Johns Hopkins Magazine -- June 1998
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JUNE 1998
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ALUMNI NOTES

ALUMNI NEWS

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A P R I L    1 9 9 8

Alumni News
Editor: Billie Walker


Unscheduled Meeting
Hopkins in Japan
Wendell A. Smith, A&S '54
1998 Alumni Association Awards
Tropical adventure
Summer Schedule of Alumni Events

Unscheduled Meeting

When Pete Petersen, professor of management and organization theory at the School of Continuing Studies, set off with sons John, A&S '81, and Jim last winter for an ascent of Africa's 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro, little did they expect to meet a Hopkins grad on the trek. But here atop the mountain--where a blizzard totally obscured the view--are, from left, John and Pete, along with Larry Pincus, A&S '71, another member of the 11-man party. Pete Petersen calls the 18-day trip, which included six days of ascent and descent, "the adventure of a lifetime." The best part, he says, was the camaraderie he shared with his sons.



Hopkins in Japan

Kiyoaki Kikuchi, SAIS '51, former Japanese ambassador to Canada, Mexico, and the United Nations, is seen with President William R. Brody during a January reception at the Bloomberg L.P. offices in Tokyo. More than 100 alumni, parents, and friends of Johns Hopkins attended the event, including U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Foley.



Wendell A. Smith, A&S '54
Lawyer Committed to Enhancing Student Life

For Wendell A. Smith, A&S '54, his mission as a lawyer is "to give good counsel and to be an effective advocate." He carries the same philosophy to his work as a Hopkins trustee. And both in his professional life and at his alma mater, he has been at the center of important changes.

A partner in the New Jersey law firm of Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith, Ravin, Davis & Himmel, Mr. Smith has been touted as the father of New Jersey condominium law. He's written the definitive reference book in the field and is founding president of the New Jersey Chapter of the Community Associations Institute and was a trustee of its national organization and president of its research foundation.

He co-chairs the American Bar Association's Committee on the Development, Operation and Management of Community Associations, is a member of the New Jersey Assembly Task Force on Homeowner Associations, and is a charter member of both the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and College of Community Association Lawyers.

Besides serving on the University's Board of Trustees since 1983, Mr. Smith founded the Central New Jersey Alumni Chapter, chaired the President's Task Force on Alumni Relations, and in 1989 became the first president of the Alumni Council, helping to transform and expand the role of alumni across the country in University affairs.

"Seeing the Alumni Council mature has been extremely fulfilling," he says. "Now alumni have an increased voice at several levels, including input into University policy and the leadership search process as well as ex officio membership on the University Board for the Council's president and first vice president."

For years Mr. Smith has also been an advocate for improvements in the quality of undergraduate life. As chairman of the Johns Hopkins Initiative campaign for the School of Arts and Sciences, he is seeing these efforts bear new fruit. The campaign is successfully seeking funds to create a student arts center and expand the athletic facilities at Homewood. "Students need facilities that will enhance their college experience outside the classroom," he believes.

During the 1980s Mr. Smith became reacquainted with the campus through the eyes of his son, Duncan, A&S '86. Tragically, Duncan died of a pulmonary embolism in 1987. His parents plan to memorialize him through their own campaign gifts. But Wendell Smith has broader reasons for promoting student amenities.

"At Hopkins if you have an interest you wish to pursue and are willing to make an effort, you can participate in anything. You don't have to be a superstar to succeed," he observes. "This is a wonderful opportunity and one of the reasons I loved attending Hopkins. But without adequate facilities for cultural, recreational, and other extracurricular pursuits, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain and foster this environment.

"This message comes from the heart," Mr. Smith concludes. "I really feel that, and my job is to help others understand the special importance of a quality extracurricular experience at an academically demanding institution such as Johns Hopkins--and to encourage them to join the effort to facilitate this goal."


1998 Alumni Association Awards

The Woodrow Wilson Award
Honors alumni who have brought credit to the University by distinguished service to the public as elected or appointed officials.

James A. S. Leach, SAIS '66
After graduating from the
School of Advanced International Studies, James Leach worked in the U.S. Department of State until 1974 and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976. He currently serves as chairman of the House Banking Committee and is a senior member of the House International Relations Committee. Mr. Leach recently chaired the House hearings on the Whitewater affair, and he has been an outspoken advocate for campaign finance reform and integrity in banking.

