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CLASS NOTES
COLUMBIA COLLEGE TODAY
COLUMBIA COLLEGE TODAY
CLASS NOTES
an M.S. at the Business School, David
spent his entire career on Wall
Street, primarily with Wertheim &
Co. and its successor, Schroders.
As a chartered financial analyst, he
specialized in entertainment and
media stocks and was well-known
for his commentary on Disney. After
he retired, he was on the boards
of several public companies in the
United States and in Great Britain.
Congratulations to Marcia and
Rick Brous. Their daughter Sharon
Brous ’95, ’01 GSAS was named
by Newsweek as one of America’s
50 most influential rabbis for 2012.
[Editor’s note: Read CCT’s May
2005 profile of Brous online.] This
was not Sharon’s first impressive
honor; a few years ago she was the
winner of the Jewish Community
Foundation’s inaugural Inspired
Leadership Award, which came
with a gift of $100,000. She earned
a master’s in human rights. Sharon
is the spiritual leader of IKAR, a
Los Angeles synagogue she helped
found. Rick is retired and lives in
California.
Congratulations also are in order
for Jim Sternberg, who won the
Howard Peter Leventritt Silver
Ribbon Pairs for bridge players
older than 55 at the spring 2012
North American Championships in
Memphis. Jim’s bridge partner, Fred
Hamilton of Las Vegas, has won 16
national titles; this was Jim’s third.
A retired radiologist, Jim lives in
West Palm Beach, Fla.
Bob Tauber has been appointed
to the Board of Ethics of the Village/
Town of Mount Kisco, N.Y.
Art Radin reports that the Class
Lunch has been ongoing for more
than a decade, with three to eight
class members attending each
month. Regulars are George Jochnowitz,
Tom Ettinger, Ernie Brod,
Marty Hurwitz and Paul Gomperz,
with Dave Marcus, Joe Klein, Paul
Herman, Peter Cohn, Joe Dorinson,
Bernie Nussbaum, Henry
Kurtz and Sheldon Raab making
occasional appearances. Conversations
range from Columbia sports,
linguistics, politics, children and
grandchildren to our current careers.
There is minor tension between the
retireds and the non-retireds, with
neither sure who is better off. The
tradition was begun by the late
Scott Shukat, but Art’s perseverance
has kept it going for all these
years.
The lunch is held on the second
Wednesday of every month, in the
Grill Room of the Columbia University
Club of New York, 15 W.
43rd St. ($31 per person). Email Art
if you plan to attend, up to the day
before: aradin@radinglass.com.
Finally, here’s an early “save the
date” for our 55th (!) Alumni Reunion
Weekend, which will be held
Thursday, May 30–Sunday, June 2,
2013. So that the College can get in
touch with you, please update your
contact information (if necessary)
online (reunion.college.columbia.
edu/alumniupdate) or call the
Alumni Office: 212-851-7488.
We’re hoping for our usual enthusiastic
turnout for the Reunion
Committee both to plan the weekend’s
events and to reach out to
classmates for gifts to the Columbia
College Fund in honor of reunion.
If you’re interested in participating,
contact the appropriate Alumni
Office staff member at the top of the
column. No problem if you’re not in
the NYC area; you can participate in
meetings via conference call. We’re
hoping to see some new faces in
addition to our loyal regulars.
59
Norman Gelfand
c/o CCT
Columbia Alumni Center
622 W. 113th St., MC 4530
New York, NY 10025
nmgc59@gmail.com
From Arthur Mollin we hear, “On
March 4, I had a welcome-to-NYC
party at Le Parker Meridien for
my newest grandson, Zackary
Thomas Elliott, who came with his
mom (my daughter) Stefanie and
her husband, Gary Elliott. My son
Richard Mollin, who is a music
professor at Oneonta, arrived with
his trio to entertain the guests
(about 70 in all). My other three
children, Marian Mollin, a history
professor at Virginia Tech; Bryan
Mollin, an automotive advertising
executive; and Jason Mollin ’91, an
executive with Goldman Sachs in
Brazil; were present along with my
other four grandchildren. My wife,
Sarilyn, organized and officiated
at the welcoming party magnificently,
to everyone’s delight. It is
a rare occasion to have all five of
my children and all five of my
grandchildren in the same room at
the same time.”
Arthur added that Stefanie and
her family “were in town just for
10 days, as they live in London,
where Gary is the CEO of an aeronautical
manufacturing company,
Hybrid Air Vehicles, which sells
surveillance aircraft to the U.S.
government.”
