A PUBLICATION OF THE TOWNSEND HARRIS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Vol. 1 , No. 1 • Winter 2008 IN THIS ISSUE: ALUMNI VISIT EXHIBIT AT MET Letter from the Co-Presidents .....2 ver 50 members of the Townsend centerpiece of the new installation is the Great Year for Alumni Association Harris family, including alumni Leon Levy, ‘42 and Shelby White Court, Fund Raising .............................3 Ofrom the original and reestab- which is a dramatic, sky lit space linking lished schools as well as current and re- the various galleries and themes. Alumni Association Treasury tired faculty, gathered together on August A special thanks to Julie Chan, ’88, Report ......................................3 10 for a special viewing of the new Hel- for organizing the event. lenistic, Etruscan and Roman Wing of the At the High School ....................4 Metropolitan Museum of Art. Harrisites were treated to a special docent-led tour Message from Thomas of the exhibit. Cunningham, Principal..............5 With over 5,300 objects on more than 30,000 square feet, the newest galleries Mark Your Calendars ................5 present Hellenistic art and its legacy. The Dawn of a New Government .....6 Elections to Alumni Board of Directors ..................................7 Class Notes .............................8 Obituaries ..............................16 Association Briefs ....................19 Boca Brunch Brings Together Generations ...........................20 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING IS HUGE SUCCESS n Sunday, October 7, 2007, the The meeting was arranged so that Townsend Harris Alumni Asso- before the formal program was begun, Ociation held its annual meeting in coffee was served to the guests as they the Faculty Dining Room of Hunter Col- mingled with each other greeting old lege on 68th Street in Manhattan. More friends and classmates, making new than 75 members of the Townsend Harris friends and renewing friendships with community attended this gathering, includ- favorite teachers. Then a Sunday buffet ing old alumni, young alumni, former facul- continued on page 7 ty members and some presently teaching at the school. Among the older alumni, those Top: left to right – Panelists Tanya M. Odom, present represented every school year: from Malcolm Largmann, Franco Scardino, Harry Judge Bentley Kassal ‘33 to Jerry Halpern Rattien, David Herszenhorn, Martine Guerrier. ‘44 and Marvin Leiner ‘44 who were just freshmen when the school closed in 1942. Bottom: left to right – Guests enjoying the The youngest alumna present wasn’t an festivities. Faculty members Wanda Nix and alumna yet. She’s a current student and Malcolm Largmann, Martine Guerrier ‘89 and member of the class of 2011. Faculty member Harry Rattien. ENVOY Vol 1 , No. 1 • Winter 2008 LETTER FROM THE CO-PRESIDENTS To our fellow Harrisites, 1980s. This year’s ceremony was espe- We hope you are having a wonderful cially unique in that the ceremony was fall and we wish to welcome you to the held as a cocktail reception on the campus Envoy is published by the Townsend Harris first edition of the Envoy, the Townsend of Baruch College on 23rd Street in Alumni Association. The editors welcome Harris Alumni Association newsletter. We Manhattan, where the school was situ- submissions of essays, photos, articles, letters and memorabilia related to Townsend Harris hope that this is the first of many editions ated for most of the early half of the 20th High School at Queens College and its of our newsletter to come. century. The turnout was remarkable alumni. We also welcome short fiction, creative Both the high school and the Alumni and the celebration memorable. On the photography and art work by alumni. Association continue to go strong. The fundraising front, we continue to be quite high school is one of the best schools in successful raising funds for the Townsend Letters to the editor and other correspondence New York City, and is also one of the most Harris Forever! campaign. We were able can be sent to [email protected] or to: sought after. Its students receive accolade to increase the endowments for the fac- Townsend Harris Alumni Association P.O. Box 20482 upon accolade. Seniors receive over mil- ulty development and community service New York, New York 10017-0481 lions of dollars of scholarships to college funds (amongst others). Through several upon graduation. Many of those same generous contributions, we were also Envoy Coordinator Craig L. Slutzkin seniors go on to attend Ivy-league schools. able to purchase new classical language Townsend Harris continues to be a leader textbooks, procure new library equipment Contributors to this edition of Envoy include in community service; in fact, Lisa Liu, for the Malcolm G. Largmann library and Julie Chan, Sean Gralton, Varsha Ghosh, a current student, was a Queens Quality finance advanced courses in the study of Gerald P. Halpern, David M. Herszenhorn, Tan- ya M. Odom, Ted Peck and Craig L. Slutzkin. of