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CLASS
NOTES
George Koplinka
75 Chelsea Rd.
White Plains, NY 10603
desiah@aol.com
[Editor’s note: This month’s column was written
by Ralph Lowenstein.]
In substituting for George Koplinka, I thought
it would be fun to find out how many of our classmates had transitioned
into the 21st century and adopted the newfangled tool of e-mail.
The alumni office has 142 e-mail addresses for our class. I picked
51 (get it?) at random and sent e-mail messages asking “What’s
happening”? The score:
Ten came back undeliverable because of incorrect or cancelled addresses,
31 did not respond (or did not retrieve their e-mail) and 10 sent
replies.
Not counting the 10 undeliverables, that’s a response rate
of 24 percent. Not bad for a generation raised on manual typewriters.
Comments from the respondents indicated that hardly anyone in the
Class of 1951 retires. Even those who retire keep working in one
way or another. Couch potatoes, we aren’t.
George Weiss is still at the National Institutes
of Health, where he has labored since 1964. He has written more
than 500 papers in a variety of medical, biological, chemical and
physical journals. His three grandchildren call him “Grandoc.”
Dick Priest has been retired for 11 years, but
says he is “working harder than ever.” He does volunteer
work for SCORE, an adjunct of the Small Business Administration,
and also is active on the Disciplinary Committee of the Bar Association
of Metropolitan St. Louis.
Alan Wagner spent a quarter-century in network
television. He was an executive in program development for CBS for
21 years, then became the first CEO of the Disney Channel. After
that, he and his wife, Marti, and their two daughters started a
production company, Boardwalk Entertainment, which develops and
produces movies and series for television and theaters. One movie,
starring Richard Harris, will start production this fall, and five
other films and a half-dozen TV projects are in development. Alan
has had a lifelong interest in opera and appears frequently on Metropolitan
Opera radio broadcasts at intermission as panelist, host and essayist.
He interviewed James Levine for the season-opening broadcast last
year. Alan also writes articles and reviews for Opera News,
and at least three of his pieces will be published by year’s
end. He received the National Academy of Sciences’ Silver
Circle Award in recognition of lifetime achievement. He and Marti
have five grandchildren.
Ron Young lives on Staten Island, consults for
companies that do metal extrusion and tries to keep track of 13
grandchildren. Jay Lefer, a psychiatrist, is still
teaching med students and “hopefully improving the mental
health of New Yorkers. Yet the world seems more psychotic than anyone
I treat.” Carroll Brown, who lives in Camden,
Maine, spent 30 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, rotating between
Washington, D.C., and Europe, and ending his career as consul general
in Munich. He retired in 1988 and became president of the American
Council on Germany in New York. His son, David, graduated with the
Class of 1979 and is a journalist in Amsterdam. Carroll’s
daughter, Suzanne, is a former member of the Canadian National Ballet.
Herman Bieber earned three degrees from Columbia,
worked for Exxon Research for 31 years, retired at 56, and formed
Bieber Enterprises, which provides consulting in technical information
research and creative problem solving. Herman also buys and sells
rare children’s books. Herm won the Columbia Alumni Medal
for his quarter-century work with an alumni-student counseling program.
He also works pro bono for the Engineering Foundation, helping to
organize and run international conferences. His hobbies include
bird watching, ballroom dancing and nature photography. “I
fly more than 100,000 miles a year,” Herm wrote, “and
drive more than 30,000 miles. I have never been busier, and that’s
the way I like it.”
Jim Lowe is organizing a movement to reinstate
NROTC on the Columbia campus. Students United for Victory has been
formed to help with the project, and there have been supporting
editorials in Spec. The student group is seeking an alumni
advisory group. If you’re interested in participating, get
in touch with Jim at jloweabq@aol.com.
Bob Snyder retired as an administrative law judge
two years ago, but still works part-time as an arbitrator in labor
cases. He plays clarinet in the Lawyers Orchestra. He and his wife,
Elaine Congress, will travel around the world this fall. He plans
to visit Columbia clubs in London and Sydney.
