appointment of
two new assistant secretaries (and associate class notes editors).
They are Ralph L. Lowenstein and Nis A. Petersen.
Your editor appreciates this help in keeping everyone up-to-date.
Ralph is still working halftime for the Knight Foundation in Miami,
managing the archives. His mail should be addressed to 1705 NW 22nd
Dr., Gainesville, FL 32605. Nis is at 205 W. 57th St., Apt. #11cc,
New York, NY 10019-2119. Incidentally, Nis, as part of his continuing interest in
historic architecture, appeared before the New York City Landmarks
Preservation Commission to support the designation of the Anson
Phelps Stokes House at 37th Street and Madison Avenue as a historic
landmark. Although much altered and now a part of the Morgan
Library complex, it is a rare example of upper class housing in the
1850s and should be preserved. Columbians may remember that Isaac
Stokes, son of Anson, designed St. Paul’s Chapel on the
Morningside campus. Several biographies arrived too late for publication in our 50th
reunion yearbook. Here are a couple of excerpts. Norton Kolomeyer M.D. is enjoying life in Castro Valley,
Calif. Not so long ago, he was the only “over age 30”
person at a disco where he was seen promenading with a sweet young
thing. She hoped her step would be as lively as his when she got to
be a senior citizen. Norton, a retired internist, holds a patent on
a unique walking stick called PEP (Protection with Elegance through
Power). Sounds like a good slogan for President Bush! In addition,
Norton has a patent on a scatter-free litter box for cats. After
Norton’s beloved wife, Sue, died a couple of years ago, he
established a scholarship in her memory at the School of Social
Work. Brian Wilkie wrote, “I was bitten by the Lionel
Trilling bug and went off to the University of Rochester to get an
M.A. in English in 1952. After two years in the Army Signal Corps,
I attended the University of Wisconsin and got a Ph.D. in 1959.
Along the way, I married Ann Allen Johnson from Winston-Salem,
N.C., and we had three sons, John, Brian and Neil. I taught at
Dartmouth College for four years and then 22 years at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 1985, I moved to the
University of Arkansas, published three scholarly books and
co-edited Literature of the Western World. I lucked out by
getting Mark Van Doren for humanities, and I’d like to think
it shows!” James A. McGrory contributed the following: “I met
my wife, Ruth Schumacher, in a little theater group, and we were
wed after my basic training in the Army. Fortune smiled upon us
with an assignment to Germany. I had some linguistic skills that
the U.S. Army in Europe didn’t need! Ruth joined me for an
extended honeymoon, and after some short assignments as a clerk
typist and medic, we qualified (yep, both of us) for the 7th Army
Repertory Theater Company, which was created by General McAuliffe
of Bastogne fame (‘Nuts!’) in World War II. Ruth became
a Department of the Army civilian; I stayed a PFC. Our mission was
to boost troop morale with traveling shows like My Three
Angels, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial and
Rainmaker. We also performed before a large German audience
in Amerikhauser. Good work, good fun, good memories! “When Ruth became ill, I retired in 1996. Our residence
continues in Cincinnati, where most of the family resides — a
combination of sons (five), marriages and grandchildren. I keep
active physically and mentally, thinking of myself as an
independent scholar with interests in philosophy, literature,
science and history ... all nurtured by the Core
Curriculum.” Alan C. Wagner taught two classes at The Learning Center
in New York City. The first class gave him an opportunity to share
his show biz expertise in the TV and movie industries.
Doesn’t everyone want to be a star? Or write scripts? The
second class was about Alan’s passionate avocation,
opera. Saludos! from Marty Katz in San Juan. In a post-September
11 recollection, he noted that he was on his way to Newark Airport
when he saw the black smoke from the first World Trade Center Tower
collapsing. Amazing how we all know where we were when we heard
about Pearl Harbor or Jack Kennedy’s assassination; these
locations are permanently implanted in our minds. H. Elliot Wales sent along a copy of his remembrances of
the years we were at the College. We will include them in the next
issue of Class Notes. Thanks to Tom Heyman in Israel, who sent a copy of the
invitationto the recently-completed Buchman-Heyman Foundation
concert and artistic grants presentations for 2002 in Tel Aviv.