The Heritage Award
Honors alumni or friends who have contributed outstanding service over an extended period to the progress of the University and the activities of the Alumni Association.

Frances Watt Baker, A&S '63, Med '66
A devoted alumna, Frances Watt Baker is one of more than a dozen members of her family to have attended Johns Hopkins. Dr. Baker is a member of the Alumni Council and serves on the National Council for Johns Hopkins Medicine. She and her husband, Lenox D. Baker Jr., recently endowed the deanship of the School of Medicine.

Lenox D. Baker Jr., A&S '63, Med '66
Lenox Baker is a member of the Boards of Trustees of both the University and Johns Hopkins Medicine, serves as co-chairman of the Johns Hopkins Initiative, and is chairman of the National Council for Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. Baker served for several years on the Alumni Council and its executive committee. He is a cardiac surgeon and a senior partner at Mid-Atlantic Cardiothoracic Surgeons in Norfolk, Virginia. He and his wife, Frances Watt Baker, recently endowed the deanship of the School of Medicine.

Gilbert F. Decker, Engr '58
A former president of Penn Central Federal Operations and former vice president of TRW, Inc., Gilbert Decker most recently served as undersecretary of defense for the U.S. Army for research. He was the driving force behind the creation of the Whiting School of Engineering's National Development Committee in 1989 and eventually served as its chairman. As a tribute to his generosity and leadership, a laboratory in Krieger Hall is named in his honor. Mr. Decker is a member of the Whiting School's National Advisory Council and Campaign Challenge Committee, and he is a former president of the Washington, D.C., alumni chapter.

Woodrow S. Dellinger Jr., SPH '76
Since graduation from the School of Public Health, Woodrow (Skip) Dellinger has remained a devoted faculty member, mentor, and friend at the School. He established the Master's in Health Sciences (M.H.S.) Program in Maternal and Child Health and continues today as the program's director. In 1992, the Department of Maternal and Child Health honored him with an alumni award for his contributions to the program. Mr. Dellinger was also instrumental in establishing the department's Nurse Midwifery Program and the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Alvin Deutsch, A&S '53
Following graduation from Johns Hopkins, Alvin Deutsch earned a law degree from Yale. He is a partner in the New York entertainment law firm of Deutsch, Klagsburn & Blasband, has co-produced several Broadway shows, and has served as an adjunct professor of music at New York University. A devoted advocate for the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, he has served on its Advisory Council since 1988. This year he plans to contribute to the Library a collection of important Tom Wolfe manuscript materials. Mr. Deutsch also provides assistance and advice to Hopkins students interested in careers in theater and music in New York.

Gilbert V. Levin, Engr '47, '48, '63
Gilbert Levin earned degrees from Johns Hopkins in civil, sanitary, and environmental engineering. He has served on the University's Board of Trustees and is a member of the Advisory Councils for the Milton S. Eisenhower Library and for the Whiting School of Engineering. Dr. Levin and his wife, Karen, are assisting the Eisenhower Library by endowing collections important to students and faculty in engineering. They also established the Levin Innovative Technology Endowment Fund at the Whiting School to support research by young investigators. Dr. Levin, the founder of Biospherics medical products company, is known for his pioneering research on the low-calorie sweetener, D-tagatose.

Charles D. Miller, A&S '49
A University trustee, Charles Miller recently retired after 21 years as CEO of Avery Dennison Corporation, where he remains chairman of the board. A devoted advocate for both the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth (IAAY), he is chairman of IAAY's Western Regional Office Advisory Council and a member of the Krieger School's Advisory Council. Mr. Miller also served as chairman of the Los Angeles Committee for Arts and Sciences and as a member of the Presidential Task Force on Alumni Relations. His generosity has included endowing scholarships at the Krieger School for IAAY alumni.

Jerome D. Schnydman, A&S '67
Executive assistant to President William Brody since February 1, Jerome Schnydman had headed the Hopkins Alumni Relations Office since 1989. Previously he served 11 years as director of undergraduate admissions at Homewood. "Jerry has demonstrated great devotion and commitment to the University," said President Brody in announcing his appointment. "Those qualities, coupled with his energy, creativity, and enthusiasm, will continue to serve Hopkins well."

