Remembering The Passed

Remembering Gustav Born, Art Paul, Michael Anderson, Number 16 the Spider

Gustav Born was a medical pharmacologist and one of the last links to the Jewish émigrés from Germany prior to World War II. His father was a Nobel Laureate, whose work was used in construction of the atomic bomb. He was one of the first Britons to visit Hiroshima after the Bomb was dropped and did work on the bleeding disorders caused by the subsequent radiation. Art Paul was the graphic designer extraordinaire who worked with Hugh Hefner and developed the iconic Playboy Bunny logo. Michael Anderson was the British film director responsible for Around The World in 80 Days (1956) and Logan’s Run (1976). At 43 years old, Number 16 was the oldest surviving spider in the world.

Remembering Stanley Falkow, Capt. Ernest Medina, Ray Szmanda, Gayle Shepherd, Abi Ofarim

Stanley Falkow was the Stanford microbiologist responsible for much of the work on pathogenic bacteria and bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Capt. Ernest Medina was the commanding officer during the My Lai massacre in Vietnam in 1968. He was one of two officers to go on trial and was acquitted in 1971. For nearly two decades, Ray Szmanda was the familiar pitchman for Menards. Gayle Shepherd was one of the Shepherd Sisters, responsible for the 1957 hit “Alone”. Abi Ofarim was a one-hit wonder with his wife in 1968 when they sang the international hit “Cinderella Rockafella.”

Remembering Carson Pirie Scott, Bruno Sammartino, Verne Troyer, Carl Kasell, Art Bell, Nabi Tajima

Carson Pirie Scott was the venerable Midwestern department store that was a mainstay on Chicago’s State Street for over a century. Bruno Sammartino was perhaps the best-known professional wrestler of his time and a world champion for over ten years. Verne Troyer was the diminutive actor who was Mike Meyers’s double as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers series. Carl Kasell was the mellifluous NPR news anchor and co-anchor of the popular radio show, Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. Art Bell was the late-night radio call-in host who specialized in the mysterious and paranormal. Nabi Tajima was the oldest surviving person in the world, the last person to be born in the 19th Century.

Remembering Eugene Leff and Love Canal, Avicii, Dr. Donald Seldin, Art Shay

Eugene Leff was the attorney who helped reach a record settlement in the Love Canal disaster. Love Canal was one of the worst toxic waste sites in American history. Avicii, aka Tim Bergling, was the Swedish DJ who specialized in electronic dance music. His performances were hailed throughout the world and his recordings were international best sellers. Donald Seldin was the chief of medicine at Texas Southwestern Medical School for 35 years and built it into one of the top medical institutions in the United States. Art Shay was the Chicago photographer who captured American life in all its aspects for over six decades.

Remembering Peter Grunberg

Peter Grunberg was the Czech-born German physicist who was awarded half of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics, along with Albert Fert, for his work in giant magnetoresistance. By placing a layer of nonmagnetic metal between layers of magnetized metal, he and Fert independently found that electrical resistance could be drastically reduced when the direction of magnetization was changed owing to the spin of electrons. This allowed for miniaturization of storage devices such as hard drives, and more recently, detection of genes and biomarkers.

Remembering Joe Gargan and Chappaquiddick, Lee Ermey, Milos Forman

Joe Gargan was a cousin of the Kennedy clan who played a significant role in the presidential campaign of Robert Kennedy in 1968. This led him to organize a party in July of 1969 that became the site of the infamous Chappaquiddick incident. He was essentially ostracized from the family after the fallout. Lee Ermey was the Marine drill instructor who was tapped to play Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 film Full Metal Jacket. Milos Forman was the Czech film director who won two Academy Awards for Best Director for the memorable films One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (1975) and Amadeus (1984).

Remembering Hal Greer, Barbara Bush, Harry Anderson

Hal Greer was the shooting guard for the Philadelphia 76’ers of the 1960’s. Best known for his jump shot, which he practiced at the free throw line, he was an NBA Hall of Famer and voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Barbara Bush was the wife of George H.W. Bush and the mother of George W. Bush, making her only the second woman in history to be the wife of one president and the mother of another (Abigail Adams was the first). Harry Anderson was the comedian-magician best known for his turn as Judge Harry Stone on the courtroom comedy Night Court (1984-1992).

Remembering Steven Bochco, Winnie Mandela, Anna Chennault

Steven Bochco was the writer and creator of a number of groundbreaking television shows including LA Law, NYPD Blue, and Doogie Howser. His greatest creation was the iconic police drama Hill Street Blues (1981-1987), which revolutionized the crime story on television. Winnie Mandela was the South African activist who was married to Nelson Mandela, and who fought with him to end apartheid. Her later career was marred by a number of scandals that marred her legacy. Anna Chennault was Washington doyenne who was married to Brig. General Claire Chennault of The Flying Tigers. After his death, she became embroiled in politics and negotiations between Richard Nixon and South Vietnam that may have influenced the 1968 presidential election.

Remembering Johan Van Hulst, Susan Anspach, Chuck McCann, Eric Bristow

Johan Van Hulst quietly saved 600 Jewish children in Amsterdam from the Nazis during World War II. For his efforts he was awarded the Yad Vashem distinction of “Righteous Among Nations” by the State of Israel. Susan Anspach was the beautiful actress who starred opposite Jack Nicholson in the 1970 classic Five Easy Pieces. Chuck McCann was the multitalented comic who starred in children’s television, commercials, voiceovers, and comedy skits. Eric Bristow was the top darts player in the world in the 1980’s and his colorful personality helped popularize the sport.

The Most Important Supreme Court Decision of the 20th Century

Remembering Linda Brown and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Munin, Rusty Staub, Dick Wilmarth

Linda Brown was the eight year-old girl in Topeka who was forced to walk twenty blocks to her all-black school. She became the subject of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court that overturned “separate but equal” and integrated public schools across America. Munin was the oldest raven in the Tower of London and part of a tradition that dates back centuries. Rusty Staub was “Le Grand Orange”, the red-haired outfielder who became the first star of the Montreal Expos. Dick Wilmarth was the Alaskan sled dog racer who won the inaugural Iditarod Race in 1973.