Clive Chajet “continues to pray
for more of the same and is happy
to report that his prayers are
ans wer ed.” He says that his wife,
Bonnie, “continues to be a very
successful residential Manhattan
real estate broker. Eldest daughter
Lisa is a clone of her mother (very
successful residential real estate
broker). Younger daughter Lori has
a Ph.D. in education and is married
to an outstanding teacher in New
York City; they have two divine
daughters, aged 8 and 5, and live in
Brooklyn.”
Clive concludes, “I consult on
branding issues for corporations,
serve on a couple of boards, play
golf and tennis in Bridgehampton
and Florida and live in wonderful
Manhattan. Hope any of you
that will read this is as satisfied as
I am.”
Kenneth Scheffel continues
his travels and writes, “Last fall,
between Michigan’s home football
games, I traveled to central Europe
(with stops in New York going and
coming, of course). I spent three
days each in Prague, Vienna and
Budapest, with mini-bus rides between
them. I enjoyed all three cities
but each in a different sort of way.
“Prague proved to be the most
pedestrian-friendly city I’ve ever
seen (and I love to walk). Relatively
undamaged by WWII, the Castle
and Old Town were magnificent,
and the Jewish ghetto with its
centuries-old, multi-layered cemetery
(which the Nazis preserved
to document a ‘vanished race’)
most memorable. By far the least
religious of the three cities and
countries, most of its churches
appear to survive by serving as concert
venues. The music offerings are
excellent and inexpensive … The
Czechs’ only liability stems from
their addiction to tobacco. The entire
city smells like a stale cigarette
(much as Hamilton Hall once did). I
can understand why Václav Havel,
leader of the Velvet Revolution,
died of lung cancer. Those who stay
should be warned of the dangers of
secondhand smoke.
“Vienna had the most friendly,
helpful citizens I’ve encountered
anywhere. Everybody spoke
English and strangers volunteered
Jim Sternberg ’58 won the Howard Peter Leventritt
Silver Ribbon Pairs for bridge players older than 55.
information on what to see and
how to use the public transportation
system, on which youngsters
stood up to give us their seats (age
does have its privileges, at least in
Vienna). Of the three cities, Vienna
appeared the most health-conscious.
It had the only joggers we saw (and
there were lots of them, as well as
bicyclists), and very few smokers.
Vienna was also the most cosmopolitan
(for example, our guide was
born in Sweden and is married to a
Moldavian who does much of his
work in Russian) … The Kunsthistorisches
art collection, Ringstrasse
building and palace settings were
impressive. But being a southern
Ohio hillbilly, I missed the high hills
of Prague and Budapest.
“Budapest exhibited an exotic
gypsy-like quality and proudly
displayed its scars from WWII and
the 1956 revolt against the Soviets.
The overlooks from the Castle
were spectacular, and the central
market had everything that anyone
could want, at reasonable prices.
The Holocaust memorial of shoes
lined up along the Danube (where
the Nazis shot Jews into the river
at the end of WWII) was probably
the most poignant I’ve seen.
But Budapest had more homeless
than anywhere else in Europe (it
reminded me of Detroit). Also, an
extra gratuity was expected for all
services, including (doctors in our
class should take note) for medical
care. Our Hungarian guide
explained that the government
is trying to curtail the practice by
offering new grads higher pay for
agreeing not to solicit extra benefits
from patients and their families.”
“Look forward to seeing you and
hopefully many other classmates at
our 55th in 2014, if not before.”
Ken is not our only traveler.
David B. Smith writes, “My wife,
Helen, and I are enjoying our retirement
with international travel. We
spend about seven months of the
year abroad. [As of this writing in
the spring,] we plan to leave on April
25 for Turkey, where we spend two
months. Initially, after a few days in
Istanbul, we will travel to southeastern
Turkey at the edge of the plain
of Mesopotamia on the Iraq and
Syria borders. Then, we will settle
down near Yalikavak on the Bodrum
peninsula on the Aegean shore. We
have been going there for the last
four years and have many friends
in that lovely place.
“We leave Turkey at the end
of June and travel to the Orkney
islands north of mainland Scotland
for two months. This, too, will be
our fourth year in Orkney. There,
Helen will assist in a fascinating
Neolithic archaeological site on the
Ness of Brodgar, where extraordinary
discoveries are being made
of stone temples that predate the
pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge.
We’ll then visit Glasgow
and Edinburgh for a week each,
after which we go to Bergen, Norway.
After a few days in Bergen,
we’ll take a ship up the west coast
of Norway through the fjords to
North Cape and back to Trondheim.
After a few days in Oslo, we
fly to Paris and then to the Cele
Valley in southwestern France for
two weeks. Our house there will be
in walking distance of Pech Merle,
an Upper Paleolithic cave with
wonderful wall paintings. Finally,
we go to Venice for the last month.