Life semifinalist last year for her work Hebrew. Of course, our job is not done; advocating volunteerism in local parks. there is still much to do. We encourage Dues for the Alumni Association are specifically School athletics remain a vital aspect of you to contribute to the Alumni Associ- used for operating expenses including admin- the students’ lives. Girls’ swimming, girls’ ation’s endowment funds, which go di- istering our numerous scholarship programs. Annual dues are just $10 for the first four years fencing, boys’ bowling — these are only rectly towards supporting the wonderful after graduation and $25 after that. Additional three examples of current teams that had programs of Townsend Harris. Feel free voluntary contributions to support the school great success this past year. to contact either Ted Peck (tedp25@aol. and scholarship programs are always welcome. As you probably know by now, com), Townsend Harris Forever! Direc- Thomas Cunningham is retiring as prin- tor, or Craig L. Slutzkin (president@thaa. More information about THAA can be found at cipal of the high school. Mr. Cunningham org), Co-President, for additional details. www.thaa.org. has been the principal since 2001 and has We are pleased to welcome a new continued to lead the school to excellence. member to our Board of Directors. Moira The Board of Directors wishes to thank Casey joins us as our PTA representative, Mr. Cunningham for his dedication to succeeding Maria Becce, whose son 2007 dues statements were recently Townsend Harris and wish him well in his Matthew recently graduated from the mailed. We encourage you to pay your retirement. The Alumni Association has school. Moira will strengthen even further dues; Dues are specifically used for been quite active in the search for the Mr. the relationship between the PTA and the operating expenses including administer- Cunningham’s successor. We sat on the Alumni. The board meets quarterly; all ing our numerous scholarship programs. Department of Education committee that alumni are invited to attend our meetings Annual dues are just $10 for the first four interviews prospective candidates. A new and participate in the direction and activi- years after graduation and $25 after that. principal is expected to be named shortly. ties of the Alumni Association. Check our Of course, additional voluntary contribu- There have been many school events website (www.thaa.org) for meeting dates tions to support the school and scholar- during the past year in which alumni and locations. ship programs are always welcome. participated. Over 30 alumni served as We also wish to welcome our new We hope you enjoy this edition of the judges at the high school’s SING! compe- Alumni Administrator, Margherita Envoy and we welcome your comments tition. We once again provided speakers Wischerth, who is a teacher of fine arts at and suggestions on this or any other for the Townsend Harris Career Day, the high school. aspect of the Alumni Association. We can where many of us returned to the school Over the next year, we have exciting be contacted via e-mail at president@thaa. to share our experiences from the work- events and new Alumni Association initia- org or you can call us at (646) 329-6363. place. Kevin Kim of the Class of 1988 was tives planned. We will expand our profes- the keynote speaker at October’s Found- sional networking groups to Finance, Best regards, ers’ Day ceremony at the high school. Insurance and Real Estate Professionals. Last Fall, we had another of our The Class of 1988, the first class of the Tanya M. Odom ‘88 cherished Hall of Fame ceremonies. We reestablished Townsend Harris, will cel- Craig L. Slutzkin ‘91 honored another group of extremely ebrate its 20th reunion. And Julie Chan Co-Presidents distinguished men who pioneered the of the Class of 1988 is currently spear- reopening of the high school in the early heading the redesign of our website. 2 A Publication of the Townsend Harris Alumni Association Vol 1 , No. 1 • Winter 2008 ENVOY DRAMATIC GIFT TOPS GREAT YEAR FOR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FUND RAISING TREASURY REPORT uring the first eleven months of Polonsky Foundation.” For the record, The finances of the Alumni Association 2007, the Alumni Association fund Hansard Global is selling for about $5.00 continue to be strong. We currently Draising efforts achieved outstand- a share, which means a gift of signifi- hold over $1.7 million in cash and ing results. In addition to the generous an- cantly more than a million dollars to the investments, and pledged money brings nual scholarship fund contributions (the Alumni Association to be used to enrich the total to well over $2.5 million. Alumni Association provides more than the academic activities, programs and ex- The finance committee of the Board $110,000 in scholarships to Townsend periences of all Townsend Harris under- of Directors monitors the investment Harris seniors each year), and the dona- graduates — now and in the future.