Numerous young people with talent for singing and playing the
violin and piano received scholarships and grants to further their
education. Tom, you deserve a commendation for these significant
efforts, and a pat on the back for including a translation of the
program that was printed in Hebrew. The Class Notes editor does not
have a translator on staff! Closing thought from Jim McGrory. “Basic
ingredients of a happy life: good health and good family ... and
you are 80 percent on the way. The rest is gravy!”
Robert Kandel It is with regret that we announce that Bob Landes passed
away in Florida on January 25, after losing his fight with cancer.
Bob was very involved with our class and a loyal member of the
Columbia family. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife,
Phyllis, and his family. Also, Robert B. Wall died on
February 6, and our condolences go to his family as well. Gene Manfrini spent 11 days in the hospital in February
while his doctors worked to adjust his medications. He was glad to
get “paroled.” He felt that there was an improvement.
We hope it continues, and we wish him the best. Arthur Lyons M.D. remains in the private practice of
neurosurgery in a consulting capacity since starting his practice
in San Francisco in 1964. He’s also an associate clinical
professor of neurosurgery at UC San Francisco, as well as past
president of the San Francisco Medical Society and San Francisco
Neurological Society and a founding member of the Bay Area History
of Medicine Society. He recently was appointed to the Medical Board
of California by the state governor as one of six physicians in the
Division of Medical Quality. He’s a second-generation
Columbian: His father, Alfred L. Lyons ’24, also a doctor,
lost his life at Okinawa in World War II. He’s looking
forward to reunion and notes, “I am greatly interested in the
tradition of Columbia College. Regrettably, I was unable to
convince either of my two grown sons to leave California to
attend.” I hope that a large number of you will attend our 50th reunion.
This column would be longer if ... you know the drill!
Lew Robins Peter Carbonara is still practicing orthopedic surgery
and has no immediate plans to retire. He is the chief of his
department at Englewood (N.J.) Hospital and Medical Center. Pete
has been married for 42 years to the same wonderful woman, Jean,
and they have four children and two grandkids. One son is a member
of the Class of ’84 and one daughter is Barnard ’88.
Jean and Peter recently had a wonderful visit with MaryAnn and
Frank Walwer ’52 in Florida. Peter concludes, “Life has
been good to us.” Burt Murdock and Ann are doing well. Four of their seven
children live in Roanoke, Va. Last fall, a golf cart overturned and
fell onto Burt, who is slowly recovering from a broken hip. Bill
Burk is retired. He and Judy live in Ventura County. Sylvia
Blomquist wrote to let us know that Howard Blomquist passed
away on October 2. Eileen Clew wrote that Dick Clew passed away on October
3. However, Eileen is sure that even though Dick cannot attend in
person, he certainly will be at our 50th reunion in spirit. Leonard Trosten, Arthur Hessinger, Dick
Lempert and Nick Wolfson have enthusiastically agreed to
join the 50th reunion committee. George Lowry spearheads the
committee. Please join us in making our 50th a smashing
occasion.
Howard Falberg There was a period of time after we graduated when some joint
activities were held under the auspices of the early ’50s
classes. They were fun, and many of us knew fellows who had
graduated in the classes of 1950–53. I guess that made us the
babies of the group. I recently received a letter from Stan
Schachter ’51 with information about one of our classmates,
Sheldon Cherry. It seems that Shelly, who is a renowned
gynecologist in New York, delivered a lecture in Palm Springs,
Fla., to about 140 people on “The Menopause Myth: The Truth
About Women’s Health After Age 50.” Shelly has written
several books and was named one of the city’s best doctors by
New York magazine. Perhaps he can update that presentation to deal
with women “after age 65” for our 50th. In any case, we
are all looking forward to seeing classmates and spouses, if
possible, at THE BIG ONE in 2004. Please be healthy, wealthy in spirit, and never forget the
influence that Columbia College has had on us both before and after
1954. Also, please let us hear from you.
Gerald Sherwin If one opens our class yearbook, the Columbian — produced
in great part by Dick Knapp, Jim Parker, Charles
Hollander, Gerry Tikoff and Elio Ippolito —
one realizes that this was a magnificent publication and overview
of four or five years (if you were a 3/2 engineer) of our lives.
