Remembering Charles Krauthammer, Donald Hall, Koko the Gorilla

Charles Krauthammer was the doctor-turned political columnist, known for his elegant writing and sharp insights. Both in print and on television he distinguished himself on the Washington scene for over 30 years. Donald Hall was the American poet who was named the Poet Laureate of the United States in 2006. He was also a passionate Boston Red Sox fan. Koko the Gorilla was the western lowland gorilla that mastered a number of tasks including rudimentary sign language and playing the recorder. She was featured on the cover of National Geographic twice.

Remembering Eunice Gayson, Anthony Bourdain, Maria Bueno, Clarence Fountain

Eunice Gayson was the first love interest for James Bond in Dr. No (1962) and she reprised the role in From Russia With Love (1963). She prompted one of the most famous lines in movies. Anthony Bourdain was the chef and author who travelled the world and described his culinary adventures. Maria Bueno was the splendid Brazilian tennis star who won Wimbledon three times and was the #1 female player in the world in 1959. Clarence Fountain was a founding member of The Blind Boys of Alabama, an African-American gospel group who has been singing together nine decades and has won five Grammys.

Remembering Dr. Jens Skou

Jens Skou was awarded half of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Paul Boyer and John Walker, for his discovery of the enzyme sodium-potassium ATP synthase. This enzyme is the key to the sodium potassium pump, which is responsible for a number of biologic functions including muscle contraction and nerve transmission. Dr. Skou was the last Nobel Laureate from Denmark and he did much of his work at Aarhus University with crabs he purchased from local fishermen.

Remembering Dr. Peter Boyer

Dr. Paul Boyer was awarded one-quarter of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Jens Skou and John Walker, for his elucidation of how the enzyme ATP synthase works. This enzyme works in the cell to generate ATP, which provides energy for all cellular function. Dr. Boyer described the elegant mechanism by which ATP synthase works, and his work was later verified by Dr. Walker though X-ray crystallography.

Remembering Jerry Maren, Kate Spade, Red Schoendienst, Miss America Swimsuit

Jerry Maren was the diminutive actor most famous for his role in The Wizard of Oz (1939). He had many other roles in the movies and outside, including a famous turn with the Marx Brothers. Kate Spade was the American fashion designer, whose handbags became popular worldwide and were known for their stylish design. Red Schoendienst was the iconic player and later manager for the St. Louis Cardinals. His career with the team spanned seven decades, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989. The swimsuit will be retired form the Miss America Pageant after 98 years.

Remembering Dwight Clark, Alan Bean, Ted Dabney, Allyn Ann McLerie

Dwight Clark was the tight end for the San Francisco 49’ers who made one of the most memorable catches in NFL history in the 1981 NFL Championship Game. Alan Bean was the fourth man to walk on the moon as part of Apollo 12 and he went on to pilot Skylab 3. Ted Dabney was a Silicon Valley legend as the cofounder of Atari. He had a large hand in developing Pong, the first video game and the forerunner of a huge industry. Allyn Ann McLerie was the beautiful and talented actress who starred in Where’s Charley? in 1952 with Ray Bolger. She was the subject of one of Broadway’s most famous melodies.

Remembering Billy Cannon, Carol Mann, Richard Goodwin, Robert Indiana

Billy Cannon was the 1959 Heisman Trophy winner, playing for the LSU Tigers. His 89- yard punt return on Halloween evening against Ole Miss remains one of the legendary plays in college football history. After a pro career, Cannon went to prison in a counterfeiting scheme but when released he helped create a model medical program for the inmates. Carol Mann was one of the great female golfers in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. She went on to become a leading advocate for Title IX. Richard Goodwin, first portrayed in the 1994 movie Quiz Show, became a speechwriter for JFK and LBJ, he helped pen several of LBJ’s most famous speeches. Robert Indiana was the American pop artist who created the familiar “LOVE” print.

Remembering Philip Roth, Clint Walker, Glenn Snoddy

Philip Roth was the acclaimed American novelist whose works included Goodbye, Columbus (1959), Portnoy’s Complaint (1969), Zuckerman Unbound (1981), and Sabbath’s Theater (1995). His works dealt with love, sex, death, being Jewish, and the American dream, all in uncompromising fashion. Clint Walker was the handsome cowboy star of television’s “Cheyenne” (1955-1963). It was one of Warner Brothers’s most successful television Westerns. Glenn Snoddy was the country music engineer from Nashville, who, by accident, created the fuzz tone sound, first heard in Marty Robbins’s 1961 recording “Don’t Worry.”

Remembering Tom Wolfe, Margot Kidder

Tom Wolfe was arguably the best American writer of the last half-century. He travelled between fiction and nonfiction, and his books included contemporary classics The Right Stuff (1979) and The Bonfire of the Vanities (1987). One of the creators of the style known as The New Journalism, Wolfe described many facets of American life in a unique prose style. Margot Kidder was the Canadian actress whose best-known role was as Lois Lane in the Superman series opposite Christopher Reeve. She and Reeve demonstrated a flair for romantic comedy reminiscent of the great screen couples.

Remembering Bernard Lewis, Patricia Morison, Joseph Campanella, Reggie Lucas

Bernard Lewis was the British-American scholar who wrote and lectured for nine decades about Middle Eastern affairs. He worked from Princeton University, and while controversial, never failed to prompt critical thinking about Islam and the West. Patricia Morison was the raven-haired actress who was best known as the first actress to play Kate in the original Broadway production of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate in 1948. Joseph Campanella was the veteran character actor who had been appearing on television since the 1950’s. Reggie Lucas was the Grammy award-winning musician who played guitar for Miles Davis and went on to write hit songs for Stephanie Mills and Madonna.