Our erstwhile chief correspondent, George Koplinka,
checked in from North Ferrisburgh, Vt. “Life in Vermont during
the summer is invigorating, what with the arrival of numerous grandchildren.
Three so far; seven more to come.” The kids, no doubt, are
attracted by Lake Champlain and George’s Catalina 22 sailboat
and 21-foot Stingray. George received the 2002 President’s
Cup at the Dean’s Convocation and brunch in June for exemplary
service to the Class of 1951.
Burt Nelson still is on the staff of The Buffalo
News, and, thanks to his German course at Columbia, is publisher
of the German-American journal Der Volksfreund, which,
Burt says, is widely available at the Heidelberg Restaurant in Yorkville
and at Scheutzen Park in North Bergen, N.J.
Arthur Ingerman
43 Henry St.
Brooklyn, NY
11201-1702
rosaling@aol.com
Many memories were rekindled and new ones begun at our gala 50th
reunion in May. If you listen carefully, you will detect a new voice
emanating from these columns, as the venerable and beloved Bob
Kandel has at last hung up his keyboard and left it in
the shaky hands of yours truly.
I start my tenure as class reporter with a burst of pre-graduation
enthusiasm and a willingness to carry the message of all your comings
and (heaven forbid) goings. Call me. E-mail me. Bother me. I crave
attention, but I give good press. There’s still a bunch of
us around, and we all do want to hear from you.
A short debriefing from my newsy nose:
Stanley Rubenfeld and his wife, Madeline, were
globetrotting to London and Hawaii, and as of press time were soon
to leave for Cuba, still celebrating the arrival of their new grand-daughter,
Kylie, born in March.
Sholom Shafner and his charming and talented wife,
Janet, kicked off a big celebratory bash in hometown New London,
Conn., to mark their 50th wedding anniversary.
Peter Notaro and his wife, Ellen, again walked
the sacred aisle in September, but this time to escort daughter
Pia to her nuptials.
Roy Brown, clinical professor of pediatrics and
public health at Columbia, had to leave the 50th reunion for an
assignment for the Carter Center Global 2000 Ethiopian Public Health
Initiative to evaluate physician and nurse candidates in Addis Ababa
for public health degrees. Roy’s daughter, Laura ’01,
is a teacher/recruiter for a school in Shengyang, China. His son,
Jeffrey, is a filmmaker/director in California. He recently shot
several commercials in New York City.
Much comment and praise has been received for the thoughtful, nostalgic
and insightful piece written by class president Bob Adelman
for the 50th reunion. In it, he enumerated and described
the myriad innovations that have entered and changed our lives in
that tumultuous half-century since our undergraduate years. Well
done, Bob.
Cliff Simpson acquired a 5-year-old Norfolk terrier,
his third Norfolk. Joseph Di Palma has added a
prized Congressional recognition for his 2001 Tiffany Smithsonian
Benefactors Circle Award to his array of accomplishments and acknowledgements.
Ev and Bob Kandel, enjoying retirement and a post-class
correspondent rest, have returned from a tour of Scandinavia and
Scotland, where they joined in the celebration of Ev’s sister’s
80th birthday.
We mark with sadness the passing of Herb Max,
successful attorney and author, and my fraternity brother and longtime
friend. He will be sorely missed.
Mary and Herb Steinberg have settled in to the
good life of retirement in London, where they monitor the doings
of their offspring in the United Kingdom and Germany and have been
installed as my official correspondents for European news.
That’s the latest word from Morningside Heights (by way of
Brooklyn Heights). Life is short, folks. Join the party ... keep
in touch.
Class
of 1953 |
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Lew Robins
1221 Stratfield Rd.
Fairfield, CT 06432
lewrobins@aol.com
Our 50th reunion committee met on September 9 to continue planning
a spectacular four days and nights. With approximately 100 classmates
already planning to attend, this looks like it is going to be the
biggest, best reunion since 1953. If you would like to join the
reunion committee or plan to attend the reunion, please contact
George Lowry at lowrys@aol.com.
