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COLUMBIA COLLEGE TODAY CLASS NOTES
Those who are interested may
also contact Ralph Kaslick or Jerry
Fine. By the way, wives are welcome
to attend.
Unfortunately, I’m sorry to report
that James Vincent (Jim) Cuff Jr.
passed away in August at St. Paul’s
Health Care Center in San Diego,
where he had been since suffering
a stroke in 2004. Jim had been a
beloved member of our class as well
as class president during our senior
year. We send our condolences to
his family members.
With the 2011–12 fund year now
at the halfway point, I’m sure you
will hear about Columbia’s fundraising
activities. In that regard, Dan
Link, Stan Soren and Al Franco ’56E
have agreed to continue acting as
Class Agents for the year. Our class’
success in fundraising is a direct result
of each of our class participants
and the work of our Class Agents, in
conjunction with the Alumni Office.
If you have an interest in being a
Class Agent, please contact Allen
Rosso, executive director, Columbia
College Fund, ar3152@columbia.edu
or 212-851-7947.
This year, I suggest that all our
gifts be directed to the Class of
’56 Scholarship Fund, where we
currently have more than $600,000
(this is separate from the Dr. Alan
N. Miller Class of 1956 Scholarship,
for which we have $150,000). By
adding to the Class of ’56 Scholarship
Fund we continue to support
financial aid for worthy students
attending Columbia.
Let’s make 2012 a special year to
keep in touch. That means updated
emails and letting Lou Hemmerdinger
(lhemmer@aol.com) or
myself know what part of your life
you may want to share in our Class
Notes.
Wishing you all continued good
health, successful investments and
pleasant times with the children
and grandchildren.
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
57
Herman Levy
7322 Rockford Dr.
Falls Church, VA 22043
hdlleditor@aol.com
Ken Bodenstein “[competed] in
the USTA National Grass Court
Tournament for men over 70 at
the Philadelphia Cricket grounds.
Unfortunately the weather did
not cooperate, with rains playing
havoc all week. I lost to the No.
1 ranked player from the East
Region, the match being played in-
doors. My [other] indoor matches
were called off because of flooding
roads. With the weather forecast
remaining gloomy, my wife, Diane,
and I decided to get back to sunny
California.
“We did enjoy two days at the
US Open the previous week. I look
forward to 2012 as I move up to the
75 and over tournaments and will
be one of the ‘young guys.’”
Marty Fisher: “School was
finally out on June 28 in NYC as I
walked north on Park Avenue past
the Waldorf on my way to our class
luncheon. The air was warm and
humid; another New York summer
had finally arrived. I made my way
past the Villard Houses (built in
1884 by McKim, Mead, and White
for the president of Northern Pacif-
ic Railway) and the Helmsley
Palace Hotel, which nestles between
them and which brought to mind
the ever-present shade of Leona
Helmsley on guard. Then [I passed]
the rear of St. Pat’s on the day after
New York’s legislature had passed
the Marriage Equality Act (gay marriage).
I stopped in the welcome air
conditioning of the Olympic Tower
atrium, where wall-size TV screens
showed the destruction wrought
by Greek anarchists demonstrating
against government austerity measures
brought on by the three- to
four-year-old economic downturn.
If one knows where to find them,
the public atria and mid-block ‘cutthroughs’
can make a summer stroll
through noontime midtown bearable.
My destination, the University
Club, was almost in sight.
“Fifteen old friends and acquain-
tances met there for our longpostponed
luncheon. We divided
into two tables. At table No. 1 were
Dave Kinne, Jim Barker, Pete Anker,
Carlos Muñoz, Mike Lipper,
Alan Brown, Ed Weinstein and
Stan Barnett, who traveled from
Rhode Island on the very day that
Whitey Bulger was arraigned. At table
No. 2 were Ted Dwyer, George
Lutz, Paul Zola, Bob Klipstein,
Marty Fisher, Sal Franchino and
Mark Stanton. The latter two came
together and survived the Lincoln
Tunnel. We missed Alvin Kass,
who was detained at a funeral, and
Martin Brothers.
“We hope to see other regulars
like Steve Ronai, Joe Diamond,
Neil McLellan, Art Meyerson
(who was enjoying Shelter Island
breezes), Bob Lipsyte, Ron Kushner,
Joe Feldschuh, Steve Fybish
and Bob Flescher as well as the
vaudeville team of [David] Fink
and [Jerry] Finkel (or is it Finkel
and Fink?) later in the fall.
“Have I missed anyone? Undoubtedly,
for which I apologize.
“My trip back to Grand Central
featured a stop at Versace’s Fifth
Avenue boutique, where men’s
WINTER 2011–12
63
Several members of the Class of 1957 met in July at the Columbia
Alumni Center to begin planning for their 55th Alumni Reunion Weekend
(sitting, left to right): Paul Zola, Rabbi Alvin Kass ’58 GSAS, Martin
Brothers and CCT class correspondent Herman Levy; and (standing, left
to right) Michael Gold and Steven Fybish.
PHOTO: NICK MIDER
thin ties were marked down to $55,
and in Saks Fifth Avenue, where
more fragrances were being sold
on the main floor than one could
shake a stick at.
“That day’s news from Wimbledon
carried the twin disasters of the
losses by both Williams sisters in the
third round. The women’s competition
whetted my interest in taking
in the US Open tennis tournament
in late August or early September,
which would have bookended
another summer for me.
“All in all, [it was] a lovely late
June day among old friends in the
heart of the world’s greatest city
(owned by OUR alma mater!).”
Marty then reported on the CC
’57 luncheon held at the University
Club on September 7, also attended
by Mark Stanton, Sal Franchino,
Joe Feldschuh, Mike Lipper, Stan
Barnett, Alan Brown, Art Meyerson,
Bob Klipstein, Neil McLellan,
Dave Kinne, George Lutz, Ted
Dwyer, Jim Barker and Ed Weinstein.
Marty said, “We all had a
good time and are looking forward
to our BIG 55th in June [and] hope
to hold one more luncheon before
winter sets in.”
Mac Gimse, professor emeritus
of art at St. Olaf College in Minnesota,
sculptor and poet, writes:
“Jackie and I are celebrating our
50th wedding anniversary in 2011,
so we decided to do 50 romantic
events, one for each year, about
one a week. We have been to our
50th state, Hawaii, where we spent
a week with our best man and his
wife, then to a student wedding in
Berkeley, where I recited poetry for
the occasion. We drove to Mount
Rushmore and the Cascade Mountains
in Washington State, where
we settled into a wilderness retreat
center, and we just came back from
our first cruise to Alaska with two
of our teenage grandchildren. Next
on our list (for many years, actually)
is to tour the autumn leaves of
New England.
“We have duplicated what we
could from our days of courting
and made our season tickets to the
opera and theatre into romantic
events with cozy dinners before-
Ken Bodenstein ’57 competed in the USTA National
Grass Court Tournament for men over 70.
hand. Depending on how you
count, Jackie says we are up to 75,
one for each of our ages. It’s been a
great year so far.
“Jane and Ed Heiser have a
lovely retreat on Green Lake,
Wis. For the last few years Gary
Angleberger, Ed and I have gotten
together to reminisce about our
Columbia days, but also to keep
our intellectual, aesthetic, theological,
and magical minds tuned up.
“Reverend Doctor Gary brought
CC and Hum Core into Union
Seminary years ago and continues
to carry a keen interest in developments
in the world of religion.
When he is not behind a pulpit,
Gary commutes with his pastor
wife, Judy, to Geneva or Minneapolis
for sessions of the World Council
of Churches and on Presbyterian
governance.