This will be our fifth year in Venice,
which has become a second home.
We hope to revisit old haunts and
soak up the lovely art and architecture,
as well as the extraordinary
Venetian food.”
Since his initial writing, David
has provided an update on his trip
but space limitations prevent me
from including it now.
Ed Boylan brings us up to date:
“After graduation, I went to Princeton,
where I received my Ph.D. in
mathematics in 1962. Following
brief stays at Yeshiva University,
Rutgers at New Brunswick and
Hunter College, I came to Rutgers-
Newark in September 1968. I am on
leave this semester with retirement
officially starting in July.
“In addition to mathematics, for
several years I was a consultant on
Middle East and nuclear strategy
issues at Hudson Institute, back
when it was actually located in
Croton-on-Hudson and headed by
Herman Kahn.
“My wife and I have three children:
two daughters living in Israel
and a son living in Flatbush. We
also have seven grandchildren, the
oldest of whom is now in the Israeli
army. For more than 40 years
we have been living in Englewood,
N.J. Any classmate who wants
to see what the Orthodox Jewish
community of Englewood is like is
welcome to give me a call. (We are
in the phone book.)”
Richard Tyler writes, “My good
friend Raphael ‘Ray’ Osheroff
passed in his sleep on March 18.
Graveside services were held on
March 21 at Beth Israel Cemetery
in Woodbridge, N.J.
“Following graduation from the
College, Ray received his medical
diploma from the Creighton Univ -
ersity School of Medicine. He practiced
nephrology in the Washington,
D.C., area for many years.
“Ray was a musical genius who
was able to play any instrument:
percussion, strings, reeds and other
horns. During our college days and
early during his professional life,
he would be invited to gigs, where
he filled in on whatever instrument
was needed. It was my pleasure
to accompany him to many of
those engagements. Watching him
switch from instrument to instrument
with alacrity and verve was a
mesmerizing experience.
“Ray was a wonderful and dear
friend whom I shall miss.”
Joseph Ramos writes, “Six years
ago I lost my first wife. But 1½ years
later I married a wonderful widow,
Gloria Baeza. I am still going strong
at the University of Chile. Last year,
I was chosen by the students as
the best professor in the economics
department. It goes to prove that
life isn’t over till it’s over!”
We hear from Herbert M. Dean:
“I am an oncology consultant for
an insurance company and find it
intellectually stimulating, as it provides
me the opportunity to review
files from the major cancer centers
and also allows me to remain
current with this rapidly changing
discipline without the responsibilities
that accompany a clinical
practice. I have written a section on
cancer chemotherapy for the sixth
edition of a textbook on diseases
of the colon and rectum that will
be published in September and
enjoyed the challenge, especially
when it was finished.
“My wife and I celebrated our
seventh anniversary (we were both
widowed) and travel between our
home in Worcester and our apartment
in New York City. I am trying
to sell a beautiful oceanfront condo
on Cape Cod; if anyone is interested,
do I have a deal for you! I like
to think I work in Worcester, play in
New York and rest at the Cape.
“My joints limit my ability to
play tennis, but I continue to walk,
especially in NYC, with the help
of a little Celebrex. Reading is a
delight, especially since you can
pick and choose your subject, put
it down if you find it not appealing,
and don’t have to write a term
paper or take an exam. A wonderful
book that traces the history and
current status of cancer but reads
like a novel, which I can recommend,
is The Emperor of All Maladies
by Siddhartha Mukherjee (also a
professor at P&S).
“We look forward to our next
class reunion.”
David N. Horowitz writes, “I’m
not sure everyone will remember
there is more than one David
Horo witz in our class. David J.
Horowitz is the famous advocate
of academic humility. David
N., yours truly, is a retired New
York state government lawyer
living with his significant other,
Barbara, in Boynton Beach, Fla. I
can’t complain; my health is OK,
although I am a survivor of two or
three bouts with the big C, including
breast removal, of all things.
Our generation is very lucky in
the quality of the medical care that
we are able to receive. My father,
who was born in Lithuania, passed
in 1965 when he was 65; even so,
he was fortunate, as I was, that he
came to America in 1920, as those
who stayed were murdered during
the Holocaust known as WWII. I
think of this every day of my life
and recollect how fortunate I am
to wake up every morning to see
the blue sky and the puffy white
clouds of Florida, to say nothing
of the ever changing tones of the
Florida sunset.
“I wish you and all our classmates
good health, continued good
cheer, kindness, love and blessing.”
