Class of ’59 – September/October 2011

In April, the Section of International Law of the American Bar Association presented the 2011 Louis B. Sohn Award for Public International Law to John Murphy, professor of law at Villanova, for his “distinguished, long-lasting contributions to the field of public international law.” John, who teaches international business transactions, international human rights and international criminal law, has authored 14 books and monographs and 89 articles on various international law topics. During his leisure time John enjoys playing tennis, reading, going to the theater and getting together with friends, including some from our days at Cornell (he and his wife Laura found our 50^th reunion “spectacular”).

George Vernardakis, professor of political science at Middle Tennessee State U in Murfreesboro, recently attended conferences in Baltimore and Montreal. Heading his extra-curricular activities are singing tenor in the Middle Tennessee Choral Society and training a puppy Bedlington terrier. Geologist/geochemist Chester Nichols of Aiken, SC is project manager for Uranium Company of Texas, starting up a drilling program for uranium in Texas. “It doesn’t sound like much,” he writes, “but it is actually the pinnacle of my career on a deposit I discovered for Union Carbide forty years ago.” Food broker Paul Marcus of Greenwich, CT, director of Paul Charles, Ltd., has begun exporting to Japan and is hoping to expand to other Asia countries. “The food business is still a winner!” he writes.

Retired, but…. Sidney Boorstein of Sharon, MA does restaurant consulting with clients such as Wild Willy’s Burgers (a New England chain) and McDonalds. Monitoring his grandsons and involvement in charities such as the West End House Boys & Girls Club also fills his days. Pat Williams of Ithaca volunteers in the pre-K program at the city’s Northeast Elementary School. Ilona Ozols Pryor of Palm Desert, CA tutors high-school dropouts in math, helping them pass an exit exam and get a diploma. Joan Travis Pittel of Boynton Beach ushers at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. Phyllis Corwin Rogers is a broker with Coldwell Banker in Santa Rosa, CA. She also is president of the Lions Club, parliamentarian of her Soroptimist Club, and supports the Earle Baum Center for the Blind.

Lots of traveling on folks’ agendas! Ken and Judy Riskind—who divide their time between Tucson, AZ and Steamboat Springs, CO—traveled to Napa and Sonoma with their two sons to celebrate the 40^th birthday of Michael ’93. Benson and Mary Ellen Simon Grad ’63 took a “delightful trip” to France and Switzerland. Linda Rogers Cohen spent a week of theatre-going in London and, more recently, traveled to Turkey. Carole Parnes spent a month in Italy that included a 13-day cruise and a walk in the Lakes region. She was home in Alameda, CA for a month, then left for a 35-day cruise to the Norwegian fjords, Murmansk, and the Baltic. Ed and Madeleine Fried Grossman ’61 celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in Florence, Italy. David Hurd has recently taken Cornell Alumni trips to Israel and Costa Rica. Barbara Hirsch Kaplan has been riding camels in Morocco. Paul Read, MS ’64, Prof. of Horticulture and Viticulture at the U. of Nebraska, lead a study-abroad trip to Australia this year for U. of Nebraska agriculture and natural resources students.

“I’ve been catching up on 30 years worth of clutter and neglected projects!” says Nelle Spahn Bullock of Gainesville, FL. Phil Winters, who is with Morgan Stanley in NYC, has been spending a lot of time with his five grown children and six grandchildren. He and his wife, Ludmila, also travel overseas on business, mostly to Switzerland. But if you’d like to catch them relaxing in Manhattan some afternoon, check in the St. Regis Hotel Bar. Folks studying and planning for the future: Eleanor Ross Levieux in Paris, taking a course on Shakespeare. Kim Mitchell in Southbury, CT, learning how to use his computer. Bruce Pfann in New London, NH, cutting, splitting and stacking cords of wood for the coming winter. Walt Stewart in Unionville, PA, looking into geothermal heating and solar panels while considering whether to stay on the farm or live in a city or retirement community.

“Another Abrams will be marching to the Big Red!” Ruth Rosen Abrams of NYC reports that her oldest grandson, Craig Abrams Schiff, is starting at Cornell this month. He’s the son of Robin Abrams ’86 and William Schiff ’84. Ruth, a former commercial real estate owner, investor and leasing broker, enjoys the many cultural events that the city offers. She’s also been doing a lot of swimming after bilateral hip replacements and a right knee replacement. Ira Brous’ granddaughter, Lindsey Brous ’12, was elected to Quill & Dagger in April. Lindsey is the Hotel Ezra Cornell executive chef and the Hotel School Dean’s Assistant.

* Jenny Tesar, 97A Chestnut Hill Village, Bethel, CT 06801; tel., (203) 792-8237; e-mail, jet24@cornell.edu.