Committee members include Joel Danziger, Pete Fauci, Mort
Freilicher, Mark Friedman, Bill Frosch, Joe Gaudio, Dick Gershon,
Mike Guerriero, Seymour Hendel, Art Hessinger, Ken Heyman, Dale
Horowitz, John Huneke, Jay Kane, Allan Kennedy, Victor Kevorkian,
George Lowry, Norman Marcus, Pete Pellett, Ed Robbins, Lew Robins,
Fred Ronai, Jules Ross, Jim Steiner and Ari Zolberg.
In addition to the committee members, the following is a partial
list of classmates planning to attend the reunion: Denis
Andreuzzi, Arnie Benton, Elliot Brebner, Arnie Burk, Warren Calwil,
Ernest Chambers, Ed Clark, John Condemi, Jim Crain, David Dana,
Jack Duncan, Alan Friedberg, Mark Friedman, Gus Fulk, Don Gerber,
Darcy Gibson, Phil Gillespie, Lee Guittar, Larry Harte, Eliot Hearst,
Gordon Henderson, Jim Higginbottom, Alan Jackman, Embury Jones,
Richard Kleid, Irv Kline, Ron Kwasman, Dick Lempert, John Marchesi,
Burt Murdock, Richard O’Neil, Bob Prendergast, Marty Rabinowitz,
Steve Reich, Ed Robbins, Herb Rosedale, Robert Roven, Marty Saiman,
Robert Schmitz, Mel Schwartz, Barry Schweid, Ken Skoug, Eli Sturm,
Don Taylor, Len Trosten, Bob Wallace, Julian Waller, Leo Walsh,
Al Ward, Carl Witkovich and Nick Wolfson.
Here are reunion plans as they now stand. Thursday evening, May
29, 2003: Thanks to Dale Horowitz, there will be an opening reception
at Salomon Smith Barney in a room with a spectacular, panoramic
view of lower Manhattan. The reception will either be a cocktail
party or dinner. Columbia purchased blocks of tickets to several
Broadway shows for a Thursday evening performance. Tickets will
be available for purchase to classmates.
Friday, May 30: Official registration on campus. At 10 a.m., buses
will leave for the Bronx Botanical Gardens. This delightful day
among the flowers and fauna includes a tour of the Gardens, lunch
under a tent, a guest speaker from the Gardens and Columbia’s
Peter Pouncey. The buses should have us back on campus by 3 p.m.
Thanks to Jay Kane, our Friday dinner will be at
the New York Yacht Club, which has a spectacular setting and great
food. Mike Sovern is flying back from Rome in time
to speak at dinner.
Saturday, May 31: In the morning, the class will follow the basic
reunion schedule on campus, followed by a class luncheon at Casa
Italiana. Dean Austin Quigley or President Lee C. Bollinger are
expected to speak either at our Saturday luncheon or Saturday night
dinner. Following lunch, we’ll listen to classmates with fascinating
stories to tell. A subcommittee of Norman Marcus,
Joel Danziger and Jules Ross are
enticing class speakers, and the plan is to publish the list in
the next edition of CCT. Saturday dinner will be at the
International Affairs building. We’ve been promised superb
food and a great view.
Sunday, June 1: An informal brunch for all reunion classes.
The 50th reunion book and survey: Peter Carbonara,
James Steiner, George Lowry and
Lew Robins met as a subcommittee to finalize plans
for the 50th reunion book. More than likely, you have already received
a request from the reunion committee for a current picture of yourself
and your family. The plan is to print each classmate’s current
picture alongside the way he looked in 1953. If you haven’t
already done so, please send your picture to Heather Applewhite,
Columbia College Office of Alumni Affairs and Development, MC 7730,
475 Riverside Dr., Ste 917, New York, NY 10015-0998.
The reunion committee is asking all classmates to write text to
appear below their pictures. Even if you are not planning to attend
reunion, please send your picture and text so that you can be included
in the reunion book. Please write about achievements you are especially
proud of as well as unusual experiences or extraordinary hobbies.
