Japan Storm - Columbia College - Columbia University

Class Notes
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Columbia College Today
Columbia Alumni Center
622 W. 113th St., MC 4530
New York, NY 10025
cct@columbia.edu
Armen Matigan ’35 is 99 years
young. He retired from dentistry in
1986 and has a son, Robert. Armen
spends much of his time relaxing at
home in Glendale, Calif. He recalls
a favorite Contemporary Civilization
professor, Walter, whose last
name he can’t remember, whom
Armen says became president of
City University.
Can anyone help with the professor’s
last name?
Irwin Grossman ’36 wrote from
Roslyn, N.Y., “I noticed that my
oldest friend, Arnold Saltzman
’36, carried the 1936 banner at the
Alumni Parade of Classes at Class
Day in May. The ‘perfect ’36,’ as we
used to say. On October 1, Arnold
celebrated his 95th birthday. He
is still going strong and goes to
work in New York every day. He is
active in the local museum and lots
of other matters. He comes to visit
me, as I can’t get around anymore.
“The only other classmate I hear
from is Sol Fisher ’36. We went to
high school, college and law school
together. He lives in California and
keeps the lumen lit. He bombards
the world with wild email, semi–
left-wing. He was that way in high
school and hasn’t changed though
he became a corporate lawyer.
“I am past 96, beat-up and biodegrading
at a rapid pace. However,
I feel better when I recall the rainy
day we beat Stanford in the bowl
and Al Barabas ’36 made the sole
touchdown on a Statue of Liberty
play with Cliff Montgomery ’34 as
QB faking. Them wuz the days.”
From class president Arnold
Saltzman ’36 himself, “I marched
at the head of the procession of
the past classes carrying our ‘1936’
banner honoring the current
graduating class. I was wearing the
sweater with our class numerals
awarded to those who played on
a freshman team. The second class
was 20 years later than I.
“A roar of approval from the
seated graduates greeted me, with
fists raised and kisses blown, as I
moved by their ranks. We were, as
you remember ‘the perfect ’36.’”
David Perlman ’39, of San
Francisco, wrote, “I’m still working
for a living — science editor at the
San Francisco Chronicle — daily and
sometimes nightly.” [Editor’s note:
CCT profiled Perlman in Novem-
ber/December 2009: college.columbia.edu/cct/nov_dec09/features.]
Jerome Kurshan ’39, of Princeton,
N.J., wrote, “The Latin inscription
on my Columbia diploma
says I received honors in math and
physics. I earned a Ph.D. in physics
from Cornell in 1943 and spent the
next 44 years at RCA Laboratories
in Princeton, first doing research
in electronics and then in various
management and administrative
positions. Since retirement I have
remained active as treasurer of the
Princeton Macintosh Users’ Group,
as recorder for 55PLUS, as librarian
for the Jewish Center of Princeton
and as president and board member
of the local Jewish Federation.
“My wife, Phyllis, and I celebrated
our 65th wedding anniversary
this year. We have two children; five
grandchildren, including Ariella
Kurshan ’06; and three great-grandchildren.
“I had some excellent instructors
at Columbia and it is hard to single
out any one. Instead, let me mention
Dr. Edward Hodnett, who was
the faculty adviser and director of
the Debate Council, of which I was
manager in my junior year. He took
over after the death of longtime director
Arthur W. Riley and guided
the group to new heights of activity.
He also gave me personal assistance
in crafting my address as class salutatorian
at Commencement.”
Share your memories and news
with friends and classmates by
sending a Class Note to the postal
or email address at the top of the
column, or, even easier, by submitting
it online through CCT’s easyto-use
webform: college.columbia.
edu/cct/submit_class_note.
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Robert Zucker
29 The Birches
Roslyn, NY 11576
rzucker@optonline.net
A loyal classmate and good friend,
Bob Dettmer, died at 92 in August
at home in Kendal-on-Hudson. Bob
and Suzanne, his bride of 63 years,
were regulars at our annual Arden
House reunions, at the irregular
NYC lunches and at other Colum-
bia functions. He and I met on the
freshman track team and had been
friends ever since. Bob served in
the Army during WWII, graduated
from the Law School and worked
for North American Philips for
almost 40 years. He was e.v.p. and
general counsel.