The Distinguished Alumnus Award
Honors alumni who have typified the Johns Hopkins tradition of excellence by their personal accomplishment, professional achievement, or humanitarian service.

J. Julian Chisolm Jr., Med '46
Director of the Lead Program at Kennedy Krieger since 1975, Julian Chisolm has earned an international reputation in the field of lead poisoning and its prevention. He developed a new treatment regimen for lead encephalopathy that dropped the mortality rate to nearly zero, and was a leader in using blood tests to identify lead levels--especially important in children-- that contributed to a dramatic decrease in the incidence of lead encephalopathy. Dr. Chisolm was also instrumental in developing landmark legislation and regulations to protect people from the health hazards of lead exposure.

W. Byron Forbush, A&S '51
In addition to his Hopkins degree, Byron Forbush holds a master's degree in teaching from Harvard University and a doctorate in education from Columbia University. In 1960, he succeeded his father, Bliss Forbush, as headmaster of the Friends School in Baltimore. He served in that position with distinction for 37 years and retired this spring. Dr. Forbush has served on the board of the Sheppard Pratt Health System for 23 years and will become chairman next year.

Pearl S. German, SPH '72
Before earning a doctoral degree from the School of Public Health, Pearl German received a bachelor's degree from Hunter College and a master's degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. One of the nation's leading experts in gerontology, she is professor emerita of Health Policy and Management at the School of Public Health, where she established the School's interdepartmental program in gerontology. For this initiative, leadership, and vision the School awarded her its Ernest Lyman Stebbins Medal in 1990. Dr. German serves on many local and national committees that address health care issues of the elderly.

Thomas H. Maren, Med '51
Thomas Maren's distinguished career in pharmaceutical research has resulted in a revolutionary treatment for millions of people threatened with blindness from glaucoma. In 1954, his exhaustive research with carbonic anhydrase led to the development of the drug Diamox. A diuretic intended to treat congestive heart failure, Diamox eventually was re- cognized as an effective treatment for excess fluid in the eyes. Dr. Maren later improved the drug to offset unwanted side effects, and it is now widely prescribed in eyedrop form for glaucoma sufferers. He is a graduate research professor at the University of Florida, where he chaired the department of pharmacology from 1956 until 1978.



Tropical adventure

Boats carry Hopkins travelers along the Sambu River where they will come ashore in Panama's Darien Jungle to visit an isolated village of Choco Indians. Twenty-six alumni and friends-- representing eleven states and five Hopkins' divisions--made the March trip, where other highlights included a cruise under moonlight through the Panama Canal, a hike through the rainforests of Costa Rica, and visits to the Poas Volcano and a coffee plantation.


Summer Schedule of Alumni Events

J U N E
11 No. California Young Alumni Happy Hour
12-13 School of Nursing Homecoming
21 Baltimore/D.C. chapters--Orioles vs. Blue Jays
21 Chicago chapter--Cubs vs. Phillies
25 New York chapter--Mets vs. Orioles
27 No. California chapter--Alcatraz volunteer day and sleepover
J U L Y
1-9 Alumni College in Ennis, Ireland
2 Chicago Young Alumni Happy Hour
9 No. California Young Alumni Happy Hour
10 Pittsburgh chapter--Crab feast
11 Baltimore chapter--Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concert
18 L.A./Orange County chapters--Angels vs. Orioles
25 San Diego chapter--Crab feast
A U G U S T
6 Chicago Young Alumni Happy Hour
9-22 Alumni Travel Program--Alaska tour and cruise
12 New York chapter--Student send-off
13 No. California Young Alumni Happy Hour
14 Boston chapter--Student send-off
15 St. Louis chapter--Crab feast
16 New Jersey chapter--Student send-off
16 No. California chapter--Student send-off
21 Seattle area student send-off
22 Chicago chapter--Cirque du Soleil
22 San Diego chapter--San Diego Museum of Art
24-Sept. 1 Alumni College in Ubeda, Spain
S E P T E M B E R
3 Chicago Young Alumni Happy Hour
7-19 Alumni Travel Program--St. Petersburg-Moscow river cruise
20 Baltimore/D.C. chapters--Orioles vs. Yankees

For further information, click on http://www.jhu.edu/~alumni/, or phone 410-516-0363 or 800-548-5481.


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