In addition, the reunion committee encourages you to include anecdotes
about professors, events and classmates that have affected our lives.
The idea is to record a lively version of life on Morningside Heights
50 years ago. Please send your text to Ms. Applewhite at the Office
of Alumni Affairs (hh15@columbia.edu,
or the address above) or me, lewrobins@aol.com.
The survey: Marshall Goldman, a 1952 Wharton graduate who is a
professor at Harvard, created a questionnaire for his 50th reunion;
you may have seen a New York Times article about the tabulated
results. A subcommittee of our reunion committee has modified that
questionnaire. You should already have received a copy from the
Alumni Office. If you haven’t already done so, please take
a few moments to answer the questions. Please be assured your answers
will be anonymous.
Fiftieth reunion class gift: Last year, the College distributed
approximately $25 million in financial aid to more than 40 percent
of its students. These are impressive numbers. However, other Ivy
League schools do better. To help Columbia College continue to have
need-blind admissions and full-need financial support, the Reunion
Committee has set a goal of $500,000 as our 50th reunion gift to
the Columbia College Fund.
Dan Greenberg’s new book, Science, Money
and Politics: Political Triumph and Ethical Erosion, was published
last fall by the University of Chicago Press and received good reviews,
including in Scientific American, which called it a “profoundly
important new book,” and in The Economist, which
said, “It is a masterly overview of how big science and big
government have operated in post-war America.” Dan is back
on the science beat in Washington, D.C., writing for Lancet
and other publications.
Ken Skoug: On May 9–10, Ken participated
in a conference with academic and State Department historians in
Washington, D.C. The subject was “German Ostpolitik and American
Detente, 1969–72. The guest of honor, Egon Bahr, who was Willy
Brandt’s chief negotiator, argued that Henry Kissinger’s
duplicitious tactics were needed to break an impasse in the negotiations
over the 1971 quadripartite agreement on Berlin. Kissinger kept
his covert channel of communication with Kenneth Rush secret from
Secretary of State William Rogers and the entire Foreign Service
of the United States. Diplomats at the meeting responded that the
duplicity was unnecessary, and by giving conflicting instructions
to the negotiators, undermined the State Department and did serious
damage to the principled conduct of foreign policy.
There is sad news. I can remember seeing Donald Schacher every
five years at our class reunions. Unfortunately, Don passed away
in August after a heroic eight-year battle with kidney cancer; he
will be sorely missed at our 50th reunion in May. Don and Herberta
celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary at a family party in July.
Our classmates will miss this delightful member of the Class of
1953.
Class
of 1954 |
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Howard Falberg
13710 Paseo Bonita
Poway, CA 92064
westmontgr@aol.com
After Jim King did such a great job in contacting
members of our class who played baseball for Columbia, I asked George
Fadok if he would do the same for football. He graciously
consented, and the following are the results of his work.
Jerry Hampton went into the Army upon graduation
and served in Korea and Taiwan. When discharged, he went to California,
where he met his wife, Barbara, whom he married in 1958. Due to
a serious injury as a test engineer, Jerry went back to school and
received his master’s in math. IBM was fortunate enough to
find Jerry, and he spent the next 25 years as a programmer/analyst
installing software in about 15 states. He and Barbara have four
children and eight grandchildren. “We are so blessed,”
he writes. “All our children live within 15 minutes of our
home.” When Jerry retired, he and Barbara bought a bill-paying,
personal financial management business, which provides for vacations
and keeps them mentally active.
Dick Wall, about whom I wrote recently, responded
from Ghana, where he and his wife head up the Missionary Training
Center for the Mormon Church. They have completed six months of
a two-year assignment, and they are elated about what they are doing
and accomplishing.
