A Passion for Science - Columbia College - Columbia University

Columbia CollEgE Today CLASS NOTES
cocktail reception, meeting and
greeting to the music of a live
ensemble. Lunch will follow with
welcoming remarks from Dean of
Academic Affairs Kathryn Yatrakis.
Dean Yatrakis continues a tradition
that began with our 55th, took place
again at our 60th and now will take
place at the 65th. She recently told
me how much she enjoyed meeting
and getting to know so many of the
class through the years.
richard heffner has hosted
PBS’ The Open Mind for 55 years.
Dick’s guests have included Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., William
Buckley, Elie Wiesel, Malcolm X,
Betty Friedan, Supreme Court
Justice Thurgood Marshall, Arthur
Schlesinger and Benjamin Spock,
and the list goes on and on. Of his
program, The New York Times said it
is easier to list those of importance
who have not come under Dick’s
microscope than those notables
who have.
For the celebration of our 65th,
Dick invited Dean Michele Moody-
Adams to appear on his program.
She enthusiastically accepted, and
we will preview the taped program
followed by a Q&A, to which the
dean graciously agreed.
Enjoy the comradeship, reminisce,
catch up, share a few giggles.
Bring wives and friends. Celebrate
the Columbia experience. Do not
miss this moment. You can celebrate
the 65th anniversary only once.
Details about reserving your
places at the reunion luncheon are
in the mail. You also can register
online: alumni.college.columbia.
edu/reunion.
lawrence Jukofsky authored
The Final Victim, available at Barnes
& Noble and on Amazon.com.
A building site in Poland reveals
a mass grave. One of the bodies
is well preserved and is sent for
a shrine to a temple on a barrier
island, where this Jewish victim of
the Holocaust takes his revenge on
anti-Semites and ex-Nazis. Larry
writes: “I am a bit old to be doing
this sort of thing but boredom in
the aged must be common. I have
started a sequel plus a coming-ofage
novel, much based on my beginnings
as a V-12er in Livingston
Hall and with encouragement from
Dr. Knobbe years ago. I recall his
last bit of advice, ‘Learn to spell!’ ”
Larry would appreciate hearing
from anyone who lived on the seventh
deck (floor) and would love to
have pictures of V-12ers who shared
the deck.
Larry, from what I know about
the men in our class, boredom is
not in their psyche.
paul rotondi, who lives in Lake-
wood, N.J., responded to my Dec-
ember letter. His Columbia days
were interrupted by Uncle Sam’s
call, and he spent three years as an
Air Force bombardier. Paul said:
“I enjoyed a wonderful career as a
businessman and CEO of a bank in
New Jersey.”
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Columbia College Today
Columbia Alumni Center
622 W. 113th St., MC 4530
New York, NY 10025
cct@columbia.edu
The Class of ’47 is looking for a class
correspondent to write a bimonthly
column for Columbia College Today.
If you want an open platform and a
chance to reconnect with classmates,
please contact Associate Editor Ethan
Rouen ’04J, ’11 Business at ecr2102@
columbia.edu. Until then, please
send notes about your life, travel,
family and experiences at Columbia
to the postal or e-mail address at the
top of the column.
48
Eric p. schellin
2506 N. Harrison St.
Arlington, VA 22207
eschellin07@gmail.com
robert M. berk remains active in
the medical profession along with
his wife. He is known as a consummate
homebody — in his words, “I
have traveled not at all.” He is proud
of that achievement. He has two children
and a couple of grandchildren
and says that he is very happy.
arthur E. bradley also still is in
the medical profession. He continues
to be involved in chemistry and
consults in the field of nutrition.
Arthur says that there is an empha-
sis these days on polyphenols (antioxidants),
agricultural and food pro-
cessing wastes. He is quite active in
the field and still performs experiments.
He discovered that if one
washes pecan fragments and leaves
the fragments overnight in a concentrated
ammonium hydroxide
solution, the liquid turns black. It
will be interesting trying to figure
out what is happening there.
charles d. cole retired in 2007.
