You requested information regarding the unknown professor (“From the Archives,” 2018): My first thought was [author, professor, and political activist] Howard Zinn, as 232 Bay State Road, 3rd floor, was his office in the history and political science departments. But it is merely a guess.
—Jack Sparks (CAS’77, Wheelock’85)
This is Stephen Coleman, redoubtable instructor of political science in the 1970s. A part (but only a part) of Steve’s theory of pedagogy was “first you have to get their attention.” So why not a gorilla suit? I believe that Steve recently retired from teaching political science at Elmira College, where he also served as dean of faculty.
—Harvey Boulay (CAS’66, GRS’68,’73), former professor of political science at CAS
Professor Raymond Fisman (“Giving Gone Bad,” 2018) could have saved much time and trouble by just looking at the Clinton Foundation. Whereas I agree that corporate donations are inappropriate in the cited examples, perhaps they should be banned in their entirety as a condition of corporate governance. Most of the time they only sustain the CEO’s ego anyway. A $1,300 donation to a university affiliated with Chuck Grassley doesn’t buy much influence. But the many documented mega-thousand-dollar corporate donations to the Clinton Foundation is a clear case of quid pro quo.
—Lawrence Milkowski (DGE’68, CAS’70)
Disappointed to see the latest issue of arts&sciences magazine no longer carries the class notes or books, but would rather you get back on the PC you’ve been on all day at work to look them up. Please return them to the print edition with your next issue!
—Philip Read (CAS’77)
Editor’s note: With the shift from a biannual to an annual publication, our goal was to find a new way to feature all of the notes we collect throughout the year—far too many for three pages. But don’t despair: class notes are printed in Bostonia, including those we used to print here. As the magazine continues to evolve, we welcome your ideas for how you would like your class notes to appear. Please email us at thurston@bu.edu.
I’m a prospective STEM grad student for BU, and randomly came across the “Ancient Advice for a Good Life” (Fall 2017) advice column. I just have to say that I really enjoyed the read. Even though I’m about to finish up my bachelor’s, I never really had any contact with the classics department at my school; I didn’t even really know what was meant by “classics.” The practicality of this advice column definitely opened my eyes to a field that I didn’t really know existed; the brief and cogent responses appealed to my ADHD-ridden millennial brain. Nowadays, I think it’s easy to get caught up in a world that focuses solely on science and math to solve their problems. This publication, I think, is evidence that other perspectives and departments have something to offer. I, for one, am a fan.
—Corin O’Shea
Years ago, I gave Katherine Kennedy [director of BU’s Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground] a photo I took in around 1973 on Marsh Plaza of a poster on the ground that read, “SIX MORE BROTHERS KILLED in Augusta…” I titled it “Like Pearls” and dedicated it to Medgar Evers; Martin Luther King, Jr. (GRS’55, Hon.’59); the other Kennedys: Andrew, James, and Michael; Larry Largey; and to the lady who was beaten senseless by Cambridge riot cops who cordoned off Harvard Square and bludgeoned anyone who wasn’t them—and to all of us who stood and were counted in the Civil Rights movement and paid for it. Ms. Kennedy had my photo in her office until the students asked to hang it in the Common Ground Lounge. Your nice article on the Gotlieb Archival Research Center (“What’s in MLK’s Briefcase?,” 2018) rekindled my desire to find out where my photo is.
—David Carroll (CAS’73)
I’m writing in response to your article, “She Was a WWII Codebreaker” (2018), because I currently work at the exact location where the story took place. Arlington Hall is now part of the State Department as the Foreign Service Institute. If you want to know more about it or if you ever find yourself in the D.C. area, please let me know. I’d be happy to show you around!
—Siranush Sarafian (CAS’13)
I’m a BU School of Music alum (trumpet performance major). I live in Durango, Colo., and have played “Taps” for the Memorial Day service here for the past 20 years. Before performing at the service today, I introduced myself to a small, elderly woman in a wheelchair. She was wearing a WWII ball cap and totally bundled up for the cold weather, but with bright eyes, a big smile, and an observable lively spirit. Caught her Boston accent and asked where she was from originally, and we made the BU connection. She invited me to come visit her at Thunderbird Ranch, about 30 miles from here, to play some more music. She struck a chord with me, so I Googled her when I got home and found your article (“She Was a WWII Codebreaker”). If I hadn’t felt moved to go say hello, I’d never have known.
—Ginger Jenks (CFA’79)