Frank R. Wilson is now a doctor
at least two times over, an M.D.
who also was named an Honorary
Doctor of Fine Arts by the Massachusetts
College of Art and Design.
He and his wife, Pat, were in
Chicago this spring. They, J. Peter
Rosenfeld and his wife, Carmen,
and Frank’s sister, Julie, went to see
Brian Dennehy ’60 in The Iceman
Cometh at the Goodman Theatre.
My wife, Yona, and I joined them
after the show for a very pleasant
dinner.
60
Robert A. Machleder
69-37 Fleet St.
Forest Hills, NY 11375
rmachleder@aol.com
Delighted to hear from Harvey
Sage, who reflects on the values he
acquired at alma mater. “Columbia
helped me think analytically,” he
writes. “The physics and math
courses prepared me for my first career
as a teacher (28 years). My most
notable instructor was Polykarp
Kusch, who once told an FBI agent
to wait outside his office because
he was talking with me, a mere
student. I based part of my teaching
style on his ebullience.
“My second career was as a
newspaper publisher (15 years).
I attribute my writing skills, as
meager as they were, to the rigors
of communication developed in
our various classes.
“The health education course
gave good insights to male/female
relationships, helping me in my
50-plus years of marriage.
“From Columbia’s influences I
developed a viable philosophy for
life based on fulfilling the will of
my Creator. For when all the many
treasures and pleasures are talked
about, being a good and faithful
servant overshadows them all.”
Kusch, professor of physics,
was awarded the Nobel Prize in
1955 for his work in atomic and
molecular physics. Curious as to
why an FBI agent would be waiting
outside his door — although
perhaps I should not have been
surprised, as rumors abounded
that FBI agents were everywhere
and many an unadorned wall
bore the graffiti warning, “FBI
in the Library,” without ever explicitly
saying whether in Butler,
Low Memorial or the 42nd Street
Public — I asked Harvey if he
inquired as to the presence of this
patient agent.
“Nope,” Harvey replied. “Probably
national security. The year was
1960. Remember the Cold War? I
was a poor physicist, but Kusch’s
dynamism helped me become a
good teacher and a better human
being. I wrote him a letter a few
years later, thanking him for his
ways. He appreciated it. He rests
with the Creator now and I hope to
see him again at the end of this life’s
cycle.”
Irwin Sollinger writes, “Taking
the recent CCT survey motivated
me to send a Class Note. I remain in
contact with Irwin Young, especially
when he makes his jaunts to the city.
I also have monthly luncheons with
Sidney Hart; he maintains his psychiatric
practice in Greenwich, and I
am a psychologist in Westport. But
last week was a ’60 bonanza for me.
[RAM: ‘Last week’ was in fact some
months ago, and while I am grateful
to CCT for conducting its motivating
survey, I can’t say that I recall how
long ago that was.] I met Bob Berne
quite serendipitously at a matinee
and then Michael Hertzberg at
Carnegie Hall. The benefits of an
education in the best college town in
the country continue.”
Our reporting on the loss of Bob
Morgan, and the memorial celebration
of his life, brought this note
from Doug Eden.
“I’m very sorry I don’t recall
Bob Morgan, but he was clearly
a man of taste. We evidently both
attended John Gutman’s classes
on opera. Gutman was assistant
manager of the Metropolitan
Opera and was resigned to never
succeeding his boss, Rudolph Bing.
Bing disliked Wagner and put on
as little of it as possible. We were
fortunate to see a Walküre dress
rehearsal. He and Gutman also
were resistant to Strauss’ operas
outside the very popular ones such
as Der Rosenkavalier. Bob would
have been present when I argued
with Gutman about the merits of
Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten
and he generously permitted me
to present an illustrated analysis of
this opera to his class. I hope other
colleagues derived satisfaction a
few years later when Frau successfully
entered the Met’s repertoire
soon after Bing’s departure. Gutman
was very generous to me here
in London, too. In 1961, he invited
me to join him in the Duke of Bedford’s
box at Covent Garden for
Rudolf Nureyev’s remarkable London
debut accompanied by Sonia
Arova. Bob and I were indeed very
fortunate in our time at Columbia
and our choices of courses.”
Doug is a Senior Atlantic Fellow
at the Atlantic Council for the U.K.
and associate fellow, Institute for
Study of the Americas at the School
of Advanced Study, University of
London.
Astronomer extraordinaire and
science fiction author Thomas
Wm. Hamilton’s newest book is
Our Neighbor Stars: Including Brown
Dwarfs, in which Tom presents
information about the 100 stars
nearest Earth, as well as the brown
FALL 2012
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FALL 2012
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