John McDonald passed away
in June in Allentown, Pa. Jack had
practiced law in Pennsylvania during
his working days.
This kind of column is depressing.
How about forcing me to write an
interesting one by sending me info
and news about yourself that we can
distribute to your classmates? Otherwise
I might start writing about
my 12 great-grandchildren, two of
whom are now away at college.
REUNION MAY 31–JUNE 3
ALUMNI OFFICE CONTACTS
ALUMNI AFFAIRS Nick Mider
nm2613@columbia.edu
212-851-7846
DEVELOPMENT Allen Rosso
ar3152@columbia.edu
212-851-7947
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WINTER 2011–12
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Melvin Hershkowitz
22 Northern Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
DrMelvin23@gmail.com
On August 3, The New York Times
reported the August 2 death of Dr.
Baruj Benacerraf ’42 GS, Nobel Laureate
in Medicine, at his home in
Boston. Benacerraf won the Nobel
Prize in Medicine in 1980, with Dr.
George Snell of the United States
The U.S. Court House in Newark, N.J., honored
Judge Leonard Garth ’42 by inscribing his name on
the atrium entrance of the building.
and Dr. Jean Dausset of France, for
their discoveries of how the human
immune system enabled people to
defend themselves against infection
and why others were susceptible to
autoimmune diseases such as multiple
sclerosis and lupus. Benacerraf
discovered what he called immune
response genes while conducting
research in the 1960s in his laboratory
at the NYU School of Medicine,
where he was a professor of pathology.
His father, born in Morocco,
and his mother, born in Algeria,
had settled in Paris to conduct his
father’s textile business and then
emigrated to the United States at
the start of WWII.
COLUMBIA COLLEGE TODAY
After earning a B.S. in biology,
Benacerraf earned his M.D. at the
Medical College of Virginia in 1945
and later served as a medical officer
in the Army in Germany and
France in 1946–47. After leaving
NYU School of Medicine in 1966,
Benacerraf was chief of the immunology
laboratory at the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases in Bethesda, Md. He then
became chairman of the Department
of Pathology at the Harvard
Medical School in 1969 and from
1980–91 was president of the Harvard-affiliated
Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute until his retirement.
This correspondent met Benacerraf
in 1946 at Fort Sam Houston
in Texas, where we were assigned
to adjacent bunks in our barracks
while training as medical officers
for overseas assignments. Also
in our barracks was my former
Livingston Hall roommate, lifelong
friend and my predecessor as CCT
class correspondent, the late Dr.
Herbert Mark. The three of us spent
considerable time together before
departing for our overseas destinations
(Benacerraf to Germany and
France, and Herb and myself to
Japan). At that time, I spoke fluent
German, after intensive studies at
Horace Mann and Columbia, and
requested duty in the ETO, where
I might have joined Benacerraf, but
the Army, in its wisdom, sent me to
Japan. We had only occasional contact
with Benacerraf in subsequent
years as our careers progressed.
After Benacerraf won the Nobel
Prize, Herb and I sent him our congratulations
and good wishes. He
responded with a gracious note of
thanks, which typified his modesty
and fine character.
With sadness and great respect,
we say farewell to our friend and
distinguished GS ’42 alumnus,
Dr. “Benny” Benacerraf, and we
send condolences to his daughter,
Beryl; brother, Paul; and his two
grandchildren.
On August 2, I received a note
from Clara Carli, judicial assistant
to Judge Leonard Garth, reporting
on the June 24 ceremony at the
U.S. Court House in Newark, N.J.,
which honored Len by inscribing
his name on the atrium entrance
of the building. Supreme Court
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., Third
Circuit Chief Judge Theodore
McKee and Third Circuit Judge
Maryanne Trump Barry escorted
Len to the bench and spoke of his
exceptional career during his 40
years on the Federal Court. More