Low Library donated by Seth Low, built in 1897
served as main library until 1934
Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons
(Fellow classmate Eddie Pressman could not make it, but told me that Paul Alter would be joining me in carrying the blue and white banner for our class in front of 1,000 plus prospective graduates!)
This rainy day began with catching a 6:33 AM Metro North train into the city in order to arrive at John Jay Hall at 8:30 for a champagne breakfast for all the alumnni who ranged from the classes of 1956 until the present.
As I criss-crossed the rain-soaked 116th Street walk, I noticed a number of huge tents erected over South Campus--a signal that we would be covered for the ceremonies. (49 years earlier, the cathedral of St. John the Divine served as the canopy for our class of 1962 ceremonies as the weather was similarly wet and humid)
Once inside John Jay, I joined the 'chow line' for a buffet breakfast of scrambled eggs, bagels, lox and cream cheese and fruit. Next I joined a table consisting of mostly alumni from our fabled fencing team, classes of 1957 through the mid-sixties.
I'm queried if I know Bart Nisonson ( NCAA Saber fencing champ) and Richard Rothenberg (All American fencer) both top fencers from my year and I recall them with clarity. (After all, I had started off training in 1958 with our recently arrived freshman Hungarian coach--only to leave squad a few weeks later)
I engaged in a conversation with an Opthamoligist Dr. Janet Searle, wife of one of the banner holders; she teaches at Mt. Sinai Hospital and it turns out has probably trained my nephew Peter Schwartz with whom I have lost contact some 20 years ago.
The subject turns to Columbia tennis stars. Does anybody know the whereabouts of Lloyd ('60 CC) and Leslie Moglen (CC'62)? Someone mentions they both became doctors. They were outstanding players--as their dad Maxwell would work them out at the clay court behind the Durst home on the Esplanade. My family lived across from the mansion and when Maxwell wasn't using his tennis ball machine with the two brothers, the youngest brother Leland and their younger sister Betty Lou-- Les and Lloyd would be playing sets to keep themselves in shape. They both attended the Scarborough School in Briarcliff Manor and they both played number one singles at different times of course at Columbia. Lloyd even played in the qualifiers at the Forest Hills National Tournament!
(Sadly, Lloyd passed on in 2002 after enjoying an illustrious 32-year career as a psychiatrist in Foster City, California and radio talk show personality /counselor on San Francisco's KQRA for 7 years. See Columbia College Today.)
(Sadly, Lloyd passed on in 2002 after enjoying an illustrious 32-year career as a psychiatrist in Foster City, California and radio talk show personality /counselor on San Francisco's KQRA for 7 years. See Columbia College Today.)
(Archie Oldham's name comes up. He was about 6 feet 7 inches, a St. John's Basketball star in the late 40's , a shy, yet competitive tennis player and coach of our tennis and basketball teams, until terminated mid-season in 1962.)
We are interrupted in our reminiscences by the event leader who calls out the names of the banner holders beginning from 2010 and working back to the 1950's.
It is then that I espy Paul Alter and the two of us retrieve our banner and join the Procession of classes as we march in the rain past Butler Library and then turn north and pass by some 1,000 soon- to- be graduates.
Tune in for Part II : Notable speakers at the 257th Commencement.
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