Reunited through Miami magazine

funny thing happened after you published my information in Miami magazine (Class Notes, Summer 2003). My father’s stepbrother, Henry “Hank” Zibman, B.S.M.E. ’51, attended the University of Miami College of Engineering. When he read my information, it stirred his interest to find out if my father is indeed his stepbrother. After 58 years, they were reunited early this year in Hollywood, Florida.

David Goodleman, B.B.A. ’74
Margate, New Jersey

Taking Pride in Hometown History

s a native Miamian, son of a native Miamian, and grandson of Miami pioneers, I feel insulted by the description of Miami that appeared on page 21 of the Fall 2003 issue of Miami magazine (“Germ Trackers”). The author states, “With Miami’s transformation over the last half century from sleepy southern backwater town to international city of global importance…”
Fifty years ago, Miami was a large, dynamic city known well throughout the country as a great place to vacation as well as to live. I know; I was graduating from Coral Gables High School 50 years ago. Miami was the gateway city to South America from the time commercial air travel first became available. In fact, Miami probably was more of a gateway in that time before the advent of long-distance nonstop travel than it is today. Your readers can learn more about the history of the area at the Historical Museum of South Florida.

S. Scott Brady, B.S. ’57, M.B.A. ’82
Via the Internet

A Serendipitous Connection

an there be any greater reward than networking with one’s alma mater? My avocation for the past 16 years has been in the area of historic preservation. I am presently involved in the restoration of a 65-year-old mansion, located in Jensen Beach, Florida, and formerly owned by Coca-Cola heiress Anne Bates Leach. This is an ongoing endeavor sponsored by Martin County as Phase III of the Indian Riverside Park.

My interview with the family revealed that Mrs. Leach had been a significant donor to the School of Medicine’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in the 1970s. Susan Ervin, director of development at Bascom Palmer, graciously offered a portrait for our use once the mansion is restored. Even Henry King Stanford, former UM president, provided information about the early days of the medical school, revealing that he and Mrs. Leach had been lifelong friends. You can be assured that the University of Miami and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute will receive full recognition for their invaluable assistance to Martin County.

Jane Hines Greenwasser, B.Ed. ’53
Sewall’s Point, Florida

Gotta Hand it to Them

I thought you and your readers might enjoy a fun story about the last team to win a national championship for the University of Miami before the football and baseball teams started their run in the early 1980s. In 1968 handball player Fred Lewis, B.S.Ed. ’71, M.S.Ed. ’72, and I were on a mission to win a national championship for the University, which had come close many times in swimming, tennis, and other sports but had not clinched it. At the Collegiate National Championships in St. Louis, Fred finished second and I placed third. If only a complete team had been sent to the tournament instead of the two of us, we would have earned enough points to win.

The next year Fred and I made a pact. Whoever performed better in the upcoming big tournaments would play singles handball, and the other would play doubles with Fred’s brother, Jack. We also would have to find someone to play B singles. The University was not able to sponsor us, but our local club, the Miami Beach Handball Association at Flamingo Park, paid our way. The 1969 Collegiate Championships were held at the University of Texas at Austin, winner of 12 of the 13 prior national titles. Fred won the open singles, Jack and I won the open doubles, and Bob Dick, the B singles player we recruited, qualified the University of Miami team and helped win the trophy. Then-President Henry King Stanford called us the “Joe Namaths” of the handball world. We were proud to represent the school and do something very constructive for its athletics program.

Fred, who later won six U.S. Open singles championships, now resides in Tuscon, Arizona, where he is a C.P.A. and financial planner. He also was the treasurer for the United States Handball Association for many years. Jack is an attorney in Miami, and I have had a C.P.A. firm in North Miami for the past 22 years.

Joel G. Galpern, B.B.A. ’69
North Miami, Florida

FIRST WORDS

Proactive Politics

n science, the larger and more representative the sample size, the greater the validity of the study. The same is true in politics. If every eligible U.S. citizen would vote, our elected leaders would more closely match the will of the populace. In the 2000 presidential election, the closest in U.S. history, 59 percent of voting-age citizens cast a ballot. That’s a small majority, considering the struggle faced by those who have been disenfranchised of voting and other rights in our nation’s history.

With the announcement that on September 30 the University of Miami will host the first televised presidential debate of 2004, the campus community began focusing on the democracy and diversity of the electoral process. In the coming months, we will welcome some of the most influential politicians, media moguls, and cultural icons in a series of activities designed to augment the experience. But as the spotlight shines upon us, I wonder to what extent each of us will be involved. Will we discuss platforms on international relations, social security, and unemployment at the dinner table, in our social circles, at the office? Will we take ownership of our power as citizens not only to vote, but also to implement change in our own communities?

A friend of mine is a business executive who recently rallied tennis instructors in her neighborhood to launch an after-school tennis program for underprivileged children. Instead of lamenting about lack of public resources, she took action to improve the quality of life for others. People often don’t realize how much they can accomplish by seeking solutions instead of griping about the problems that irk them the most. In this issue you’ll read about individuals who took the initiative to improve conditions in their community—the University. Former leaders of UM’s top-ranked Student Government, many continue to employ their creativity, concern, and energy to get things done, either on a grassroots level or a broader scale.

As excitement builds on the campaign trail, try to reflect on your vital role in the political process, which is only as democratic and diverse as your participation enables it to be.

— Meredith Danton
Editor

Letters:
We welcome your letters. All letters must be signed (your name will not be printed if you so request in writing) and may be edited for clarity and space. Address letters to:

Meredith Danton
Miami magazine
P.O. Box 248105
Coral Gables, Florida 33124
E-mail: mdanton@miami.edu