The all-star faculty, the pictures of our classmates participating
in so many events and activities, the athletic teams, the
fraternities, the clubs — even the deans and the
administrators. Also included were the background photos of the campus and the
buildings. When you walk onto the campus now, you wonder what has
changed and what hasn’t. Grass on South Field; no traffic
between Broadway and Amsterdam; and the new student center, Lerner
Hall. Low and Butler are still there with all their majesty, as are
many buildings housing the upgraded classrooms where we listened
and learned from the brightest minds around. University Gym is now
called the “blue gym” and used for intramurals. The
running track is still above it. The student body is co-ed and much
more diverse than in the early ’50s and even 10 years ago.
However, the Columbian, so wonderfully written, edited and
produced, gives us a snapshot of our time and a lot of good
memories. Checking the pulse of our classmates around the country, we
start off in the Midwest with Jim Larson, living and working
in Toledo, Ohio. Jim returned to his roots where he is professor
emeritus at the University of Toledo. Mike Pybas, who came
to Columbia from Norman, Okla., is a volunteer counselor at the
Volunteer Center of North Texas in Dallas. We might see Mike at our
50th. He can join in the reunion songfest with the other former
Notes and Keys. It’s always good to hear about Stu
Perlman. The Brooklyn native has been practicing law in Chicago
for many years as a partner in his own firm. Stu and family reside
in the suburbs, in Skokie, Ill. As we move toward the Southeast, we find Jim Amlicke (the
former New Jerseyan) doing orthopedic surgery at the U.S. Naval
Hospital in Beaufort, S.C. Jim can use his vocal talents as a
former glee club member at the big get-together. Mike
Liptzin also went into medicine. He is a clinical professor at
the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill.
Although he is semi-retired, Mel Odze is putting in time at
Asthma & Allergy Associates in Coral Springs, Fla. It seems the
Sunshine State has become a nesting ground for a great many of our
class — golf, sunshine, 5 p.m. dinners, naps. Take note:
Don McDonough, Dick Carr, Bob Dillingham,
Dan Culhane and long-time resident Neil
Opdyke. Closer to campus, Al Momjian, who has been a stalwart in
helping to build the Columbia Club of Philadelphia into a strong,
thriving organization, is still practicing law in the City of
Brotherly Love. Al and family live just outside the main line in
Huntingdon Valley. Although he is a retired marketing manager,
George Raitt didn’t go as far south as a lot of our
compatriots. He is living comfortably in St. Michaels, Md. For those who may have forgotten one of the greatest long
distance runners in Columbia track history, Willy Storz is
still going strong in Hamden, Conn. Little-known fact: The winner
of the intramural table tennis championship in our time (who could
still give the younger crowd a good match) was Frank Tilley.
Frank, who is involved with Harlem Hospital, commutes from his New
Rochelle home. As we edge closer to our 50th reunion, idea sessions will be
held among classmates to begin formulating plans to make this event
the best ever. A recent luncheon was attended by Alfred Gollomp,
Bob Brown, Don Laufer, Roland Plottel and Larry Balfus.
More to come, including meetings outside the New York area. In the West, Ted Scharf is practicing medicine in
Albuquerque, N.M., where he has been for a long time. Richard
Mazze left the Bronx a while ago and is now in Northern
California as professor emeritus of anesthesia at the Stanford
School of Medicine. Living in Redwood City, Calif., is Charles
Barnett who, before his retirement, was a member of the
resident staff of Ampex. Jack Stuppin is still painting and
is better than ever. Jack comes east occasionally but operates
primarily from his home in Sebastopol and other nether regions of
California. Not to forget — aloha from Ramsey and Norm
Goldstein in Honolulu. They’re still waiting for
visitors. Gentlemen. Members of the Class of Destiny. Live your lives to
the fullest. Exercise. Breathe in that fresh air. Always look at
the positive side of things. The best is yet to come. Love to all! Everywhere!
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