He has moved to his present location,
Bristol Village (bristolvillage.
org), and now has an on-site doctor’s
office in a medical building. Charles
is a counselor-labor relations and is a
member of the America Newspaper
Publishers Association. Bristol Village
has a modern activity center
with walking track, pool, library,
café, fitness center, woodshop and
more.
frank i. Marcus is yet another
person in the medical field who
should receive our congratulations,
having been chosen to receive the
prestigious Heart Rhythm Society’s
Pioneer in Cardiac Pacing and
Electrophysiology Award.
angelo diMartino remembers
well that he got a very good educa-
tion at Columbia. In fact, the tradition
has continued, as his son also
went to Columbia. His son also had
Professor Charles Dawson 26 years
after his father. Professor Dawson
was able to retrieve his father’s
grades in his class. Angelo did not
stray far from New York. He spent
most of his life after Columbia in
Nassau County at the end of a canal
that empties into Great South Bay.
paul r. homer remembers well
the ROTC and V-12 programs being
active on campus. He recalls that
the student body consisted of both
a military and a civilian body. He
served in the military so was delayed
in getting back to Columbia,
which resulted in him becoming
a part of the Class of 1948 instead
of 1947. Happily, he considers the
school a great institution, which,
according to him, is getting greater
each year. He remembers fondly
Professor William C. Casey and
Professor Dwight Miner ’26, ’40
GSAS and enjoyed classes with
both of them, especially Casey and
his famous course, which became
known as “Caseyology.”
Dr. george dermksian, after
graduating from medical school,
joined St. Luke’s Hospital and
became professor chairman of its
archives. He has two sons and has
been to a number of Dean’s Days.
This fact calls this writer’s attention
to the fact that get-togethers
such as Dean’s Day and reunions
are sparsely attended by members
of the Class of 1948. The combination
of a military segment and a civilian
segment at that time resulted
in poorly attended class functions,
something we can change. This
year’s Dean’s Day will be held on
Saturday, June 4 (college.columbia.
edu/alumni/events/deansday).
49
MAY/JUNE 2011
45
John weaver
2639 E. 11th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11235
wudchpr@gmail.com
Writing in the extreme cold of a
winter’s day, the sun gives promise
of the warm spring to come. Reading
this, we hope it has arrived for
you all.
First, allow me a personal note:
My brother Bertram Sussman ’47,
who was his class’ correspondent for
two years, has withdrawn. I must
admit to being jealous of the extraordinary
success he had in attracting
submissions from his classmates.
Our class is just as happy to hear
What could be more fun than a
week in Mexico? A week in Mexico
with an old college buddy. In
February, Irving Kushner ’50 (left)
headed south of the border to
spend time with Ted Reid ’50.
from you as was his. So, let’s hear
from you all to fill these columns.
I must, however, raise a glass,
shout a cheer, sound the trumpets
(make your own choice of celebratory
noise) in recognition of the mail
I received from howard beldock!
I opened the envelope, which contained
a note along with a printed
notice regarding his practice as a
mediator/arbitrator. This is work
for which Howie has attained considerable
status and recognition.
Not being a lawyer, let me dwell
on the personal note, the content
gerald weissmann ’50 is director of the biotechnology
study center and research professor of medicine at
nYu.
of which might be summed up as,
“I’m still here and doing great!” But
it is stated in the warmest terms and
brought a smile to my face. Nevertheless,
the visual, which I can
only describe here, remains most
vividly in my mind. Howie has the
most extraordinary “hand,” with
flourishes and style that we associate
with historical documents. The
visual impact of his written page
adds emotion to the content and
makes the decline of cursive writing
a loss that younger generations
cannot understand.
Thanks, Howie.
Hope to see as many of you as
can make it at Dean’s Day on Saturday,
June 4 (college.columbia.edu/
alumni/events/deansday). It is
always a meaningful occasion and
worth getting up early to make it in
time for breakfast with classmates!
50
Mario palmieri
33 Lakeview Ave. W.
Cortlandt Manor, NY 10567
mapal@bestweb.net
irving Kushner retired from
academic medicine and now is