After getting his engineering degree from Columbia in 1955, Al
Botbyl went to work for DuPont where he held a variety
of engineering, manufacturing and management positions for 27 years.
Al and his wife, Joan, spend the majority of the year in their home
in Palm Harbor, Fla., and four-and-a-half months at their Lake Wallkill
home in Sussex, N.J. They have three children, six grandchildren
and three great grandchildren. They, too, are fortunate to have
two daughters who live close by. Al and Joan do a significant amount
of traveling and are active in their church.
Max Pirner, who also provided many exciting moments
at Baker Field, told us that his career has involved the Marine
Corps, where he was discharged as captain. He then spent 22 years
in various engineering capacities at Pillsbury and Colgate-Palmolive
and followed that with 20 years as a vice president-manager with
a Houston engineering firm that designs and constructs petrochemical
facilities. Along the way, Max spent 20 years as a Division I NCAA
football referee, retiring at 65 “when the kids started getting
faster than me.” He is enjoying retirement playing golf, traveling
and creating his “shop.” Max and his high school sweetheart,
Marilyn, have been married for 46 years and may have a record for
our class with five children, 18 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
After graduating, John Ravin went to Temple Dental
School, graduating in 1957. He then served in the Air Force and
began general dental practice in the Nanticoke, Pa., area where
he and his wife, Joan, have resided since. They have two children
and four grandchildren. During his career, John served as president
of the Luzerne County Dental Society and as a member of the Nanticoke
Area School Board. In retirement, John has been coaching mini-football
and baseball, and he started a basketball program at his local Catholic
school. He enjoys teaching skills and instilling values. He writes,
“I oft times think of the days at Columbia and the camaraderie
we formed because of the hardships we endured. I think it was for
the best because it made better people of us.”
Keith Krebs went into the Navy, where he served
as a gunnery officer aboard the USS Rochester, stationed in the
Pacific. Upon discharge, he entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary
in Columbus, Ohio. Keith spent more than four decades as a Lutheran
Pastor serving congregations in the states of Washington and Oregon.
He and his wife, Kathy (whom he met and married while in Columbus),
have seven children and two grandchildren. They are blessed by having
all but one live nearby in Washington. In retirement, Keith reads
and travels a great deal. While they have not been back to Columbia
since graduation, Keith and Kathy hope to be with other members
of our class for our 50th reunion as well as the University’s
250th. As a “small world” aside, Keith’s son,
Brock, and George Fadok’s daughter-in-law
work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
By the way, are you aware that members of our class are invited
to march in a place of honor at Columbia’s Commencement in
2004? I was able to participate in a similar ceremony once, and
I can tell you that it is a stirring and splendid experience.
Phil Bonanno and his wife, Maureen, reside in
Cape Cod and winter in Naples, Fla. They travel to Italy yearly
to visit relatives, and in addition, enjoy world traveling, boating,
gardening and reading. Phil not only received a B.A. from Columbia
but also a B.S. and M.S. in civil engineering in 1955 and 1964,
respectively. Phil’s career included 13 years in the heavy
construction industry. While in New York, his work required a “nomadic
lifestyle,” which, after 13 years, became “old hat.”
He and Maureen and their five children moved to Boston where Phil
joined the J.F. White contracting company as general manager. He
became president of that firm and held that spot until retirement.
Phil holds membership in a number of professional organizations
and served on the board of directors of the Construction Industries
and the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts. Phil and
Maureen take great pride in their five children and three grandchildren.
John Garrison has recently battled ill health
but is, I am happy to report, alive and well and living in the Orlando
area. John had a distinguished career as a military pilot serving
in many locations including Texas, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Germany
and Southeast Asia. He not only served in combat situations where
he was deeply involved in events that were crucial to our country
(including the Cuban crisis) but also served as an adviser to the
Civil Air Patrol for rescue and education in Florida and as air
adviser to the adjutant general of Wisconsin. After 28 years, John
retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel. He was then active
as a real estate broker and adjuster. John and Jeanne, his bride
and constant companion, were married from shortly after graduation
until Jeanne’s untimely death from ALS in 1993. John and Jeanne
are the proud parents of five children whose successful careers
span the military and industry, as well as 13 grandchildren. John
expects to be with us at our 50th reunion. In retirement, he enjoys
travel and playing golf. Whoever is chairing our reunion ought to
consider scheduling some kind of golfing event.
Last but far from least is George Fadok, who took
the initiative in contacting the above ’54 members. He is
my e-mail and, one of these days, golf buddy. George joined General
Electric and spent three years in its manufacturing management training
program. His career as a database consultant took him to many parts
of North and South America as well as Australia and Eurasia. George
took early retirement in 1988 and then freelanced for several years.
Macmillan, the publisher, was smart enough to publish a book by
George concerning his job experiences. He and his wife, Evelyn,
live in Sun City, Ariz. They are the proud parents of five children.
Among this outstanding group is an All-American footballer, a Rhodes
Scholar, a U.S. Naval Commander, a U.S. Air Force colonel (on his
way to becoming general), a self-employed entrepreneur, a veterinarian
who is now an experimental pathologist and a novitiate in the Dominican
Order. George and Evelyn’s daughter suffered an untimely death
in 2000. George also will be with us in 2004.
I am writing these notes on 9-11, and therefore it is only fitting
that I add that we miss five deceased men who were classmates and
members of a terrific group of guys who were on our football team:
John Casella, Dale Hopp, Dick Nesti, Hank Littlefield and
Gene Wodeschick.
Most of us were members of a club, a fraternity, a team or other
activity. If you would like to contact other class members of those
groups, please let me know, and I will do what I can to provide
you with addresses (e-mail and postal) or telephone numbers. We
are at a stage in our lives where reflection is part of the fabric
of our existence and sharing is welcome. We are a great group, both
individually and in toto, and our Columbia experiences brought us
together. Please let us hear from you and give us input about our
50th reunion.
Class
of 1955 |
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Gerald Sherwin
181 E. 73rd St., Apt. 6A
New York, NY 10021
gs481@juno.com
Many positive adjectives could be used to describe the refurbishment
of Hamilton Hall, which features a magnificent upgraded Core Curriculum
center and state-of-the-art classrooms. The students, faculty, deans
and alumni who have passed through the building have remarked quite
favorably on the new look to the structure known as the “center
of learning” at the College.
One of the highlights of the October 3 inauguration of President
Lee C. Bollinger was the morning 5K run that took place before the
formal part of the program began. You should also know that, in
addition to participating in the race, our new president can be
seen at noontime most days putting in his time running around and
near the campus. Did Grayson Kirk ever do this?
There continues to be outstanding press coverage of the neighborhood
around Columbia. The New York Times recently featured a
two-page article with photos on the jazz clubs, entertainment places,
bars, specialty shops and restaurants, new and old alike, from 96th
to 125th Streets on Broadway and Amsterdam. The growth, especially
from 100th to 110th Streets, is simply amazing.
An idle thought: In addition to the elimination of the Frosh/Soph
Rush (for obvious reasons), whatever happened to the infamous “Ugly
Man Contest” sponsored by Alpha Phi Omega? Where has tradition
gone? The College still has Orgo Night, however.
Our classmates who are spread around the country are very much
involved with varied and interesting things.
Jack Stuppin continues to paint and exhibit his
works in Northern California. He had a special showing at the Sonoma
County Museum in Santa Rosa: “Where Land Meets Art.”
We are waiting for our talented classmate to reappear back east.
Living a little further north in Lake Oswego, Ore., is the former
v.p. of Alpha Chi Rho, Louis Homer. It’s
a long way from Louis’ hometown of Falls Church, Va. Staying
out west, we heard from Mike Goldstein, who lives
in San Jose, Calif. Mike went to California in 1965 to work for
G.E. Mike tells us about Peter Pressman’s
piano exploits at Barnard and sends his regards to old Forest Hills
High classmates, Paul Frank, living in New Preston,
Conn., and Anthony Viscusi, still residing in Manhattan.
Others from the same high school are Lew Banci,
retired from Chase and spending all his time in Florida, and Jules
Rosenberg, practicing law on Long Island.
The good doctor of orthopedic medicine, Bill Mink,
works at the Permanente Medical Group in Vallejo, Calif., and lives
with his family in Napa. Bill is another transplanted easterner
who grew up in Hastings on Hudson, N.Y. (with Bob Brown).
Living and working in Berkeley, Calif., is physicist George
Gidal, who is associated with the Lawrence Berkeley National
Lab. Another classmate in Berkeley is Harry Scheiber,
who recently was appointed director of UC Berkeley’s Earl
Warren Legal Institute and is continuing as Riesenfeld Chair Professor
of Law and History, Boalt Hall School of Law. Since Harry had time
to spare, he also lectured at five universities in Japan a few months
ago.
Moving to Southern California, Charlie Sergis,
the former radio news broadcaster and devoted Columbia sports enthusiast,
is giving much thought to coming to New York to see a couple of
events. Gary Berry, retired from the Community
Pediatric Medical Group, lives with his family in Westlake Village.
We hope to see Gary at our 50th reunion.
Harvey Solomon, still making his home in Colorado,
was planning to come to the New York area to visit friends and relatives.
He was going to stop by Steve Bernstein’s
home in Woodmere, L.I. Steve, as most people know by now, had a
severe bike accident earlier this year, which left him hospitalized
for months. If anyone wants more details about Steve, send me an
e-mail.
Working in Dallas is Gus Katsigris. Gus, who has
been down in Texas for quite a while, is a professor at El Centro
College for Food and Hospitality Services. One man who never stays
in one place for any period of time is Don McDonough.
Don, who calls Florida his home base, has been “on the go”
to Paris, Ireland and even New York. His latest travels put him
in touch with Lew Mendelson, who does a lot of
traveling to Asia. Lew continues to make his home in Bethesda, Md.
Don recently attended a very festive event with Dan Culhane,
a Bronx native, who put his roots down in St. Augustine, Fla., a
year or so ago. Tony Blandi, also in the Sunshine
State, has become a prolific dispenser of poetry and “wisdom”
to many of his friends and classmates. (It could be too much sun
or the orange juice.)
Ed Francell, formerly of Astoria, Queens, and
now in Atlanta, is looking forward to our next reunion. We wonder
if Ed ever sees Dick Heffner, president of his
own firm down there, and former outstanding baseball player (and
teammate of Jack Freeman). As we move north to
New England, we come across another physicist—Bernard
Chasan, who is a professor at Boston University. Bernie
lives close by in Brighton, Mass. Arthur Brisman,
a former excellent member of the Players, left the good life in
Brooklyn years ago and now lives in Teaneck, N.J. Ferdie
Setaro sounded great when we spoke to him last. He was
checking in to see what was happening with our class and Columbia
in general. Ferdie consults on a regular basis out of Haddonfield,
N.J.
Another retirement: Stuart Kaback, after 42-plus
years, from ExxonMobil. His career was devoted to the pursuit of
excellence of the science of patent searching and analysis. We wish
him well. Someone who is not close to retiring is our Manhattan-based
friend Ben Kaplan. We wonder if he ever hears from
Rollie Rourke. Still toiling away is Dick
Ascher, practicing dentistry in Queens and living near
the other Upper East Siders in Manhattan, Roland Plottel
and Lee Townsend, to name a couple.
My fellow classmates: Put your troubles behind you. Think and do
positive things. The best times are yet to come. You are still the
best.
Love to all! Everywhere!
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